It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 253

Chapter 253: Resurrected Ice Bird

“You’ve tried your best.”

The 7th Princess gently laid Zero, who was sound asleep in her arms, next to her mother, the Ice Bird.

However.

━Cooooo……

The mother’s embrace, which should have been warm, was frozen and cold.

Looking at the mother Ice Bird, whose lifespan could no longer be extended even with Eternal Telomere, the 7th Princess continued.

“You know, even though I call them Mother and daughter, they’re not actually related by blood.”

The Ice Bird is a being born from an infertile egg.

So it’s the opposite of a Phoenix.

While the Phoenix eventually sublimates in fire and returns to a chick, living a life of infinite resurrection.

The Ice Bird, as it ages, cannot withstand its own cold and simply cools down and freezes.

It was impossible for such an infertile being to raise or give birth to new chicks.

“Isn’t it pitiful? In the end, unlike other Phoenixes, they die without even seeing their own chicks. Anivia, whom you named Zero, and Mamavia were all forcibly hatched from infertile eggs out of our pity, but they are destined to die.”

The 7th Princess gave a sad smile.

“I wanted to create a family for them so they wouldn’t be lonely… but I wonder if that only brought them greater loneliness.”

Fairies and Elves, unlike humans whose lifespan is at most 100 years,

can live for hundreds of years, 100 years or 500 years, unless killed.

For them, the death of a family member might be even more painful than their own death.

It was only natural that the collapse of 100 or 500 years of memories would hurt more than the collapse of 10 years of memories.

That’s why there’s a saying among Elves and Fairies:

『Don’t give your heart too much, the more you give, the more it will hurt.』

“Maybe those words… were a warning about the pain I’m going through now.”

The 7th Princess, who had been crying her eyes out until a week ago, now had an expression of acceptance.

Scribble, scribble, scribble!

Kyung-joon, who had been silent except for saying ‘yes’ for the past week, had somehow taken out a new pen during the 7th Princess’s long lamentation, and continued to blacken the ceiling.

The 7th Princess, who would have been jumping up and down a few days ago, asking why he was ignoring her, didn’t get angry or upset at Kyung-joon.

“You’re so… consistent.”

Rather, she couldn’t help but look at Kyung-joon, who was still moving his pen without stopping, with more pity.

Because that appearance felt more pitiful than her own.

“You can stop now, It’s really okay.”

The 7th Princess said, pretending to have a voice that had truly shaken it off.

“Thanks to you, I’ve had a lot of time to sort out my feelings this past week. It’s the death of someone who was more of a mother to me than my real mother… but I guess I have to accept it. Death is something that can’t be reversed, no matter how magical the world is… “

That’s when it happened.

Kyung-joon, who hadn’t said anything but ‘yes’ for the past week.

“No.”

He spoke for the first time.

“Yes……?”

Tak.

Kyung-joon put a period on the ceiling.

Tak.

Then he put another period slightly below.

Tak.

And another one next to it.

『∴』

This is a symbol used in mathematics to abbreviate 『therefore』.

One more symbol is added after that.

This is a mathematical symbol that means Infinity.

However, in the equation Kyung-joon wrote, it’s not just infinity—.

『∞』

—It meant eternal life.

Creak.

“Kyung-joon. I brought more of your dedicated scrolls from Fael University… I’m so late. I thought you’d be done by now.”

The the Fairy King entered the room as Kyung-joon wrote the last symbol.

“M, Mother?”

The 7th Princess was flustered by the appearance of the Fairy King, who had not been seen at all lately.

“I thought you were so heartbroken that you were trying to forget about it somewhere else……”

“As the king and her longtime companion, how could I not see her to the end? I just brought more practice sheets that Kyung-joon needed. But……”

the Fairy King glanced sideways.

“It seems unnecessary now.”

The Elf butler, holding hundreds of sheets of paper, stepped back.

“Mother… are you alright? You don’t have to force yourself to hold back……”

The 7th Princess made a sad face.

She had spent 700 years with her mother, the Ice Bird, so it was only natural for her to be sad.

The the Fairy King, who pretended to be fine as a king and a mother, seemed even more heartbreaking to the 7th Princess.

However.

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

The 7th Princess’s thoughts were just her own imagination.

“Huh? What do you mean… I…”

“My dear, I’m not holding back at all.”

The the Fairy King’s expression was devoid of worry.

It wasn’t that she was suppressing her surging emotions, nor had she let them go.

“Because, look. How can this be a scene to endure sadness? It’s a scene to be happy about.”

The the Fairy King was happy.

The situation unfolding before her eyes, the sight that Kyung-joon had created, was too joyful.

Clap!

Kyung-joon clapped his hands.

Wooong!

Then, the scattered papers around him and the black formulas written on the floor, walls, and ceiling began to glow blue.

The notebooks that were thought to be practice sheets were all scrolls.

And the scribbles on the floor, walls, and ceiling were all imprints.

Everything Kyung-joon had been writing and calculating tirelessly for the past week was coming together in his hands.

[Research Progress (Proficiency) for the joint research skill 『Eternal Telomere』 of Kyung-joon and Teina has been updated.]

▶Current proficiency: 100.0%

[You have newly created the Epic Skill 『Eternal Telomere』.]

[1,000 hours will be added to the Dimensional Study Room.]

Wooong!

144 hours.

Multiplied by Time Dilation 3.76, about 541 hours of effort reached the heart of the Ice Bird, which was freezing to death.

And then.

Kyung-joon gave a proper answer to the 7th Princess’s words for the first time.

“No, it’s not.”

It was a continuation of the ‘no’ he had answered earlier.

And it was Kyung-joon’s refutation of ‘It is impossible to go against the death determined by the world.’

“There is nothing impossible in this world.”

This refutation wasn’t just words.

Wooong!

It manifested before their eyes as a 『miracle』.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

There were many things impossible in the world.

For example.

It was impossible for a human to run faster than sound.

It was impossible for a human to fly in the sky.

It was impossible for a human to fly beyond the sky and leave footprints on the moon.

It was also impossible for a human to close their eyes in reality and live a new life in virtuality.

And.

It was also impossible for humans to overcome predetermined death and aging.

But nevertheless.

Someone always believed it was possible and made the impossible possible.

This path of impossibility.

The dark and seemingly broken path that everyone believed to be impossible.

Kyung-joon had taken a step forward on this path.

The path wasn’t invisible because it was broken.

It was just invisible.

Kyung-joon, who left a single footprint there.

Now everyone can say.

This path is no longer a path of impossibility.

But a possible path to tread.

Wooong!

Magic and science.

And the struggles of a dying man all mixed together and melted into the heart of the mother Ice Bird.

It was a candle that was clearly going out, a flame that was freezing over.

A spark ignited there as if by a miracle.

Telomeres, the ends of genes in cells, were crumbling away.

A flame ignited right there.

It was a flame of extinction that signaled the end, and at the same time, a flame of revival that signaled a new beginning.

━Cooooo! (I! Am now a true eternal being!)

Flare!

The Ice Bird’s entire body began to burn bright red.

At the same time.

Hwaaaak!

Between the crimson flames, a cold chill that could freeze everything flickered like a blue flame.

Seeing that, Kyung-joon said.

“Actually, from a genetic mana science perspective, ice and fire aren’t different entities at all. They’re rather close.”

Kyung-joon had been thinking about it ever since he discovered this.

Could it be that the ice attribute and the fire attribute could coexist as one?

So.

In fact, the Phoenix wasn’t originally a bird that only handled fire.

He wondered if it was a bird that could handle both fire and ice.

If so.

It wasn’t just the Ice Bird that was infertile.

The existing Phoenixes were also infertile, just like the Ice Bird.

“That’s why I awakened it. To be able to handle both fire and ice.”

━Coooooooo! Coooo!

Mamavia, who had come back to life from a cold death, cried out vigorously.

“I, I’m not seeing things, am I…? How is this possible…?”

The 7th Princess rubbed her eyes several times, unable to believe what she was seeing.

━Cooee! Coooo!

But the sight of Mamavia, burning hot and shimmering with cold at the same time, didn’t disappear.

“Except for a few minor things, there shouldn’t be any major problems. I’ve recoded the telomere algorithm so that ice, which symbolizes death and eternity, and fire, which embodies destruction and regeneration, can coexist.”

“What… what are you talking about… I don’t understand a thing…”

The 7th Princess mumbled, still lost in a daze.

“The gist of the story is simple.”

Kyung-joon decided to explain it more easily for her, who was still young – though much older as a Fairy.

“The 『Ice Bird』 that dies frozen without being able to reincarnate. The existing 『Phoenix』 that reincarnates but loses all memories of its previous life and is reborn as a chick. In fact, both the Phoenix that only used fire attributes and the Ice Bird that only used ice attributes weren’t perfectly evolved.”

“Then… are you saying that you… you evolved her…?”

“Yes, I awakened her.”

The Mamavia in front of them was no longer an Ice Bird.

Nor was it the existing Phoenix that died and was reborn as a chick.

It was a divine beast of fire and ice that lived an ‘eternal life’, retaining its youthful appearance and never aging.

That was the true meaning of the Phoenix.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps echoed rhythmically.

It was the sound of footsteps going down, getting further and further away.

Along with the sound of footsteps, the sound of conversation could be heard.

“…Anyway, once you receive the hero title at the upcoming appointment ceremony for the new minister, Kyung-joon, you will be legally recognized as the official ‘hero’ of our Fairy-Elven Alliance.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried that the Arc-en-Ciel dungeon incident might be pinned on me.”

“Actually, there were some in the Council who thought so. They said it was caused by your scroll programming. But the fact that Merde was researching a permanent mana device, which has been legally banned for a long time, and that you saved the Ice Bird, a symbol of our alliance, and even helped it evolve into a higher being, played a big role.”

There was a conflict between the the Fairy King and the Council regarding the handling of the otherworlder Kyung-joon.

Thanks to Kyung-joon’s week-long struggle to treat the Ice Bird without sleep, Kyung-joon was fortunately able to remain a ‘hero’ in the Fairy-Elven Alliance.

“Of course, that’s just legally, and those who don’t like me for being the king for 700 years will surely attack you and me relentlessly.”

“Are you saying that I need to do well so that you and I can both survive?”

“……You’re both quick-witted and not cute at all, just like your predecessor. Yes, you need to do well so that I can live and you can live.”

The the Fairy King shook her head and flapped her wings a little faster, increasing her speed down the stairs.

“Haha.”

Kyung-joon followed the Fairy King with slightly quicker steps and continued.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already talked to Siam and my acquaintance, and they’re already working on it.”

“By acquaintance, do you mean that otherworlder merchant, World’s Best or something?”

“Yes.”

“Ever since I allowed him entry, I’ve been hearing all sorts of rumors that the the Fairy King has fallen for an otherworlder and gone senile.”

Recently, opposition to the the Fairy King within the Council had intensified following the Fael University incident and the Arc-en-Ciel incident.

The fact that Kyung-joon was to be awarded the hero title was also something that would not have happened if the the Fairy King had not pushed for it strongly.

“Just bear with it a little longer. I’ll be able to move as soon as I’m done with my personal matters. That’s why you’re guiding me like this, right?”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

the Fairy King said sarcastically, as if mocking him playfully.

“That’s why you’re being guided deep into the royal palace ruins even though you haven’t even received the hero title yet.”

Currently, Kyung-joon was being guided by the Fairy King as he had requested when he started treating the Ice Bird a week ago.

The place he asked to be guided to was deep underground in the Fairy-Elven Alliance.

It was where all the important confidential documents and precious artifacts, including the royal treasury, were kept.

Kyung-joon was now walking down to the place where no one could even set foot without a clear purpose.

“Larev may not know, but if the other elders find out, there’s going to be hell to pay.”

“Come on, you said I couldn’t come here without your spatial magic, the Fairy King-nim. And it’s just a day ahead of the ceremony tomorrow, so what’s the big deal?”

“Sigh… That ‘no big deal’ is making my reign a living hell these days.”

Flap.

the Fairy King said so and slowed down her wings, coming to a stop.

“Is this the place?”

Kyung-joon also stopped.

“Yes.”

the Fairy King nodded with a serious expression and opened her mouth heavily.

“The 『Abyssal Device』 you mentioned should be in here.”

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