"Huh? Not going means I'll definitely die? Why?"

Moen looked at Teacher Mela in shock. Deep inside, he wondered if the academy was about to face some catastrophic change again, like the dark god’s return, unleashing the suppressed entity from beneath the academy. Perhaps even Teacher Mela would be powerless to stop it, and knowing her own end was near, she was making up an excuse to send her talented disciple away. Maybe she wanted him to flee with the Clock of Eternity. After enduring much of humiliation and biding his time only to return later to avenge her after his skills matured. After what goes around comes around.

"Ouch!"

Before he could finish his overthinking, Moen abruptly let out a yelp and instinctively grabbed at his shin, hopping in pain.

"Hmph, if my time really was up, the first thing I’d do is use you, my ungrateful disciple, as coffin liner!"

Teacher Mela retracted the foot she had used to kick Moen's shin and glared at him with her amber eyes, a ferocious cuteness emanating from her gaze.

"There’s nothing that complicated about it. You don’t go, you die, plain and simple."

"De… details?"

"Do you remember what I did to you back then?"

"Which time?"

"The time I nearly boiled you alive in a pot."

"Aha! So you finally admit it! You were really about to cook—"

"Why do you think I did that?"

"..."

Seeing Teacher Mela’s face suddenly become serious, Moen also grew solemn. He began scratching his chin as he recalled.

"I remember… you said something about… my physical body strengthening beyond expectation. To make some later step go more smoothly, there was one procedure that had to be done in advance?"

"That’s correct. That’s what I said back then."

"So you boiled me just for that procedure?"

"Mhm."

"But what does that have to do with this? If that procedure isn’t finished, I’ll die?"

"From a causality perspective, that’s indeed the case."

"Huh?"

Moen was completely baffled again.

He stared blankly at Teacher Mela, who was casually sipping juice and acting like none of this was a big deal. His handsome face twisted in frustration.

Damn it!

This damn old lolicon is trying to mess with me again!

"Talk! What the hell is going on?!"

Moen grabbed Teacher Mela by the neck and shook her furiously. "Even lab mice have rights, you know! Believe it or not, I’ll go to the Adorable Disciple Protection Association right now, take over your precious Sea of Flowers, and launch a major protest against you!"

"Sorry, such a strange association doesn’t exist in this world. There was once a Mouse Protection Association, though, but it only lasted three days before the Tower of Origin got annoyed and crushed it with one truth-level spell."

Teacher Mela’s cheeks wobbled adorably as Moen shook her. Her gaze remained calm, and with a snap of her fingers, Moen suddenly found himself suspended in midair, involuntarily wobbling as she had.

"As for the situation… I believe I already told you the core of it from the beginning."

"T… told me?"

Moen, now twitching as if electrocuted, stammered, "I… I don’t remember."

"Then let me help you review."

Teacher Mela clapped her hands lightly.

In an instant, the juice, the sofa, and the warm sunlight vanished, replaced by a desk, a blackboard, and a brightly lit classroom. Somehow, Moen was sitting in the very center of the classroom. Even the pink strawberry-patterned sleepwear Teacher Mela had been wearing transformed into a more formal teacher’s outfit.

Still, given Teacher Mela’s petite figure and body type, the button-up blouse and pencil skirt didn’t quite suit her, making her appear comically adorable instead.

"Focus."

*Smack.*

A piece of chalk struck Moen’s forehead. Teacher Mela pushed up her black-framed glasses and said in a stern tone, "Class begins."

"Oh."

Moen’s lips twitched as he reluctantly complied.

"First of all, I’ve told you before, haven’t I? Without a living being—or more specifically, a living *person*—as its bearer, the Clock of Eternity will always remain a mere prototype of authority. The very concept of ‘authority’ requires it to be wielded by someone or something in order to truly materialize."

Teacher Mela tapped the blackboard with her pointer, first pointing to a childish doodle of a clock, then to another equally crude drawing—this one of a blonde figure with eyes drawn ridiculously far apart to resemble some kind of profound "wisdom".

"This is the Clock of Eternity."

"And this is you."

An arrow appeared between them.

"You are the bearer I’ve chosen for the Clock of Eternity."

"All very simple. However…"

Teacher Mela’s tone shifted suddenly.

"Can you, as you are now, truly be called the bearer of the Clock of Eternity?"

"…What do you mean?"

Moen frowned.

Teacher Mela tapped the blackboard again.

The arrow between the two crude drawings suddenly grew a small, awkwardly drawn circle, breaking the line.

The circle was poorly rendered but inexplicably clear in its meaning to Moen the moment he saw it.

"The alchemical core."

"Correct. It represents the alchemical core."

Teacher Mela explained:

"I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but as things stand, it’s not so much that *you* are connected to part of the Clock of Eternity—it’s more accurate to say that the alchemical core is connected to it. Your true connection is only to the alchemical core."

"And the alchemical core is a lifeless object."

"And lifeless objects cannot transform the Clock of Eternity into true authority.

"Yet without the alchemical core, you wouldn’t even be able to connect with the Clock of Eternity, let alone bear it fully in the future.

*—And that’s where the trouble lies.*"

"Ah, I see now…"

Moen quickly grasped the meaning and rubbed his chin in deep thought.

"So your earlier actions were intended to get the alchemical core—and even the complex magical patterns—completely integrated with my being, essentially turning lifeless matter into living matter?"

"Looks like my idiot disciple isn’t that hopeless after all."

Teacher Mela nodded approvingly.

"Exactly. That was my intention."

"Yet you failed."

Moen exhaled deeply, surprise evident in his eyes as he regarded Teacher Mela.

He hadn’t expected that even the renowned Archmage MelaDormir would encounter hurdles she couldn’t overcome.

"Everyone fails at some point, especially with a feat like turning dead matter into living matter—a notion so contrary to the fundamentals of alchemy that I'll be ridiculed by the Stone Cauldron Association just for mentioning it."

"But…"

"Just because I can’t do it doesn’t mean some other person—or entity—can’t."

"You mean…"

Moen seemed to realize something.

"Exactly."

Teacher Mela adjusted her glasses, an inscrutable gleam flashing across the lenses.

"When it comes to life itself, who in this world—besides the Goddess of Life, Emil, or the Life Church that worships her—can truly claim to understand its essence?"

"Other reasons—they’re all false. Sending you on this journey to them is the real reason."

"…Damn it."

Hearing Teacher Mela’s explanation, Moen's vision darkened.

He knew there was no getting out of this trip now.

No matter how dangerous it might be outside, no matter if the Life Church would tie him to a stake and burn him alive, Teacher Mela would absolutely kick him straight into the Holy City to deal with it.

"But wait a second."

Moen snapped back to attention, puzzled.

"How is this related to your earlier claim that I’ll definitely die if I don’t go?"

"Hehe. Kid, I told you a long time ago, didn’t I? Bearing the Clock of Eternity is no easy task."

"Haven’t you ever wondered why nobody before you ever used something as handy as the alchemical core? Even without the Clock of Eternity, wouldn’t its ability to store mana and construct spells make it incredibly valuable?"

"That…"

As Moen faltered, Teacher Mela suddenly appeared on his desk, pointing her staff directly at his nose. Her petite face wore an enigmatic smile.

"So, when did you start deluding yourself into thinking that your body could completely accept the alchemical core and all those magical patterns—these external implants?"

"Wha…"

Moen froze.

Thoughts raced through his mind.

And then, a chilling realization crept down his spine.

Even the alchemical core, which had helped him through countless crises, now felt unbearably cold within him.

He thought of surgeries from his past life.

Things like… organ transplants.

"Re…jection?"

The words squeezed out of his throat with difficulty.

"Exactly. Rejection. And, as you’ve already felt, due to the alchemical core’s complexity and uniqueness—not to mention the slightly… special materials I used—even the power of the Moon of Silence can only suppress the rejection temporarily."

Teacher Mela tapped Moen on the head like she was mocking him.

"So listen up, you little punk. Don’t even think about slacking off this time. If the Church doesn’t resolve this problem for you, you’ll actually drop dead later.

Even I can’t save you. Even the King of Wither can’t save you. Got it?"