WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 43: Small Bugged Space (4)

Gray wasn’t feeling well.

“Hiccup…”

Her head was dizzy, and her stomach churned. The lingering effects of the flu left her sluggish and uncomfortable. Every now and then, the space around her swayed like she was on a rocking boat.

In simpler terms, nothing felt right.

What bothered her most was how overly bright the engine room was. Someone had turned the lights on and left without turning them off.

So annoying.

But what could she do about it?

The only solution was to drink more.

Gray pulled out a fourth bottle she had hidden beneath the blanket.

Glug glug glug…

She filled her mouth to the brim.

Gulp—

“Haaaa…”

It was sharp and refreshing. She even liked the slightly nauseating taste of cheap alcohol. The frustrations that had slowly been piling in her chest seemed to melt away.

Rumble…

Was it because she was even more drunk now? The shaking of the room and the ship felt even more intense than before.

Suddenly, a fun thought popped into her mind.

Let’s come up with a setting.

She was currently on a voyage…

She had run away from home for her own freedom, secretly sneaking aboard a merchant ship…

The ship was taking her to a utopia she had never visited before…

A place without competition or conflict.

A place where there was no reason to be desperately anxious.

A place where the temperature always stayed at a comfortable 23°C.

Where the air carried a cool breeze, and the water was fresh.

Where fruits and grains grew in abundance.

Where people were kind, so she could be kind in return.

Right now, it was just a temporary storm raging outside, while the ship carried her to paradise.

Glug glug glug… Gulp!

“Haa…”

A cool breath escaped her lips.

Suddenly, everything felt perfect.

A warm place. A cozy home. Kind people...

Oh, and of course, everyone acknowledged her Illusion Arts.

The old lady to her left.

The old man to her right.

And the cat standing in front of her.

They all raised their thumbs.

“Gray is the best at Illusion Arts!”

I know, right…? she thought, her expression finally softening.

“Thanks… I love you all…♡”

A truly lovely neighborhood.

And then, when she turned her head around…

Her gaze locked with a pair of menacing pink eyes. 

…Huh? Professor Dante…?

“Get it together, Gray Habanero.”

What?

Gray’s eyes snapped wide open as she jolted out of her daze.

“Haaaa… Shit.”

She held the liquor bottle tightly as her mood began to plummet. 

What was that…?

Now that she thought about it, she felt like she had seen Professor Dante while drifting off.

Was it a dream?

The professor had barged into her room to torment her endlessly—pushing and pressing down on her, hurting her, yelling at her…

“…Hm??”

Her mind cleared further as she thought back. Sure enough, it felt like he really was here.

Why did Professor Dante harass me?

She was just a small, weak, cute, and kind girl.

The only sin she had ever committed was the sin of being too good at Illusion Arts.

…Illusion Arts?

Ah!

That was when realization struck.

It must have been because of Illusion Arts. Professor Dante probably got jealous after hearing that she was better than him.

Of course, she admitted there were some illusions she couldn’t replicate from his repertoire. But the overall quality of Illusion Arts was what mattered most at the end of the day.

And since Kaiser had acknowledged her, how could the professor ever deny it?

She felt somewhat disappointed in Professor Dante.

He didn’t seem like the angry-jealous type. But apparently, deep down, he was rather petty.

“…A weakling should know when to admit defeat.”

How ridiculous. No matter how jealous he was, how could a professor bully his student using brute force?

A grown man tormenting a girl, at that!

“…Heh.”

Strangely enough, a smile tugged at Gray’s lips again.

It was a smile born of quiet triumph.

“…Pathetic♡”

The professor had surely worked hard to reach his level at his age.

But in the end, he still lost to someone so much younger than him.

What a pitiful man…

“Dante is a pathetic professor… Right?” Gray asked, turning to the old lady, the old man, and the cat.

“That’s right! Absolutely right!”

“Pathetic, meow…!”

Their cheerful answers lifted her spirits.

As she took another big gulp, a thought floated into her mind. 

This wasn’t a hideout. It wasn’t an engine room either.

“Haa…♡”

It was paradise.

* * *

Viper ran two large laps around the sky using air-walking Movement Techniques.

Bzzoooom―!!

Petrification beams shot past him chaotically, each narrowly avoided.

But then…

“Urgh!”

The tip of his finger was grazed by a beam.

Recalling the standard countermeasures against petrification, he clenched his fist tightly. His finger curled into his palm and slowly began turning to stone.

By doing this, there was less risk of his petrified finger breaking off.

It’s fine.

The monster was only targeting him.

It was behaving exactly as Dante had theorized. He believed that the first person to strike the monster would capture one of its hands' attention for the remainder of the fight.

At first, everyone had been skeptical, even the chief professors.

Generally speaking, a massive monster like this would direct its full strength at the strongest opponent, aiming to eliminate the greatest threat first.

However, Dante’s explanation had swayed most of them.

Since the monster had seven hands, it clearly preferred to attack multiple targets at once. Going after just one person with all seven hands would be inefficient.

So, if the first attacker continued to draw the monster’s focus, they could ensure that at least one of the hands remained locked onto them—transforming the monster’s own instincts into a tactical disadvantage. This would effectively limit its attacking options.

I was a bit skeptical, but now…

Viper had to admit it. Everything Dante had said was true!

“Ugh!!”

He twisted away just in time, dodging another gray beam as the battle intensified.

Professor Leo from the Assassination Defense Studies department darted about, setting traps.

Chief Toy fell under the enemy’s 『Domination』.

Collider was impaled by Chief Toy’s sword and plummeted from the sky.

Dante shattered the totem on the ship’s deck, sending Chief Toy crashing down.

Nice, Dante!!

The most troublesome enemy had been subdued.

Meanwhile, Leo’s powerful traps were finally activated.

The 「Hand of Domination」 was caught in the jaws of a tiger-shaped trap—its fingers bent backward and stuck against its wrist.

With this, it couldn’t point at them to cast its curse.

And since Professor Leo specialized in Trap Arts, escape was no longer an option.

High above the rift, Angela rose through the air, scythe in hand—「Grim ReaperΩ」 gleaming with deadly intent. 

She aimed at the trapped hand, then came crashing down, full force behind her strike. 

“Haaaah!”

『Reaper’s Single Slash』

BOOM—!!

A massive shockwave erupted. It swept far and wide, briefly distorting the faces of all the professors as the sheer force rippled through the air.

The entire 「Arm of Domination」 protruding from the rift quivered.

Its mana flow stuttered and collapsed.

« Hit confirmed! I repeat, hit confirmed! »

Leo’s voice echoed telepathically.

Nobody could have missed it.

Angela’s blow had landed.

Parts of the 「Hand of Domination」 were destroyed, and nearly half of the hundreds of eyes dotting its skin disappeared.

But then, just as relief started to spread through the team…

Thwack—

A flying chunk of Jinxsite’s stone-like flesh slammed into Viper’s forehead, almost shattering his skull.

He blacked out for a second.

When consciousness returned, the gravity of his mistake struck him.

…I shouldn’t have let that hit me!

« Hey! Viper, you moron! Get a hold of yourself!! » Leo’s furious voice rang in his mind. 

The world tilted in his vision. 

Viper’s role in this fight had been clear: keep the 「Hand of Petrification」busy. But in his brief lapse, the hand had lost its target and turned toward someone new. 

Someone exposed. Someone vulnerable. 

Chief Professor Angela, who was still stunned after unleashing her full strength in that last strike. 

The hand’s palm split open into six sections, preparing to fire a massive petrification beam.

A colossal gray beam blasted forward, striking the chief professor directly.

Though blood poured from his head, Viper stabilized himself in mid-air. He pushed forward using his Movement Technique.

Angela wasn’t just a colleague.

She was from the Black Path. In fact, she was Viper’s former teacher.

And he had to save his former master.

But Jinxite’s hands weren’t limited to casting curses.

The enormous hand rose into the sky and swung down at the half-petrified Angela.

With a thunderous shockwave, the 「Hand of Petrification」 struck Angela and sent her flying.

« Chief Angelaaaaa!!! »

Viper screamed, his voice breaking with desperation.

But moments later, her body shattered midair like fragile glass. 

Ah!!

It was an illusion.

Viper scanned the area wildly and spotted her real body far below, descending gently with a parachute deployed.

Professor Dante had swapped her out the moment she was struck, fooling even his allies.

Viper was stunned.

How could Illusion Arts be this refined…?

But there was no time to dwell on admiration.

It’s too early to celebrate!

The 「Hand of Domination」 still had one finger remaining after Angela’s all-out strike.

And now, the surviving index finger was locked onto Professor Leo.

Worst of all, their ace escape option, 『Blink』, could no longer be used. Professor Toy’s totem had already been destroyed.

Professor Leo clenched his teeth.

Damn it!!

He charged forward, leaping onto the finger itself.

Running across it midair, he zipped around in erratic patterns, trying to stay out of the beam’s predicted trajectory.

But Leo’s specialties were Trap Arts and Combat Arts. His Movement Techniques, while solid, weren’t exceptional.

No matter how fast or unpredictably he moved, the finger continued to track him.

It was like a giant gun barrel aiming directly at his soul….

And he was a helpless kitten under its scope.

Damn it! Fuck me!!

He took dozens of steps in just a few seconds, twisting and ducking. Still, the finger kept him in its sights.

It never missed.

« Help me! Please!! »

Leo cried out mentally, desperation flooding his voice.

But everyone else was overwhelmed.

Viper was still locked in combat, keeping the 「Hand of Petrification」 distracted.

« Please!! »

Then, the eyes embedded in Jinxsite’s Hand—or rather, 「Finger of Domination」—started to close.

The curse was activating. 

But just before it could unleash its power...

Thousands of mirrors erupted from the ground. 

It happened so quickly that the naked eye couldn’t keep up.

Tower-like mirrors surged upward from nowhere, coiling around 「Finger of Domination」 like a spiral.

Moments later, a gunshot rang out. 

Then a brilliant light erupted, one so radiant it illuminated the entire city, even in the midday sun. 

The light of the 「Radiant Star⁺₊⋆」 reflected and refracted thousands of times within the mirror structure, amplifying itself before blasting the remaining parts of the demon’s 「Arm of Domination」 to smithereens. The beam shot out of the top of the tower like a giant laser.

« Yes! Nice one, Professor Dante!! »

A surge of exhilaration rose in Leo’s chest. He immediately withdrew, swooping down to grab the bleeding Viper from the sky before retreating to the airship deck, hiding behind Dante’s back.

“Thank you. You saved me…”

But Dante’s eyes suddenly widened. Without a word, he leapt off the deck.

Leo froze, stunned, until he realized his mistake. 

The 「Hand of Petrification」 was still mostly intact. It could resume targeting them at any moment. 

In the chaos of battling the 「Finger of Domination」, Leo had completely forgotten about the other hand. 

And worst of all, they were standing right on the airship!

« Leo, Viper! Get out of there! » Dante’s shout echoed telepathically.

Damn it!

How could he have made such a rookie mistake?

Clutching Viper tightly, Leo leapt off the airship, but they were already too late.

Bzzoooom—!

The petrification beam fired. Leo barely managed to dodge, but the beam struck the airship directly.

Its metal frame, wooden beams, propellers, and even parts of the exposed Levitation Stone began turning to stone.

« Ah, damn it! Fuck me!! »

With its thrust gone, the airship began plummeting toward certain destruction.

I frowned.

The worst-case scenario had come true.

Ever since I’d confirmed that one of Jinxsite’s arms wielded the Curse of Petrification, this outcome had been lingering in the back of my mind like a shadow.

And now, the beam had engulfed the entire ship. 

The engine room was petrified, meaning the safety mechanism that typically opened during a crash wouldn’t operate. 

The levitation stone had also turned to stone, depriving the ship of its ability to remain afloat. 

Desperately, I diverted the attention of the 「Hand of Petrification」 with some illusions, then glanced down to check my remaining mana. 

< [MP]: 612 / 1,299 >

With Professor Toy’s totem destroyed, we could no longer use 『Blink』 and 『Air Walk』. I was gliding using invisible wings created by Illusion Arts.

However, they were barely enough to keep my 85kg body afloat. Even then, they were fraying and on the verge of breaking due to their low durability.

But now, I needed to figure out how to save a 1.7-ton airship with the two people still onboard...

Then I saw movement on the deck,

It was the captain and Gray.

Relief washed over me. If they were alive, they could simply leap off and deploy their parachutes.

But then I saw the problem.

Petrification was spreading… over Gray’s forearm, and across the captain’s lower body.

The fact that they weren’t jumping meant their 「Parachute Magic Tools」 had likely turned to stone as well.

The airship tilted sharply during its descent. Gray slipped and fell on the deck, sliding toward the edge alongside the captain.

“Whoaaa!!!” the captain shouted as he careened across the deck.

Gray grabbed onto a metal pole and caught him just in time, preventing him from falling to his death.

But their petrification was progressing. One of the captain’s legs had completely turned to stone, anchoring him to the floor. Gray’s stone-locked fingers clutched the metal pole, rooting her to the spot.

They were completely stuck.

And yet, to my surprise, Gray cast an Illusion Art.

Even in this state, she knew what she had to do.

To slow the fall, she conjured a pair of enormous 5-meter gliding wings on either side of the airship.

She truly was the daughter of a prestigious Illusion Arts family.

But… the ship was too massive. Her body was too frail. And she was still intoxicated.

The 5-meter wings couldn’t handle the airship’s weight or the drag.

Clang!!

Gray’s illusion soon shattered and scattered like glass, confirming my fears.

As the panicked shouts of Professors Leo and Viper echoed in our telepathic comms, I recalculated once more.

But no matter how I calculated, my remaining mana still wasn’t enough to slow the airship’s fall. 

That was when another thought flashed through my mind.

Did I really have to resolve this alone?

I guided my illusory glider downward, toward the falling airship.

As I got closer, I saw Gray’s condition fully: blood leaking from her nose and eyes, her expression vacant. One of her arms was completely stone.

I landed on the tilted deck and hurried toward them.

“Gray Habanero!”

She turned to me slowly, as if wading through a fog. She didn’t seem to fully grasp the situation.

“Try that again,” I said. “Just one more time.”

“…I can’t,” she murmured.

“You can. I believe in you.”

She didn’t answer, but I pressed on.

“Just one last push. I’ll help you. Trust me.”

As I knelt beside her, Gray trembled for a moment.

Then, slowly, she nodded. Blood streamed down her facial orifices as she focused her mana to recast the illusion. 

I tensed up and prepared to brace myself. 

If I were even one second late, the illusory wings would shatter again, causing both Gray and the captain to fall to their deaths.

But at the same time, I trusted my craft. I was a master of Illusion Arts. I had no doubt about my incredible, transcendent proficiency in this specific skill set.

Gray’s mana surged. Sparks of light danced across her body as her new illusion took shape. 

Now!

『 World Forgery: Form Forgery [Transcendental Celestial Wings] 』

I cast mine at the same time. 

I extended my illusory wings from her five-meter wings, blending and reinforcing them into a single pair of massive wings.

The result was a single, colossal pair of wings, stretching nearly 20 meters across. Together, we’d summoned a wingspan of 40 meters, quadruple the size of a Quetzalcoatlus, the creature with the largest wingspan known to mankind.

The wings latched onto the airship’s frame.

And the fall slowed.

« Professor Dante! You’re a madman!! »

« Well done! The airship is gliding now!! »

Telepathic cheers erupted from the two professors as they parachuted down in the distance.

Just as I’d calculated, our combined wings were enough to stabilize the massive airship’s descent.

But my head throbbed violently. My brain felt like it was being torn apart due to the mana overload. Blood poured freely from my nose, just like Gray’s.

Speaking of Gray, she was now staring up at me blankly, as if she couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

Then her eyes fluttered shut. 

She collapsed.

Right then, a surprising system message popped in my vision. 

┃ Bond Increased: Gray [30] (▲30)

┃ Reward: Star Shard ×30

Small Bugged Space – END

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