Chapter 198: Forgetting


    <strong>198. Forgetting</strong>


    As it turned out, there was something I did forget. I didnt remember it until the day before the weekend, when I was finishing up myb session on Advanced Alchemical Composition. [Alchemist] Raymond had assigned us into two groups which just meant that we worked with partners, considering the ss wasprised of only four people.


    Our assignment for today was to use our previously brewed Potion of Corrosions into a Potion of Corrosive Explosions. Yep, that was right. It was a potion that wasnt meant to be drunk. Its design was to be thrown at someone as a kind of weapon.


    It was rtively dangerous. A single-use Medium Grade Weapon. They were always far more effective than multi-use items. It wouldve even been harmful to me! And I was Level 106!


    Although, that mightve been due to my rtively low [Vitality]pared to a [Warrior] and the likes. The Potion of Corrosive Explosions wouldve been less lethal to someone who focused more on their [Vitality] at Level 100. For example, Zix could probably rampage through a st of the potion.


    Anyway, the dangerous nature of the Potion of Corrosive Explosions was the reason why we were given partners to work with. It was so we couldbine our skills and Skills to ensure that neither of us melted our own faces off. The fact that potion-making was so dangerous was another reason why a non-[Alchemist] was often wary to attempt alchemy at a higher level. [Alchemists] like Raymond had a plethora of Skills to prevent things from going wrong, such as theb being blown up.


    Not that it was a very effective preventive measure. Raymond told us that he blows up ab at least once a year due to experimenting and working with dangerous chemicals.


    Since we were all Level 100, wed probably survive if something went wrong with todays potion enhancement process. With [Alchemist] Raymond here as well as our own individual Skills, the chances of theb being destroyed in an uncontrolled corrosion explosion wasnt highly likely. That was also the reason why thisb ss wasnt avable to those in the College of Aspirations. Even fourth year student [Alchemists] would have their lives endangered just experimenting with the potions here.


    I was paired up with Nn who insisted on handling the dangerous liquids while I made the preparations for the potions tier-enhancement. We spoke casually, already friends from his various tutor sessions with me.


    Honestly, I am surprised you skipped out on ss a few days ago. With how much youve been studying, I assumed youd have attended every session.


    Well


    I trailed off, remembering the events with Saffron justst weekend.


    Something came up. I had to spend all day dealing with it.


    Mustve been quite important.


    He nodded, pouring an extract of effervescent liquid into the base Potion of Corrosion. There was a simmering steam shot up. But nothing dangerous happened.


    It was! But I resolved it. So, its fine now.


    I smiled, d that I now had a newpanion. I grabbed the pre-prepared ingredients and mixed it into the diluted base to hand to Nn.


    Im d for that. I do hope that no other such issues arise before our dinner meeting tomorrow.


    He chuckled, taking the now discolored vial of liquid. I blinked.


    Dinner?


    Then my eyes widened. I finally remembered what I felt like I was forgetting! I had promised, for whatever stupid reason that possessed me at the time, to go with Nn for dinner! I nearly smacked my forehead.


    Huh. Oh, um, that you see


    Nn raised a brow. I twiddled my thumbs together.


    Can we, um, reschedule?


    Oh, of course. Are you having another problem?


    Nope! I mean, kind of? I kind of forgot about my promise


    I paused. Wait, should I have said that? Humans were very delicate about their feelings. I had gotten toofortable around him since he was my friend that my tongue slipped.


    Thats


    He pursed his lips. Then I quickly waved my hands.


    Also! There is another problem! Its actually for this ss, see? I need sagetree saps, so Im going to an auction tomorrow itll be held here, actually, on campus! The famous [Trader] Ivonne will be selling rare stuffs!


    Right.


    Nn hesitated for a moment before smiling.


    That is understandable. You do have a rather difficult task ahead of you, so how about the weekend after instead?


    Sure! Im d youre not offended. I was worried there for a second.


    I let out a sigh of relief, and Nn chuckled.


    Its not a problem at all, Ms Salvos.


    Hey its just Salvos!


    --


    I finished the rest of my sses and prepared to spend the rest of the night studying space magic theory. With the amount of focus I had been putting on alchemy, I was starting to fall behind in my other sses. I didnt want that to happen. Thankfully, I wasnt a Human who needed to sleep.


    I packed my books, about to leave for my Lair, when Saffron stopped me.


    Just to remind you, Salvos, tomorrows auction will be a proper social event. While adventurers are often given a pass for theirck of refinement. You will be attending as my guest. I do hope you dont sully my name by


    She eyed the ratherrge fly buzzing between my fingertips. I blinked. Then I quickly stuffed it into my mouth, crunching it down.


    I know, Saffron. You dont need to remind me. Ill have you know, Im very good at dealing with you Humans and your fickle emotions now.


    I huffed, crossing my arms, pretending that I hadnt just eaten a bug as big as my fingernails.


    Just earlier, I managed to avoid annoying Nn because I forgot about our meeting tomorrow night. We arranged to have dinner next week, and this time, I wont forget.


    A dinner?


    Saffron blinked. Then her jaw dropped.


    Wait, youre going on a <em>date?! </em>


    A date?


    I cocked my head. She gestured at me.


    A social engagement. You know, for individuals hoping to progress romantically.


    Huh.


    I tapped a finger on my chin as Saffron just stared at me.


    I had no idea you were capable of <em>love, </em>Salvos. Im honestly quite impressed. Or wait


    She narrowed her eyes, peering at me. I just stood there, my confusion was evident. She folded her arms.


    You had no idea you were going on a date. You assumed his invitation for dinner was just an innocuous invitation to eat some food.


    Um yes.


    I admitted, drawing my lips into a thin line. Saffron massaged her temples.


    And you epted it without thinking. I cant believe actually, I can believe it.


    Hey! I take offense to that.


    She rolled her eyes.


    Not only that, you even <em>forgot </em>about your date with him. And youre saying you <em>told </em>him you forgot?


    I did. Is that bad?


    Saffron groaned, a clearly conflicting reaction. On one hand, she could be groaning because she thought my question on whether it could be bad was stupid, and that the answer was obviously a no. On the other hand, she could be groaning because the answer was instead a yes, and she found my actions to be incredibly foolish.


    It was quite difficult to discern which one it was.


    Salvos, you do realize that you most definitely offended him with your actions, right? Nothing about what you did is worth bragging about.


    Hey I tried my best. I just, um, forgot.


    And why did you forget?


    Because I didnt actually want to have dinner with him?


    I scratched the back of my head. Saffron sighed.


    And theres the issue.


    She pinched the bridge of her nose, walking back to her room, and gesturing for me to leave.


    Ill have to exin this to you some other time. Im going to lie down and inebriate myself with your blood.


    Um, alright. See you tomorrow!


    I waved at her, heading out of the dormitory. I didnt see what the big issue was. But apparently Saffron found it to be slightly problematic. Nn hadntshed out at me for forgetting about the date, and he clearly wanted to go out with me for dinner when he asked. So, why was there a problem?


    --


    <em>...as such, space exists all around us. It exists as a whole, just as individuals exist as wholes of themselves. However, this then begs the question, why are there different nes of existence to the Nexeus? </em>


    <em>The Spirit ne, the Mortal Realm, and the Netherworld are three distinct ces in space. Or are they? Prior to the Melissian Era, our Mortal Realm was believed to be a separate world from the other two worlds. Summoning a Spirit was viewed as a simr act as summoning a [Hero], just with less resources expended. But after the Oracle of Light herself illuminated the world of the interconnectedness between the three nes, the fundamental understanding of space magic theory changed. </em>


    <em>The Nexeus was nowprised of three nes. We all existed in the same fabric of space, just within different folds </em>


    I read through my textbook for my ss on space magic theory. The book was called <em>The Origins of the Three nes, </em>and it exined how the worlds understanding of the Mortal Realm shifted throughout the past few millennia. It went in-depth, exining how only the Mortal Realm had been called the Nexeus in the past, while the Spirit ne was given a different name. The Paradius, while the Netherworld had been called the Damnius.


    It wasnt just a historical ount, either; it exined the various different axioms that were introduced that resulted in these changes. I found it intriguing. Not just because it was about space magic. But because I could actually link some of what I learned with what I was trying to do.


    Professor Isais mentioned something simr. That you had to fold space to move through it. So, if that was the case, couldnt I return to the Netherworld with a powerful enough teleportation spell?


    I nced up from my textbook, staring at the overfilled sack of books and parchments just outside of my [Temporal Distortion] field. I stepped out of the quickened zone and sifted through the books. These werent textbooks or even things I could find discussed in Mavos Academy.


    It was my personal belongings the things I had on me before I arrived at Mavos Academy, and the things I got from the recent battle with the [Cultists]. I searched through all the worn tomes I could find. Anything that possibly borated on how exactly the Netherworld was then linked to the Mortal Realm or Spirit ne.


    Most of these [Cultists] only wrote about how amazing their Demon King, Regnorex, was, and how it was thanks to his gifts that Demons could be summoned to the Mortal Realm. Honestly, there were a lot of books. Too many for me to look through now. Especially considering that it was already sunrise.


    I had to go to my professors office hours after this. So, I decided to push this endeavor back for next time. Before I readied to leave, however, I caught sight of my [Temporal Distortion] bubble, still active, and an idea came to me.


    I decided to just see for myself how exactly this separation between nes worked. I closed my eyes, activating [nar Navigation]. As expected, I couldnt see into the sphere just before me. It was like vision had a ck spot.


    But it was very evidently a ck spot that shouldnt be there, because I could clearly see the space just before me with my very eyes. It was all the same space. However, time within my [Temporal Distortion] moved differently. And it somehow made it different from the space around me.


    It was it had to be a fold in space. Something was being done to make it this way, and I wanted to figure out what. To do that, I needed to improve my mastery over these two Skills. As such, I finally decided to expend the Secondary Skill Points I gained from killing those [Cultists] a few days ago.


    <em>Secondary Skills: </em>


    <em>[Avable Secondary Skill Points: 2]</em>


    <em>[Mystical Projection] - Lvl 5</em>


    <em>[Object Levitation] - Lvl 1</em>


    <em>[nar Navigation] - Lvl. 5</em>


    <em>[Scatter Shift] - Lvl. 4</em>


    <em>[Temporal Distortion] - Lvl 5</em>


    I raised [Temporal Distortion] and [nar Navigation] both to Level 5. Then I nodded as the bubble disappeared, and the sun eked its way up to its zenith. Id investigate it further in the future. For now, I headed to speak with my professors and lecturers, taking down notes, preparing myself for my uing tests.


    And then it was time for the auction.