Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

"I'd like some ham and eggs, a big piece of good fried steak, and a generous amount of sauce..."

"And another large glass of ice-cold beer, please..."

Gordon, groggy with hunger, opened his eyes.

There was no breakfast, of course; he only saw a crack in the ceiling.

A notification appeared on my retina.

[The crack. It won't heal itself.]

pretty good.

Those eyes are still saying things that make no sense.

Gordon, 20 years old, transmigrated into the body of a poor student at the Royal Academy of Natural Sciences University. His current main task is to "pay off his student loans".

He had to work at school before he could pay off all his student loans.

He's currently working for Professor Winslow, for a meager salary, but the only perk is that he can sleep in the anatomy lab.

  

He sat up from a narrow wooden platform.

The wooden platform was originally meant for placing corpses, but one of its legs was too short, so it was rejected by the professor's assistant, Peter.

The room was cold and smelled strongly of medicine.

There weren't many roommates, and they were all in glass jars, such as juvenile demons, deformed organs, and a few heads that still looked like they were listening to a lecture.

Gordon scanned his surroundings, and when he focused on an object, strange prompts would appear on his retina.

[The dissection table. Wait until you've cleaned it thoroughly.]

Your water glass has a chip at the bottom.

Thanks, I knew that when I bought it.

Gordon's old jacket. There were three copper coins inside.

Upon seeing the notification, Gordon instantly sprang to his feet, flipped off the platform, and rushed toward the coat.

He rummaged in his inner pocket, first pulling out crumpled scraps of paper, then reaching further in, where he finally found three copper coins.

Great!

Indeed, one of humanity's simplest joys is discovering money hidden in old clothes. Unfortunately, his student loan was a staggering 100 gold pounds, equivalent to 2000 silver pounds or 20 copper coins—a sum that would take an ordinary person several decades to earn.

Gordon's ability wasn't something he was born with.

Three days ago, Gordon helped Professor dissect the carcass of a black goat-shaped demon. Everyone thought it was dead, but as soon as it was placed on the table, its head exploded, spurting out a stream of murky liquid that hit Gordon's eyes directly.

He still remembers that terrible pain; it felt like being hit by a demon pill.

When Gordon woke up, he saw the white walls of the school hospital and heard the school doctor's sinister voice: "Gordon... I don't know if there will be any aftereffects, but I know you definitely can't afford the treatment."

The school doctor gave him a simple treatment and left him a bill for 21 silver pounds, which included rinsing the eyes, applying analgesic tincture, and cleaning the bed...

No wonder the university hospital's profits have been hitting record highs. Gordon can only proclaim that they are invincible.

Just then, Gordon folded the bill, and footsteps came from outside the door.

It was Professor Winslow, wearing a wool coat, silver-rimmed glasses, and a very neatly trimmed mustache, with a stack of newspapers tucked under his arm.

"How are your eyes? Do they still hurt?" The professor glanced at Gordon.

"It hurts so much when I see the bill."

Winslow paused for a moment, then ultimately skipped the topic.

"There's an open class this morning in the third-floor lecture hall. I'm going to dissect that spider demon's corpse. You and Peter find it and get the venue ready."

"receive."

"Nothing much to report today." The professor put down his newspaper and turned to make coffee.

Gordon went over to look at the newspapers.

New regulations at Lundnim Police Station: Before arresting a drunk person, it must be confirmed that the drunk person is not a member of parliament.

Three mermaids emerged from the rising Blackwater River; onlookers say this isn't the strangest thing that happened today.

The floor of a gentlemen's club collapsed, forcing the underground casino to open for business.

Rents in Gallows Lane are rising; landlords say rooms where people have died have a greater sense of history.

University professor invents a "smart potion," which a dull student drinks and decides to drop out of school.

Yeah, there really isn't much news.

This is the capital of the Logris Empire; anything can happen here.

Gordon walked to the window.

From here, one can see the majestic outline of the university, ancient and magnificent, leaving one speechless. Some of the buildings date back to the Second Age or even earlier, with spires standing side by side. The gray and white stone walls of the teaching buildings enclose large lawns, and a thick fog hangs over Lundnium, mixed with coal smoke and morning light.

This was in 3E355, the golden age of the Logarithmic Empire.

"Gold" is a fine adjective, signifying money, military achievements, and the promising future touted by newspapers every day. The imperial map was painted a solemn gold, fleets brought back treasures from the seven seas, and steam cranes swung their iron arms at the docks, like the still-growing skeleton of a new god.

People believed they had completely tamed terror and would no longer have to bow down to the unspeakable.

Gordon walked into the storage room and looked at the spider demon's corpse that was about to be sent to the open class.

It lay quietly under the thick white cloth.

For some reason, his eyes started to itch again.

……

At nine o'clock in the morning, the lecture hall on the third floor was packed. Everyone sat up straight; the knowledge hadn't even been absorbed yet, but their posture was already up to standard.

This was an open lecture at the Royal Academy of Sciences, so many experts, including members of the Academy's board of directors, were seated in the front row.

The spider demon was placed in the middle of the podium.

Gordon silently set out the necessary equipment, while his senior Peter stood on the other side.

Scalpels, rulers, bone saws, biochemical reaction strips... all neatly arranged according to Professor Winslow's habits.

"Gordon! Over here, over here~"

The blonde Charlotte waved to Gordon.

After finishing his work, Gordon quickly went to the back row and sat down next to Charlotte. Some newcomers might find it a bit odd—a beautiful, well-proportioned noblewoman sitting next to a commoner.

"You look terrible!" Charlotte leaned closer, and Gordon caught a whiff of a wonderful fragrance.

"Sleeping in the dissection room is definitely a problem," Gordon said.

"You're not going to sleep in front of a corpse, are you?"

"No need for that, the corpse sleeps better than I do."

Charlotte covered her mouth and chuckled, then opened the bread bag and handed Gordon a delicious piece of bread.

"Hey, this bread needs to be exchanged for an anatomy lecture."

"Sure, sure. I knew you hadn't written it." Gordon skillfully took the bread, took a big bite to soothe his stomach, and then lent her his lecture notes.

"Don't say that, I wrote a lot."

Gordon glanced at Charlotte's notes.

First page: Date, Name, Course Name.

Page 2: She drew a spider wearing a top hat.

"It seems to understand the course better than you do," Gordon said.

"What can I do?" Charlotte sighed. "I'm even thinking of studying theology."

Charlotte Monford was the Earl's daughter.

She sat with Gordon because Gordon sometimes said strange things.

For example, "Wealth flows wherever the railway tracks are laid," "Some companies will be more famous than the entire empire in the future," and "Even if you are a nobleman, never underestimate the common people of Lundnium"...

When Charlotte first heard it, she thought he was talking nonsense.

She later relayed these words to the Earl. The usually aloof Earl of Montfort showed surprise.

"...It would be good for you to deal with him."

Charlotte always listens to her father.

Gordon's interaction with Charlotte stemmed from a chance encounter during class where he turned around and noticed Charlotte was being mischievous, one foot bare and dangling, her delicate ankle encased in a white sock of excellent quality.

In other words, it's a need for art appreciation.

Winslow walked up to the podium, and the classroom fell silent.

Swish!

He lifted the thick white cloth.

People gasped as they stared at the terrifying spider-like monster.

This creature had a sturdy carapace, eight long legs, and even in death, its eyes still gleamed with ferocity.

"Humans live in houses, while spiders live in their webs. Through their webs, they sense everything around them."

Winslow recounted his story in detail.

"Demonic transformation means this creature has been imbued with some kind of primal power. In other words, a power closer to the truth. The webs of an ordinary spider are visible, but the webs of a spider demon are invisible. It can detect all information and capture every tiny vibration in the air, which is why it is so dangerous..."

Winslow made the incision and began the dissection.

The spider's body had been hollowed out, and a bunch of things resembling venom glands, nerve ganglia, and silk sacs were laid out on the white cloth...

Winslow checked the contents one by one, and the source material reaction test strip showed no change.

Finally, Winslow put down the knife.

"Unfortunately, this corpse doesn't show any source matter reaction," Winslow said. "That's normal; not all demons have source matter inside them."

A discussion broke out in the classroom, with many people expressing their longing for the Source.

Gordon looked at the podium.

Several boring notifications appeared in my field of vision one after another.

[On the podium. I've heard many erroneous conclusions.]

The ancient spider demon. It has no objection.

Wait a moment.

Gordon almost looked away.

But a flash of light began deep inside the spider demon's abdomen. He didn't understand what it was, but his mind suddenly clicked.

Indeed... deep within the abdominal cavity, behind several ganglia, something emitted a white light.

Gordon rubbed his eyes, hoping it was just his imagination.

But the silver light still did not disappear.

That's strange. Professor Winslow also checked that area. How could he have missed it?

The professor still maintains a cold expression.

Was he seeing things? Or was there really something inside? Gordon needed to confirm.

"...Did you see that?" Gordon asked.

"I saw a spider," Charlotte said, resting her chin on her hands.

"Look closely, yes, look at the spider's abdomen."

"A huge lump of stuff."

"Ignore it. Something's glowing. It's flashing."

Charlotte, after straining her eyes for a long time without finding anything, whispered, "Gordon, should we go to the hospital again? Although they charge a lot, you can only have one pair of eyes."

Gordon was not discouraged; he looked around.

Everyone was peaceful.

The board members discussed lunch, the experts checked the time, and the students looked dazed, only able to instinctively write down whatever Winslow said.

like……

Gordon was the only one who could detect the anomaly.

With this in mind, he observed further, hoping to find a clue.

Its brightness gradually increased, and its shape became clearer, like a thin line.

Finally, the hidden traces gradually appeared.

[A shimmering miniature source material - "Unbroken String" - enhances the synchronization between nerves and limbs. The body has never had autonomy; it is merely an empty shell inhabited by nerves.]

Gordon held his breath and read the line of text from beginning to end.

It's been three days.

These eyes recognized the crucial information for the first time.

Source material! And it seems to have a neurological enhancement effect, which is quite valuable.

Gordon looked around, but everyone was still completely unaware.

He calmed himself down and began twirling his pen. He couldn't laugh; he'd announce his victory after class.

The matter of the source cannot be discussed publicly.

If I pointed it out to his face, he would probably think I was nitpicking at the professor.

If they were to be thrown out on the spot... that would be truly disastrous.

Gordon was already penniless and could not afford to lose his social credibility.

Moreover, if it were revealed, it might end up in anyone's pocket, but certainly not Gordon's.

……

The university clock struck midnight, Winslow announced the end of get out of class, and thunderous applause erupted.

People dispersed, and no one cared about the spider anymore.

Peter waved his hand and covered the white cloth back up.

Gao Deng descended the steps.

"Senior, where should we send this?"

"The old fish market," Peter said without looking up, tidying up his equipment. "Sell to the dealers."

How much do you want to sell it for?

"Twenty silver pounds at most. Those people are very stingy."

Twenty silver pounds.

Gordon can't even come up with that number right now.

To make matters worse, Peter had already prepared the wheelbarrow, ready to happily send it off.

"Let's go... to the docks and get some fries?" Charlotte suggested casually as she walked up to Gordon.

Gordon looked at the thick white cloth.

"Charlotte, do you have any cash on you?" he asked with the most serious tone of his life.