〖 That's right, I just arrived today 〗'Negary' looked up at the young man who introduced himself as Roger Cleves and replied after some close observation.
"Then, can I ask what you think about the Mobis Institute?" Roger keenly asked as he was able to faintly recognize the uniqueness that 'Negary' exuded. He had discovered too many issues in the institute recently, but there weren't many willing to help, so he was hoping to gather a few companions who held the same views.
〖 Hm, it is a good place to study. As for other things, you know what they say about curiosity and the cat 〗'Negary's' brows slightly furrowed, then answered as if to warn Roger and stopped paying attention to him altogether.
"Sorry for bothering you" Roger said, a bit embarrassed, then seemed to focus on his own meal.
In silence, 'Negary' quickly finished his own lunch, then put the small bottle of oil on the table away into his pocket. This action drew Roger's attention, as his excellent spirit sense allowed him to recognize some peculiarities about that shiny yellow bottle.
This superhuman sensitivity had indeed given Roger a sense of superiority. This ability of his had only just awakened a few months ago; yes, 'awakened', Roger was very sure that he didn't use the wrong word to describe it. He believed that he already had this ability since birth, and only after it had awakened that he noticed how different he was from others.
He was able to recognize things that others could not, occasionally see spirits pop up in the city, gained a certain level of precognitive sense, and sporadically heard unusual whispers in his ears. All of this made Roger feel like he was different from everyone else.
Due to this, as soon as supernatural occurrences appeared within the Mobis Institute, his first thought wasn't to flee but to see this as his stage. In his mind, some sort of Demon King had just awakened, and adventurers who endured hardship and risked it all to defeat them would be rewarded with untold wealth and power.
In other words, because he awakened such an ability, Roger felt that he was the main character.
Watching 'Negary' walk away, Roger narrowed his eyes while focusing on 'Negary's' coat pocket, the bottle of oil that gave him a strange feeling was sitting there.
"What's the situation, Roger, is that person really one of 'them'?" a sudden voice cut off Roger's train of thought.
It was his friend Landier, as well as a member of his Abnormality Removal Squad, one of his few companions who chose to believe and patrol the institute with him.
"That auditing student is indeed unique in a certain way; I'll find some time to investigate him again" Roger smiled in response. The 'them' that Landier spoke of were Mystics, those who commanded magic.
…
On his way back, 'Negary' didn't even need to spend too much effort to notice a person tailing him. Only the ones actually in the act would be able to believe that their tailing skills were any better than simply walking behind the one they were tailing.
Sure enough, there wasn't anything worth expecting from these students' skills.
Having returned to the dorm, 'Negary' held the bottle of oil from before in his hand. This substance was corpse oil that he extracted from several corpses in the city sewers, each of the corpses had practiced the axle ritual while they were alive, so their bodies had been altered. The corpse oil that 'Negary' had extracted from their bodies would be able to grant him a certain level of mana.
If he used it in combination with certain rituals, 'Negary' would even be able to inherit the magical expertise from the original Negary, but 'Negary' chose not to do it, as the amount of mana in his possession was just enough.
〖 However, that youngster will probably have use for this 〗'Negary' looked at the bottle of unfinished corpse coil. After placing it on the table, he opened his bag of tools; if he were to give this to that youngster, he would need to add some seasoning into it.
After leaving the bottle of corpse oil in his room and hiding the other materials well, 'Negary' left. He understood perfectly well the mental state of people like Roger who had just obtained a new ability.
They would believe themselves to be the main character, feeling a sense of self-righteous responsibility, believing that it was up to them to resolve every incident they could see. For that reason, they believed everything they do to be for the sake of justice, and they could arbitrarily do as they please for this justice.
For example, stealing things that they believed to be useful for them.
The person who believed themselves to have hidden very well observed as 'Negary' left his dorm room. After running a full circle around the school, he met up with Roger and reported while breathing heavily: "I've confirmed his accommodations, as well as the fact that he just left his room. From what I can see, he probably won't return for a while"
"Very good, I can confirm that the auditing student carries a certain level of peculiarities. As the school is currently full of danger, for the sake of the numerous students, for our beautiful campus, as well as the three Professors and the fifteen students who lost their lives yesterday, we must do what we can!" Roger patted his companion's shoulder and declared resolutely.
Roger was indeed also looking down on 'Negary' in his mind.
As expected of a Sediment, even though he has gotten proper status, he has no sense of responsibility that a gentleman should have.
Very quickly Roger followed the companion who tailed 'Negary' towards his dorm. As he arrived at the building, his sharp spirit sense was able to recognize something inside attracting him.
Under the Abnormality Removal Squad's support, Roger entered 'Negary's' room through the window that had been purposely left open, then followed his spirit sense to find 'Negary's' bag and the bottle of corpse oil within.
Thanks to 'Negary's' seasoning, the mana inside the bottle was now extremely lively, which held a critical level of attraction to Roger who was essentially a normal person with a sharp spirit sense.
Looking at the bottle of corpse oil, the scenes in Roger's eyes began to twist and warp, some pictures seemed to have surfaced from within the corpse oil. They looked like irregular humanoid shapes that were trying to release some sort of magic.
"Take me away, take me away, I beg you, save me!!!" as the figures within the bottle madly begged; Roger, who could observe them, became the outlet for their voices. The intense sense of fear and the begging struck directly at Roger's heart.
Having experienced something similar before, Roger understood that these figures were spirits. They weren't human souls, but rather portions of people's memories and consciousness that existed by being mixed with a bit of supernatural power.
Only those with an extreme level of emotions or carried certain peculiarities would be able to create spirits, furthermore, both the living and the dead had a chance to create spirits like these.
Several months ago, when his spirit sense had just awoken, he discovered one of his fellow students using a spirit summoning ritual he found somewhere and gave birth to a spirit from within his body.
However, that student committed suicide for unknown reasons not too long after that, and Roger couldn't find that spirit summoning ritual despite trying many times.
Holding the bottle of corpse oil in his hand, Roger did not hesitate.
Since that student didn't want to do anything for the institute, me taking this thing is also for his own good.
After all, me protecting the institute will also be protecting him.
With such thoughts in mind, Roger hurriedly snuck out from 'Negary's' dorm room.
…
Meanwhile, 'Negary' had paid a visit to the school library. As he pulled a book out, he was able to clearly see a twisted face flashing by on the other side of the bookshelf through a gap in the middle.
Very strangely, despite the speed that the face flashed by, 'Negary' could not hear any footsteps despite being so close.
