《Overpowered in the Wrong Genre》 Chapter 0 – The Prologue Chapter 0 ¨C The Prologue [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 0 ¨C The Prologue There is a saying that ¡°humans are animals that are prone to mistaken assumptions.¡± Many people in the world live under such assumptions their whole lives. ¡°Shit.¡± Among them, there was a human like him. Convinced that the world would soon be destroyed, he gave his everything in order to be stronger. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this world supposed to be destroyed?¡± But he came to realize that it was a ce filled with dreams, hopes, passion, and love. This is the story of a certain transmigrator who became overpowered in the wrong genre. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 1 – The Wrong Genre (1) Chapter 1 ¨C The Wrong Genre (1) [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 1 ¨C The Wrong Genre (1) There are three things that every South Korean man knows well. One is the military. Another is gaming. And, of course, webnovels. In that sense, Lee Min-ho¡­ no, Deus decided to ept reality. Time passed, and nothing changed. This world was not where he used to live. It felt like he had transmigrated into a novel he read yesterday. He was sure of it. So why exactly did he transmigrate? What was the reason? ¡ºAuthor, not letting it breath is a bit inconvenient.¡» Deus wrapped his face in his hands. Clearly, thatment was the culprit. It was unfair. He was just trying to lighten the mood because the main story was so serious. He even made sure to use cute emoticons to ensure that he wasn¡¯t picking a fight. It¡¯s too much to transmigrate without understanding the deep intentions of the readers. Anyway, he had transmigrated into a novel. As evidence, there had been something floating around in his mind since earlier. [Please choose your covenant.] In the novel he read yesterday, the protagonist also used a covenant. Depending on its strength, it came with more restrictions but also granted greater power. A double-edged sword. Once engraved, the curse of the covenant must be upheld. Deus quickly turned his head. The novel he transmigrated into. The novel he read yesterday. The novel hemented on. ?The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group.? An apocalyptic genre where gates open in a fantasy world and monsters pour out. A growth story where the protagonist, who bes a mercenary, gradually bes stronger and eventually bes the Mercenary King. It¡¯s a bleak dark fantasy. Countless people die. Not even the characters around the protagonist are exceptions. In the serialization three days ago, even the heroine died. Just reading it was grim, but now he had to experience it firsthand. He had to survive. At least, he didn¡¯t want to die as miserable and painful as they did. ¡°A covenant, huh?¡± Seated, Deus recalled the protagonist of the novel. The covenant he used. The covenant that bound him while also protecting him. How would he. What covenant should he make to see results? ¡®It¡¯s decided.¡¯ Deus bit his index fingers on both hands as if struck by inspiration. Just like in the novel. Mimicking the actions of the protagonist. Even though he was just an extra, he had to survive. Perhaps with the belief that he could save a world that seemed to have no hope. ¡°I cannot wield all weapons.¡± One problem with the novel¡¯s world-building. It¡¯s not just monsters beyond the gates; there are also traitors waiting to strike at any moment. Chick!¨D He inscribed the first covenant into his right arm with the blood flowing from his left index finger. Now he couldn¡¯t wield any weapon. Instead, no weapon could harm him as long as he upheld this covenant. ¡°I receive no assistance in the face of a fight.¡± As always in apocalyptic, dark fantasy, those whoe to help are all dead. Deus didn¡¯t like that. He wanted to create a happy ending in this novel. Even though he was transmigrated from outside, it was a novel he cared about sincerely. With his right index finger, he inscribed the second covenant on his left arm. From now on, he could not expect any help in battles. In exchange, he could break through any situation alone. ¡°I.¡± Finally, he drew a bloody line along his neck. It was simr to the rope of a gallows hanging around his neck. ¡°I do not tolerate the misfortune of a good person.¡± There is only one way to survive in apocalyptic stories. Staying by the side of those who have the qualifications. Befriending them and bing theirrades. From now on, he will be the guardian deity who will protect all good. From now on, he will be the messenger who will judge all evil. ¡°These are my three covenants.¡± I cannot wield any weapon. I receive no assistance in the face of a fight. I do not tolerate the misfortune of a good person This should be good enough for a sudden covenant, Deus thought, feeling that reading the novel earnestly had paid off. [Your covenant is too high in rank.] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Until the strange phrase came to mind again. ¡®What¡¯s this? Too high in rank? The protagonist used a simr covenant just fine, didn¡¯t he?¡¯ Was it because he transmigrated into an extra who had no significant role in the story? Or did he arrogantly try to take the covenant that the protagonist should have taken? As he hurriedly tried to think of another covenant, the next phrase appeared in his mind. [Taking that into consideration, you are given preparation time to fulfill the covenant.] The novel didn¡¯t have such settings. He briefly pondered, then promptly erased it from his mind. Giving time for preparation was a weed gesture! Before transmigration, Deus was an amateur martial artist who aspired to be a pro. Physical training was his daily routine. Deus was only devoted to training. He was fully invested in his training. Even if it was a special training for a transmigrator, if he thought of what he wanted, everything was prepared. A perfect training ground. A wless diet. And even a realistic opponent. When the sense of time faded away and his body was filled with purebat muscles¡­ ¡°Preparation isplete.¡± Let¡¯s give it a try. The destruction of this world, survive it with confidence. With a self-assured smile, the transmigrator tore through space and emerged. ¡ª ¡°ss president.¡± ¡°Yes! Attention, everyone! Salute, instructor!¡± Broad shoulders, deeply tanned skin, scars scattered across the arms¡ªtruly the epitome of ¡®ferocity¡¯ in appearance. Yet none of the students flinched. Despite his appearance, he was a very kind teacher. Perhaps that¡¯s why his nickname was ¡®Deer Eyes¡¯. ¡°Second week of the new semester, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a good morning today. Let¡¯s take attendance.¡± The names of the students were called one by one, and they responded ordingly. Some were nobles; some weremoners. All stayed together as one student in the same space. There was no distance between them, whether noble ormoner. The reason was simple: they shared something inmon despite their different statuses. ¡°Miss, I trust you¡¯vepleted your homework for today.¡± ¡°Seriously, stop calling me that. I told you not to.¡± A crimson me lingered on the noble girl¡¯s index finger. It wasn¡¯t magic; it was a pyrokic ability. ¡°Ah, I forgot to bring a pen. Can someone lend me one?¡± ¡°Honestly, are you not a noble? How do you forget every day?¡± When themoner girl gestured, a pen rose from the desk and moved towards her. Then the noble boy who imed he didn¡¯t have a pen said, ¡°As expected, your telekic ability is the best!¡± andughed. Abilities. In this Ivory Tower, those who wielded mysterious abilities were gathered. ¡°Erka Lenc.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Marian.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The students¡¯ chatter continued cutely as the muscr deer-eyed teacher silently continued the attendance. Then, as one name came into view, he raised his head and looked towards the back of the ssroom. ¡°Deus.¡± At the teacher¡¯s call, a boy sitting in the back raised his hand. Almost a head taller than other boys, his physique couldn¡¯t be hidden even by his clothes. Just by raising his hand, the curves of his muscles were clearly visible. It seemed like the buttons on his school uniform would burst at any moment. He was truly an overwhelming young man. He was someone who emitted the essence of strength. His fierce gaze alone could make others shiver involuntarily. Even skilled knights might hesitate to draw their swords in front of him. ¡°Deus, are you sure you have no intention of joining the martial arts club?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have no such thoughts.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see. Still, if you change your mind, make sure to tell me.¡± The martial arts club advisor kept underestimating our club. He barely resisted the urge to grab that sturdy student¡¯s hand and sincerely ask him. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start our literature ss. The weather is nice today, perfect for enjoying a poem.¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°Teacher Deer! Please recite a poem!¡± ¡°Shall I? Hm-hm. Then let¡¯s see. The poem we¡¯ll learn today is¡ª¡± A muscr macho teacher known as a deer, and yet a literature teacher. Just by looking at him, one might think he¡¯s a mercenary captain who would be harvesting orc heads. Deus, who once again refused the invitation to the martial arts club, sighed. As he turned his head, he noticed the various flowers blooming in the courtyard. Spring. A beautiful season. The beginning of everything. Is there anything more appropriate as the start of a world filled with dreams and hopes? ¡®Yes, a ce filled with dreams and hopes.¡¯ Thud!¡ª Oh, did he grip too hard? The grip strength exerciser he just bought shattered into pieces. How could it be so weak? ¡®I was scammed. Dammit.¡¯ If the merchant heard this, they¡¯d surely retort, asking what nonsense this was. This is a tool favored by martial artists with genuine skills. And surely, the young customer who came to buy it must have been one of them. That¡¯s why the merchant sold it for a cheap price, and now the young man was calling it a scam! ¡°Ah! Spring! You leave only your fragrance behind as you depart!!¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± A macho teacher passionately reciting a poem. Students sitting and sending yful cheers. Various flowers swaying in the spring breeze. In conclusion, the world did not end. It¡¯s not that it hasn¡¯t ended ¡®yet¡¯. Rather, the end itself never existed ¡®in the first ce¡¯. That¡¯s only natural, since this world was not destined for that from the beginning. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 2 – The Wrong Genre (2) Chapter 2 ¨C The Wrong Genre (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 2 ¨C The Wrong Genre (2) ¡°Afterwards, the Lord Protector position was seeded by the best defender from generation to generation. Status wasn¡¯t a consideration. Only the best shield capable of firmly protecting the empire¡­¡± The female teacher conducting the lecture suddenly pressed her index finger to her lips. The students who were diligently taking notes sensed something unusual. ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± Soon, they discovered a male student dozing off in the back seat. If he were an ordinary student, he might not have been noticeable in the back. But precisely because he was a head taller than the others, even his nodding off seemed remarkably dynamic. ¡°Doing your best in ss is the teacher¡¯s natural duty. And focusing during ss is your duty as students. Right?¡± ¨DNod, nod. ¡°So, it¡¯s okay to warn a student like him who¡¯s nodding off, right?¡± Naturally, yes, is the reflexive response. But looking at that male student makes one wonder, ¡®Is it really okay?¡¯ A chorus of muscles, not even hidden by a generous school uniform. An aura that no one dares to approach lightly. Because he was the most promising neer among the freshmen. ¨DSssss! A translucent ice formed in the teacher¡¯s hand. She was a cryokic. Given the speed of her power¡¯s manifestation, she must have been highly skilled. ¡°Um. This might hurt.¡± Again. This time, instead of ice, a snowball formed. That should do it. The female teacher smiled as she took aim at the male student. The students discreetly scattered, and momentster, snowballs flew out of nowhere. The speed was incredibly fast. In an instant, theynded in front of the dozing male student. Perhaps if it continued, he would be hit squarely in the forehead, covered in snow¡ª ¨DCrackle! ¡­But it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Have you woken up now, Deus?¡± ¡°Sorry, teacher. I¡¯ll pay attention.¡± Deus, who reacted in 0.01 seconds while dozing off, wiped away the snowball. Water dripped between his fingers. The female teacher, watching, just smiled and thought, ¡®Indeed, a promising one!¡¯ ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue. Currently, the Lord Protector is¡­¡± As the students focused on the lecture, they nced at Deus from time to time. It was fascinating. Someone their age, yet with such a body. Again, it was fascinating. Even though they couldn¡¯t see the snowball properly, he caught it. ¡®Indeed, the top prospects are different.¡¯ ¡®Wow¡­ Is that guy really human like me?¡¯ ¡®Look at those solid arms. I want to hang off of them!¡¯ Regardless of gender, alone or in pairs, constantly catching their nces made Deus feel awkward. ¡®Why are they staring like that? It¡¯s ufortable.¡¯ Perhaps he dozed off? Yeah. It must be because of that. Honestly, even he found it funny. A guy nods off during ss. Maybe it was because of the spring breezeing through the window. Or maybe it was because the tension he had until recently had eased. In the early stages of awakening, the body was always tense! Muscles ready to explosively jump at any moment! The will to break through everything with overwhelming force! ¡­None of those seemed to be useful no matter how much he examined them. When did he realize something was strange? Yeah. It was two weeks after he threw down the gauntlet to survive. The first encounter with the world. With names he had never heard before. Even after thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t a novel, ?The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group.? It was apletely different world. And apletely different novel. Yeah. Ironically, he had misunderstood the reincarnation genre. * * * The morning sses were over. It was now noon. It¡¯s lunchtime. Correction. Let¡¯s call it wartime. ¡°We¡¯re done! Hey! Run!¡± ¨DThud, thud, thud!! Some students ran down the hallway at an incredible speed. ¡°Damn it! Those Kanggak-style brats! They only get excited at times like this!¡± ¡°Please, can¡¯t you maintain your dignity as nobles?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the teacher tell us not to run in the hallway?!¡± This is where ability users live. Different from other ordinary humans. Bothmoners and nobles. They¡¯re colored by that uniqueness. And when that happens, they tend to behave a little strangely. Just like now. At first nce, it may seem like risking one¡¯s life for lunch. But in reality, it¡¯s also about showcasing your ability and skill in handling it. A sense of superiority, different from others. The desire to show it off. Everyone here is special, but I am confident that I am the best! ¨DBoom! [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] ¡°That kid broke through the wall again!¡± ¡°Ugh! These dusts! This isn¡¯t the time for such behavior while eating!¡± ¡°Who is it! Who dares to cause a disturbance in the sacred dining hall!¡± Though lean, a fierce teacher shouts with as much energy. And obediently, the Kanggak-type students, who coolly made holes in the wall, confessed instead of fleeing. The teacher is also an ability user like them. They know they can¡¯t escape. ¡°It¡¯s you guys again! Unbelievable. Sit down and stand up three thousand times!¡± ¡°Stand up!!¡± An outrageous number for the culprits. But for them, it¡¯s just enough for ten minutes. ¨DRat-tat-tat! Watching students move like crazy machines, Deus sighed. ¡°ha.¡± It really sucked, it sucked. Deus sighed. As mentioned, this ce isn¡¯t the world of the novel, ?The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group,? as I expected. So what is it, then? What novel did I mistake it for? Answering that question was incredibly ambiguous and sad. The world itself is a fantasy. Using special abilities. While the gate indeed opens, monsterse out of it. It¡¯s a mix of fantasy, martial arts, romanticedy, daily life, andedy. ¡®Why did they even add Korean elements? No, why is kimchi in a fantasy world? Nobles drink soju instead of wine, andmoners drink makgeolli instead of beer?¡¯ [TL/N: Makegeolli; It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine] Just looking at today¡¯s lunch menu confirms it. ¡°Pork should be stir-fried without soup!¡± ¡°What are you saying?! How can you eat pork without soup to mix it with!¡± ¡°Ugh! Is this dismal reality even possible?! This is whymoners! Daring to eat stir-fried pork like rice toppings! Unforgivable! It¡¯s an affront!!¡± ¡°Oh dear, noble lords. May your throats clog while eating dry stir-fried food!¡± This situation: blonde within the walls fighting over stir-fried pork. They¡¯re even sitting down and earnestly discussing while spouting impure thoughts! ¡®Did I ever read such a ridiculous novel? When?!¡¯ After officially reincarnating, he spent some time tearing his hair out. But now, he¡¯s given up on everything and is living as Deus. Why did they even insist on making an agreement? With one question still unanswered, he suddenly thought about the pork. Shouldn¡¯t stir-fried pork have soup? ¡°Junior Deus?¡± Approaching loudly with a fan folded with a crack! A mysterious aura emanates from her purple hair. Her coolly stretched legs are impressive. ¡°Why are you standing in line here? I clearly said you have the special right to have lunchfortably.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but I¡¯m fine with this, Miss.¡± ¨DTsk! As the girl clicked her tongue, Deus sighed. He apologized for his mistake and quickly changed the honorifics. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President.¡± ¡°Be careful from now on, junior. Normally, I¡¯d give a warning, but since you¡¯re a recognized promising talent, I¡¯ll let it slide once. Hehe!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You better be thankful! Especially when the Student Council President is paying attention to you!¡± Ohohohehe! The girlughs oddly. She¡¯s the Student Council President of the Academy of Abilities, ¡®Cradle.¡¯ Top of the third year. An air-based ability user, Neferti. She¡¯s also the precious youngest daughter of Duke Maenheim outside. She was a genius who showed better abilities than the second-year seniors when she entered. As time passed, she became the Student Council President, not by status but by skill. Truly a genius. An ultra-elite senior worthy of the title. But¡­ ¡°Are you moved? Of course! You should be moved! It¡¯s like I¡¯m using my favor! Ohohohehe!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± From Deus¡¯ perspective, she¡¯s a senior whoughs strangely. Nothing more, nothing less. ¡°Anyway! If you change your mind, feel free toe to the Student Council room anytime. Our promising one is always wee!¡± Neferti, fluttering her fan widely unfolded, shakes it gently. Then she gracefully moves away, saying they¡¯ll meet again. ¡°¡­.¡± Counting silently as she disappears. ¡®One. Two. Three.¡¯ ¡°Eek!¡± With a short scream, Neferti falls over. There¡¯s no way there¡¯s a rock in the hallway. She didn¡¯t bump into anyone. She just fell over by herself. She tripped over her own foot. ¡°President?!¡± ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Ah, ahaha! I¡¯m fine. Hm! The hallway seems a bit slippery! I¡¯ll have to ask the cleaners to take care of it! Ohohohoho!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that slippery though¡­.¡± Even after, she vanished from sight. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°Ughh!¡± ¡°Kyaah!!¡± Neferti fell over three more times. ¡®Is that the Student Council President? Top of the third year?¡¯ He instinctively covered his face. Is this supposed to be aedy? ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going crazy¡­.¡± While muttering to himself, someone suddenly poked him in the back. Turning his head, he saw cherry blossom-colored hair. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­And that¡¯s not bad.¡± What¡¯s with this kid? Suddenly suggesting that? Deus quietly looked down at the girl with pink hair. Unfortunately, she¡¯s a small-sized female student, so he had to lower his head as much as possible. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Lunch.¡± ¡°Lunch?¡± ¡°I thought¡­ we were going out to eat¡­?¡± I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind. I want to go out and get lunch. A strange situation. Isn¡¯t this a fantasy world? Deus once again covered his face. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 3 – The Wrong Genre (3) Chapter 3 ¨C The Wrong Genre (3) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 3 ¨C The Wrong Genre (3) Nobles andmoners. The inevitable existence of social ss disparity. However, this ce is the Ivory Tower which houses the precious talents of the Empire, a cradle. Here, one¡¯s status matters less than their abilities. For this reason, it was natural to see students of various backgrounds mixed in the cafeteria. ¡°How are you going to approach the exam this time?¡± ¡°Hmm, honestly, I just want to burn it all down.¡± ¡°Uh, an arsonist. I didn¡¯t see thating.¡± ¡°Just kidding, just kidding. Why are nobles always so serious?¡± A noble female student casually speaks to amoner male student. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an apple. I heard you like apples.¡± ¡°Well, I do, but¡­ you¡¯re not going to eat more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full. Hmm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡ª¡± A noble male student attends to amoner female student, offering something more. ¡®I like this.¡¯ Quietly toying with his utensils, Deus nods his head. Nobles ahem and haw, whilemoners must bow their heads. If it had been maintained here in the cradle, I would have suffocated. Maybe I would have spread the beauty of democracy here. ¡°Hmm.¡± Chattering. Bustling. If one were to describe the cafeteria, it would be just like that. However, it wasn¡¯t the case near Deus. Both seats on either side were empty, as if a void had been created around him. Deus is a freshman. He¡¯s never done anything strange or caused trouble. He¡¯s even a promising student. His performance at the entrance ceremony is still talked about among the teachers. In short, it¡¯s advantageous for them to quickly get close to him. Yet, no one sits next to him. It¡¯s the same on the opposite side. They even go as far as avoiding the back seats and reluctantly sitting down due to ack of space. ¡°They say they don¡¯t discriminate against foreigners with ck hair¡­ but it seems like they do¡­¡± Deus purely attributed the reason to his ck hair. In this regard, although various hair colors are visible, ck is so rare. Hence, other students find his hair peculiar. In the end, he once again misunderstood. ¡°Ugh¡­ he¡¯s, he¡¯s too scary¡­!¡± ¡°Did you see his eyes? I feel like he could tear someone apart with just his gaze!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the freshman? Our junior? Should we speak politely if we make eye contact?!¡± Wide shoulders. Arms thicker than others¡¯ thighs. Buttons on his shirt look like they might pop at any moment due to the tension. Beneath them, muscr arms that boast his presence. Just his physique alone exudes a formidable aura. And it doesn¡¯t stop there; even his expression is quite sharp. Especially his eyes. Just looking at them makes your legs tremble. With him like this, anyone would be afraid to approach! ¡°I like his appearance¡­ but¡­ I want to talk to him¡­ but he¡¯s too scary¡­!¡± ¡°This is a hundred percent true. On the day our shoulders bump, bones will surely break.¡± ¡°Even a defense ace might be subdued with one hand?¡± The surrounding students whisper while cautiously ncing over. ¡®I should dye my hair or something. ck hair stands out too much. It¡¯s not worth it.¡¯ Deus was in the midst of cultivating misunderstandings upon misunderstandings. ¡ªck. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± Students who were watching this direction all let out astonished gasps. Someone sat down with a tray. In front of Deus! In front of that intimidating man! ¡®What¡¯s this.¡¯ Even Deus is surprised. He never imagined someone would sit in front of him. He was momentarily flustered, but soon gratitude and joy overwhelmed him. There¡¯s nothing as pitiful as eating alone. Who could it be? Who is this kind soul who offerspanionship! ¡°Ah, hello.¡± ¡°You are.¡± That ping-pong girl from earlier. The one who suggested going out for lunch. He thought she was strange. Thought it wouldn¡¯t fit. But now, facing her like this, those thoughts fade away. ¡°¡­.¡± She brought a tray, but she hasn¡¯t touched her utensils once. Her hands are trembling as she stares downward. She mustered up the courage to approach, but she still looks embarrassed. Watching her for a moment, Deus sighs. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s okay, so you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°Uh, uh huh?¡± ¡°You can eat alone. So if you don¡¯t want to sit, you can go to another seat.¡± Poor thing. That¡¯s why she wanted to offer somefort, right? But she seems ufortable with all the attention on her unusual hair. Her kindness is enough. Justing over like this is already something to be thankful for. Your kind heart will be remembered for a lifetime. Ping! Deus thinks to himself, and he resumes moving his utensils. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to sit¡­ with you. No.¡± She said no? But then why is she trembling like that? After a moment of thought, Deus gives his response after various considerations. ¡°Just in case you¡¯re wondering. I¡¯m not a weirdo, you know? My hair color and physique might be different from yours, but I¡¯m not a bad person¡­¡± Wait, saying that, doesn¡¯t that make me seem even weirder? Normal people don¡¯t introduce themselves like this. This is embarrassing. Scratching his nose, Deus waves his hand dismissively. ¡°Anyway. Enjoy your lunch.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ You too.¡± ¡ªtter, tter. He focuses on eating for now. With a body like his, the energy expenditure is tremendous. If he doesn¡¯t eat well, all his training will go to waste. ¡°Hey.¡± The pink-haired girl sitting across cautiously speaks up. Unlike Deus¡¯s half-empty te, she barely touched her food. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] ¡°Um, your name. What is it?¡± There¡¯s food in her mouth. Speaking with food in your mouth is bad manners. So, Deus lightly taps his chest name tag with his left hand. ¡°Deus. That¡¯s my name.¡± ¡ªNod. ¡°My name is Yurishia.¡± ¡°Yurishia.¡± ¡°Yeah. If it¡¯s too long, you can just call me Yuri.¡± What¡¯s a good response when you¡¯re given someone¡¯s name? After a brief thought, Deuses up with the easiest answer. ¡°Nice name.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yurishia¡¯s head sinks back down. Her ears and even her neck turn red. But Deus doesn¡¯t notice as he focuses on his te. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± He confirms that Yurishia¡¯s meal on the opposite side of the table hasn¡¯t decreased much. So when Deus asks, Yurishia suddenly raises her head. ¡°Huh?! Oh. I-I don¡¯t eat much. Honestly, I¡¯m not good at eating lunch.¡± ¡°Still, eat what you got. You need your daily nutrients, and it¡¯s impolite to leave food when the cooks put effort into making it.¡± If you leave your food, you¡¯ll have to eat everything in hell! Never leave any, you punk!! Suddenly, faint memories of Grandma¡¯s scoldinge to mind. ¡°Oh! S-sorry! I¡¯ll be careful!¡± ¡ªChomp! Chomp! Chomp! In an instant, Yurishia cleared her te. It was quite abat-like meal in itself. ¡°No. That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡ªChomp! Chomp! Chomp! ¡°Eat slowly. You¡¯ll choke¡­¡± ¡ªGulp! ¡°I finished!¡± ¡°¡­Goodness.¡± Was it two minutes? No, it didn¡¯t even seem that long. What¡¯s with this ping? No, it was Yurishia, right? ¡°Um, Yurishia.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Next time, it¡¯s important not to leave any food and chew slowly. You might choke if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! I¡¯ll do that! Thanks!¡± Blushing but smiling shyly, the pink-haired girl. That was Deus¡¯s first encounter with Yurishia. Or so Deus once again misunderstood. **** ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± I¡¯mte! What should I do? Beingte on the first day! How stupid! What if I get on the wrong carriage, thinking it¡¯s mine?! As soon as she got off, Yurishia sprinted at full speed towards the main gate. However, time was running short. Unless one was a telekic ability user, arriving on time was impossible. ¡°What do I do? What do I do?!¡± Yurishia was an ordinary, somewhat timid girl. Even after awakening her abilities in the telekinesis category, that aspect of her didn¡¯t change. Thinking of beingte on the first day made her eyes well up with tears. While she was running and sobbing¡­ ¡°What¡¯s this? Are youte too?¡± Turning to her side, she saw a giant male student running beside her. His speed was definitely not slow, yet he looked so rxed. ¡°Um, well!¡± Trying to answer, her breathing changed. That change in breath caused her to stumble. The male student caught her just before she could fall. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. It looks like you twisted your ankle slightly.¡± ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t good. If I¡¯mte¡­¡± ¡°With your speed, you¡¯re already cutting it close.¡± ¡ªClick. The male student grabbed Yurishia¡¯s hands and helped her up. Thanks to him, she could clearly see the face of the one who helped her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t bete. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Despite his somewhat fierce gaze, the pupils within were clearly those of a kind person. Despite his imposing stature, there was no sense of threat. Above all, his calm yet strangely warm voice was quite impressive. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Just as her face turned pink like her hair. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Like carrying luggage, the male student slipped Yurishia onto his side. As he rolled his foot, the road began to blur. ¡ªSwoosh! ¡°Whooaaa?!¡± You¡¯re, you¡¯re too fast! What¡¯s going on? Help! Please help! I can¡¯t breathe! The wind is too strong! Whoooaaa! ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Whoooaa¡­¡± After putting Yurishia back on the ground and patting her head, the male student, without even looking back, disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± Yurishia, who was staring nkly at his back, sighed. She didn¡¯t even get to say thank you. She missed the necessary greeting. ¡°Um, hey!¡± She tried to follow him hastily, but he was already long gone. Fidgeting with her fingers, Yurishia bit her lip. ¡°Th-thank you. Really¡­¡± Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Contract fulfilled. Sessful.¡± He didn¡¯t ignore the misfortune of a kind person. Thinking of that, Deus nodded satisfactorily. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 4 – The Wrong Genre (4) Chapter 4 ¨C The Wrong Genre (4) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 4 ¨C The Wrong Genre (4) During lunchtime, students enjoy their freedom in their own ways. Some sit in the garden with their friends, savoring tea time. Others rush to the snack bar to grab some treats together. Or they challenge each other with simr abilities to see who¡¯s stronger. ¡ªHaah. Huuu. Deus didn¡¯t belong to any of those categories. Just like yesterday, as always, he was simply training his body. Confusion is one thing, but maintaining expectations is another. ¡ªHaah! With every exhale, muscles all over his body moved dynamically. The veins beneath his skin writhed like living snakes. It felt like something might burst out of his back at any moment. To the onlookers, he¡¯s a devotee. Yeah, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s what everyone would call him. ¡°Haah¡­.¡± But Deus himself didn¡¯t think so at all. ¡®Why does it feel like my body is deteriorating?¡¯ He remembered the moment he threw his unexpected ace in the hole for survival. Back then, his body couldn¡¯t have been in better condition than it was. Maybe it¡¯s because the tension was fading away in this peace that his body was deteriorating. He sighed and examined his body once again. Still, it wasn¡¯t satisfying. It wasn¡¯t like it used to be. ¡°¡­Strange. Wasn¡¯t this the way to go?¡± ¡°Yeah, right? We came this way a few days ago to go to the library, didn¡¯t we?¡± Students approached, chatting amongst themselves. As Deus was about to enter the next set, his eyes met theirs. ¡°Heuk!¡± ¡°Hiek!?¡± It¡¯s a monster. Yeah, that¡¯s right. That thing is definitely a monster. A monster is inside the gate! With its monstrous body and the eerie atmosphere emanating from it. Above all, its eyes gleam ominously, as if ready to tear people apart. ¡°Mo-Monster?!¡± Could it be that a gate has appeared even in the cradle?! One of the students hastily manifested their ability. Seeing the light gathering in their hands, they seem to belong to the light ss. Particrly strong against monsters that prefer darkness. ¡°Excuse me.¡± At the moment they were about to attack the heinous monster, a low yet firm voice interrupted. ¡°Are you a freshman?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± It was speaking? Could it be a humanoid monster?! ¡°I¡¯m a freshman too.¡± Deus spoke, poking his chest with his thumb. Only then did the students realize that their opponent was a person, not a monster. ¡­Still, they weren¡¯t entirely sure if ¡®person¡¯ was the right term to describe them. ¡°You said you were going to the library, right? You went the wrong way.¡± ¡°Ahhh? Really?¡± ¡°You need to go the opposite way from the intersection in the road just now.¡± It¡¯s understandable if it was their first time. The campus needed to be somewhatrge and spacious. Smiling, he recalled almost getting lost on his first day too. ¡°Hehehe!¡± ¡°S-Sorry! Sorry!!¡± In terror, the two students fled for their lives. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Ah, I see. A ck-haired foreigner like me is inevitably perceived as a savage. Should I really consider dyeing my hair? Deus ponders this seriously. *** ¡°Ta-da! Nice to meet you, freshmen! Isn¡¯t today your first day of PE?!¡± Students gaze in confusion at the appearance of the gym teacher. Strange. Could it be that we misread the timetable? It¡¯s PE time now. PE for students with abilities. But why is the one appearing to be such a petitedy? ¡°My name is Tiamat! I¡¯ll be your teacher for enjoyable PE sses until next year! Now! What¡¯s my name?!¡± ¡°This is Ms. Tiamat!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Correct! I¡¯m Tiamat, your teacher!¡± Excitedly bouncing around alone, Teacher Tiamat. Her actions make the students burst intoughter, finding her cute. Already slim, she¡¯s even shorter than the students. And with her blonde hair, she looks like a golden retriever. ¡°That teacher is really cute.¡± ¡°Teacher, really? She looks younger than our younger siblings, though.¡± ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t judge talented people by their appearance.¡± Meanwhile, Deus, who was standing at the back due to his height, let out a sigh. ¡®Strong.¡¯ He wanted topliment that male student who emphasized not judging by appearances. As that student said, thatdy teacher, Tiamat, was undoubtedly strong. Even with his current self, he¡¯d probably have to struggle against her for at least five minutes. Of course, after that, his overwhelming dominance would likely take over. ¡®But still, her actions are so energetic, yet her name is Tiamat.¡¯ Anyone can see she¡¯s a character with a twist. With a name like that, it¡¯s obvious. ¡°Now then! Since it¡¯s the first day, I¡¯ll give a brief introduction to the ss, and then we¡¯ll do some warm-ups. First! What I want from you in this ss is very simple! It¡¯s to make your bodies stronger!¡± ¡ªBam! [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] There¡¯s nothing to knock on, so Teacher Tiamat vigorously pped her thigh. ¡°Some of you might wonder why we need to work on our bodies when we can manifest abilities! But of course, we need to! Just relying on abilities isn¡¯t enough for ability users! You could get into big trouble!¡± Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. That teacher knew her stuff. Deus, with his arms crossed, vigorously nodded in agreement. It¡¯s always the case in a world with abilities. People neglect physical training, relying solely on their powers. Thinking they can cover everything with their abilities alone. However, no matter how well you use your abilities, if your body is weak, it¡¯s useless. Conversely, if you¡¯re good at using abilities and have a strong body, it synergizes well. ¡°Does strong mental strength surpass a strong physical body? Nonsense! Anyone spouting that kind of nonsense hasn¡¯t been near exercise at all! Human mental strength only extends to what the body can handle!¡± Words were once spoken by the former pro athlete turned gym manager, as he pushed aspiring athletes beyond their limits. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Your limits are not determined by the edge of your mental strength but by the boundaries your body can endure! Got it?!¡± Today, Teacher Tiamat is saying the same thing. ¡°Now. In that sense! Let¡¯s all do a grade evaluation!¡± Teacher Tiamat raises both arms and shouts for the students to pair up. The students look for those they¡¯ve be somewhat acquainted with over the past week. ¡°Why! Why aren¡¯t you pairing up with me?!¡± ¡°Sorry. Actually, he¡¯s better suited for you.¡± ¡°Th-this is betrayal! Ugh!¡± Deus remained silent. Eventually, those who are left will naturally form pairster on. He had no intention of foolishly asking, ¡®Would you like to pair up with me?¡¯ right here. ¡°Don¡¯t pair up with the ck-haired savage!¡± ¡°You smell like a savage! Go away!¡± ¡ªAs the future looks faintly visible, why do such foolish things? Maybe I should just dye my hair blonde and get a tan? Since I already misunderstood the genre, changing the character wouldn¡¯t be a problem. It was at that moment when I seriously considered changing even the age rating. ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± Pink hair. It¡¯s Yurishia who had lunch together during lunchtime. ¡°Before¡­ No, no. Yurshia, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. But, but then. Do you remember my name?¡± Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I? We exchanged greetings just an hour ago. Unless you¡¯re suffering from young-onset dementia, you won¡¯t forget. ¡°Hey, look, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve found a partner yet. ¡°uh. Yeah. As you can see. I think it¡¯s a bit awkward for me because my hair color is like this.¡± ¡°thank god!¡± ¡­Relief? ¡°Oh, no! Not this! ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± Yurishia, who was flustered, caught Deus¡¯s attention and barely managed to continue her words. ¡°With me. with me¡­ match¡­ Do you want to do it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It might be sudden, but since you don¡¯t have a partner¡­ uh, uh?¡± Did I just hear that wrong? Th-that¡¯s it, right? That¡¯s right? ¡°Let¡¯s be partners. Since I haven¡¯t found a partner yet.¡± ¡°Uh, uh! Yeah! That¡¯s right!¡± Hehehe! A bright smile appears on Yurishia¡¯s lips. Seeing her like that, Deus muttered to himself, ¡®Is a ck-haired foreigner her type?¡¯ ¡°Th-Then! The first thing we need to do is¡­¡± ¡°Just a moment. Excuse me!¡± A golden retriever suddenly sticks its head between the two men and women. ¨DNo, Ms. Tiamat. ¡°Our pink-haired student? What¡¯s your name?!¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. It¡¯s Yurishia.¡± ¡°Right. Yurishia, student! I¡¯m really sorry, but that student over there still doesn¡¯t have a partner!? Our kind Yurishia student, could you go and pair up with him? Please? I¡¯m begging you!!¡± A sudden situation. Yurishia was visibly flustered due to the unexpected turn of events. But she couldn¡¯t ask Teacher Tiamat for an exnation or anything. Being timid, all she could do was nod her head. ¡°Yes, yes, Teacher.¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll buy you something deliciouster!!¡± Now, hurry! Hurry! Pushing Yurishia forward, Teacher Tiamat turns back to Deus. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!? You¡¯re one of the promising ones this time! I can tell just by looking! You¡¯re definitely one of the promising ones!¡± ¡­Is that praise? It must be praise, right? ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah! So, you see, I¡¯d like to personally evaluate our students! Is that okay?!¡± With those sparkling eyes, how could I refuse? It¡¯s like watching a puppy wait for ytime. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it, Teacher.¡± ¡°Great! As expected of a promising student! Let¡¯s get started right away!¡± ¡ªWhoosh! ¡ªCrash! The sound of the wind parting. Following it, a thunderous noise tore through the air. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°What, what¡¯s happening?!¡± Students recoil in fear. Some were even looking around for a ce to hide. Meanwhile, in the blink of an eye, the two students who had already exchanged a single blow were at a distance. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Goodness. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this. Teacher Tiamat chuckled as she clenched and unclenched her fist. Her hand feels numb. The joints in her arms ache. The pain even reached her shoulders. Just from one sh it was clear. Was this really a freshman? They¡¯re way beyond the level of a student. I¡¯ve personally evaluated promising students several times in the past. But I¡¯ve never felt this level of tension and awe before. ¡°Student. Name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Deus.¡± ¡°Deus. Good. I¡¯ll remember that. Shall we get a bit more serious?!¡± From Teacher Tiamat bursts forth a golden sh like an explosion. ¡°¡­¡± Watching this, Deus quietly reminded himself. Let¡¯s control the power. It¡¯s really not good for a foreigner to challenge the Teacher¡­! [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 5 – Promising Student at Admission (1) Chapter 5 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 5 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (1) An Ivory Tower for those with abilities. Ability Academy Cradle. There¡¯s a peculiar custom there. The ¡®initiation ceremony¡¯ for newly enrolled freshmen is just that. Do they force-feed alcohol? No, they don¡¯t do such things. Will that instill discipline? Does that even make sense among gifted individuals? True to its name the Ability Academy. True to its role as the cradle of the gifted. The Student Council President stepped forward to test the freshmen. That¡¯s the custom that exists in the cradle, the initiation ceremony. Of course, it¡¯s conducted only for the applicants. Teachers also observe and evaluate, preparing for any contingency. If they pass, they will be so-called ¡®promising talents¡¯. Right there, Deus caught the eye of Teacher Tiamat. No, every teacher was paying attention to him. ¡°The neer who stood up to Neferti¡¯s wishes head-on.¡± Third-year top student. Student Council President Neferti. Her wishes are as well-crafted as a well-honed sword. Wind-type ability users are mostly specialized in mobility. But Neferti, uniquely, belonged to the category that turned it towardsbat. Her unpredictable yet powerful strikes even made the teachers hold their breath. But Deus, the neer, faced it head-on. Not just avoiding or blocking, but enduring it with his body. Was it foolishness? Or was his physique that strong? Tiamat, observing from there, had such thoughts. ¡°I see now! Student Deus!¡± ¨DBang! Right there, she finally found the answer to her dilemma. ¡°You¡¯re the student I¡¯ve been looking for! Finally, a blossom in the martial arts category too!!¡± ¨DBang! Bang! Deus deflected the pouring golden shes without changing his expression. Tiamat, in excitement, felt her heart pounding even harder. No matter how much speed or force he exerted, no openings were visible. Truly, it was perfection itself. It seemed to be what they called the pinnacle. Where has this talent been hiding until now? It made one wonder! ¡°You block this too? And that? Impressive!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The battle seemed to be getting too heated. If he reflexively retaliates, it¡¯ll be trouble. Enough with the swordy. He¡¯d rather avoid the barbaric attribute of giving teachers a hard time. Deus, assessing the situation, immediately distanced himself when he found an opening. ¨DSwish! ¡°Student Deus?¡± ¡°I think this is enough, Teacher Tiamat.¡± Teacher. Using that title now signifies it¡¯s definitely ss time. Upon hearing that, Teacher Tiamat realized her mistake. ¡°Ah, s-sorry! Everyone! Teacher got too excited! Is everyone okay?!¡± ¡°N-no problem at all, Teacher. Not really okay, though.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that? I¡¯m scared of that teacher¡­ I miss our deer teacher¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they say not to judge gifted individuals by their appearance alone!!¡± That. Then why am I getting judged solely by appearance? Yes, I have ck hair and I might look foreign, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a barbarian. ¡°Ahaha! Well, well! Have you all paired up?! Then from now on, we¡¯ll do this!¡± Pointing to the measuring device in front, Teacher Tiamat hands something out. ¡°Alternating, you¡¯ll hit that device and measure each other¡¯s records! Of course, don¡¯t falsify records! If caught, there¡¯ll be special training from me!¡± Deus quietly stands behind, observing the measuring device. It¡¯s just a punching machine you¡¯d find anywhere. What on earth is the identity of this world? ¡°Student Deus! I¡¯ll be recording your results. Come over here!¡± Teacher Tiamat eagerly anticipates the true potential of the promising talent. Deus mistakenly believes he¡¯s being specially monitored due to his ck-haired barbarian appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back! Give it your all. Got it?! Just by looking, this teacher can tell, you know?!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± What does he mean, ¡°Just by looking¡±? Didn¡¯t She notice that I controlled strength just now? Deus casually rotates his shoulders and stands before the punching machine. No, the measuring device. Lower body steady. Slightly spin the waist. That should make it look like he¡¯s giving it his all. Should the shoulders¡­ be pulled back a bit? Giving a slight snap might be better. ¡®Just right. Enough to handle¡­¡¯ ¡ªPing! At that moment, Teacher Tiamat and several students watched in awe. ¡ªKaaaah!! A being descending upon the ground personally. *** ¡°Oh, Teacher Tiamat. How was your first ss today?¡± In charge of literature sses. Teacher Hunter, moremonly known to students as ¡®Deer Eyes¡¯. To his question, Tiamat eximed and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Ahaha! It was amazing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited about this year¡¯s freshmen too. It¡¯s something I feel every time, but this job is truly the best.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s fortunate.¡± With a stern face and a muscr body, even wearing sunsses, Teacher Hunter smiles, giving off a threatening vibe. To someone seeing this sight for the first time, it might seem like a viin threatening a beauty. ¡°Especially! That, Deus. Wasn¡¯t it? Teacher Hunter knows too, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I know. Isn¡¯t he the student who casually faced the Student Council President¡¯s ability during the initiation ceremony?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really something. I knew he was different from the moment I saw him. He¡¯s truly remarkable!¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± For Teacher Tiamat to speak so highly, there must be something extraordinary about this Deus student. Even if it takes some effort, he must be admitted to the martial arts club! ¡°It feels like it¡¯s been a while since Teacher Tiamat reacted like that.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always enjoyed seeing freshmen!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I mean, being so excited like this. Hehehe!¡± Lifting his sunsses slightly, Deer Eyes, no, Teacher Hunter, continued the conversation. ¡°So. This student, Deus. Among this year¡¯s freshmen promising talents, what number is he, do you think? Ah, is he the first, as expected?¡± ¡ªThud! Thud! ¡°Hmm?¡± Tiamat noded, and Hunter chuckled. ¡°Judging by the reactions so far, it seemed like Deus was definitely the top among the freshmen, huh? Is there talk of another remarkable student aside from that boy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not quite like that, Teacher Hunter. In my view, he seems to be the first among all students here in the cradle!¡± ¡°Really? W-wow!¡± What students learn in the cradle is the more sophisticated and effective manifestation of abilities. So, it¡¯s natural for there to be differences between grades. This leads to the establishment of senior-junior rtionships. The teacher¡¯s absolute authority among the students is also in the same vein. But for a newly enrolled student, only in their second week in the cradle, to be so outstanding as to be considered ahead of all students, including upperssmen? ¡°He¡¯s truly remarkable! I¡¯m even considering officially rmending that Deus student to the ¡®Dispatch Team¡¯!¡± ¡°Is he that good? Shouldn¡¯t he at least be a second-year reserve for the Dispatch Team?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at that level! Student Deus is already perfect!¡± My word, even considering writing a rmendation for the Dispatch Team! That means, he¡¯s among the top ten students in the entire cradle! ¡°Oh? You doubt what I¡¯m saying?!¡± ¡°Hmm! N-no, not at all.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it! Take off your sunsses and look at me! Quick!¡± Tiamat tells him to take off the sunsses, and Hunter grumbles. In the end, Tiamat, unable to fulfill her intention, puffs her cheeks. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me! Right?! I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?!¡± ¡°Well. Since you insist.¡± Ahem. Hunter cleared his throat and swiftly changed the subject. ¡°So.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Even a martial arts-type ability recognized within our cradle is attributed to Teacher Tiamat. If a teacher of that caliber acknowledges it, and is willing to write a rmendation for the ¡®Dispatch Team¡¯, then what kind of talent did the Deus show?¡± What kind of person? Tiamat recalled the earlier incident. ¡°Huhuhu.¡± And then sheughed. Seeing the man who will be the strongest martial arts-type ability user made her heart race! *** The cradle was protected by a barrier set by the top-level barrier-type ability users. It can withstand attacks from both outside and inside to a considerable extent. Thanks to this, even if the students cause quite amotion, there¡¯s no problem at all. (Some areas are excluded for expansion purposes. A good example is the cafeteria.) ¡ªCrack¡­! One part of that barrierpletely copsed. An emergency repair is necessary. ¡°Hahaha¡­!¡± Teacher Tiamatughed unknowingly. The measuring device next to her disappeared without a trace. ¡°Incredible. Truly, truly incredible¡­!!¡± With sparkling eyes, She drew a line next to Deus¡¯s name and wrote down the measurements. ¡°Deus student! Well done. Really, well done!¡± ¡°Th-thank you, Teacher.¡± Tiamat sincerely praised him, but Deus mistook it for sarcasm. And far away, even Yurishia had her mouth covered in amazement. ¡®Deus.¡¯ At first nce, it was intimidating. But inside, it was incredibly warm. A person who even tolerates hardship for someone they¡¯ve never met before. She still remembers that first day of school when he was carrying her. (She forgot about being carried like a porter.) It was the first time someone looked so cool to her in her entire life. She probably won¡¯t feel that way ever again. Even that alone was impressive. Overflowing with charm. Now, he was showing a side that left everyone in awe! ¡®I want to¡­ I want to be like Deus¡­!¡¯ It was her first time feeling such admiration for someone. Intensely. From deep within her heart. ¡®I¡¯ll admire only that person.¡¯ No matter how hard or painful it may be. Even if reaching him would be impossible. If she kept trying, someday, inevitably she¡¯d reach him. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 6 – Promising Student at Admission (2) Chapter 6 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 6 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (2) The day after a strong spirit descended into the cradle. ¡°¡­.¡± Something had definitely changed from yesterday, Deus could clearly sense it. How to say? Ah, yes. Imagine a tiger, a lion, or any ferocious beast that suddenly crosses the fence into human territory. If everyone held their breath and stared, this must be that moment! ¡°Wow, he¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Did he really turn measuring instruments into dust?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to the nobility!¡± The freshmen. Especially those in Deus¡¯ ss, shrank back. At most, they were slightly above average. Even those who mainly relied on physical abilities barely reached the top tier. But with just one swing of Deus¡¯ hand, the measuring instruments became ¡®dust.¡¯ They witnessed such an unbelievable scene before their eyes. Even the barriers were easily crushed as if molding y with a fist. It was only natural for the rabbit in front of the predator to tremble. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s something. Certainly, he looked different from the start.¡± ¡°That friend was said to be the best among the promising freshmen, right? Impressive from the very appearance!¡± ¡°I thought a monster would tear through the skin and jump out from the back¡­ was I mistaken?¡± Deus¡¯ seniors were somewhat better off. Because there were some among them who could be considered monsters even in their own year, they seemed to look forward to the exchange meeting whileparing themselves to them. ¡°Hehe.¡± And at the center of them was the Student Council President, Neferti. ¡°Ohoho!¡± ¡ªSnap! Gracefully spreading her fan, she smiled. ¡®As expected. He¡¯s the junior that I¡¯ve acknowledged.¡¯ It was the first day of the initiation ceremony. The ritual moment of deration in the cradle tradition. There were precisely four bold freshmen who dared to challenge, and none of themsted twice. Of course, that alone was remarkable, as others didn¡¯t even dare to challenge. It wasn¡¯t that the freshmen werecking; Neferti herself was just that exceptional. To begin with, the wind element ability was specialized in mobility rather than attack. Showing strengths in assisting other ability users, she mainly engaged in such activities. Hence, encountering such sharp winds was unheard of. ¡°Are there no more juniors who¡¯d like to challenge?¡± Those who were considered impressive during the entrance exam all failed miserably. The moment Neferti asked, facing the frozen freshmen. ¡°Next. I will challenge.¡± That was her first encounter with Deus, as she remembered. *** ¡°Next. I will challenge.¡± When a male student appeared among the freshmen, the teachers couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration. Even Neferti, who was overseeing the initiation ceremony, was no exception. ¡®Unbelievable.¡¯ That figure was reminiscent of a ¡®hero¡¯ that only appears in myths. An overwhelming physique is not entirely concealed by the school uniform. Muscles were bulging as if about to burst. The momentum emanating from there was enough to overwhelm the entire audience. Above all, gazing into those eyes felt like baring one¡¯s soul. No matter how you looked at it, he was definitely not an ordinary, average freshman. ¡°Nice to meet you. Junior. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Deus. I enrolled with the martial arts ability.¡± ¡°Deus. Got it. I¡¯ll remember that. Shall we begin right away?¡± ¡°Please guide me.¡± Neferti casually waved her fan. Her opponent had martial arts ability and was a user with robust physical capabilities. Therefore, it could be said that wind abilities had an extremely unfavorable match-up against them. No matter how much wind she whipped up, the other side could simply endure and counterattack. However, that was assuming the wind ability user was ordinary. ¡°Don¡¯t be too tense. I won¡¯t go all out from the start.¡± ¡ªWhoosh! A gentle breeze seemed to blow, then suddenly became a fierce gale. The wind was invisible. It¡¯s a phenomenon without form. However, predictions could be made based on surrounding movements influenced by the wind. Therefore, until now, the freshman challengers chose to dodge after seeing it. ¡ªBoom! However, this student named Deus seemed to think differently. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Woah!!¡± Teachers eximed, and students cheered. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Deus¡¯ fist surged forward. At that moment, a strong wind arose. It wasn¡¯t conjured by wind abilities. Just a simple punch. Yet, with that alone, he blocked Neferti¡¯s attacking at him. ¡°Oh my.¡± Even Neferti herself was surprised at the unbelievable sight. After briefly gazing at the freshman, she folded her fan and lightly tapped her hand. ¡°You said you had a martial arts ability, didn¡¯t you, Junior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But just now¡­¡± For a moment, Neferti¡¯s words trailed for a moment before lightly shaking her head. It was too early to be impressed. It was merely the first attack. Moreover, it was something even the previous freshmen could withstand or avoid. ¡°Alright. For the second attack, I¡¯ll go a bit harder this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± The fan was still folded. In that state, she lightly dropped it downwards. This time, with more force. Neferti became a wintry gust. ¡ªWhoosh! All the students who challenged her couldn¡¯t withstand the wind and fell. It couldn¡¯t be blocked or avoided. That¡¯s just how the wind worked. ¡°Hmm.¡± Did that student named Deus also know this fact? He doesn¡¯t thrust his fist forward as he did a little while ago. Instead, he shielded himself with his arms. Judging by the way he firmly nted his legs, he seemed prepared to endure. But, could that be possible? Even when the defensive abilities ultimately failed earlier? ¡ªKugugu! A biting winter gust passed right through Deus. As a result, some of the freshmen stumbled in their ces. If they had been hit by that wind, it wouldn¡¯t have ended there. As the dust settled and the wind subsided, Neferti narrowed her eyes. In her sight, Deus was standing straight, looking perfectly fine. ¡®He endured that?¡¯ Ha. Neferti found herself letting out a short sigh unknowingly. Among the students in the cradle, only a few could withstand such a st head on. The seniors of the 4th year. And the second ce. It was an achievement only they could manage. But now, a freshman who had just enrolled demonstrated it firsthand. ¡°When a junior is like this. As a senior, I must do it properly now, right?¡± Ohohohoho! Along with her characteristicughter, Neferti¡¯s fan spread wide. Simultaneously, a whirlwind seemed to swirl around, then a strong gale swept in. ¡°Eugh!¡± ¡°Haah, Student Council President?!¡± Why does this seem stronger than what was demonstrated before the initiation ceremony?! As the teachers looked bewildered, a woman interrupted. ¡°Everyone calm down. Her opponent is that person, right?¡± The cradle¡¯s physical education instructor, and a top martial arts ability user, Tiamat. In the end, the teachers decided to watch in silence as she was restrained. ¡°Ohohoho! Junior! This is the end of today¡¯s initiation ceremony! Now, if you can withstand this! Junior, you¡¯ll be one of the top prospects of the cradle!!¡± Neferti, still holding the fan, spun around in a circle. Then, a huge storm arose and rushed towards Deus. While it¡¯s natural for a whirlwind not to be visible, the fierce and violent momentum seemed to be vividly visible. Students who had been maintaining a safe distance found themselves involuntarily stepping back. ¡ªKugugugugu!! In the face of that storm tearing through the world. ¡°¡­.¡± Deus took just one step forward. Putting strength into the two legs nted on the ground, his hands lowered. Finally, when his arms shot up into the sky from the ground. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Neferti. She could see the new wind. ¡®Quiet yet powerful. Roaring yet unwavering. What on earth¡­!¡¯ Watching that scene, a sudden feeling permeated deep into her heart. I will follow the one who shows me a new wind for the rest of my life. She said. *** ¡°President! President? Are you here?¡± The cradle¡¯s 3rd year second ce, and the Vice President of the Student Council, Kasar Polken. While searching for the President who hadn¡¯t arrived despite waiting for so long, finally found her, ¡°Ah, sorry. Today was the day of the meeting, right?¡± ¡°Yes. And with the dispatch duties as well, today¡¯s going to be quite busy.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s hurry then. I feel bad for making you wait.¡± Neferti turned her body around. And precisely 3 secondster. ¡°Oops!¡± ¡ªThud! As if tripped by someone, she fell straight down. ¡°Grab onto me.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± Now ustomed to it, Kasar extended her hand. By the way, holding onto her was futile. If they catch her before she falls, she¡¯ll just fall in a different way again. There¡¯s even a joke that her strengthes from the slipping and tripping, ¡°More importantly, that seems to be the one.¡± ¡°Yeah. Remember what I told you? The freshman who faced my wind three times during the initiation ceremony and still looked fine.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed, just by looking at his physique, it seems entirely possible.¡± Are they a person? They¡¯re more like a monster. Compared to that male student, even the twin-headed orc she saw a few days ago seemedcking. How on earth did he develop such explosive muscles without any hint of strain? ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s how he blocked it, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not. What we see now is just a part of the oue, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Good point, Vice President. Well then, quickly¡ªUgh!¡± That¡¯s unexpected. Was she falling less than usual today? ¡°Quick, let¡¯s head to the dispatch team. If we¡¯rete, we¡¯ll get scolded by the two 4th year seniors again.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s mission isn¡¯t a gate blockade but a raid.¡± ¡°Ugh. I don¡¯t want to be soaked in monster blood again.¡± ¡°Agreed. I wish the cradle seniors who graduated would handle things a bit more.¡± The two members of the ¡®dispatch team¡¯ continued their conversation as they walked. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 7 – Promising Student at Admission (3) Chapter 7 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (3) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 7 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (3) ¨DFlutter! ¡°¡­.¡± A single white document swayed before his eyes. Deus nced at it briefly before lowering his gaze. A blonde woman stood before him, barely reaching his chest ¡ª no, ady. Tiamat, the physical education Professor, was smiling. ¡°A rmendation letter, you say, Professor Tiamat?¡± ¡°Yes! A rmendation letter, And it¡¯s not just any letter¡ªit¡¯s a rmendation letter for the dispatch team!¡± So, what exactly was this dispatch team? That needed to be exined first. With no notable reaction, even Professor Tiamat realized something was amiss. ¡°Huh? Seriously! Deus, you don¡¯t know what the dispatch team is?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie! You can¡¯t fool me, I¡¯m your Professor!¡± ¡°I truly don¡¯t know.¡± He was just someone caught up in a genre mix-up. How could he possibly know? ¡°Oh my god. Unbelievable. Then how on earth did you end up in the cradle?!¡± ¡°Someone passing by said, ¡®You must enter the cradle.¡¯ So I did.¡± A ce where talented people gather. He guessed he could use the covenant there. Coincidentally, the cradle¡¯s graduates were said to deal with monsters at the gates. For that reason, he applied blindly and was epted right away. That¡¯s how someone who mistook the genre ended up in the cradle. ¡°Really. This won¡¯t do! I¡¯ll exin, so listen carefully! It¡¯s about the dispatch team!¡± ¡­A rather chaotic and strange exnation ensued. While exining about the dispatch team, the Professor suddenly switched topics. And even asked what she had covered so far, having forgotten herself. Deus, who had been listening intently, began with a ¡®So,¡¯ breaking the silence. ¡°So. ording to the Professor¡¯s exnation, the dispatch team consists of students who, as cradle graduates with the best abilities, are qualified to deal with monsters popping out of the gates. Is that correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Exactly that!¡± She had just spent 15 minutes elucidating a concept that was, in essence, quite straightforward. They had said that if one¡¯s body was in good shape, the mind wouldn¡¯t need to exert itself, but this was a bit much. ¡°For the dispatch team, the first and second students of all years, except first-year, are eligible to enter. And if more than half of the cradle¡¯s professors write rmendations, they can get in.¡± ¡°Yeah! Wow, Deus, are you sure you¡¯re a martial arts user?! You summarized it so neatly.¡± This was not a skill, it was something basic. One might wonder if this person even had muscles in her brain. Despite looking like an adorable golden retriever, she was quite peculiar. ¡®Wait. Then I can¡¯t just get in right away because Professor Taimat wrote a rmendation letter, right?¡¯ More than half of the cradle¡¯s professors need to write a rmendation letter. With over a hundred professors here, at least fifty are needed. ¡°Hey? I see, I see. I can tell what you¡¯re thinking just by looking at your eyes! You¡¯re wondering, what¡¯s the point with only one person doing this, right?!¡± ¡°¡­I have never thought that way.¡± She imed to be a martial arts user. But this was more in the mental field, like mind reading. ¡°Starting is the most important thing! And even though I may seem like this, I actually have quite an influence, you know?! If someone like me, who has never written a rmendation letter before, writes one for the first time, the reactions of other professors will be remarkable too!¡± What was this? Her actions seem so childish, they¡¯d make one tilt their head in wonder. Upon closer inspection, she was indeed top-ss among the professors, or she said. While acknowledging the praise for Professor Tiamat, Deus shook his head. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but I have no intention of joining the dispatch team yet.¡± ¡°Huh?! Why?! Do you realize what a great record you will receive by joining the dispatch team?!¡± One receives formal recognition as a person with special abilities only after graduating from the cradle. And only such individuals, with the Empire¡¯s approval, have the authority to eradicate monsters from the gates. The cradle¡¯s dispatch team was the sole exception to this rule. Being associated with the dispatch team was a clear indication of possessing genius-level talent. Upon graduation, those even slightly associated with the team receive offers from all corners. Even among the Empire¡¯s talented individuals, they receive favorable treatment. Or they might even enter prestigious families. If fortunate, they might even serve directly in the imperial guard as future prospects. Therefore, all students at the cradle devote themselves to tireless efforts, regardless of their status. For the first and second ranks, to qualify for the dispatch team, to gain practical experience as valuable as life itself, and to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with their seniors! ¡°It¡¯s okay. I really don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡®And yet. He¡¯s refusing a rmendation letter for the dispatch team?¡¯ Professor Tiamat had to shake her head. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Could he believe that he was capable even without such a rmendation? It was entirely possible. Considering Deus¡¯s abilities, he could not only achieve the second rank but even the first rank as soon as he became a second-year student. ¡®But¡­ he is still a first-year student! A newly enrolled freshman, no less! Such an enormous privilege is unheard of for anyone. Even our senior Charvel considered the greatest talent in cradle history, didn¡¯t receive an offer until the 2 semester of his 1st year!¡¯ Ultimately, all talented people dreamed of one thing: to be the best. While some may have different reasons, they were a tiny minority. Even those who move out of obligation harbor such desires in their hearts! The other person was one of the new students who had just entered school. To view it in the extreme, their arrival bore the innocence of a child¡¯s first foray into a worldrger than themselves. It was impossible not to be shaken when faced with such an incredible opportunity. With a grin, Tiamat smiled and picked up the rmendation letter she had been waving around and tore it apart. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Sorry, Deus. Even if this teacher guesses wrong, it¡¯s a big mistake.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡± You are a talented person. If you¡¯re a real man, that¡¯s how it should be. Wow, impressive! It would have been nice if you hade 5 years earlier. I might have even asked you out as the top student of the 4th year!!¡± ¡°Forget about today¡¯s events. This Professor was foolish! A rmendation letter? Let¡¯s pretend that it never happened! Well then, I¡¯m off. See you in PE ss!!¡± With those words, Tiamat turned into a golden sh and disappeared in an instant. ¡°¡­.¡± Deus stared nkly at the spectacle before sighing. ¡°Ugh.¡± He had never been tempted, or so he thought. Truthfully, the allure was there. It wasn¡¯t just about the experience, but the opportunity to engage in a formal battle with the monster. He wanted to test the limits of his body¡¯s capabilities and was eager to see how far he could go. However, even then. The reason he rejected the offer was because. ¡°I receive no assistance in the face of a fight.¡± The covenant. Because he thought the world was going to be destroyed. He misunderstood the genre. Thus, he was bound by a self-imposed curse. When the moment to fulfilles, when it needs to be avoided, his body reacts automatically. Just like now. ¡ªSsss The pain that caused a sharp ache in his left arm soon subsided. Signaling the moment when the covenant could be vited and serving as a warning. Even receiving a rmendation letter in this situation was an extension of help. Originally, it was said that the qualification began with the 2nd year, so ¡®help¡¯ is indeed appropriate. Receiving help would vite the Covenant. And upon vition, terrible things happen. It exacts a corresponding price. You can lose power or in the worst case; Death. ¡®¡­Come to think of it, isn¡¯t it ridiculous?¡¯ He was clearly instructed to make the covenant. As if he was reading a genre of apocalypse. So, he decided. He engraved the pact into his body as an obligation, a curse, and even as a source. But the world wasn¡¯t what Deus thought it would be. He pondered why he had been urged to set the covenant when in fact people here were not using the covenant but special abilities. ¡°Ahh!¡± While walking and contemting, he heard a desperate scream for help. ncing up, he saw a baby cat stranded on a tree branch. ¡ªMeow! Meow! It sounded quite desperate. It seemed that the cat climbed up but couldn¡¯te down. Below, two female students appeared unsure of what to do. ¡°Kitty! It¡¯s okay! Um, what should we do? Should we quickly go call others?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s¡­ Oh! The wind! What do we do? It might fall like this!!¡± Of course, there was a strong wind blowing. The tree branches swayed wildly. Thanks to that the baby cat which looks precarious might fall at any moment. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ They were talented students as well. They would handle it well, he had thought. With this belief, he attempted to pass by, yet, curiously, his feet refused to move. It must have been that ursed covenant. Indeed, it appeared to be restraining him once more. Now it was even interfering with things like this. Truly impressive. With a slight shake of his head, Deus lightly moved towards the ground. ¡ªMeow?! In an instant, he jumped up from 5 stories high building and caught the cat. Then, hended right in front of the students who were trying to rescue the cat. ¡ªThud!! A man¡¯s romance. Superheronding. Trying it like this. He thought to say, ¡®The cat¡¯s here,¡¯ in a somewhat silly manner. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorryyyyy!!¡± ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He observed the group with a mix of bewilderment and frustration. Hadn¡¯t they been attempting to rescue the cat? If they keep running away like this, what am I supposed to do¡­? Deus feeling puzzled, looked at the cat which had been hanging by the scruff. ¡ª¡­Meo!! If it could speak human, it probably would¡¯ve screamed like this. ¡®What! What is this monster!? Let go! Save me! Don¡¯t eat me! Cats taste bad!!¡¯ There was one unfortunate thing here. Deus couldn¡¯t understand animal minds. While looking at the cat screaming in his hand, he said. ¡°Alright. I will be your caretaker.¡± ¡ªMeow!! And thus began the cohabitation of a monster and a cat. **** [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 8 – Promising Student at Admission (4) Chapter 8 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (4) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 8 ¨C Promising Student at Admission (4) ¡°Hello. Students of the Cradle. Let¡¯s make today¡¯s ss beneficial and energetic. Continuing fromst time, we will proceed with the part about thew rted to special abilities.¡± Who could it be other than a professor teaching about thew? His measured demeanor is impressive. The cold light emanating from his sses is typical of a ¡®sses character¡¯. Deus, who sat at the very back, thought to himself and focused on the ss. ¡°As you all know, not all special abilities can defeat monsters. Only those who have received a diploma from here and havepleted the mandatory education can obtain that qualification.¡± With a stiff atmosphere he slightly raised his square sses, and the professor in charge of Cradle¡¯s social andw sses, Ruler, continued his speech. ¡°Is there a student who knows the reason?¡± At the sudden question, the students nced at each other. Whether they knew the answer or not, that was not important now. They worry about receiving excessive attention if they stand out unnecessarily. ¡°¡­If there isn¡¯t, I will nominate. Hmm. The student sitting at the end.¡± He found himself being singled out again. It wasn¡¯t because they considered him a barbarian or a savage, was it? The thought had crossed his mind more than once. Deus, who had been singled out by each professor throughout the morning sses, stands up from his seat. ¡°Your name is Deus. Deus, can you answer the previous question?¡± ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hear it.¡± The Empire had established a ce called Cradle to educate individuals with special abilities. They insisted on upholding thew, even as gates appeared and monsters emerged. Deus answered as best he knew about that part. ¡°All people with special abilities are under the control of the Empire.¡± ¡°More specifically.¡± ¡°Because special ability is a double-edged sword.¡± If the special ability had been used solely for defeating monsters. To closing gates and maintaining peace, then there had been no problem. However, humans as they always had, were beings that wavered between good and evil. Some for their own glory. Some for a more overwhelming victory. And some for the chaos they¡¯d never experienced before. ¡°A simple but clear answer. Very good, Deus. You¡¯re a promising one.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± At this point, it was getting confusing whether he kept getting questions because he was promising one or whether he was promising one because he stood out. ¡°As Deus said, granting qualifications is evidence that the person with ability is operating under the Empire¡¯s control. Therefore, immediate action is possible if a problem arises, whether it be a reward or a punishment.¡± The Empire had tried its best to eradicate them. Although it had achieved significant effects, there were still more people with special abilities than expected who were operating without any qualifications. If they had only done good deeds for their entire lives, it would have been a truly good thing. There wouldn¡¯t even have been aw requiring anyone who manifested special abilities to enroll in Cradle. ¡°A double-edged sword. There couldn¡¯t be a more appropriate word. ording to a survey by the Empire¡¯s Ministry of Justice, it was revealed that over 70% of superhumans who secretly operate without enrolling in the Cradle were involved in crimes. It was truly shocking content.¡± Special abilities did not manifest in just anyone. At most, there were only a few 100 years. That uniqueness, along with the power of ability, yed a decisive role in it bing ¡®power¡¯. ¡°Power without restraint eventually corrupts. Recognizing this, the Empire created Cradle, an educational institution for special abilities humans, gave them qualifications and authority, and at the same time they put a leash of duty and control on them.¡± Even now, somewhere within the Empire, there must be someonemitting a crime using their special ability. The fallen status of special abilities was being re-established by others through their sacrifices. It was a fierce battle between good and evil special people that the students still didn¡¯t know about. ¡°Even today, the Empire¡¯s special forces are looking for those who use special abilities without qualifications, those who use those abilities for crimes. Everyone in that ce is an extremely skilled person. This professor hopes that you students will never encounter them.¡± Without a single smile. Just pushing up his sses Professor Ruler with his cold appearance, the students unconsciously nod their heads. ¡°Now, then. Empire Special Ability Law. All people with special abilities prioritize the use of their abilities for gate closure and monster handling. ording to thisw, all those who graduate from Cradle in case of emergency¡­¡± While Professor Ruler¡¯s ss was in progress. ¡®Special forces.¡¯ Deus was lost in thought, resting his chin on his hand. ¡®I thought it was just an absurd world, but it¡¯s a ce with its own established worldview.¡¯ Indeed. That was correct. It was impossible to livepletely forgetting that part when there could be such an amazing ability, and someone could use it to overthrow the entire society. The Empire values people with special abilities. Because they were the ones who sealed the gates and dealt with the monsters. The Empire was very wary of them. Because they possessed the power to overthrow the Empire at any moment. So they created Cradle to grant qualifications and educate duties. They give as much authority and profit to those who do not hide the manifestation of special abilities so that they do not harbor ill intentions, and prevent it by putting a leash on them. ¡®There are more people who have not entered Cradle than I thought. And they don¡¯t fight monsters and save the world, but rather torment people for their own gain¡­¡¯ It¡¯s very simr to the novel he knew, . Those who try to save the world through self-sacrifice and those who try to ruin the world. Those who were dying for others and those who were cursing otherse to his mind. ¡°Special forces.¡± It had seemed to be the most suitable job for him given the circumstances. How can he get in there? Was there extra credit if he joined the dispatch team? They say there were only terrifying people there, but they should ept someone like him, right? Deus was lost in thought, pondering this and that. ¡°¡­¡± Yurishia, who was sitting next to him, was ncing at him and watching him. *** [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] To Yurishia, Deus was a very strange person. From a distance, it looked like she was looking at a monster, not a person. If you get a little closer he will look like a very scary person. But once inside, he was full of a kind heart for others more than anyone else. ¡®He¡¯s been helping students for a few days.¡¯ Break time. Lunchtime. And until school time. He had not yet made any friends to call his own, so he spent a lot of time alone. And that naturally led him to istion. Just because he had helped others didn¡¯t mean it was going to be huge. It was small things. He kindly showed the way to students who had lost their way. (Most of the students who received directions chose to run away.) If he saw someone about to fall, he quickly caught them from behind. (He usually caught them by the nape of their neck or clothes and dangled them.) It wouldn¡¯t be easy to do that. If he had not possessed a kind heart, he might have ignored it and simply walked away. Even though no one said anything, Deus acted that way. That was why Deus became more and more admired. Although she was timid and even speaking made her nervous, she thought that someday she would like to be like that person. ¡®I can¡¯t just admire. I also need to change.¡¯ Yurishia clenched her fist tightly. Right. She was also a person with abilities. She could not remain a child forever. She could not start off well from the beginning. Like Deus, she decided to start with small things. Talking, initiating conversation. Oveing her trembling heart was the first step. ¡®First of all, I have to say hello to the friends who pass by¡­!¡¯ ¡ªThinking that, Yurisia popped her head up ¡°Ah.¡± Thinking about it, she had followed Deus and chased him all the way here. And of course, this area was a ce where there were hardly any studentsing and going. Deus always found a secluded ce and stayed for a short time of 10 minutes or a long time of an hour. ¡®What is he doing¡­ is it?¡¯ Suddenly curious, Yurishia hesitated for a moment and then moved her steps. It was an action she would never have taken originally. She would just have conflicts in her and couldn¡¯t ovee her timidity, and she would have gone back. But today unlike usual, she pushed herself a little more. ¡°It seemed like he went this way¡­¡± She lost him. She definitely saw him go in here. Should she have gone faster? Did she hesitate too much because she was careful? ¡°What are you doing here, Yurishia?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Yurishia¡¯s body jumps at the cold voiceing from behind. ¡°D-Deus?! So, so, sorry! That, that is, I-I¡¯m!¡± ¡°Did youe to see Jojo too?¡± ¡°I am, that¡­ uh, uhuh?¡± Jojo? What was that? Yurishia¡¯s face was filled with confusion. ¡°Ah, Maybe you call it by a different name? I call it that because its punch is so great.¡± -Tsk, tsk! Suddenly, Deus had made a strange sound. Then, from the shaking bushes, a small cat appeared. It was not a fully grown cat. It was a kitten that had not yet fully matured. ¡®It¡¯s cute!!¡¯ It was the first time she had seen a young cat, especially this close. The small body naturally exuded loveliness At that cute appearance, Yurishia¡¯s mind becamepletely captivated. ¡ªMeow!! Suddenly, the cat lets out a sharp sound. There, Deus was putting out food. ¡ªMeow!! Meow!! ¡°Oh. Quite good. As expected, Jojo.¡± ¡ªPapapapat! Even though it was still a child, it was a pretty powerful meow punch. The speed was so fast that even Yurishia missed the movement for a moment. Deus, with a smile, counters it with one finger. ¡°You¡¯re still immature. You can¡¯t even subdue any alley cat with that level of attack.¡± ¡ªMeow!! ¡ªPapapapat!! The cat¡¯s front paws had gotten even faster. Deus had blocked all of them with his index finger. Meanwhile, he had also made a strange sound with his mouth, murmuring ¡®OraoraMudaMuda!¡¯ Yurishia, who was nkly watching the situation, unknowingly burst intoughter. He came to this secluded ce alone to secretly take care of the kitten¡¯s food. And to y with it. That¡¯s why he went to this secluded ce alone. ¡ªMeow!! ¡°Slow. Jojo. Admit it now. I am your caretaker.¡± With one hand he yed with the cat and with the other hand he was excitedly lifting weights with a dumbbell he had made himself. This was academy life. Deus smiled brightly. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 9 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1) Chapter 9 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 9 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (1) In Cradle, there exists something called a Student Club. Despite the differences in years, sses, and special abilities, they had formed friendships through the clubs. Opinions and information were not just exchanged; they also uncovered their own ws through these interactions. They often gained insights that they could not have learned on their own. However, there was a slight regret. ¡°Yes. Is the martial arts club pathetic? Can¡¯t do anything right? Is this what they call a club? ¡°That son of a¡­! Catch that guy right now. I¡¯ll blow his head off!¡± ¡°They lose every single match they y and then resort to violence. Ugh. How low can they go?¡± There was a peculiar, and somewhat excessive,petitiveness between the clubs. Today the martial arts club and the swordsmanship club were the main characters. ¡°Honestly, isn¡¯t it too cowardly? Even if it¡¯s a club, it¡¯s for those who are interested in martial arts. Doesn¡¯t the swordsmanship club have mostly weapon-type special abilities!¡± ¡°Then the martial arts club should call more martial arts types, right? You¡¯re making a strange argument. It¡¯s because you guys can¡¯t promote the club.¡± ¡°That moth¡­! What does recruiting the same types have to do with club promotion!¡± There was no rule that the club should have same-ability members. So, they chose a different club because they felt interested in a different area. The martial arts club was like that. There were fewer martial arts types and more of other types. However, the swordsmanship club was the opposite. Weapon types were more than half. Most of those weapon types were students who handled swords! When theypete with other clubs, they naturally have a high win rate. And recently they¡¯ve started arguing that ¡®the swordsmanship club is the best.¡¯ Other clubs resisted and tried to reinforce their power in any way. But those who had already joined the club were reluctant to move. And some grumbled that they were taking it too seriously for just a club. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s admit what you need to do. The current score is 4:0 right.¡± ¡°Our martial arts club hasn¡¯t lost yet!¡± ¡°Not yet, but there¡¯s only one of you left. We have five left. Can you win it?¡± The swordsmanship club membersughed out loud. The martial arts club members gritted their teeth and waited for theirst hope. Five minutes passed, ten minutes passed. Now the friendly match time was almost over. But no one had arrived. Apparently, they have failed to ask for help. ¡°Yawn. How long do we have to wait? Let¡¯s finish it soon.¡± ¡°Sigh. Those martial arts club guys. They¡¯re just wasting our precious time.¡± ¡°Kuk! Wait, wait a little longer! Just one more minute!¡± They must reim the excellent club ce taken by the swordsmanship club. They must regain their lost glory, no matter what they have to do today! ¨DTa-da! ¡°Haak! Hak!¡± At that moment, a student runs like crazy from behind. ¡°Done, it¡¯s done!¡± The swordsmanship club members tilt their heads. They were done. Ah. Were they giving up? Was this tedious wait finally over? ¡°I persuaded him! He said he¡¯d help this one time! He¡¯sing now!!¡± There was no one behind him toe in. Just as two club members were about to question his words. ¨DKwaah! Something fell from the sky. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Someone flew backwards. Someone screamed and fell. Dust raised all around,pletely obscuring the view. What was this sudden lightning strike? As they barely regained their senses¡­ ¡°Huh.¡± A monster they¡¯d never seen before appeared in a ce where there was no one. Ah, to correct that, seeing the uniform, it was a student of Cradle. But honestly, it looks more like a monster than a student. ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± The swordsmanship club members who met his eyes froze on the spot. How can a person be like that? Was that the same human as us? If you could kill a person just with your eyes, wouldn¡¯t it be like that? Even a demon would probably run away at the sight of those eyes. ¡°Hmm.¡± No, no. It wasn¡¯t that the demon would run away; it was the demon itself. The wildly twisting back had been observed. Surely, there must have been wings hidden inside. Otherwise, how could it have moved like that? What was that!! ¡°Someone called me to help you, Senior.¡± The demon who jumped off the 5th-floor rooftop asked the club members, who¡¯d lost their souls, why he was called. ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­ the club¡­ friendly match.¡± ¡°Ah, a friendly match. The score of our team.¡± ¡°We, we¡¯re losing. They¡¯re winning¡­¡± ¡°So, the martial arts club is losing? That¡¯s a big problem.¡± Although he was not interested in clubs, he would still help them out a little as a martial artist. The demon, no, Deus turned his body. ¡°Hello. Swordsmanship club members. I¡¯m a new student who joined as a daily club member.¡± As he bows his head, the swordsmanship club members also hurriedly bow their heads. ¡°Ah, yes. Wee.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, freshman.¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Wasn¡¯t he a freshman? He was their junior. But why was he doing this? They don¡¯t know. They kept their mouths shut and heads down. Who wanted to be eaten alive?? The worry was short and the survival instinct was certain. It was a judgment worthy of people with special abilities from Cradle. *** About 30 minutes ago. ¡°Senior. Um, you can stop and go back now¡± Deus was saying this to the martial arts club member who came to find him. To be precise, he was saying this to a 2nd year senior. He hadn¡¯t been able to exercise for a few days and his nerves were getting sharp. It was withdrawal symptoms. His hands and feet were shaking and his vision was blurry. His body had been demanding overload. He needed excruciating pain. He wanted to roll around until he was drenched in sweat and his mind became hazy. If he had gotten any more interruptions, he might have really gotten angry. Two weeks had passed since the start of the new semester, and now it was the 3rd week. By then, there were hardly any secluded ces where students didn¡¯t go. Every ce was filled with chattering students. It was the worst for Deus, who had been holed up in a quiet ce to exercise. ¡®The ck-haired foreigner is sad. Sob, sob.¡¯ As if a lion had appeared at a waterhole in the savannah, when Deus appeared an emergency ensued among the students. Everyone closed their mouths and raised their antennae at his every word and action. He was not a beast, He was human too. He avoided it because he felt sorry when they reacted like that. So, in the end, the only ce left for Deus was the rooftop where students rarelye. ¡®Well, this isn¡¯t too bad either.¡¯ He bought some exercise equipment and set it up, making the area look like an outdoor gym. If he set up a tent to block the sun rays and rain here, it would be perfect. There were plenty of training grounds in Cradle. There was also plenty of good equipment. Moreover, those machines were modern machines that Deus was familiar with. Originally, it would be right to go there and tear up the muscles. But he couldn¡¯t do that. Because the reaction there was the same. Everyone was shaking and slowly avoiding Deus! So, a newly created hideout. A personal gym on the rooftop. He was proud to think that there would be no studentsing here. But exactly one dayter, an uninvited guest barged in. He was so angry. ¡°Please! Please help me, Junior Deus! No, junior!¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m saying no. This is too one-sided help.¡± It was not that he had to help a lot just because he couldn¡¯t ignore the misfortune of a good person. In cases like now, where it gave one-side benefits, to one side it was excluded. This was not a problem of ¡®good and evil¡¯ but of ¡®profit¡¯ on one side. ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in clubs in the first ce.¡± ¡°I know! I know¡­! Among the remaining martial arts types, you are the only one, junior. The other martial arts types are already in other clubs!¡± ¡°So, there are no martial arts types in the club?¡± ¡°There are. But there¡¯s a bit of a level gap with the swordsmanship club¡­¡± Then that was because the training of the martial arts club wascking. At Deus¡¯ cold evaluation, the 2nd-year student bowed his head with a groan. It was an undeniable fact because they were undoubtedly weak. ¡°But, if we lose this time¡­. we have to give up the martial arts club room!¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving up the club room?¡± The martial arts club was createdtepared to other clubs, so the club room was also assignedte. But thanks to that, they were able to get into the most modern building. There were clubs that had been envious of that ce for a long time, and the swordsmanship club was one of them. ¡°¡­¡­Because they said that if they win this match, they want to change the club room.¡± ¡°Eung! We¡¯ve already lost the excellent club que, and if we lose the club room too, we¡­¡± ¡°It certainly seems to cross the line a bit.¡± He was worried. This was beyond the level of profit for one side. Even if he made a vow, there was no problem. I can step in as a daily club member. But¡­ ¡®But then, strange rumors will spread again. From ck-haired foreigner to ck-haired barbarian. ck-haired savage. ck-haired mercenary, something like that.¡¯ As Deus was scratching the back of his head and was about to fall into thought again. ¡°You. If you help! There is exercise equipment. Our club will give you that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Look, there¡¯s all this type of exercise equipment. It seems like you like to exercise. You¡¯re doing this on the rooftop and seem to enjoy it alone.¡± ¡°You seem to like doing it. Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was not that he liked doing it alone, but he had no choice but to do so. When he went to the cradle training ground everyone looked at him like he was some kind of monster. ¡°Since it¡¯s the rooftop here. We¡¯ll even set up a tent for you! How about it?!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was a tempting offer. He had actually spent too much money on buying equipment. Now, he was almost out of money. He can¡¯t afford to overdo it anymore. In fact, He has been looking for a part-time job since yesterday. ¡®This is not about getting help. It¡¯s just about getting paid.¡¯ Was this okay? He gently touches his arms and neck. There was no sharp pain. No burning-up sensation. It was okay. Oh, good. ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°You go down first. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Ah, got it! Come quickly!¡± ¡°Thanks, junior!¡± After sending the senior first, Deus tried to slightly loosen his lower body. ¡®Let¡¯s finish quickly and lift more weights.¡¯ To loosen up the sluggish body and to stimte the body. Deus jumps straight down from the 5th-floor rooftop. *** ¡°What can I do to help, senior?¡± That was the story of a devil falling from the sky. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 10 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (2) Chapter 10 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 10 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (2) The Cradle, the swordsmanship club. They called for a time-out and activated the emergency response meeting! ¡°Such a thing has never happened before, right seniors!¡± ¡°The juniors are right. We should resist being a daily club member! They are practically recruiting a mercenary!¡± ¡°This cannot happen in a sacred club-friendly match! We must object!¡± Some club members strongly advocate for taking action. Their opinions were not entirely wrong. They all had their reasons. Yeah. Therefore, they must consider it a valid point. However, there was one problem. ¡°Well then. Juniors.¡± That valid point could easily be a ¡®blunt¡¯ point. ¡°Um, can anyone go to that junior over there and tell him it¡¯s not allowed?¡± All the other club members turned their heads at the words of the 4th year student. Deus was a freshman, who had been slowly warming up in that ce. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Those who had been watching the scene for a moment turned their heads again. Was that a person? A monster, or a demon. It had been one of the two. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± It was probably better to fight in front of a monster than to do that. How could someone be like that? Was it really a human body? Could he be a half-breed? He must be a mix of an ogre and a human. Without that, such a terrifying presence couldn¡¯t emerge with that physique! ¡°The friendship match was supposed to end with 5 victories.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We just need one more win.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But that one time is ¡®him¡¯ standing over there.¡± At that moment, the same thought crossed the minds of all the club members. Shall we give up, surrender, or admit an honorable defeat? A strategic retreat was more valuable than a victory. ¡°¡­No. No way!¡± ¨D Firm determination. Although they were momentarily tempted by the intense temptation. Soon, the swordsmanship club members vigorously nodded their heads. It was not just any club room. It was the martial arts club room! It was the most spacious and best-prepared ce in the newest building. It was said that when it passed to the martial arts club, the seniors pounded the ground and wept. They would have dyed the establishment of the swordsmanship club aste as possible! If they had known this. This was the opportunity they¡¯d been waiting for after constantly provoking and challenging the martial arts club until now. It might have been their first andst opportunity. The likelihood that they would consent again was slim. They had to change the club room! They didn¡¯t want to stay in that cramped ce anymore!! ¡°Comrades. We just need to win once. Just once.¡± ¡°What you said is right.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look at the big picture, not the short one. We still have five of us left. So, the four of us have to drain that monster¡­ no, drain that neer¡¯s stamina and win in the end.¡± Oh! That sounds like a really good n! Certainly, with that, there seems to be a chance of winning! Indeed, seniors!! The rest of the club members unanimously responded to that opinion. ¡°For our cozy club room!¡± ¡°Sword club! Sword club!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s win! Absolutely! Let¡¯s take the club room from those brutes!!¡± Standing and shrugging! The swordsmanship club concludes its strategy meeting. They arrange the order and resume the friendship match with a somewhat solemn air, ¡°Are you okay, juniors?¡± Meanwhile, The martial arts club was somewhat worried. They knew Deus was the top prospect. Even the Student Council President had acknowledged it. However, the swordsmanship club members on the opposing side were also skilled in their own right. Furthermore, they could possibly anticipate the strategy their opponents might be nning. ¡°They¡¯ll try to drain the juniors¡¯ stamina by any means necessary. They¡¯ll keep dragging it out with the four of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯ll put their top yer in thest turn topete against the juniors.¡± Words mixed with concern popped up here and there. Someone couldn¡¯t be free from stamina issues no matter how talented they might have been. They became slower and their physical abilities were diminished when they became tired. That¡¯s why physical education teachers shouted ¡®Stamina! Stamina! Stamina!¡¯ ¡°I see.¡± But Deus merely nodded nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just keep the promise with me.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Of course. Don¡¯t worry. From purchasing equipment to moving it¡­¡± ¡°You just need to provide the money for buying the equipment. I¡¯ll handle the transfer.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you sure you want to do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good exercise¡± He was not a serious fitness junkie, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little out of shape. Every time he had to move around a bit the students freaked out, making it ufortable. It was a shame that the body he created through hellish training was falling apart. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off.¡± Until then, the martial arts club members couldn¡¯t have imagined. That moment would mark the beginning of the legend.¡®The club is losing 4:0, but stillughing.¡¯ *** [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] The characteristics of their martial arts abilities were defined by hexagonal stats, which stemmed from a robust physique. They were bnced in offense and defense, marking them as individuals who could handle more than their fair share in any situation. However, that versatility had be a weakness in turn. Being equally proficient meant that they weren¡¯t outstanding in any one aspect. The members of the swordsmanship club were well aware of this fact. ¡°Sigh.¡± The 2nd year student forwarded the first step from the swordsmanship club while regting her breathing. Just looking at the neer in front of her made her breath catch in her throat involuntarily. She felt like she wanted to throw her sword immediately and flee. Sheughed. She had to endure. It was all for the sake of the club! ¡®Yeah. A monster. Let¡¯s think of him as a monster. It¡¯s better that way. He¡¯s not a person who looks like a devil, he¡¯s a monster. A monster¡­.¡¯ Due to self-suggestion or because he was as vicious as a monster. She truly saw the opponent before her as a monster! Was it a sess¡­ a sess, perhaps? ¡®¡­Damn it. He¡¯s even scarier!¡¯ She forced her fear down by swallowing her dry saliva. She could do it. After all, her goal was to drain his stamina. She would dy it as long as possible. Even though the opponent was hailed as the top prospect, she clearly has an advantage. ¡®They¡¯re from the martial arts lineage. They don¡¯t have any real weapons!¡¯ No matter how skilled they were, they remained human at their core. It had been impossible for them to remain calm with a sharp de slicing through the air before their eyes. Merely causing them to flinch was enough! ¡°Shall we begin?¡± ¡°Yes. Pleasee, junior.¡± She took another deep breath. Phew¨D She had decided to properly look at that boy¡­. ¨DThud!! ¡°¡­?¡± Why? What was it? Why did her sword suddenly be lighter? Once heavy iron became light as a feather. ¡°Uh, huh?¡± It had vanished. The sword spirit, which was supposed to radiate a brilliant light from its handle, was no longer there. She cast her eyes downward after sensing that something was wrong. She saw the fragments of what used to be a sword scattered all around! ¡°This, What is this?¡± The trial of the swordsmanship club didn¡¯t end there. If anything, it was just the beginning. ¡°Ughh?!¡± The second student swung his sword as soon as the match began. But once again, the sword shattered upon contact with the ground. Before he could even try anything, the match was already over. Next, the third student. ¡°Haah!¡± He attempted to shatter the enemy¡¯s relentless attack with his distinctive footwork, a strategy that seemed promising. With each block and counter, new opportunities unfolded before him. However, the challenge intensified as his enemy had previously withstood the Student Council President¡¯s fierce assaults, all without the aid of any weapons. ¡°Keuk!¡± The sword was shattered without leaving a scratch. Then the swordsmanship club member¡¯s body was thrown into the air. ¡°What on earth?!¡± The students were screaming while watching the friendship match, grabbing their heads in disbelief. At the fourth turn, a 3rd year student from the swordsmanship club. He was vaguely aware of what was going on. ¡®Before this junior even realizes it, I will aim with the sword on his fist. It¡¯s truly incredible speed. I could barely catch a glimpse even at the veryst moment.¡¯ The top student in 3rd year Neferti, her words suddenly came into his mind. ¡°How about these new promising students? Ohoho! Let me tell you something. Anything less than Deus is meaningless! Let me just put it this way! Ohoho¨D Kekek!¡± It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe it. It was just that there might have been some exaggeration. But it wasn¡¯t, It should be said that it was not exaggerated but rather it was minimized. The junior wasn¡¯t praised by the Student Council President for nothing! ¡®Quite literally, a monster.¡¯ His chances of winning had been close to zero. It was frustrating, and he had admitted it openly. Then there was only one action he could take here and now. He gritted his teeth and focused solely on defense, ensuring his armor remained intact. Having observed his opponent¡¯s moves twice before. he was confident in his ability to handle the situation. As an ability user himself, he understood his enemy to such an extent that¡­ ¡°Yaaah!¡± ¡°?!¡± It was fast! No, ¡°fast¡± didn¡¯t even begin to describe it. What kind of technique was this? How could he close the distance so quickly? It had been a speed that only those with agility abilities could have barely achieved!? Even when he stepped back and changed direction, the distance seemed not to increase at all. He yearned to swing his sword, but he knew that if he did, it would end up just like before. ¡®What am I supposed to do¡­!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve done well, senior.¡± The moment he saw Deus¡¯s expressionless face right in front of him, it felt as if he¡¯de to take his life. ¨DCrash! The current score of the friendly match was 4:4. Only one point left to win! [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 11 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (3) Chapter 11 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (3) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 11 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (3) The score in the friendly match had reached a dire 4-0. But in the blink of an eye, it was tied. In just 4 minutes. 1 minute per person. It was more like 10 seconds per person with the time it took to rearrange the arena. It was only natural for the swordsmanship club to desperately call for a time-out. ¡°Hold on! Hold on! Time! Tactical time-out!¡± How was that possible?! Huh? Did that even make sense!! How could a man break a sword with his bare fist! It seemed too much even for an expert! The members who barely managed to get a time-out huddled together. ¡°This, we¡¯ll lose every match at this rate. Seniors.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t win with the people we have here. The remaining match will surely end in 1 minute!¡± ¡°I think so too. We can¡¯t handle that right now.¡± ¡®That.¡¯ Yes, that¡¯s right. Not that person, not that student, but ¡®that.¡¯ Where else in the world could someone shatter military-grade weapons with their bare hands! ¡­Okay, let¡¯s say you could have done it. It might have been possible if one had tried a hundred times. However, it was normal for the fist that struck the sword to be equally cut in half. Even those with martial-type abilities did not have bodies as hard as steel. That was a defense-type specialty, not a martial-type strength. In other words, the performance that the new student just disyed wasn¡¯t simply based on their ability. Transcendental durability that far surpasses people with special abilities. An overwhelming physique. It might as well be considered that he received another special ability. ¡°Hey! Swordsmanship club? Your time-out is over.¡± Those cowards! Bringing a monster into a human fight! This was a clear vition of the war agreement! Yes, it was! ¡°Let¡¯s postpone the match for now. We also need to use our secret weapon.¡± ¡°Our secret weapon, you ask?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have ¡®that person¡¯ in our club?¡± Third-year student¡¯s words made the fourth-year leader gasp. ¡°Are you serious about that, junior?¡± ¡°Yes, senior. I am very serious and desperate.¡± ¡°Nah. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand my junior. I also want to win this too. Still¡­ calling ¡®that person¡¯ for a friendly club match seems a bit excessive don¡¯t you think?¡± The other members nodded their heads at those words. The swordsman club had an official president and a publicly recognized ace. However, if you look the unofficial way, the club¡¯s center and true ace was someone else. They remained silent because this person was not someone to be called upon lightly. ¡°I will do my best to ask them. I happen to be close to them after all, ¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just surrender this friendly match without a fight. For the glory of our swordsmanship club! For afortable club room! We must win!¡± They didn¡¯t know about glory. Honestly, that word was a bit too strong for club activities. But the club room? Comfortable, cozy, and most importantly, spacious? ¡®We can¡¯t let this go.¡¯ ¡®The club room is a serious matter!¡¯ The conclusion was reached. The timeout had also ended. ¡°Our swordsmanship club!¡± What about the swordsmanship club? ¡°We request to postpone the friendly match with the martial arts club!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± That makes no sense. The martial arts club members looked confused. That makes no sense. Deus also grumbled ¡®I¡¯m a temporary club member, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ ¡°Those little punks! Are they spouting nonsense again?!¡± ¡°We are spouting nonsense. You¡¯re the one who suddenly brought in a mercenary!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a mercenary! He¡¯s a temporary club member for the day!¡± ¡°That is it?! And since when did your club have a 1-day experience pass?!¡± The bickering continued. You were the one who started it, we were doing nothing wrong. Oh, what was this? Are they going to fight? This might be actually interesting. Deus crossed his arms. ¡°We¡¯ll acknowledge the current score of 4:4. But since the martial arts club has been unreasonable, we think it¡¯s only fair to postpone today¡¯s match.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all nonsense! Are you going to listen to them?!¡± ¡°¡­Well, if you think about it, it¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡± ¡°Your junior is right. You can¡¯t just reject the swordsmanship club¡¯s request outright.¡± They included him in the friendly match even though he wasn¡¯t an official member. If the swordsmanship club had objected, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far. So, they had toply with their request at least once. ¡°Alright, swordsmanship club. When do you n to reschedule today¡¯s postponed match?¡± ¡°Hold on. Junior, when do you think it¡¯ll be possible?¡­ Okay. Two dayster! How about Friday afternoon!¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Two days from now in the afternoon. Deus. Was it even possible for him? Deus responded to questions from the martial arts club members. He drooled a little bit. It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t bothered. But it was already happening, wasn¡¯t it? He believed it was impolite to leave without finishing what he had started. More than anything, he enjoyed being able to briefly experience the same feeling he had during his hellish training. He recalled the moment when he was sweating blood and tears, facing the murderous intent that could kill him at any moment. The time when he thought he was in an apocalyptic world and was desperately trying to survive! ¡®Postponing the friendly match like this means they must have some kind of secret weapon hidden away, right?¡¯ Perhaps they¡¯ll bring in a strong fighter who can handle him. If that happens, there would be no need to hold back and fight while taking it easy. Maybe there will be an even more thrilling fight than today¡¯s! After preparing for a struggle for survival that felt like an eternity, he found something to satisfy the fighting spirit that had built up inside him. The thought of iting made him nod naturally. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you, Junior! Thank you so much!!¡± Thank you. On the contrary he was actually enjoying this quite a bit. He told them to not forget to fill the club room with exercise equipmentter. After giving a thumbs-up, Deus returned to the rooftop. At first, he thought about jumping up, but that seemed a bit much. He didn¡¯t want to be scolded for damaging the ground, so he obediently went up the stairs. *** ¡°Ahahaha! Mr. Hunter, you seem to be in a great mood?!¡± ¡°Ahem. No, Ms. Tiamat. That¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°Heehee! No way! Put down those raised corners of your mouth before you say that!!¡± At Professor Tiamat¡¯s exmation, Professor Hunter coughed again. Of course, his raised lips still didn¡¯t seem to want toe down. Professor Hunter, the literature professor at the Cradle. At the same time, he was also the faculty advisor for the martial arts club. That martial arts club had been harassed by the Swordsmanship clubtely. It seemed that they were after the club room. As the faculty advisor, he wanted to help. However, as a professor, he had to remain neutral. He wanted to urgently transfuse Deus¡¯s blood, but even that was uncertain. ¡®I was worried that the kids would lose the club room¡­ Student Deus¡­! Thank you so much!!¡¯ He wanted to find Deus right away and shake his hands. He also wanted to offer him to buy his dinner for a whole week. That would be a small price for him to pay for putting the swordsmanship club in their ce! ¡°Heehee! See, Mr. Hunter? I can see it all even through your sunsses! Heeheehee!¡± ¡°Ah, no! Professor Tiamat! I¡¯m really not feeling anything special!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling anything special, why don¡¯t you take off your sunsses and show me your eyes?!¡± Although hidden by sunsses from others, Professor Hunter¡¯s eyes were currently sparkling like the surface of a sunlitke. They were literally doe eyes. The sunsses were a result of his attempt to hide his gentle gaze. ¡°The look on the swordsmanship club advisor¡¯s face must have been priceless!¡± ¡°Just thinking about it guarantees me a week of sweet dreams. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Sounds like they¡¯ve been through a lot!¡± Professor Tiamat was hopping around next to Professor Hunter like a puppy. ¡°But, Mr. Hunter?¡± Then, as if something had happened, her face suddenly changed to a serious expression. ¡°This must have made the swordsmanship club pretty desperate.¡± ¡°¡­Probably. No, it is highly likely.¡± The martial arts club broke tradition and even used the extreme measure of a temporary member. Since they crossed the line first, the swordsmanship club has nothing to hold them back. ¡°They might even ask ¡®that student¡¯ for help.¡± That student. Mr. Hunter¡¯s face hardened at Professor Tiamat¡¯s mention. A tradition for all iing freshmen. The Cradle¡¯s initiation ceremony. Almost all of the promising students from there became the aces of their year. Some of them even showed talentparable to professorster on. ¡®Deus was like that among this year¡¯s freshmen, and ¡®that student¡¯ was like that three years ago.¡¯ The student that came to both Professor Tiamat¡¯s and Mr. Hunter¡¯s minds. The top prospect of the Cradle three years ago. The current top student in the fourth-year. The current leader of the dispatch team. Above all, a disciple of the Saber, the best superhuman in the empire. Even the teachers click their tongues at that student¡¯s swordsmanship. Why else would such ament be openly circting? ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to gauge their depth.¡± These weren¡¯t the words of students. They were the words of the teachers at the Cradle. All of them were once promising students at the Cradle, and now they were the most skilled superhumans. That was what the teachers at the Cradle were. And those people made such ament about a current student, not even a graduate. ¡°This¡­ I¡¯m starting to worry if it was a good thing that Deus helped the club.¡± Even Professor Hunter, who was happy just a moment ago reacted this way. Professor Tiamat thought for a moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry! Mr. Hunter!¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. Hehehe!¡± Of course. He was a student who didn¡¯t even go all out against a professor. Recalling the sparring match with Deus a few days ago, Professor Tiamat smiled. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 12 – The Man Out of Time at the Academy (4) Chapter 12 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (4) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 12 ¨C The Man Out of Time at the Academy (4) ¡°Hmm.¡± The next day. Deus wasn¡¯t feeling very well from the morning. The reason was a terrible ident that happened yesterday. ¡®I was really excited to rx for the first time in a while.¡¯ Calling himself an idiot. Deus tapped his forehead. After finishing the friendly match with the swordsmanship club. He went back up to the rooftop to continue his workout. But maybe because he was too excited. He identally ripped off the railing on the stairs. He thought he was being careful but it seemed he gripped it too tightly. ¡°Freshman! What is the meaning of this?! The Cradle will not tolerate the destruction of its property without reason!¡± A professor who witnessed the incident scolded Deus severely A childish student who was eager to show off his abilities to others. The culprit of something that always seemed to happen every time a new academic session began. ¡ªThat was what the professor seemed to firmly believe, albeit mistakenly. Deus was trying to control his strength not to show it off. Anyway, this was the terrible ident that ruined his mood today. No, it wasn¡¯t even worthy of being called an ident. At least it was resolved with just a scolding. ¡®The problem happened after I went up to the rooftop.¡¯ Given the incident with the freshman ripping off the railing a few minutes ago, he was extra careful. But even with all his caution his transcendent body caused another ident. He handled the equipment too lightly and ended up breaking the rooftop floor! -Thud!! ¡°What is going on here!? Why are you destroying the rooftop?!¡± The Cradle¡¯s caretakers who immediately rushed over tore out their hair. The rooftop wasn¡¯t meant for expansion. Therefore, it was protected by a barrier ability. But some freshman showed up and smashed it. Being strong was one thing but an ident caused by carelessness was still an ident. Above all the rooftop was a public space that individuals shouldn¡¯t use recklessly. There were some parts that were tolerated but this incident was no longer possible to overlook. ¡°We¡¯ll close the rooftop immediately! Remove all the exercise equipment too! Right now!!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Yes, we can!¡± In the end, his personal gym was shut down just a day after opening. That was the whole story of the terrible ident that happened to Deus yesterday. ¡°Sigh.¡± A sigh naturally escaped him. Where was this ck-haired foreigner supposed to work out now? The Cradle¡¯s state-of-the-art training facility? He¡¯d love to go! But he¡¯d be a spectacle there! Everyone would just stare at him instead of working out! Was his hair color that fascinating?! Or were they trying to say that all a barbarian knew was how to do exercise?! Working out without worrying about others¡¯ eyes. Yes, he could do it. But it seems his self-discipline isn¡¯t strong enough to ignore all the stares from other students. No matter how you look at it, that would be like being a lion or tiger in a zoo. ¡®¡­No, wait. If I¡¯m working out, wouldn¡¯t I be more like a monkey in a zoo?¡¯ In a situation like this, even the promise he received was messed up. ¡°Huh? What do you mean, junior? Didn¡¯t you need money to buy exercise equipment right away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But give meter. I mean¡± What should he say? That there was a dy in finding a new ce because he broke the rooftop? If he did this senior might say, ¡®What!? You broke the Cradle!? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving money to such a cruel and barbarian ck-haired savage!¡¯ and refuse! ¡°¡­Not yet. The friendly match isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The reason Deus came up with this was quite good for improvisation. ¡°I will receive the rightful reward for my work after everything is done.¡± The friendly match didn¡¯t end in aplete victory for the swordsmanship club. There was still one match left. Therefore, he would receive his reward after everything waspleted. ¡®¡­Now that I¡¯ve said it, it sounds like something the second son of the Tak n would say.¡¯ If someone who knew him heard it, they might say he was imitating that person. But to those who didn¡¯t know, it would soundpletely different. ¡°Junior¡­!¡± Indeed, the second-year student who heard the answer covered his mouth with an emotional expression. He said he had never seen a junior with such a manly and refreshing side. ¡°If you¡¯re even thinking about joining the martial arts club officially, just say the word! I¡¯ll talk to the club president and get you in right away!¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought.¡± No thanks to the club. He kept trying to promote it. So, what now? He had to find a new ce before everything was over. The rooftop was out and the quiet spots were now upied by students. At this rate, he might have to go all the way to the outskirts of the Cradle. -Swish! An unexpected savior appeared before Deus. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] *** ¡°Ohohoho! I heard the news, Junior. Did you do something interesting yesterday? Hahaha! No matter how much energy you have, destroying the Cradle¡¯s facilities is¡­¡± ¡ªThud! The Student Council President, Neferti made a grand entrance, falling right onto her backside. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Ugh, yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± Neferti, rubbing her bottom body as she got up, started looking for something. Deus politely offered her the fan she had dropped. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Thank you! As expected of a promising student!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Deus, after handing over the fan, looked at Neferti quietly. Neferti, Student Council President, head of the powerful Student Council at the Cradle. And this figure suddenly appeared and even mentioned yesterday¡¯s incident. ¡®She couldn¡¯t havee here just because she was bored. Right, President? If you¡¯re the president character, you¡¯ll do what I¡¯m thinking! Please! Tell me I¡¯m right!!¡¯ Did the desperate prayer of someone who wanted a personal gym reach the heavens? Neferti¡¯s next words were enough to make Deus¡¯ arms flutter upward. ¡°Ahem! So, junior. I, the Student Council President of the Cradle, might be able to help our promising student?¡± Long live the Student Council President! ¡°If you would help me, President, I will definitely repay your kindness.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for repayment.¡± Neferti coughed and began to exin in detail about the ¡®help¡¯ she could offer. ¡°The rooftop is originally off-limits for personal use by students ording to the Cradle¡¯s rules. It was being tacitly allowed but since you broke the rooftop junior the rules have be stricter.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say in my defense¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not ming you, Junior. Anyway! So, the rooftop is out. Instead of..¡± Neferti smiled, waving her fan gently. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a spare room in the basement of the main building where the student council is located.¡± ¡°¡­Wait, hold on. President. If it¡¯s a spare room¡­¡± ¡°It was originally intended for club use, but it¡¯s not suitable for that purpose. Being in the basement is a minus and it¡¯s unnecessarily too spacious.¡± In short, it was a room that no club wanted. It was getting filled with dust there. How about it? Deus quickly assessed the situation at Neferti¡¯s words. ¡®If it¡¯s underground, it must be built very sturdy. And if it¡¯s unpopr enough to be rejected for club use, other students will rarelye there.¡¯ Thinking it over, it wasn¡¯t bad at all. No, it was a great ce. It wasn¡¯t even affected by the weather, so it could be made even better than the rooftop. However, there was one thing he was worried about. ¡°Um, President. Are you sure about this? Giving this to me, a student that is not even in a club¡­¡± ¡°Ohohoho! What kind of nonsense are you worried about? I¡¯m the Student Council President, Junior Deus. The one and only current Student Council President of this Cradle.¡± -Swish!! Neferti unfolded her fan with a flourish and burst into a confidentugh. Feeling her clear confidence, Deus nodded. ¡°Though in return, think seriously about joining the Student Councilter.¡± ¡°Is that a condition?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not so much a condition. Hmm, how should I put it? Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a request. No need to feel burdened.¡± ¡°After all, the Student Council isn¡¯t a position you can just take because someone tells you to.¡± The Cradle¡¯s Student Council. Deus nodded at the offer. It wasn¡¯t like she was asking him to join right away and he could always think about it. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard you had a match with the swordsmanship club.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you trying to join the martial arts club?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± But you even had a friendly match with the swordsmanship club? How amazing. Neferti murmured and looked at Deus while giving a mysterious smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re continuing the match tomorrow, right? The swordsmanship club said they¡¯re preparing again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯re trying to call on ¡®that senior¡¯¡­¡± That senior? Deus looked curious and Neferti seemed flustered. ¡°What? You don¡¯t know about this either?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a freshman. Isn¡¯t it natural for me not to know?¡± ¡°Well, you should at least know about ¡®that senior¡¯¡­¡± Sigh. What kind of clueless junior is this? Neferti rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯ll tell you about the person you might be facing tomorrow.¡± She continued, wiping away the rxed demeanor she always carried. ¡°The top student in the 4th year. The leader of the dispatch team. Just like you, she was a top prospect from the moment she enrolled. Above all, their swordsmanship is already close to the level of the Cradle¡¯s professors. And one more thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She is the imperial princess.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wait. A member of the Imperial family, the imperial princess no less attending the Cradle. A being who shouldn¡¯t even associate with nobles. Was she actually attending in a ce where there were evenmoners? Does this make any sense? Just as he thought about it, Deus said, ¡°Ah!¡± let out a sigh of realization. ¡®Academy trope¡­.!¡¯ **** [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 13 – Genius vs. Promising Talent (1) Chapter 13 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 13 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent (1) ¡ªGulp. Rodels, a member of the Cradle¡¯s swordsmanship club and 3rd year student. He was waiting nervously for someone. After a while. Someone¡¯s footsteps approached and stopped in front of him. At the same time, an armed maid took her position beside him. ¡°Your High¡ª!¡± He almost reflexively offered a formal greeting but managed to stop himself. He kept making the same mistake. Even though he knew the person before him disliked such formalities. She thinks of herself not as a noble but as a warrior burdened with duty. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while Junior Rodels. So, did you have a good break?¡± ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± They exchanged pleasantries for a while. How have you and your family been? How is your sister who got married recently? Being students at the same Cradle, members of the same swordsmanship club and even wielding the same type of sword. These were the reasons Rodels was able to get somewhat close to the woman before him. ¡°So, what brings you to me at this busy time of the semester?¡± And so. he made this absurd request that he could only do once. ¡°Senior, would you be willing to help the swordsmanship club?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about using your authority or connections. As a fellow swordsmanship club member and as a fellow Awakened of the Cradle. This is a request for support from a powerful ally.¡± Though born of noble blood she didn¡¯t unt it. Rather she prioritized her duty, as an Awakened one who had manifested special abilities. ¡°Please do me a favor, Senior. Please for the sake of the swordsmanship club!¡± ¡°This is outrageous. Please keep your voice down.¡± The maid standing nearby frowned slightly causing Rodels to flinch. ¡°Leave it be. I doubt Junior Rodels intended to be disrespectful. Besides this is not the Imperial Pce but the Cradle. ¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°So. Could you borate a little more? You suddenly came to me and even made a request. You said it¡¯s rted to the club. I¡¯m getting curious.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Rodels was about to answer reflexively but bit his lip. He felt ashamed. He was a high-ranking noble. A student of the Cradle and a future Awakened of the Empire. Yet here he was acting like a child who had been beaten up and was asking for help. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. Rodels.¡± As if sensing his inner turmoil. the student smiled behind her veil. ¡°This is a matter of the swordsmanship club and I am a member. Naturally, I have the right and reason to get involved.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Rodels sighed and carefully told them about yesterday¡¯s events. Without any exaggeration and downying. As calmly as possible. He told them with sincerity. ¡°¡­That kind of junior you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Senior. Honestly, even if all the club members present had attacked together the match would have been decided in 10 seconds.¡± Rodels¡¯ grades were top-notch in the Academy. Not just in theory but also in practical exams. He could even aim for a top-three ranking in his year with a little more effort. Yet this was Rodels¡¯ reaction. He was expecting defeat. No, he was convinced. This greatly piqued the curiosity of the woman behind her veil. Just how strong and overwhelmingly powerful was this new student? ¡°I see.¡± A smile formed on her lips and a strange heat gathered in her heart. ¡°Go on now, Junior. And wait.¡± ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± There was no confirmation. She didn¡¯t promise that she would take on the friendly match, or not. But Rodels didn¡¯t seek an answer. He simply acknowledged her words and apologized profusely before taking his leave. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. Junior Rodels isn¡¯t the type to ask for help.¡± The maid bowed her head at the woman¡¯s amused remark behind the veil. ¡°I thought it might be rted to the Marquises¡¯ family.¡± ¡°Hardly. If Junior Rodels were only that capable, I wouldn¡¯t consider him a worthy junior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The maid¡¯s reply was filled with strong trust. ¡°Is that all for today¡¯s appointments? I heard there was one more person.¡± ¡°Actually, The Student Council President requested a meeting just a moment ago.¡± ¡°So Junior Neferti is the other one? But what could it be so suddenly?¡± The veil was lifted and pure white as a snow woman appeared beyond it. From head to toe, she looked as if she were sculpted from light itself. ¡°We can¡¯t receive the Student Council President like this. We need to prepare a proper setting.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± *** At the Cradle, the Student Council holds immense power. The students here weren¡¯t just ordinary students. They were all Awakened individuals who possessed special abilities. They were the Empire¡¯s most crucial assets, destined to close Gates and fight monsters. Therefore, The Student Council, the heart of the student body, naturally wields significant influence. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] The Student Council President, the leader of this council bes the center of the Cradle¡¯s student life regardless of their social status. Even graduating students and teachers cannot treat the president lightly. ¡°¡­¡± Despite holding such a position, Neferti, the Student Council President couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. The person she was meeting was quite extraordinary and even led a dispatch team. ¡°Have you been waiting long, Student Council President?¡± Finally, a gentle female voice came from behind whichpelled her to stand from her seat. She then bowed deeply and politely by following proper etiquette. ¡°Student Council President Neferti greets her Senior.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Can¡¯t you just treat me casually?¡± With a chuckle, the silver-haired woman gestured towards a seat. Neferti sat down again. Or rather she tried to. ¡°Squawk!¡± Tripping over something again, The Student Council President fell on the floor. Looking at her she simply giggled at her. ¡°Some Wind-element Awakened needs to maintain perfect bnce through their abilities. Is that not yet possible for the Student Council President ?¡± Finally, when Neferti managed to sit upright the woman asked this yful question. ¡°Ah, well no matter how hard I try but I can¡¯t seem to stop myself from tripping.¡± ¡°How peculiar. Here, try this. It¡¯s a new tea with a lovely aroma.¡± Indeed, it wasn¡¯t an empty boast. This was the most fragrant tea she had ever tasted. Just one sip refreshed her chest and cleared her mind. ¡°How is the Student Council work going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the beginning but it¡¯s manageable. And enjoyable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. With passion and interest we humans can achieve anything.¡± Especially whenbined with a sense of duty. Neferti nodded in agreement. Those words felt like something the woman wanted to say to all Awakened individuals. ¡°But why would the busy Student Council President seek out this senior? Is it something to do with the dispatch team? Or perhaps a change in the fourth-year schedule?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± After a brief pause, Neferti seemed to make up her mind and spoke again. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°Yes, Student Council President ?¡± ¡°Are you really nning to participate in that club¡¯s friendly match?¡± ¡°How direct. That¡¯s unlike the usual Student Council President .¡± The woman tapped her teacup and gazed intently at Neferti. ¡°I was considering it, but since it¡¯s not just anyone but the Student Council President asking, I¡¯m even more intrigued.¡± The Student Council President¡¯s opinion. Senior promised her that she would listen. After a moment of thought, Neferti carefully spoke. ¡°It might be better if you don¡¯t participate.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I doubt your skills, Senior. It¡¯s just that this new student is the most promising one I¡¯ve seen in a long time. It seems a bit unfortunate for them to be discouraged so early on.¡± This sparked even greater curiosity in the silver-haired woman¡¯s eyes. The Student Council President Neferti herself, the unparalleled genius who first suggested the possibility of using wind-element abilities¡ªtypically relegated to support roles¡ªinbat was asking her not to discourage her promising junior. ¡°¡­Student Council President .¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Saying that makes me want to participate even more.¡± ¡°Eek! S-Senior!¡± Flustered, Neferti raised her voice while slightly embarrassed. But she quickly realized her mistake and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senior. I got a bit carried away¡ª¡± ¡°No, Student Council President. I should be the one apologizing. I can¡¯t fulfill your request despite you asking so earnestly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am the Empire¡¯s princess, as well as an Awakened and a student of the Cradle. If there¡¯s an exceptional junior, I want to meet them and spar with them. After all, that remarkable junior is a future pir who will support this Empire.¡± And besides, as a former prodigy herself, she was curious to see what the current crop of promising students was like. *** The princess watched the Student Council President leave empty-handed, her gaze lingering on her cherished junior. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The beautiful woman with silver hair like a cascading waterfall slowly turned her head. ¡°Do you really intend to ept the challenge?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to reject it. However¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been very active, but I am a member of the Swordsmanship Club. They asked me for a favor and it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to tly refuse them both as a member and a senior.¡± She said it with a beautiful smile and the attendant maid stepped back with a groan. ¡°More than anything, I¡¯m quite looking forward to it.¡± If they were juniors from the Swordsmanship Club, they must be quite capable ability users. A student who drove them into the pit of defeat in an instant. A freshman, no less. Even the Student Council President came and openly mentioned that Junior was the top prospect. The best swordsman among the students, a genius who has never missed the top spot. A disciple of Saber, the greatest ability user produced by the Cradle. The third imperial princess, Luciel Margretel. She thought of the club-friendly match tomorrow and smiled. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 14 – Genius vs. Promising Talent Chapter 14 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 14 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent Three weeks had passed since the new semester began. The once bustling cradle had gradually settled back into its familiar rhythm. ¡°Oh my god! Oh my god!! This is unreal!!¡± Well. In the beginning that was. ¡°Hey! The Swordsmanship Club and the Martial Arts Club are going head-to-head in a deathmatch!¡± The exaggerated gestures and voice were a bit over the top. At first, everyone reacted indifferently to the boy¡¯s shouts. ¡°What? A deathmatch all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Fighting over the club room? But is that really a death match?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably just bicker and then stop. They do that every semester.¡± Friendly matches between clubs were a regr urrence. They¡¯d even be a sort of event. So, the students¡¯ reaction was somewhat expected. ¡°From the Martial Arts Club is the top promising talent, Deus!¡± However, this time it was hard to see it as a simple event. ¡°Huh? Wait a minute. Deus, isn¡¯t he the one at the initiation ceremony¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The boy who was unharmed by the Student Council President¡¯s ability!¡± ¡°The monster who broke the measuring device and the barrier¡­ No way. Him?!¡± The person representing the Martial Arts Club was not an ordinary student. A freshman who has caught the attention of not only upperssmen but also teachers. ¡°And! From the Swordsmanship Club! Luciel Mar¡­ No! Senior Luciel ising out!!¡± ¡°Whoa?!¡± ¡°This is insane!!¡± The strongest member of the Swordsmanship Club who will face Deus. 4th-year top student. Leader of the Dispatch Team. The undisputed strongest student in the cradle. Luciel Margretel. She was a person who rarely appeared in public due to her status. Even though she joined the club, she refrained from actively participating. Yet, this very person suddenly dered her participation in the friendly match! ¡°Wow. We have to see this. We must see this match!¡± ¡°When is it?! Where?! How can we see our Senior Luciel?!¡± The Cradle students¡¯ interest skyrocketed as expected. Deus yed a part, but Luciel was the decisive factor. The woman who chose the life and duty of a Special abilities person over a princess status. In addition, Possessing exceptional skill and beauty sculpted by light. It was only natural that everyone would be interested in such a figure stepping forward. ¡°This is crazy. Isn¡¯t this totally Beauty and the Beast?¡± ¡°You idiot. That¡¯s a romance novel. This is Beast vs Beauty.¡± ¡°Everyone quiet! Why can¡¯t you all focus?!¡± Why were these kids not interested in today¡¯s ss? Why were they all like this! Focus! I¡¯ll give you a pop quiz?! Only the teachers were left with gloomy faces, tapping on the chalkboard. While the entire Cradle was in this state of turmoil, what was the protagonist of the friendly match doing? ¡ªMeoww!! ¡°Oh. Fast.¡± What else would he be doing? ying with the cat, of course. Today, he was once again exchanging shy attacks with Jojo the cat. He knew he should stop, but the sound effect he used ¡®Ora Ora Muda Muda¡¯ was a bonus. ¡°¡­¡± And today as always Yurishia, who was quietly watching from the side. ¡°Um, over here Deus.¡± Mustering up her courage, she finally opened her mouth. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you worried? Or¡­ nervous¡­¡± Worried? Nervous? Deus blinked and withdrew his hand. Jojo with a ¡®Meow!¡¯, quickly scampered over to Yurishia¡¯s side. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Unlike Deus, who had been delivering lightning-fast kitty punches. Jojo purred loudly like an 8-cylinder noise, rubbing against Yurishia. Seeing this Deus crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. ¡°Typical male.¡± Regardless, Jojo continued to cling to Yurishia. As if Jojo wanted to say, ¡°You¡¯re better than that monster!¡± ¡°Hey! If you like Yurishia so much then go live with her! I¡¯m the one feeding you!¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s too much. Don¡¯t say that¡­ This child, well, I don¡¯t do that like Deus.¡± Indeed, Deus was the only one who exchanged kitty punches with Jojo. Jojo might be rubbing against her now, but if Yurishia actually showed interest, she would snort disdainfully and walk away.¡± From Deus¡¯s perspective, it was like, ¡®What a jerk cat.¡¯ ¡°Um and¡­ about Jojo.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a boy¡­¡± ¡­Uh, huh? ¡°It¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Y-You didn¡¯t know.¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Deus stared silently at Jojo after Yurishia¡¯s words. Um, okay. So, I named a female cat Jojo. Could it be that the kitty punches she throws at me whenever she sees me was actually¡­? ¡®No. Come to think of it, there¡¯s nothing wrong with a female Jojo.¡¯ ¡®So I¡¯m innocent. You¡¯re still Jojo!¡¯ ¡ªMeoww!! As if sensing Deus¡¯s inner thoughts. Jojo suddenly approached him and unleashed even faster kitty punches. Of course this time too, all the attacks were blocked by a single finger. ¡°Yurishia.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°You just asked, didn¡¯t you? If I¡¯m worried or if I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes. The opponent in the friendly match is¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. Worried. Nervous.¡± An indifferent voice. A face so rxed it was as if nothing had changed. Seeing this Yurishia unconsciously gulped. ¡°Those are things guys whock confidence in their skills do.¡± Excitement or thrill. Maybe that¡¯s how he was feeling. Worry, nervousness. Those words were far too distant from him now. It was not some apocalypse scenario where the world was going to end tomorrow, so what was there to worry about? ¡°B-But still. The opponent is someone who¡­?¡± ¡°Whoeveres, I will win.¡± Beyond confidence, it was conviction. No, even the word conviction felt insufficient. What should one call this? Inevitable? Truth? I don¡¯t know. We really don¡¯t know. But one thing is for sure. That is¡­ ¡°Me too. I also think that you will win.¡± ¡°Yurishia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not worried at all like Deus and I am nervous. But still! I think Deus will win in the end! I..I believe!!¡± ¡°Uh, Um¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of encouragement he was hoping for. Deus awkwardly thanked her while scratching the back of his head out of feeling shy. *** The afternoon sses ended. The students rushed off somewhere. Not the snack bar. Not the cafeteria. Not the library nor the central za. Today their destination was the Cradle¡¯s 7th training ground. That was the ce. ¡°Hey! Hurry! We should take front-row seats!¡± ¡°No! The middle seats are the best! You can¡¯t see well from the front!!¡± Again, Inter-Club friendly matches aren¡¯t that rare of an event. Today¡¯smotion wasn¡¯t about the match itself but the participants. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much? The Martial Arts Club is sending a freshman but the Swordsmanship Club is calling out their 4th-year top student.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for a junior and senior to face off, so it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but there¡¯s never been such a big difference!¡± ¡°Hey. If you¡¯re going to argue like that, the Martial Arts Club is also at fault for that whole one-day membership thing.¡± The back and forth continued. Arguing about which club was in the wrong first. In the end, the answer was one. No matter what we just need to eat popcorn! ¡°Here it is! Popcorn made by the Fries Club! Buy it now! Almost sold out!!¡± ¡°Hey! Fries Club, what the heck! Why are you making popcorn?! That¡¯s our Snack Club¡¯s thing!¡± ¡°Oh really? It¡¯s our Cooking Club¡¯s, you damn heretics!!¡± Meanwhile, a fight broke out over the popcorn sale, which could bring in sweet profits today. There will probably be another friendly match between the three clubs in the morning. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Why? I find it interesting. This is the charm of the Cradle, isn¡¯t it?¡± Not only the students, but the teachers also seem to have some expectations. The promising talent versus the genius. The battle between genius and promising talent. What kind of ending will it have? ¡°Everyone! Please take your seats! Quickly! Otherwise, we won¡¯t start!¡± Seizing the opportunity, the Event Club quickly filled the role of management. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. Suddenly, it became an event for the entire Cradle. ¡°To all the students gathered here today! We sincerely wee you! Today¡¯s match is between the Martial Arts Club and the Swordsmanship Club. Swordsmanship Club versus Martial Arts Club! This is a friendly match for the final victory point between the two! And the students who will take on this friendly match are! The promising talent and the genius. The genius versus the promising talent!¡± Ah! Hurry up and start! When are they starting?! We¡¯ll eat all the popcorn at this rate! Ah, slow down! We haven¡¯t gotten our popcorn yet! The final line came when the chaos peaked from all directions. ¡°Then from now on! The friendly match! Will begi¡ªiiiiiiin!!¡± ¡°Woooooooh!!¡± Deus put his hand on his forehead with the cheers filling the training ground. ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t just a zoo of beasts, He felt like a barbarian diator in the Colosseum. He was scared that the students might start shouting ¡®Kill! Kill!¡¯ and point their thumbs down. He didn¡¯t know how things got so big. His chest felt tight with anxiety. ¡®¡­Well, whatever. Thanks to this I¡¯ll finally have a proper fight.¡¯ The body he worked so hard to build, and the pact that bound his life. He wondered when he would ever get a chance to use all of it and now the opportunity had finallye. His opponent was the princess considered the best among the Cradle students. No, one of the strongest 4th-year seniors. Thanks to her, he could really fight without any worries. ¡°We¡¯ll start by introducing the Swordsmanship Club! Our Cradle¡¯s proud senior! The one who has never missed being the top student! The Cradle¡¯s best swordsman! Please wee Luciel Margretel-senpai with a big round of apuse!!¡± ¨DWaaaa!! A huge roar. An even louder apuse. An ordinary person might have been intimidated from the start. ¡°Next! The Martial Arts Club! The new talent who showed an amazing performance at the initiation ceremony! The one who can conquer everything with a single punch! Please wee Deus with a big round of apuse!!¡± Conquer everything my ass. Stop using such embarrassing rhetoric! ¡ªp p p! Deus standing in the training ground, lookedpletely calm. The students¡¯ cheers, apuse, and everything else had already been pushed aside. The only thing that mattered to him now was the person standing opposite him, his opponent for today. ¡®¡­Indeed. I can feel that her form is different from the start.¡¯ They said she was close to the level of the Cradle¡¯s teachers. She certainly deserves that reputation. The anticipation she exudes even without drawing her sword, and the perfect bnce in her body. She¡¯s strong. A person who has almost reached full maturity. It¡¯s like facing a well-maintained, sharp sword. ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ Deus grinned while thinking about this. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t need to hold back too much today. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 15 – Genius vs. Promising Talent Chapter 15 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 15 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent This wasn¡¯t a training session for young cadets learning the ropes or a final exam. Just a friendly match. A mere event where neither party needed to go all out. ¡°¡­.¡± But from the moment Luciel stepped into the training grounds but the moment she faced her junior, Deus, all thoughts of a friendly match and event vanished from Luciel¡¯s mind. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­ breathe.¡¯ She swallowed her saliva, she instinctively moved her hand to clutch her chest. This wasn¡¯t like any other juniors she¡¯d seen. It was not like facing a fellow student either. It was¡­like facing one of the Academy¡¯s instructors? ¡®¡­..No, It¡¯s different. This is beyond even the teachers. This feeling¡­ It¡¯s like I am sparring with my master. That¡¯s it. It¡¯s exactly like that.¡¯ Luciel¡¯s master was Saber, who was hailed as the greatest Awakened. A figure unmatched by monsters or other Awakened alike. And now she was putting this boy she first met on the same level as that legend. She knew it was a silly thought. It was absurd. But her instincts had already marked Deus as a top-tier threat. She took a step then another. Closer and closer to him. Every time she did that the suffocating sensation around her intensified. A bone-chilling cold that made her whole body shiver with fear. ¡®Hehehe.¡¯ Even though she was a bit nervous a smile appeared on Luciel¡¯s face. The Empire, The emperor was truly blessed. Such exceptional talents kept emerging. First her master then the reliable seniors and the hardworking juniors. Now there was a freshman capable of surpassing most graduates! ¡°Senior Luciel.¡± Deus stepped forward and bowed his head in a polite tone. ¡°I¡¯m Deus, a new 1st year student. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He was even well-mannered. What a junior! If possible, she¡¯d want to bring him straight into her dispatch team. ¡®Of course, I¡¯ll have to test him first.¡¯ Luciel returned the greeting with a beautiful smile. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Junior Deus.¡± Now being this close confirmed her suspicions. The thought she had turned into certainty. Despite radiating such transcendent energy and pressuring her, a renowned genius. The other students around them seemed like they didn¡¯t notice at all. ¡®Even the teachers look puzzled.¡¯ Only she could sense it, who was facing Deus head-on as an opponent. It means that this junior. He hadplete control over his aura. No, beyond control he could even conceal and reveal it at will. The justified arrogance of a powerhouse she sensed. It seemed he showed his true strength only to those he deemed worthy. Her admiration grew and so did her fear of this junior. If he was this strong now, he would undoubtedly be stronger with more growth and experience. It was expected to reach remarkable heights. ¡°¡­Shall we begin?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Arrogance without strength or merit was a sin. Arrogance with strength and merit was natural order. Therefore, Luciel per natural order intended to do her best. ¡ª Srrng! With a clear sound, a sh of light erupted from her waist belt. The moment Luciel¡¯s hand gripped her sword, the bustling training ground fell silent. From now on, all focus was only on this duel. ¡ª Thud! A light kick against the ground. The distance, easily 50 meters, closed in an instant. Never allow a swordsman within striking distance. From an ordinary swordsman to a weapon-based ability user. It was a lesson that everyone must remember when facing anyone wielding a sword. Luciel effortlessly overturned this principle in the blink of an eye. She had already closed the gap, poised sword in a perfect stance to strike. She aimed straight for Deus¡¯s throat without any hesitation or concern. ¡ª ng!! Waaaaaahhh!!!! A deafening sound filled the training ground followed by the students¡¯ cheers. Luciel turned her body and took a step back, she let out a groan. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± A sudden groan escapes from her mouth without realizing it. ¡®¡­.¡¯ She stared nkly at her sword. It was vibrating uncontrobly. She shifted her gaze to Deus who was standing unmoved in front of her. It was clear that she was the one who struck first. Her attack hadnded as intended. It wasn¡¯t a feint or a probing strike. She was in disbelief that she pushed back so easily. ¡®The trajectory was perfect. The speed and the power. Nothing wascking. But¡­ did he just block that with his arm?¡¯ Was that even possible? Luciel quickly steadied her wavering mind. It was just the beginning. There were more moves toe. Doubts could wait. ¡°¡­.¡± She changed her stance and aimed to deflect and counterattack. I wonder if he read Luciel¡¯s mind and decided to y along. ¡°Hmm.¡± It came. A monstrous force. A mountain-like presence. ¡ª Kwaaang!! ¡°¡­!¡± She blocked it. She perfectly blocked it so she couldunch a counterattack. That was her n. But she failed. She blocked it but couldn¡¯t counterattack. No, she couldn¡¯t counter because she wasn¡¯t capable. Di-ing, her head buzzed. She had met the fist with her sword. The shockwave traveled through her hands, up her arms, down her spine, and shook her bones. ¡®This is¡­ a freshman who just enrolled¡­¡¯ Disbelief turned intoughter. But even as sheughed, her body moved instinctively to prepare for the next strike. A blow aimed at her exposed torso. Her right abdomen. If itnded, her liver would be ruptured. The thought brought a mix of dizziness and exhration. Just like her attack on his neck, he was targeting a vital organ. A true battle, where both sides aimed for the kill. Just like her, he was giving it his all! ¡ª Kakagak! The sound of a sword meeting a fist was like metal shing against metal. Could this truly be a human body? Or perhaps a monster? As that absurd thought crossed her mind, Luciel couldn¡¯t help but smile. At the same time, she recalled a conversation with her master. ¡°My disciple. Do you believe it¡¯s possible to possess two Awakened abilities?¡± She had replied that it was impossible, as there were no known cases of dual abilities. Even one ability was a burden for an Awakened body to handle. It was no coincidence that the hierarchy among Awakened was determined by the mastery of their abilities. It wasn¡¯t just about manifestation; it required immense effort and training. To wield two abilities simultaneously? The body would surely explode. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s impossible to wield two abilities. No matter how much we train, we are still human.¡± But her master, the Empire¡¯s greatest Awakened, Saber, seemed to have a different perspective. ¡°However, a second ability isn¡¯t entirely impossible.¡± Master? Luciel had questioned, to which Saber smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of approach. Transcendent durability with overwhelming physical strength that cannot be achieved through existing abilities, but forged through pure effort.¡± That must be it. Wasn¡¯t it the second ability that we, the gifted ones, had been longing for? That day, Saber had chuckled and gently stroked her disciple¡¯s head. ¡®Back then, I didn¡¯t quite understand Master¡¯s words. But¡­¡¯ But now she finally understood. No, she knew for sure. Her master had seemingly foreseen the emergence of such a being. ¡ª Kwachik!! ¡°¡­!¡± She barely held back a pained groan. For a moment her legs wobbled, nearly losing their bnce. This was the result even after not taking a direct hit and blocking every attack. The damage was umting. A monstrous strength that easily pierced her defenses. Retreating and catching her breath, Luciel slowly lowered her sword. Reactions erupted from all around. Some students looked puzzled and others wore expressions of pity. A few even widened their eyes, murmuring, ¡®Could it be, that¡­?¡¯ There was amon misconception about Luciel. Because she was in the swordsmanship club and received high praise for her sword skills, people often assumed she was a Weapon-type Awakened. But they were wrong. Luciel wasn¡¯t a Weapon-type. Despite being skilled enough to impress even the instructors with her sword, her ability was far removed from weaponry. ¡ª ¡­Shaaaaa!! A pure white light emitted from her hand and quickly took the form of a sword. A sword of light. The image of an angel descended from the heavens. That¡¯s right, Luciel¡¯s ability was none other than the Luminous type. ¡°Whoa! S-Senior!?¡± The announcer, familiar with Luciel, shouts. She rarely used her ability along with her swordsmanship. This meant she was now determined to give it her all. The zing light sword pointed at Deus. But he remained unfazed, not even a hint of surprise on his face. As if he had known all along that this was how it would unfold. *** The real show begins finally. Deus grinned. Luciel, the Empire¡¯s princess, was undoubtedly a formidable force. Her swordsmanship was threatening and unpredictable. Yet something felt slightly off. Like a missing piece in a puzzle. And now that piece had finally fallen into ce. ¡®This is good.¡¯ This was the level of tension he needed. It made his role as a glorified diator worthwhile. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised, Junior.¡± ¡°I had a hunch.¡± ¡°Is that so? Impressive.¡± The promising talent and the genius. The genius and the promising talent. The two exchanged smiles and looked at each other. As if they had made a promise. At the same time. The two shed head-on. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 16 – Genius vs. Promising Talent (4) Chapter 16 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent (4) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 16 ¨C Genius vs. Promising Talent (4) The characteristic of the Luminous type was its ability to scatter its power over a wide area. This was particrly useful when entering Dark Gates. However, for that very reason, the Luminous type wasn¡¯t suited for 1:1bat. Itcked sufficient firepower to focus on a single opponent. At best, it could blind or cause minor burns. That¡¯s why most Luminous Awakened focused on support roles. ¡®¡­ Or so many would think!¡¯ But Luciel, standing in the middle of the training ground was different. ¡°Hehehe!¡± With a yful smile, she wore an expression of anticipation that Tiamat found endearing. Some questioned whether she was a Combat type rather than a Luminous type. With shes erupting with every movement, it was understandable. But that was just an illusion caused by her hair color, not the reality. More importantly, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to speak if they saw a true Luminous Awakened. ¡ª Shwaaaak!! Light scattered in all directions and struck the pre-installed barrier. If this were a marketce instead of a training ground then all spectators would have been injured or worse, temporarily blinded. Luciel¡¯s ability, which had been radiating intense light as if to incinerate the entire training ground. It converged back into a sword form and struck at Deus. If he retreated, it would spread out again, blocking all his senses. ¡®That¡¯s what makes Luciel so formidable! Covering the entire area with her Luminous ability, while simultaneously focusing that light into a point and sublimating it into swordsmanship. It¡¯s an unbelievablebat sense.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t just a sword. It wasn¡¯t swordsmanship bound by distance. Why had Luciel be Saber¡¯s sole disciple? Because she had the qualifications. Because she possessed the talent! With each burst of light, a deafening roar and sh engulfed the surroundings. Most students had long since lost track of the scene within the training grounds. Only the teachers and a few exceptional students could still follow the action. ¡®At a point where other students would have long been defeated. A moment when even our teachers would find it difficult and consider resorting to a battle of attrition¡­¡¯ Tiamat turned her gaze from Luciel to her opponent, Deus. ¡®Of course, our student Deus is different!!¡¯ Look at that face. Did it belong to someone facing a swordsman of light? Far from being tense, he wore a faint smile. As if his heart was pounding with excitement. He was d to finally meet a worthy opponent! ¡ª Ka-ang! ¡ª Kang! ¡°¡­ .¡± Wielding her sword of light, Luciel narrowed her eyes. Indeed, she was pushing him harder with just swordsmanship alone. For every step she took forward, Deus took one back. When she attacked him, he defended nothing more. That was the problem. She was giving it her all, and that was all there was to it. He retreated when being pressed, and blocked when attacked. Nothing beyond that. There were no openings, not even a hint of confusion and tension. He simply followed her movements with his eyes. Even when he retreats only returns to his original position. ¡®What, in the world¡­¡¯ With each swing of her light sword, the training ground¡¯s walls were sliced off. The barrier shook and the students beyond it grew increasingly fearful. The clouds above, spared from the light¡¯s reach, had all evaporated. She had disyed the best of her swordsmanship and ability. If it were any other opponent, even a teacher, she would have pushed them to the brink by now. She might not have guaranteed victory, but she would have had a decent chance. ¡®I¡¯m not physically exhausted. My ability is working fine. It¡¯s a close match, but that¡¯s all. Defeat isn¡¯t imminent. But¡­ why¡­¡¯ Why did her confidence in victory keep getting chipped away? She was the one wielding the sword, while her opponent didn¡¯t even have a proper weapon. Yet it felt like she was the one being cut, stabbed, and bleeding! ¡ª Chaeng! In the end, it was Luciel who created distance, not Deus. ¡°¡­.¡± After a brief pause to catch her breath, Luciel spoke. ¡°Junior, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± ¡°Are you really a student?¡± There were cases, weren¡¯t there? Graduates who infiltrated the Academy under the pretense of observing the curriculum. Luciel herself had experienced it once, during her second year. She had beenpletely fooled and the answer she received when she questioned why was absurd. They said they were bored and wanted to check out the level of the juniors. ¡®I can¡¯t rule out that possibility.¡¯ In fact, it was highly likely. With his extraordinary skills and sturdy physique. It was hard to believe he was an ordinary student! ¡°Are you perhaps a graduate of the Academy, unknown to me?¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m truly a new student who just enrolled.¡± ¡°¡­ On your honor as a junior?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] If that were true, then this junior was even more terrifying. Unable to voice that thought, Luciel could only offer an awkward smile. ¡°With this level of skill, the teachers should be writing rmendation letters to send you to the dispatch team¡± ¡°They did. Professor Tiamat, in fact.¡± ¡°Professor Tiamat?¡± ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± So? What happened? Deus shrugged at the question. ¡°I declined.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Because the Oath bound to my left arm wouldn¡¯t allow it. And honestly, I can handle those tasks on my own. Deusbined all those answers into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be joining eventually, anyway.¡± His answer was confident that it even felt a bit arrogant. But Luciel didn¡¯t perceive it as arrogance. Instead, she mirrored his smile, delighted by his response. ¡°That¡¯s admirable, Junior.¡± It was a shame. ording to the school rules, he couldn¡¯t join the dispatch team until next year. By then, she would no longer be at this school. ¡®It¡¯s disappointing. Such a shame.¡¯ She wanted to witness his exploits in the dispatch team firsthand. He was already a monster; she wanted to see how much stronger he would be. ¡°It seems this won¡¯t end anytime soon. What do you say, Junior? Shall we settle this with the next strike?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was about to suggest.¡± He was bold and straightforward. A true man, a rare sight these days. This time, she smiled not as a senior looking at a promising junior, but as a woman looking at a man. ¡°Then shall we conclude this, Junior?¡± Luciel gripped the light sword with both hands. ¡ª Ssssss!! The sword grew brighter, while the surroundings darkened. It was absorbing the light, like the onset of night. Was this the secret technique of the top student, the fourth-year head? Deus, having warmed up, slowly took a step forward. ¡°Unlike my senior, I don¡¯t have such incredible techniques.¡± Just putting all his strength into a single, solid punch. It might be called a ¡®serious punch¡¯ like he had seen somewhere. [PR/N: ONE PUNCH MAN!?] ¡ª Shaaaaaaaa!! Finally, the area was enveloped in pitch-ck darkness with only Luciel¡¯s sword shining. Like a hero cutting through the darkness, she raised her sword and gazed straight ahead. And beyond it, a warrior was charging to extinguish that light. Genius and promising Talent. Sword and fist. Warrior and light. When they finally collided at a single point, erupting in a roar and sh¡ª [Warning. Warning. The barrier has reached its limit.] [Evacuate immediately. Repeat, evacuate immediately.] The barrier surrounding the training ground could no longer hold, emitting warning sounds. It had reached its breaking point, urging everyone to flee! ¡°Wh-What?!¡± ¡°Eeeeeek?!¡± ¡°E-Evacuate! Everyone, evacuate!!¡± After the teachers evacuated the students and everyone gathered quickly escaped, a massive explosion, unlike anything they had ever experienced, engulfed the training grounds. *** The next day. ¡ª Nyaaaaaang!! ¡°Oh, Jojo! You seem a bit faster today?¡± Deus yed with his cat, a satisfied smile on his face. Watching him for a moment, Yurishia cautiously spoke up. ¡°W-Will it be okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Academy¡­ it¡¯s in chaos.¡± Chaos. Yes, that was the perfect word. The sturdy training ground and barrier werepletely blown away. The top student, no, the Empire¡¯s princess had fainted. And most importantly, ¡®that issue,¡¯ the one causing the teachers the most headaches had arisen. ¡°The real chaos for me is something else.¡± But Deus, oblivious to everything else, opened his mouth toin. ¡°Why are they serving fish cutlets for lunch today? Isn¡¯t that crossing the line?¡± ¡°¡­ .¡± ¡°They put in all those nationalistic elements, why did they have to mix in the military? I just don¡¯t get it.¡± Unable toprehend his words, Yurishia chose silence as her response. Meanwhile, Deus continued to vent his frustration about the cafeteria¡¯s lunch menu, dering, ¡®Fish cutlets are definitely the devil¡¯s vomit.¡¯ ¡°Jojo, what do you think about fish cutlets?¡± ¡ª Haaak!! ¡°How about fish cake soup?¡± ¡ª Haaaak!! As expected, Jojo. You deserve this Chum. Jojo devoured the Chum offered by Deus. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 17 – Busy Freshman (1) Chapter 17 ¨C Busy Freshman (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 17 ¨C Busy Freshman (1) From the day after the friendly match, the teachers of the Cradle had to go into emergency mode. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to this, we get extra overtime pay. Think positive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. But it¡¯s the first time this has happened, so I¡¯m a little flustered.¡± The teachers gathered in one ce, looking at something with worried eyes. There was a veryrge magic stone. To be precise, a magic stone with arge crack on its surface. It was a Seal stone, which prevents the appearance of Gates. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a Seal stone damaged by a friendly match.¡± ¡°Well. I guess you can think of it as witnessing a historic moment.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first time since Senior Saber did that?¡± The teachers talked for a while, then sighed again. Seal Stone. A special magic stone was made through a special magic process. If that huge thing takes its ce, it interferes with the creation of Gates. Therefore, it was natural that stones were ced in important facilities. The Imperial Pce, the capital, the castles of each noble family, important cities, and even the Cradle. ¡°The cost of repairing this will not be insignificant¡­¡± ¡°Cost is not the only problem. What about the materials? We can¡¯t just get them.¡± As effective as it had been, it took a lot of effort to make. Of course, it costs a lot of money. There were a lot of additional things that came with it. Especially, the main ingredients of Seal Stone were all made from byproducts of monsters. They were extremely rare, so even the Empire had not yet been able to mass-produce this Seal stone. For that reason, there were a total of eight Seal stones in this Cradle. Except for the Imperial Pce and the capital, where twelve Seal stones are ced, this was the ce with the most stones ced in the Empire. It was proof of how important the Cradle was perceived to be in the Empire. Anyway, one of the eight Seal stones was broken. And it was not at a minor level, but serious enough to stop working. ¡°What about the spare Seal stones?¡± Are there none at all?¡± ¡°As a result of the inspectionst winter, two Seal stones were found to be worn out. They were reced with the spare ones we had at the time, and those two are still being adjusted in the repair room.¡± ¡°So, in the end, there are no stones in the Cradle that can rece this one.¡± The Empire¡¯s territory was vast, and there were an abundance of ces that needed Seal stones. On the other hand, only about a hundred Seal stones had been produced so far and they were all in use. The Cradle had been allocated a total of ten Seal stones, which was 10 percent of the total. Even for the Cradle, it was impossible to get more stones than this. That was the situation. The only option left was to wait until the spares in the repair room were ready. ¡°There¡¯s no other way. The teachers will have to take turns on emergency duty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that a Gate could appear in the Cradle. Should we try to think of this positively?¡± ¡°You mean give the students some practical experience? Well, I¡¯m against it.¡± With one Seal stone missing, there was a chance that a Gate could appear in that area. The good news was that there were no civilian or public residential areas nearby. The only thing was that this area was teeming with people with special abilities. ¡°What are the main culprits of this absurd incident doing now?¡± ¡°Luciel Marg¡­ahem. Student Luciel is still in the infirmary bed. She has regained consciousness, but she will have to undergo various tests, so her discharge will be dyed.¡± Then, what about student Deus? They both collided so why was only one hospitalized? Tiamat, who had been silent until now, burst outughing at the question of some teachers. ¡°Hehehe! That guy! Hahaha! Seriously. I can¡¯t believe it. They examined him and said he was perfectly fine! In fact, he was so fine that the infirmary said, ¡®What the hell is this? It¡¯s scary!''¡± ¡°¡­No joke, I¡¯m really scared too.¡± At one teacher¡¯s words, the other teachers nodded in agreement. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Luciel Margretel was the disciple of Saber, the most talented individual they greatly admired. It was said that Luciel had be almost at the level of their teacher. That student had barely regained consciousness and was still in the hospital room. She even had a huge fight that damaged the sturdy Seal stone! ¡®The other one is walking around the Cradle just fine¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this really what a freshman should look like?¡¯ ¡®Hehehe! Student Deus! He¡¯s the best! Ah, if only he had entered a little earlier!!!!¡¯ Each with their own thoughts, the teachers decided to draw up a personnel schedule. Since they had to stand guard around the area until the Seal stone was operational again. **** ¡°¡­You know when I look at you. I think you¡¯re just a man after all.¡± What was this all of a sudden? Telling a man he¡¯s like a man. As Deus tilted his head, Neferti sighed. ¡°Junior. You haven¡¯t been to Senior Luciel¡¯s hospital room once, have you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the teachers who are guarding the damaged Seal stone either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± That was exactly the problem. Neferti put her hand on her forehead. ¡°Listen, junior. She hasn¡¯t been discharged yet, so first take some flowers and visit her in the hospital. Then take some drinks to the teachers¡­ ugh!!¡± Having seen it several times, he knew that catching her before she fell didn¡¯t really help. She was the type who had to fall down no matter what. He was used to this. Thus, Deus quietly looked at Neferti and held out his hand. ¡°No one is really ming me, senior.¡± ¡°Of course. You didn¡¯t do this on purpose. It happened during a friendly match, so everyone understands.¡± And to be honest, who would dare me you to your face? Their backs could be folded in half and they could die. She swallowed those words. ¡°But still you should do it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± In fact, Deus didn¡¯t feelpletely unapologetic. It wasn¡¯t intentional but he was the cause of everything, wasn¡¯t he? ¡°Actually, I was nning to finish all my exercises for today before going.¡± ¡°Not before you go! You should exercise after you get back! Got it, junior?¡± ¡°Is it really not possible to finish it beforehand?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± That wouldn¡¯t do. They decided to leave immediately. However, first, they needed to stop by the teachers¡¯ ce. They couldn¡¯t go empty-handed. They thought it would be appropriate to purchase something like drinks. Just as he was about to agree with her suggestion, ¡®Oh. Now that I think about it.¡¯ Deus suddenly remembered something and turned to Neferti. ¡°Thank you once again, President.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°For setting up that personal training space for me in the basement of the main building, I heard you had to pull some strings for that.¡± Being the Student Council President of Cradle, he thought such a thing would be easy. But it wasn¡¯t. Even as the President allocating a space intended for official use to an individual student was a clear overreach of authority. ¡°Well¡­ It would be a lie to say it wasn¡¯t troublesome. But!¡± ¡ªSwish! She unfurled her fan with force, letting out her characteristic ¡®Ohohoho!¡¯ugh. ¡°As Student Council President, it¡¯s my duty to fully support a talented junior! Besides that room needed to be used urgently before it got shut down! Ohohoho!¡± So, it wasn¡¯t entirely out of pure goodwill. No wonder the pact almost activated but didn¡¯t. ¡°Thanks to you, I can train without worrying about anyone¡¯s attention.¡± Attention? You? Neferti was puzzled for a moment but decided to save her questions forter. Now was the time to guide this scary yet kind junior on the right path. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go as I said. Quickly, junior.¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯m a bit tight on money. Is there any way we can manage that?¡± ¡°Are you asking me to buy it for you?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± He won¡¯t get any more help than that anyway. Look at this. The pact was practically glowing as if it was about to snap his wrist off. Money is as important as fighting, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Then, how about getting a part-time job?¡± ¡°Students do part-time jobs here?¡± ¡°This is the Cradle. It¡¯s not just an educational institution but a whole city¡­ Anyway, that¡¯s why when we¡¯re short on manpower, we sometimes hire students for part-time jobs.¡± Nerferti had a few ces in her mind. Hmm, she wonders if they¡¯ll hire him there¡­ Neferti, who had been stroking her chin for a moment, falls over again with an ¡®Ugh!¡¯ ¡°Ugh¡­ Anyway, if you need money, it might be better to join a dispatch team.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Dispatch teams can officially enter Gates. They get a share of the loot so they end up earning an ie.¡± They hadn¡¯t even paid taxes! That was pretty impressive. The two of them continued their conversation as they walked. *** ¡ªMeow! Ah! Finally! I¡¯m free from that monstrous human! Jojo walked around the Cradle with a happy step. The screams of the students who found her cute were a pleasure to hear. Of course, she never allowed anyone to touch her. No one in the world deserves that right! ¡­Ah. No, wait. There might be one person. ¡ªWoooow!! As she turned into an alley, she heard a strange sound. Turning her head to see, she realized, Oh dear, it was another alley cat that had been bothering her before! It had been an older cat, naturally muchrger. From Jojo¡¯s perspective, the correct action had always been to flee whenever she encountered that cat. Well, that was the case until now. ¡ªHaaack!! However, this time Jojo didn¡¯t back down. Instead, she boldly confronted the other cat. There was one thing she¡¯d learned from being around that monstrous human. With her ¡®meow meow punch,¡¯ she can defeat a punk like this! ¡ªMyaaaaa!! ¡ªWeeoooong!! An intense brawl between the two cats unfolded in just two seconds. A momentter, one cat turned and disappeared between the buildings. Of course, the winner was Jojo who had undergone special training(?). [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 18 – Busy Freshman (2) Chapter 18 ¨C Busy Freshman (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 18 ¨C Busy Freshman (2) To cut to the chase, Deus and Neferti were a step behind. ¡°Huh? Coffee? Hahaha. Thank you, Student Council President and Student Deus. We¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°But, we¡¯ve already been treated to various things by the Princess¡­ no, by Student Luciel.¡± ¡°Coffee? Ah. We¡¯re fine, so why don¡¯t you give it to the other teachers? Or you could take it to the repair room. The people there are going to have a hard time because of the Seal stone.¡± Even while entering the hospital room, Luciel was considerate about these details. ¡°As expected. Senior Luciel is very considerate.¡± ¡°Indeed. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think positively. Junior. We¡¯ve brought drinks for the other teachers. And we also gave coffee to the technicians in the repair room.¡± Deus nodded at Neferti¡¯s words. The only remaining task for today was to visit Luciel in the hospital. ¡°By the way, President.¡± ¡°Yes, Junior.¡± ¡°Senior Luciel has the ability to emit light. Why does she use a sword?¡± Right after the friendly match, this was what Deus was most curious about. Not only could she spread light, but if she could alsopress it in the right way, there were endless possibilities. Deus found it hard to understand why she insisted on using a sword. ¡°Hoho.¡± Neferti covered her mouth with a fan and smiled. ¡°It would be quicker to ask her directly.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be easy to understand even if I exined.¡± Neferti knocked on the hospital room door and waited. From inside, a voice responded, ¡®Come in.¡¯ ¨D Click The door opens. A gust of wind blew in, perhaps because the window was open. The silver hair of the girl inside sparkles like sunlight. ¡°Oh my. President. I didn¡¯t expect you toe in person.¡± Luciel, who was sitting on the bed reading a book, greeted Neferti. ¡°Hahaha! Of course, this junior had toe¡ªugh!!¡± She seems unfazed by the clumsiness of the Student Council President and isn¡¯t particrly surprised. But she is slightly startled to see Deus following behind. ¡°Even Deus came?¡± ¡°We came to see how you are. Although we might be a bitte.¡± ¡°Why did you go through the trouble? I just fainted for a moment.¡± Despite her words, she seems very grateful for their visit. Luciel personally offers seats to Neferti and Deus. ¡°Sit down. It¡¯s a shame, there¡¯s not much to offer in a hospital room.¡± ¡°As if we¡¯d be upset about that. It¡¯s fine, senior.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Luciel turns her head to look at Deus sitting beside Neferti. ¡°Are you alright, Deus?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. I¡¯m fine, senior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was worried you might have been hurt.¡± Though she was the one brought in, Luciel worries about her opponent instead. Deus scratches the back of his head and finally manages to speak. ¡°Um¡­ how¡­ is your health?¡± He felt a bit strange asking this, considering he had been the one who knocked her out. Was this right? But what could he do? He was there for a visit, so he decided to ask. ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Seeing the hesitant Deus, the two girls burst intoughter. For such a big guy with such a fierce look to be stammering like that¡ªit was almostically incongruous. ¡°As I said, I just fainted from the shock. This is nothingpared to the realbat training I received from my master.¡± The two girls then dive into their characteristic chatter and exchange stories. Meanwhile, Deus sits there with nothing to do. He wishes he had brought a dumbbell or something. ¡°Ah. Just a moment, senior. It looks like something urgent hase up with the Student Council.¡± Neferti excuses herself and leaves the room, not forgetting to trip and exim ¡°Ugh!¡± on her way out. ¡°¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] This was even more awkward. Who knew a situation could be this ufortable? Now alone with Luciel, Deus misses his personal gym even more. ¡°It was truly an impressive match, junior.¡± Luciel, who had been quietly watching Deus, starts the conversation. ¡°I never imagined I¡¯d feel such excitement from a junior, rather than from my master, the senior graduates, or the teachers.¡± ¡°I did my best.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A mysterious smile ys on the silver-haired beauty¡¯s lips. ¡°Did you really give it your all? Because it didn¡¯t seem like it to me.¡± ¡°¡­I did my best, in my own way.¡± Yes, he did his best. Although it wasn¡¯t 100% of his power, it was still a friendly match not a fight to the death. ¡°You should have taken that rmendation letter from Teacher Tiamat. Though she¡¯s a bit childish, she has a lot of support from the other teachers, so they would have supported you too.¡± ¡°As I said, I believe I can achieve it on my own without a rmendation.¡± ¡°Of course you can. What I¡¯m regretting is that I won¡¯t get to work with you in the dispatch team this year.¡± That was right. Now that he thought about it, she mentioned she was the leader of the dispatch team. ¡°I have a question about the dispatch team.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Is it true that if I join the dispatch team, I can ess the Gate?¡± ¡°Yes, but only when the dispatch team is summoned.¡± He couldn¡¯t stay in the cradle for all four years. He wanted to take real action. Although they had monster hunting practices, they were always conducted under the supervision of teachers. Deus wanted to face truly strong opponents, not just practice monsters. ¡°Hmm.¡± Luciel tilted her head slightly before continuing. ¡°Don¡¯t be too impatient. You might encounter the Gate sooner than you think.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know that our intense sh caused the Seal stone to break, right?¡± ¨DNodding ¡°Because of that, there¡¯s now a possibility of a Gate appearing in the cradle. The teachers might even hold a meeting to consider using it to give students practical experience.¡± ¡°But it could be dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯ll provide opportunities to the ¡®verified¡¯ students. While it¡¯s important to train all ability users, it¡¯s also crucial for the Cradle to identify and nurture the exceptionally promising ones.¡± In other words, if things go well, opportunities mighte sooner than expected. Deus, understanding roughly, replied that it would be great if that happened. ¡°Also, can I ask one more question, senior?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°It might sound a bit rude, but¡­¡± Luciel waved her hand as if to say it was alright, so Deus cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Why do you insist on using a sword?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the Luminous category, not the Weaponry category, right?¡± Luciel nodded in agreement. ¡°As far as I know, the Luminous category excels at scattering light. You can also focus andpress it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you can focus andpress it, there must be more effective and useful forms. Why limit it to a sword? I¡¯ve been wondering about this since that day.¡± Perhaps he had gotten too excited. He had realized that his voice could have been a bit rough. She was a senior, in her fourth year. From the perspective of a freshman, there was a vast difference. Moreover, she was a princess, not merely another student. He had the feeling that he might have overstepped his bounds. ¡°Deus, junior.¡± Luciel¡¯s voice was somewhat subdued. She opened her hand and a beam of light gathered in it, then quickly dispersed. ¡°As you said, there¡¯s no reason to limit it to a sword. I heard that a lot when I started.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I chose this path. I have no regrets and I never will. Do you know why?¡± The next moment, Deus felt his heart pound. ¡°Love.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± ¡°Why do I wield a sword? Why walk the path of a swordsman? That¡¯s my love towards Swordsmanship.¡± Love. It sounds foolish, yet it was an incredibly captivating word. Any man would nod in understanding, regardless of what it pertains to. ¡®Ha.¡¯ I managed to hold back theughter, fearing it might be misinterpreted as mockery or tarnish that love. ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°Do you think so? Thank you.¡± A person chasing love. Putting efficiency and strength aside, walking the path guided only by the starlight they draw. He wanted to help. He wants to lend a hand. By any means necessary. ¡°If you ever need my help, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± While he may not have that much talent he could at least clear a blocked path, whether it was external or internal. The silver-haired woman smiles at Deus¡¯s offer, nodding her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to understand so readily. Others seemed puzzled.¡± ¡°Because it was beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It was dazzlingly beautiful. Senior Luciel.¡± Love. True romance. What an incredibly impressive senior. Deus¡¯ admiration went up. No, it went beyond that to sheer reverence. Deus lets outughter, brighter and warmer than any he¡¯d ever done before. ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± He didn¡¯t notice the subtle blush on Luciel¡¯s face. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 19 – Busy Freshman (3) Chapter 19 ¨C Busy Freshman (3) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 19 ¨C Busy Freshman (3) Around the time Deus headed to the infirmary with Neferti. ¡°Huh, where did it go¡­?¡± With a can of cat food in one hand, Yurishia looked around the backyard. After being introduced to the kitten Jojo, by Deus, It didn¡¯t take long for her to be quite close with the young one. They had a lot inmon. Both were shy and introverted. If he heard that, Deus would probably shake his head and say it was nonsense. But in reality, Jojo barely lets anyone else near her except Deus. Yurishia also didn¡¯t have any real conversations with anyone other than Deus. The one Jojo yfully throws her ¡®meow punches¡¯ at, the one she approaches without hesitation, The one Yurishia stutters to talk to, the one who helps her ovee her shyness, It was the same one person, though the person involved didn¡¯t know. ¡°Kitty? Ah, no. Jojo?¡± If she called like this, she would peek her head out from somewhere with a meow. Then Yurishia would open the can for her and she would gobble it up. She had let her near. Jojo did not run away when Yurishia approached; instead, she even rubbed against her. However, she did not allow Yurishia to touch her, backing away whenever she reached out. Yurishia pondered, realizing that Jojo doesn¡¯t seem to follow her as much as she does Deus. ¡ªMeow After calling a few times, Jojo finally appeared quietly. Surprise filled Yurishia¡¯s eyes, who was about to greet her happily. ¡°Jojo?¡± ¡ªMeow ¡°Did you get into a fight with someone?¡± She wasn¡¯t hurt, but it looked like she had a rough encounter. There must be more than one cat in the Cradle. Among them, there must be some who were territorial. It seemed that one of those cats had bullied little Jojo. ¡°Are you okay? It looks like you¡¯re not hurt, thankfully.¡± ¡ªMeeeooow!! It was a very spirited meow. Almost like an answer. ¡®Who do you think I am?¡¯ kind of feeling. ¡°That¡¯s good. Deus would be very sad if you were hurt.¡± And she was not sure how that sadness would be expressed. At Yurishia¡¯s words, Jojo was busy grooming herself with a meow. ¡®Would that human worry about me?¡¯ she seemed to answer. ¡°Anyway. I fed you so I¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯m starting a part-time job today¡­¡± ¡ªMeow ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not confident. I¡¯m worried and embarrassed¡­ I¡¯m still regretting whether I made a mistake¡­¡± But. ¡°But. I¡¯m still going to do it. I want to be like Deus too. Kind and warm, but confident in front of anyone. To do that, I want to¡­ try to shake off this timidity a little.¡± ¡ªMeow [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Jojo, who came next to Yurishia, gently touched her leg with his front paw. Was she asking for more food? Or was she cheering her on? Whatever it was, her cute appearance alone gave Yurishia great strength. ¡°¡­Jojo?¡± But, this was unexpected. The part-time job Yurishia was taking on today was as a one-day employee at a cafe. With the influx of new students, the owner and one employee couldn¡¯t handle it alone. So they urgently recruited one more person and Yurishia was chosen. However, Jojo followed her all the way into the caf¨¦. ¡°Hmm? Hey, student? What¡¯s with the cat?¡± ¡°Well, um! So, it¡¯s like¡­.¡± ¡°Hm. It looks pretty cute up close. Hold on a second.¡± The owner hurriedly brought a basket from somewhere and tried to put Jojo inside. Of course, he retreated right away when Jojo hissed at him. ¡°Are you trying to put Jojo in here?¡± ¡°Yes, student. Can you manage it? This little one is feistier than I thought.¡± ¡°Jojo? Could you, um, go into this for me¡­?¡± ¨DMeow Jojo seemed to agree to her request and went straight into the basket. The owner ced the basket right at the ce between the inside and outside of the caf¨¦. So that every student passing by could see this small and cute creature. And one hourter. ¡°Aww! So cute!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this one¡¯s name?!¡± ¡°If you want to know the name, you have to buy a coffee!!¡± Jojo became the star of the cafe much faster than expected. *** Meanwhile, Nefereti returned to the hospital room, announcing she had to leave urgently. It seemed like another issue had arisen with the Student Council. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senior. I came all this way just to leave so soon.¡± ¡°No, I know you¡¯re busy. Go on now, Student Council President.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you againter, Senior Luciel.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yes. You too, Junior Deus. Ahem. Take care.¡± The hospital room door closed, and the sounds of their conversation gradually faded away. Luciel, who had been watching them leave turned her gaze aside. ¡°Now you cane out.¡± At that moment, a figure suddenly popped up from below the window. ¡°Greetings to Her Highness, the Princess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± A middle-aged man bowed his head and entered the hospital room. Interestingly, though he took steps, there was neither a sound nor a trace of his presence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this. I know you¡¯re a busy person, yet I had to summon you here.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t mention it. This is my duty.¡± The man straightened up and looked at the door through which the young man and woman had just disappeared. ¡°Did you see them? What do you think?¡± ¡°Actually, I couldn¡¯t observe them closely. The young man is so sharp. If I had gotten any closer, he might have noticed my presence.¡± ¡°Is he that perceptive?¡± ¡°He might have noticed at the veryst moment.¡± Or maybe he had known all along and pretended not to notice. ¡­No, that was impossible. He was one of the best stealthy skill users in the Empire. Even Saber said to be the strongest, couldn¡¯t find him when he was hiding with intent. ¡°What did the imperial pce say?¡± ¡°Both concern and wee.¡± A freshman with unbelievable skills had appeared. It was a wee development for the Empire, which desired qualitative improvements. This freshman might be the greatest talent since Saber. However, this freshman defeated none other than the Princess of the Empire. It was merely a friendly match with no ill intentions, just a sparring session between students. But in the Empire, such an event was bound to stir up talk. ¡°I can understand the wee part. As for the concern, I can guess.¡± They said the prestige of the royal family had fallen. Those who were adept at ttery were the ones making noise about it. ¡°The ipetence of the royal family has been exposed. That¡¯s what some disloyal people will say.¡± ¡°The news has already spread outside the cradle. It¡¯s highly likely that extremists will soon be touting ¡®superior ability¡¯ once again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± The proponents of ability superiority were individuals who argued that society ought to be restructured based solely on abilities, disregarding status or other factors. They were extremists who even spoke of overthrowing the Empire to create a new state for ability users. ¡°Unfortunate, you say?¡± ¡°They want to use the fact that amoner defeated a royal. They emphasize abilities but are still entangled in the notion of status themselves. For me, it was simply a sh of abilities.¡± Outwardly, they im equality but in reality, they seek to establish a new hierarchy based on the strength of abilities. A sigh had escaped. Dealing with the gates and monsters had already been a heavy burden. Instead of using their god-given powers to save people and the world, they saw themselves as gods. They aimed to ruin everything for their absurd fantasies. ¡°¡­One more thing, Saber has heard the news.¡± ¡°My mentor? If it reaches him, he won¡¯t stay quiet.¡± ¡°Themander has already had to restrain him from heading straight to the cradle.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s working hard because of me.¡± At this, the man kneels, insisting it was absolutely not the princess¡¯s fault. It was no one¡¯s fault, he said. ¡°Anyway, please tell them I¡¯m really fine. In fact, my heart is racing more than ever. I¡¯m truly looking forward to thisst year.¡± ¡°It seems you are quite fond of the young man named Deus.¡± At the man¡¯s words, Luciel paused in thought, then smiled. This time, the man was slightly taken aback and looked at her. ¡°Your Highness?¡± It was the first time since her mentor that someone understood her passion. Not just understood, but called it beautiful, saying it sparkled and cheering her on. While everyone else focused solely on the efficiency of abilities, tilting their heads in confusion. Who knows? Perhaps like herself, he too harbors some romantic ideals. He might possess a sense of justice that never overlooks the misfortune of others. A kind heart that willingly helps anyone in need. ¡®And like me, he holds a romantic view of the sword.¡¯ Without wielding any other weapon just relying solely on his steel-like body, he might be a towering figure who fights against all the world¡¯s evils. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 20 – Busy Freshman (4) Chapter 20 ¨C Busy Freshman (4) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 20 ¨C Busy Freshman (4) On the way back from visiting Luciel in the hospital, Neferti fell five more times and it was a bonus to help her up each time. After that the ce where she stopped by to buy coffee for the student council members. ¡°What. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Deus? Oh. Even the Student Council President¡­?¡± There, Deus met Yurishia, who was hesitant taking orders. ¡°What. Are you working part-time?¡± ¡°Oh, uh! That, I¡¯m only doing it for today.¡± She was short on money too. This was very unfortunate. Deus knows very well how shy Yurishia was. But to the extent of working a part-time job on the same day. He crosses his arms and hums. ¡®To be like Deus! First, somehow this personality!¡¯ What Yurisha really wanted was something else. ¡°Hmm?¡± Meanwhile, Neferti was looking at Deus and Yurishia alternately. She soon eximed, ¡®Oh!¡¯ and unfolded her fan with a swish! ¡°Oh my. What is it? Junior. You seem to have no interest in the opposite sex at all. Did you make one in the meantime!? Hufufufufu!¡± ¡°Huh? Not at all?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy. It¡¯s not like dating is forbidden in the Cradle! Woohoo! Woohoohoohoo!¡± Oh, well. Because it was not true at all. Why had they made poor Yurishia so ufortable? Observing her, it was clear that she had been restless because of that nonsense. What kind of friend was she with foreign ck hair? She had been grateful if they refrained from calling it barbaric. ¡°Why is Jojo by the window over there?¡± ¡°Oh. That. I¡¯ming to work part-time. Suddenly she followed me¡­ So, sorry¡­¡± ¡°Why are you sorry? If you look at that guy¡¯s personality, will she go if you take her? She probably followed Yurishia because she was bored too.¡± Deus¡¯ gaze went to Jojo, who was dozing off in a basket. In front of her were tributes respectfully offered by the students. For example, chum and snacks were ced. The cat¡¯s life was truly one of luxury, akin to that of a noble under a gracious lord. Observing its stretched-out form, one could not help but be tempted to press down on it as if it were a squishy jelly. ¡®The world is the best if you are cute, pretty, and handsome¡­ !¡¯ Oh my gosh. This was the first time Deus had been so envious of a cat. Some people offer tributes on their own just by seeing her sitting like that! He spent all his money on exercise equipment and got screwed! Of course, there was a ¡®reward¡¯ delivered by the martial arts club as a token of gratitude. However, that too had long since been reced by personal gym equipment. In other words, Deus¡¯ wallet was so thin that only bones remained. Deus had pondered whether to take up a part-time job here as well. The idea had seemed feasible, especially during ss breaks and post-exercise periods. He acknowledged that while money was not the pinnacle of existence, its presence certainly made the world a morefortable ce to live in. But that thought was abandoned exactly 10 minutester. -Bang! ¡°100 million.¡± He hits his forehead right on the pir of the cafe ceiling. A cafe that aims to give a good impression to students by giving it the mostpact feel possible. That was poison itself for Deus, who was a head taller than others. ¡°De, Deus. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m more worried about the ceiling of the store than me.¡± If there was a crack in the ceiling, Deus had to pay for it. If it stopped there, it might be fortunate. -Crack! ¡°Oops.¡± Suddenly, trying to avoid a student running with coffee, he grabbed the table. But the table couldn¡¯t hold up and broke. Following this, even the round part of the table was split in two. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Starting with Yurishia, who was struggling to take an order and opened her mouth to deliver it. Neferti, who was about to leave the cafe, said she would grab a coffee and leave first. The cafe owner, who was busy digesting orders, and the employee who was helping him. Lastly, even the students who were chatting and sitting in their respective seats drinking coffee. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone silently looks at Deus, who has doomed one table. ¡°Junior. If you¡¯re angry, wouldn¡¯t it be better to say it in words¡­?¡± At Neferti¡¯s words, Deus grabs his head. Deus tried to exin to Neferti that it was not him. ¡°Hey, student. I don¡¯t know what you don¡¯t like, but I think it¡¯s good to be patient for now. If you cause a disturbance in the Cradle, only the student will be harmed?¡± The shopkeeper had been expected to express anger after the destruction of goods in the store, which would have been the normal reaction. Instead, he had attempted to soothe the situation as if calming a wild beast. No, people are unfortunate! ¡°So, sorry! I¡¯ll never bring Jojo recklessly again!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that, Yurisia!¡± he eximed. Jojo hade of her own ord, not because she was told to go. She acted on her own interests, driven by what captivated her! It was Deus who stopped by the cafe and got the nickname of Destroyer. It seemed that it would be impossible to even dream of a normal part-time job. *** Cradle main building. 2nd floor where the Student Council is located. ¡°The President ising!¡± One of the members seated at the far end of the Student Council room stands up. He looked as disciplined as a soldier, giving the impression of a military unit rather than a Student Council. However, this wasn¡¯t because the Student Council demanded it. ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t need to be so formal.¡± ¡°Leave him be. Isn¡¯t his father the Commander of the Empire¡¯s 3rd Corps?¡± General Affairs Manager, a 3rd-year student Idelsha receives the words of Vice President Kasar Then, ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ Idelsha, who let out herment, nodded her head as if she understood ¡°The atmosphere at home must be very military-like.¡± ¡°And he also admires the Student Council President. Both are from the Wind faction, so even more so.¡± The Student Council President, Neferti, was admired by her junior and fellow Council members. However, she herself¡­ ¡°Hurry up and take her coffee.¡± The President is about to fall.¡± ¡°Haha! What are you talking about, Vice President? I¡¯m perfectly fi- Ahhhh!!¡± ¨DThud!! At Kasar¡¯s suggestion, the Sports Director swiftly grabs the coffee from Neferti¡¯s hands. Immediately after, Neferti falls, and the Student department helps her up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, haha! I¡¯m fine! This is nothing!¡± Madam President, had tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly wipes them. Kasar sighs and takes a sip of the coffee Neferti brought. Ah, yes. The caffeine is kicking in, making his sluggish body feel normal again. ¡°Alright. We will nowmence the emergency meeting of the Cradle Student Council.¡± The meeting was started by the Vice President, Kasar, who briefly exined the current situation. ¡°One of Cradle¡¯s Seal stones has been damaged and sent to the repair room. The two spare Seal stones we had were already recedst winter and are currently in use. In other words, we will have to manage without one of the Seal stones for a while.¡± ¡°First off, how is it impossible with seven operational stones?¡± ¡°Each stone covers a specific area. Even with re-adjustments, gaps are inevitable.¡± Overextending the stone¡¯s range could weaken certain points. Focusing on one area might leave two others vulnerable. That was the conclusion. ¡°Therefore, the teachers will take turns patrolling the damaged Seal stone areas. The Student Council will prepare for any unforeseen events. President?¡± Neferti steps forward. ¡°In the unlikely event of a gate opening, the teachers and the dispatched unit will handlebat. The Student Council will focus on student evacuation and prepare for any secondary situations.¡± ¡°President.¡± The Vice President raises his hand. ¡°Yes, Vice President.¡± ¡°What if there¡¯s no time to wait for the teachers or the dispatched unit, or they¡¯re unavable?¡± ¡°In that exceptional case, everyone must do their part as magic users.¡± The duty they bear as magic users. Protect the empire from gates, and people from monsters. From the first to thest. ¡°But!¡± Neferti ms the desk, emphasizing her point. ¡°As I said, the Student Council prioritizes student evacuation. Regardless of the gate¡¯s risk level or the monster¡¯s threat.¡± As representatives of the students, they must protect the students. Student safety is paramount. ¡°There are only two scenarios wherebat is unavoidable. After the students are evacuated, to ensure their safety. Or, to clear a path for evacuation.¡± ¡°Yes, President.¡± ¡°Ahem! Your voices are too quiet! Can you even call yourselves the Cradle¡¯s Student Council? Again!¡± ¡°But, President¡­ We¡¯re not children anymore, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± Kasar, as Vice President, tries to dissuade the president. But Neferti¡¯s insistence didn¡¯t stop, and in the end, the officers gave in. ¡°Yes, President¡­¡± ¡°Louder!¡± ¡°Yes, President!!¡± ¡°Good! Everyone might be overwhelmed at the start of the Student Council, but with effort¡ª Eek!!¡± Crash!! Should we at least put some mattresses on the floor of the Student Council room? Kasar and the other members all had the same thoughts. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 21 – Unexpected Situation (1) Chapter 21 ¨C Unexpected Situation (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 21 ¨C Unexpected Situation (1) All the Professors at the Cradle were veterans of their field. Not that they were old, but they were that good. However, there was one thing even these Professors wanted to avoid. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± -Nodding off Despite their abilities and powers, they were still human. In the afternoon, when the body was most weary, and particrly after lunch, drowsiness reached its peak. It was amonly held belief that no skill could avert this inevitable wave of sleepiness. ¡°Hmm.¡± Mr. Smith, standing at the podium, muttered to himself and scratched his head. Of all times. It had to be the time of day that Cradle Professors wanted to avoid the most. And it was the notoriously boring and tedious Monster Behavioral Studies ss. Usually, some students would be distracted or doze off. But if it happened right after lunch like now, there was no hope. ¡°Alright, everyone!¡± -p p! But what could he do? He was the Professor, and they were the students. The ones who teach and the ones who learn. Everything was for the future. ¡°I know you¡¯re all sleepy! So is your Professor! Originally, there was supposed to be a P.E. ss after lunch! But what can we do? Let¡¯s all try our best and focus on the lesson! Go, go!¡± Mr. Smith wasn¡¯t struggling alone. After all, they were supposed to be the protectors of the empire. Everyone was fighting. Some pinched their cheeks or thighs. Others gulped down cold water. A few had already sumbed to sleep and were slumped over. Meanwhile, some maintained bright eyes as if this level of drowsiness was bearable. ¡°¡­¡± Among them was Deus, sitting at the very back. ¡®It¡¯s all because theyck stamina.¡¯ Tsk tsk. He couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. Were these really the protectors of the empire¡¯s future? If they couldn¡¯t even ovee sleepiness, how could they fight monsters? Wasn¡¯t this something that could be conquered with sheer willpower? He thought, despite having dozed off himself in the past. Shaking his head, Deus turned to the side. ¡°¡­¡± There, he saw Yurishia struggling with sleepiness. To be precise, she was on the verge of defeat. Her head kept nodding. Watching her for a moment, Deus reached out and tapped on the desk. As gently as possible, so as not to startle Yurishia. -Tap tap! Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the sound was quiet. ¡°Huh?!¡± Startled, Yurishia quickly raised her head. Then she looked around, probably thinking the Professor had given her a warning. ¡°Yurishia.¡± Deus waved his hand slightly, lest she be further surprised. He was the one who woke her up, so there was no need to be rmed. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± At first, she was relieved it wasn¡¯t the Professor. Following that, gratitude to Deus for looking out for her. And finally, embarrassment at showing such a side of herself in front of him. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Yurishia¡¯s face instantly flushed as pink as her hair. If this were a cartoon, wouldn¡¯t hot steam being out of her ears with a ¡®Pshhh!¡¯ sound? ¡°Next, we¡¯ll look at the Dark-type monsters. These guys love dark ces even more than other monsters. But they¡¯re definitely not weak to light. In fact, many Luminance ability users have had a hard time with them. Their behavior is¡­¡± Deus thought as he took notes on the lesson, realizing there were strategies to deal with monsters, not just brute force. Well, that would exin the variety of abilities. There were strengths and weaknesses, and they needed to work in harmony toplement each other. If one side was too strong, the bnce would be broken and eventually lead to a big problem. ¡®There are quite a variety of monsters. Different behaviors too. They¡¯re not just simplebat power gauges. Are these guys going to be the main viins?¡¯ How could he adapt to this world more perfectly? Finding a way back was important, but it was too early. For now, he needed to find his ce here and live. First of all, this world wasn¡¯t your average academy story. There were Gates and monsters, just like in the apocalypse stories he used to read. The only difference was that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t as extremely gloomy as in [The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group]. ¡®In that story, monsters were the main threat at first, but then other viins and even stronger beings started appearing, I guess?¡¯ [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Monsters were literally ¡®monsters,¡¯ so it was easy to recognize them as enemies. But with humans, it was hard to tell them apart unless you could read their minds. He was relieved that there didn¡¯t seem to be such people in this world. ¡°Deus?¡± No matter how much he thought about it, the best way to survive in this world was to be a person with special abilities. The fact that he had trained like crazy due to a genre misunderstanding turned out to be a huge advantage. If he could make a name for himself through that, he¡¯d soon be able to shed this foreignerbel! ¡°Deus¡­?¡± Ah, it seems he let his imagination run a little too wild. ¡°Oh, Yurishia. Did you call me?¡± ¡°Yeah. ss is over, but¡­ you were just staring nkly ahead.¡± What? Was ss already over? Wait, when did that happen? He looked around in a daze, and it really was break time. He had been so lost in thought. ¡°D-Did something happen?¡± ¡°Something did happen. It¡¯s just¡­¡± [Attention, all Cradle students. Gate alert. Gate alert. This is not a drill. We repeat. Gate alert. Gate alert. This is¡­] ¡°Something did happen¡­¡± He felt a bit wronged. What if something really did happen? And a Gate alert? Wasn¡¯t that a big deal? ¡°Everyone, attention! Atteeeention!¡± Mr. Smith, who had just left the ssroom with a farewell, rushed back in. He mmed his hand on the desk and shouted, ¡®Don¡¯t panic, kids! Don¡¯t panic!¡¯ Let¡¯s just forget that he seemed to be the most panicked one. ¡°This is a real situation! Not a drill! Everyone out of the building! You all know, right?! If a Gate is generated near the building, it could copse and cause a big problem!¡± ¡°Even with the barrier protecting us?¡± ¡°If that were possible, Barrier users would be the top ability users! Everyone, out now! Quickly! Follow the instructions of your Professors, Cradle staff, and the student council!¡± A Gate. Monsters. Ah, he suddenly became curious about what they looked like. ¡°Deus! L-Let¡¯s go¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± Following the tense Yurishia, Deus thought to himself. *** It finally came. Mr. Hunter, the Professor pushed up his slipping sunsses. They said they were doing their best in the repair room. They also said they had some materials in stock. They said it would take about a week to repair and get it working again. But as with all things in life, idents always happen at the worst times. And it had to be during his shift. ¡®I¡¯m not really up for fieldwork anymore.¡¯ The lifespan of ability users wasn¡¯t very long. Not their actual lifespan, but the lifespan of their Special abilities. Using Special abilities inevitably puts a strain on the body. Therefore, the time they could be active in the field was limited. Most were already set for retirement in theirte 30s or early 40s. Those who had been rougher on their bodies in the field struggled even in their early 30s. ¡°Ugh.¡± He wasn¡¯tpletely washed up, but he wasn¡¯t as spry as he was in his 20s either. So, just in case, he did some light stretches. A bad back could end a man¡¯s life, right? Fortunately, his body seemed to have returned to its prime. It moved well without any aches or creaks. -Rumble! Space distorted, and a pitch-ck abyss opened its maw. The stench of death wafted from beyond, utterly repulsive. Decades ago, this was called the end of the world. Back then, the truth about abilities and the existence of ability users were unknown. At best, sword energy or magic was all that could resist it. How many sacrifices were made before humanity was finally ready? Because everyone remembers those times, the current ability users take their duties seriously. This was a right and a gift, but also a shackle and a destiny. -Screech!! The monsters that had harmed countless people in the past roared once again. In there, they were the masters, the sole beings, the strong. They were nightmares, eager to spread their malice into this world without restraint. ¡°Professor Hunter!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Professor Tiamat. How¡¯s the evacuation going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well! I left it in their hands and came here!¡± That was good news. The students weren¡¯t ready yet. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t trust their abilities. They needed a stronger resolve. This was a battle against monsters, and at the same time, a battle against themselves. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Hmm. Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a high-risk Gate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief! We don¡¯t want the whole area to be damaged!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wrap this up quickly. I have a ss after this.¡± Even though they couldn¡¯t disy the same power as before. They were still ability users. Guardians who protected the empire from disaster. Even as their bodies weakened and they aged, that fact remained unchanged. ¡°Shall we have a contest?! Let¡¯s see who can catch more!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Professor Hunter took off his sunsses and quietly ced them aside. His nickname, given by the students, was Deer Eyes. True to its name, his eyes were gentle. But within them was a clear animosity towards the disaster. ¡°The loser buys dinner tonight.¡± ¡°I definitely want meat?! The most expensive kind!!¡± ¡°But in the end, it¡¯s always pork belly and soju, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sometimes we have somaek too?!¡± ¡°¡­Suit yourself.¡± The two Professors of the Cradle ran straight towards the manifested Gate. Completely unaware of what awaited them in the depths of the abyss. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 22 – Unexpected Situation (2) Chapter 22 ¨C Unexpected Situation (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 22 ¨C Unexpected Situation (2) Unexpected gate rm. A disaster had manifested in the cradle. It was not the first time, but it was not amon urrence either. Seal stones were ced because they were the hopes that would protect the future. ¡°Raise the Cradle¡¯s alert level to the maximum.¡± A figure born and survived during the early days of the gate incident. A past hero who rose as a guardian with the gift of supernatural powers. Now, this hero served as a foundation for the juniors who would lead the future. ¡°Yes. Principal.¡± The 17th principal of the Cradle, Von Bauken Johan. In short, Principal Von closed his eyes. The beginning of everything was the destruction of the seal stone. And the reason was a friendly match between two students. But there was no intention of ming Deus and Luciel at all. Rather, their appearance could be seen as two sturdy pirs that would safeguard the future. For the moment, the focus was on addressing the deficiencies to prevent a recurrence. ¡®The Seal stone has never been broken due to the shock of a sparring match between students¡­ I was toocent. I¡¯ll let my sessor know when I hand it overter.¡¯ The principal was not too worried. There were no civilians here. Each individual possessed special abilities, including the managers. Of course, there would be differences in the level, but at least they can take care of themselves. The gate in question posed no significant risk. Consequently, the monsters within were not expected to be formidable. ¡®I heard that Hunter and Tiamat are on the scene.¡¯ Hunter has retired from the field, but his skills are still close to active duty. Tiamat was still active but came because she wanted to be a teacher. Both were fully capable of subjugating monsters and closing gates. ¡°Just in case, tell them to make sure that other gates do not appear. In addition, evacuation work should not be neglected.¡± ¡°The student council is already working on evacuating students to the active seal stones.¡± ¡°There must be no setbacks. The seal stone that was broken this time is located in the first-year area to some extent.¡± Principal Von thought that today¡¯s work would probably not be finished before evening. Hunter and Tiamat entered the gate, so it would take about an hour. After the subjugation waspleted, it would take the same amount of time to return the students. If we clean up the surroundings, it seems like we will be able to finish it today. ¡­That was a few hours ago. ¡°Are you saying that the gate hasn¡¯t disappeared yet?¡± ¡°Ye, yes. Principal.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s no word from Hunter and Tiamat?¡± At first, he thought the subjugation was being dyed for some reason. I trusted them because they were both excellent or still excellent ability users. However, the extent of the dy suggested that something had gone awry. ¡®¡­I wish they had waited instead of entering the gate?¡¯ There were two main ways for the gifted to deal with gates. Go back into the gate before the monsterse out and sort them out, or wait outside with full preparation until theye out. Thetter was mainly used for high-risk gates. If a strong monster appears, strike it with one blow and take the initiative. Conversely, the former was when the gate was not very dangerous. Or when there were too many important facilities or civilians near the gate. It was a method mainly chosen when monsters should note out. This was the cradle. Whether the gifted were everywhere or whatever, it was the second most important ce after the imperial pce and the system. It was not a very good picture for monsters to run rampant in such a ce. ¡®If we had waited outside, the newspaper guys, who were anxious for sensational articles, might have written something to shake public sentiment.¡¯ As the principal of a cradle, one had to bnce student welfare with political considerations. Thus, it was a logical decision for Principal Von to choose entry over waiting. ¡°Is there any chance that the gate rating was misjudged?¡± ¡°Not that I know of. The rating has never been wrong since the beginning, has it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But¡­ just in case. There can be a first time.¡± Anxiety had crept in. It was not the unreasonable fear of an old man. As a senior who had faced bloody battles in the past, as someone who remembered the smell of death better than anyone else. This sensation that seemed to pierce his entire body had kept him alive until this age. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to ask for support.¡¯ It had been a little strange to ask for support from a cradle full of gifted people. Weren¡¯t most of them the hopes that would be responsible for the future of the empire? If something had happened, it wouldn¡¯t have been about the principal¡¯s position or anything like that. He would have lived his whole life cursing himself and regretting it. Principal Von immediately contacted the Imperial Department of Abilities. He had asked them to organize additional personnel just in case a gate urred in the cradle. But the answer was unexpectedly, ¡®It is not possible at this time.¡¯ [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] [ I¡¯m sorry. Principal Von Bauken. But we don¡¯t have any room here either. ] ¡°No room. What do you mean?¡± [ Gates have sprung up simultaneously across the empire, starting near the system just a while ago. The number has already exceeded five hundred. This is the first time this scale has happened, so all the gifted people who were on standby have entered an emergency system. ] ¡°Then¡­.¡± [ I¡¯m so sorry. We will send the gifted people who have cleared the gate as soon as possible to the cradle. Please wait a little longer until then. ] Principal Von, who ended the call stared nkly out the window. ¡®It¡¯s not strange for gates to appear because not all parts of the empire have seal stones. But, did it happen at the same time to the extent that all the gifted people had to be mobilized¡­? Has this ever happened before?¡¯ It was definitely not the same situation as before. It was different. Definitely different. This was like¡­ a being with some malice was attacking on arge scale. It feels like being thrown in front of a very organized invasion. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± The evening sky was darkening. Perhaps it was cloudy, as neither stars nor the moon were visible. Literally pitch-ck darkness. It was quietly, slowly, but surely approaching. *** At the same time. Other teachers at the cradle had also realized that something was strange. It was a gate that could be handled by two teachers, but Hunter and Tiamat were still missing. Meanwhile, more gates were being created like bamboo shoots after rain. ¡°From now on, let¡¯s move in groups of four instead of two.¡± ¡°But¡­ wouldn¡¯t that make us too short on staff?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve requested support from the outside, so we¡¯ll be able to hold out until tomorrow.¡± They also know about the simultaneous appearance of gates. At the same time, they knew that all imperial ability users were skilled. The importance of the cradle was needless to say. Of course, they were confident that support would arrive. Their efforts were focused on preventing any incidents until then. ¡°How about choosing to wait instead of entering?¡± ¡°Are you saying we should let the monsters out in the cradle? Absolutely not!¡± ¡°I agree with Ruler. Monsters must never set foot in this sacred cradle. It¡¯s obvious what kind of rumors will spread.¡± If the imperial pce and system were the heart of the empire, the cradle was a symbol that promised the victory of the gifted. Guardians who had ughtered monsters had been born there. As long as they had been there, no matter how many gates were flooded, they eventually were able to live. This belief had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the imperial people. But what if monsters appeared in the cradle and made a mess? How would the imperial people who heard the news react? No matter how effectively one blocked it, there were things one couldn¡¯t help but see. ¡°All right. Then we¡¯ll enter the next gate in groups of four. However, just in case, we will leave more than a certain number of teachers behind.¡± ¡°Mr. Smith! Please stay in the rear with the dispatch team!¡± ¡°Ah! Okay!!¡± Another gate had opened its disgusting mouth wide. The teachers, survivors, and veterans had crossed over into it. They would clear it as quickly as possible and return to protect their juniors and students. Meanwhile, Mr. Smith, who was in charge of Monster Behavioral studies, had called the dispatch team. ¡°Mr. Smith. All members of the dispatch team, except for the Student Council, have gathered.¡± Starting with Luciel, the 4th year chief and captain of the dispatch team, the 4th year deputy chief, who was the deputymander. In addition, two 4th year students belong to the dispatch team, plus the 2nd year chief and deputy chief. ¡°President of the Student Council, Neferti! Leave the acting President to the General Affairs Manager¡­ Ugh! ¡­I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Come on. Get up. President. Vice President Kasar of the Student Council has alsopleted the assembly.¡± Third-year chief, Neferti and deputy chief Kasar also returned to the dispatch team. ¡°Will the Student Council be okay?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Other executives are doing their best!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but¡­ ahem. First of all, do you all know about the current situation?¡± -Nodding- The two teachers who had entered first were still missing. Subsequent gate entry had been organized into groups of four, not two. Originally, external support should have arrived, but the outside was also in the worst situation. ¡°¡­So, we have to hold out with the power of our cradle alone until at least tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Then, Mr. Smith, do we also enter when the gate appears?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± Mr. Smith scratched his head as if he was embarrassed to death. Originally, the entry was correct. It had been correct, but the situation was very different from before. Even though it was not a high-risk gate, the teachers hadn¡¯t returned yet. That meant there was some change that was very different from before. Students whocked real-world experience could not be put into such a ce. What was more, weren¡¯t these people with a very promising future? ¡°First of all, it¡¯s on hold.¡± ¡°When you say wait, do you mean wait until the monsterse out of the gate?¡± Mr. Smith became even more embarrassed at Luciel¡¯s question. It was not just any student, it was Luciel. She was the princess of the empire. That was why she was even more sensitive to the fact that ¡®monsters were roaming the cradle.¡¯ What on earth should I say here? Just as Mr. Smith was wondering what to answer here, ¡°Mr. Smith!¡± Thest four teachers who were waiting had approached. ¡°We think we should go in too.¡± ¡°Yes? No, weren¡¯t you supposed to stay at least in case?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I did. Look over there.¡± Another gate. The problem was that it looked different from the previous ones. It looked dangerous at first nce. The rating was also higher than before. If left alone, monsters would really be running rampant in the cradle. ¡°We¡¯ll go in and block it first. If you have any returning teachers, please tell them to follow us if they have time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Okay. What about dispatch support¡­.¡± ¡°The dispatch team has to take over our role. The role of thest bastion.¡± Mr. Smith saw off thest remaining teachers. Then he raised his head for a moment and looked up at the night sky. Still, there was only pitch-ck darkness with no ray of light in sight. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 23 – Unexpected Situation (3) Chapter 23 ¨C Unexpected Situation (3) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 23 ¨C Unexpected Situation (3) ¡°¡­¡± As dawn breaks over the Cradle, a time when everyone should have been fast asleep. Luciel remained awake, her eyes open in the darkness. ¡°Senior.¡± She Turned her head and saw Neferti approaching, seeing her fingers toying with her fan. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to get some sleep? You¡¯ve been like this for three hours now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re the leader of the dispatch and our best swordsman. If you show any weakness due to exhaustion, it will be a big problem for everyone.¡± Even if one¡¯s ability is invincible, the person wielding it isn¡¯t. They were also human. If they did not eat, rest, or sleep on time, they would eventually copse. ¡°Are you doing this out of a sense of responsibility? Because you think this happened because of you?¡± No answer came. Neferti unfolded her fan as if expecting this. ¡°I heard the news. This strange phenomenon isn¡¯t limited to the Cradle. As you think, the start of this incident was indeed due to the damage to the Seal Stone. But that doesn¡¯t mean everything is your fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, let go of the guilt and responsibility. It¡¯s more important to find a way to ovee this, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luciel, who had been staring nkly at her junior, smiled faintly. Then she began, ¡®This is why I like the President so much.¡¯ ¡°Sometimes it feels like the President is the senior, not me.¡± ¡°Oh ho ho! Well, not just any student can be the President! Oh ho ho ho!!¡± That President had great and all, but they implored her to lower her voice, fearing it would awaken everyone. she admitted her mistake, apologizing; Ah! You¡¯re right! I¡¯m sorry! I got carried away! ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t any of the teachers returned yet?¡± ¡°No, not a single one.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that the subjugation is taking a bit longer than usual, right?¡± ¡°That must be it. The teachers at the Cradle are no ordinary people.¡± They were more skilled than Luciel, possessing dozens of times more experience in the field. Such were the teachers at the Cradle. Although they had retired from the front lines, they remained aspetent as active agents. No harm woulde; it was merely that something had gone awry, which exined the dy. This was the belief that Luciel and Neferti chose to hold onto. ¡°Student Luciel!¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Smith?¡± ¡°Wake up all the members of the dispatch team immediately!¡± At those words, a feeling of ¡®Could it be¡¯ arose on Luciel and Neferti¡¯s faces. ¡°A gate has appeared. Fortunately, it¡¯s a low-risk level and smaller than the previous ones.¡± ¡°Are we on standby? Or¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaning towards entering, but since none of the other teachers have returned, we¡¯ll need to assess the situation further before deciding whether to wait or go in.¡± The two girls nodded and immediately prepared the dispatch team. Although they mightck the experience of the teachers, their enthusiasm and sense of duty were no less. Above all, they were the ones whose skills and abilities were acknowledged even by the teachers! ¡°That must be it.¡± Arriving at the scene, they saw a gate that was indeed much smaller than the others. It was small enough that the students of the Cradle could easily handle it. ¡°As you said, it¡¯s a low-risk level.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? We can enter with the dispatch team.¡± ¡°Wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll check it again.¡± Mr. Smith approached the gate. Indeed, it didn¡¯t look very threatening. In his experience, such gates usually only produced small monsters. For that reason. Just when he was thinking it would be okay to allow the dispatch team to enter. ¡ªBeeeeeep!! The level-measuring device in his hand suddenly shot up vertically. Low-risk to past medium then high-risk in an instant. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, it wailed as if it was going to break through its limits! ¡°Th-this!¡± Mr. Smith quickly turned around and shouted to the students of the dispatch team. ¡°Get back! Quickly! As far away from here as¡ª¡± Immediately after, a tremendous roar shook the Cradle. ¡ªBooooom!! *** ¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± Hunter asked the exhausted-looking woman sitting next to him with concern. The limp Golden Retriever, no, Tiamat, shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m starving to death¡­¡± If he had known this would happen, he would have brought something. The risk level was low, so he thought it would be over quickly. ¡°I should have brought emergency rations¡­ Sob sob. I should have at least brought some jerky¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make sure to do that next time.¡± Though he wasn¡¯t sure if they would still be doing fieldwork then. Hunter gave an awkward smile and fiddled with his sunsses. He still had no idea what was going on. They had clearly entered to destroy the gate and subjugate the monsters. And for the first hour, everything had been going smoothly. ¡®The change happened after that.¡¯ The monsters that always drooled yellow saliva and lunged at humans¡­ This time, it was different. At some point, they started to avoid them. Did they judge that they couldn¡¯t win? Were they intelligent creatures? No, no matter how he looked at it, they weren¡¯t high-risk enough to be considered intelligent. Even if they were intelligent, they would know in the end. They had to eliminate them to get to the other side. But why were they just running away and wasting time? Sensing something was amiss, the two teachers decided to turn back. But it was already toote. A thick fog suddenly rolled in, disorienting them. The gate had somehow turned into aplex maze, trapping them and refusing to let them go. ¡°Mr. Hunter, no matter how I look at it, this seems like they¡¯re trying to hold us back, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It seems that way to you too, Ms. Tiamat.¡± ¡°This is the first time this has ever happened. It¡¯s never happened before.¡± He nodded and checked the watch on his wrist. Several hours had already passed. Outside, it would be past midnight and into the early morning. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] ¡°If this is the case¡­ The Cradle will deem this situation dangerous and will organize more teachers into a team.¡± ¡°Yes, and although they wouldn¡¯t normally enter, due to the Cradle¡¯s social standing, they won¡¯t allow monsters to roam free, so eventually, those teachers will enter the gate.¡± As they exchanged opinions, the current situation became clear. The Cradle¡¯s forces would be temporarily tied up inside the gate. There wouldn¡¯t be any significant damage, but the return time would be twice as long as usual. ¡®If the real enemy crosses over through thest gate in that situation¡­¡¯ Both Hunter and Tiamat had the same thought. And the same conclusion that followed made them unable to hide their anxiety. ¡°We¡¯ll get support from the outside, right?¡± ¡°Of course we will. They value the Cradle so much.¡± Yes, but why did he have the feeling that it might not happen? *** ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Her head throbbed. A terrible headache followed. She couldn¡¯t hold her body properly. She wanted to lie down like this. But she couldn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Groaning in pain, Neferti looked around. The Vice president Kasar was the first to be seen, waking up and groaning simrly. However, judging by the blood flowing from his head, he was definitely not okay. With an injury like that, he should at least be worried about a concussion. ¡®The others¡­¡¯ Two dispatch members were still unconscious, a second-year student and a fourth-year senior. It seemed they had been thrown back by the impact earlier and suffered more severe injuries. Then, where were the rest of the dispatch members? Where were they? ¡ªBooooom!! Something whizzed past Neferti and crashed into the ground with a roar. She turned her head and oh my, it was definitely the fourth-year student, the Vice-captain of the dispatch team! ¡°S-senior!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I-I¡¯m fine¡­! Hurry and providebat support!!¡± Support? Neferti looked in the direction the fourth-year student indicated. ¡°Senior! Be careful!¡± ¡°Student Luciel! I¡¯ll take care of the front, so you back up the other students first!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!!¡± A fierce battle was raging. Mr. Smith, Luciel, and other dispatch members. Everyone was gritting their teeth and fighting. Their desperate will was palpable. And in front of them was a giant monster they had never seen before. ¡°Resist more. More! More! Only then can it be a battle worthy of this vanguard¡¯s status!¡± The monster spoke. She hadn¡¯t misheard. It was definitely speaking. A monster that could speak humannguage!? This was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing! While her mind questioned how this was possible, her instincts led her to the battlefield. ¡ªSwish! Neferti¡¯s fan unfolded and a gust of cold wind erupted from it. It deflected the arm of the monster, or rather the creature that was aiming for Mr. Smith. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t to deflect, but a strike meant to cut. ¡®This is not good¡­!¡¯ Mr. Smith was a defense type, well-suited for closebat. She knew his body had been under a lot of strain from previous activities. Wasn¡¯t it quite a struggle for him to even hold his ground right now? Luciel and the rest of the dispatch team were doing their best. But their opponent was no ordinary monster. There were hardly any effective hits. The only thing they could do was inflict scar whenever the light sword shed. ¡°President! Focus on supporting Luciel! The other members and I will try to distract it as much as possible!¡± ¡°Ah! Yes! Understood!¡± Choosing and focusing. Here, Luciel was the sharpest sword they had. The others would distract the monster as much as possible, and Neferti would provide wind eleration. In the meantime, Luciel would prepare her best strike to turn the tide of the battle in an instant. However, there was something they had overlooked. No, something they hadn¡¯t even considered. ¡°Oh?¡± Their opponent wasn¡¯t an ordinary ¡®monster¡¯ like the ones they had faced before. ¡°I thought you were just grunts. You¡¯re quite good!¡± A dark spear materialized in the giant monster¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t a crude weapon like the few monsters that used tools. The perfectly sharpened spear was imbued with an ominous aura. The moment she saw it, Neferti instinctively realized that a direct hit would mean certain death. ¡ªCrash! ¡ªBoom! ¡°Ugh!¡± Mr. Smith, who had been holding the front line as best he could, finally copsed. He would have been crushed if Neferti hadn¡¯t moved him with her wind. With the vanguard down, the other dispatch members were soon reaching their limits. Their abilities were certainly outstanding, but they stillcked experience. On top of that, the fact that they were facing an unknown enemy for the first time caused them to shrink back psychologically. Neither Neferti¡¯s wind nor Luciel¡¯s light could deliver a critical blow. On the other hand, the creature was wielding its spear with a creepyugh. ¡®There¡¯s no hope for backup. There aren¡¯t any teachers left at the Cradle either¡­! What am I supposed to do¡­!¡¯ Ah. A single sigh escaped Neferti¡¯s lips. Stupid of her to be thinking about something else at this critical moment. Seeing the giant spearing down at her, Neferti swung her fan. ¡ªWhoosh! ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Even though she had created wind at thest moment to deflect the trajectory, Neferti screamed in pain as if her entire body was being crushed. She was spinning through the air, her consciousness fading. She couldn¡¯t just fall to the ground like this. She had to react somehow. She bit her lip and tried to activate her ability, but she couldn¡¯t control it. It was impossible in her current state, shaken by pain and shock. Desperate, Neferti tried to protect at least her neck. ¡ªBam! ¡°¡­¡± Until she felt something warm and solid instead of the hard ground. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 24 – Receive This Power (1) Chapter 24 ¨C Receive This Power (1) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 24 ¨C Receive This Power (1) ¨DCrack! ¡°Neferti!¡± She was her most cherished junior. Not because she was a princess or a duke¡¯s daughter, regardless of that. She was a talented individual with the potential to lead the Empire¡¯s future. That Neferti was now flung into the air, struck by the monster¡¯s spear. Would she be alright? Was she even alive? Even if she survived, that kind of impact would surely take her out of the fight! She wanted to rush over and check on her condition, to see with her own eyes if she was still breathing. But she couldn¡¯t. Right now, she had to continue this battle. ¡°You monster!¡± She swung her sword with all her might. Once, twice, thrice. She struck the monster with a series of attacks. Blood sttered, and scars appeared. She had definitely inflicted damage on the creature. ¡°Not bad! For a lowly creature!¡± But for the monster, it seemed like nothing more than a few deep cuts. She hadn¡¯t managed to sever a limb or cause significant blood loss. It was still strong, still fast, and she was clearly outmatched. Gritting her teeth, Luciel once again shone her sword brightly. No, this wasn¡¯t shining, it was burning. She was nearing her limit. Physically and mentally, she was breaking down. This light was thest ounce of strength she could squeeze out. The damage to her body would be considerable, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about that. ¡®I am an Esper of the Empire, tasked with protecting its citizens from these wicked hordes. I will not allow them to defile another inch of this Empire¡¯snd¡­!¡¯ ¡ªShhhhhhhh! As the light grew brighter, Luciel¡¯s face grew paler. But she never stopped. She never retreated. She simply moved forward. One step, then another. This was also her romance and love. To wield a sword and protect the Empire. This was the fate she chose instead of livingfortably as a princess. She would never betray that choice. She would never turn back! ¡°Haaaah!¡± With a desperate shout, Luciel continued to attack the monster before her. Blood trickled from her nose. Her vision blurred. She felt like she could copse at any moment. But she had to endure. ¡®Just a little longer. Just a little more. Please, just one solid hit¡­!¡¯ ¡ªStagger ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Was she going to crumble like this at such a crucial moment? No, this couldn¡¯t be¡­ Her romance wasn¡¯t over yet¡­ ¡ªThud Her falling body suddenly stopped. Something unknown was supporting her. It was firm, reliable, and strangelyforting. ¡°You can¡¯t give up, Senpai. Not here.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Your dedication towards romance is truly beautiful. Beautiful enough that I want to protect it.¡± Your romance. Beautiful. And I want to protect it. Those three phrases echoed clearly in Luciel¡¯s fading consciousness. She wanted to say, but her lips wouldn¡¯t move. Through her blurry vision, she saw someone¡¯s reliable embrace. It was filled with a determination that words couldn¡¯t express. ¡°Deus¡­ junior?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°But why are you¡­? Wait a moment. I will help too¡­¡± The man¡¯srge hand covers Luciel¡¯s shoulder. Beyond it, the smiling man shakes his head. ¡°Why, why¡­?¡± ¡°Because this is my romance.¡± ¡°Romance¡­?¡± [TL\N: Here, the word ¡®Romance¡¯ refers to a strong conviction or a belief.] You too, carry a romance like mine? The kind that others dismiss as absurd, foolish, and naive? ¡°That no one dies or gets hurt in my battles. That¡¯s the romance I dream of.¡± He told her to step back, that she had done enough, that she had worked hard. His voice was gentle but firm, and she found herself nodding unconsciously. ¡°¡­¡± Luciel stares nkly at the back of the man as he walks past her. For a very, very long time. *** To be honest, he didn¡¯t have that kind of romance. He only had a covenant that prevented him from receiving help in battle¡­ but it was true that he wanted to protect her romance. ¡®I knew it. I knew this would happen.¡¯ As he said, he knew all about reincarnation and regression. And it was a ¡®truth¡¯ that all sorts of incidents follow when one of the three cases urs. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Unexpected situations arise. Some things that shouldn¡¯t happen do happen. Or things that have never happened before ur. Just like now. ¡®It was strange from the moment only monsters came out of the Gate.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that how it always was? Early on, there were minor monsters for growth. Then came the wicked thunderbolt that struck the unwary. And finally, there was the appearance of the real enemies who had never shown themselves before. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Deus turned his head, staring at the massive monster in front of him. Seeing the horns on its head, it certainly looked like a demon. Should he check if his guess was correct? ¡°Baal?¡± That was the first name that came to mind when he thought of demons. The reason was simple: Baal was the final boss in ¡°The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group¡±. ¡°What?! A lowly creature like you know that name¡­!¡± What was this? Was he right? Was it really from that faction? He thought this world had nothing inmon with that novel. This was useful! Deus smirked. ¡°You!¡± To the demon, that smirk seemed like the confidence of someone who knew its secrets. ¡°Speak up! How do you know that name?¡± From his words, it became clear that he had been the initial adversary or at the very least, the first boss. His presence was intended to instill unease in those who had grown overly ustomed to their surroundings. Yet, that was the extent of his role. Beyond that, he served no further purpose. Deus hadprehended this flow quite thoroughly. Particrly, he recognized that engaging in dialogue with a subordinate adversary such as this was futile. ¡°I have no reason to exin to someone who¡¯s about to die.¡± When he first possessed this body, he vaguely understood. He didn¡¯t know who the protagonist was, but he knew everything was just beginning. There would be a tectonic shift that would surprise everyone in the world. ¡ªBam! The beginning was marked by the presence of a creature known as a demon. And as far as Deus knows, the initial demons don¡¯t offer much information. At best, it would only be evidence to the world that says, ¡®Be on your guard from now on.¡¯ To get the next bit of information, he needs to face the next boss. One that clearly screams, ¡®Oh, this guy is the exnatory type.¡¯ ¡®The best thing to do until then is to skip through quickly.¡¯ ¨DBoom!! The monster that had been standing confidently. No, the demon bes a falling star. Its body, which had soared high into the sky, soon crashed into the ground. ¨DThud! His fist feels stiff. This was the first time he¡¯dnded a proper hit. Not even against Tiamat or Luciel had he done this much. Deus wanted to test just how far his full strength could go. To see where his limitsy. A fitting punching bag appeared before him. So, without hesitation, he swung. And he struck with all his might. ¡®Seems like it hit well.¡¯ Ha. Finally, the frustration built up in his chest was clearing away. He thought it might kill him from how stifling it was. He couldn¡¯t believe he held it in for so long. As Deus wore a deeply satisfied smile, ¡°¡­Cough.¡± Where had that earlier bravado gone? The demon, now a tattered mess, struggled to rise from the debris. ¡°Quite¡­ ugh. Painful. Is this your best, you lowly creature?¡± Best? Hmm. For now? Deus nodded. In response, the demon¡¯s fury grew even more intense. ¡°Then taste this yourself!¡± Incredible speed, unexpected from such a massive body. With a screech like metal being torn, the demon thrust its spear at Deus with all its might. The force was so immense that the spear¡¯s de prated the ground. ¨DCrack!! ¡°De-Deus!¡± Luciel, who had barely managed to steady herself, screamed in shock. It was a direct hit. A perfect strike. Deus hadn¡¯t dodged until the veryst moment. Nothing could survive being impaled by such a terrifying spear. At best, he would be severely injured, barely able to move. At worst a part of his body would bepletely torn off, or he might already be dead¡­. ¡°Junior!¡± Luciel struggled to move her barely responsive body. The demon, finding this pitiful, burst into maniacalughter. Meanwhile, reaching the massive crater, Luciel called out his name again. ¡°Deus. Deus¡­!¡± Please, just be alive. Just be alive. Please. Please¡­ ¨DTap tap. ¡°Yes, Senior.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Did she see things? ¡°You called for me?¡± She was certain she saw that horrifyingly enormous spear pierce straight through Deus¡¯s middle. She saw this massive crater, almost as if a meteor had struck. ¡°It¡¯s not like school uniforms are cheap. Geez.¡± Why was that man, who had been brushing off dust casually,pletely unscathed without a single wound? ¡°Senior Luciel.¡± ¡°Oh, uh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think you should move far away.¡± Luciel, who had been staring nkly at Deus, hesitated for a moment before quickly disappearing. ¡°Hmm.¡± It hurts. He would have been skewered if it weren¡¯t for the first pact. After roughly pulling himself together, he strengthened his legs. He shot into the sky like a sh of light, then descended to the ground like a bolt of lightning. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 25 – Receive This Power (2) Chapter 25 ¨C Receive This Power (2) [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] Chapter 25 ¨C Receive This Power (2) One. Is there a weapon in my hand now? The answer is no. There is only a body trained to the very limit. [Because I am fulfilling that oath, no weapon can harm my body.] One. Am I receiving help from anyone in the fight I face now? The answer is, no. Only Deus is alone on this battlefield. [Because I am keeping that oath, I will reach victory without any help.] Lastly, one. Am I fighting for the good now? The answer is, yes. Everyone is doing their best for their duty. They are heroes who faced evil with good hearts before the existence that would taint their world with evil. [Because I am following that oath, I can defeat the evil standing in front of me.] *** ¡°¡­But the clothes weren¡¯t.¡± If he had made a mistake, his bottoms would have flown away with his top. He almost showed the sight of a naked barbarian warrior running around! ¡°The photosynthetic monster¡¯s body grew rapidly, but the pants remained the same.¡± Strangely, the bottoms were more expensive than the tops when he got his school uniform. Come to think of it, why on earth do they charge for school uniform tops and bottoms separately? Deus grumbled that it was absurdmercialism. ¡°Inferior creature.¡± Deus lifted his head slightly. ¡­he can¡¯t see well. Raised it a little more. He heard that he was the tallest student in the cradle. As proof, all the students and teachers looked up at him. But what a being he had to raise his head quite high. ¡°Quite interesting.¡± The first thing he saw was, of course, the horn sticking out of his head. It waspletely different from the ones he saw on demon-type heroines in cartoons. It looked like it was shouting, ¡®This is the real horn!¡¯ It was a very irritating sight. To be more precise, yes. You could see it as sinister. ¡°Frankly, I was surprised. I thought it would be full of mobs.¡± Next, skin color. Wow. That was the real Hongik Ingan. Yeah. Deus pondered if the face and body could be that red. If it was that red, he might not have noticed even if the body bled because of the protective color. ¡°But now that the vanguard has arrived, the gatekeeper of the lowly ones hase out to greet him.¡± If they were searching for a gatekeeper, they could have been told about a novel. It was called Academy Silver Gatekeeper. Deus advised them to go and see it, as it appeared to suit their taste. -bber His face was so harsh. How should I put it? Yes. His facial features were a mess. His face was on itsst legs. ¡°¡­¡± Then, at some point, Deus realized that the devil¡¯s words had stopped and let out a gasp. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡­ hear a word I said?¡± ¡°I heard it. Your face is rotten, nah. This is not it.¡± ¡°Insolent thing! Dig your ears and listen carefully for thest time! My name is Zagan! One of the vanguards of the glorious Legion of Hell. The me that bloomed from the darkness! Also-¡± ¡°Oh. Wait a minute. I have one question.¡± For a moment, the devil Zagan¡¯s face is filled with absurdity. He has an expression like, what kind of guy is this? How can he be so fine after seeing my majesty right in front of him? ¡°You bloomed from the darkness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Inferior creature.¡± ¡°Mother¡¯s side? Or father¡¯s side?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Oh. Are your parents hermaphrodites by any chance?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No? Never mind. I was just wondering.¡± Zagan doubted his ears for a moment at Deus¡¯ question. But soon an unconceble anger came over his face. ¡°This damn inferior creature¡­! I did my best to be polite!¡± -Whooong! The guy¡¯s giant spear was pulled back with all his might and then thrust forward. A speed that even skilled ability users couldn¡¯t even grasp, let alone respond to. If hit, it was difficult to guarantee life or death. No, it was normal to die. Watching the scene, Deus smiled contentedly. ¡®As expected, there¡¯s nothing like a family insult for provocation.¡¯ They say that ps are useless for angels, demons, Buddha, and Jesus. Thanks to this, he was able to make the demon guy who was announcing himself as a pushover do his best. Look at that. He clenched his teeth. Murderous intent gleams beyond his eyeballs. -Thud Deus roughly took off his top and threw it to the side. It was okay to give up since it was all torn anyway. This one had already passed away. But he saved his pants. It must be sturdy for a reason, even if it was expensive. He heard it was made from monster byproducts, and it certainly doesn¡¯t seem like a rumor. He reached out. He stared at the tip of that giant spear that had flown right up to me. Gently. Like brushing a curtain blowing in the wind. He pushed it aside. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] A burning pain had spread through his hand. But that was it. That was all. The oath shone on his right wrist. As long as he kept it, he received protection. Not a single wound, not a drop of blood had flowed from his hand that did not hold a weapon. ¡°What the¡ª¡± The spear flew in the wrong direction and of course, the devil came along with it. ¡®Damn. His facial features are really free-spirited.¡¯ -Crack!! An uppercut hits the demon, Zagan¡¯s chin. With a terrifying roar, the demon falls backward. Almost simultaneously Deus¡¯ figure disappeared and then. ¡°Ugh!!¡± A merciless downward strikends in the middle of the abdomen. There was nothing unnecessary, only a move for a fatal blow. It started as a sport, but after a time of delusion, it was improved for the sole purpose of killing. The ultimate power, honed and honed again under the sole belief of survival. -Thud!! With just two blows, the devil¡¯s body had bounced around. It then finally stopped, turned over, and spat out dark red blood. ¡°Cough!¡± Vanguard. A different emotion had finally dwelt in Zagan¡¯s eyes. Something, something was wrong. It was so different from the information he had gathered so far. This couldn¡¯t be. It really wasn¡¯t! ¡®These inferior creatures, they said that they were struggling with just the beasts we used! We gathered all the information and came here fully prepared¡­!¡¯ Even so, he wondered what that monster was. His jaw felt like it was going to be ripped off. His insides felt like they were splitting and spilling out. He fumbles around for his weapon. But there was nothing to be caught. ¡°Hey. Mr. Vanguard?¡± The spear was at Deus¡¯ feet. ¡°Surely this isn¡¯t the end, is it? Is it?¡± As soon as Deus had put his strength into his legs, the spear had split in two with a crack. The king¡¯s treasure had been given to the vanguard, could it be broken so absurdly? Hahaha. Zagan was now beyond embarrassment and just out of his mind. ¡°Oh. Please. Even if it¡¯s the first boss of Chapter 1, this is a bit much. I thought I was finally getting over the frustration of being wronged by the genre confusion but damn it. This makes me even more frustrated!¡± Zagan couldn¡¯t understand a word of what the crazy bastard was saying. Genre? Confusion? What the hell was he talking about? -Bang! Kaboom! Every time the human stomps his feet in anger, the area shakes as if there was an earthquake. For a moment, he wondered if that guy, instead of being a lowly creature, was a mole nted by apetitor. There were plenty of guys who were grumpy about the fact that he was the first to attack. ¡®¡­No. No. Some guys do that kind of thing but I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t do that. If they did that from the first attack and got caught, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to find their bones.¡¯ Then there was only one conclusion left. It was just that the lowly creature was out of standard. He was strong. Just too strong. Because he was stronger than him. He couldn¡¯t even use his hands. ¡°Ke-kekeke! Khahahaha!!¡± Uncontrobleughter bursts out. Soon, a loud roar resounds. ¡°Inferior creatures. Not bad. You¡¯ve managed to find out about our invasion!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I admit it. You got me good. I thought I was the one who set the trap. But it turns out I was the one caught in the trap! Khahahaha! I admit it. This is myplete defeat!¡± This was unexpected. Was he the first boss to admit it so coolly? That was ridiculous. How could a lowly creature do such a thing? Deus knew he¡¯d say such things. ¡°But! Know this. Inferior creature! I am but a vanguard! As time passes, more wille! Stronger ones wille! And in the end, my king will arrive!¡± Stronger ones had be the next bosses. The individual referred to as the king had likely been alluding to the final chapter. He had made it easy to understand, which was anticipated of a Chapter 1 boss. Deus nodded in agreement. ¡°So pave the way, wipe your throat, and wait! Khahahaha!!¡± Zagan struggled to stand, blood dripping from his mouth. There was no chance of winning. Having fallen into the trap so beautifully, he deemed it right to fight and die. That was an act worthy of the title of vanguard. ¡°Again! Cough, I introduce myself! My name is Zagan! One of the vanguards of the glorious Legion of Hell. The me that bloomed from the darkness! Also one of those who have been granted the king¡¯s treasure! The inferior creature who will take my life, no. Who are you!¡± Deus, who had been watching the scene for a while, sighed. Oh, this was not good. If he showed him that kind of look, Deus wanted to y along even if he was a boss. Deus pondered what to say, what could be said to protect the loser¡¯s honor, even if just slightly. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, Deus realized that the dark world was gradually getting brighter. In the meantime, dawn was over and the morning was getting brighter. There, Deus was able to think of the most appropriate thing. The novel that made him misunderstand himself, ?The Gate Opened on the First Day of the Mercenary Group.? The self-introduction that the main character of the novel spat out. A very embarrassing self-introduction. ¡°The sound of a trumpet echoing in the dawn sky.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Wow. Fuck. How did he say such a ridiculous line? As expected, not just anyone can be the main character. He was respected, he was admirable. Deus had nervously scratched his head frantically. ¡°¡­Cool.¡± But Zagan seemed to like it quite a bit. *** The morning was dawning. Dawn. Yes, dawn wasing. Luciel stared nkly, raising her head to look beyond. The monster no longer moved. Deus sat upon its head. From the bare back where the shirt was cast aside, a power that could not be defied was felt. -Swoosh The gate that the fallen monster rode on disappears. Following that, other gates open their mouths wide. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Well, finally Cradle! I¡¯m back!¡± As the monster wanted, the teachers werepletely separated from the battle. They all felt relieved as they finally returned to where they should have been. ¡°Wh, what! What is this!¡± ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± That was the part that teachers had to find out from now on. Deus smiled and slowly got up. Morning jog time. Next, it was time to feed Jojo. [Trantor ¨C Late Dreamer] [Proofreader ¨C Seeker] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!