《Academy鈥檚 Genius Swordmaster》 Chapter 1: A Somber Tale (1) Chapter 1: A Somber Tale (1) The battle had concluded on the third evening. The rain showed no sign of stopping yet. The raindrops pelting the skin felt more likeshes than water. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± Struggling to catch his breath, Ronan lifted his head. The once chaotic battlefield nowy silent, with only the sound of rain filling the air. As his gaze widened, thendscape before him seemed like a scene transferred from hell itself. The wastnd stretching to the horizon was mostly covered in a charred, reddish hue. It was the color of blood mixed with mud. Upon the sticky ground were scattered fragments that had onceposed humans. Puddles that had formed here and there carried the floating corpses of those who had been blown apart. Apart from him, there was no sign of any living beings in motion. As he wiped his de against his clothing, a voice echoed from behind. ¡°To think there was such a strong human, Amazing.¡± Despite the fierce downpour, the voice was clear. It sounded like the deep resonance of a cave filled with flowingva. Ronan turned his body with an expression of disgust. ¡°You aren¡¯t dead yet?¡± [It¡¯s an evident failure on Ahaiyute¡¯s part.] About five strides away, a massive figure of a human sprawled out. This was the culprit behind the carnage. The giant referred to himself as Ahaiyute. With a height easily surpassing 4 meters, the giant¡¯s back bore two pairs of wings. Its appearance resembled the concept of angels, frequently depicted in religious art. He had an oval-shaped bald head with distinct facial features. His white-tinged muscr torso was riddled with scores of deep and lengthy scars. Blue blood oozing from wounds formed puddles around the giant¡¯s center. [Indeed. Not yet.] Ronan¡¯s grip on the hilt tightened. If it were possible, he would have torn Ahaiyute to shreds with a mere thought, but he no longer had the energy for that. This single being had vaporized ten legions of the empire. With each flutter of his four wings, storms raged, and with each swing of his light-forged spear, hundreds lost their lives. The innocent lives lost before the final battle were beyond counting. [However, my end is near. Ahaiyute has been defeated, and soon they shall return to His embrace.] ¡°Well, good riddance. Stepping on dog shit on your way out wouldn¡¯t hurt. You damn sticky mess.¡± Thunk! Ronan picked up a broken dagger and plunged it into the giant¡¯s chest. Despite the attack, the giant didn¡¯t rise, indicating a likely fatal blow. Ronan perched on the giant¡¯s shoulder. While rummaging through his pouch, he muttered curses under his breath. ¡°Hey, you bastard.¡± The expensive pipe he had bought with a lot of money waspletely shattered. He tossed the broken pipe at the giant¡¯s face and stood up. ¡°Yeah, your friends, do you know that they¡¯re dead?¡± [Friends?] ¡°Yeah, the guys who came down with you.¡± [Are you referring to Nirvana and Duaaru?] ¡°I don¡¯t know their names¡­ Anyway, they¡¯re dead.¡± Twenty days ago, three giants descended upon thend. The reason remained unknown. They wreaked havoc to the extent that the continent¡¯s map needed to be redrawn. Ahaiyute was thest remaining giant. ¡°One was fried alive by a hot-tempered red dragon, and the other one was sealed for eternity by an oldman called Lorehon. I don¡¯t know what you guys were up to, but it¡¯s all over now.¡± Ronan wanted to see the giant¡¯s face twisted with despair. So he refrained from mentioning that the Red Dragon Navar-Dorje and her tribe suffered devastation akin to mutual annihtion, or the peripheral information about the Archmage Lorehon sacrificing his own soul as a conduit for a sealing spell. However, the response he received didn¡¯t fulfill his expectations. [It¡¯s fortunate.] ¡°What?¡± [The fact that there are no more strong individuals like you. You can no longer stop us.] Ronan slowly drew his sword. The gleaming tip aimed for the giant¡¯s throat. ¡°¡­How do you know that?¡± [The children of the Star share their senses with one other.] ¡°Seriously¡­ What a damn annoying one to the end. What do you mean there are no strong ones left?¡± I¡¯m Still here. Ronan didn¡¯t bother adding those words. He knew if he were to fight this monstrosity again, he could settle the matter within a day. However, Ahaiyute knew everything. [I know that your time is nearing its end] ¡°Huh.¡± [Strong one. Don¡¯t conceal the truth with shallow tricks.] The sword trembled slightly, but Ronan showed no sign of it. He pushed the sword¡¯s tip into the giant¡¯s throat. Tough skin tore as blue blood gushed out. Ahaiyute continued nonchntly. [I¡¯m quite d. If¡­ you had realized your skills earlier and put your all into training, you would¡¯ve be arge obstacle for our long-cherished wish¡­] ¡°Enough with the chatter. It¡¯s getting tiresome.¡± [You¡¯re an exceptional human. Be proud. The tale of the man who shook the sky and plucked stars could truly transcend the horizon of tomorrow. However¡­] He spat out like a wedge. [Your world will ultimately be consumed by the starlight.] Thunk! Ronan¡¯s sword drew an arc. https://discord/invite/dbdMDhzWa2 ¡°If you¡¯re alive, answer me! Is anyone here?¡± Ronan yelled, holding a hand to his mouth. No answer came. Ahaiyute died without a whimper. The blue blood flowed like a river, not seeping into the soil. Ronan kicked the giant¡¯s corpse and stood up. He began to wander the battlefield, searching for any possible survivors. Death existed wherever his gazended. Avoiding the fallen corpses was no easy task. Hush. Scanning through pale faces, Ronan clenched his teeth. Most of them were familiar faces. Comrades from the disciplinary unit that shared life and death. Ronan muttered with bitterness. ¡°Foolish bastards.¡± The disciplinary unit was a special forceposed of criminals. The underbelly of an army that made patriotism a duty. The epitome of inconsistency, even in their discipline. He knew why these men, who usually babbled and fled, would charge headlong into such a monster. ¡°Did you think you all were strong because I was? Huh?¡± Ahaiyute was formidable. Arrows that barred the sky, self-proimed knights¡¯ Holy Spears, and even Shullifen, the Sword Saint, hailed as the Empire¡¯s Greatest Swordsmaster, did notnd any critical blows. Only Ronan¡¯s de could sever the giant¡¯s flesh and suck blood from it. Even the swords of the disciplinary unit, which were unable to perceive mana, let alone use Aura, were oddly effective against the giant. Nobody, not even Ronan, could figure out why. Yet, within the battle where the fate of the empire was at stake, social status became meaningless. The Grand General discarded the original n and formted a new strategy centered around Ronan. In the end, the disciplinary unit became the most crucial force, guarded by ten legions. The ragtag misfits, with lungs filled with wind, didn¡¯t hesitate to elevate theirrades to heroes. They fought through being torn apart and shattered, ultimately proving the Grand General¡¯s judgment right. ¡°These damn idiots¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes wide and gently closed the eyes of his fallenrades, one by one. Their eyelids, hardened like the bark of an old tree, were tough and rigid. How many times had he repeated this task? ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, Ronan felt a faint, dizzy spell rising from his sr plexus. Thunk! The ground he had been lying on abruptly struck his cheek. His vision spun as if he had been drinking. Ronan grumbled as he fell over. ¡°Oh,e on.¡± His body wouldn¡¯t move. Even though rain whip-like raindrops wereshing at the side of his face not pinned to the ground, he felt nothing. Ahaiyute¡¯s words about the remaining time echoed in his mind. He knew as well. His worn-out body had reached its limit a long time ago. This phenomenon was a sort of deration of what his body could no longer do. It was saying it wouldn¡¯t y along with the likes of him anymore. ¡°Cough!¡± An unexpected cough burst out. It was a cough mixed with crimson blood. Amid extreme tension, the senses that had been numbed slowly began to return to Ronan. Leading the charge was agony. ¡°Yo¡­ you¡­¡± If he was going to die anyway, he wanted to die looking at the sky. Ronan exerted all his strength to flip his body over. The sky appeared, crisscrossed like a diaper. Neither the sun nor the moon nor stars were visible. Only asional shes of bluish lightning flickered through the growling clouds. ¡°Even till the end¡­ this is absurd.¡± Feeling even more agitated, Ronan closed his eyes. Now, he just wanted to die quickly. The days he had lived seemed to float and sway in the darkness. [It¡¯s truly fortunate for us. You wasted your talents in obscurity.] Once again, those bold words brushed through his mind. They were infuriating, but true. Most of his memories flowed like a stream of wasted moments or scenes where he wasted time like a fool. Ronan himself had squandered the shining talents, no one else. ¡°Should I have attended the academy too?¡± Understanding his talent came quickly. Exceptional ability wasn¡¯t something that could be hidden like poverty or a cough. His only family, his sister, had earnestly wished for him to receive proper education. She raised him with love and care, saying he could undoubtedly be a great person. Ronan disliked that and left home. It was bothersome. For the next three years, he wandered the continent like a stray dog. As with most crimes, Ronan also ended up in the punitive unit for a moment of anger. More urately, he turned himself in. The military life turned out to be surprisingly tolerable. In a unit that granted discharge after surviving three years, Ronan remained for seven. They provided food and shelter as long as he wielded a de. He had nopelling reason to leave. Though various offers for recruitment came his way, he rejected them all. And this was the result. The giants¡¯ invasion took everything away. The rascals he fought alongside for seven years, his caring sister, the nations and viges he encountered on his journey¡ªall turned to ash. If he had properly learned swordsmanship and dedicated himself to training, would the oue have been different? Could he have protected them? He didn¡¯t know. It was a meaningless contemtion. With closed eyes, Ronan rxed his body. He felt his soul gradually leaving his body. Someone had said death is nothing more than a deep slumber¡­ His mind¡­ Fading¡­ Dull¡­ [Is anyone¡­ there.] A human voice reached him. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Ronan jolted up from his position as if propelled. Mud sttered off his back and neck. He focused all his senses on his hearing and strained his ears. Once again, the voice reached him. [¡­ I¡¯m injured and can¡¯t move. Is anyone there.] ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m here! I¡¯m right here!!¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. Judging by how the sound seemed to resonate directly in his mind rather than through his ears, she was likely using telepathic magic. ¡°Keep talking! I¡¯ming now!¡± Ronan, who had roughly determined the direction, rushed forward. Despite smashing his face into the window multiple times as his legs gave way, he didn¡¯t care. The only thing that mattered was the fact that there might be a survivor. [Here is¡­] The voice grew fainter and fainter. Whatever the reason, it was clear that someone was fading away. Ronan increased his speed. Any traces of regret or stained ideals had long been cast aside. He soon arrived in front of a pair of leaning rocks. The two rocks faced each other like a roof, creating a structure under which he could avoid the rain. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± Every exhale was apanied by dripping blood. Ronan wiped his mouth with his sleeve and entered the space between the rocks. The owner of the voice was lying inside. ¡°You are¡­¡± And the moment he saw her face, Ronan had to swallow a sigh that rose up to his chin. ¡°General.¡± A familiar face. ¡°Ronan¡­¡± Struggling to raise her head, the woman spoke. Her voice was raspy, her throat was dry, but her former dignity remained unshaken. A stature taller than most generals, matted dark hair covered in blood and mud. In contrast, her skin was so pale it was almost pure white. Ronan repeated the words as if he was under some sort of enchantment. ¡°Grand General Adeshan.¡± Despite having aimed for the idols of every imperial soldier, Ronan didn¡¯t bow. He had no arm to salute her with. https://discord/invite/dbdMDhzWa2 Chapter 2: A Somber Tale (2) Chapter 2: A Somber Tale (2) Adeshan of Arkalucia. The Imperial Grand General reigning over a million-strong army, and the Duke of Arkalucia. A hero who saved countless lives with swift action during the onught of the giants. But now, before Ronan¡¯s eyes, she was fading away, torn apart like a dog¡¯s ything. **** ¡°Grand General Adeshan.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Adeshan¡¯s condition was unbearable to behold. Her crimson-stained uniform was torn and tattered, losing its functionality to cover her body. Her arm, torn messily, still oozed blood. ¡°Ronan¡­ a corporal, right?¡± Adeshan struggled to raise her upper body, propping herself against the wall. Her grey eyes, resembling ashes, fixed on Ronan. ¡°By any chance, what¡¯s the reason for this?¡± ¡°Wait, let me ask first.¡± After several deep breaths, Adeshan spoke. ¡°Ahaiyute¡­?¡± ¡°I killed him.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a body not far from here.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Adeshan twisted her lips. A single tear rolled down her dirtied cheek. Gazing at the sky, she mumbled in a weak voice. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Grimacing as she forced her legs to support her, Adeshan rose. Ronan quickly rushed to her and supported her. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It was something that needed to be done.¡± ¡°I have¡­ nothing left. You are the Hero. The one who saved the world, The True Hero.¡± ¡°Damn it, hero or whatever, let¡¯s start with stopping the bleeding. Your wounds are deep.¡± Ronan muttered a curse as he glimpsed her arm¡¯s injuries. Beneath the torn flesh, white bone peeked out. Tenderly sping her shoulders, Ronan gently pressed her against the wall once more. ¡°I¡¯m done for. There¡¯s no hope.¡± ¡°What? You called me by my first name, asking for help.¡± ¡°I only wanted to know the monster¡¯s fate. As I said, I have no hope left.¡± ¡°Still, we have to try our best.¡± Ronan took off his shirt. His well-trained body was covered in scars, resembling those of a wild beast. He began tearing the shirt into strips, intending to use them as makeshift bandages. ¡°You are quite stubborn.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you beforehand, it¡¯s going to hurt a lot. You might scream or even faint.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you¡¯re going to do it, do it quickly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Using the torn cloth, Ronan tightly bound the areas that needed staunching. Each time the fabric cinched, blood pooled and seeped from the wounds. **** ¡°Definitely¡­ I¡¯m feeling a bit better. The dizziness is less intense than before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± The two of them were seated side by side on a rock. The bandages wrapped around Adeshan¡¯s body seemed to have improved herplexionpared to earlier. ¡°I never thought you wouldn¡¯t let out a scream.¡± ¡°Being a Grand General isn¡¯t just about looks.¡± ¡°¡­Seems like you have more of a sense of humor than I expected.¡± Ronan tilted his head as if he were exhausted. Was it because he had transformed into a human with Ora? His recovery speed was unusually fast. ¡°But¡­ it seems it should¡¯ve been you who received treatment, not me.¡± Ronan sat there, wearing only his pants. Unlike Adeshan, hisplexion was worsening as time went on. Watching him spit out blood as if he were spitting out saliva, Adeshan clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk, at this rate, you¡¯re just adding to the death toll on the journey to the afterlife.¡± ¡°The Grand General might still survive if the rescue team arrives in time.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°What basis do you have to jump to that conclusion?¡± ¡°Well, when I heard the General¡¯s voice and stood up, I felt it. I¡¯m going to die.¡± A smile crept onto Ronan¡¯s lips as he said this. Perplexed, Adeshan asked. ¡°Then, why are you smiling when you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll die soon.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I actually feel really empty, It¡¯s like I am about to fade away for real¡­¡± Ronan lowered his gaze to his waist. He couldn¡¯t see the sword that he had never taken off since leaving his hometown. It looked like the scabbard had been pulled out along with the sword when he charged. It was a bit empty, but he didn¡¯t feel any stronger emotions than that. ¡°At least it¡¯s meaningful to be able to die like that? Not regrettable enough to lose the sword.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite an odd person.¡± The two of them exchanged various stories. Adeshan had a much more flexible way of thinking than he had anticipated. Ronan was taken aback when he found out that she, like him, came from amoner background. ¡°If you were to survive and return, is there something you¡¯d like to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°I said ¡®if¡¯.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I want to go to the Hundred Rose Knights and the sea. Completely naked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good dream. Anything else?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯d like to attend the Academy.¡± ¡°The Knight Academy?¡± ¡°Anywhere. I want to learn Aura, use magic for once¡­¡± ¡°Was it true that the Aura transformation wasn¡¯t sessful? And how did you actually manage to defeat Ahaiyute?¡± ¡°He got stuck to me, so I cut his wings off. After that, it wasn¡¯t anything special. Deflect his attacks, dodge and attack when there¡¯s an opening.¡± ¡°If he had heard about that, he would have fumed and fainted. The Grand General should apologize to all the hardworking warriors.¡± ¡°By the way, General.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Ourrades, while they might be crude, were still pretty decent individuals.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly saying something like that?¡± ¡°Could you use your authority as a Grand General to take care of the bodies? The regtions state that the bodies of fallen disciplinary unit members are either left as they are or collected and burned, but this time, if it wasn¡¯t for those bastards, we probably wouldn¡¯t have won.¡± ¡°Corporal.¡± ¡°Please. It would be even better if we could set up some kind of memorial monument.¡± Ronan¡¯s pupils gleamed with a peculiar crimson hue like twilight. After gazing at his eyes for a while, Adeshan nodded btedly. ¡°Thank you, Grand General.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you make a promise like that, I¡¯ll have to find a way to survive somehow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ make it¡­ if only for the sake of¡­ those who died¡­ even¡­¡± Suddenly, blood spurted out of Ronan¡¯s mouth. It was clearly not a normal amount. Confusion appeared on Adeshan¡¯s face for the first time. ¡°Hey, snap out of it.¡± ¡°The rescue team¡­ should be here¡­ by tomorrow¡­ just until then¡­¡± ¡°Corporal, get up.¡± Even when prodding his leg, there was no response. ¡°You should return and participate in the Improving Ceremony ording to the system.¡± She looked at Ronan¡¯s profile. The sound of his teeth shing was audible between his half-opened lips. His long and dark eyshes trembled like candles in the wind. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Adeshan turned her head. Blood dripped from her chewed lips. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch Ronan die. She had thought that she had be sufficiently numb after going through three lives, but it seemed that some traces of human emotions still remained. ¡°General¡­¡± Just then, a vague voice came from Ronan¡¯s mouth. Adeshan spoke with surprise. ¡°Corporal, you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°The sound of rain¡­ stopped.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Adeshan closed her mouth and listened intently. The constant drumming sound that had been echoing ceaselessly against the ceiling had vanished. Beams of light streamed through the gaps in the rocks, casting a reddish hue. ¡°Yeah, it looks like the rain has stopped.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ strange.¡± ¡°What do you mean by strange? What¡¯s the matter¡­¡± Boom! Suddenly, a thunderous noise, as if the earth and sky were trembling, resonated. Intense beams of light showered down upon the two of them. ¡°What?¡± Adeshan urgently raised her head. The rocks that had acted as a ceiling were gone, revealing the evening sky aze with fiery colors. Her expression contorted as her gaze reached the sky. An unbelievable scene was unfolding before her. ¡°No way¡­¡± Countless giants were descending from the zing sky. They swept away the clouds and halted the rain with their mighty wings. Their pping created a gale that stirred up the surroundings. Her hair fluttered like mes in the blowing wind. ¡°The three giants weren¡¯t the end of it?¡± She gazed at the descending giants with a helpless expression. Among them were giants with six or even eight wings. They seemed stronger than Ahayute at a nce. ¡°Am I going to fail this time¡­ too?¡± A giant descending directly above them swung its arm. A spear made of light shot directly towards Adeshan. She closed her eyes with resignation. She couldn¡¯t evade it, and she didn¡¯t want to. Then, a shadow passed in front of her. Swoosh! With a sharp splitting sound, the spear of light was cleaved in half. Adeshan opened her eyes. Ronan stood before her, holding her sword tightly in his trembling hand. ¡°Corporal.¡± ¡°Do you know any me or wind magic¡­? Anything¡­ that can lift me up¡­¡± ¡°me magic?¡± ¡°Damn it! My sword can¡¯t reach them from here!¡± With each ragged breath Ronan took, a pungent scent of blood filled the air. It was obvious to anyone that he had far exceeded his limits. Yet, he was still contemting swinging his sword at the giants descending towards them. ¡°My sword won¡¯t reach them from here.¡± Those words snapped Adeshan back to her senses. She propelled herself towards Ronan, throwing her body against his. Behind them, a steep slope awaited. Crash! The two of them tumbled down the slope, intertwined. When they finally reached t ground, Adeshan ended up straddling Ronan¡¯s chest. Ronan was flustered and shouted, ¡°What are you doing? Get off me! Right now¡­ ugh!¡± Ronan¡¯s pupils constricted. Adeshan¡¯s lips covered his own, and her loose hair tickled his nose and eyes. A cold, bead-like object flowed into Ronan¡¯s mouth along with saliva. Its unfamiliar metallic taste mixed with bitterness. Adeshan used her tongue to push the bead inside and then withdrew her lips. ¡°Swallow.¡± Ronan managed to do so in astonishment. He felt the bead descend down his throat. In the sky above, dozens of giants were forming a circr formation, preparing to hurl their spears. Adeshan pressed her forehead against Ronan¡¯s and spoke. ¡°What you just swallowed is a time-reversing bead. It¡¯s the secret that allowed me, who was once a daughter of ayman, to be a Grand General. I lived three lifetimes using this. It can rewind time a total of four times, and I¡¯ve already used it three times except for one. ¡°You can guess the reason without me saying, right?¡± Adeshan gestured towards the sky. The light around them was gathering into the shape of spears in the hands of the giants. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to count on you. Your peculiarbat skills, which even I, who have lived through three lifetimes, couldn¡¯tprehend, I think they hold the key to averting the end. If you want to learn, go to Philleon academy. It¡¯s a ce where extraordinary talents gather, so it¡¯s bound to be helpful.¡± ¡°What are you bbering about now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it might sound to you. I thought the same at first¡­¡± As Adeshan finished her sentence, a deluge of rain suddenly poured down from the sky. Spears existed in quantities matching the number of giants. Even with their wings, it seemed impossible to evade them. ¡°By the way, if¡­ We meet again, Can you tell me to not do anything stupid and just be a tailor?¡± ¡°Adeshan!¡± His vision turned white. Their eyes met for a final time. Thest image he saw of her was her wearing a strange expression¡ªneither smiling nor crying. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything possible, but nothing seems to work.¡± The flying spear pierced through both of them simultaneously. *** Ronan shot up as if propelled by a spring. He gasped for breath and frantically looked down at his chest, but there was no hole. ¡°W-where is this¡­?¡± He scanned his surroundings, catching his breath. The nightmarish battlefield had vanished, reced by a grassy hillside that smelled of meadows. Beside himy a long stick, the type used for herding sheep. Below the hill, a small vige stood. Children yed on makeshift rafts in the river that curved alongside the vige. It didn¡¯t take long for memories to return. Ronan chanted his hometown¡¯s name as though calling out to the deceased. ¡°Nimbuten.¡± It felt like he had just woken up from a long dream. Ronan stretched out his hand and touched his lips. The sensation of the unexpected kiss still lingered vividly. Adeshan¡¯s words about the time-reversing treasure echoed in his mind. ¡°Did I really return to¡­ past?¡± He groped his body all over. It was still the physique of a young boy. Ronan pinched his thigh, twirled in the air, and only after all of this did he realize that the current situation wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°I-I¡¯ve reallye back.¡± Memories overwhelmed him like a flood. The food he had eaten, the songs he loved, the starry sky he looked up at during his travels, and the people he had lost forever. And¡­ ¡°Sister.¡± Suddenly, the face of a person floated to the surface of his consciousness. The fact that he had returned to the past also meant that she was still alive. His only family. His gentle sister who had died without being able to meet her runaway little brother, and who had eventually lost her life at the hands of the giants. ¡°Sister¡­ Iril.¡± Uttering her name under his breath, Ronan gripped the stick. His steps, which had initially quickened, soon turned into a full sprint. Not long after, his childhood home came into view. But just as he was almost down the hill, an annoying noise arrested his steps. ¡°Bring it on time! You need to bring the money! No way!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Near the top of a nearby hill, boys who seemed to be around Ronan¡¯s age surrounded a child who didn¡¯t even look ten years old. They were stomping on him and taunting him. Among the smirking faces, there were a few that Ronan recognized. ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s that guy?¡± One among them seemed oddly familiar. He was a boy with vibrant red hair, and due to his small stature, he stood out even more. Was his name Aselle or something? Ronan rubbed his chin and tried to recall past memories. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he¡­ a magician?¡± As Ronan pondered, he turned his steps around. Even if not for Aselle, he didn¡¯t like seeing kids bullying other kids. He picked up a stick and swung it experimentally, and it made a satisfying sound. Chapter 3: Coward Aselle (1) Chapter 3: Coward Aselle (1) Aselle was having another hellish day today. He was deeply regretting not being able to resist his friends¡¯ persuasion. He wished he had even used the excuse of being sick, but it was always like this. ¡°Yeah! Even if you brought the money, it¡¯s okay to get hit!¡± ¡°Um, I really don¡¯t have any money!¡± In return, Aselle had to watch as he was mixed among the group and witness the sight of a young coward being beaten up. The small child was crouched round, taking the hits as if he were a ball. ¡°Then, How are you going to pay for your sick mother¡¯s medicine, huh?¡± ¡°W-well, that¡¯s¡­!¡± The reasons he was being beaten were iprehensible. Recently, his mother¡¯s illness had worsened, and most of their expenses went towards her medication. Despite his gang¡¯s primarily orphaned background, they didn¡¯t value the coward¡¯s filial piety. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t even need a mother to take care of you to live well. What are you trying to do, cling to some dying woman soon, huh?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it ease your conscience a bit if you think about the cost of raising a mother?¡± Even after hearing insults he couldn¡¯t bear, the child couldn¡¯t say a word. Aselle clenched his fist and muttered. ¡°Fool.¡± It was a word said to himself, not just to the child. The reason he, who was very small and skinny, wasn¡¯t a target for the delinquents was solely due to his talent. He didn¡¯t have the courage to endure violence or bullying. Aselle prayed. Since stopping it was impossible anyway, he just hoped the savage violence would end quickly. He hoped his name wouldn¡¯t be called. But life doesn¡¯t usually go as nned. ¡°Hey, Aselle! Give this kid a taste of your magic.¡± Hans, who yed the role of a leader, called him with a big breath. At that moment, all the delinquents stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards Aselle. Aselle felt like a heavy stone was dropped onto his heart. He maintained a nk expression and nodded. ¡°Heheheek! You want a taste of his magic?!¡± ¡°Please! Not magic! Please! Just spare me!¡± ¡°Master magician! He¡¯s a magician! Please have mercy!¡± The coward knelt down in a panic, holding onto Aselle¡¯s trouser leg, tears streaming down his face. Aselle closed his eyes tightly and began to chant a spell. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± The coward¡¯s body began to rise slowly. ¡°No! Please stop!¡± An invisible hand was gripping the coward, lifting him up. Cheers erupted from all around. His body, slowly ascending, soon reached a height where a fall would cause significant harm. However, the delinquents only goaded Aselle further. ¡°Heh heh, no matter how many times you see it, it¡¯s amazing. Let¡¯s hang him from a treetop!¡± ¡°Please let me down! Please! Please bring me down!¡± Aselle twisted his lips. His seemingly worthless talent felt like a curse. If he had known it woulde to this, he wouldn¡¯t have even jokingly bought one of those magic books that peddlers sold. If he hadn¡¯t been born in this remote vige, could his talent have been used more effectively? His hands trembled. In a moment of distraction, he felt like he might drop the coward. His magic was still feeble and unstable. Aselle let out a silent scream. ¡°Please, someone intervene!¡± ¡°Enough, bring him down.¡± Out of nowhere, an unfamiliar voice intervened from behind. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°You.. you!¡± The crowd fell quiet in an instant, like cold water had been poured over them. Even Hans, who wouldn¡¯t be fazed if he got hit by a stone on the road, was left speechless. What¡¯s going on? Aselle managed to turn his head slightly to look behind him. There stood awless figure from Nimbuten. Ronan spoke again. ¡°I said bring him down.¡± Aselle felt a shiver run down his spine. There was something in the dry voice that was unnerving. Unbeknownst to him, his lips were moving as he slowly lowered the coward. Hans reached out and grabbed Aselle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bringing him down because he told you to? Do you take me for a pushover?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°Raise him up again.¡± Aselle swallowed hard. The coward began to rise again. Seeing this, Ronan chuckled coldly. Hans, who had walked over, stopped right in front of Ronan. ¡°Ronan, long time no see.¡± ¡°Yeah, Hans, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly butting in? You¡¯d usually just stay quiet and sulk.¡± ¡°The perpetually scowling face of a syphilitic yam hasn¡¯t changed. Was it this bad?¡± ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you figure out the situation? You damn idiot.¡± Hans, who was considerably taller, looked down at Ronan. Hans was, in reality, three years older than Ronan. The other boys, overwhelmed by the atmosphere, stared at the two of them, holding their breath. Originally, in Nimbuten, Ronan¡¯s position was like a natural disaster that took a hands-off attitude, almost indifferent. Those who picked fights against him were rendered helpless, but he never intervened in other disputes. ¡°Don¡¯te at me with a punch like you did back in the day. Do you think you¡¯d win again if we fought again?¡± In contrast, Hans was like a stubborn bull charging at anyone. He would pick a fight even when in a good mood, and as soon as his mood turned sour, he¡¯d throw a punch, at least when it came to those weaker than himself. There were times when things went wrong due to his failure to properly assess the opponent¡¯s level. The most notable example was his fierce quarrel with Ronan¡¯s hideously ugly brawler three years ago.¡± But now things are different. A strong longsword hung from Hans¡¯ hip, a reward from a mercenary band for a mission he had takenst winter. Swish! Hans drew his sword. Ronan eximed in amazement. ¡°Oh, A sword?¡± ¡°What are you doing standing there gawking?¡± Hans¡¯s voice was as intimidating as his stature. The delinquents quickly closed in on the two of them. Aselle couldn¡¯t move as he had to maintain the magic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you kneel and beg now? I¡¯ll let it slide this time.¡± ¡°Do you know how to swing a de? If you think swinging a stick is the same as swinging a staff, you¡¯re mistaken¡­¡± Thud! Hans swung his sword vertically. Ronan casually twisted his shoulder and evaded the attack. They had expected a mess, but surprisingly, his stance held up. ¡°¡­I was trying to turn you into a one-armed cripple, but luck was on your side.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He was lucky. Ronan genuinely thought so. Unlike his deteriorated physical strength and stamina, his situational awareness and reaction speed seemed unaffected. Of course, they would need more information on whether Hans, a mere cripple, was his equal or not. ¡°It¡¯s toote to beg now. If you want to leave, you¡¯ll have to part with an ear or a nostril.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. His attention had suddenly shifted back to Aselle. The small boy, struggling to keep the coward from falling from mid-air, couldn¡¯t move due to maintaining the spell. ¡°Sure enough, my memory didn¡¯t fail me. That kid was a magician¡­¡± Interpreting Ronan¡¯s silence as a sign of weakness, the other boys began to chime in. ¡°It had already been a couple years. He¡¯s just now a scaredy-cat.¡± ¡°Stop acting all high and mighty, and just beg already, you cripple.¡± Even though it was Ronan, attempting to face a real sword with a stick thicker than a bedpost was a futile endeavor. Especially since Hans had practiced swordsmanship diligently every day. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it couldn¡¯t be denied that he was a hard worker. As the desired atmosphere was being established, Hans put more strength into his shoulder. ¡°If you die, your sister will think I¡¯m cute if I look after her. Just thinking of touching her round butts¡­¡± Shrill! At that moment, a whistling sound echoed through the air. Thunk! A round and broad object dropped between the two. ¡°Huh?¡± No one saw what had happened. Only the stick Ronan had had on his shoulder was now on the ground. Feeling a sense of difort, Hans averted his gaze. One of his sliced ears was now resting on the shoe. ¡°Huh?¡­ Uh uh?¡± Suddenly, a searing pain rushed into Hans¡¯s ear. Hans grabbed the spot where his ear used to be, his sword discarded. Blood gushed out between his fingers. ¡°Aaaargh! Fuck! My ear!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Thud! Ronan delivered a powerful kick to Hans¡¯s abdomen. Hans doubled over in pain, forgetting about the excruciating loss of his ear. The shock was so profound that he couldn¡¯t catch his breath properly. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± ¡°You little orphan bastard.¡± He roughly grabbed Hans¡¯s hair and hoisted him up. From Ronan¡¯s now humorless lips, a venomous voice emerged. ¡°My sister¡¯s butt is what? What were you saying?¡± ¡°Kill him! Kill him!!¡± Regaining his senses with great effort, Hans screamed while saliva and tears streamed down his face. The hesitant boys began to shout one by one and charged at Hans. Ronan grabbed Hans¡¯s face and pressed it onto the ground, muttering. ¡°Kids without parents always act up¡­ I don¡¯t have them either, though.¡± **** ¡°Hmm? You put him down?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± By the time he had finished dealing with the delinquents, Ashel had already let the coward down. Ronan muttered under his breath, his hand brushing against his pants. ¡°Tch, I¡¯ve definitely gotten weaker. I¡¯m exhausted from just this much.¡± Aselle tightly pressed his lips together. He had gotten weaker? The incident that had unfolded in about five minutes was embarrassing to even call a fight. The overwhelmingly one-sided violence reminded him of a crazed eagle infiltrating a chicken coop. Under a nearby tree, the coward¡¯s old bread haty rolling on the ground. Ronan picked it up, dusted off the dirt, and ced it on the coward¡¯s head. ¡°Go home.¡± ¡°I-I¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them getting back at you or anything. They won¡¯t have the audacity to wander around with their heads up.¡± Ronan raised his thumb, pointing towards the scattered delinquents behind him. All of them were treating their broken arms and legs. ¡°Also, take this.¡± Ronan took off the coward¡¯s hat again, slipped a few coins into it, and handed it back. The money came from the delinquents¡¯ pockets. The coward, his voice trembling, said. ¡°T-This is too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already taken my share.¡± ¡°Well, still¡­¡± In his previous life, he was as uninterested as an ant¡¯s belly button, but who would have thought that this seemingly useless fellow would possess such a talent? Ronan didn¡¯t want to miss out on this unexpected stroke of luck. Ronan¡¯s body had risen to about his own height without him realizing. Aselle was sweating profusely as he focused on his magic. ¡°Come to think of it, I should try this too.¡± Swish! Unexpectedly, Ronan drew his sword. It was the sword that had belonged to Hans, who was now rendered unable to wield a sword. Startled, Aselle tried to release the magic, but Ronan stopped him. ¡°No, keep it up.¡± It was an iprehensiblemand. Ashelpiled for now. Ronan lightly ran the sword through the area where telekinesis was at work. A sensation like cutting through water flowed from his fingertips. Simultaneously, the force that was holding Hans disappeared. ¡°Huh?!¡± Thud. Aselle stumbled, clutching his rear end. Ronan, whonded gracefully, let out a relieved sigh. Chapter 4: Coward Aselle (2) Chapter 4: Coward Aselle (2) ¡°What, what was that just now?¡± Aselle couldn¡¯t understand what had happened to him. In an instant, the flow of mana was blocked, and the magic was released. It felt like the tight string he had been pulling had snapped. ¡°Huh? Just now, my magic was¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ronan shrugged his shoulders. He wasn¡¯t faking it, he honestly didn¡¯t know. He could drain mana. He had discovered this ability when he was active as a punisher. Back then, he didn¡¯t tell anyone because he thought it might be troublesome. Ronan suspected that this ability might be what allowed him to inflict injuries on Ahaiyute. There might have been another ability at y that he himself wasn¡¯t aware of. ¡°Unraveling the secret of this ability might be one of the tasks given to me.¡± Ronan tapped Aselle¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°Come here in three days, at nightfall. Around the time the moon rises.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t show up¡­I am sure you know what will happen, right?¡± Leaving behind those words, Ronan started walking away confidently. Despite Aselle shouting something from behind, he ignored it. If Aselle had really regained his senses, he woulde. ¡°Darn it, I¡¯ve wasted too much time.¡± Ronan first went to the riverside, washed his face and hands to remove the blood stains. He bought new clothes from the market, changed into them, and picked a few wildflowers by the roadside. Finally, he arrived at the small house on the outskirts of the vige. Ivy vines covered the exterior wall in a lush manner, creating a beautiful sight. Unknowingly, Ronan took a deep breath. He felt a tension he hadn¡¯t experienced even on the battlefield or in front of monsters. On the other side of this door was Iril. His sister, whom he hadn¡¯t seen since he left home at seventeen, and who had perished during the giants¡¯ invasion. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ calm down.¡± Ronan reached out his hand to grab the doorknob. It should have been an easy task to just pull it, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Suddenly, the bouquet of flowers in his left hand caught his eye. Ten yellow and white primroses were beautifully arranged. They were the flowers that Iril loved. He suddenly felt ridiculous. Damn it, he wasn¡¯t a blushing young man confessing his love . As he was about to turn around to go and discard the primroses, the door swung open, revealing a woman. A remarkable beauty in the transition from a young girl to a youngdy. ¡°You came in early today, Ronan! Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Uh? Uh¡­ yeah¡­ no.¡± Seeing her radiant smile, Ronan froze in ce. Her hair, cascading down to her shoulders, was like a sea of waves, shimmering with a silvery-blue hue even under the spring sunlight. Her unblemished, fair skin resembled an untouched snowfield, not a single footprint in sight. ¡°It¡¯s perfect timing. I just finished making stew.¡± Indeed, Iril was wearing an apron covered in various stains. She grinned as she looked at the primroses in Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°Oops! Those flowers?!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°You brought them for me? They¡¯re pretty!¡± ¡°Well, not really¡­ but since you find them pretty¡­ I¡¯m d.¡± Ronan handed over the primroses and looked at his sister¡¯s face. Her clear,rge eyes had the same sunset hue as his. She suddenly embraced Ronan tightly, burying her face in the bouquet like a child in delight. ¡°My grumpy little brother, what¡¯s gotten into you? Thank you!¡± In that moment, an indescribable emotion surged in Ronan¡¯s chest. His sister was just as he remembered her. A person who could give him strength just by being by his side, a sun that illuminated everyone. Suddenly, the scene before his eyes blurred, and he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh? Did something get in your eyes? Let me see,e here.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, just let me check quickly.¡± Because there was about a head¡¯s height difference, Iril had to raise her tiptoes. Ronan brushed away her hand, using hunger as an excuse, and entered the house. ¡°I ate well. It was delicious.¡± ¡°Wow! Is today some special day? I¡¯m hearing Ronan say that the food was delicious!¡± Ronan neatly ced the spoon down. The wooden bowl was now empty. The simple potato stew that Iril had cooked was tastier than any delicacy he had eaten before his journey. ¡°Sis, how old are you now?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m twenty-two years old this year, so¡­¡± Ronan nodded his head after hearing her age. He was a year younger than he had anticipated. Based on when he left the vige in his previous life, there were roughly ten years left until the giants¡¯ arrival. ¡°Ah, I just suddenly forgot.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not something you should forget!! There¡¯s nothing wrong with you, right? Did you maybe eat some mushrooms in the forest by mistake?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Iril sighed with concern and alternately touched her own and Ronan¡¯s foreheads. It was odd for him to suddenly bring primroses, her favorite flowers, and her brother had been acting strangely today. He used to be a child who found everything bothersome, even breathing. ¡°By the way, sis.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Ronan scooped another spoonful of stew as he spoke. This was his third bowl. ¡°I¡¯m nning to attend the academy.¡± ¡°What?¡± Iril stared at Ronan, dumbfounded. The suddenness of it all left her momentarily speechless. What did he just say? Did he lose some sheep again? No, he mentioned something about an academy¡­ academy¡­ academy¡­ Almost jumping in excitement, she eximed, ¡°What? You¡¯re going to attend an academy?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡± ¡°Say it again, Ronan, huh? Did you say you¡¯re going to attend an academy? Really? Really? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Woo-hoo!¡± Iril hugged her brother¡¯s neck with joyful enthusiasm. It was the moment her lifelong wish wasing true. She nted kisses on Ronan¡¯s cheeks, in rapid session. ¡°I knew this day woulde! I believed in you! You¡¯re talented, so you¡¯ll excel at anything you do!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Which academy are you leaning towards? The Knight Academy, as expected? Knight Ronan! That¡¯s cool! Or perhaps the unexpectedly ordinary National Academy? Bing a schr would be great too! Of course, no matter what, I¡¯m on your side! Ah, get a hold of yourself, Iril!¡± Only when Ronan was finishing his fourth bowl did Iril finally regain her senses. She suddenly began rummaging around the y jar ced by the firece. In her hand emerged a substantial pouch. ¡°Here! Take it, Ronan! It¡¯s all yours now!¡± As the sealed pouch made a jingling sound, Ronan knew that most of the money his sister had earned was inside. Iril ced the pouch on the dining table with a triumphant smile. Her eyes were sparkling, urging him to open it. But Ronan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sis.¡± ¡°What? But this is yours¡­¡± ¡°The tuition fee, right? I¡¯m really grateful, but I¡¯ll just take your heartfelt intention. The ce I¡¯m nning to go requires more than this.¡± ¡°Where are you thinking of going that you need so much? I¡¯ve saved quite a bit, you know?¡± Her cheeks puffed cutely. Ronan put the pouch back into the y jar and spoke up. ¡°The Royal Philleon academy.¡± Iril¡¯s alreadyrge eyes widened even further. **** [If you seek knowledge, go to Philleon.] These were Adeshan¡¯s words. The Royal Philleon Academy. Normally called Philleon. Situated at the heart of the institution, this prestigious educational academy was second only to the imperial pce in its status. With an exceptional faculty recruited from all across the continent and substantial capital from the royal family, it went beyond being a mere prestigious academy, churning out individuals who would leave their mark on the world. Even Ronan, who had no previous connection to academics, knew the value associated with graduating from Philleon. ¡°Indeed¡­ there were quite a few capable individuals from Philleon.¡± As Ronan reflected on his memories, he mumbled in agreement. General Adeshan, the swordmaster Shullifen, and even the feared criminal known as the Winter Witch, all were Philleon graduates. Ten years remained. Considering the task entrusted to him, it was not a long time at all. It was a mission he had taken on unexpectedly, but he had no intention of turning away from it. He pictured the final moments. Hundreds of giants descending from the sky. He couldn¡¯t fathom how strong he needed to be in order to face them. That¡¯s why Ronan had decided to enroll in the Philleon Academy, as Adeshan¡¯s words had implied. He believed that he could learn ¡®how¡¯ to be stronger, even if he didn¡¯t know ¡®how much¡¯. It also aligned with his dream of attending an academy. ¡°By the way, was it really that surprising?¡± Iril¡¯s expression was still etched in his memory. Even if he had dered that he would be an emperor, it wouldn¡¯t have surprised her more than this. Although she had blessed Ronan¡¯s future, she probably didn¡¯t think he would actually be able to get into Philleon. Ronan wanted to bring happiness to his sister once again. So, on the third day since his return, he left the house at dawn and climbed the hill. He carried two backpacks, each big enough to hold a small child. ¡°Hey.¡± Soon, he spotted a lightly dressed boy leaning against an oak tree, dozing off. When Ronan pped his hands three times, the boy jolted awake, startled. ¡°You came on time, Maselle. Honestly, I¡¯m quite surprised.¡± ¡°Ah! Uh¡­ well, it¡¯s Aselle.¡± ¡°This stubborn fellow. Come on, why do you think I called you here?¡± ¡°Um¡­ well¡­ because of my ability¡­ you¡¯re interested?¡± ¡°As expected of a young magician. Your mind is sharp. Here, take this.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Ronan tossed one of the backpacks to Aselle. It looked bulky, but it was lighter than he expected. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡± ¡°A pouch to hold dreams and hopes.¡± Aselle peeked into the backpack, finding around ten thick and thin pouches inside. He couldn¡¯t even guess what they were meant for. ¡°What¡­ does this have to do with my ability?¡± ¡°For now, just follow me. A raft has been prepared.¡± ¡°A raft?¡± Carrying the backpack, Aselle followed behind Ronan. By the riverside, an umon sight awaited them: a raft secured with ropes. Chapter 5: Coward Aselle (3) Chapter 5: Coward Aselle (3) ¡°Academy? What are you talking about?¡± Aselle was about to respond with such a bewildered tone. ¡°Um¡­ Ronan, I¡¯m really taken aback by this. What on earth is happening right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the process of writing the first page of ¡°Ronan¡¯s Biography¡±, The Empire¡¯s greatest History book .¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°Next month, we¡¯re going to Barun.¡± ¡°Barun? Are you talking about the Jido Barun ?¡± ¡°Yes. You know the Royal Philleon academy is there, right? It might be a bit early considering the entrance exam date, but it¡¯s best to go around this time for the adjustment period.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was serious. Aselle realized he wasn¡¯t joking and froze in ce. Despite being a country bumpkin, Aselle was aware of the status of the Philleon Academy. Philleon? That Philleon Academy? The city within the Hundred Towers, where the finest talents from the continent gather. Are you saying people like usmoners could enter that ce? However, Ronan was already progressing with ns behind the scenes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that part. I¡¯ve already talked to your parents.¡± ¡°Y-you met my parents? When?!¡± Aselle jumped up from his seat. Ronany down and waved his hand to restrain him. ¡°Sit down. We¡¯re sinking.¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ hoo¡­ wait¡­¡± Aselle took a deep breath and sat back down. Ronan continued. ¡°Yesterday afternoon. They like you, you know? What could be a better source of pride than having their only child enter Philleon?¡± ¡°Wait, wait! Okay! Ronan, assuming all you¡¯re saying is true and sincere!¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re incredibly talented in martial arts, so maybe you could get in. But why me? My abilities are mediocre at best. You know that too!¡± ¡°Aselle, Do you enjoy your current life?¡± Suddenly, Ronan, who was lying down, sat up to face Aselle. His eyebrows and intensely focused pupils were as sharp as a hawk¡¯s. Aselle lowered his head deeply. He couldn¡¯t even answer with empty words. Days of being bullied while pretending to be tough came to mind. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to change your life? Not everyone is born with the potential of a mage.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m¡­ not as strong as you. I¡¯m cowardly and¡­ timid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re a loser. You were so afraid of bullying that you tormented a junior, a pathetic piece of trash. Why do you think you were the only one who didn¡¯t get hit back then? You were beyond pitiful. Not even worth hitting.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°But, those kinds of things are all trivial matters. They¡¯re aspects that can be fixed easily.¡± As if triggered by a memory, Ronan lit his pipe. The boy in front of him resembled himself. The naive and foolish version of himself who wasted his brilliant talent usingziness as an excuse. While Aselle¡¯s case wasn¡¯tziness but rather weakness, the pattern was simr. ¡°Misusing your talents with various excuses will undoubtedly lead to regretster. I guarantee it.¡± Ronan hadn¡¯t brought Aselle along solely due to the necessity of a telekinesis mage. He didn¡¯t want Aselle to experience the same kind of regret he had. The smoke that had been released dissipated into the strong wind. ¡°Well, if you really don¡¯t want to, just say it. I¡¯ll drop you off at a suitable ce.¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Aselle raised his head. His amber eyes caught the moonlight and glimmered. Seeing the determined expression, Ronan chuckled softly. ¡°I want to go too. To Philleon.¡± ¡°You made a good decision.¡± ¡°Yeah, Tell me what I need to do.¡± ¡°What you need to do¡­ well¡­¡± Aselle looked at him with an expression that seemed to say ¡°just tell me anything.¡± Ronan scratched his chin and recalled the n he had formted. Then, he casually said: ¡°Stealing?¡± It wasn¡¯t until dawn that the raft reached its destination. The area was filled with various rocks, offering good cover. After tying up the raft behind arge rock, the two boys disembarked. ¡°Now, keep your voice down. Follow my lead.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They left the riverside and entered the forest. The wind blowing through the trees carried a slightly chilly feel. It didn¡¯t take them long to spot a distant reddish glow. ¡°That¡­ is what you mentioned, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Did you pack the backpack properly?¡± Aselle nodded. They cautiously approached the source of light, and as they got closer, they realized it was a massive bonfire. Before long, they were confronted with an unreal scene, and Aselle bit his lip to stifle a scream. -Keough! Pukkakk! -Pyuu¡­! Dozens of sharp-eared and pointy-nosed goblins were sprawled around the bonfire. They weren¡¯t dead or injured; they just seemed to be in a deep slumber. Ronan made a disgusted expression. ¡°Ugh, my morning dumps are more attractive than this.¡± ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± At first nce, they resembled a monster called a ¡®goblin¡¯. However, they were different from the typical goblins. They were notablyrger and had a much more rugged appearance. Unlike their kin who only cover essential parts, they were well-equipped with armor. The decisive difference was the color of their skin. It wasn¡¯t the usual green associated with goblins; instead, it had a rich, golden hue. ¡°Those are Lunar Goblins. They¡¯re the offspring who save up in the monster business.¡± Ronan exined. The Lunar Goblin was a rare subspecies of goblin that he had encountered on his travels. They had a habit of collecting shiny objects like crows and held festivities every full moon. ¡°How did you find out about this?¡± ¡°There are various ways.¡± Ronan recalled a conversation he had with a peddler three days ago. ¡°Darn it. They¡¯ve been raided again. What are my men even doing?¡± ¡°Again? Did something like this happen before?¡± ¡°Yeah. This is already the third time.¡± ¡°Is it the work of bandits?¡± ¡°Like a little punk like you would understand what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Sir, please answer when asked. Even if I weren¡¯t in a hurry, I would¡¯ve burnt your goods. You want me to set your pnquin on fire with your fancy pipe?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­! Ahem! That guy is so stubborn¡­¡± The peddler spilled everything he knew. The raids happened only at night, and there were no survivors. Except for precious metals and weapons, they didn¡¯t touch any other items, even valuable spices. ¡°And this is truly valuable information¡­ Well, let¡¯s see. Footprints found in the vicinity weren¡¯t of human origin!¡± Based on the information, Ronan deduced that it was the doing of the Lunar Goblins. Due to their agility and cunning, only individuals with specialized knowledge could track them¡ªmaking them nearly impossible to pursue, This was the reason they hadn¡¯t been able to identify the culprits even though nine people had died. And Ronan possessed the specialized knowledge to track them. ¡°If we make a mistake, we¡¯re dead, Aselle. See that?¡± Ronan pointed at the bonfire with his index finger. All sorts of animal bones littered the area. Among them were a fair number of human bones. Nearby stood arge altar made of branches and bones. On the altar were the various items the goblins had collected over time. From various weapons to intricate gold ornaments, they were all piled up. The grand n was for Aselle to use his telekinesis to steal the valuables while the revealing goblins were asleep. Aselle trembled and asked in a quivering voice. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ do we really have to go this far? Isn¡¯t there another way to earn money¡­?¡± ¡°There are a few.¡± ¡°Well, then couldn¡¯t we try one of those? This just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± ¡°Sure. Pick one. The first option is that we be Lunar Goblins ourselves. We raid merchants at night and take their treasures. If they resist, we¡¯ll add a few extra holes to their heads. How about it?¡± ¡°¡­And the second option?¡± ¡°Selling you off to a brothel. There are perverts everywhere who like pretty boys like you. Short nights cost 10 silvers, long nights are 30 silvers. If you want to get blown, it¡¯s 7 silvers. What¡¯s the tuition fee? If you roll around for a month, you¡¯ll be fine until graduation, won¡¯t you?¡± Aselle was frozen, unable to respond. Ronan leaned in, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him. ¡°So, listen carefully, kid. We¡¯re not going through all this trouble for nothing. Do you know what Philleon is?¡± ¡°Uh, what ce is that? An academy?¡± ¡°Exactly. An academy. Not just any academy but a ce where the cream of the crop from the continent gathers. Do you think those brats will be friends with peasants like us who reek of cow dung?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°The only way we¡¯ll be recognized is through skill. Unfortunately, Philleon is a ce where only the best of the best among the noble children gather. They¡¯ve probably been cultivating their talents since they were in diapers, right? There¡¯s only one way to surpass those kinds of people. Practical experience.¡± ¡°Practical experience¡­!¡± Ronan looked up slightly and nced at the altar. Over twenty Lunar Goblins were frolicking around it. ¡°Yes, practical experience. When the noble kids fall, pretty maid sisterse running with potions and bandages, but when we¡¯re in trouble, ugly goblinse charging with clubs. I can guarantee you, one real-world experience is more meaningful than a decade for those brats. Unless we screw up big time.¡± Rising slowly, Ronan patted Aselle¡¯s back. ¡°Be a man, Aselle.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Aselle wished he could turn back time. Even if he had to swim through the river of dung, he should¡¯ve jumped off the raft. But it was impossible to gather spilled water. Taking a deep breath, Aselle steeled himself. Then, with trembling hands, he aimed at the altar. A muffled chant escaped his lips. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± One of the daggers on the altar floated up gently. **** ¡°That¡¯s it, Aselle! You can do it!¡± A ne flying through the air slipped into the sack. Ronan cheered while clenching both fists. The sizable sapphire embedded in it seemed worthy of at least thirty coins. ¡°Whew¡­ hoo¡­!¡± ¡°Just fill that sack and let¡¯s get out of here. You are doing well.¡± An hour had passed since the theft began. The night was turning to dawn, the sky turning a deep shade of blue. Aselle had managed to fill seven and a half sacks. ¡°Invisible¡­ Hand.¡± He maintained an unusual level of concentration. Despite not wanting to admit it, Ronan¡¯s perspective on practical experience was urate. In the tense situation where dropping even a single item would expose them to the goblins, Aselle¡¯s telekinesis was undergoing remarkable growth. As if to counter his skepticism, two hefty maces floated up from the altar. Their ornate and borate designs, particrly at the head, made them suitable for use by pdins. ¡°Oh, those should fetch a good price too, right?¡± Ronan was experiencing a kind of joy he had never felt before. It was satisfying to be stronger himself, but it was equally enjoyable to witness hisrade growing stronger. Aselle possessed a uniqueness and potential that theckeys of the disciplinary unit could never achieve. Everything was going smoothly. In fact, he had initially nned for the goblins to interfere at some point, but thanks to Aselle¡¯s astonishing rate of growth, it seemed unlikely that they would even need to draw their swords. ¡°No need to waste our strength on goblinckeys. They¡¯ll just tire us out.¡± They were bound to face plenty of challenges ahead, so asionally taking the easy way out wasn¡¯t a bad idea. The maces were steadily approaching. While they wobbled slightly due to their weight, their overall height was sufficient, so there were no issues. And then it happened. ¡°You damn chicken head!¡± ¡°Damn it! Catch them before they reach the river!¡± Out of nowhere, a vigorous shout echoed through the forest. It wasn¡¯t the voices of the two of them; it belonged to others. Birds took flight, and Lunar Goblins, roused from their slumber, shrieked and rose to their feet. -Squawk!! -Caw! Caw! ¡°What? Wha¡­!¡± Startled, Aselle huddled up in surprise. The magic that held the maces vanished. Thunk! The mace that had fallen straight to the ground shattered the spine of a goblin that was trying to get up. The sttered blood and brain matter hit the faces of nearby goblins. -Ki, Keiaaak?! ¡°No!¡± Aselle turned to Ronan, clutching his head. Ronan let out a deep sigh and grasped the hilt of his sword. ¡°Yeah, no wonder things were going so smoothly.¡± Chapter 6: Coward Aselle (4) Chapter 6: Coward Aselle (4) The goblins who saw blood became frenzied. The face of arade, with a mace deeply embedded in it, was nauseating even from the goblins¡¯ perspective. They all grabbed their weapons as if they had made a decision. ¡°Kyaah?!¡± Then one goblin screamed, pointing at the altar. About half of the gathered offerings were missing. Thepletely crazed goblins screamed in horror and scattered in all directions. Before long, they could spot a human slowly rising into the air. ¡°Keaaaak!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted!¡± Aselle gritted his teeth and focused his mind. He hadn¡¯t attempted to levitate himself using telekinesis before. In an instant, goblins swarmed around him, using each other¡¯s bodies as stepping stones, leaping higher and higher. ¡°Kwaaaah! Get away!¡± Various weapons barely missed Aselle. As he struggled with his legs dangling, he finally reached a height the goblins couldn¡¯t reach. He hurled himself toward a nearby tree. Stretching out all the joints in his body, he barely managed to grab onto an outstretched branch. ¡°Huuaaak¡­! Huuaaak!¡± Suddenly, his thigh seared with pain, and he lowered his head. He saw blood trickling through a tear in his pants. Suppressing the rising tears, Aselle shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Heck, Rohan¡­! Heck, I¡¯ve climbed up!!¡± At that moment, a shadow shot out from behind the tree Aselle was hanging onto. The shadow rushed straight towards the group of goblins. The goblins, their attention on Aselle, didn¡¯t notice Rohan approaching. Thud! Simultaneously with the appearance of a silvery arc, three heads soared into the air. Rohan, drawing his first stroke, realized his senses were still sharp, bringing him a sense of relief. Swoosh! Two more heads, apanied by spurts of blood, shot up. ¡°Kyaah? Kyaahaak?!¡± Only then did the goblins realize there was another intruder. Of course, Rohan didn¡¯t know that Aselle had already climbed up, so he paid no mind and swung his sword. The struggling goblin¡¯s torso was sliced vertically. ¡°Kyauek¡­!¡± Blood sprayed out like an explosion, sttering everywhere. As severed torsos fell away, the tangled intestines unraveled, pouring over the goblins¡¯ heads. Suddenly, Rohan, who had reached the center of the group, stopped in his tracks. ¡°Ke-keruk¡­!¡± ¡°One¡­ Two¡­¡± The grim y was a great sess. The frightened goblins couldn¡¯t easily approach Rohan. Rohan counted the remaining goblins while flicking his fingers. His arm was already throbbing, making him feel the need to train his body more rigorously. Currently visible were thirty-one goblins. ¡°Fifteen strikes.¡± With a kick to the ground, Rohan dashed forward, estimating the number of times he could swing his sword. Dawn was breaking. The shadows of the trees and grass were lengthening in the gradually brightening sunlight. Birds began to chirp, and animals that had woken from sleep stretched and yawned. It was a time when everything became beautiful. Except for the goblinir that had fallen to ruin overnight and Rohan, whose body was covered in blood. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± Aselle answered as he held his breath as much as possible. The stench of blood to the point of unconsciousness was vibrating all around. The area around the bonfire was a mess of torn-up Lunar goblins and their contents. ¡°Good job.¡± Rohan patted his shoulder. Aselle nodded without much spirit. Scenes of Rohan¡¯s battle were reying in his mind over and over. ¡°What did I just witness?¡± It was like a nightmarish scene. Rohan had depicted this massacre with exactly fourteen sword strikes. The ughter, free of any excess, was oddly artistic. Suddenly, Aselle felt pathetic. All he had done was climb up the tree as Rohan instructed. Even without him, Rohan would undoubtedly have achieved a simr result. ¡°But¡­ didn¡¯t that mean I was unnecessary?¡± ¡°Hey, practical experience is important.¡± ¡°No, it was dangerous, and I felt like I was just getting in your way.¡± ¡°I asked you to do what you could. Eventually, there will be plenty of things only you can do.¡± It was a matter-of-fact tone, as if exining that ice turns into water when it melts. Aselle nodded, hoping it would be so. ¡°But what¡¯s that on your leg?¡± Out of nowhere, Rohan asked with a serious expression. Looking down at his leg, Aselle discovered a long scratch on his thigh. ¡°Huh? Oh, this was from earlier¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t hurt?¡± Aselle shrugged, as if it was nothing. It was a wound he sustained while climbing the tree, not too deep, so he didn¡¯t mention it on purpose. But Rohan looked at the wound with a concerned expression. ¡°Do you know how filthy those bastards¡¯ hands are? If they spread some strange disease, you could just die.¡± Rohan, who unexpectedly turned towards the altar, began rummaging through odds and ends. In his returned hand was a beautifully decorated vial. ¡°Anyway, as long as it sparkles, just grab everything. Those dumb bastards, not knowing how to use these, are acting foolishly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Show me your wounds.¡± Aselle extended his wounds as instructed. Rohan promptly sprinkled the liquid from the vial onto the wounds. The area touched by the liquid grew warm, and the wounds quickly healed. ¡°A-a potion¡­!¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first time he had seen a ¡®real¡¯ potion. He didn¡¯t know the exact price, but he was aware that to purchase a potion of this level, he would have to pay at least in gold coins. ¡°Wow, it heals so fast. These alchemical products are indeed something. ¡®Sacred Donkey,¡¯ remember that too.¡± ¡°C-can I use something this valuable? I don¡¯t have anything¡­¡± ¡°What are you bbering about? Then should I use it since I¡¯m not hurt?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Should I use it even if I¡¯m not hurt?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re all better, quickly pack the stuff. There¡¯s a lot we have to do.¡± Rohan threw the remaining potions into the pouch, his lips curling into a smile. After a moment of hesitation, Aselle also began to fill the pouch. It didn¡¯t take a long time to fill twenty pouches, but the issue was carrying them. They sweated profusely as they shuttled back and forth between the riverbank and the forest. Rohan looked at the floating pouches in the air and eximed in admiration. ¡°Oh, now you can use them while moving.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but¡­ it¡¯s a bit¡­ tough¡­¡± Aselle, inexperienced as he was, managed to use telekinesis while moving. It was much less stable than casting it from a stationary position, but the fact that he could do it was important nheless. ¡°By the way, I¡¯d love to see the faces of those bastards. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­? Oh, yeah¡­¡± Rohan clicked his tongue. He was thinking about the screams that had awakened the goblins. When he and Aselle were hurt and covered in blood, it wasrgely the fault of those unknown troublemakers. Anyway, as they continued sharing their stories, time flew by. Before they knew it, they were moving thest pouches. As they walked forward, Aselle suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Huh?¡± Thud! Suddenly, Aselle¡¯s pouch fell to the ground. Rohan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aselle stared at the riverbank visible through the gap in the trees. ¡°Isn¡¯t that our raft?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rohan turned his head in the direction Aselle¡¯s index finger was pointing. Something was floating on the river¡¯s surface. A familiar-looking raft. Rohan threw his pouch and dashed forward. ¡°Damn it!¡± Aselle hurriedly followed suit. Soon, Rohan reached the riverbank and saw the raft floating away with the pouches, along with two menughing heartily on top. ¡°Hehehe! We¡¯re rich now!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s the day our luck turns, just like that bird! We can be leaders too!¡± Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be adventurers or hunters. Surprisingly keen-eared, Aselle could even hear their conversation clearly from the riverbank. Aselle realized that the voices of these men had likely awakened the Luna goblins. ¡°That¡­ that voice! Look! Stop!¡± ¡°These orcish bastards are worse than nothing!¡± Without hesitation, Rohan leaped into the water and yelled furiously. ¡°Stop right there! You thieves!!¡± ¡°Huh? Was there an owner?¡± ¡°Probably. Hey! We¡¯ve got a good~ catch here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to kill all of you!¡± Veins popped on Rohan¡¯s forehead. With the hilt of his sword between his teeth, he started swimming. With every stroke of his arms and legs, the sshing water created shes of rainbow. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s quite a swimmer. But my rowing skills are even more impressive.¡± ¡°These damn idiots think they can outrun us~¡± Rohan¡¯s swimming speed was unbelievably fast. However, he could barely keep up with the speeding raft. The men in the raft taunted Rohan, wiggling their behinds. Then, Aselle, who had been running alongside the raft, suddenly stopped. The rough terrain prevented him from moving forward. He panted heavily, his breath reaching his chin, and extended his right arm. ¡°Gasp¡­ huaak¡­! I told them to stop¡­¡± The sight of the raft was blocked by his palm. The only spell he knew emerged from between his lips. ¡°Eeek!¡± Simultaneously, Aselle¡¯s body was pulled forcefully towards the riverbank. **** The first to notice the change was one of the rowers. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Why are you stopping?¡± ¡°Huh, why isn¡¯t the raft moving?¡± ¡°But¡­ what¡¯s this?¡± Only after that did they finally see the approaching demons with swords in their mouths. ¡°Eeeek!¡± The once-distant gap was rapidly closing. Rohan¡¯s face appeared through the sshing waves, looking terrifying beyond words. Feeling the danger, the men drew their swords in a hurry. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s just a kid! No need to be scared!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, kid! If you value your life, turn back now!¡± At that moment, Rohan disappeared beneath the water¡¯s surface. Suddenly confronted by the unexpected silence, the men tensed up, on high alert. The only sounds were the gentle flow of water and the rustling of the wind. -Ssh! Then, a trout leaped out of the water, and simultaneously, with a ssh, Rohan emerged from below,nding on the raft, creating a spray of water. In his hand, the ck fish he¡¯d been holding was now clenched. ¡°You damn bastards! I¡¯ll cut your hands off and stuff them up your arses!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± The men charged. As Asel had been staring at the raft all along, he turned his head. The nging of metal soon turned into desperate screams, resonating over the river. ¡°Yaaah-!!¡± Rohan was undoubtedly keeping his promise. By tomorrow morning, they would find the bodies of the two men downstream, their buttocks impaled. It was a nightmarish sight he¡¯d rather not imagine, yet for some reason, the corners of his mouth kept twitching. ¡°Ah¡­ hahaha¡­¡± His lower half felt cold. His body was submerged in water up to his waist. After sinking his ankles into the riverbed, he finally managed to bring the raft to a halt. Ssh! Aselle¡¯s body fell backward. Like a puppet with its strings cut, he couldn¡¯t move a finger. The inexperienced boy didn¡¯t know that this was due to his mana being depleted. Floating in the water, he gazed up at the blue sky. It felt like Rohan¡¯s voice was echoing in his ears. ¡°You said there would be many things only you could do, but I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°Well, practical experience is good¡­¡± The river breeze was refreshing. The clear sun cast a golden hue over the river. The longest night in Aselle¡¯s life hade to an end. **** ¡°Why is this kid like this again?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Rohan¡­ I can¡¯t move¡­¡± Rohan returned alone, rowing the raft. He managed to lift Aselle, who was floating on the water like a jellyfish, and ced him on the raft. Even tickling his side would only make himugh weakly, and he seemedpletely exhausted. A streak of blood adorned one corner of the raft. Aselle didn¡¯t bother asking what had happened to the men. Rohan, who had stopped rowing, sat down next to Aselle¡¯s head. ¡°You stopped it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Rohan started poking Aselle¡¯s side again. Aselle chuckled weakly, feeling both helpless and satisfied. In addition to praising him, Rohan mentioned how much Aselle¡¯s skills had improved to an unbelievable extent. ¡°Eek, s-stop it! Heh, honestly, thank you.¡± Only wind-like sounds came out of Aselle¡¯s mouth, his strength forughter exhausted. To him, it was an astonishing improvement. Just a few days ago, he had hesitated about even hanging a single child, but now he could stop a heavy raft. The events of the previous night felt like a long dream. ¡°Ta-da!¡± Then, Rohan held out a sack in front of Aselle. Aselle raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh? This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like ours?¡± ¡°Right. It belongs to those thieves.¡± It was a sack that hadn¡¯t been there before. Unlike the items the boys had brought, this sack was made of thick, sturdy leather. It was the item the men had left(?) behind while trying to steal the raft. ¡°They were desperate to protect this. It looks like they stole something else before we arrived.¡± ¡°Could it have something to do with the cries we heard in the forest?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you open it.¡± Rohan undid the string sealing the sack. The knot was so tightly tied that cutting it might have been easier. Finally, after untying the knot, Rohan turned the sack upside down. Something with a bluish glint tumbled out. Chapter 7: The Girl Who Will Become a Countess (1) Chapter 7: The Girl Who Will Be a Countess (1) Ronan turned the pouch inside out. Something blue fell out with a soft thud, capturing the attention of the boys. ¡°Cheep¡­?¡± ¡°Um, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A bird?¡± It was a bird. A bird covered in blue feathers, except for its beak. At most, it was slightlyrger than a pigeon. The blue bird looked around slowly, tilting its head curiously. ¡°Huh, what kind of bird is blue? It¡¯s fascinating.¡± Ronan cautiously picked up the bird. Apart from its blue feathers, its appearance was quite unusual. If one were to liken it to an existing bird, it resembled a crow, but its feathers were incredibly lush. ¡°Cheep cheep¡­?¡± ¡°But why is this bird so lethargic? Can¡¯t you fly?¡± The bird remained docile on Ronan¡¯s palm. Even when poked, it just slumped with no energy, showing no particr reaction. Aselle cleared his throat, lying down. ¡°Ronan, there¡¯s something on the bird¡¯s leg.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan flipped the bird over. On its thin leg was a silver ring with an inscription. Upon closer inspection, there were words engraved on the surface of the ring. ¡°Kal¡­ibo¡­rr¡­o?¡± Ronan slowly read the words aloud. If his memory served him right, it was the name of one of the top five smuggling organizations on the continent. ¡°Could those two have been smugglers from kaliborro? But they seemed too¡­ stupid for that.¡± Ronan had some knowledge of kaliborro¡¯s notoriety. He had met a few fellow recruits in the disciplinary unit who were arrested for smuggling. They had talked endlessly about the bizarre creatures they had encountered and captured, even losing sleep over it. ¡°In that case, this ring¡­¡± He soon recalled the identity of the ring. Tamer Ring. It was a type of shackle created to subdue the ethereal creaturesmonly referred to as fantasy species. It was said to disrupt the mana of fantasy species by binding them with specially treated metal. ¡°Tch.¡± A sword was drawn from Ronan¡¯s waist. Holding the de over the ring, he struck it with force. The Tamer Ring split in half and fell to the ground. ¡°These scoundrels have nothing better to do than torment mute creatures.¡± ¡°Cheep?!¡± The precise control of his strength meant that the bird didn¡¯t have a scratch on its leg. The bird¡¯s pupils dted. The feathers that had been fluffy just a moment ago started to stiffen. ¡°W-why is this chick suddenly acting like this?¡± -Cheep cheep¡­ The feathers weren¡¯t just stiffening; they were transforming beyond the simple concept of bing rigid. The bird buried its head beneath its chest, curling its body into a round shape. Before long, as the feathers solidifiedpletely, the bird had transformed into an unmistakable egg. ¡°¡­Is it dead?¡± Ronan tapped the eggshell as if knocking on a door. It produced a sound akin to striking a full metal object, yet there was no response. Right then, a deep male voice resonated in Ronan¡¯s ears. [Hello, are you there? Are you the one protecting Marpez?] ¡°Hey, you surprised me there. Who¡¯s this?¡± [I apologize. I¡¯m the original guardian of Marpez. I was searching for something that went missing yesterday.] Upon closer listening, Ronan realized that the voice was not in his ears but echoing within his mind. It was an ancient magic he had experienced before. Only then did he notice a sophisticated magical rune drawn on the egg. Judging by the context, it seemed to be a connection spell for preventing loss. Was the Tamer Ring preventing the magic from activating all this time? He leaned closer to the egg and spoke. ¡°Marpez¡­ I don¡¯t really know what that is, but if you¡¯re talking about the blue bird, then yeah.¡± ¡°Blue bird! Yes! Oh, this is such a relief¡­! Could you tell me where you found it?¡± ¡°A pair of idiots were fleeing with it stuffed in a pouch.¡± ¡°What?!?¡± The owner of the voice seemed greatly surprised and started asking various questions. Ronan exined the situation and how he hade to rescue the confused animal, trying to keep it as concise as possible. [I thought they had just dropped it somewhere. I never imagined it could have been stolen¡­! I¡¯m not sure how to express my gratitude for this.] ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, the bird suddenly turned into an egg, is that okay?¡± ¡°Oh, transforming into an egg is one of Marpez¡¯ abilities. Normally, it runs around swiftly, but when tired or injured, it transforms into an egg to rest.¡± The blue bird¡¯s name was Marpez. Despite not appearing so, it was a type of fantasy creature known as a ¡°dream bird,¡± capable of various talents beyond just transforming its feathers into an egg. ¡°So, why was it lost in the first ce?¡± ¡°Well, I originally researched fantasy creatures at the Institute¡­ I think I got robbed while spending time in a nearby vige.¡± Mar¡­ whatever also transformed into the shape of an egg while sleeping. The incident likely happened around that time. ¡°I was about to report it to the Institute¡¯s police department¡­ I¡¯m really relieved now.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Anyway, how do we return this guy? We don¡¯t have ns to head to the Institute anytime soon.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll have toe and retrieve it myself. If you tell me the location, I¡¯ll be there within two days.¡± ¡°Um¡­ waiting for two days means we¡¯ll have to keep wandering around. If you release Marpez, will it be able to find its way home?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes. Well, at least for now¡­¡± This strange bird, fortunately, had a strong homing instinct. It was said that no matter where it was left on the continent, it would instinctively find its way back to its nest. However, the catch was that once the bird transformed into an egg, it would usually take about three to four days to fully recover and hatch from the egg. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Maybe if I sprinkle a potion, it wille out faster?¡± ¡°Yes? A potion? Well, you don¡¯t really need to go through the trouble¡­¡± ¡°Really? There¡¯s no need?¡± ¡°Well, Marpez¡¯ feathers do have the ability to absorb beneficial substances. But you really don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll just-¡± Ronan had already taken out a potion bottle. It was the one he had used on Asellel in the early morning. He let a few drops of the potion fall onto the eggshell. ¡°Since it¡¯s small, this should be enough. I just sprinkled it, so keep the cage door open.¡± ¡°Te-Teacher! Why would you¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, and carrying it around for three days is a hassle.¡± The notion that the potion was effective was true. The eggshell started cracking unexpectedly, and through the gaps, a deep red beak poked out. He gently ced the transforming egg on the ground. In a matter of minutes, Marpez, or whatever it was called, had returned to its full bird form. The feathers glistened with a luster that seemed much healthier than when it had been taken out of the pouch. Ronan spoke. ¡°Go home now.¡± -Cheep cheep? The bird fixed its gaze on Ronan, blinking its clear eyes incessantly. How did it know it had improved? The urgent voice from earlier resonated in his mind once again. [Incredible! Truly, how can I possibly express my gratitude¡­? No, wait, this isn¡¯t right. Please, pluck one of its feathers. It won¡¯t resist as it knows you saved it.] ¡°A feather?¡± Though hesitating, Ronan did as instructed. Indeed, the bird didn¡¯t resist. Instead, it even leaned its head to offer a particrly enticing part of its tail feathers. The feathers radiated a mysterious shade of blue that seemed like no artist could replicate. Ronan tilted his head. Why was he being asked to pluck a feather? Whoosh! At that moment, a feather slipped from his hand. Like an arrow, it flew and seamlessly returned to the blue bird¡¯s body, embedding itself back in its ce. Ronan muttered in disbelief. ¡°¡­What kind of magic is this?¡± [All dream birds have a characteristic of returning to their owners. If you happen toe to the Institute, please bring this feather with you. I really want to meet you and show my gratitude.] ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t expect any reward for rescuing an animal.¡± Ronan¡¯s sincerity was genuine. While having money was always good, he didn¡¯t feel the need to earn it through menial tasks. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. A kind heart deserves to be rewarded. Oh! I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t introduce myself earlier. I¡¯m Professor Varen Panacir, researching fantasy creatures. Well¡­ I¡¯ll look forward to the day we meet¡­anciently¡­anticipating¡­goodbye¡­¡± Suddenly, the voice was cut off. It seemed that the eggshell, engraved with the magic runes, had fully transformed back into feathers. The bird remained still until Ronan reluctantly plucked one of its tail feathers. -Cheep Cheep Cheep! ¡°Whoa?! Hey!¡± The bird suddenly roared and leapt into the river. Ronan, who was about to take off, froze in ce. An unbelievable sight was unfolding. ¡°Damn it, what is that?¡± The bird was leaping across the water¡¯s surface instead of flying. Ignoring the strong current, it ran swiftly before disappearing from sight in an instant. The two boys stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the direction where the bird had vanished. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve seen everything after living for so long.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, what was that about being a professor?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± They were about to turn away. Then something caught Ronan¡¯s eye. There was a round object left where the bird had been sitting. ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± Ronan picked it up. The pebble-sized lump was an oblong shape, somewhat like a small egg. ¡°An egg? Could it be that itid this just now?¡± Nothing else made sense. Indeed, the surface of the sphere emitted warmth, reminiscent of a freshlyid egg. However, Ronan wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether to call this thing an ¡°egg.¡± As he examined it, Aselle spoke up. ¡°It looks kind of¡­ weird.¡± Ronan agreed with that assessment as well. To be honest, ¡°weird¡± was a polite way to put it. If it hadn¡¯t been aplete sphere, he might have mistaken it for dung and kicked it away. The coarse surface resembled mud sticking to it, and the color was truly a matching brown. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s not really dung, is it? Aselle, give it a taste.¡± ¡°Ew, no way.¡± Thankfully, it didn¡¯t smell. After debating whether to discard it for a while, Ronan ended up stuffing the sphere into his pocket. Whether it was dung or an egg, it was a byproduct of the fantasy creature. There might be a chance to sell it for a good priceter. ¡°I wonder if the Marves merchants know about this.¡± Ronan picked up his pickaxe again. The vibrant blue feathers that never stopped moving were stored in his backpack. Anyway, with the entrance examing up, he¡¯d have to visit the Institute soon, so he nned to swing by the professor Varen or whatever at that time. The boys spent four days traveling around the nearby viges and territories, selling their loot. Despite sorting through what to keep and what to discard, it took quite a while due to the substantial amount they had collected. With some money earned, Ronan purchased two strong mules. ¡°Rx your body! Hold the reins lightly! You don¡¯t want to be treated like a fool who can¡¯t even ride a horse, do you?¡± ¡°Wait a moment! It¡¯s harder to bnce than I thought¡­ Ahh! Don¡¯t whip me with the reins!¡± Ronan took the opportunity to teach Aselle how to ride a horse. Luckily, Aselle learned quickly. Though Ronan would have preferred to buy actual horses, they were hard toe by in this area. When they had about five sacks left, the boys moved on to Marvas, a bustling city. This colorful city, located in front of the Lauraime mountain pass, was a hub ofmerce where markets were held every day without fail. ¡°Two gold coins.¡± ¡°What?! Look again, even I can see that it¡¯s a sapphire.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ three coins. That¡¯s the final offer.¡± ¡°Three coins it is then. You greedy roon. Let¡¯s go, Aselle.¡± ¡°What?! Hey! What did you just say?!¡± The remaining five sacks were filled with valuable items that they hadn¡¯t managed to sell elsewhere. It took them a whole day to find a merchant willing to pay the proper price. Fortunately, Carabel Summit was one such ce that bought most of their remaining items at a fair price. ¡°Well¡­ the items are in very good condition. The craftsmanship is delicate¡­ How about twenty-two gold coins?¡± The head of Summit, Duon Carabel, the same man with the ne from earlier, offered a price that was over ten times the amount Ronan had been quoted earlier. Aselle looked astonished, and Ronan nodded nonchntly. It was a fair market price. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re a man with a conscience.¡± ¡°Hehe, a merchant¡¯s life relies on reputation, after all.¡± Duon purchased everything from weapons and potions to crafted goods without discrimination. His employees, looking like shop assistants, scurried back and forth between the counters and carts, unloading items. Duon handed over a neatly packaged sum of money. Ronan liked that. Not only did Duon offer a proper price, but he also didn¡¯t inquire about the origin of the items. If the opportunity arose, Ronan thought he would like to do business with him again in the future. ¡°Thank you for the trade. May luck fill your future.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, could you take a look at this too?¡± Ronan rummaged through his pocket, suddenly recalling the events of a few days ago. He pulled out the lumpy object he had stashed away since that day. ¡°Why are you taking manure out of your pocket?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not manure. It¡¯s something a birdid and left. Should I call it cheap and gone?¡± ¡°A bird? This thing?¡± Duon cautiously epted the sphere. Wearing an eyess-like device, he carefully examined the object. What Ronan thought would be a quick evaluation took nearly an hour. Duon looked up with a grin. ¡°This¡­ is quite strange.¡± Chapter 8: The Girl Who Will Become a Countess (2) Chapter 8: The Girl Who Will Be a Countess (2) ¡°This¡­ is quite strange.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Duon wiped his nose and cleared his throat, stroking his mustache. He handed the object to Ronan and spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out the material at all. I used to have a broad perspective even on pets, so I didn¡¯t think my knowledge was limited¡­ but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ Could it really be a gem and not just a piece of crap?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at Duon¡¯s confident tone. Duon rummaged under the counter and pulled out a small hammer. One side of the iron head gleamed with a bluish hue. ¡°This is an emotion-enhancing hammer coated with mithril. One of the most expensive items in our shop.¡± He tapped the object with the hammer. A sound unlike the usual impact reverberated. Ronan squinted his eyes. ¡°This sound¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know the properties of mithril?¡± Ronan nodded. Known as the ¡°Prince of Metals,¡± mithril had the unique quality of producing a sound like the one just heard when it collided with materials of simr or lesser hardness. ¡°Try holding it.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure?!¡± Ronan caught the hammer. He struck the object again. Cha-aang! The resonating metallic sound captured the attention of the market crowd. ¡°What on earth did you bring in to sell?¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He had struck the object with force, but it showed no signs of damage. The hardness of the object wasparable to or even greater than mithril. Duon couldn¡¯t hide his admiration either. ¡°One thing¡¯s for sure¡­ Whatever it is, it¡¯s an extraordinary item.¡± Whether it was gem or dung, it was awe-inspiring. Ronan found the possibility of it being a gem slightly more unsettling. If it was an egg, it means that some life form will broke out of this shell. ¡°Are you nning to sell it? I¡¯m interested in buying, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh? No, I¡¯ll just keep it. I can¡¯t sell something I don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s the right choice. Get a proper appraisal.¡± Ronan put the object back into his pocket. He wasn¡¯t eager to sell it now, even out of curiosity. He intended to find someone more knowledgeable or inquire with the creator named Barren. At that moment, Aselle poked Ronan¡¯s back. He made a motion with his lips, saying the word ¡°Philleon.¡± Ronan pped his hands and turned to Duon, speaking again. ¡°By the way, it seems like you¡¯re interested in buying and selling anything. Do you happen to have any books rted to Philleon?¡± ¡°Hmm? Are you referring to Philleon Academy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan exined his situation. He needed to gather information for the entrance exam next month. Duon¡¯s face brightened considerably as he nodded along. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re prospective students for the entrance exam? This works out quite well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°My daughter is also taking the Philleon exam this time. I might be able to offer some help, even if it¡¯s just a little. ¡°Marya!¡± He called out while looking at a carriage set up behind the counter. The modified baggage carriage served as both a means of transport, a shop, and a warehouse. When no response came, Duon started knocking on the carriage as if knocking on a door. ¡°Marya! Mar!¡± ¡°What? Marya?¡± At that moment, a head popped out from the roof of the carriage. The girl had impressively voluminous golden hair, and she was the smallest-headed woman Ronan had ever seen. She opened her mouth with an annoyed expression. ¡°Stop it¡­ Didn¡¯t I tell you to not call me that?¡± ¡°Oops.¡± Ronan burst intoughter. The dialogue was quite incongruous with her doll-like appearance. Suddenly, a sense of recognition shed through his mind. ¡°Hmm? Wait a minute. I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Small head, golden hair. The face seemed familiar from somewhere. Marya¡­. Marya? Where have I seen her before? The memory hovered on the edge of his consciousness. Duon, putting his hands on his hips, began to grumble. ¡°Marya! What kind of behaviour is that?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re annoyed¡­ Ugh, let me go independent.¡± ¡°Really!¡± Marya yawned unabashedly. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. Stretching herself with a yawn, she leaped down from the carriage. Her gracefulnding was reminiscent of a cat. ¡°So, who are you guys?¡± She sized up the boys, hands on her hips. Her posture seemed to attempt a semnce of authority, but she was only slightly taller than Aselle, so it didn¡¯t quitend. At that moment, Duon grabbed her head. ¡°Ouch! Why hit me?¡± ¡°Behave. Come on, introduce yourselves. They¡¯re important customers who just made a big deal. They¡¯re nning to apply to Philleon next month.¡± ¡°Geezz¡­ You call them customers?¡± Rubbing the spot that had been hit, Marya scanned the boys from top to bottom. Her petite stature aside, she seemed too young. Suspicion crept into her gaze. ¡°What did you sell to be called big customers?¡± ¡°Marya, don¡¯t forget our first rule. We don¡¯t ask about the customer¡¯s money or the origin of their goods.¡± ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Marya bowed politely, offering an apology. Ronan nodded with interest. From previously focusing on the term ¡°customer¡± rather than ¡°PhilLeon¡± to hercking manners, her attitude was far from perfect, but her mindset as a merchant seemed excellent. Observing her, Duon also lowered his head in agreement. ¡°We apologize for the rudeness. She¡¯s my only daughter, and since she¡¯s been around men from the upper echelons since she was young¡­ It¡¯s my fault as a parent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. By the way, would you mind lifting your head?¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± Marya raised her head. Her finely chiseled features were symmetrically bnced as if they had been measured meticulously. Her watery eyes shimmered with a faint green hue, reminiscent of the southern seas. She was quite a beauty. Of course,pared to the eldest sister, she was nowhere near as attractive. ¡°Uh-huh?¡± Ronan, who was carefully observing her face, smirked. ¡°Hey, mister, did you say you have only one daughter?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ Do you maybe have a hidden son or something?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Think about it. Why do our males often make mistakes? Like the so-called youthful indiscretions¡­¡± Confusion spread across Duon¡¯s face. Even if he had downed five bottles of alcohol, he wouldn¡¯t discuss such matters in front of his daughter. Sensing the awkward tension, Aselle grabbed Ronan¡¯s sleeve, but his smirk only continued, along with a series of more vulgar examples. ¡°Like the night when the maid¡¯s buttocks looked especially tempting as she cleaned dishes¡­ You don¡¯t really have only one child, do you?¡± ¡°Are you serious with that nonsense!¡± Smack! Marya¡¯s hand flew like the wind andnded a p on Ronan¡¯s cheek. A strange sound echoed as his head turned abruptly. The forceing from her small frame was hard to believe. ¡°What are you saying in front of my father!¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°This sting on my cheek¡­¡± Ronan touched his cheek gently as he slowly turned his head. While his temper red, he also gained a sense of certainty. The girl before him was indeed someone he knew. Ronan spoke. ¡°Is your middle name by any chance ¡®Sen¡¯?¡± Marya¡¯s confident gaze widened. It was a middle name she had whimsically chosen around the age of ten, a secret known only to her and Duon. ¡°H-How did you¡­!¡± Ronan let out a chuckle. Life truly was full of surprises. He had never expected to encounter a past connection here. ¡°Jigyal, Count Armalen. You¡­ were a woman.¡± **** The first time Ronan met her (at that time, he thought of her as ¡®he¡¯) was about two years after being conscripted as a penal soldier. It was in the northern wilderness of Tucan teau where they had been fighting werewolves for two months. Suddenly, a well-dressed noble named Nari from some remote ce arrived with a load of supplies. ¡°I am Count Sen of Armalen. I havee to acknowledge your efforts and show my support.¡± The count was a short-haired androgynous beauty. Now that the secret was out, it was obvious, but he bore a striking resemnce to Marya. He supplied the frontline soldiers with precious silver weapons, equivalent to a year¡¯s worth of provisions. True to the rumor that he was a wealthy noble right after the emperor, he had the means to afford it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t for free. Traders didn¡¯t engage in losing deals. Providing silver weapons, a weakness of the werewolves, was essentially a way of telling them to get rid of those fur-bearing monkeys from his business premises. Everyone understood his intention. But since gratitude was genuine, Ronan and the soldiers, including himself, expressed their thanks using the count¡¯s title. ¡°Oh! This is why it¡¯s nice to have wealthy folks around! Please enjoy my half-hearted apuse, Count Sen!¡± ¡°Take my butt, Sen!¡± Anyway, on the day the count arrived, he threw avish banquet. The penal soldiers, who had piled up resentment, could finally release their tension amidst a feast of exquisite food and drinks they had never seen before. As the finest warrior, Ronan sat by the count¡¯s side. Sen¡¯s unpretentious personality allowed for enjoyable conversation despite his noble status. After about thirty rounds of drinks, as Ronan refilled the sses, he slurred his words. ¡°Hey, um, I have a curious question, Count¡­ um, are you silver¡­ below as well?¡± ¡°What? Below¡­?¡± ¡°Why not? You know, down there, the¡­ ahem¡­ private parts and, um, the backside¡­ Do you have¡­ silver hair? Nobles might be different, I was just wondering. Hehehe.¡± ¡°¡­You brat!!¡± The count¡¯s face turned crimson as he pped Ronan¡¯s cheek. Rolling twice, Ronan grabbed a bottle and smashed it onto the count¡¯s head. Crash! The banquet came to an abrupt end. ¡°¡­There was a reason for his anger.¡± Thest time Ronan saw him was during the battle with Ahaiyute. The number of soldiers the count had brought along was almost equivalent to an entire legion. To boost the soldiers¡¯ morale, he had stood at the forefront, only to be swept away by an explosion on the first day of battle. ¡°He was a good person.¡± Ronan twisted his lips and lowered his gaze. Marya¡¯s face, still brimming with spirit, caught his attention. Even from this angle, her developing chest was starting to make its presence known. How had she managed to hide that? It would have grownrger over the time. ¡°How could you mention that name?! No, you should apologize to dad before anything else!¡± Marya shouted loudly. Aselle was nervously watching their interaction. Ronan raised one hand to restrain Duon, who was about to scold his daughter. And then, he lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake.¡± Aselle¡¯s face contorted in shock. Duon tried to help him up, but Ronan remained frozen as if rooted to the spot. After a while, when another customer arrived and Duon left his seat, Ronan finally lifted his head slowly. Marya, with her arms crossed, snorted in a huff. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re quick with apologies.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t directed at you. You, t-head girl.¡± Whack! As Ronan rose, he delivered a punch to Marya¡¯s forehead. The intensity was far different from the honeyed words of affection from Duon. Marya practically copsed to the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want trouble, don¡¯t touch my face. Got it?¡± Ronan warned. Although he couldn¡¯t fathom the circumstances that led the Earl of Armalen to cross-dress, the count he knew was the continent¡¯s foremost magnate. Building camaraderie could undoubtedly yield significant influence. ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­ that¡¯s enough now¡­¡± However, he wasn¡¯t particrly keen on building camaraderie to the extent of bowing and scraping. What Ronan had said to Duon was undoubtedly rude. As Marya¡¯s father, his anger was perfectly understandable. Yet, apart from that, he didn¡¯t feel good about getting pped on the face. The rest of the cause and effect wasn¡¯t clear to him. ¡°Uh¡­ ugh¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Marya clutched her head and didn¡¯t get up. Sniffling sounds started to escape her. As Aselle jabbed Ronan¡¯s side, he winced. ¡°You hit her too hard¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hit her that hard¡­ damn it.¡± Her small shoulders were trembling miserably. Her crying was growing louder. Ronan sighed and approached her, cing his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey¡­ Why did you do that? Next time, calm down and discuss things properly!¡± Thump! Marya jumped up, clutching her knees, and delivered an uppercut. Ronan¡¯s body swayed from the direct hit to his chin. Her face, now visible, showed no traces of tears. ¡°You jerk! I thought my head was about to split in two!¡± Without hesitation, Marya grabbed a nearby chair and swung it down on his head. Crack! His face broke through the chair¡¯s seat, sticking out. Amidst the untimelymotion, the market-goers¡¯ attention converged. ¡°C-Customer! Marya! What¡¯s going on right now¡­!¡± ¡°This darn woman¡­!¡± Veins stood out on Ronan¡¯s clenched fist. Duon, who had been receiving another customer, rushed over, throwing money in the process. As Aselle screamed like a banshee, he shouted: ¡°I-Invisible Hand!¡± Chapter 9: The Girl Who Will Become a Countess (3) Chapter 9: The Girl Who Will Be a Countess (3) Room 201 at the inn ¡°Dancing Camel¡±. On the floor made of wooden nks, all sorts of odds and ends were scattered around. Items like swords, potions, rings, and more, each of different types, but they all had amon trait ¨C they were shimmering and shiny. Marya looked at the loot spread out on the floor and opened her mouth. ¡°So, are these the things you guys didn¡¯t sell and left behind? The ones you use?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°These are quite high-quality items¡­ Why did you leave three swords behind?¡± ¡°They break easily.¡± Hans¡¯ sword with a few teeth missing was evidence of that. Even in their previous lives, Ronan used to change weapons once a month. Most weapons couldn¡¯t withstand his quick swordy. ¡°Well, still¡­ Hey, man. You¡¯re still bruised. Be a bit gentler.¡± Marya grumbled, touching the lump on her head. Ronan opened his mouth to reveal a cut on the inside of his cheek. It was where he bit when he received an uppercut. ¡°This isn¡¯t from a sparrow pecking at me, is it?¡± ¡°Tch, if I had a bit more strength, I could have sliced it right off.¡± Despite Aselle intervening with magic, the two had exchanged a couple more punches. Marya jabbed Ronan¡¯s throat with her elbow, and Ronan mmed a knuckle buster into the same spot as before. Marya was surprisingly strong for her size, but ultimately, she couldn¡¯t match Ronan. Marya, who had briefly lost consciousness and woke up, admitted defeat, and the match was over. ¡°By the way, you really use your weapons roughly. If you¡¯re a swordsman, you should treat your sword with care.¡± ¡°A sword is just a tool, Who wields it is what matters.¡± ¡°Oh~ You¡¯re confident in your skills? How about we sparter? Just so you know, among us, I¡¯m the strongest.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± After themotion settled, Ronan and Marya became somewhat friendly. Their mutual bravado yed a role in that. (Aselle couldn¡¯t understand this process at all.) The three of them left for the square, ate Marvas¡¯ famous crab pasta, and returned to their lodgings. Marya exined information about Philleon in a somewhat friendly manner, and now the boys were examining the loot they intentionally didn¡¯t sell, one by one. ¡°Well, anyway. The things left here are all usable items. Especially this longsword, it¡¯s truly made of ck steel. The condition is a bit regrettable though.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°You doubt my judgment? Even my dad often asks me about metal-rted stuff.¡± ck steel was just as its name suggested ¨C iron that had a ckish color. It was rare and had high strength, making itmonly used in crafting weapons for knights and nobles. The ck steel sword that Ronan favored was quite a formidable weapon. It had easilysted for about six months of use. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fortunate.¡± ¡°And this stone embedded in the staff¡­ it¡¯s a real mana stone. Hey, cutie over there!¡± Aselle, who was tidying up their belongings, turned his head btedly. Marya was holding a metal staff that looked to be about 1 meter long in her hand. Just like the ck steel sword, it was something they hadn¡¯t sold and left behind. ¡°Huh? Wait¡­ me?¡± ¡°Do you think the words I just said were directed towards that savage guy? You¡¯re a magician, right?¡± Aselle nodded his head. Marya threw the staff towards him without a word. Startled, Aselle stopped the staff in mid-air using telekinesis. ¡°You almost got hurt!¡± ¡°And to top it off, telekinesis¡­ if you y your cards right, you could get a schrship and get into the academy. That could be quite helpful.¡± Aselle stared at the staff floating in the air. He could feel mana gathering in the stone embedded at the end. He had left it behind since he discovered it, thinking it was unusual, but he hadn¡¯t realized it was a genuine magic staff. Magic staffs themselves were expensive, but with a mana stone embedded, they were incredibly valuable. Marya sat on the bed and looked at Ronan. ¡°The problem is the two of us. What kind of skills are you going to showcase?¡± ¡°Skills?¡± ¡°Yeah, Philleon¡¯s practical skills are famous, right?¡± The examinees had to demonstrate their most confident skills in front of the faculty, who acted as the judges. The exam spanned 8 days,bining written and practical tests. The first 7 days were for the practical exams, and the final day consisted of a unified written exam. Philleon¡¯s entrance exam boasted an astronomicalpetition rate. Anyone who met the age requirement could apply regardless of their background or status, making it highlypetitive. There was a significant difference in point distribution between the practical and written exams. While the written exam was not to be ignored, the exam that determined pass or fail was undoubtedly the practical exam score. ¡°There might be a lot of mediocrity, but there are also many talented individuals. You need to prove your worth.¡± ¡°Damn, all I need to do as a swordsman is kill effectively. Usually, what do people showcase?¡± ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s see? Noble families often demonstrate their family¡¯s secrets¡­ and cutting something as hard as a rock was in trend for a while. But the mostmon thing is showcasing your uniquebat style utilizing mana.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened all of a sudden. His narrowed eyes were filled with suspicion and doubt. Marya smirked. ¡°Why the face?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there still kids at that age who haven¡¯t even grown proper hair? And you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s manipting mana without being a magician? Do I look like an idiot?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? It¡¯s just mana maniption, not aura maniption, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Zap! The moment those words were spoken, lightning struck above Marya¡¯s head. Would this be the feeling of being asked what¡¯s the difference between adybug and a dragon? With a mix of disbelief and curiosity, Marya opened her mouth. ¡°You¡­ you know how to sense mana?¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Another lightning bolt struck. Ronan¡¯s response wasn¡¯t ¡®can¡¯t¡¯ or even ck of skill¡¯; it was an outright ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯. It wasn¡¯t because ofck of effort or talent that he hadn¡¯t cultivated his senses; he simply didn¡¯t understand the concept of mana sensitivity. Marya realized that her feeling of confusion was rapidly transforming into anger. I see. I¡¯ve been enlightening the clueless lump who can¡¯t differentiate between mana and aura about the admission criteria of the continent¡¯s top academy. And I¡¯ve been doing it all day with great care. Sitting still, she got up from the bed with an exasperated chuckle. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it now, a sparring match. I¡¯ll show you the difference between that curious aura and mana. I¡¯ll even enlighten you about the stupid mana sensitivity.¡± Marya picked up two short swords thaty on the floor. They were the remaining swords Ronan had left behind for her to use. Though they weren¡¯t made of precious metals like ck steel, they were finely crafted steel swords. ¡°I almost fell for your confident act. That¡¯s ours, by the way.¡± ¡°I brought my sword, so don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be over in an instant, just let me use it once.¡± ¡°What if I win?¡± ¡°Win¡­ double the price. No, triple. Sound good?¡± ¡°Well, with those conditions¡­¡± Bam! Before Ronan could finish his response, Marya kicked the door and stormed out. Startled Aselle began to stammer, and Ronan advised him that women were sometimes like that, then left the room. Mana is the fundamental source of the universe. Concepts like aura, magic, cores, circlesmonly spoken of¡ªare just names given based on the type of mana and the way it¡¯s manipted. Mana sensitivity was the ability to feel mana, the foundation of all those things. ¡°The time each person bes able to sense mana varies. Many people never feel it until they die, but if you have even a modicum of talent, usually it starts developing within a year. Of course, whates next is more important.¡± The three of them left the inn and moved to a nearby empty lot. The noise from the main road could be heard beyond the fences surrounding the area. Marya walked about five paces away from Ronan and turned to face him. ¡°In a broad sense, aura is a form of mana, but no one looks at the two together. ¡®Aura¡¯ refers to the unique mana you generate yourself. It¡¯s not the natural mana that exists everywhere.¡± ¡°So, in simple words, it¡¯s like my own poop that I¡¯ve given strength to and extracted.¡± ¡°Must you use such an analogy¡­ Ugh, never mind¡­¡± Marya shook her head. She wasn¡¯t sure how low she should set her expectations for Ronan. He scratched the back of his head and asked a question. ¡°But I have another question. Is mastering aura so difficult?¡± ¡°Of course. Mastering aura means creating your very own mana, which is essentially impossible. Even for talented individuals, it takes a minimum of ten years of consistent training to achieve aura mastery.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Ronan thought about the opponents he had encountered so far. Come to think of it, those who imed to have mastered aura tended to talk a lot before a fight. As someone who used aura himself, it felt like they were begging for mercy. Those friends all had strange or seemingly useless abilities, and thinking that those were the results of tremendous effort, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry. But then again, if his neck was on the line, they would all die anyway. ¡°Well, shall we get started?¡± Marya was slowly spinning the swords in her hands. The two smooth circles were a testament to her talent. The skill required considerable strength and wrist flexibility. Ronan nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He pulled his sword from its sheath. It wasn¡¯t the ck steel sword he had, but the one with missing teeth that belonged to Hans. Marya raised an eyebrow as she asked. ¡°You¡¯re using that sword? What if it breaks or shatters? You¡¯ll get hurt.¡± ¡°Enough with that, let¡¯s just get started.¡± ¡°Well, if you say so.¡± The spinning of the short sword came to a halt. Her ability had reached the level of a sword user. It went beyond simply circting mana within her body and progressed to the point where she could infuse mana into her sword. While she wasn¡¯t particrly strong among mana users, there was a clear difference between her and regr individuals. ¡°Instead of facing humiliation in the exam room, it¡¯s better to acknowledge your limits here.¡± In fact, her anger had already dissipated. She realized her anger had arisen not from Ronan¡¯s ignorance, but from the fact that she had offered solutions without any n. She was starting to see Ronan in a somewhat favorable light. Despite his crude speech and actions, he didn¡¯t seem like a bad guy. If they attended the academy together, it might be enjoyable. This sparring match was a form of mercy. Marya chuckled wryly and assumed her stance. ¡°Well then¡­ ready¡­¡± Aselle, acting as the judge, began the countdown. His thin fingers folded one by one. Three, two, one. As thest finger folded, Marya leaped forward as if propelled. ng! Three swords crossed, and the sharp metallic sound echoed as they shed. Ronan stood his ground and parried. The sh of the des caused a screech, and Marya¡¯s sword emitted a faint cry. Ronan whistled. ¡°I forfeit, okay?¡± Marya was genuinely shocked, rendering her speechless. Having her initial attack blocked was a rarity in itself. Furthermore, both of her swords held mana, a noticeable enhancement from earlier. ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan. By the way, you¡¯re really damn strong.¡± Ronan was equally surprised. Marya¡¯s strength had increased to an unprecedented level. Her aura-infused swords were reminiscent of the jaws of a massive predator. Ronan felt his wrist ache. It seemed like it would be bothersome if he prolonged the fight. Hemented, ¡°I need to end this quickly.¡± The swords that had been shing dropped to the ground. Ronan swiftly swung his sword as he momentarily bent his body. Marya sidestepped without parrying. The strike barely missed her sword. It was unbelievable that someone who couldn¡¯t handle mana could possess such impressive swordsmanship. Her calm heartbeat gradually quickened. A smile yed on Marya¡¯s lips. ¡°You were going to retrieve my sword.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± However, Ronan unexpectedly sheathed his sword. Marya frowned, as she had been about to initiate another attack. Ronan muttered something iprehensible as he looked at her. ¡°You said to triple the price.¡± Without a word, Ronan turned and started walking away. Marya angrily called him back. This wasn¡¯t a simple bargain being broken; it was like she had been handed a bomb just as she was about to fight. ¡°What are you nning now?¡± Instead of answering, Ronan raised his right hand. ¡°I have a talent. However, my bnce leans a bit to the right.¡± His tone implied he was past caring. Marya was on the verge of asking what nonsense he was spouting. ng. Something fell at Marya¡¯s feet. The two severed sword tips were rolling there. Chapter 10: Towards the Institution Chapter 10: Towards the Institution ng. Something fell on Marya¡¯s foot as she walked. Two discarded sword desy at her feet. ¡°What¡­?¡± Ronan disappeared around the corner. Marya stared nkly at the two cleanly severed sword pieces. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of real gold on the clean-cut edges. ¡°When were these cut?¡± Marya had clearly seen Ronan¡¯s sword strokes splitting the empty air. Even if they had struck her, her own sword couldn¡¯t have been cut. She realized Ronan hadn¡¯t used his usual ck iron sword; he had used his old worn-out one. Marya stood in ce for a long time. Aselle, who had been watching her, approached cautiously. He gave an awkward smile and exchanged a nce. ¡°You did well there.¡± Aselle followed Ronan and disappeared. Only Marya remained in the empty courtyard. After a moment, Marya, who had tossed her sword aside, smirked. ¡°What a funny guy.¡± **** ¡°Here, take it.¡± Marya kept her promise. When she returned around evening, she handed over a pouch containing exactly three times the agreed amount and a few books. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°You guys seemed quite likable. I need to go to the Institute tonight.¡± It was aption of previous Phillion examination questions, bound in thick leather cover. It didn¡¯t seem like something typically valuable. Among them were notes Marya had organized herself. ¡°Stick together. If you both fail, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Marya said, gripping the back of both their necks. Aselle struggled for breath, while Ronan chuckled seemingly astonished and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t bete on exam day.¡± Their farewell before the reunion was concise. Marya shook her hand three times precisely on the rooftop and then sprawled out. The tops of the Karabel tower disappeared from view as Marvas departed, bid farewell by the boys. Even after the tower vanished from sight, they stood there. Ronan spoke. ¡°She was quite the independent girl, huh? Guess you can¡¯t trust rumors that say girls with big hearts are kind.¡± ¡°Huh? She¡­ she was fine¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. She was a good one.¡± Ronan had a tobo stick in his mouth. He blew smoke towards Marvas¡¯ night view and turned around. Traders at the newly opened night market were touting their wares. ¡°Let¡¯s head back too.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ronan and Aselle headed straight for Nimbuten. Despite carrying a lot of baggage, thefortable journey back home was made possible by the newly bought donkey. They arrived at Nimbuten the next morning. Iril, who had been digging potatoes, threw down her hoe and ran over with her pitchfork in hand. ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Where did you go this time? Are you hurt? And what¡¯s this ?¡± The affectionate voice was filled with worry. His past record of causing idents while wandering around various ces early on was to me. ¡°It¡¯s not a horse, it¡¯s a donkey. And this, it¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Ronan took Iril¡¯s hand and led her inside the house. Then, he ced a box on the table. The wooden box had the emblem of the Karabel Merchants¡¯ Guild on its lid. ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Oh my, you didn¡¯t have to give me something like this¡­ Wait, what did my little brother prepare for me~?¡± Expecting flowers or food, Iril opened the box and froze. Inside the box, gold and silver coins were neatly arranged, like well-trained soldiers. At a nce, it was an amount sufficient to buy a whole house. ¡°Ro-ro-ronan¡­? What.¡­what is this¡­? What¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the leftover money after paying the tuition. Aselle and I earned it.¡± ¡°Aselle¡­? That pretty boy? You, you took it from him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take it, we earned it. We¡¯ll earn more in the future.¡± An air of difort seeped into Ronan¡¯s tone. Iril¡¯s faded clothes were stained with wet dirt and bits of roots. It was always like this. She meticulously saved everyst copper coin she gave to his penniless little brother, but hesitated to spend on buying even a cheap outfit for herself. Ronan gently brushed off the dirt from his sister¡¯s nose with a finger and spoke. ¡°So, sister, stop digging potatoes now.¡± Leaving those words, Ronan stepped outside. Dodging the barrage of questions was the best course of action before they poured in. He didn¡¯t think she would believe the honest source of the money, and it wasn¡¯t like he could tell her. He turned back and headed up the hill where he had fallen asleep and awakened. His newly acquired ck iron sword hung at his waist. Thendscape he couldn¡¯t protect came into view. ¡°Skills¡­ damn, there¡¯s really no such thing.¡± Looking at the vige below, Ronan drew his sword. The worn de gleamed a deep ck, like the rainy night sky. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t understand Phillion¡¯s practical exam. It was enough for a de wielder to be good at killing, so what was this nonsense about showing your own skill? ¡°But there must be some meaning to it.¡± Yet, he couldn¡¯t dismiss it as useless. Marya¡¯s swordsmanship, utilizing mana, hade as quite a shock. If he could handle mana to that extent, he could be much stronger than he was now. Moreover, there was the school he had always wanted to attend. Ronan lifted the sword and swung it up. The tip of the de above his forehead traced a straight line before falling. ¡°Maybe something wille out as I do it.¡± He started swinging the sword vertically. After three thousand swings in that direction, he nned to do another three thousand horizontally, then three thousand diagonally. It was a simple and primitive training method, but it was effective ¨C a disciplinary unit¡¯s training technique. Ronan realized the seriousness of the situation after killing the Lunar Goblin¡¯s. Suffering from muscle pain after swinging the sword just fourteen times was absurd. The first task he needed to tackle was forcing his weak body to mature. After finishing the sword practice, he nned to do basic endurance training like running or push-ups. ¡°Alright. ck iron.¡± Without even paying much attention, the depiction of the ck de appeared urately. It was a good sword, free of any shaky lines. It wasn¡¯t until dusk that Ronan finally returned home. Iryl, who was preparing stew, shouted in surprise. ¡°Ronan,e in quickly¡­ De-deer?!¡± On his sweat-drenched little brother¡¯s shoulder sat a plump deer. Its neck had been severed with a single stroke, and its leather barely had any noticeable wounds. Ronan skillfully separated the meat from the skin and began to create a furnace. In less than an hour, the newly made furnace looked quite convincing. ¡°When did you learn all this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ here and there? Let¡¯s eat together.¡± The skills he had learned while wandering and training with the disciplinary unit came in handy. He started grilling the meat. Without discarding any organs or blood, he cooked them separately to make a meal. Trying his brother¡¯s cooking for the first time in his life, Iril was pleasantly surprised. ¡°This is really delicious!¡± ¡°Right? Eat a lot.¡± She spoke, forgetting that she still had food in her mouth. The appearance might have been rustic, but the vor was surprisingly deep, more than something he had attempted to cook just once or twice. Ronan was practically shoving the meat into his mouth. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ Eat slowly. You might get sick.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sister, you need to eat well too.¡± This was also part of his training. His philosophy was that if you subjected the body to intense exercise and provided it with nutritious meals, even a skeleton could turn into an ogre. After the hearty meal, Ronan entered his room and opened a book. The content itself wasn¡¯t too difficult, but the scope of the sybus was incredibly broad. ¡°For crying out loud. Why should I know about dining etiquette in the North?¡± Studying something new was boring and made him drowsy. Nevertheless, Ronan continued to read the book. The traces of effort, whether from torn pages or dried coffee stains, unknown sources of dedication, kept him from tearing the book to pieces in frustration. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Suddenly, Ronan realized that he was putting in effort for the first time in his life. It didn¡¯t feel too bad. Investing time and effort to achieve something. That night, Ronan reced the candle on his table for the first time. Having finished his studies, he copsed onto his bed and fell asleep as if he had been knocked out. As the day broke, he picked up his sword again and headed up the hill. A month had passed like that. ¡°Oh, Aselle.¡± ¡°Ronan, long time no see.¡± The ripe breeze carried the scent of acacia. Two boys who met at the outskirts of the vige exchanged greetings. After a month of separation, as if they had rehearsed it, they both said the same thing simultaneously. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve changed a bit.¡± ¡°My body¡­ has changed a lot.¡± Aselle looked much better than before. It seemed that the daily exercises Ronan had urged him to do had paid off. His previously slouched back had straightened, and his thin arms and legs had gained some muscle. The gloomy shadows that always lingered on his face had also disappeared considerably. Although he still had a feminine appearance. ¡°Have you studied a lot?¡± ¡°Well¡­ sort of? Marya organized things well.¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re a lucky one.¡± ¡°By the way, Ronan¡­ did you catch some weird disease or something?¡± Aselle asked, worried. While Ronan had improved his health as wellpared to before, it was more intense. Despite that, his boyishness had developed into a sturdy build that seemed more robust than most adults. His shoulders had broadened to the extent that he could sleep on his side, and he seemed to have grown at least another hand¡¯s span taller. ¡°Disease? Damn, I still have a long way to go before I grow up. Even at this point, I can¡¯t match our General.¡± ¡°But you could stop growing now¡­ General, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Both boys had backpacks on their backs. Despite looking extremely heavy, they were surprisingly light, filled only with the necessary items for their journey to the capital. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going, sister.¡± ¡°Yeah,e back safely!¡± Ronan turned around. His sister, who hade to see them off, stood there with a bright smile. The white dress she wore was shining brilliantly in the spring sunlight. ¡°Oh, wait, Ronan. The cor of your clothes is torn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°No way! You¡¯re going to the capital, so make sure it¡¯s done properly!¡± She lifted her jackdaw foot to fix her brother¡¯s cor. Ronan thought he should hurry up and get his sister out of Nimbuten. Seeing Iril wearing the new clothes she had made, he realized she looked so beautiful that she was almost inhuman. ¡°No matter who it is, I¡¯ll just tear them apart if they touch my sister.¡± Ronan eliminated every element that could be harmful to his diligent sister. The prime example was Hans Paggery. Ronan raided the delinquents who were recovering from their wounds and rallied them again before setting their hideout on fire. The boys who had been grumbling while getting wet in the spring rain suddenly found themselves besieged by the approaching men. The mercenary group that Ronan had provided information to was behind this. ¡°Phew¡­ damn it, there¡¯s no one, no one around.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? I think I might be able to help.¡± ¡°Huh? Who are you?¡± By chance, Ronan met the captain of a mercenary group at a tavern who was struggling due to a shortage of personnel. He had recruited a bunch of misfits to serve as arrow fodder, but they had all run away. Ronan told him that he knew boys who were always starving for blood. He added that even if the entire unit disappeared, there would be no noticeable difference since they were all orphans. ¡°Pl-please help!¡± ¡°Ugh, untie this! Ronan! Ronaaaan!¡± The mercenary captain handed over coins he hadn¡¯t intended to give. While listening to the wailing orphans gripping the iron bars of a carriage and crying, Ronan thought that the stew he had for breakfast tasted really good. After finishing the arrangements, Iril turned her head towards Aselle. ¡°Aselle, do well on your exam too!¡± ¡°Yes! I will do my best!¡± Aselle¡¯s response sounded like that of a new recruit just transferred in. Aselle, who saw Iril up close for the first time, seemed to know why this rascal was bing a gentleman just like his sister. There was a reason he felt resentful even towards Marya. Iril said, ¡°Take it easy! If things don¡¯t go well, you can just live here with me for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Ronan lightly kissed his sister¡¯s cheek and left the house. Iril waved her hand until the two figures became dots and disappeared. ¡°To Marvas. Two people.¡± ¡°Seven silver coins.¡± ¡°You want to charge seven for two people?¡± ¡°Sorry. Five coins.¡± They traveled by carriage to Marvas. The distance was too far to travel on foot with their nag, and there was nowhere to leave it once they arrived. The travel carriage was quitefortable. Ronan leaned his head out of the slightly opened window and smoked a cigarette. He realized that it had been almost a month since he had taken aplete rest. The refreshing spring breeze tickled his nose. ¡°Heh¡­ it¡¯s nice.¡± As he enjoyed the sweet fragrance of flowers, he felt his fatigue melting away on its own. He turned his head and looked at the seat across from him. Aselle, who was wiping his staff with a cloth, came into view. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s that staff? It¡¯s definitely better to use, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think I made good use of it. The power has improved, and my focus is better too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, huh¡­ but is it so good that you¡¯ve secretly tried sticking it up your butt or something? Huh?¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about now?¡± ¡°Well, well, now you even know how to protest loudly?¡± Ronan chuckled as he snatched the staff. With the words, ¡°For example, like this,¡± he started making crude gestures. Aselle let out a scream. ¡°S-stop it! Don¡¯t stick it in there! Give it back!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh! Try screaming even louder!¡± Ronanughed. While it was a journey burdened with a heavy mission, it was still enjoyable. The guffawingughter of the groom who looked back with a sidelong nce caused Ronan to almost have an ident. Chapter 11: The Lion and the Dream Bird (1) Chapter 11: The Lion and the Dream Bird (1) The boys arrived in Marbas only after it had grownte into the night. The pitch-ck shadows rising from the ground seemed to cover half of the eastern sky. To reach Jido, they had to pass through the Roman Mountains, which divided the central and western parts of the continent. They entered the Roman Mountain road as dawn was breaking. Since they didn¡¯t have horses or carts with them, it felt as if they were exempt from any tolls. ¡°Should I kill them?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± As they entered the mountains, winter arrived. Every time they opened their mouths, their white breath hung in the air. The rock formations surrounding them like screens obscured the view of the summits. The boys tilted their heads back, marveling at the scenery that could only be described as magnificent. ¡°Aselle, look at that.¡± ¡°Not far from there, a group of mountain goats were climbing the steep cliffs. Aselle, who saw mountain goats for the first time, eximed in admiration. Ronan pointed at the mountain goats with his chin. ¡°Give one of them a little push with your telekinesis.¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Come on, Aselle. It seems like you¡¯re growing some backbone. Lift up the onegging behind there.¡± ¡°Fine, I will try.¡± Following Ronan¡¯s instructions, Aselle extended his staff. The goat at the back of the group started to rise in the air and quickly reached the summit. Ronan chuckled with satisfaction. He was pleased with both Aselle¡¯s improved skills and the graceful sight of the goats being raised among the newly arrived group. ¡°Marya must have already arrived, right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably doing well. Why, do you miss her?¡± ¡°N-No! It¡¯s not like that! I need to return the book, that¡¯s why!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Aselle. I understand. You don¡¯t often see such a pretty little thing. I was surprised too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, no!¡± The road was much smoother than Ronan had anticipated. The circr paving stones formed a road wide enough for four carriages to pass simultaneously. Armed guards patrolled day and night without pause. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, travelers.¡± ¡°Thank you too. When military life feels like hell, just think about the idiots in the disciplinary unit. Those brats can¡¯t even manage to rust properly.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± Rest stops at regr intervals were a great help to travelers crossing the mountains. It was a welfare measure possible through the joint management of the empire and the merchant alliance. ¡°Money talks, as always.¡± However, due to the nature of the mountain road, if a few key points were blocked, the empire¡¯s trade routes would bepletely paralyzed. The Winter witch, who would appear in a few years¡¯ time, wasn¡¯t just the worst criminal in the empire for no reason. He imagined the people who had died to subdue the Winter witch and her splendid final moments. ¡°Maybe¡­ I could meet those two as well.¡± It was Shullifen who killed the Winter witch. And both of them were from the Philleon lineage. For a brief moment, he entertained the thought that meeting them could change the future. ¡°Such a thing probably won¡¯t happen.¡± But Ronan soon shook his head. He was too busy with his own tasks to think about anything else. They spent four days traversing the Roman Mountains. As they left the mountains behind, spring returned. Not long after, a city sprawled out on the distant horizon caught their eyes. Jido Barun. The capital of the empire that had safeguarded the world for a thousand years. The two were able to pass through Jido¡¯s eastern gate before noon. Since they had obtained citizen papers in Marbas, the inspection was all but skipped. Passing by the rookie soldiers busy cleaning up once again, they took in the orderly view of the city like a chessboard. The city itself, designed by the greatest genius since creation, was a masterpiece in its own right. ¡°Wo¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, just write ¡®country bumpkin¡¯ on your forehead and be done with it.¡± Aselle spun around in ce, taking in the sights of Jido like a somewhatcking child. Ronan extended his finger, pointing to the north of the city. In the distance, dozens of tall and small spires could be seen rising. ¡°That¡¯s Philleon over there.¡± ¡°The subcity of White Tower¡­ Are we going straight there?¡± ¡°No. Who wants to get trampled by the crowd?¡± Instead, they made their way to the market in Philleon. There were still two days left before the practical exam started. Since they had already registered by mail, there was no need to visit Philleon, where chaos was surely ensuing. ¡°By the way, what happened to that feather?¡± ¡°The feather¡­? Ah, that strange bird. You said it lives in Philleon¡¯s noble district, right?¡± Ronan took off his backpack and opened the innermost pocket. The blue feather, still as shiny as ever, caught his eye. It felt like the feather was throbbing more intensely than usual. If he hadn¡¯t packed it securely among his other belongings, he might have taken it out right away. Ronan picked up the feather. ¡°How about we go see them now? We have plenty of time.¡± The luxuriant tail feather curved towards the north. Wondering if the same thought had crossed both their minds, they eventually found themselves in Philleon. Amidst the tide of humans, Ronan, who had been used to traversing as an explorer, grumbled softly. ¡°Even to the end, they¡¯re making us work.¡± *** -Squawk! Beep! ¡°Ughhh¡­ What happened, Marfes?¡± Varen Panasir¡¯s eyes opened at the raucous birdcall. With a groggy voice, he murmured, rubbing his eyelids. His eyelids were heavy, and his head felt sluggish. It seemed like he had fallen asleep for a brief moment. In front of him sat a bluish and fluffy bird. It was Marfes, the dream bird that Varen Panasir raised, an avian fantasy species. ¡°What good dream did you have¡­?¡± Varen, who stifled a yawn, raised himself from his chair. The view outside the window and the stack of documents piled up on the desk caught his eyes simultaneously. Barren rubbed his forehead, releasing a sigh. ¡°Sigh¡­ It seems like it won¡¯t be easy this time either.¡± His study was located at the summit of Philleon¡¯s 13th Tower. From the pinnacle of the tower, he could oversee the northern sector of correction and jurisdiction at a nce. People who wereing to register for the exam were bustling around like ants. -Squawk! ¡°Why does professorial work never seem to get any easier¡­ Should I return to being an explorer?¡± Despite being invited by the royal family to work in Philleon three years ago, Varen still found dealing with humans and bureaucratic affairs exhausting. As Marfes, who had settled on his shoulder without him realizing, nudged his dark brown mane, Varen spoke to himself. ¡°Yes, I need to stay strong to meet my benefactor.¡± Varen recalled the incident that urred a month ago. He thought Marfes had gone for a short stroll, but he almost lost him forever. Although some time had passed, just thinking about that moment made his heart sink. He still hadn¡¯t been able to meet the person who had saved Marfes. Whenever he recalled their conversation, a warmth filled his chest. ¡°Even though all they did was save one animal¡­ Can you believe someone could be that kind-hearted?¡± ¡°Hopefully they haven¡¯t lost their feathers¡­¡± Varen looked out the window with a dreamy expression. Suddenly, two shadows emerged from below and floated up. One of them rapped gently on the window. ¡°Hey there.¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Varen recoiled as if hit by a carriage. He stumbled backward, his rear end colliding with the edge of the chair before he finally stopped by bumping his head against the opposite wall. Shivering, Varen shouted, ¡°Wh-Who are you people?¡± A boy with ck hair and another with red hair floated in mid-air. The red-haired boy let out a scream upon seeing Varen. ¡°Kyaah! It-it¡¯s a lion!¡± A lion, oddly dressed, was seated in a corner of the room, roaring. Mana scattered, and the two individuals plummeted downward. The boy hastily reached out, clutching the window frame and the hood of the child simultaneously. ¡°You, you imbecile! Magic!!¡± Krack! A sound reminiscent of a neck snapping emerged from the drowsy child¡¯s mouth. Startled as he identally looked down, he let out another scream. Far below, a wave of humans was undting. The boy, who had crawled up using superhuman strength, shattered the window. Crash! ¡°W-What in the world is this¡­!¡± Varen stared at the humans who had barged into his study, forgetting how to speak. The boy, who carried the child on his shoulders like a sack of rice, looked around before gently cing him on the plush sofa. ¡°Cough, cough! K-Kyah!¡± The child began to cough vigorously, clutching his throat. The boy, who had drawn closer, seized his head. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Hey, idiot! You nearly got us killed! Have you never seen a centaur before, you beastman?¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± The child sniffled as he clung to his spot. The boy, catching his breath, turned his head towards Barren. ¡°Uh, are you Professor Varen?¡± ¡°W-Well, yes, but¡­¡± ¡°Long time no see, Werelion¡­ Jeez, sorry about the window.¡± Approaching, the boy extended his hand. Varen¡¯s eyes widened. A blue feather, all too familiar, was protruding from his shirt pocket. *** ¡°Professor, are you truly alright?¡± ¡°Yes. Both of them are guests I invited. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Security in Philleon was tight. Within three minutes of the dazzling entrance, the arrival of the two individuals had been proven. Adorned in heavy armor and poleaxes, the guards swiftly surrounded Ronan and Aselle. Varen, trying to exin their arrival, was sweating profusely. ¡°If the professor says so¡­¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry about them causing a fuss. Thank you for always taking care of us.¡± Bowing nearly halfway, Varen apologized. He proceeded to hand over pies he had personally made to the bewildered guards, not knowing what to do. ¡°Huff.¡± Ronan, sitting on the sofa, chuckled. His attitude was a stark contrast to his appearance, which resembled someone who would ughter cattle with his bare hands. Having fought against the Werelion race, he was even more surprised. ¡°Sorry for making you wait. You¡¯re the ones who saved our Marfes, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Professor Varen Panasir, responsible for the lecture ¡®Communicating and Understanding Fantasia Species¡¯ at Phileon Academy.¡± He was at least 3 meters tall, his robust physique topped with the imposing head of a hunter. His well-groomed ck mane exuded both elegance and wildness. ¡°Due to not being able to find the entrance, we had no choice but to make an unfortunate decision.¡± ¡°I should have informed you of the door-opening incantation in advance¡­ I apologize.¡± ¡°Sorry? Why are you apologizing to us who just barged in and broke the window?¡± Ronan bowed his head and simultaneously pressed down on Aselle¡¯s head beside him. ¡°We¡¯re the ones who should be sorry. Let¡¯s end this ridiculous farce.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t do this! There¡¯s no reason for all of you to apologize!¡± ¡°Yes, we won¡¯t do that anymore. We said it¡¯s over.¡± Ronan crossed his legs, pulling a tobo stick from his pocket to clearly express his intent. Marfes, who had been perched on Varen¡¯s shoulder all along, approached Ronan. ¡°How have you been?¡± -Cheep! Marfes nudged his head against Ronan¡¯sp, his feathers appearing even more beautiful and his health seemingly robust. He took the feather he had retrieved from his front pocket and gave it back to Marfes. ¡°Thank you so much for rescuing Marfes.¡± ¡°I just did what I could. By the way, you¡¯re a professor at Philleon? Quite the remarkable individual.¡± ¡°I owe it to the Emperor recognizing my insignificant talents. Both of you are taking the entrance exam at Philleon?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I hope you both pass. I promise to teach you every single thing I know.¡± The three of them exchanged pleasantries and shared various stories. He assured that if they were to attend Philleon, he would make sure to secure their spots in the ss, alongside ¡°Foundations of Elemental Studies,¡± which was the first ss to fill up. ¡°By the way, you might need to improve as the new guardian. Those thieves, they were affiliated with kaliborro.¡± ¡°kaliborro¡­ you say?¡± ¡°Yes, those bastards are persistently relentless.¡± Upon hearing the name kaliborro, Varen growled softly. Hisid-back mane stood up, and the hidden ws beneath his rough palms were revealed. ¡°Those wretched poachers dare¡­¡± The connection seemed deeper than expected. An almost palpable energy emanated from Varen¡¯s entire being. As Aselle turned pale and sank into the sofa, Ronan exhaled cigarette smoke and snapped his fingers. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Yes¡­? Ugh, I apologize!¡± The energy dissipated in an instant. Barren quickly hid his hands behind his back, standing up and bowing at a right angle to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry. Revealing my ws in front of the guests¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no. It was cool.¡± Ronan was sincere. The expression he had just seen from Varen was the true face of the Werelion he knew. It was truly astonishing. The almost perfectly suppressed nature of the Werelion and the fact he worked as a professor in an academy. Life in Philleon was something to look forward to. Varen, who had sat back down, spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ Can I ask you something? There¡¯s been something bothering me since earlier.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s in your right pocket¡­?¡± ¡°My pocket? ¡­Oh, I was going to ask you the same thing.¡± Ronan rummaged in his pocket and produced a sphere object. It was the mysterious substance that Marfes had produced. Though a month had passed, there didn¡¯t seem to be any external changes. ¡°It¡¯s what marfes left behind. Do you know what it is?¡± Ronan gestured to Marfes, who was dozing on hisp. However, there was no response. Varen was fixated on the sphere object as if he was under some sort of spell. ¡°Why are you looking at it like that?¡± ¡°This is¡­ impossible¡­¡± As an awakened Oracle, Varen immediately realized that it was Marfes¡¯s egg. The unique mana of the dream bird was emanating from its surface. However, what truly bewildered him was something else. The sensed mana wasn¡¯t solely that of the dream bird¡¯s. Chapter 12: The Lion and the Dream Bird (2) Chapter 12: The Lion and the Dream Bird (2) An overwhelming mana, as if suppressing the senses, pulsed within the sphere object. Despite experiencing countless types of mana before, never had they felt anything quite like this. Varen strained to speak. ¡°Marpez, what in the world¡­?¡± ¡°Professor, what is this exactly? It¡¯s not suddenly going to explode, is it?¡± ¡°Well, the only thing I can be sure about¡­ is that it¡¯s Marpez¡¯s egg. But judging from the mana I feel, I can¡¯t even guess what mighte out of it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t guess?¡± ¨C Cheep¡­ Cheep¡­ Marpez was nodding off on Ronan¡¯sp. Ronan, who was molding soft feathers, furrowed his brow. ¡°No, you said it¡¯s an egg. So, it¡¯s not just going to hatch into a blue bundle of fur like this? It¡¯s not like nting a bean and suddenly getting a watermelon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Dream Birds can do that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not just watermelons, but they can also grow trees, pces, and forests.¡± Varen continued the exnation. In essence, this peculiar bird conceived by absorbing mana from specific objects or its surroundings andid an egg. Due to this unique ability, even among fantastical creatures, their poption was limited. ¡°Because of this, Dream Birds that look the same don¡¯t exist. I¡¯ve seen Dream Birds with steel beaks and feathers of me.¡± ¡°Sounds amazing¡­ I¡¯d probably aim for it too even if I am not a poacher.¡± Varen had encountered Marpez in a prestigious northernke. The characteristics like blue feathers and the ability to run on water were likely derived from theke¡¯s mana. ¡°However, this situation is new to me too. In typical cases, a Dream Bird¡¯s intrinsic mana is about 70%, and the rest should feel like 30%¡­ But this is a chaotic mix of all kinds of mana. Like molten metal in a furnace.¡± ¡°What¡¯s included in ¡®all kinds¡¯?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Varen let out a sigh as he inspected the egg. Even exining an entric masterpiece painted by a madman wouldn¡¯t be more confusing than this. What could you call this? mes flowing on a riverbed. Dancing shadows, and rivers of bright red rushing into the sky. Pale starlight. A Dream Bird soaring along the world¡¯s edge. Eventually, Varen lowered his head, seeming embarrassed. ¡°I apologize. I can¡¯t give you a definite answer. With my abilities, I can¡¯t exin this.¡± ¡°Hey, what the heck did you give birth to?¡± Ronan jabbed Marpez as he muttered. Marpez, who had awakened briefly, looked around blinking before burying its head into Ronan¡¯s chest and falling asleep again. Ronan chuckled in disbelief. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen shameless folks, but this one takes the cake.¡± ¡°¡­Um, would you mind taking care of this egg?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan raised his head at this sudden request. Varen was staring at him with a serious expression. The way he had his hands on his knees reminded Ronan of a master appealing to someone for his daughter¡¯s sake. ¡°I know this is a sudden favor. But I believe Marpez has a reason forying this egg in front of you all.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because it was time toy the egg?¡± ¡°No, Dream Birds don¡¯ty eggs just anywhere.¡± Varen asserted firmly. His well-groomed mane swayed aristocratically. He spoke as if uttering an unopposable, ancient prophecy. ¡°Much like most animals give birth in safe ces, Dream Birdsy their eggs where potential gathers. I want to respect the intention of my friend, who has been with me for over 40 years.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter much, but is it okay?¡± ¡°Of course. In fact, I¡¯m thankful you¡¯re willing to entertain this sudden request.¡± ¡°When is it going to wake up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ I know of a ce where I might be of help.¡± Varen, who unexpectedly rose to his feet, walked over to the desk. In his returning hands were two sheets of exquisite paper and a piece of parchment. Ronan grinned. ¡°I was contemting what to give you as a token of gratitude for rescuing Marpez¡­ and it worked out well.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Firstly, this is a map leading to the Fountain of Phaenar.¡± Varen extended the parchment first. A crudely drawn map, as if he had done it himself, was sketched on the rough surface. He pointed to a marked spot with his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s the closest ce to the Leyline. A location where the Earth¡¯s mana gathers, so it¡¯s often sought after by fantasy creatures.¡± ¡°Wait, Leyline? Really?¡± Varen suggested that they should take the egg and visit the Fountain of Phaenar. He mentioned that it might elerate the hatching or enhance their own mana sensitivity. He asked them to keep the location a secret. Ronan nodded, clutching the parchment. ¡°Of course. Giving us something so precious, thank you somehow doesn¡¯t feel enough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. Here, take this too.¡± This time, Varen ced two sheets of exquisite paper on the table. Although there was a lot written on them, it was in anguage they couldn¡¯t understand because it wasn¡¯t Imperial. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rmendation letter for Philleon Academy. I thought I¡¯d never have a use for it in my lifetime, but it seems it¡¯s finallying out.¡± The boys¡¯ eyes widened. Varen took what seemed like a mere pen but began to scribble something. He indicated their names, Ronan¡¯s and Aselle¡¯s, and his own signature in his handwriting. ¡°As far as I know, students who enter with a rmendation letter only need a simple interview instead of an additional exam. Schrships are also avable. And other benefits¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Varen looked taken aback as Ronan spoke while stroking Marpez. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t need it. Just use Marpez for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it too!¡± Aselle also pped his hands. Even when Ronan prodded him in the side, he stubbornly resisted. ¡°Don¡¯t y around, just ept it.¡± ¡°I want to pass on my own merits!¡± ¡°Heh, really.¡± Ronan chuckled. He ruffled Aselle¡¯s hair as if pardoning him, then set Marpez down on the table. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m thinking the same way.¡± ¡°Wait a moment! Are you serious?¡± ¡°Now, this should be enough. You¡¯ve had your fair share of tea.¡± He yfully shook the parchment with the map drawn on it in front of them. Ronan grabbed his coat and got up from his seat. Varen, who stood up right after, asked in surprise. ¡°I find it awkward to say this, but Philleon¡¯s rmendation letter holds a different meaning. Only one student gets epted with a rmendation letter every three years or so!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be swayed by giving you a beast and be left empty-handed. Besides, I¡¯ve wanted that egg ever since you mentioned a steel beak or whatever.¡± Ronan strode towards the door without hesitation. Varen¡¯s imposing figure blocked their way, leaving them no room to escape. ¡°W-Wait! We can¡¯t just let you leave like this!¡± ¡°Finally showing your true colors, huh? With your dwarf size, one meal will suffice. That¡¯s all from me.¡± ¡°Hyuk!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. You saved Marpez, entrusted us with the egg, and I can¡¯t just let you leave with nothing!¡± Varen¡¯s fierce determination sent the boys¡¯ bangs fluttering. Based on their fervor, it seemed he might end up offering more than one vital organ right there. To give them a map with Leyline marked on it, and to say such words¡­ They were truly grateful. ¡°Name whatever you want! If it¡¯s something I can provide¡­¡± ¡°A Wyrelion leather carpet.¡± It was a deadpan voice. Silence enveloped the office. Seeing the pale faces of the two men, Ronan snickered. ¡°It¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s a relief. I was really¡­ really surprised.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really want anything in particr¡­ Then, can I ask for one favorter?¡± ¡°A favor¡­ What do you mean?¡± Ronan¡¯s mouth curled ominously upwards. Aselle, who felt like his heart was going to stop after the carpet remark, bit his nails. When his request was finally presented, both Varen and Aselle raised their eyebrows almost simultaneously. ¡°Um¡­ Well¡­ Is that really all right?¡± ¡°Yes. But you must promise to keep it safe. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Well, of course, but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s settled then. I¡¯ll see you at the entrance ceremony.¡± With that, Ronan left the office without hesitation. The sound of the door closing jolted Marpez awake, and he looked around. Standing there dazedly, it took Varen quite a while to return to the desk. He scratched his mane and mumbled to himself, ¡°That guy.¡± Leaving Varen¡¯s office, the two of them headed straight for the marketce. While their purpose included getting supplies and ingredients, the main reason was to meet Marya, of course. As they strolled among sophisticated buildings, Aselle spoke up. ¡°Hey, Ronan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why did you make that request earlier?¡± ¡°Ah, that? Well¡­¡± The favor he asked of Varen was nothing other than bing the supervisor of the club he intended to create. In his investigation of Philleon Academy, Ronan had learned about student-run organizations called ¡®clubs¡¯. Simr to the military, these clubs required someone to take responsibility, and Varen, who looked like he would excel in that role, was a perfect candidate. Ronan chuckled, sliding a hairpin behind his ear. ¡°Well, I had something in mind.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t get epted¡­ What will you do then?¡± ¡°You call that a question? You better hurry back and beg him to give his rmendation again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. You just need to show off your telekinesis and you¡¯ll pass for sure.¡± Aselle didn¡¯t bother asking, ¡°What about you?¡± He had only asked out of concern, not actually considering that Ronan might fail. Even a fierce Lunar Goblin would be no different than a carrot on a cutting board in front of his sword skills. ¡°By the way, this is actually pretty good. I like the feeling of clutching it knowing it¡¯s not dung.¡± ¡°Be, be careful¡­! If you drop it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s harder than mithril, what¡¯s the worst that could happen if it falls?¡± Since considering it fully his own, he felt no qualms. He urged them forward and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see that girl quickly. My shoulders hurt because of the books.¡± Among the refined buildings, they eventually spotted Maraya, seated at the center of the marketce on a mat. When her eyes met Ronan¡¯s, she greeted them with a wave. ¡°Idiots! You¡¯ve finallye!¡± Marya was dressed in a hostess¡¯s skirt, and her hair was now neatly tied, giving her a slightly more mature appearance. The boys returned her the borrowed book. ¡°To be honest, I was worried, but how did you find your way here? When did you arrive in Jido?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± ¡°And what have you been doing since you got here?¡± ¡°Had a cup of tea with the lion they call a messenger at Philleon.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want to meet me, huh?¡± ¡°No.¡± Marya squinted at Ronan with narrowed eyes. From Ronan¡¯s perspective of telling the truth, it felt unjust. She furrowed her brow as she looked at the egg in Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s that round thing? Ugh, it¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, is it?¡± ¡°A mysterious and inexplicable something even the talking lion couldn¡¯t exin.¡± ¡°You¡­ really¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Hi! Marya!¡± Sensing the crisis, Aselle interjected. Marya¡¯s expression softened, and she looked at Aselle. ¡°Hey, cutie! You seem a bit taller?¡± ¡°Only because this midget¡¯s been bbering about you all day. He kept singing and saying he wanted to see you¡­¡± ¡°Si-singing¡­ that¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°If you wanted to see me, you should have just said so. Come here!¡± Marya embraced Aselle and spun him around. It was a scene like an older sister ying with her younger brother. As Aselle blushed with embarrassment, Ronan exchanged greetings with Duon. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sir.¡± ¡°Oh, Guests! Have you been well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always doing well. Sorry aboutst time.¡± ¡°Hehe, not at all, guests. Although there have been various things happening, I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve been friendly with my daughter. She¡¯s rather lonely even though she doesn¡¯t seem it.¡± Duon lowered his voice, as if worried Marya might hear. Ronan chuckled and nodded. He had bought a pouch of southern mountain tobo from Carabel. When they turned their heads, they saw Marya and Duon finishing a yful exchange. Ronan ced a piece of tobo in his mouth and pushed the pouch into his coat. As if something important hade to her mind, Marya opened her mouth. ¡°Oh, did you hear the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°This time, the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Gracia will take the entrance exam for Philleon. Just like us.¡± ¡°Grand Duke of Gracia?¡± Ronan recalled his memory. He had never been interested in the nobility, so he didn¡¯t remember. That was still true now, so he shrugged nonchntly. ¡°What, you seriously don¡¯t know? This is quite a big deal.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this guy? Why¡¯s he acting so high and mighty?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the genius that the whole empire was talking about, the one that reappeared after two hundred years. Shullifen Sinyaban De Gracia. You¡¯ve never heard of him?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. Seeing his silence, Marya sighed. It was hard to believe that someone could be so ignorant of the world¡¯s affairs. In Jido, there wasn¡¯t a single person who didn¡¯t know Shullifen. A prodigy who enlightened Orl¡¯s circles at the age of eleven and was now running toward the state of Awakening. Also, the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Gracia, a major n that rivaled the Acalusia family. But Ronan hadn¡¯t remained silent because he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Shullifen¡­? Did you just say Shullifen?¡± ¡°Yeah. You seriously haven¡¯t heard of him? Not even once?Shullifen. Sinyaban. De. Grancia.¡± Why would he have heard of him? Ronan continued to doubt his hearing. In the list of words that sounded like an incantation, there was one name he could never forget. The Winter Witch¡¯s assassin. The Empire¡¯s Sword Saint, who once wielded a de alongside him. The tragic genius who ultimately couldn¡¯t defeat the giant and perished. ¡°What¡¯s with your expression? Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Um, no. I know about it. Shullifen.¡± ¡°Really? Honestly, this was more surprising to me than your mana sensitivity.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly after delving into the past for a moment. Their encounter had been short, but the impression he left was intense. He still remembered Shullifens Aura that covered the battlefield. ¡°He was an impressive aristocrat. There was a slightly twisted corner to him, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying it like you met him in person?¡± ¡°I did. To put it another way, I couldn¡¯t even pee in front of that nobleman.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so. Anyway, I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Marya grabbed the boys¡¯ hands and headed toward the restaurant district. They enjoyed one of Jido¡¯s specialties, beef steak, apanied by wood strawberry juice. The three of them spent their days touring around various ces in Jido during the day and training for the practical test at night. Two days flew by in an instant. Chapter 13: Practical Exam (1) Chapter 13: Practical Exam (1) The miniature city of Baektop, named after the ¡°Hundred Towers¡± that adorned its premises, was most famously known as the Philleon Academy. The nickname originated from the literal presence of a hundredrge and small towers within the grounds, though there were actually 103 towers in total. ¡°We lived in a doghouse,¡± Ronan mused, seemingly taken aback. He hadn¡¯t noticed the true expanse when he hade looking for Varen. The sheer size was unimaginable. Marya remarked, ¡°It reminds me of when I first arrived. It¡¯s spacious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Damn, this isn¡¯t just spacious. It¡¯s like raising three dragons.¡± Ronan was astounded. He was sure there might even be entertainment or pleasure quarters hidden somewhere, albeit discrete ones, since it was a ce for students. He pointed towards the grand central castle within the premises. ¡°Exams were held over there, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. The Garion Main Hall.¡± The Garion Castle, thergest structure in Philleon, yed the role of the main hall. It was not only architecturally impressive but also strategically advantageous. The practical exams for martial arts were conducted there. ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your attire is extravagant. What¡¯s with the fancy getup?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Marya was wearing an outfit he had never seen her in before. The attire was sophisticated and elegant, befitting a noblewoman, and it wasn¡¯t a stretch to believe she was from a high-ranking family. ¡°You dress up like this for an exam that happens once a year? Not bad, though. People said cuties are pretty, and it holds true for you.¡± ¡°That sniveling guy would call you elegant even if you wolfed down soup with your bare hands, so don¡¯t mind him.¡± ¡°Hmph, how about in your eyes?¡± Two short swords dangled from her hips, seemingly the ones she usually used. The scabbards were different from her usual ones, adorned with ornate patterns in gilded metal. Ronan broke the silence after a moment. ¡°Well¡­ not bad.¡± ¡°Hehe, really?¡± Marya yfully tapped Ronan¡¯s arm and started giggling. Herughter was so infectious that people around them couldn¡¯t help but look over. A few secondster, herughter turned into a stifled gasp. ¡°Hot!¡± ¡°Did a bug fly into your mouth?¡± ¡°Ouch, you be careful too. I almost forgot. Do you realize how many nobles are here?¡± ¡°Nobles?¡± Marya exined that Philleon was currently hosting nobles from all over the continent. Their expressions were mostly sour due to the rule that restricted entry and exit of outsiders and carriages, excluding examinees. She covered her mouth again and coughed. ¡°This could get quite interesting. I¡¯d love to provoke them and start arguments, but it¡¯s impossible since we don¡¯t even know which country¡¯s nobles they are.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the connection between nobles and yourughter? Can¡¯t youugh in front of them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but those could potentially be our main customers in the upper rankster. No point in showing off ourmoner side needlessly.¡± ¡°Why does being amoner matter?¡± Marya raised her head and met Ronan¡¯s gaze. At this point, he couldn¡¯t tell if she was genuinely asking or if it was a sophisticated form of condescension. She sighed before continuing. ¡°¡­Even among the well-behaved nobles, there are many who regardmoners like cockroaches. Traders who run businesses have to put on a show of deference and humility. The moment you underestimate them, the deal goes sour.¡± The main source of ie for Carabel was trading with nobles. With the management of their territory and the substantial assets they controlled, sessful deals could yield substantial profits. But to make deals with haughty nobles, one had to approach with a submissive demeanor. ¡°However, it¡¯s not just about bowing to arrogance. Many of these traders are doing this to outmaneuver pretentious nobles. That¡¯s how you y the game of business.¡± The story of Carabel¡¯s upper echelon revolved around transactions with nobles. As their holdings expanded and their wealth grew, securing sessful transactions could mean a fortune. Nheless, dealing with haughty nobles required a delicate bnce of humility and tact. ¡°I¡¯m going to earn my nobility one way or another. After graduating from Philleon, I¡¯ll establish my reputation, be a noble, and make our father hold his head high again.¡± Marya¡¯s voice trembled slightly. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what she had gone through following Duon¡¯s lead. She must have witnessed all sorts of humiliating scenes. Ronan leaned against the wall behind him and stated, ¡°I understand. But I won¡¯t be ying by their rules.¡± ¡°Hey! Have you not heard anything until now? Just pay a little attention for today, please?¡± ¡°Who cares? If anyone asks, I¡¯ll just introduce myself as an uneducated servant.¡± Ronan chuckled in a somewhat coarse manner. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t run into any nobles who took offense. They passed through a street adorned with polished cobblestones and entered the examination venue after a brief identity check. **** The waiting room resembled a corridor with rooms made along its length. Ten chairs were lined up against the long wall. On the opposite side of the entrance, a grand door with intricate patterns hung. It led to the examination room. Inside the waiting room, ten people were seated. The number always remained constant; whenever one person left, another entered. The candidates seated in a row were all revising the skills they had prepared. Then, the door opened, and a cheerful voice echoed through the room. ¡°Next, please!¡± ¡°Yes! Bilkerian Onbi de Hyern of the Hyern Family! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to mention your name or affiliation~¡± The practical exam took as little as three minutes and up to five minutes. A boy who had been waiting at the front walked confidently as he presented a token resembling an official¡¯s identification. Magic seemed to be at work, as the interior of the door was invisible, and the door that admitted the person closed on its own. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°Damn~ It¡¯s so long. How can that even be a name? It must be an incantation.¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Keep it down. My legs are already jelly¡­¡± ¡°In such a dull ce, they should let people chat. Hey, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?!¡± Ronan elbowed the boy seated on his left while speaking. Marya let out a quiet sigh. She had expected herself to act more refined in this setting, but she felt foolish for expecting that. She shifted her focus to rehearsing her own skills, muttering under her breath, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­¡± At that moment, she noticed a boy seated right next to her on the right. He appeared to be around her age and exuded an air of nobility. She lightly tapped the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Um¡­ Don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± ¡°Eek! Yes? Oh, yes! My apologies, mdy! Was I being too noisy?¡± He seemed like he might burst if he got any tenser. He definitely looked like he was taking his first Philleon exam. Marya gave him a warm smile, despite the memories ofst year surfacing. ¡°Haha, being too nervous won¡¯t help you. Is this your first time applying?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s myst. Uh¡­ I really want to get in, but it seems Ick the talent as I¡¯ve been failing every time.¡± Surprisingly, the boy was older than her. His remark about it being hisst attempt indicated that he was crossing the age limit for admission from next year onward. She encouraged him with a gentle smile. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sure it will go well this time. Stay positive.¡± ¡°Th-thank you. You¡¯re so kind. I¡¯m Deirian Marquis de Mirodin, the third son of Marquis Mirrodin.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She used her middle name instead of her actual name. When Marya extended her hand for a handshake, Deirian quickly grabbed it with both hands and shook it fervently up and down. Seeing the almost princely attitude towards Marya, Ronan couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. ¡°Are you going to showcase your family¡¯s swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. This time¡­ I¡¯ve memorized it perfectly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Your sword looks quite impressive. Did you craft it at the Darn Forge?¡± ¡°Ah! You recognized it¡­ Your discernment is remarkable¡­!¡± Afterwards, the two continued to share various conversations. Whenever Marya praised Deirian, he would respond by praising her beauty and grace. ¡®By the gods, She is a born merchant.¡¯ Marya appeared entirely different when interacting with nobles. It was hard to believe she was the same person who had mmed her head into a chair during their first encounter. Ronan pretended disinterest with feigned yawns or mumbled words, but his ears were wide open to them. Somewhat acrid yet oddly addictive, it was like the smell of navel lint. Suppressing his urge to cry out, Ronan listened to their conversation while Marya cheered on Deirian as it was his turn. Marya smiled brightly and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s your turn next, Lord Deirian. I wish you the best.¡± ¡°Mdy Sen¡­¡± Deirian sniffled as if moved. He still held Marya¡¯s hand tightly. Magic seemed to reach a point where it became enchanting. Ronan resisted the urge to p Marya on the back of her head, dering her a witch. Deirian spoke, ¡°The honor is mine, Mdy Sen. If it wouldn¡¯t be too impolite, may I inquire about your full name? I promise to bring up today¡¯s exchange when I visit the Lady¡¯s domain in the future.¡± Marya¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. Deirian seemed to mistake her for a noblewoman. Ronan perked up, interested in what Marya¡¯s response would be. Would she y along with some made-up name to imitate nobility, or would she believe in Deirian¡¯s values and tell the truth? Marya chose thetter. ¡°I have no title. Just call me Sen.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Deirian¡¯s face was filled with confusion. ¡°Uh, well¡­ In that case¡­ Are you¡­ amoner?¡± His tone was akin to asking about the news of a spouse¡¯s or parent¡¯s death. Slowly, strength drained from Deirian¡¯s grip on her hand. Marya slightly bit her lower lip, then gave a coquettish smile. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± His grippletely loosened. Then, out of nowhere, Deirian pped Marya¡¯s cheek. Smack! The sound of the p silenced the buzz of the waiting room for a moment. Ronan stood up, ready to intervene. ¡°Stay back.¡± Marya whispered, her head slightly turned towards Ronan, assuring him with her expression. After a brief hesitation, Ronan sat down. It was obvious Marya signaled him, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Chapter 14: Practical Exam (2) Chapter 14: Practical Exam (2) Darien, who had been called, turned around. Ronan, who had been staring at him all along, pulled out his sword from its sheath. A few strands of silver light shimmered in the air. The strands of light passed by Darien¡¯s scabbard and pants. Except for Ronan, no one else saw his sword strike. It was the moment when Darien stepped forward. Thud¡­ ¡°Hmm?¡± Darien¡¯s scabbard snapped. The longsword, now without support, plummeted to the ground. The de, upon contact with the ground, broke in half. ng! It sounded as if ss or pottery were shattering. The sharp metallic sound resonated loudly. Darien, who had turned his head btedly, widened his eyes. ¡°What, what is this!!¡± The works from Duruan¡¯s workshop had turned into two pieces of metal scraps, rolling on the ground. However, Darien¡¯s misfortune didn¡¯t end there. The moment he turned, his pants exploded. In an instant, Darien found himself in his underwear and let out a scream. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± ¡°Oh my~ What are you trying to show us?¡± Ronan pped his hands while sitting. The cut-up pieces of pants fluttered down to the ground like autumn leaves. The voice of the announcer echoed once again. ¡°Darien Marshal de Mirodin. Are you not here~?¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± At this rate, he would be unable to take the exam and get disqualified. Darien breathed heavily and clenched his head. He couldn¡¯t fathom what had just happened. What in the world happened? My sword! My pants! iling around like a madman, he pointed at Ronan¡¯s waist. ¡°Th-There! Give me the sword! Right now!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to, you know?¡± ¡°You, fool! Even at a nce, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re amoner who doesn¡¯t understand the situation! I am Darien Marquis de Mirodin¡­!¡± ¡°Whether you¡¯re a marquis or a lunatic, I don¡¯t really know, but why did you leave your belongings unattended and try to borrow mine? Were you born because your father couldn¡¯t properly guard his belongings?¡± ¡°Wj-What the hell¡­!¡± Ronan stood up, spitting on the ground. Taken aback by his fierce demeanor, Darien hastily stepped back. Ronan picked up a handkerchief that was on top of Marya¡¯s head. ¡°Step back, you! Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just ept the tip I¡¯m giving you.¡± Approaching with confidence, Ronan inserted the handkerchief into Darien¡¯s underwear. Marya covered her mouth with both hands. The piece of cloth sticking out from under his hipbone swayed like a tail. ¡°Fits you well.¡± ¡°Th-This is insane!¡± Originally, this kind of act involving a slip of paper in ady¡¯s scandalous attire is done, but whatever. Darien, nowpletely bewildered, charged towards Ronan, but just then, the announcer¡¯s voice resounded once more. ¡°If you don¡¯te in by the count of three, you will be disqualified. One¡­ Two¡­¡± ¡°Go see what they want.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Darien almost cried and rushed into the room. Ronan, back in his seat, picked up a piece of the sword. ¡°What¡¯s he up to now? Perhaps he¡¯s going to sing?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? No matter how little I have to lose, what will you do if I get caught doing such a thing?¡± ¡°During times like these, you¡¯re supposed to thank me, you fool.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­! Even if I¡¯m using a pseudonym, this is¡­! This is¡­!¡± Marya, who had turned pale, smacked Ronan¡¯s arm. Her trembling lips barely held back a smile. Soon, the boisterous sound ofughter spread, causing the onlooking examinees to shrug their shoulders. ¡°C-Crazy bastard¡­! Huk, why did you stick a handkerchief there¡­!¡± ¡°Heh, maybe it¡¯s because a vulgarmoner woman¡¯sughter sounds just as vulgar. I¡¯d even prefer the sound of my own fart. ¡± ¡°J-Just stop it! Enough!¡± Ronan imitated Darien¡¯s voice and teased her. Marya clung to the back of the chair and kicked her feet restlessly. Just as Marya had been suppressing herughter, the other examinees refrained from objecting to her outburst, clearly amused. ¡°Next person, pleasee in~¡± Soon, the guiding voice resounded again. It hadn¡¯t even been thirty seconds since Darien had entered. Wiping away her tears, Marya stood up from her seat. The sting of her cheeks, the embarrassment, the tension ¨C all of it had faded away long ago. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± Marya energetically made a fist before confidently striding forward. Her long blonde hair, tied up, exuded a sense of dignity. From the front row, Ronan waved his hand. ¡°If you want to smile, then smile.¡± Ronan smiled. The door opened again precisely five minutester. Seven people were seated around a long table. They were the examiners in charge of Exam Room 4. In the middle seat sat a high priest, Krava Kratir, who stroked his beard and asked, ¡°How many are left?¡± ¡°Today, there are only seventy-five remaining.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s somewhatforting. You¡¯ll have a pay cut.¡± Kravir let out a light sigh. He couldn¡¯t grasp how many times this particr examinee had entered. He regretted his past stubbornness, ignoring the professors¡¯ advice to maintain the dignity befitting of a principal. ¡°You must gather your strength. It¡¯s all for the sake of nurturing talents who will lead the continent.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that too. But seeing Shullifen in the morning must have dampened my enthusiasm. Although I know it¡¯s wrong, I can¡¯t help feeling that way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Being called the Next Star of the Empire is not something to be taken lightly.¡± ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t fathom what that guy earlier was trying to do. He seemed fine in appearance, but really.¡± Kravir recalled the examinee who hade in earlier. The boy had entered wearing only a top and there was even a handkerchief stuck in his underwear, muttering, ¡°This isn¡¯t a pleasure district! Wahaha!¡± after he heard the prayer room supervisor¡¯s words, he cried and rushed out. ¡°Still, the examinee who just left was remarkable. He¡¯s someone to look forward to in the future.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Marya Karabel, was it? A remarkably skilled swordswoman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of such talents that we find our work fulfilling. Looking at the records, she failed once, but honestly, it was hard toprehend.¡± The concurring examiners nodded in satisfaction and exchanged approving nces. Among the examinees who took the test today, Marya demonstrated the highest level of skill. Kravir, feeling a bit better, began to speak. ¡°Next examinee, pleasee in.¡± The examiners, who were taking a break, straightened up in their seats. With the guiding voice, the door opened. A sturdy-looking boy walked in leisurely. His hair was messy, and his fierce eyes didn¡¯t give a favorable impression. **** ¡°Next person, pleasee in~¡± As the door opened, the exam room revealed itself. It was a circr space reminiscent of a small arena. A long table where examiners sat was ced about 10 meters in front. Five humans, one elf, and one werewolf sat among the examiners. A total of seven judges were looking at him. Ronan offered a light bow. ¡°I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Ronan. I¡¯m Krava Kratir, the current principal of Philleon Academy.¡± The elderly priest in the center gave a gentle smile. He appeared benevolent, but Ronan instinctively sensed that he was the strongest among the seven here. It was a honed intuition that had developed from life and death experiences. ¡°The second one is thatdy.¡± Seated to the right of the high priest was a woman with a tawnyplexion. She used to be the Butterfly Rose instructor, Navirose, who had once risen to the position of a sword master. With her striking features and her gray hair, it was clear that she had Southern tribal or mixed heritage. Beside hery arge nodachi, leaning diagonally against the table. ¡°They all look quite formidable.¡± Their presence was so strong that even the rest seemed equally powerful. Just by looking at the number of piercings on the elf girl¡¯s ears, one could tell she was crazy. Who would have thought to use elongated ears like that? Kravir spoke up. ¡°Well then, how do you n to prove yourself?¡± ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± Ronan began to ponder, stroking his chin. Despite a month of training, he still couldn¡¯t sense mana or attune to it, and he hadn¡¯t developed any techniques worth calling significant. He hadn¡¯t mentioned it purposely to Marya or Aselle. Just then, the werewolf in a shirt chuckled. It was a prayer room instructor who taught hunting techniques. ¡°Wahaha! There have been students frozen in tension, but no one whoes in to contemte. Why not see us again next year?¡± ¡°No need to rush. Just wait a moment.¡± Ronan lowered his head and extended his hand. The examiners¡¯ faces turned stern. The corners of Kravir¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Hey, having a bit of guts might be useful.¡± After his contemtion, Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword. No matter how much he thought, there was only one thing he could show. Perhaps it was fortunate that he had remembered the inspiration he had when he mocked Darien. ¡°Have you made up your mind? Are you going to demonstrate swordsmanship?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he answered, the elf girl with piercings flicked her finger. Aplex magic circle appeared in the air, summoning a knight d in full armor right before Ronan¡¯s eyes. Kravir chuckled and introduced the knight. ¡°It¡¯s an enchanted martial arts puppet that has been used for the practical test of the Martial Arts Department for nearly a hundred years. We respectfully call it Madosros Kyeong.¡± The practical test involved demonstrating techniques to Madosros Kyeong, and the examiners would then score the performance. The specially treated armor would remain undamaged even from powerful attacks, and even if it sustained damage, it would be repaired overnight. ¡°It¡¯s quite amazing¡­ huh?¡± Ronan examined the knight and raised an eyebrow. The armor was covered in deep scars, resembling a battlefield. Familiar-shaped wounds were all over it. Unable to contain his curiosity, he raised his hand and asked, ¡°Did Shullifene and go here?¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I just took a wild guess. They said it doesn¡¯t even get scratched by considerable attacks, but I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Hehe, you have good intuition. That¡¯s right. He took the test here this morning.¡± Of course. Ronan nodded. Sharp yet graceful, it resembled the marks of a passing breeze. Though still immature, it was undoubtedly Shullifen¡¯s sword mark. He felt anew that he had returned to the past. ¡°I¡¯ve be incredibly shallow and coarse now that I¡¯ve regressed.¡± Kravir turned his gaze to Navirose, the woman with a tawnyplexion, who was sitting beside him. ¡°That¡¯s right, the armor has been scarred like this only about three times in nearly a hundred years. Do you know who did it before? It was none other than¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Navirose, who had been silent all along, suddenly interjected. Her tone was so natural that it didn¡¯t even seem impolite. Clearing his throat, Kravir turned to Ronan again. ¡°I apologize for the lengthy exnation. Madosros Kyeong!¡± ng. The knight raised his sword diagonally in defense. A red gleam sprang forth from the gaps in the pitch-dark helmet. The examiners¡¯ attention was firmly fixed on Ronan. ¡°Show us everything you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword and with a glint of dark steel, his arm vanished from sight. The trajectory of the sword remained, passing just by the knight¡¯s neck. Caaalng! A dyed ng resonated through the air. ¡­That was all. One of the examiners raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°¡­Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan sheathed his sword. The questioning examiner nodded with a hint of dissatisfaction. The other examiners wore simr expressions, either matching his or looking puzzled. The prayer room instructor burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s not as impressive as your confidence, it seems. Perhaps we should see you next year?¡± ¡°Prayer room instructor, please maintain yourposure.¡± ¡°Haha, my apologies. But truly, isn¡¯t this just ordinary? Was I the only one with expectations?¡± The other examiners didn¡¯t say anything. He had secretly been hoping for even a bit of a reckless attitude, but even that couldn¡¯t be sensed in Ronan¡¯s technique. It was a fast sh, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t even fast enough to escape those whose senses had been heightened by mana, nor did it possess any remarkable finesse. The only thing that bothered him a little was the fact that he couldn¡¯t feel any mana at all. Whether it was because it was hidden by subtle mana, or if it was because he was in poor condition and couldn¡¯t sense it today. If it was the former, it might have been worth considering, but that possibility was almost nonexistent. One of the examiners finished grading and lowered their sses before speaking. ¡°Right, good work. You can go now¡­¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± At that moment, both Kravir and Navirose almost simultaneously stood up from their seats. The startled examiners became agitated. ¡°He-Headmaster?¡± ¡°Instructor Navirose? Why the sword¡­?¡± Even Kravir, the headmaster who was known for his expressive emotions, and especially the stoic Navirose had never shown such a reaction before. Furthermore, she held a nodachi in her hand. Navirose red at Ronan. ¡°You, what are you?¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean?¡± Navirose¡¯s peculiar expression looked as if she had found the enemy who killed her parents, or had discovered a treasure she had been searching for all her life. She red at him once again. ¡°I asked what your true identity is. Who did you learn the sword from?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. He nced at each examiner¡¯s face and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Huh, did that show?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Navirose smirked. She rushed out without hesitation and stood in front of Ronan. The prayer room instructor let out an astonished cry. ¡°In-Instructor Navirose!¡± Suddenly, Navirose drew a nodachi from its sheath and pointed it at Ronan¡¯s throat. There was no tremor in the de, even as it stopped a paper¡¯s width from his neck. ¡°Wow.¡± Following Navirose¡¯s gaze, Ronan raised his eyes and met her gaze. Her deep green eyes zed like the depths of a forest. Navirose spoke. ¡°So, you did see it?¡± ¡°Yes. The diagonal sweep you did while making three turns. How did you do that?¡± For a moment, a hint of doubt flickered in Navirose¡¯s eyes. Without sheathing her sword, she spoke. ¡°Yes, three times. Just like the tricks you demonstrated.¡± Chapter 15: Practical Exam (3) Chapter 15: Practical Exam (3) Navirose opened her mouth without picking up her sword. ¡°Yeah, three times. Just like the tricks you showed.¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°three times,¡± Ronan swallowed nervously. Navirose¡¯s insight was precise. He had used the same technique he used to shatter Marya¡¯s sword before. ¡°At an unimaginable speed, you struck twice, and then deliberately slowed down for the final strike. You¡¯re quite bold, to think that no one could read your sword¡¯s movements.¡± Ronan remained silent. The reason for slowing down the speed of the final strike was simply because he was worried it might hurt himself, but that wasn¡¯t very important. The sound of his heart pounding seemed to echo in his head. Read my sword? My sword? After staring at him for a few seconds, Navirose nodded quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll remember your name, Ronan.¡± Kratir opened his mouth only after she returned to her position. He too had noticed Ronan¡¯s secret, but he didn¡¯t bother asking further questions. Kratir bid farewell to him with the same benevolent smile as when he first met Ronan. ¡°Well done, Ronan. But I have a question for you, old as I am.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why do you want to enroll in Philleon?¡± Ronan blinked at Kratir. Unexinable tears were flowing through the crescent-shaped eyelids. ¡°Just like everyone else, I want to learn.¡± ¡°Learn, you say. Learn what?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Learn what? Ronan¡¯s words trailed off. The sudden silence made the examiners chuckle and raise their heads. Ronan was facing Kratir, but his gaze lingered beyond Kratir¡¯s pupils, lost in the scenery. Giants descending and a torrential downpour over corpses. The final request of the General who had shown him the future. Finally, Ronan¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°By doing my best.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Kratir raised an eyebrow. Ronan didn¡¯t offer any further exnation. After a brief pause, Kratir smiled faintly. ¡°¡­I see. Go back safely.¡± Ronan bowed his head in farewell. Thud. As he left the exam room, the door closed. **** ¡°By doing my best.¡± Kratir mumbled to himself as he slouched into the chair, utterly puzzled. No matter how he mulled it over, it was an iprehensible phrase. The deep gaze that seemed too profound for his age also caught his attention. ¡°Profound indeed.¡± Kratir eventually gave up on finding an answer. It wasn¡¯t what mattered right now. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m relieved that this is Philleon.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because there is no better ce for him to be in other than Philleon¡± Kratir nodded, concurring with Navirose¡¯s agreement. The inquisitive Kidocan couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and asked. ¡°Um, what¡¯s happening right now? Navirose and¡­ Did that boy use some kind of trick?¡± The former Grand Swordmaster had aimed her sword at the examinee, now a Swordmaster himself. The Archmage, a Circle 8 mage and the headmaster, sat in the same spot, yet they didn¡¯t prevent her actions. It was an incident that was difficult to exin. Most of the examiners, including Kidocan, still hadn¡¯t fully grasped the situation. ¡°A trick, you say¡­ Well, you could see it that way.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± -Thud! At that moment, the head of Madros Kyeong fell to the ground. The flicker in his eyes, visible through his helmet, faded away. The astonished examiners gasped and eximed in shock. ¡°Whoa¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The head and body were separated, yet there was no sign of a new sword wound. The knight who had tested countless examinees for over a century had found eternal rest. Kratir murmured softly. ¡°That talent¡­ if it¡¯s not a trick, then what else could it be?¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so bright.¡± As soon as he exited the examination room, a brilliant spring sunlight poured down. Ronan raised his hand to shield his eyes from the intense re. The enchanted exit led to Philleon Academy¡¯s grand za. ¡°Ronan! Over here!¡± At that moment, a familiar voice called out to Ronan. Even amidst the crowd, Marya¡¯s figure was hard to miss. In her hands, she held cups of raspberry juice mixed with ice. Marya approached quickly and handed Ronan a cup. ¡°Took you quite a while, didn¡¯t it? Wasn¡¯t I supposed to go next?¡± ¡°Yeah, something happened.¡± ¡°Something? What was it?¡± Ronan nodded. He recalled the events that had taken ce in the examination room. The woman known as Navirose was much stronger than he had imagined. Even if he had been at his best, he doubted he could have countered her sword. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even cut through the armor¡­¡± Moreover, He hadn¡¯t managed to breach Madros Kyeong¡¯s armor either. It was due to him striking three times that he managed. The thin seam connecting the head and the body had been made of mana, which was a great relief. ¡°I only managed to damage it a little bit. I still have a long way to go.¡± For a moment, he had forgotten. The General hadn¡¯t given him onest chance simply because he was strong. It was his inexplicable nonchnce that was his advantage. Ronan finally realized his own weakness. But he wasn¡¯t frustrated. Taking a deep breath, Ronan downed the juice in one gulp. ¡°Hey, slow down. Sip it slowly.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ that¡¯s better.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The liquid trickling down his throat cooled his body¡¯s heat slightly. After chewing through the ice as well, Ronan spoke. A deeply resonant voice flowed from him. ¡°I feel like I can be stronger.¡± He saw a path ahead. Apass-like starlight. It was a pleasant thought, so Ronan smiled. ¡°What are you saying, out of the blue?¡± ¡°Exactly as I said. By the way, turn your head a bit.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± Suddenly, Ronan reached out and lightly pinched Marya¡¯s chin. It was to check the spot where she had been hit by Deiarian. Marya¡¯s face flushed as Ronan¡¯s hand drew near, her breath hitching slightly. ¡°Eeek.¡± ¡°Well¡­ fortunately.¡± Ronan adjusted his angle slowly while gently patting Marya¡¯s cheek. Though a reddish hue marked the path his fingers had taken, thankfully, there seemed to be no injury. Marya regained her senses btedly and shook her head vehemently. ¡°What, what¡¯s gotten into you! All of a sudden!¡± Ronan shrugged, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it himself. ¡°I said I¡¯m checking your injury.¡± ¡°Wh-who told you to check it!¡± Marya took a step back. Her left cheek was red earlier, and now her right cheek was flushing too. ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re being so unnecessary¡­¡± ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± With each step Ronan took forward, Marya took a step back. Their odd behavior, reminiscent of a theater performance, drew the crowd¡¯s attention. Then, an angry shout rang out across the square. ¡°Stop right there! Youmoner girl!¡± It was a familiar voice, one that carried a hint of rage. Simultaneously, both Ronan and Marya turned their heads to the source of the voice. Standing there was Deirian, his skinny frame dressed sharply in his clothes, trembling with barely restrained fury. ¡°Oh, you changed clothes? And you have some skills too.¡± Ronan whistled, causing Deirian¡¯s eyes to briefly meet his. Deirian flinched but continued to march decisively toward Marya, pointedly ignoring Ronan. Marya, back to her noble demeanor, lowered her head politely. ¡°What seems to be the matter, Lord Deirian?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡± The passersby who had been drawn to themotion halted in their tracks. Ronan watched Deirian while crossing his arms. Even though Deirian seemed aware, he didn¡¯t immediately raise his hand. ¡°You¡¯re saying this now? After four years of what you did to me! I¡¯ve never suffered such humiliation in my entire life!¡± ¡°Seems like he¡¯s not going to let it go just because he pped a girl.¡± ¡°Of course not! If you think paying the price for that little p is enough¡­¡± ¡°But really, what did the girl do wrong to merit this from Lord Deirian?¡± Deirian froze for a moment. Marya spoke up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Even the fact that the Lord¡¯s sword suddenly shattered into pieces, or that his underwear flew away like a dandelion in the wind, I know nothing about it. Why is Lord Deirian, a descendant of a prestigious family who holds a position in the Empire, taking out his frustrations on a meremoner?¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s the¡­!¡± ¡°If I havemitted a crime, all you should do as a high-strung noble is tofort her.¡± Marya¡¯s demeanor was polite, but she presented a starkly different aspect from before. If she had been purely focused on maintaining noble manners back in the waiting room, now it felt like she was speaking words she genuinely wanted to convey. Ronan clicked his tongue internally. ¡°Now that he¡¯s got nothing to lose, he¡¯sshing out. Anyway¡­¡± In any case, Sen was a pseudonym. Deirian failing the exam was an established fact. He had blown hisst chance this year, so there would be no more encounters between Marya and him. She really was a merchant¡¯s daughter down to her bones. ¡°It was truly regrettable to see you enter the examination room in undergarments. For the distinguished descendant of the Mirodin family tomit such an unthinkable act as humiliating a pitiablemoner like me¡­ it¡¯s truly appalling.¡± She spoke in a restrained manner, but her voice carried far. Marya interpreted the misfortunes Deirian had experienced one by one, like amentator narrating a chariot race. Laughter erupted among the spectators. ¡°But don¡¯t give up hope. Bold actions might have their own charm. Perhaps as a sincere gesture, I hope to see Lord Deirian at the induction ceremony.¡± ¡°Th-this¡­! Ridiculous¡­! Unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°Right, you should wear pants that day.¡± ¡°Wahaha!¡± A thorn had been struck. Ronan brushed his bangs aside andughed. Deirian¡¯s face was redder than it seemed humanly possible, and he raised his hand. He pointed at Marya, trembling as he shouted, ¡°I, the third son of Count Mirodin, challenge you to a duel!¡± The crowd buzzed with astonishment. It wasn¡¯t just any duel, but a ¡°sacred¡± one, which made it even more surprising. The deeply ingrained tradition, explicitly stated by the Imperialw, was not something to be spoken of lightly. It involved engaging in a battle, risking not only oneself but also one¡¯s family¡¯s honor. Regardless of social status, the loser had to fulfill one demand unconditionally from the winner. This was going too far. Ronan raised his arm and asked a question. ¡°Wait a moment, I have a question. I inserted a handkerchief into your underwear, but why are you challenging a girl to a duel?¡± ¡°You, you¡¯ll pay for that separately!¡± Deirian shouted with a trembling voice. Understanding the situation, Ronan let out a sarcasticugh. It was astonishing that even someone who probably hadn¡¯t fully grown his beard yet could be so shameless as to behave this way just because of a girl. ¡°Are you scared of me? Just ying around with the girl because she¡¯s an easy target?¡± ¡°Th-That can¡¯t be it! It¡¯s because the consequences of deceiving me are much greater!¡± ¡°Right, I can endure quite a bit, but you really can¡¯t. Let¡¯s do it, the duel.¡± ¡°G-Get away from me! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Spitting on his palm, Ronan approached. Deirian stepped back in panic. Marya, who had been observing them all along, stood between them. ¡°Both of you, stop.¡± Ronan gestured with his eyes for Marya to quickly step aside. Blushing and flustered, Marya turned her back. She performed a light curtsy towards Deirian. ¡°Miss Sen, I ept the sacred duel.¡± The three of them moved to an open area outside the Philleon grounds. An old man who seemed to be Deirian¡¯s servant acted as the witness for the duel. ¡°Young master, what disgrace is this? Starting a quarrel withmoners isn¡¯t enough; now you¡¯re challenging a sacred duel. If your family were to find out¡­¡± ¡°Old man, shut up! Do you know what I¡¯ve been through?!¡± ¡°I can guess to some extent from your current state, but¡­¡± He snatched the longsword from the old man¡¯s hand as if disarming him. The old man, sighing deeply, spoke dryly. ¡°Very well, then let me exin the rules of the sacred duel. You must ept the oue unconditionally¡­¡± A tedious exnation ensued. Marya closed her eyes and ced her hands on both scabbards. The crowd surrounding the field watched, and Deirian grinned ominously. ¡°This cursed girl¡­.I will make you regret epting the duel.¡± He intended to erase Marya¡¯s blunder during the practical exam. With the proud swordsmanship of the Mirodin family, even a tough girl like her could be turned into an easy opponent. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about controlling his strength. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it. Do you both pledge to honor the time-honored tradition?¡± ¡°I pledge.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Soon, the exnation concluded. The old man raised a handkerchief high above his head. The moment the handkerchief dropped, the duel would begin. Facing each other, the two assumed their stances. With a soft metallic sound, the des of two swords were drawn from Marya¡¯s scabbard. She smiled faintly. ¡°Lord Deirian, I wish to express my gratitude in advance.¡± ¡°¡­Gratitude?¡± ¡°For granting me the legal right to knock you around.¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, the handkerchief slipped from the old man¡¯s fingers. The duel has begun. In an instant, Marya lunged forward, spinning her body as she swung her sword. -ng! ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s¡­?¡± It was a fierce strike reminiscent of a wild gust of wind. Deirian hastily lifted his sword to parry, narrowly managing to defend himself, but it wasn¡¯t particrly effective. Thud! The back of Deirian¡¯s shoulder was struck by the resounding t of Marya¡¯s longsword. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Never show your face in front of us again.¡± Marya whispered. Deirian¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of his skull. The spectators let out a gasp at the sound of bones breaking. ¡°These are my demands.¡± Deirian, who had copsed to the ground, let out a newborn¡¯s wail. ¡°S-Stooooop!!!¡± ¡°Young master!¡± It was a sound that only a person with their corbone finely shattered could make. Deirian, writhing on the ground, had soaked the center of his pants in a dark stain. The handkerchief he had been fumbling with fell to the ground. ¡°W-We¡¯re a bitte with the greetings¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± With an indifferent air, Marya turned around, leaving Deirian sprawled on the ground. Ronan, who was apuding with a satisfied expression, gave her a sly grin. While scratching her cheeks, she reluctantly opened her mouth. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, miss.¡± Deirian¡¯s wail echoed in their ears for quite some time. The two of them then made their way to the Philleon Tower 4, where the magical examination was to take ce. Marya, who burst intoughter at Ronan¡¯s joke, no longer held back her smile. Chapter 16: Announcement of Results Chapter 16: Announcement of Results ¡°There he is. The bright red one.¡± Ronan pointed his finger, indicating the midst of the crowd. Aselle, swaying and struggling through the crowd, looked like a tulip blooming in a field of reeds. With a piece of straw in his mouth, he waved at Ronan. ¡°Ronan! Marya!¡± ¡°That little guy must have aced the exam.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems like it.¡± Aselle¡¯s expression was as sunny as the sky overhead. The three of them, done with the practical exam, moved to a restaurant Marya knew. It was renowned in the institution for its exquisite chicken dishes. ¡°Ehehe¡­¡± Aselle giggled almost drunkenly as he ate. Even mumbling while chewing, his giggles were somewhatcking, like a child¡¯s. Ronan, who was not as experienced, finally spoke up. ¡°What did you show them that made them so impressed? Did you use your telekinesis to clean the judges¡¯ seats?¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Marya threw down the chicken wing she was holding. Aselle, finally recovering, exined what had happened during the exam. ¡°Darn it, you lifted thirty logs up to the ceiling? And spun them around too?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Among the test takers that day, Aselle was the only mage skilled in manipting telekinesis. Perhaps because of this, the judges had shown some favoritism, and he managed to showcase his skills without mistakes. ¡°You really outdid yourself, Aselle. Help us move houses while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Is this guy a genius or what?¡± Ronan eximed, tearing into a chicken leg like a wild animal. Considering how he struggled just to lift a single log, this progress was truly remarkable. After the meal, the group dispersed to their respective amodations. With the written exam approaching, there was no time for leisure. While Aselle was reviewing, he asked a question. ¡°Ronan, can you go through it with me one more time?¡± ¡°Like this¡­ or was it from this angle? Hm? What did you say?¡± Ronan was mimicking the peculiar sword technique Navirose had used during the daytime exam. Seeing a skill he had never seen before intrigued him. His notebook was tucked away in a corner with clothes that needed washing. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been working hard¡­ but the questions could be tricky.¡± The written exam had fewer pointspared to the practical, but it was still significant. Ronan chuckled. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not worry. Just ask me anything. I¡¯ll answer.¡± ¡°Um¡­ then, what¡¯s the primary architectural style in the western Doranda region?¡± ¡°Aresko.¡± Aselle¡¯s pupils widened. He continued flipping through his notebook, firing off several questions. ¡°Then¡­ What are the Three Marvels achieved by Archmage Lorehon?¡± ¡°The Spiral Tower, Light Elemental Magic, Boiling me.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the name of the fantasy creature known as the Mother of mes?¡± ¡°Red Dragon Navar-Dorje.¡± Ronan spoke without looking at Aselle. He had answered eight out of the ten consecutive questions wlessly. Aselle apuded him unintentionally ¡°Th-that was amazing, Ronan! Seriously!¡± ¡°Just saving time for other important activities, like taking a dump. Isn¡¯t it weird that I didn¡¯t know all this?¡± Struggling with the basics, Ronan had resorted to memorizing Marya¡¯s summarized notebook, which he had to share. Could it be that he only studied the higher-level material? Ronan pondered something like, ¡®I only studied the upper half!¡¯ would happen. A bad joke, indeed. Three dayster, the trio sat for the written exams at the Gallion Main Hall. The results of the Philleon Academy¡¯s pass or fail were announced right after the written exams ended. **** ¡°This life is just pathetic.¡± The night was wlessly clear. Countless people gathered in the square under the bright white full moon, all here to confirm their Academy admission status. Among them, Ronan smoked a cigarette. His keen eyes held a hint of bitterness. Aselle, fidgety, tugged at his cor. ¡°Y-You mean we should go back to Professor Varen right now? And ask for another rmendation letter? Right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather stick a sword up my butt and slice a watermelon.¡± ¡°But you said you¡¯d even beg if necessary at that time?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I even crack a joke?¡± ¡°Th-Then what should we do¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s voice quivered. It felt like a massive serpent of guilt was constricting his heart. Ronan, exhaling smoke again, spoke. ¡°Why are you worrying so much? If you fail, I¡¯m failing with you.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s my fault¡­ If I had just asked back then¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Even if we knew back then, we¡¯d still have faced a difficult exam.¡± In the end, people are caught in their own traps. Ronan had no idea about the existence of the lower half of the notes. He had tried his best to rely on memory andmon sense, but ended up skipping over about half of the questions. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Marya, who had joinedte, patted him on the back. Unlike Aselle¡¯s nervousness, there was no hint of concern on her face. ¡°If you fail, you can just be my juniors next year. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± ¡°Thanks for the constion.¡± Marya chuckled. She had said it as a joke, but she didn¡¯t think Ronan would fail. She was certain of his skill, having sparred with him. Even if he scored at the top, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for his swordsmanship. Then, in the empty night sky, a blue spark shot up. -Whoosh! At a certain altitude, the spark exploded and transformed into the shape of a giant eagle. With widened eyes, Marya grabbed the two boys¡¯ necks and shouted. ¡°The results are out!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Still groggy, Aselle hit Marya¡¯s arm. Simultaneously, the eagle spread its wings. The names of sessful candidates were written on the wings that covered the sky of the za. The enchantment enhanced their vision andprehension, allowing candidates to quickly find their names. Cheers and sighs of relief erupted from various ces in the crowd. ¡°I passed! Woohoo!¡± ¡°I-I did too!¡± ¡°Aaaargh! No way!!¡± It was a moment of mixed emotions. There were girls who burst into tears without reason and idiots spinning around while shouting. There were far more people feeling sad than those celebrating. ¡°Mar-Marya¡­ over there!¡± Suddenly, Aselle pointed towards his right wing. Marya turned her head and froze like a statue. An incredibly familiar name was written there, along with its rank. [Martial Arts Department / Marya Karabel: Practical 9th, Written 9th (4)] ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was a score that could also receive a schrship. She stared nkly at her name. Her days of effort shed before her eyes for a brief moment, clouding her vision. ¡°Hey, s-sir.¡± Marya wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked up again. A loud shout burst from her lips as she inspected the list again. ¡°Hey! Right at the top!¡± Aselle was still searching for his name. Marya lifted him up, directing his gaze to the middle of the left wing of the eagle. ¡°Fifth from the left! Three rows down from the top!¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Thunk! Aselle¡¯s staff slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. [Magic Department / Aselle: Practical 12th, Written 1st (3)] ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ the topper in the written¡­?¡± ¡°Cute little guy! What the heck is this! Huh?¡± Marya hugged Aselle tightly. It was an unbelievable result for someone who had only prepared for a month. Even with the advantage of being a telekinesis mage in the practical exam, getting first ce in the written meant almost a perfect score. ¡°But what¡¯s with the (3)?¡± ¡°It means there are three others who got the same score as you. One of them is probably Shullifen, and I can roughly guess who the other one is.¡± Marya mentioned the girl who had recently entered as the second daughter of the Acalusia family. A genius who handled three attributes simultaneously. She was probably going to be the head of the Magic Department too. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to call you seniors now.¡± At that moment, chuckling sounds came from the side. The faces of the two turned stiff as they simultaneously looked in that direction. Ronan, who had taken his eyes off the list for a while, was smoking a cigarette. ¡°Hey, wait a moment, Ronan. You don¡¯t have a¡­ name?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t mess around.¡± ¡°You can just enter next year, right?¡± Ronan shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the empty space in the air. It was a gesture implying that they should look for themselves. Aselle, levitating using telekinesis, began searching through the list again. ¡°Um, it¡¯s not here¡­ really¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s voice trembled. Marya awkwardly chuckled and tightly gripped Ronan¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, that can¡¯t be true. It has to be there.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± She tried to act nonchnt, but even her breathlessness was hard to hide. Ronan silently sprinkled more powder into his pipe. Both of them examined the list with an attitude that could only be described as desperate. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be real¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s name wasn¡¯t on the list. No matter how many times he read it again, it was the same. ¡°What kind of mistake is this? Huh? This is just unbelievable.¡± ¡°Marya.¡± ¡°Logically, it has to be there! Can you believe this?!¡± Seeing Ronan¡¯s eyes glistening, Marya¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He wore a wry smile and said. ¡°That¡¯s life, Marya. You can¡¯t predict everything.¡± At that moment, another fireball shot up into the sky. -Boom! This time, it was a bright red color contrasting with the previous blue. The crowd¡¯s attention focused on the much brighter spectacle. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± Among the three, only Marya knew what the fire was. It was a Glory Phoenix, a majestic bird that disyed the names of first and second ce. The fireball quickly transformed into the shape of a phoenix, and its wings spread out, covering the sky directly above. -Whoosh! The phoenix pped its wings. The radiance it emitted was so intense that it felt like the sun had risen in an instant. People who tilt their heads upward let out cheers. ¡°Wow!!¡± Aselle and Marya were still searching for Ronan¡¯s name. Reflexively, they looked up, frozen in ce. Ronan smirked and looked at them. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­ Th-that, th-that¡­¡± ¡°Say it, damn it. Speak up.¡± Aselle stumbled over his words like a demented parrot. Marya was no different. Ronan, growing impatient, raised his gaze. The names of the four of them were disyed in the night sky. [Martial Arts Department First ce / Shullifen de Gracia] [Magic Department First ce / Elizabeth de Acalusia] The letters wererge enough to be seen throughout the academy. The names of the top two were disyed in golden letters. Ronan moved his gaze downward. The names of the second-ce candidates were in silver, not as grand. [Martial Arts Department Second ce / Ronan] [Magic Department Second ce / Pion Chalfine] The pipe that had been in Ronan¡¯s mouth fell to the ground. Chapter 17: Empire鈥檚 Rising Star Chapter 17: Empire¡¯s Rising Star [Martial Arts Department Second ce / Ronan] The cigarette hanging from Ronan¡¯s lips fell. For a moment, time stopped. The noise of the square subsided, and only the shining silver letters remained, upying a corner of the narrowed field of vision. Second ce. Without a doubt, the shing letters in front of his name were written that way. Second ce? What did that mean? It didn¡¯t seem like a bad thing. Was it a fruit¡¯s name? Then, Aselle¡¯s voice echoed from somewhere. ¡°Ro¡­Ronan! se..sec¡­second ce!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You are second from the top! You did it!¡± Right, that¡¯s what it meant. Time began to flow again. Ronan, who btedly regained his senses, lowered his head. Almost crying, Aselle¡¯s face speaking almost pleadingly came into view. Marya, who had rushed over a moment ago, hung onto Ronan¡¯s neck. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? Right?¡± Marya clung to Ronan¡¯s neck without letting go. Ronan patted her back and looked at the slightly smaller letters next to his name. [Martial Arts Department Second ce / Ronan: 1st in Practical, 5712th in Written] ¡°Well¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help butugh incredulously. 5712th ce, that was a number too regrettable even to consider in terms of ranking. He wondered what score he must have gotten on the practical exam to achieve this result. ¡°You sure know how to make an impression.¡± But he probably didn¡¯t know. What was important was that he was second from the top. There would undoubtedly be various privileges, including schrships. [Martial Arts Department Top Student / Shullifen de Gracia : 2nd in Practical, 1st in Written (3)] If there was one thing bothering him, it was probably the fact that he had beaten Shullifen in the practical exam, right? Ronan recalled memories from his past life and clicked his tongue. ¡°If I mess this up, it¡¯ll be troublesome again.¡± There was no doubt about Shullifen¡¯s skill, but his distinctive arrogance bothered him. He was a swordmaster at the pinnacle of human nature, unable to bear the fact that someone was above him. ¡°Well, shall we go now?¡± It was the moment when Ronan turned his body towards his friends. Suddenly, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. ¡°Um¡­¡± The cold winter wind felt like it was flipping his whole body over, an ufortable yet familiar sensation. The sound of the wind seemed to be echoing in his ears. ¡°Ah¡­ No way¡­¡± Ronan swallowed his saliva and slowly looked around. His gaze soon fixed on one spot. A boy in a blue uniform was approaching briskly. Ronan closed his eyes tightly and let out a sigh. ¡°Dammit.¡± He recognized the face. Even though he was more than ten meters away, he could unmistakably identify it. People who recognized the boy¡¯s face split to the sides. ¡°Wow¡­ Look at that guy¡¯s face. What¡¯s with his¡­ huh?!¡± ¡°He¡­he¡¯s the Empire¡¯s Rising Star.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± Eventually, the boy stopped in front of Ronan. Among the three, Marya was the first to react. When she looked up at the boy¡¯s face, her eyes widened. ¡°Sh¡­Shullifen?!¡± He was tall, with handsome features. His deep blue hair was as rich as the ocean. Time had certainly passed, giving him a matured appearance, but his cold impression, like a piece of ice, remained unchanged. He was the boy who wouldter be the strongest inspector beyond the Empire. Shullifen murmured softly. ¡°So, you¡¯re Ronan.¡± ¡°Yeah? No, I¡¯m not.¡± Ronan whistled and averted his gaze. Aselle and Marya¡¯s faces stiffened. Shullifen¡¯s forehead was marked with faint wrinkles. ¡°Why are you lying?¡± ¡°Lying? Who the hell are you to say that? Do you have proof that I¡¯m Ronan? And why are you talking informally with me? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Proof.¡± Shullifen closed his mouth. He could present two pieces of evidence. The first was identally overhearing their conversation, and the second was sensing an unusual energy from Ronan. To him, who had reached the stage of Aura Blossoming, it was visible. The loop around Aselle¡¯s heart and the growing mass in Marya¡¯s Qi. There was an uncontroble mana pulsating in Ronan¡¯s chest. However, Shullifen didn¡¯t exin it. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan cursed suddenly, gripping his sword hilt. In an instant, Shullifen¡¯s hand seemed to disappear, and sparks flew from thin air. ng! A dyed metallic sound resonated. ¡°Kyaaack!¡± ¡°They are fighting!¡± ¡°Ronan!!¡± Screams erupted from the surroundings. The events had unfolded so quickly that people couldn¡¯t see the process leading up to Ronan and Shullifen shing swords. ck iron and mithril shed. Two divine swords shed and roared in the air. Shullifen murmured softly. ¡°This is the proof.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t the top in the practical exam, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to parry that. I want to see what skill you showed.¡± ¡°Are you insane!¡± Ronan yelled, veins popping. This level of obsession had crossed a line. Even when they had met on the battlefield in their previous life, he hadn¡¯t seemed quite human. Apparently, that had improved with age. ¡°Alright, show me!¡± Nevertheless, being provoked like this and staying put would be foolish. Ronan clenched his sword hilt. As the de came off, three sword strikes shot towards Shullifen simultaneously. Just when it seemed Shullifen¡¯s hand had vanished, sparks burst from thin air. ng! ng! mes erupted three times in quick session in the air. Ronan spat on the ground after retracting his sword. ¡°Are you done now?¡± ¡°¡­Certainly, you could have been the top in the practical exam.¡± If it were a normal sword, it would have shattered even while blocking, but Shullifen¡¯s divine sword made of mithril stubbornly withstood the impact. Ronan spoke. ¡°Yeah, you brat. You should know that being first all the time doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t be satisfied with second. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Seeing his torn clothes, Shullifen nodded. It was abat sword that could have easily backfired. Just as Ronan let out a sigh of relief, a moment arrived when Shullifen tried to provoke him. ¡°But I can¡¯t ept being beaten by you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Show me what you¡¯re hiding.¡± Suddenly getting serious, Shullifen drew his sword. Ronan hurriedly raised his sword to defend against the attack. The sharp sound of metal tore through the air. ¡°Enough of this, you bastard! What the hell is your problem!¡± Shullifen didn¡¯t respond. More than ten exchanges urred in just a few seconds. Blocked shes ignited mes, and diverted thrusts grazed cheeks. Ronan resented himself for not moving faster. This noble lunatic would undoubtedly keep this chaos up until his curiosity was satisfied. Suddenly, a foreboding feeling crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Is this guy activating Aura too?¡± Ronan mostly disregarded most Aura users. They often appeared shy but weren¡¯t particrly helpful in practical situations, so he didn¡¯t pay them much attention. However, Shullifen was different. His Aura, known as the Storm Sword, was a morale-boosting technique of the highest order, treated as a strategic weapon. Of course, being in the past, its power wouldn¡¯tpare, and he couldn¡¯t be sure whether Shullifen would activate his Aura in the middle of a crowd without being certain he wouldn¡¯t be affected. He needed to quickly end the situation and get away. While pondering if there was a good move, a sh of insight crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°So this is the only option left.¡± Ronan looked at Shullifen¡¯s gleaming blue sword. It was undoubtedly infused with manaden mithril. Searching his pouch quickly, he retrieved a rounded object in his right hand. He turned his left hand behind his back and made a V-sign with his index and middle fingers. Aselle, who had been touching his heart from behind, opened his eyes wide. It was the signal they had established after the Lunar Goblin incident. The signal meant [Teleport]. ¡°Ma..Marya, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh? Where, where are we going?!¡± With Aselle grabbing Marya¡¯s hand, they disappeared into the crowd. It was just as Shullifen¡¯s sword strike was about to hit again. As Ronan brought his sword down, he quickly grabbed his right arm. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°What the¡­!¡± Shullifen urgently applied force to his arm to stop the sword, but the divine sword was already approaching Ronan. The mithril de touched the palm of Ronan¡¯s hand. -ngggg-!!! A strange metallic sound echoed loudly throughout the square. It was the resonating sound unique to mithril. The shock, reminiscent of an earthquake, spread from his hand throughout his body. Shullifen lost grip of the sword hilt. Ronan seized the opening and struck Shullifen¡¯s face. Crunch! Shullifen clutched his nose and staggered. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Truly a phantasmal species. You¡¯ve been dutiful even before birth.¡± Ronan chuckled contentedly, looking at the Marpez egg he held in his hand. As expected, the eggshell showed no signs of life. It was possible because Shullifen¡¯s sword was mithril. Ronan ced the egg back in his pocket. Then, he yelled towards the stumbling Shullifen. ¡°Let your head cool off until the entrance ceremony, you brat! A man should know how to acknowledge results!¡± ¡°Grr¡­ Stop right there¡­!¡± Ronan turned his back and vanished into the crowd as if being sucked away. Soon after he left, armored guards rushed over. Recognizing Shullifen, the guards hurriedly supported him. ¡°Lord Shullifen! Are you okay? What was that sound just now?!¡± Shullifen stood up, blood streaming from his nose. He tried to expand his Aura to trace Ronan¡¯s group¡¯s mana, but they were already too far away to sense. ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Who would dare to do such a thing? If you could give us a description¡­¡± ¡°Right now, I¡¯m a legitimate new student.¡± The guards didn¡¯t grasp the meaning immediately. It took a few seconds for them to understand that it meant ¡®don¡¯t raise your voice.¡¯ ¡°Heh¡­ Alright! Understood¡­ No, I get it.¡± ¡°Also, it¡¯s not a big deal. I asked for a light sparring match, and the opponent agreed. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°However¡­ I can guarantee it in the name of the Grand Duke of Gracia.¡± Hearing that even the sessor of the Grand Duke of Grancia spoke like that, the guards had no more to say. They saluted ceremonially and withdrew. Shullifen picked up his fallen sword from the ground. His eyes widened as he observed the divine sword. There was an extremely faint, but discernible, trace of silver on the edge of the sword. ¡®What on earth¡­?¡¯ There were more than one or two strange things. The sphere that allowed the mithril-edged sword to pass through was a problem in itself, but the biggest issue was that the enigmatic mana that Shullifen had always believed to be Ronan¡¯s was, in fact, flowing out from that sphere. ¡®I didn¡¯t sense any mana from him.¡¯ Shullifen recalled the exchange he had with Ronan. Though he hadn¡¯t activated his Aura, he had still infused considerable mana into his sword before the fight. Without a doubt, Ronan must have thought the same¡­ ¡®No, that¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Shullifen briefly considered the possibility that Ronan had fought without using mana. However, he quickly shook his head. It was an imusible scenario. It made more sense to hypothesize that the rare, covert mana originated from Shadow Mana, as it was colloquially known. If that were the case, everything would be exined. ¡°Damn it.¡± His breath stopped. As his rationality returned, the air suddenly felt colder. Ronan¡¯s words about understanding the results echoed in his mind. He had to admit that he had be excessively excited due to the shock of achieving second ce in the practical exam, where he had been convinced of his superiority. Shullifen lifted his head. The names of the sessful candidates were still inscribed across the sky with stars. He fixed his gaze on the two letters that were glowing beneath his own name. ¡°Ronan.¡± His grip on the sword hilt tightened. Phileon Academy. He had always thought of the process leading to bing a Sword Saint as just a passing phase, but it seemed that it might not be so simple after all. Shullifen began to walk toward the distant street. He felt his heart beating at a different rhythm than usual. The young prodigy didn¡¯t realize that the name for that feeling was anticipation. Chapter 18: Blood and Egg (1) Chapter 18: Blood and Egg (1) ¡°Where are we¡­?¡± It had been a day since the announcement of the sessful candidates. Ronan and Aselle were walking through the forest early in the morning. They were in the Shemo Forest, which had its roots near the center of the realm. Aselle, who had been grumbling all along, asked anxiously, ¡°R-Ronan¡­ Are you really sure everything will be okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still worried about that? I told you, everything¡¯s fine.¡± Dark shadows hung under Aselle¡¯s eyes. He hadn¡¯t managed to get any sleepst night. It was because of the incident caused by Ronan and Shullifen yesterday. Aselle felt as though assassins hired by Shullifen woulde in the night and stab them in the heart with a dagger. ¡°But if a noble like Shullifen gets into trouble¡­¡± Aselle was afraid. He hadn¡¯t only heard stories about a rogue noble named Deirian. It would be concerning for anyone that a person who managed to provoke the heir to the throne and engage in a sword fight, only to then break his nose and escape, was out there. However, Ronan was resolute. ¡°Shullifen is a decent person. He just gets carried away in certain situations.¡± His voice was full of conviction. If Ronan hadn¡¯t known about Shullifen beforehand, he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to engage with him. Even though they had only spent a short time together, Ronan had managed to understand that. Despite his fixation on strength, Shullifen was a man who could be considered a truepanion of a noble. He valued trust, didn¡¯t belittle others, and knew how to protect the weak. ¡°So, don¡¯t worry, my friend. He surely took responsibility for yesterday¡¯s events.¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°Considering we weren¡¯t arrested this morning, it¡¯s pretty clear.¡± ¡°A-Alright, hearing you say that makes sense¡­¡± It was only after this exchange that Aselle finally let out a relieved sigh. Ronan unfolded a piece of parchment he had been carrying and examined it closely. The crude map indicated the location of a magical fountain called the Fountain of Phaenar. It was a map drawn by Professor Varen Panacir himself. ¡°He really can¡¯t draw worth a damn. Well, then again, considering his rough hands, it¡¯s impressive he managed to draw something like this¡­¡± The enrollment ceremony was in a fortnight. Before returning to his hometown, Ronan had decided to visit the magical fountain. He had suggested that Maraya apany him, but she had to finish her work at the top levels of the hierarchy, so she couldn¡¯t join him. ¡°It should be around here¡­¡± Following the river that flowed through the Shemo Forest, they were supposed to reach their destination. However, the tall oak trees made it difficult to find the river. Ronan cursed under his breath as he folded the map. ¡°Damn it, this is frustrating. Hey, Aselle, lift me up. Up to the trees.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Invisible Hand!¡± Aselle raised his staff, and Ronan¡¯s body shot into the air. Feeling the significantly improved speed, Ronan couldn¡¯t help but let out a cheer. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really faster now, aren¡¯t I?¡± The sense of riding had also significantly improved. If the previous sensation was like a child who couldn¡¯t control his strength, holding onto something randomly, the current feeling was like being gently lifted by the hands of a skilled adult. In no time, Ronan reached the top of the tree and swung his sword. Swish! The green canopy was sliced apart, revealing the scenery of the Shemo Forest. Between the beckoning trees, a long, narrow river flowed with graceful curves. **** Ronan walked painfully along the riverbank for a while before suggesting that they use a makeshift raft to travel on the water. ¡°Doing this reminds me of back then. Time really does fly.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± So, the two of themy side by side on a flimsy raft. Clouds resembling a flock of sheep traversed the blue sky. Ronan took the pipe out of his mouth and extended it towards Aselle. ¡°Wanna try some?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Aww, scaredy-cat.¡± Once again, Ronan sucked in a deep breath of smoke from the pipe. As Aselle crouched by the river, dipping his fingers into the water, he spoke up. ¡°Where did you learn to make rafts?¡± ¡°In the army.¡± ¡°The¡­the army? What¡­?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s a thing, my friend.¡± Aselle could hardly believe it even when seeing it firsthand. In less than an hour, Ronan had managed to craft a convincing raft. It was one of the survival skills he had picked up during his time as a penal soldier. The log and tough vines that made up the raft made for a much morefortable ride than the road. Ronan mumbled, ¡°Even so, revealing the location of a magical fountain you only know about. That Professor Varen, he must be really big-hearted.¡± ¡°Are magical fountains really that hard to find?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Finding just one could be worth a fortune.¡± Ronan recalled a conversation he had once had with an old man. The old man, who had dedicated his life to seeking magical fountains, likened them to mana collecting in a serene pond. Mana, floating through the world, getting fixed in one ce and creating a very rare pool. ¡°Once news gets out that a magical fountain has been discovered, it bes property of the Empire. That¡¯s why they¡¯re even harder to find. And even if you do find one, they don¡¯t share the information.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Even a tiny fragment of rock there can be as valuable as gold. Though, it depends on the circumstances.¡± Indeed, some adventurers had called magical fountains above-ground gold mines. Mana localized in one spot turned ordinary stones into gemstones, unknown weeds into potent herbs. Aselle nodded, finally understanding. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you packed so many water skins in your backpack. I was wondering.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s called the ¡®Spring of Fennardo.''¡± Change affected water just as much. The water that came from springs located in the magical fountain sites turned into water imbued with properties akin to elixirs or potions. The bag filled with vials and water skins was all for this purpose. ¡°Speaking of which, Ronan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Is that egg okay? Yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Ronan pulled out Marpez¡¯s egg from his pouch. The ugly lump, shaped like a piece of poop, had the same appearance as always, but today it seemed a bit prettier. It was the prime contributor to their escape from Shullifen¡¯s sorcery. Looking at the egg that still remained silent, Ronan murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not pouting like a sulking child, is it?¡± The egg didn¡¯t answer. That was to be expected. After throwing the egg into the air and catching it, Ronan closed his eyes. Ronan and Aselle spent that night on the water. A radiant cluster of stars that wouldn¡¯t be out of ce even if they spilled over became their makeshift nket. Ronan dreamt of the Marquess who would burn down Jido with fire and Shullifen who would dance and beg for his life. It wasn¡¯t until the next noon that the two finally arrived at the Fountain of Phaenar. The leaves of the trees influenced by the magical fountain emitted a faint glow. ¡°Here we are. The air feels nice.¡± At the center of the small spring, water bubbled up vigorously. It was small, but it seemed rather deep. Bushes with a bluish hue grew around the spring. Discolored rocks, evidence of ongoing petrification, jutted out here and there. ¡°It¡¯s more ordinary than I thought.¡± Ronanmented with a hint of disappointment. While it had its own charm,pared to thendscapes he had seen so far, it was quite mundane. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ kind of awkward. Maybe it¡¯s my mood.¡± ¡°Wo¡­¡± But Aselle was different. He was showing a reaction simr to when he first saw thendscape of Jido. Inhaling deeply and exhaling with awe, Aselle murmured, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a ce so rich in mana in my life.¡± ¡°What the hell, what¡¯s different? I can¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ there¡¯s so much. Mana, yeah. It¡¯s visible, like, really visible.¡± At this point, he felt like he could cast much stronger spells. The analogy of a pond where mana collected was urate. The mana that was usually spread out and hard to see was scattered throughout like fruits hanging from a tree. ¡°My mana is filthy.¡± Ronan sucked on the pipe more forcefully. That darn mana. By now, he was determined to seed in mana attunement, even if it meant getting dirtier. As Aselle, who had been looking around slowly, widened his eyes. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ro¡­Ronan! Your pocket!¡± Aselle pointed his staff at Ronan¡¯s pocket. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Pocket? Why?¡± ¡°The egg¡­! Take out the egg! Quickly!¡± He saw it. The masses of mana around them were swirling and being sucked into Ronan¡¯s pocket. Ronan took out Marpez¡¯s egg. Aselle nodded rapidly. The egg was not only absorbing ambient mana but also drawing in the mana that permeated the ground and trees. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Oh, the egg is absorbing mana!¡± Ronan tilted his head, looking curious. To him, as the unseen, it just felt oddly out of ce. The egg absorbs mana? All of a sudden? -Crackle! Then, it happened. The shell, which reminded him of a dried piece of dung, began to crack slightly. Ronan, astonished, brought his face closer to the egg. ¡°It¡¯s Hatching?!¡± However, contrary to Ronan¡¯s expectations, the cracks didn¡¯t spread or anything. Instead, only the color and texture were changing. The rough, brown surface that resembled dried excrement was slowly transforming into a smooth ck. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Over a few minutes, the egg underwent a transformation. Once the change wasplete, the egg was unbelievably beautiful. The wless shell resembled a ck pearl. Ronan tapped the shell as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°This is insane. It¡¯s not some caterpir, but an egg going through molting.¡± ¡°The absorption is still ongoing.¡± ¡°At this point, it¡¯s not enough even if it sprouts steel feathers or feathers of me. Something even more incredible needs toe out.¡± Although a change had urred, it was meaningless without hatching. Ronan muttered while putting the egg back. He walked toward the spring where water was gushing. His face was reflected on the continuously rippling surface. His long hair was sticking to his face. ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed his mind. He felt like he knew the identity of the unease he had been feeling since he arrived here. Ronan¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Aselle.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t something weird?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that lion say that this was a ce where he often saw illusions and other beings gather?¡± Aselle tilted his head, his words iprehensible in English. Ronan¡¯s hand rested on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Did he¡­ say that?¡± ¡°Illusionary creatures are much trickier than ordinary beasts. Naturally, if illusionary creatures live here, there must be other animals too, right?¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°But why can¡¯t we see even a single one?¡± Aselle fell silent. He couldn¡¯t even hear Ronan¡¯smon bird noises. The sound of bubbling water from the spring, the rustling of leaves in the wind, those were the only sounds that reached his ears. Suddenly, a chilly shiver ran up his spine. ¡°Ha¡­ brace yourself, Aselle.¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°It smells like blood.¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction the wind was blowing. The wind that tickled his nostrils carried a tang of blood. His dted pupils gleamed sharply. ¡°W-what¡­!¡± In an instant, Aselle stepped back, staggered. Ronan swung his sword into the air. Thunk! A broken arrow fell to the ground. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Hyaaak!¡± ¡°The guest arrived first.¡± Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s nape and hurled him behind a nearby rock. Another arrow flew where he had been standing. Aselle watched Ronan¡¯s back, panting. He was already running in the direction from which the arrows hade. Aselle gripped his staff. ¡°I¡­I will¡­!¡± He couldn¡¯t be deadweight likest time. Summoning his courage, Aselle stuck his head out from behind the rock. Pointing his staff at Ronan, he cast a spell. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± Kugukung! Large and small rocks and pieces of wood started to float around Ronan¡¯s body, rotating around him. Two arrows flew from different directions, bouncing off the rocks and ricocheting away. Ronan turned to face Aselle and grinned. ¡°It¡¯s settled.¡± ¡°W-what the hell is that guy?!¡± A bewildered cry reached them from not far away. It was an area densely covered in thick bushes,rger than a person¡¯s height. After confirming the direction, Ronan kicked the ground and started sprinting. Chapter 19: Blood and Egg (2) Chapter 19: Blood and Egg (2) A startled cry echoed from not too far away. It was an area thick with undergrowth taller than a person¡¯s height. Ronan, after confirming the direction, began to sprint through the terrain. Thwack! Then another arrow flew. It was different from the previous ones, moving with an oddly fast speed. Rather than deflecting the arrow, Ronan twisted his head to dodge it. In that fleeting moment when the arrow grazed past his eye, Ronan could see the unusual shape of the arrowhead. ¡®It¡¯s¡­¡¯ The arrowhead, somehow familiar, was not the usual triangr or diamond shape. It had three triangr des attached to a pointed arrow shaft. ¡®I remember this.¡¯ It was the same type of arrowhead a fellow punisher had proudly shown off, designed for breaking through animal bones rather than being intended for humans due to its vicious structure. They had said that when infused with mana, it could instantly kill even small monsters. His fellow punisher¡¯s boast echoed in his mind. ¨C And this isn¡¯t something just any viger can use. Only those ranked higher than hunting dogs in the kaliborro can use this. ¡®Hunting dogs¡¯ were the term for elite members of kaliborro. His fellow punisher had gone on to praise kaliborro¡¯s greatness and its well-organized organizational culture. Ronan¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°kaliborro.¡± The prominent poaching organization that had attempted to abduct Marpez¡¯s dream bird, one of the continent¡¯s top poaching groups. ¡®There¡¯s no reason to spare them.¡¯ Rather than deflecting the arrow that was about to strike him, Ronan swiftly drew his sword and pressed it against his lips. ¡°Cease fire, kaliborro! They¡¯re allies!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you guys recognize your ownrades? It¡¯s Ahayute, a hunting dog from the Demire branch!¡± The arrow fire halted for a moment. Ronan, who had closed the distance enough, continued to approach with cautious steps, keeping his hands raised. As his psychic grip dissipated, the rocks and pieces of wood that had been floating in the air fell to the ground. ¡°Put your hands up and verify!¡± ¡°Ahayute from the Demire branch¡­?¡± With raised hands, Ronan, still wary, moved closer in the direction from which the arrows hade. Soon, four men emerged from the rustling bushes. ¡°Ahayute? Never heard of it. Have you guys?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the kid?¡± Three of them held bows, and one held a dagger. Ronan scrutinized their appearance and frowned. Their clothes and frayed edges were stained with red blood. On the ground were streaks of what seemed like something dragged along. Ronan noticed silver rings on the fingers of the men. They were tamer rings, simr to the ones that had been tied around Marpez¡¯s leg. The man with the dagger growled. ¡°You¡¯re the hunting dog from Demire? The kaliborro one?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Why repeat the same thing?¡± ¡°You should speak properly. It might work for a messenger, but it¡¯s nonsense for a brat like you to im you¡¯re a hunting dog.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re notpletely useless, even though you¡¯re a pup. Did you only pick up ignorant kids for your hunting dogs, kaliborro?¡± Ronan spat at the man¡¯s feet. The man gave a hollowugh and grabbed Ronan by the cor, holding the dagger to his throat. ¡°Do you want to die, you blood-soaked brat?¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not a wolf but a hunting dog?¡± ¡°All seven of us are hunting dogs.¡± Ronan nodded. Seven of them. There must be three more hidden somewhere. He had been feeling their presence since a while ago. ¡°Well done. If you still have a doubt, you can ask your wolves. But then again, it¡¯s not unreasonable for someone who was recently promoted to not know everything.¡± Ronan grabbed the man¡¯s cor and threw him off. The hunting dogs, upon hearing the word ¡°wolf,¡± grew agitated. Fox, hunting dog, wolf. It wasn¡¯t merely to dismiss him as a liar; the boy before them seemed to be well aware of kaliborro¡¯s ranking system. Moreover, unless he had been mistaken, didn¡¯t he also deflect the mana-infused arrow? His exceptional skill with the sword and the odd sense of credibility added to it. The man with the dagger spoke. ¡°¡­This brat is watching closely.¡± ¡°You want me to go? The boss didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today. Shouldn¡¯t we handle this among ourselves?¡± ¡°You never know. If that kid is really a hunting dog, it could cause a rift with the Demire branch.¡± Eventually, the man disappeared into the bushes. The hunting dogs, now armed with swords instead of bows, approached grumbling. A man with a weasel-like appearance aimed the tip of a knife at Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°By the way, how did you do that earlier?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You were floating rocks and wood. Are you a magician or something?¡± He was referring to Aselle¡¯s psychic powers. Ronan grinned broadly. ¡°Oh, that? There¡¯s nothing to hide.¡± From his pouch, Ronan took out Marpez¡¯s egg. The eyes of the men widened at the sight of the egg¡¯s jewel-like beauty. ¡°This is what it¡¯s about. It came out when I split open the griffin¡¯s stomachst time. Probably some sort of magic artifact.¡± ¡°Wait, you caught a griffin? No, wait, what is this?¡± ¡°See for yourself, senior.¡± Ronan lightly tossed the egg to the weasel-like man. The gathered men greedily touched and examined the egg. ¡°Heeyaah¡­¡± ¡°Never seen anything like this before.¡± Marpez¡¯s egg exuded a mysterious aura despite its beauty. Even if it possessed some sort of magical ability, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising. One of the men held up the egg and shouted. ¡°Hey! Everyonee out and take a look at this!¡± At that, a man and a woman emerged from different directions. From behind trees, rocks, and thickets. All of them seemed to y the role of snipers, each holding a massive hunting bow. ¡°What¡¯s with themotion? What is it?¡± ¡°This brat says this is a magic artifact he got from catching a griffin. Should we kill him?¡± They, too, were intrigued by the egg as they eagerly examined it. At that moment, two more men walked out from a tall grassy area. One of them was the man with the dagger from earlier. ¡°Is this the kid?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± The other one, nearly 2 meters tall and bald, was adorned with shy jewelry all over his body. At a nce, Ronan could tell that he was the ¡®wolf,¡¯ the leader of the branch. The approaching wolf gave Ronan a thorough look. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one from the Demire branch, Ahayute?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I heard our branch is in charge of the newly discovered leyline this time. What sort of trickery is this?¡± The wolf¡¯s voice wasced with a threatening tone. Ronan remained silent. He quickly surveyed his surroundings. He couldn¡¯t sense any more presence. Thus, all eight of them, including the wolf, were now gathered. The corners of Ronan¡¯s mouth curled upward. The most bothersome part was over. He felt a newfound warmth toward the fellow punisher who was once captured for poaching. ¡°Even though I¡¯m tired and disgusted, I did well by sparing you. There¡¯s truly nothing like a fellow.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°First things first, let¡¯s rify¡­ I¡¯m not Ahayute.¡± Swoosh! Ronan¡¯s sword shot out like a released spring. A red line appeared on Wolf¡¯s throat. Just a moment toote, Wolf raised his hand to his scabbard. As his head separated from his body, it fell to the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I gave myself the name I hate the most. It¡¯s because I have to act like a damn poacher.¡± The world as Beom knew it had turned upside down. The pupils of the man who had been holding the dagger widened. Because everyone¡¯s attention was fixated on the egg, witnessing the bizarre death of their leader was the only thing they had seen. ¡°Everyone¡­!¡± Swoosh! However, there was no time to retaliate. Ronan, who had thrown Wolf¡¯s body aside, swung his sword towards the man with the dagger. The sensation of the de slicing flesh and snapping bone transmitted through his fingertips. The severed left arm of the man and four fingers of his right hand shot into the air. ¡°You¡¯re on hold for now.¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± The man¡¯s mouth gaped open, emitting a bone-chilling scream. Only then did the hunting dogs, who had finally regained their senses, scramble to assume a fighting stance. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?! This brat¡­!¡± ¡°Huh? The captain¡­¡± The fastest hunting dog hastily knocked an arrow onto his bowstring. But the gap had already been closed. Like a rapid-fire gunshot, Ronan¡¯s sword struck towards the hunting dogs. ¡°No¡­!¡± Swoosh! ¡°Kyaa¡­!¡± Swoosh! ¡°Darn it, Jen¡­!¡± Swoosh! Ronan¡¯s sword swung precisely toward the poachers¡¯ necks. Consequently, only sporadic bursts of sticity, more like physiological reactions than groans or screams, erupted without the gruesome cries. ¡°Who am I¡­!¡± Swoosh! While some of the hunting dogs had achieved the level of sword experts, it didn¡¯t matter much. Humans would die if their throats were cut, anyway. Swoosh. Spurts of fresh blood spattered the grass. The bodies that fell with a slow rhythm bounced on the ground like fish pulled from a pond. Thest remaining hunting dog dropped his weapon and shouted. ¡°Save me¡­!¡± Swoosh! It didn¡¯t take a long time for the ordeal toe to an end. **** ¡°Uwaaah! Uwek!¡± ¡°I told you to brace yourself.¡± As Aselle¡¯s eyes met the corpses, he vomited once again. Upon hearing Ronan¡¯s call and arrivingte, Aselle had to force himself to believe the hellish scene before him was real. Among the fallen bodies, none of them had their heads attached. Heads, with wide-open eyes, rolled about among the bushes like fallen autumn flowers. ¡°Wha¡­ What are those people¡­ Ugh!¡± ¡°kaliborro. The poachers I mentioned before.¡± It was a massacre different from the Lunar Goblin incident. Although the scene itself was cleaner than back then when entrails and limbs were scattered like fertilizer, the Lunar Goblins weren¡¯t humans, but monsters. Aselle choked out, ¡°T-this is murder!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all criminals, it¡¯s okay. Probably.¡± Ronan, smoking a cigarette, answered heavily. Indeed, most of the poachers from kaliborro were under warrants. Even the lowest-ranking members, the hunting dogs, had bounties on their heads, not to mention the elite members, the wolves. ¡°Let¡¯s move on for now.¡± ¡°Are you putting all of this¡­?¡± ¡°Or would you like to lift them with your hands or telekinesis?¡± The reason they had cleanly severed only the heads was because of that. Ronan started cramming the heads into his backpack. Ronan and Aselle divided the heads into five for one backpack and three for the other. The sensation of liquid seeping into their clothes as they pressed them in was eerie. Seeing Aselle panting heavily, Ronan grabbed his hood and pulled him along. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Ronan and Aselle cut through the tall grass together. The bloodstains from before, even before Ronan¡¯s swordy, led them. After about ten minutes of walking, the tall grass gave way to an open space. The pungent smell of blood, much stronger than before, enveloped the boys. Ronan took out his pipe and lit it. ¡°Feeling a bit less guilty now?¡± ¡°This¡­this is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. The bastards in the backpacks did all this.¡± Aselle couldn¡¯t continue speaking. Animals that looked like they numbered over a hundred were lying dead, regardless of species. Deer, wild boars, leopards, unnamed birds, and even small squirrels¡­ Blood formed rivulets, flowing down the slope. In one corner of the open space, it seemed that dissection was in progress, with neatly piled pieces of meat and leather. Useless heads and organs were scattered haphazardly on the ground. Aselle felt immobilized as if he had taken root in that spot. ¡°This¡­this is too much¡­¡± ¡°Professor Varen will be sad.¡± Ronan let out a puff of smoke andughed dryly. Even the odd creatures that seemed to belong to a corner of a fantasy world had turned into chilling corpses. While some fantasy creatures were sold as pets, unfortunately, the fantasy creatures here seemed to be evaluated more highly for their meat and materials. ¡°But at least we got this, so is it fortunate¡­?¡± Ronan pulled out a tightly rolled parchment from his pocket. It was different from what he had received from Professor Varen. The map drawn in blood depicted certain locations. ¨C Draw them all without missing a thing. Ronan had ordered the man to draw the locations of all the branches he knew. The man, no longer able to hold a dagger, desperately drew the map. The index finger of his right hand that Ronan had deliberately left untouched served as both his brush and lifeline. -I-I¡¯ve drawn them all, so you¡¯ll spare me, right? Right? Having finished the map, the man abandoned all his pride and begged for his life. -No. Without a trace of hesitation, Ronan cut his throat. He had never promised to spare him in the first ce. Rolling the parchment back up, Ronan muttered to himself. ¡°I wonder if Varen will be pleased if I give this to him.¡± Looking at the dead fantasy creatures, thoughts of the egg naturally crossed his mind. Ronan rummaged through his pocket. Apart from his pouch of tobo, there was nothing else. ¡°Darn it, where did I put it again?¡± Come to think of it, it seemed he hadn¡¯t picked it up after handing it to the hunting dogs earlier. Leaving Aselle behind, Ronan moved to the ce where the massacre had taken ce. He frowned as he reached the scene. ¡°Huh?¡± All the deep bloodstains that had been scattered around were gone. Even the blood that had pooled in the grass or soaked into the soil had disappeared without a trace. What¡¯s this? Did I take the wrong path? Ronan¡¯s gaze darted around. A peculiar sight caught his eye. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± The remaining blood was still seething and moving somewhere. Chapter 20: Blood and Egg (3) Chapter 20: Blood and Egg (3) Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he witnessed a bizarre phenomenon. The blood that had still been lingering on the ground was squirming and moving somewhere. ¡°What on earth is this now?¡± It resembled blood vessels torn and emerging from the skin. Upon closer inspection, he saw numerous veins wriggling and crawling through the ground. It was eerie yet captivating, stimting his curiosity. Ronan followed the matrix of blood as if entranced. Thousands of strands of blood vessels were all crawling in the same direction. Soon enough, what he was searching for came into view. Stopping in his tracks, Ronan eximed in disbelief. ¡°This is insane.¡± All the blood was gathering into a dark red puddle. The blood vessels Ronan had followed were doing the same. Marpez¡¯s egg floated in the center of the puddle. The level of the puddle was gradually decreasing. Ronan furrowed his brow as he realized the situation. That monstrous egg was absorbing the blood. As Aselle caught up with Ronan, he shouted, ¡°What, what is that?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, man.¡± With a determined stride, Ronan reached out and grabbed the egg. The pooled blood around it started bubbling and surging upward. It seemed to be protesting, as if asking for the egg to be returned. ¡°Did you do this?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ronan stared at the egg with a baffled expression. Mana wasn¡¯t enough, so now it was absorbing blood? What kind of creature could have been influenced to give birth to something like this? Thud! At that moment, the egg moved slightly. Ronan leaped back in surprise and eximed, ¡°It moved!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah, man! It¡¯s about to hatch!¡± Aselle rushed over. The eggshell was shaking little by little. The two boys, filled with excitement, clenched their fists. Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°Am I the only one hearing this sound?¡± ¡°No, I hear it too!¡± Sounds like tapping wereing from inside the egg. It was bing increasingly frequent, indicating that something was trying toe out. Ronan knocked on the eggshell as if knocking on a door. ¡°Don¡¯t be so impatient,e out already and show us what bizarre creature you are.¡± Thud! Thud! A response came from inside. However, after waiting for a few minutes, there was no further progress. Aselle, who was pondering something, spoke up. ¡°Could it becking nutrients?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still absorbing mana like crazy.¡± It was visible in Aselle¡¯s eyes. The egg was still greedily absorbing mana from its surroundings. If they weren¡¯t careful, it might even steal their own mana. ¡°People need to eat to gain energy, right? This egg might need more blood and mana to break out of its shell.¡± Ronan nodded in agreement. It was a usible exnation. Ronan gently ced the egg back into the puddle. The puddle quickly dried up. ¡°You truly have the mind of a wizard. If that¡¯s the case, then we need to give it more blood.¡± ¡°Exactly. In my opinion, maybe¡­¡± Aselle was about to say something, but Ronan felt a slight vibration under his foot. ¡°Crumbling¡­¡± Aselle didn¡¯t notice. Sensing an unsettling energy, Ronan looked around. ¡°Why are you acting like that, Ronan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Listen¡­ I hear something.¡± Creak! Aselle remained oblivious. Ronan sensed something ominous. He frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Something is wrong. I can hear a sound.¡± The passage of time was marked by the creaking sounds that resonated through the air. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t hear anything¡­ Anyway, remember earlier when the animals were dead in the field? Let¡¯s check that ce¡­ Ugh!¡± ¡°Hold on, Aselle. Something seems off.¡± Ronan covered Aselle¡¯s mouth. The vibrations were getting stronger. He opened his eyes wide and looked around. A sound was persistently reaching his ears ¡ª not quite like water and not like wind, more like a viscous, continuous sound. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± At that moment, something red caught Ronan¡¯s attention in the distance. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize what it was as it undted above the tall grass. ¡°¡­Aselle.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How do you think it feels to take a bath in blood?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly asking something like that?¡± Aselle blinked hisrge eyes in confusion. Ronan reached out silently and pointed in the direction of the field where they had been before. Now, it was getting closer, visible even to Aselle¡¯s eyes. -Sua-sua-sua-sua! A torrent of blood was rushing towards them, ttening the bushes and rapidly approaching. ¡°Yaaah!¡± Aselle screamed like a startled girl at thunder. The crimson torrent writhed as if it had a mind of its own. All the blood from the animals that had died in the field earlier was converging into it. ¡°Invisible Hand!¡± Aselle¡¯s staff struck the ground urgently. Both of them were suddenly lifted into the air. ¡°Whoooa¡­!¡± Aselle felt queasy. Because the egg was continuously draining mana in real-time, their magic was bing increasingly unstable. He struggled to concentrate to maintain their altitude. -Sua-sua-sua-sua! The swirling blood stream was now forming a spiral shape, shooting towards the egg. As the mana flowing from the egg pulled the blood, it seemed like a sentient force. Thump! Thump! Thump! ¡°This creature isn¡¯t in its right mind either.¡± The egg was shaking more violently than ever before. Ronan chuckled as if amused. For an unborn creature, its antics were excessively disruptive. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a taste.¡± Holding the egg in his hand, he gazed at it for a moment before dropping it into the middle of the blood current. The egg made a sshing sound as it disappeared into the blood. The spiral shape distorted as the absorption began. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re going to drink all of that?¡± Ronan and Aselle marveled at the sight as they hovered in the air. The gradually transforming spiral only took about five minutes to vanishpletely. Once they confirmed that all the blood was gone, theynded on the ground. ¡°Is¡­ is it over?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± Despite consuming so much blood, the egg¡¯s exterior showed no change. Ronan picked up the egg lying on the ground and cursed. ¡°Damn it, what the hell?¡± The object in Ronan¡¯s grasp was an empty shell. Arge hole seemed to have been punctured through it, leaving a perforated pattern on the egg¡¯s surface. Fragments of the shell were scattered like shrapnel. ¡°Where¡¯s the yolk?¡± As Ronan furrowed his brow and turned his head, something struck him forcefully at the back of his head. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Clutching the back of his head, Ronan copsed. The impact felt like a punch directly to his brain. Startled, Aselle rushed over, gripping his staff. ¡°Ronan¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°No!!¡± ¡°What? what hit you?¡± As Aselle looked around, he was struck again by something that flew at him. ¡°Aaah!¡± Aselle let out a scream of surprise and copsed, his eyes rolling back. Ronan quickly got up and drew his sword. ¡°Damn it! What the hell¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s words were cut short as he instinctively turned his head. A swift object grazed his cheek with incredible speed, faster than the arrows used by kaliborro hunters. ¡°Dammit.¡± Blood trickled from the spot it had grazed. Ronan¡¯s face lost all trace of ease. He felt that if he took any more hits like that, he might die. Swoosh! Seeing the indistinct presence, it was clear it wasn¡¯t a projectile but a creature. It couldn¡¯t be identified by sight alone. ¡°This is such¡­ ugh¡­¡± Ronan let out a sigh and focused his mind. His vision narrowed, and time seemed to elongate. The enigmatic creature was making a tearing sound as it flew towards them. Ronan swung his arm. Thud! Something softnded in his hand. ¡°I got it!¡± Turning the sword in his grip, Ronan aimed at the object he held. He was about to bring down his sword when¡­ ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s pupils narrowed. The small life form in his hand was wagging its head, seemingly carefree. It looked nothing like he had imagined. ¡°Could it be you came from here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alternating between the shell and the mysterious creature in his hand, Ronan gradually realized that the creature had emerged from the egg. Its appearance was so bizarre that he couldn¡¯t believe it was a naturally existing animal. ¡°¡­What kind of creature looks like this?¡± It had feathers, but it¡¯s skeletal structure wasn¡¯t that of a bird. It resembled something he might have seen before, yet he couldn¡¯t recall where. Just then, Aselle stirred awake, clutching his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ What just happened¡­?¡± A lump had risen on Aselle¡¯s head. Ronan wordlessly pushed the grotesque creature into Aselle¡¯s view. Aselle recoiled in horror. ¡°Drag¡­ dragon?!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you say dragon?¡± It was only now that Ronan conjured an image of a fantasy creature in his mind. The ichor of a dragon, simr to Hatchling¡¯s bodily fluids. He hadn¡¯t seen it directly, but the creature before him was uncannily simr to what he had seen in the guidebook. ¡°Now that I think about it, it does seem somewhat simr. The only resemnce to Marpez is the feathers.¡± Though it had just been born, its four sturdy legs stood firmly. Two sets of wings were abnormally longpared to its body. The only difference between it and Hatchling was the presence of feathers where scales should be. Except for its face. The soft, feathery plumes, reminiscent of Marpez¡¯s, were a deep, dark ck, like the night. ¡°But still¡­ I guess I should test it.¡± Scratching its neck, the creature made a growling sound. Ronan muttered to himself as he touched it. ¡°¡­Its face looks half and half.¡± The creature, its vine-like tail swaying, stared into Ronan¡¯s eyes. Itsrge eye sockets were like mirrors reflecting Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°But this¡­ Nah, this isn¡¯t it.¡± Ronan¡¯s head tilted, and the creature in his hand squeaked. When Ronan opened his hand slightly, the creature scuttled up his arm. ¡°What? What are you doing?¡± The creature, nestled on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, gazed at him. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened as he observed this. The creature¡¯s eye, like arge cat¡¯s, reflected Ronan¡¯s face, shimmering. ¡°But still, you little rascal. You nearly got me killed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head to reveal a wound on his cheek. The creature that had been quietly sitting suddenly began to struggle. When Ronan rxed his grip, it climbed onto his shoulder. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± The creature was looking at the wound on Ronan¡¯s cheek. As Aselle watched, fascinated, a small magical circle formed in front of the creature¡¯s eyes. The wound on Ronan¡¯s cheek began to heal. ¡°Ro¡­ Ronan! Your wound¡¯s healed!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan wiped his cheek and chuckled dryly. His smooth skin didn¡¯t show any sign of the wound anymore. As the healed wound on Ronan¡¯s cheek came into view, the dreamling nuzzled against it. ¡°This thing is a life-saver.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ cute. Ronan, it seems to like you.¡± There was no separate living being. At that moment, the dreambirds wings began to unfurl slowly. As the four wings, reminiscent of ravens¡¯, spread fully, nearby mana began to gather. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± But it wasn¡¯t just mana. The residual blood still present in the air floated up, seeping into the soft feathers. Stains on Aselle and Ronan¡¯s clothes coalesced and fell in droplets as they converged. ¡°What kind of magic is this, Aselle?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Aselle shook his head left and right. Magic that used not only mana but also blood. It was something unheard of. It seemed eerie and even potentially dangerous. But that wasn¡¯t particrly important. Ronan found himself rather fond of this strange creature. Ronan extended his arm, and the dreambird¡¯s wings folded as it climbed onto his palm. Facing the dreambird, Ronan spoke. ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡± ¡°Beah!¡± The dreambird chirped briefly, as if answering. Ronan yfully swung his arm as a test, but the dreambire, who had grabbed his finger with its ws, didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s consider that a yes.¡± Ronan reached out and scooped up the dreambird. The creature didn¡¯t resist, and its blinking eyes made it look quite endearing. ¡°I should give you a name. What would be a good¡­¡± Ronan stroked his chin, deep in thought. He didn¡¯t want to name it carelessly, after all, he had gone through the trouble of hatching it. Suddenly, a memory from the past surfaced in Ronan¡¯s mind, and he nodded. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go with ¡®Cita¡¯.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± The dreambird responded as if acknowledging the name. It was as if it understood the spoken word. As Ronan reached out to pat its head, the dreambird unexpectedly took flight. ¡°Aaah!¡± Traumatized, Aselle screamed and clutched his head. But the dreambird wasn¡¯t targeting the boys¡¯ heads. Swoosh! Cita, like a flying whip, shot towards the distant trees and vanished. Within seconds, a collision sound and a piercing scream echoed, as if the breath had been knocked out of someone. ¡°Aaaah!¡± Ronan and Aselle looked at each other and ran in the direction of the sound. Chapter 21: Blood and Egg (4) Chapter 21: Blood and Egg (4) ¡°What the hell is that¡­!¡± The boy wearing a leather cap slumped down. He couldn¡¯t stand up due to his legs giving out. In front of his eyes was a strange creature he had never seen before, pping its wings and looking down at him. ¡°A demon?¡± ¡°A-a monster¡­!¡± No sound came from the four long, ck wings. The red pupils glowed like blood-soaked rubies. Every time the long tail brushed the ground, the boy¡¯s shoulders twitched. It resembled something out of a fairy tale, like a devil or a dragon. Tears welled up in the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°I must¡¯ve done something wrong¡­! An evil creature is here because I did something bad¡­!¡± No matter how much he needed money, he shouldn¡¯t have engaged in poaching. The boy was a member of the Demire branch of the smuggling organization ¡°kaliborro.¡± His first mission was to deliver supplies to the members who had gone hunting using vein roots the day before. However, what awaited him were eight headless corpses. Completely drained of blood. The perfectly bloodless bodies had a dull gray color, like a bean field covered in frost. The severed heads were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Even our leader was taken down by these hunting dogs¡­!¡± Even the mighty wolf Beom, who had achieved the status of a sword expert, was now a cold corpse. He was a veteran who had taken down fantastic creatures with double digits in his count. He needed to hurry back to the base and report the situation. It was the moment the boy was about to turn around. -Quaaang! ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Something flew in from somewhere and crashed into the tree the boy was hiding behind. Branches and leaves rained down. Soon, the creature tore its head free and approached the boy. ¡°Beah.¡± ¡°I¡­mI need to do something!¡± The boy quickly reached for the dagger at his waist. As his fingers touched the hilt of the de, the eyes of the creature that had been leisurely pawing at the air began to glow red. ¡°Beahhh¡­!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, the boy¡¯s world turned red. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and took a sharp breath. The boy¡¯s sleeve was stained with fresh blood, and it dripped down onto his cheek. ¡°Eeek¡­!¡± The overflowing blood streamed down his cheek. No matter how much he wiped his eyes, the bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop. Before long, he realized that it wasn¡¯t just his eyes; blood was flowing from his nose, mouth, and ears. ¡°Help¡­ please!¡± He could feel his body growing cold rapidly. His legs still wouldn¡¯t regain their strength. The boy struggled desperately, flipping onto his back and started crawling away. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything like this again! Please, save me!¡± However, his pleas were in vain as the second nightmare unfolded. Suddenly, his body began to be pulled toward the direction where the creature was. ¡°No, nooo! Help meee!¡± In desperation, he grabbed onto the bushes, but it was of no use. The leaves were torn away, and his body was lifted into the air. ¡°Behehehe. It seems the blood is clotting up.¡± It sounded like the creature wasughing beyond his throbbing ears. Just then, another boy with dark hair burst out of the bushes. ¡°Hey! Stop!¡± Ronan swung his sword vertically. He was right in between the boy and the creature, the exact middle point. Thud! The mana that had been carrying the boy suddenly snapped, and he fell to the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Beahh?¡± Cita¡¯s eyes widened, looking extremely startled. His pupils were almost twice their normal size, as if he had been genuinely shocked. The boy was writhing on the ground, coughing up the blood that had been choking his throat. ¡°Ugh! Ugh, agh!¡± ¡°Ugh, damn it. Why is his face like this? Did you do this, Cita?¡± The boy¡¯s face was covered in blood from his facial features. Ronan looked at him with disgust. ¡°Huh? Wait a second.¡± The face seemed familiar from somewhere. Ronan jabbed Cita¡¯s wing, who was still looking perplexed. ¡°Cita, try wiping this kid¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Demon?¡± Ronan pretended to wash his face. Cita blinked, then cast a spell. Blood began to gush from the boy¡¯s eyes again. ¡°Arrrghhh!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Ronan¡¯s sword shed through the air once more. Quickly cutting off the mana, Ronan flicked Cita¡¯s nose. ¡°St!¡± ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m saying, yet you¡¯re acting like this? I asked you to wipe the blood off his face.¡± ¡°Beheh¡­¡± Cita, who seemed rather disheartened, used magic again. The blood that covered the boy¡¯s face gathered in one spot and dripped down like droplets. The boy touched his face, startled, and got up. ¡°This¡­ what is this?!¡± ¡°Just as I thought. Your face hasn¡¯t changed much.¡± ¡°Did you save me?¡± Ronan crossed his arms and nodded. But he didn¡¯t answer the boy¡¯s question. The boy¡¯s face, now rid of blood, bore a striking resemnce to someone Ronan knew. Ronan pulled out a cigarette. The boy almost folded himself in half, bowing his head. ¡°Ugh¡­ thank you¡­! Thank you! I owe my life to you!¡± ¡°Well, something like this. Can a poacher like Valus do anything worthwhile?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ yes?¡± Valus froze. Ronan observed him with interest. He never imagined he¡¯d meet Valus in a ce like this. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? It¡¯s a job where you wipe your hands with blood and earn money, and it¡¯s not even human blood, so there¡¯s no guilt involved.¡± ¡°H-How do you know my name¡­?¡± Valus was Ronan¡¯s fellow disciplinary squad member. He was the one who bragged about shooting animals with his arrows and never stopped talking about kaliborro¡¯s organizational structure. At that time, Ronan thought he was apletely corrupted guy. However, the Valus before him now seemed quite different. His appearance, attitude, and everything else oozed the fresh scent of a beginner. His tattoos were as if they were freshly inked, and his speech wasn¡¯t rough. Above all, his wavering eyes still held traces of remorse and innocence. Perhaps there was a chance for redemption. Ronan lit his cigarette. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about that, kid. You have to make a choice.¡± ¡°A choice¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, punk. Be a traitor to the organization, or be a stuffed specimen. Looks like you haven¡¯t been in this business for long.¡± ¡°S-Stuffed specimen?! How, how can you¡­¡± Just then, the creature that had been pawing at the air, Cita,nded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. The way they were rubbing their faces against each other seemed oddly friendly. Seeing that he was in a deadlock, Valus stepped back, hesitating. ¡°What, what are you? And that creature¡­? Don¡¯t tell me those people too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Valus. I cut off their heads and this furball stripped them of blood.¡± Ronan pointed his index finger at Valus. As Cita turned his head, they stared intently. A thin thread of saliva dripped from Cita¡¯s muzzle down Valus¡¯s chin. ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin how it extracted the blood, do I?¡± ¡°Hiik¡­¡± ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s start talking.¡± Ronan exhaled smoke. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a map drawn in blood by kaliborro¡¯s hunting dogs. The boys finished cleaning up until nightfall and left the Fountain of Phaenar. They had to create a muchrger raft than the one they came with due to the increased baggage. The sky had a crimson moon, like a bloodstain, rising in it. ¡°The profits are much better than I expected.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t kill Valus. It wasn¡¯t just because he hadn¡¯t yet dirtied his hands. Someday, he might contribute significantly to uprooting kaliborro from the continent. Having extracted enough information about Kaliborro, Ronan obtained a blood oath from Valus. ¡°Hehehe! Now that the demon¡¯s messenger has drunk your blood, you won¡¯t be able to hide anywhere in the world!¡± ¡°Grr¡­! I swear! No matter what happens, I will uphold the oath!¡± He would provide the organization¡¯s information and whereabouts every two weeks. He swore not to reveal any information about Ronan¡¯s party until he betrayed the organization and left. A blood oath. Forbidden sorcery that devoured one¡¯s soul if broken. Of course, it was nothing but a hastily fabricated lie, but judging by Valus¡¯s expression at the time, it seemed unlikely that the oath would be broken. Valus, who had been humiliated by Cita, believed it to be a messenger of demons and Ronan to be a wicked sorcerer. ¡°You¡¯re quite useful.¡± Ronan scratched Cita¡¯s neck as it gazed at the moon. Cita rolled on the ground with a purring sound, as if a cat was being affectionate. ¡°How cute¡­¡± Aselle propped his chin up with both hands and looked at them. Though he wanted to bury his face in those plush feathers, it wasn¡¯t easy after what happened. Suddenly, Aselle remembered something and spoke up. ¡°But, Ronan, why did you name it Cita?¡± ¡°Why are you named Aselle?¡± ¡°N-No, not that kind of meaning¡­¡± ¡°Just because. It¡¯s the name of a little brat I used to hang out with.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t provide any more information than that. Aselle also didn¡¯t ask further questions, but he was left with curiosity. Did Ronan raise a dog before? Ronan, who was gently petting the now-sleeping Cita, suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to raise a beast again¡­¡± Rather than a heavy regret borne of memories, it was a somewhat pleasant memory. Apanion who had spent a year together, meeting by chance on a journey, met his end at the hands of poachers. ¡°Ah, forget it.¡± Ronany down. Cita¡¯s feathers, tickling its cheeks, were surprisingly soft. The red moonlight, the mist rising slowly from the water¡¯s surface, marked the end of this adventure. **** The two returned to Jido over two days. Ronan went straight to find Professor Varen to show him Cita, but he was currently on a business trip to the southern jungles. ¡°I had a lot to tell him, but it¡¯s a shame.¡± Upon hearing the news that it would take at least two weeks, Ronan turned on his heel. They slid a note under Varen¡¯s office door and headed for the market. Of course, they didn¡¯t forget to collect the bounty. Everything left behind by kaliborro¡¯s poachers turned into a small fortune, filling the boys¡¯ pockets with gold coins. Equipment, trinkets, even the headless carcasses stripped of blood. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe the mana purity is so high in this water¡­! Where on earth did you find this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I might be able to get more, so take care of me, Duon.¡± Duon eximed in wonder while measuring mana purity. Ronan sold the water that had been flowing from the fountain to Carabel¡¯s upper echelons and alchemical workshops. The water¡¯s mana purity was much higher than anticipated, allowing them to earn much more money than they had expected. ¡°Maryar even sang a song with the customers¡¯ names. She wanted to go along this time, but she couldn¡¯t, and she¡¯s been sulking¡­¡± ¡°Come to think of it, she¡¯s not here. What about Marya?¡± ¡°Oh, she went back to her hometown for a bit. She said she wanted to say goodbye before enrolling.¡± After all, once enrolled, there would be no reason to return to her hometown unless it was a vacation period. Philleon was strict about its boarding school system. Come to think of it, quite some time had passed since Ronan saw his sister. While he had sent her an eptance letter, he felt like something was missing. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Hehe, yes. I¡¯d have stopped by if it weren¡¯t for the upper business. It¡¯s a shame. By the way, what about that creature¡­?¡± Duon¡¯s gaze had been focused on Cita, perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, rather than Ronan himself. However, even though Ronan had once been in the pet business, he couldn¡¯t possibly discern the creature¡¯s identity. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the one that came out of the egg I showed youst time. I don¡¯t know its true nature either.¡± ¡°Egg¡­? Ah, you mean that incredibly hard lump you mentioned!¡± Duon eximed with his mouth agape. The eggshell was harder than mithril. It was a memory that couldn¡¯t be forgotten. Cita was watching passing people and the items disyed on the stalls with a curious tilt of its head. Its unusual appearance and sparkling red eyes drew people¡¯s attention. ¡°Um, may I touch it?¡± ¡°Sure, but it might not like it.¡± ¡°Hehe, people are socking in caution. I¡¯m pretty good with animals, you know.¡± Duon cautiously reached out his hand. The jet-ck, luxuriant feathers seemed incredibly soft to the point where it felt like it might not be real. His hand was about to touch Cita when¡­ ¡°Kyaa!¡± ¡°Beah!¡± With a threatening sound, four wings spread out wide. Duon, who was almost about to copse, grabbed onto the stall and stood up. Ronan scratched Cita¡¯s neck gently and said, ¡°See? It¡¯s more wary of strangers than it seems.¡± ¡°Bwaha~!¡± As Ronan scratched its neck, Cita rxed its expression as if to say, ¡°When did I ever look wary?¡± Cita seemed to be cautious of everyone except Ronan and Aselle. ¡°Seriously, this is quite humiliating¡­¡± ¡°It could be. Well then, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Please be careful on your way back. Oh, and congrattions to both of you foring in first and second on the entrance exam. You¡¯re both truly remarkable.¡± ¡°Thank you. See youter.¡± After shaking hands once, Ronan moved his feet. With each step, the backpack swung and the sound of clinking coins echoed around. The two who had earned some money headed to a restaurant they had been eyeing for a while. It was a ce that grilled whole 2-meter-long eels caught only in Lake Raniel. Aselle, who had taken a bite, widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s delicious¡­!¡± ¡°Beah!¡± The eel¡¯s unique chewy texture and perfectly bnced saltiness were a work of art. Among the restaurants they had visited in Jido, it seemed to be the most delicious. Cita also joyfully chirped, sounding happy as it vigorously devoured its share of the meat. ¡°Aselle, what are you going to do with this money?¡± ¡°Me? Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll probably use most of it to buy spellbooks and experimental materials. It¡¯s a field of study that requires a lot of money.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well done.¡± ¡°What about you, Ronan?¡± Ronan let out a sigh. Originally, he had collected money to cover tuition, but due to acing the exams, he had used up his savings. Since he also didn¡¯t have enough for the full schrship, he received a monthly stipend under the pretext of living expenses. Though he wasn¡¯t troubled by this problem, it was still a problem. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ronan took a bite of grilled eel. It was delicious. For some reason, he suddenly thought of his sister in Nimbuten. As he enjoyed his eel, a thought urred to him. Iril was probably sitting alone at home, eating potato stew. ¡°Come to think of it, my sister has spent her whole life in that rural ce.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. He had lived two lifetimes, but this was his first experience living in a city. Even if everything was different, there were many differences between the life in Nimbuten and the life he had now. ¡°I raised her from diapers.¡± Ronan bit his lip. Come to think of it, he had only tossed a few coins and never really done anything for her. Iril probably didn¡¯t even know that such cooking and this world existed. While lost in thought, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Aselle, were guardians or family allowed to attend our enrollment ceremony?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ yeah, they should be. It¡¯s limited to guardians or family members, as far as I know.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ronan closed his mouth again. Seeing his serious expression, Aselle lowered his fork. The sound of Cita tearing at the meat continued to echo. At that moment, a voice from the kitchen sounded like a call. ¡°They¡¯re requesting a carriage for the Fensia Theater Group tomorrow!¡± ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°Twenty-two people! They asked for a carriage to take them to Marvast, and another for their return in two days.¡± ¡°Got it. Twenty-two people tomorrow, destination is Marvast.¡± It was a conversation among the restaurant staff. It seemed that they also provided carriages if customers requested them. Ronan¡¯s expression brightened as he realized something. If they couldn¡¯t go, they could just bring them here. Ronan stood up from his seat and tapped the shoulder of a staff member. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Oh, our guest. What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Can the carriage go all the way to Nimbuten as well?¡± Chapter 22: For My Sister (1) Chapter 22: For My Sister (1) ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did youb your hair?¡± ¡°Do you have a problem with it?¡± Ronan shrugged dismissively. Aselle quickly averted his gaze. ¡°Oh, no¡­ Not at all.¡± The cool air of the refreshing morning surrounded them. They were waiting for Iril at the carriage station on the west side of the ind. Aselle continued to nce at Ronan¡¯s hair. If Ronan¡¯s hair was usually a crow¡¯s nest, today it seemed to be neatly braided into a bun. His clothes were also different from usual, looking considerably cleaner. -Thud! At that moment, a carriage stopped in front of the station. It was a high-end carriage designed forfortable stretching and resting. The door opened, and a woman with white hair stepped out. Iril looked around with her alreadyrge eyes widened even more. ¡°Wow! Is this Jido¡­?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s all this?¡± Ronan frowned as he saw her appearance. Iril¡¯s wandering gaze eventuallynded on the two men. ¡°Oh! Ronan! Aselle!¡± Iril shouted cheerfully. Instead of replying, Ronan extended his index finger, pointing to the bundles she was carrying in her hands. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with all these bundles?¡± More urately, they weren¡¯t just bundles; they were bundles ¡®plural¡¯. One in each hand, and one on her back. Iril was enveloped by threerge bundles. ¡°Hehe, I brought these for you to eat.¡± Iril opened one of the bundles. It was filled with muddy potatoes. The other two bundles contained various vegetables and things like cheese that she had personally made. Ronan chuckled wryly. ¡°Damn, where are we taking refuge?¡± ¡°Hehehe, the crops did well this time. And you know how delicious the cheese is.¡± Even though he had probably told her not to dig up more potatoes. Anyway, that¡¯s the temperament of the household. Ronan was about to reach for one of the bundles. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± With a familiar incantation, the three bundles floated in the air. Ronan and Iril simultaneously turned their heads. Aselle had his hands slightly sped and was giving an awkward chuckle. ¡°This, I¡¯ll put them in our lodging. Enjoy.¡± ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Aselle going?¡± ¡°Oh¡­! I have something separate to do today. I¡¯ll see you at the enrollment ceremony tomorrow.¡± After finishing his words, Aselle began to walk without looking back. Ronan smirked as he watched Aselle¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Conceited brat.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a shame. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen Aselle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see each other tomorrow!¡± Iril smiled brightly again. Her words were correct. Ronan had invited Iril under the pretense of having her witness the enrollment ceremony tomorrow. ¡°By the way, Ronan.¡± Suddenly, Iril grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°Have you been well? Did you eat properly? Why did you lose so much weight? Do you know how surprised Noona was when that strange carriage came? Where did you get the money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been well, ate properly, and the carriage wasn¡¯t a big deal, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Ronan said nonchntly. The carriage fee was minusculepared to the ie he had earned so far. In the first ce, he had sent that because he couldn¡¯t get a better carriage. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡­ Anyway, I read your letter! You said you got a full schrship?!¡± ¡°Yeah. Martial Arts Department.¡± ¡°Really? Are you not lying to make your sister feel better?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Iril looked up and met Ronan¡¯s eyes. After a long time, his sister was still beautiful. Her sunset-colored irises sparkled under the spring sun. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, look.¡± Ronan handed her the prepared admission certificate. His name was written on the elegant paper, along with the descriptor ¡°Second ce¡± Iril read the certificate several times before returning it to Ronan. ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s true.¡± Iril smiled once and lowered her head. She didn¡¯t reply for a while. She spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up, my little brother.¡± His small shoulders began to shake. Ronan, as if about to say something, hesitated with his lips and then hugged Iril with a very cautious movement. ¡°¡­Sister, look up. I have someone to introduce.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ An introduction¡­?¡± Tears welled up in Iril¡¯s eyes as she looked up. Tear marks were visible on her pure white cheeks. Her younger brother, who had just left, had regained his senses and enrolled in the continent¡¯s top academy. Moreover, he had achieved the highest honors. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand her emotions, but this couldn¡¯t go on forever. Today was supposed to be a joyful day. Rolling his hand into a fist and bringing it to his mouth, Ronan shouted to the sky. ¡°Cita!¡± ¡°Beeeaah!¡± In response, Cita, who had been circling the sky,nded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder in an instant. Iril¡¯s pupils widened. She had never seen such a creature even in her dreams. ¡°Wow! What is this? It¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°Oh, if you touch it¡­¡± There was no time to stop her. Iril, who was sniffling, reached out and touched Cita¡¯s head. ¡°Beeeah!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Contrary to Ronan¡¯s expectations, Cita didn¡¯t resist at all. Instead, it made a purring sound as if it was enjoying it. ¡°So fluffy. What kind of animal is this? What¡¯s its name?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Well¡­ its name is Cita. As for what kind of animal it is¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± Moreover, Cita hopped over to Iril¡¯s shoulder and nuzzled its face against her cheek. It was a behavior that it hadn¡¯t shown to anyone except Ronan. With a look of astonishment, heughed as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Beeah~ Beeaaah~¡± ¡°Ahaha! It tickles!¡± ¡­While it was somewhat overwhelming, it was fortunate that their rtionship was good. Ronan took his sister¡¯s hand and headed towards the bustling streets. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a meal.¡± Tomorrow was the enrollment ceremony. Today, they were nning to buy the things Ronan needed for the academy. And at the same time, he could repay his sister¡¯s kindness. Ronan guided her to a restaurant he had known in advance. It was the same steakhouse he had gone to with Marya on his first day in Jido. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever eaten something like this since I was born¡­!¡± ¡°Is it delicious?¡± With each forkful of meat, the juice burst out as if exploding. Iril nodded quickly with her mouth full. Ronan smiled with satisfaction. It felt like his stomach was being filled even if he didn¡¯t eat. ¡°Eat a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! Ronan, you should eat quickly too!¡± Iril started slicing her steak to transfer it onto Ronan¡¯s te. Resistance was futile. She picked up a piece of meat and brought it near her brother¡¯s mouth, speaking as she did so. ¡°Ah~¡± ¡°Ah~ whatever. I¡¯m not a kid.¡± ¡°Ah~~¡± Iril was stubborn. Ronan sighed and looked around. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many customers in the restaurant. Ronan quickly devoured the meat as if an alligator was devouring its prey. Iril tapped her foot anxiously and shivered. ¡°How is it? It¡¯s really delicious!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± Reluctantly, Ronan nodded. Iril handed pieces of meat to Ronan and Cita, one by one. Throughout the meal, a smile never left her face. When they left the restaurant, Ronan left a few coins under his te and stood up. **** After finishing their meal, the siblings headed to arge boutique called ¡°Song of Silk.¡± They were here to pick up the uniforms they had ordered and to buy a few sets of casual clothes for Iril, who usually only wore simple attire. ¡°Ro¡­Ronan! These clothes don¡¯t suit me at all¡­ Can you please find something else¡­¡± ¡°They suit you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dressing me up too much. I can¡¯t even go to the fields in this outfit¡­¡± ¡°First of all, these aren¡¯t clothes you¡¯d wear while working. By the way, are you still working in the fields? What about the money I gave you?¡± ¡°Of course, I used it! I used about three silver coins from the money you gave me!¡± Iril had said that she used three silver coins from the money Ronan had given her. She used it to buy seedlings for nting, some new clothes, and to start raising four chickens. ¡°I bought them with a big heart! You don¡¯t know how great it is to have eggs for breakfast every day!¡± Iril said cheerfully, cing her hand on her waist. Ronan sighed. How much did I give her? I vaguely remember giving her over three hundred gold coins. He expected it, but he didn¡¯t realize it would be this serious. Ronan pped his hands to call the waiter. Everyone in the shop was staring at Iril as if entranced. ¡°Please give us everything she¡¯s chosen.¡± ¡°R¡­Ronan!!¡± ¡°Listen well, Noona. I received a full schrship, and I¡¯ll receive a schrship until I graduate with honors. On top of that, various grants are pouring in, and I have more money than I can spend. So please, spend the money for me.¡± He was sincere. No matter how he thought about it, he had no real use for money. Aselle had suggested that he equip himself like other warriors. But to Ronan, armor was just cumbersome, and swords were just the same old things. They would be useless eventually, just at different times. Iril clenched her fist with a serious expression. ¡°Okay. Then this time, I¡¯ll get geese. I¡¯ll raise rabbits and buy barrels for brewing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should I skip the rabbits?¡± Ronan paid for the clothes in silence. As they left the store, people¡¯s gazes poured down on them like a waterfall. Iril in her pure white dress looked as beautiful as an angel descending from the sky. Iril spoke, linking her arm with Ronan¡¯s. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s so nice walking with my little brother like this. Where should we go next?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s go to the artisan district. I need to buy a sword.¡± ¡°Did your previous one break?¡± ¡°Yeah. Some guy picked a fight with me out of nowhere.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. After his recent squabble with Shulifen, the ck iron sword he had used effectively had be entirely useless. The two of them walked arm in arm through the bustling streets. Ronan put both hands in his pockets and red openly at passersby who were openly staring at his sister. ¡°Did you get a good look? Staring so tantly at someone else¡¯s family.¡± ¡°¡±Beeaah~!¡± Passersby moved aside hesitantly. Cita on Ronan¡¯s shoulder puffed up its fur, looking as if it would explode. Just then, he caught sight of a familiar sight out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Hmm?¡± The deep blue hair stood out prominently amidst the bustling crowd. The intuition that reacted faster than sight halted Ronan¡¯s steps. He muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Huh? Why did you suddenly stop?¡± At that moment, the blue-haired figure also came to a halt. It was as if he was about to turn around. Ronan urgently grabbed his sister¡¯s arm and pulled her away. ¡°Noona, let¡¯s go this way. It¡¯s a shortcut.¡± ¡°Sure?¡± Ronan turned into an alley. It was a bit narrow, but it connected to the artisan district. ¡°Why is that lunatic here?¡± They passed by corroded pipes and torn-off posters on both sides. It was a gloomy scene, but Iril was even enjoying that. It was the moment they left the alley. ¡°Long time no see, Ronan.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Shit.¡± There, Shullifen stood, his head held high. His tone seemed to imply that he had been waiting for quite a while. He stared directly into Ronan¡¯s eyes as he spoke. ¡°Why hide like this? You must know that feeble attempts at hiding are useless.¡± ¡°This damn¡­ I mean, no. Don¡¯t cause a scene in broad daylight, just go your way.¡± ¡°Did youe here to prepare equipment? Our goals are the same. I¡¯ve alsoe to pick up the sword I ordered.¡± ¡°To pick up a sword?¡± Shullifen nodded and drew the sword hanging at his waist, showing it to Ronan. It was the same sword that Ronan had shed with. Made of mithril, it had a tiny scratch on its gleaming de. ¡°Yeah. The de got nicked during ourst bout. To think a mithril sword would get scratched¡­¡± ¡°Such a pain¡­ You call this a scratch? Let me show you what a real scratch is.¡± Ronanughed as he drew his ck iron sword. A seriously looking swordsmanship was revealed in front of Shullifen. The sharp de looked like it had been used to cut through thick corn stalks, and the tip of the sword was blunt. In a way, it was only natural. After all, he had relentlessly struck the mithril sword repeatedly. ¡°So this is what you call a scratch, you bastard? Show me what a scratch really is.¡± Ronanughed as he shook the ck iron sword in front of Shullifen. Just as he was about to respond, Iril, who had been quietly standing there, grabbed Ronan¡¯s arm and shouted, ¡°Ronan! Even if you¡¯re angry, you shouldn¡¯t use such harsh words!¡± ¡°What? But this guy started it¡­¡± ¡°Ronan!¡± Shullifen, who had been focusing solely on Ronan, finally noticed Iril¡¯s presence. ¡°Hmm?¡± His brow furrowed slightly. The woman who barely reached his chest like a child was now standing before him, lecturing Ronan as if she were calming a child. ¡°Okay, fine. I won¡¯t swear.¡± Ronan scratched his head while still holding the ck iron sword. It was a strange sight. He couldn¡¯t believe that the person before him, who had given him a swift p, was the heir to the Grasia Dukedom. Then Iril turned her head toward Shullifen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ My sister taught me that swearing is always bad.¡± Shulifen¡¯s time seemed to stop. With a slight bow of her head, Iril began to speak. ¡°It¡¯s just that, as his elder sister¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve beencking¡­ so¡­ education¡­ Swearing¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± It was a decent apology that mentioned morality and responsibility appropriately. However, Shullifen¡¯s ears couldn¡¯t catch a single word. All of his senses except sight seemed to be blocked. Her snow-white hair was as beautiful as silk drawn from starlight. Her delicate yet vibrant features possessed a beauty that not even the most skilled sculptor could mimic. It was an emotion he had never felt before. It felt as if a liquid other than blood was coursing through his veins. After finishing her apology, Iril looked up at him and said, ¡°Uh¡­ Have you calmed down a bit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shullifen remained silent, prompting Ronan, who was at a loss for words, to speak up. ¡°Answer, damn it. My sister is asking.¡± ¡°Sis¡­ter?¡± Finally, Shullifen¡¯s mouth opened. He stared back and forth between Ronan and Iril with movements as stiff as a log. It was only after a few more seconds of silence that he seemed to recall how to speak. ¡°Uh¡­ No. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Because I was arrogant. It¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. His usual air of authority wasn¡¯t present in the downward gaze. The change in his demeanor and speech was somewhat strange. Iril giggled brightly and reached out to shake Shullifen¡¯s hand. ¡°Wow! Really? Thank you! You¡¯re such a wonderful person!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Shullifen¡¯s time froze once again. Seeing his ears turn red, Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°Damn it.¡± Chapter 23: For My Sister (2) Chapter 23: For My Sister (2) Shullifen continued to converse with Iril and, to be precise, it was more like Iril was doing most of the talking. ¡°But my brother Ronan seems to be around the same age as you. Oh! By any chance, will you also be entering Philleon this time?¡± ¡°Ah. Um. Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Wow! What a coincidence. Please get along well with my younger brother!¡± ¡°Uh, um. Yeah.¡± Rohnan looked at Shullifen with a sidelong nce. The wordsing out of Shullifen¡¯s mouth were bing more like reactions than actual conversation. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± and the like. ¡®Love can be quite scary.¡¯ Ronan tilted his head as he looked at the rising star of the Empire, who had be a dementia patient. Initially, he was angry about harboring feelings of longing for his sister, but now it had be pitiable. At that moment, Iril pointed to Shullifen¡¯s sword. ¡°Wow! By the way, that sword looks really cool! Do you happen to know a lot about swords? Well then, could you rmend a good shop? Ronan needs to buy a sword right now.¡± ¡°Sister, please.¡± Ronan rubbed his forehead and sighed. Iril was looking at Shullifen with sparkling eyes. Shullifen, who had been silently gazing at her without saying a word, finally opened his mouth, barely. ¡°Sword.¡± It was a phrase that implied many meanings. Shullifen, who had been rummaging through the pockets of his uniform one by one, took something out. It was a metal que that gleamed in tinum. Shullifen handed the metal que to Iril. ¡°Take this first. It¡¯spensation for my mistake.¡± ¡°Why are youpensating for my brother¡¯s mistake?¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you! But what is this?¡± Iril touched the metal que with a curious expression. On the front of the que was engraved the image of a knight stepping on a dragon. It was the emblem of the Gracia family, one of the major families that divided the Empire. Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He knew the true identity of the metal que. It was a kind of promissory note often used in noble families. It was a document that acknowledged receiving an item and would be usedter to prove payment by the family. Considering the reputation of the family, the Gracia family¡¯s promissory note held immense value and utility. In fact, it was an understatement to call it a one-time use voucher for free exchange that could be used throughout the Empire. For thepensation of breaking a ck iron sword, it was too excessive. Ronan eximed as if he was dumbfounded. ¡°You crazy idiot¡­ do you even know what you¡¯re giving?¡± However, without even looking at Ronan, Shullifen continued speaking. ¡°There is a workshop at the western end of Craftsman¡¯s Street¡­ They¡¯ve been making Gracia family swords for over 500 years. Normally, it¡¯s difficult to gain entry¡­ but if you show them this, you should be able to get in.¡± ¡°Wow! Really? Can we visit this ce right now?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the artisans are on vacation now, so you¡¯ll have to visit in a few days.¡± ¡°Are you really in your right mind?¡± ¡°In my¡­ brother¡¯s¡­ his sword got damaged because of me¡­ I pray you¡¯ll be able to make, no, obtain a good sword.¡± Shullifen seemed to be about to turn away. Iril grabbed his hand again and spoke. ¡°Thank you so much! Because of you, I think he¡¯ll be able to get a good sword. Thank you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t say anything. Iril handed the que received from Shullifen to Ronan. ¡°There! Ronan. I didn¡¯t understand anything he was saying, but I¡¯m sure you can use it well, right?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Rohan put the que into his pouch. He had never been interested in equipment before, but he had no reason to refuse something given to him. Moreover, a secret forge that made Gracia family weapons. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°Love is indeed terrifying¡­¡± Anyway, since it was the vacation period, they had nned to visit the forge after starting school. Ronan and Iril moved their steps back to the bustling street. **** This time, Ronan and Iril went to thergest hair salon in the city. Ronan had no idea, but originally, it was a ce where even nobles had to make reservations and wait for at least three months due to its high reputation. ¡°Wee. May I have the name of the reservation?¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you asking that?¡± ¡°Whoa, the owner!!¡± However, somehow, as soon as the attendant saw Iril¡¯s face, they rushed somewhere. Soon, an elderly hairstylist with scissors stuck in his shirt pocket approached them. He was the head of the salon. ¡°Oh my¡­ this is really¡­¡± The head, too, froze in ce the moment he saw Iril. He stared alternately at her face and her hair for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°I apologize, miss. Would you bestow upon me the honor of crafting your beauty?¡± ¡°Craft¡­ my beauty?¡± Iril giggled. Ronan looked at the head with a sharp gaze and said. ¡°He¡¯s asking if he can cut your hair. He¡¯s just saying it in a way the old man would understand¡­¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see! Please make me look pretty!¡± Iril sat in the chair. The head took a deep breath and lifted the scissors. He had been trimming the hair of nobledies and madams for over 40 years, but this was the first time he felt nervous. Of course, this was Iril¡¯s first time at such a ce, and she only felt anticipation. She looked at Ronan and said. ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t you getting a haircut?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Are you trying to get into school with that messy hair?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it okay?¡± Rohnan swept his bangs aside. The hair he awkwardly brushed aside swayed messily. Iril¡¯s face stiffened for the first time since she met her brother. ¡°No way! Excuse me! My brother is getting a haircut too!¡± Iril raised her hand and shouted. She forcibly sat her brother down in the chair, despite his several attempts to decline. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get a haircut. I said I¡¯ll get one.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ guest? How should I cut it for you?¡± Ronan let out a sigh. ¡°Just cut it however you want. Neatly.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± The hairstylist¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment. But he soon skillfully pulled out amercial smile. Shortly afterward, the cutting began. ¡®Come to think of it, apart from my sister, this is the first time someone else is cutting my hair.¡¯ Snip! Snip! With each sound of the scissors, thick locks of hair fell to the ground. Ronan¡¯s head began to sway back and forth. For some reason¡­ sleep¡­ started to overwhelm him. . . . In his hazy consciousness, he heard a murmuring sound. ¡°Oh, this is really¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, hair definitely influences a person¡¯s impression. This is on a transformation level.¡± ¡°Oh, has the guest woken up?¡± Ronan opened his eyes. It seemed he had dozed off for a moment. He was still blinking his heavy eyelids. He looked around. Irill was looking at him with both hands sped. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, is it already cut?¡± ¡°The previously overly abundant white hair was now refined into a sophisticated style that exuded a city woman vibe. The volume had reduced by about half, but the beauty had increased by more than tenfold. ¡°¡­It suits you. But why is everyone staring at me?¡± However, something was off. Despite Iril¡¯s beauty that could be considered strikingly violent, all the people around were looking atRonan. Iril murmured with a voice full of emotion. ¡°So my younger brother was this handsome¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan turned his head to face forward. In the tall mirror, he saw an unfortunate-looking guy sitting in the chair, blinking his eyes. Ronan raised his hand and touched his head. The previously expanded hair that resembled a new house had turned into neat ck hair. It conveyed a clean, yet wild impression, like Professor Varren¡¯s mane. ¡°¡­Is this me?¡± The ck hair that had fallen over his forehead was now smooth and had a radiant shine. His fully visible irises were gleaming rebelliously. The head hairstylist, who had scissors stuck in the front pocket of his shirt, approached with a smile. ¡°Today is the best day of my hairstylist career. I didn¡¯t just craft one, but two gemstones. And not just any gemstones, but the shiniest jewels.¡± He exined that he had been cutting Ronan¡¯s hair from the middle. Ronan stared at his reflection in the mirror with a nk expression. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn¡¯t get used to it. ¡°Darn, it¡¯s so awkward. How much is it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ept money. I¡¯m thankful for giving me this wonderful experience.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Pleasee again next time. Be careful on your way back.¡± The head politely saw off Ronan and Iril. As they left, Iril felt that the gazes that were solely on her were now dispersed. While initially both men and women were looking at Iril, now men were looking at Iril, and women were looking at Ronan. Rohan furrowed his brows. ¡°It¡¯s quite burdensome, how did you handle this, Noona?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Well, considering Iril was naturally beautiful, she probably got used to envious looks like this from a young age. Ronan made a helpless expression and swept his bangs aside. ¡®Guess it¡¯ll be a hassle again until I grow it out.¡¯ The two siblings continued to have a good time afterward. They toured famous ces in the city, had dinner, and returned to their amodation as the sun began to set. Their lodging for the day was an inn converted from an entire tower, one of the renowned inns in the city known as the ¡°Sunset Watcher.¡± ¡°Now, where did this ball go? Right? Left?¡± ¡°Boo!¡± Cita had returned to the inn earlier and was ying with Aselle. When Ronan, with his newly cut hair, entered, one person and one wolf turned their heads simultaneously to look at him. Aselle said in a trembling voice. ¡°Ro¡­ Ronan¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is something strange?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ It looks really good on you. Really.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Cita flew over and smacked Ronan¡¯s cheek. It seemed like it was even more affectionate than usual. Ronan was slightly pleased by this excessive disy of affection. Then, Iril walked to the window, seemingly enchanted by something. ¡°Wow.¡± The sun was setting. From the special room with ss walls at the Sunset Watcher, they could see the western avenue at a nce. The avenue covered in white cobblestones was now aze with a rosy hue. Shadows created by people moving within the sunset danced like a festival. She spoke while gazing out the window. ¡°It¡¯s so, so beautiful. There are so many beautiful things in the world.¡± Ronan twisted his lips without saying anything. He felt a little bit of gratitude towards his sister for this small repayment of the favor she received. The three of them continued to share stories untilte into the night. Ronan fell asleep only after everyone, including Cita, was asleep. The night before the enrollment ceremony passed like that. **** The day of the enrollment ceremony dawned.¡± Ronan and Aselle changed into their school uniforms after breakfast. For magic students, it was standard to wear a ck robe with a cloak attached, while martial arts students wore a ck zer over a white shirt and ck cks as the base. In the case of martial arts students, each grade was distinguished by the color of their ties, and as a first-year student, Ronan had to wear a red tie. Iril pped her hands and let out delighted cheers. ¡°Wow! Both of you look so good!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit tight.¡± Ronan undid the top button of his shirt. The group then headed straight to Philleon. After the vacation, Philleon Academy was strictly controlling entry unlike usual. The armored guards were checking each person¡¯s identity without missing anyone. ¡°Hmm? You¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± A guard who recognized Ronan struck up a conversation. ¡°I felt like I¡¯ve seen you somewhere. Weren¡¯t you the friend who dueled with Shullifen? How have you been?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing okay.¡± ¡°I heard you were the top scorer in the practical exam. I¡¯m curious about how you managed to break the record of the Empire¡¯s rising star. I¡¯m expecting a casual greeting.¡± ¡°A casual greeting? What¡¯s that?¡± Ronan made an unfamiliar sound. He shrugged his shoulders once and moved to the inside of the gate. Unlike the day of the entrance exam, the street had be less crowded. ¡°Greetings, everyone! I am the current headmaster of Philleon Academy, Krava Kratir.¡± The entrance ceremony was held in the main square where the results were announced. Iril and the other observers sat in temporary seats set up around the edge of the square to watch the ceremony. Behind Kratir giving a speech on the podium were familiar faces lined up in rows. The former Great Sword Grandmaster Navirose, a peculiar elf with piercings in his ears, a Wolfkin prayer chamber, and other interviewers who had assessed Ronan¡¯s practical test were there. ¡°We believe that each and every one of you here will be talents that lead the continent forward. Even though our lives are fleeting, the aplishments you achieve will be passed down for eternity, exceeding a hundred, no, a thousand years.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t even have ten years left.¡± The speech, while clich¨¦d, contained very positive content. After a while, when Kratir finished the speech, thunderous apuse erupted from the audience. ¡°Wee to the academy. ss 787.¡± ¡°Wowowowowowow!!¡± ¡°Thank you. Shall we move on to the next step? Your seniors are waiting.¡± ¡°Seniors?¡± Suddenly, Kratir turned around. He made a gesture as if reaching out to empty space. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What the hell?¡± Clearly, the view across the empty square was ripped away like a curtain. As if revealing a painting that had been covered by a cloth, the image of the crowded square, filled with people, appeared. ¡°Hello Juniors!¡± ¡°Please join the sparring club, those in the martial arts department!¡± ¡°Hehehe! Who¡¯s Ronan? I¡¯m looking forward to the introductions this time too!¡± On the opposite side of the main square, all the students were in school uniforms. The students who had already entered Philleon Academy a year ahead of them greeted the neers with cheers that seemed to reach the sky. Philleon ss 786. They were the seniors of Philleon Academy, one year ahead of the neers. Chapter 24: For My Sister (3) Chapter 24: For My Sister (3) Kratir pulled the empty sky, and the background tore away like a curtain being ripped off. Thendscape, which had been empty, disappeared, revealing a bustling square filled with people. The crowd of upperssmen facing the freshmen cheered as if the sky had departed. ¡°Wee Juniors!¡± ¡°Is there anyone interested in celestial alchemy?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re from the martial arts department, join the sparring club, please!¡± They were all wearing school uniforms. Philleon 786th generation. They were the 2nd-year seniors of Philleon Academy, who had entered a year ahead of the current ss led by Ronan. Seeing the bustling students, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Are all they our seniors?¡± ¡°There are so many¡­¡± Aselle eximed with his mouth wide open. Although he had only heard about one generation ahead, it seemed like there were hundreds of them. Most of them were wearing the martial arts department¡¯s uniforms, probably due to the scarcity of magicians. ¡°Just in case there are some who don¡¯t know, let me exin. The enrollment ceremony is an opportunity to greet the seniors of the ss just above yours, whom you¡¯ll see the most during your school life, and to exchange introductions.¡± Kratir continued exining while stroking his beard. It was about fostering camaraderie between upperssmen and underssmen. After exchanging light greetings, there would be events like awards for outstanding students and a banquet. At that moment, a booming voice echoed from the 2nd-year camp. ¡°Hahaha! They say there¡¯s someone who defeated the Empire¡¯s Rising Star in this ss? Let¡¯s have a match!¡± The 2nd-year group split to the sides, and a boy who reminded one of a bear stepped forward. He was currently ranked 2nd. The former top student of the martial arts department fromst year, Braum Biodan. ¡°Braum! Braum! Braum! Braum!¡± The martial arts students chanted his name. Braum, who stood at the front, flexed his biceps and struck a pose. His muscles, reminiscent of tree trunks, seemed like they could burst out of his uniform at any moment. Kratir chuckled as he stroked his beard. ¡°Haha, Braum hasn¡¯t changed a bit. Have you been increasing the weight of your sword?¡± ¡°Yes!! Thanks to everyone!! I¡¯ve sessfully increased it to 120kg!!¡± ¡°Good job. Shall we prepare the stage for the light greetings?¡± Kratir gestured again into the empty air. This time, it seemed like he was grasping and pressing something. -Rumble! Suddenly, as if an earthquake had struck, the za vibrated, and the ground around Kratir began to sink. The professors were also engulfed by the erosion, but they maintained theirposure without changing their expressions. Before long, a massive circr space with a radius of about 200 meters was created. The freshmen watching were awestruck by the instant appearance of the arena. ¡°What¡­what is this?¡± ¡°This is amazing¡­¡± On the other hand, the 2nd-year students weren¡¯t very surprised. They had already seen simr scenesst year, and living at Philleon meant they would witness even more extraordinary sights. ¡°Hehehe, our expressions were like that toost year.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised, friends!¡± Ironically, the wide-eyed freshmen were more entertaining for the 2nd-year students. Kratir shouted. ¡°Then, let¡¯s proceed with the greetings from the martial arts department. The top 10 students, pleasee down to the arena. First, the top freshman of the martial arts department, Shullifen de Gracia!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The crowd of freshmen split, and Shullifen walked out. Cheers erupted for him without distinguishing sses. He truly had the poprity befitting the Empire¡¯s Rising Star. Ronan¡¯s name was called next in line. ¡°Next up! The second-ranked freshman of the martial arts department! Ronan!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Well, damn! that¡¯s surprising.¡± The cheers, not much different from before, burst out. Taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Ronan bit his tongue and mumbled. Unbeknownst to him, he was quite popr among students, especially the 2nd-years. There wasn¡¯t a single student who didn¡¯t know the story of the boy who had appeared like aet and taken first ce in the practical exam. ¡°Hey, hey, check out that jawline. He might even cut an apology.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ He¡¯s handsome. He is standing next to Shullifen and doesn¡¯t kneel?¡± ¡°Is he from themoners? He doesn¡¯t even have a noble surname.¡± Kratir called out the students from both martial arts departments based on their rankings. A total of 20 students stepped onto the stage. Ronan looked around. Sitting in the front row, he could barely spot Eirl, who was waving both hands. Then, a familiar voice came from the side. ¡°Hey! Long time no see!¡± ¡°Marya.¡± ¡°You should have told us if you cut your hair. I was wondering about it.¡± Among the named students was Marya, who ranked 9th. After a long time, he finally saw her lively and chatty demeanor. Marya spun around in ce and spoke. ¡°How¡¯s the uniform? Does it suit me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ronan nodded. Thanks to his impressive physique, the uniform fit him well. Marya burst into cheerfulughter and yfully tapped Ronan¡¯s biceps. ¡°Your haircut looks great too! You should have gotten it earlier!¡± ¡°It felt awkward.¡± ¡°What did you do while you were away? Did something suddenly inspire you to change your appearance?¡± Marya raised her eyebrows inquisitively. Ronan recalled the events of the past two weeks. He had virtually dismantled a branch of a smuggling organization, awakened an unknown creature called Sita from an egg, and Shullifen had fallen head over heels for his sister, whom he had brought along. He also learned about the secretive forge of Gracia. Ronan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Nothing much happened.¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s even more suspicious now¡­¡± Marya raised an eyebrow as if in doubt. Ronan said, ¡°But seriously, what¡¯s going on right now? They suddenly called me out and told me to fight.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s one of the regr events of the enrollment ceremony. You don¡¯t know about ¡®light greetings¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not light at all.¡± Marya closed her eyes and shook her head. She had long grown ustomed to Ronan¡¯s ignorance. She gestured and exined the concept of ¡®light greetings¡¯. ¡°In essence, it¡¯s a formal introduction.¡± ¡°Well, you could see it that way. There¡¯s almost no chance for a freshman to beat a sophomore.¡± Light greetings were a major event of the entrance ceremony. Freshmen and the top sophomores of the martial arts department would engage inbat to showcase their skills. Ronan nodded in agreement. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a way to get to know each other through swordy, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think too. Anyway¡­ did you suddenly decide to cut your hair?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Marya sighed. Without removing her suspicious gaze, she returned to her spot without saying another word. Ronan shrugged. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was so fixated on his haircut. The 1st-year and 2nd-year students faced each other. Kratir spoke. ¡°Alright, then let the 1st-year students start with their selections! Shullifen, please!¡± Shullifen extended his finger without saying a word and pointed to the young man in front of him. He was Nasdo, currently in 1st ce among the 2nd-years. Nasdo nodded calmly as if he had anticipated it. It was Ronan¡¯s turn to call out the names. A bear-like creature beside him grinned widely. ¡°Hahaha! So you¡¯re the rumored second-best? Nice to meet you, Ronan!!¡± 2nd in the martial arts department¡¯s 2nd-year ss, Braum Biodan. Ronan raised an eyebrow as if intrigued. Braum¡¯s back was practically filled with a greatsword almost asrge as Ronan himself. ¡°I¡¯m here to test the sword.¡± ¡°Ooh! Are you recognizing my awesomeness at a nce? I knew I¡¯d be able tomunicate with you!! Well then, call out my name!¡± Ronan nodded. Braum shouted, raising both arms. The crowd erupted in cheers once again. ¡®He seems to have high expectations, but it¡¯s a pity.¡¯ Seeing Braum¡¯s excited face, Ronan chuckled. In any case, regardless of the opponent, the fight would likely end within a few seconds. A swift sh, and it¡¯s over. That was Braum¡¯s future. Ronan was about to turn around. ¡°Um, with such a big difference in physique¡­ is it okay?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He noticed the anxious face of his sister in the front row of the audience. Come to think of it, he had never shown Eril how he wielded his sword. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Eril would return to the Noble Quarter tomorrow. Given her caring nature, she was bound to be worried. While lost in thought, Ronan quickly raised his hand. ¡°Headmaster, I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it, Ronan?¡± ¡°Can I face all of the 2nd-years alone?¡± While his tone wasposed, the content was not. A dreadful silence fell upon the za. To cut to the chase, Ronan¡¯s proposal was epted. Kratir divided the professors into a brief discussion. The members of the interviewmittee who had evaluated Ronan thought, ¡°Well, as long as the parties involved are okay with it, does it really matter? It could be interesting.¡± ¡°I also wanted to know more about Ronan¡¯s skills.¡± Convincing the 19 participants, including his peers and seniors, wasn¡¯t as difficult as expected. They were already aware that Ronan had outperformed Shullifen and ranked 1st in the practical exam. ¡°Can I face him too? We¡¯d be satisfied and pleased if you win.¡± ¡°Me too. But are you sure¡­?¡± His peers were curious about what kind of technique Ronan had demonstrated to achieve such results. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go for it.¡± Shullifen also epted Ronan¡¯s im. He thought the event of ¡°light greetings¡± itself was a waste of time. However, while the reactions of the freshmen and other students were mostly favorable, the 2nd-years¡¯ responses were different. ¡°Hey, underssman. What made you do something like this?¡± ¡°Hahaha! He¡¯spletely crazy!¡± ¡°He thinks he¡¯s second-best, so he¡¯s looking down on us? Let¡¯s break him, Braum!¡± Ronan¡¯s statement trampled over the pride of his seniors. With unified minds, they were burning with passion to look after their juniors in need. Braum shouted while blood vessels bulged on his forehead. ¡°Ronan!! My passion! Don¡¯t toy with it like this! I won¡¯t leave it alone!!¡± Of course, Ronan was oblivious to such pride. He aimed to put Eril at ease. Showing her once was much better than talking about it tirelessly to calm her worries. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin the ¡®light greetings¡¯. Take your positions!¡± Kratir announced. Ronan and ten 2nd-year students faced each other with about 50 meters of distance between them. Students wearing blue neckties all red at Ronan with determination. ¡°R¡­Ronan! Why did you do something like this¡­!¡± Eril was contemting Ronan with a contemtive expression. She was the first to recognize her brother¡¯s talent, but this was definitely not it. *Boom!* A magical firework signaled the start. Ten boys and girls rushed toward Ronan. Stout Braum led the charge with powerful strides, followed by Nasdo, who was in 1st ce. ¡°Ugh¡­ Do you have any shy techniques?¡± Though the gap would narrow in a matter of seconds, Ronan had enough time to ponder. He suddenly recalled the swordsmanship Navirose had shown during the practical exam interview. ¡°Yeah, that was quite good.¡± It was a sword technique performed while rotating the entire body with the sword. He had even attempted to imitate it briefly. Ronan nodded to himself. ¡°Alright, then.¡± ¡°Take this!!!¡± Just then, Braum, who was charging forward, swung his greatsword. A golden de gleamed as it soared horizontally. Whoosh! The rush of air pushed against Ronan¡¯s forehead. Ronan spun in ce, catching the greatsword head-on. Thud! ¡°Wha-what?!¡± Braum tightly clenched the hilt of his sword. If he had let go of just a little bit of strength, he might have lost his grip on the sword. It was an unbelievable strengthing from his small stature. Braum¡¯s pupils widened as he recognized the familiar ck de. ¡°You¡­How did you learn the Navirose Instructor¡¯s swordsmanship¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, you know?¡± ¡°Where did you learn that!¡± Instead of answering, Ronan stepped on Braum¡¯s greatsword and leaped up. He rotated vertically three times and swung the sword. ¡°Ugh!¡± Braum urgently raised his greatsword horizontally, assuming a defensive stance. The 120kg greatsword, reinforced with mana, was as good as arge shield. However, Ronan¡¯s intention wasn¡¯t a straightforward confrontation. The trajectory of the dark iron sword subtly shifted. Swoosh! The hilt of the greatsword was sliced off, and the hefty de fell to the ground. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± The cut was clean. Braum stared helplessly at his severed sword. Ronan dryly responded. ¡°I just watched once and then learnt.¡± Chapter 25: Admission Chapter 25: Admission The cross section was clean. Braum looked at the sword that had cleanly severed his leg in despair. Ronan responded dryly. ¡°I just looked at it once and learnt.¡± ¡°Learnt just from looking at it¡­?¡± Braum¡¯s expression hardened abruptly. It was fortunate that no one else had heard Ronan¡¯s words. The second-year students of the martial arts department, especially those taking lessons from Navirose, were already astonished beyond measure. ¡°Just now¡­! The new student used Lady Navirose¡¯s revolving sword, right?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a concealed disciple, can that be allowed? How can he use it so perfectly¡­!¡± Navirose Style 3-Second Form, the Revolving Sword. Among the sword techniques invented by Navirose, this form served as the finishing move. By rotating the entire body, not just the weapon or specific parts, the technique maximized its power and overcame differences in physique. Because the power dropped significantly if the bnce was even slightly disrupted, it was a highly difficult form that even most graduates found challenging to replicate. Yet, Ronan was wielding the revolving sword perfectly with just one look. Nine people remained. Ronan, who had subdued Braum, rushed at the other students. ng! ¡°What¡­ is this!¡± The de rotated, tearing through the air. Ronan swung the sword horizontally, vertically, diagonally, sending strikes at his senior¡¯s weapons. Thud! ¡°What the hell! Freshman!¡± Thud! ¡°Oh, that was my cherished spear!!¡± Metallic and shattering sounds resounded consecutively. Every time Ronan¡¯s body spun, the broken hilt of a spear rose into the air. Among the astonished faculty, no conversations passed. Navirose, who had been watching the sparring, burst into a bitterugh. ¡°So, you¡¯ve stolen it.¡± Navirose recalled the time she had held her sword to Ronan¡¯s throat during the practical exam. There was only that one opportunity to steal the technique. It was clear from the fact that he only used the 3-Second Form, the revolving sword, among the nine forms. ¡°I should have shown a few more forms back then.¡± Since the practical exam, only a month had passed. Navirose trembled with the satisfaction of finally finding her sessor, her lips curling with a sense of fondness. ¡°Yet, you still maintain that clownish demeanor. Are you trying to be a jester?¡± Ronan deliberately slowed down his strikes as he swung the sword. The reason was unclear. However, his strikes were noticeably slower than what he had shown during the practical exam. Slow enough to be visible to the average person. ¡°Wow, amazing, Ronan! Wooaah! Everyone, that¡¯s my little brother!¡± Eril cried out Ronan¡¯s name with tears streaming down. Ronan¡¯s dazzling performance of defeating over ten opponents was impressive even to Eril, who knew nothing about swords. Seeing this, Ronan smiled. ¡°This should be enough of a disy of skill.¡± ng! Ronan¡¯s body spun again, and Nasdo¡¯s weapon shattered into pieces. He dumbly stared at the hilt of his rapier, the de shattered. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Damn it.¡± Nasdo threw the hilt aside. There was no one left holding a weapon except Ronan. No sound came from either side of the spectators. Quietly, Kratir took out a pocket watch to check the time. The time it took to subdue ten seniors, precisely 2 minutes and 28 seconds. ¡°¡­.Phew.¡± A thrill ran through his body. It was a feeling akin to a diver finding gold on the ocean floor. The exhration of an educator. It was the moment Kratir was about to dere the results of thepetition. ¡°Well done, seniors.¡± A modest bow from the unrivaled Ronan. The silence was still so profound that everyone could hear Ronan¡¯s voice. The first to react was Marya, sitting in the audience.¡± ¡°Why is he acting like that?¡± Marya furrowed her brows as if she had just seen a squashed dog on the carriage road. Given Ronan¡¯s usual behavior, this was an unimaginable action. Ronan looked at each second-year student in turn and opened his mouth. ¡°It was a good match. I wanted to see how far my sword could reach.¡± The second-year students, who were feeling defeated, raised their heads. People¡¯s pupils contracted in surprise. His tone waspletely different, as if he had be a different person. Ronan continued speaking in a manner that elevated the seniors¡¯ self-esteem and showed his humility. ¡°Even though I rushed into it, I don¡¯t know how much you all were on edge. Sincerely, I thank you seniors for granting my reckless and impolite request.¡± The crowd began to buzz. The negative impression of Ronan was gradually fading. He lowered his head like driving in a wedge, courteous yet not servile. ¡°I am Ronan, the freshman from the martial arts department.¡± Having concluded his brief speech, Ronan nced at Eril. She was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, looking at him. ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± Ronan gave a faint smile. It was a n he could reflect onter. He genuinely wanted to reassure Eril. His apology just now was also a part of the process. The rtionship between peers was a matter of utmost concern to parents, along with their children¡¯s health. It wasn¡¯t enough to be known as someone skilled at sparring. He needed to instill confidence that he could get along well with people around him. Only then could he make his concerned sister feel at ease. Only then could he continue to smile and live his life as always, even after being sent far away to a distant institution. It wasn¡¯t much to bow his head like this, considering that face. Look at this, sis. I can do it. ¡°To misunderstand such a lovely junior like that!!¡± Suddenly, Braum¡¯s voice shattered the silence. He ran up to Ronan, grabbed his arm, and lifted him up. ¡°Don¡¯t say such things, Ronan! You defeated all of us with your legitimate skill! I, Braum, acknowledge you!!¡± ¡°It was just sheer luck.¡± ¡°Hahaha! What an unassuming genius! Headmaster, please dere the winner!¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Kratir, who btedly came to his senses, looked at the second-year students. Their softened faces were much more apparent than before. ¡°¡­He¡¯s actually quite decent, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. I thought he was just a rascal living off his talent.¡± ¡°Solid Freshman!¡± Kratir recalled Ronan¡¯s words. Even he felt that Ronan¡¯s handling of the situation was quite mature for his age. He had gracefully resolved a situation that could have created emotional friction. ¡°Then, I will announce the winner. The winner of this ¡®light greeting¡¯ is¡­¡± He didn¡¯t expect this kind of oue. Kratir smiled. ¡°First-year! Student Ronan!¡± ¡°Wowowowowowow!¡± The previously subdued atmosphere exploded into uproarious cheers. Thunderous cheers erupted regardless of faction. Kratir clenched his fists in the air and lifted them up. Creak! Ronan¡¯s feet shot up, creating a high podium. In an instant, Ronan, who had reached mid-air, cursed out loud. ¡°Damn, what is this?¡± From the stage, Phillion¡¯s view spread out. This was where he would spend the next five years. A voice resounding with his own name, a name he would hear for years, reached him. Ronan smirked. ¡°¡­Noisy, isn¡¯t it?¡± **** The subsequent entrance ceremony proceeded smoothly. The brief introduction to magic ended in the seniors¡¯ overwhelming victory. Except for Elizabeth, the top freshman, all nine of them lost to the second-year students. ¡°I-I apologize, Elizabeth!¡± The defeated peers looked at Elizabeth and bowed their heads. However, the girl with a crimson-haired ponytail just turned her head haughtily, snorted, and that was all. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°Please, forgive me!¡± The sight was reminiscent of a spoiled cat from a wealthy household. Elizabeth did not ept her ssmates¡¯ apologies and returned to her seat with her momentum. Overwhelmed by her energy, Aselle became timid and shrunk back. ¡°Such a person is my ssmate¡­¡± ¡°Exactly. This is messed up, Aselle. What are we going to do?¡± After various procedures were carried out, Shullifen and Elizabeth, the top students from each department, recited their oaths. Endeavoring to learn and shaping the future, and such things. The entrance ceremony concluded with congrattions from Kratir and the professors once again. ¡°Since you¡¯ve worked hard, you must release your tension, right? The gathering will take ce in the Galerion Castle¡¯s main hall. Everyone, please move there!¡± Afterward, a freshman reception was prepared, but as a spectator, Eril couldn¡¯t attend. Ronan hurriedly left the reception to apany her. ¡°Aselle, enjoy yourself with Marya first. I¡¯ll see Eril off on my own.¡± ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± A carriage was already waiting in front of the main gate. Ronan carefully packed the items he wanted to give to his sister. Even though he transferred his belongings as slowly as possible, the end hade. Eril spoke up. ¡°I had so much fun. It was the happiest time of my life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going that far with it.¡± ¡°No. Now I can truly rx, brother. When can I see you again after I leave?¡± ¡°During summer vacation¡­ so about five months from now.¡± ¡°Heh! That¡¯s a long time. But at least I won¡¯t have to worry about my young brother, right?¡± Ronan nodded. In front of the station, a carriage that had been pre-booked was waiting. Cita, who had been perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, turned its face toward Eril. ¡°Bye~¡± ¡°Take care, Cita.¡± Eril was still smiling brightly, but her tone held a tinge of regret. She stroked her brother¡¯s face and spoke gently. ¡°You have to eat well. Write me a letter once a month¡­No! Once a week. Don¡¯t follow any strange people. Don¡¯t pick fights with your friends just because you¡¯re strong. And if you get a girlfriend¡­ make sure to tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about thest two.¡± Ronanughed nonchntly. Eril fixed his cor for him. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off.¡± Eril got into the carriage. Ronan waved his hand until the carriage became a small dot and disappeared. Cita, who had been looking at where she had left, lowered its head deeply. ¡°Byeeeee~¡± Its wings, all four of them, drooped. It seemed like she had grown attached to Eril in just two days. Ronan gazed at the spot where the carriage had vanished and let out a sigh. ¡°Five months, huh?¡± It felt excessively long. In reality, if he wanted to meet, they could do so every weekend. He was allowed to leave the premises on weekends, after all. But still, Nimbuten was quite far away. Even just ounting for the round trip, it would take a good two days. As he pondered over something, Ronan muttered to himself. ¡°How much is a decent house in Jido Barun, anyway?¡± If Eril moved to Jido Barun as well, that would solve the problem. He felt the need to save money for the first time in his life. But he didn¡¯t n on focusing on that right away. Money would umte gradually, and for now, what mattered most wasn¡¯t that. ¨C If you seek knowledge, go to Phillion. ¡°Finally.¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten Adeshan¡¯s words for even a moment. Many things had happened, but in the end, he had seeded in achieving his primary goal. ¡°Cita, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Ronan turned his steps toward Phillion. This was just the beginning. Chapter 26: Banquet Chapter 26: Banquet Having finished the farewell, Ronan returned to the banquet hall with Cita. The main hall of Galerion Castle had transformed into a perfect venue for the party. ¡°It¡¯s so lively here.¡± ¡°Wow~¡± The atmosphere waspletely different from when he had visited during the practical exams. As Ronan looked around the banquet hall, he muttered in amazement. ¡°I might as well give up being a swordsman and learn magic instead¡­¡± Birds made of light flew around, chirping. The magically enchanted ceiling projected the blue sky beyond the roof. About fifty meters of long tables, a total of ten, stretched across the hall. Dishes and drinks from various regions wereid out on the tables. Ronan picked up a crab leg, buttered and cooked. It was thest leg left, and as soon as the te emptied, aplete crab appeared on the te again. The taste was exquisite as well. ¡°It¡¯s like a ghost is pinching the nipples.¡± Students in uniform chatted as they moved between the tables, talking with people they had just met today. Though the clinking of sses wasn¡¯t audible as they were still students, they seemed as if they were intoxicated,ughing and excited. ¡°It feels like a dream to be epted into the Philleon Academy.¡± ¡°Absolutely. I thought this was myst chance, so I applied with the feeling that it was truly the end¡­ Sob!¡± There were even students suddenly bursting into tears. Ronan thought it was understandable. The effort he put into preparing for the entrance exams was by no means a trivial task. Then, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Hey, Ronan.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ What is it today?¡± Ronan sighed and turned his head. Sure enough, Shullifen, dressed in a uniform, stood with his head held high. His gracefulness was still emanating from him, but his expression didn¡¯t seem very pleasant for some reason. With a bite of the crab in his mouth, Ronan spoke. ¡°Why the sour expression? Do you crave shit or something?¡± ¡°Did Iril go back home?¡± ¡°Hmm. I just dropped her off at home.¡± ¡°Where do you live? How do you get there?¡± Ronan frowned. ¡°What do you care, and why are you asking?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that you sent her off without any protection. If you did, then you¡¯re not human.¡± ¡°Protection?¡± Ronan chuckled. At that moment, Shullifen¡¯s expression stiffened. He seemed to be trying to maintain hisposure, wiping his face with his right hand before continuing to speak. ¡°¡­I asked out of curiosity, but is it true? It¡¯s unimaginable in a noble family. Ronan, do you know why an ident is called an ident? It¡¯s because it¡¯s unexpected. Take action right now. How long has it been since the carriage left? The nearest mercenary guild is on West Avenue. No, just borrow my words. You need to act right away!¡± Shullifen started listing the actions Ronan needed to take with rapid and precise pronunciation. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in interest, more entertaining than any circus. It was aplete contrast to when he had met Iril. Of course, Ronan took all possible actions. He hired a carriage from the most reputable carriage guild and the driver was a retired sword expert of the Sword Expert rank. Naturally, there was no ident in their history. ¡°Come on, even a wyvern won¡¯t attack a carriage unless it¡¯s provoked. Isn¡¯t it fine?¡± ¡°When a wyvernes, you¡¯re done for.¡± However, Shullifen was insisting on sending a considerable force to escort the upper echelon. Given the previous measures and the local security, it was clearly an excessive level of protection. But Shullifen seemed as unyielding as if wax had been stuck in his ears. As Ronan listened, he lightly poked Cita and spoke. ¡°Cita, do you remember the scent?¡± ¡°Screech!¡± ¡°Follow me home ande back tomorrow.¡± Cita spread her wings as if waiting and flew off. In an instant, she turned into a ck silhouette and disappeared through the window of the banquet hall. Shullifen was still delivering a lengthy speech. Ronan interjected, ¡°Shullifen, calm down now. I just sent guards.¡± ¡°Guards? Wait, is it the bird that was on your shoulder earlier? Are you ying a prank now¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a bird, it¡¯s a phantasmal creature. It¡¯s more reliable than most mercenary groups, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Ronan nodded with a serious expression. Shullifen¡¯s suspicious gaze turned into words. ¡°¡­You¡¯d better hope that even a decent mercenary group is avable. If necessary, make sure to ask me for help. Don¡¯t let your pride get in the way.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s your intention in meddling with my sister¡¯s matters?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shullifen didn¡¯t answer that question and turned his back. Annoying guy, anyway. As Ronan grumbled to himself, he was looking for some food when a boisterous voice echoed through the banquet hall. ¡°Hehe! Looks like today¡¯s hero has arrived! Over here! Junior!!¡± ¡°Hey, Ronan! We¡¯re here!!¡± It was truly a cacophony. Ronan sighed. Everyone in the banquet hall probably heard their voices. ¡°Darn it, let¡¯s grab some food too.¡± When he turned his head, he saw Marya and Braum waving from a distance. Around them, a crowd of students numbering around twenty were gathered. ¡°So, Marya junior, is what they said true? Were you really acquainted with Ronan junior before joining the academy?¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Braum! Ever since our fateful meeting in Marvas, we¡¯ve been together!¡± ¡°Wow! A fateful meeting, you say! What on earth happened?!¡± Ronan lowered his head. Even if Braum was a cheerful person, he was getting too friendly already. In any case, this girl has already reached the level of making friends. With such talent, she might be the continent¡¯s greatest prodigy someday. Ronan exchanged greetings with the gathered people. Most of them were seniors who had participated in thepetition earlier. ¡°Hello, handsome junior. You might not remember because it could have been over in a single blow, but I¡¯m Irith who crossed swords with you.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I remember? You used two short spears, right? You held the left one in a reverse grip.¡± ¡°Huh? Y-yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! You remember all that?! What about me, do you remember me by any chance?¡± ¡°Of course. When you swing a mace, it¡¯s better to shift your weight a bit more towards the back.¡± Ronan remembered not only the faces of the seniors but also the weapons they used. He gave them advice based on his own experiences, and the second-year students were all ears. ¡°Seriously, we¡¯re all prodigies, but how can we be so different like this? If you¡¯re curious about something, just ask!¡± ¡°Do you know about the secret passage in the library? It¡¯s on the twenty-second shelf¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a phantasmal creature living at the bottom of theke. If you get close to it, it¡¯ll fetch the rare herbs you need for alchemy.¡± The seniors generously shared the valuable information they knew. Some of the advice could really be helpful for Ronan¡¯s school life. ¡®I¡¯m indebted to my sister again.¡¯ Ronan smiled. It was fortunate that his simple act to reassure Iril had turned into such luck. ¡°Hey, over there! You were really cool earlier!¡± ¡°Ronan, right? Could I ask for your autograph?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. We¡¯re ssmates, so don¡¯t be awkward, just speak up.¡± Curious ssmates who had been watching also started gathering one by one. The atmosphere was bing lively as time passed. ¡°Um, Ronan?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± A husky voice that caught attention. Ronan turned his head. A girl with reddish-purple hair was approaching, arm in arm with someone. Seeing her robe-style uniform, it was evident she was from the Magic Department. Her slightly upturned eyes resembled a cat¡¯s, making her quite charming. Recognizing her face, Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Oh my, you know me.¡± Instantly, the chatter of the students who had been chattering away focused on her. It wasn¡¯t just due to her beauty alone. Elizabeth de Acalusia. If Shullifen was top student in the Martial Arts Department, then Elizabeth was top student in the Magic Department. Known for mastering all three attributes on her own, her reputation extended not only to the Magic Department but even to the Martial Arts Department. Braum burst intoughter. ¡°Oh ho! The top student of the Magic Department this time! Sorry, junior! To talk with junior Ronan, you have to get in line! Come on, step forward!¡± It was a cheerful jest, but Elizabeth neitherughed nor retorted. She didn¡¯t even look at Braum and simply opened her mouth. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± -Thump! ¡°Uh?!¡± At that moment, a heavy pressure pressed down on Braum¡¯s shoulders. If he hadn¡¯t momentarily reinforced his legs with mana, he might have knelt right then and there. ¡°Oh, holding up, aren¡¯t you? It seems you didn¡¯t just grow your size carelessly.¡± ¡°Uh, uuhhh¡­¡± Braum clenched his teeth. Even with all his strength, he couldn¡¯t move his body. It felt as though a massive hand was gripping him. ¡°Well then, excuse me.¡± The atmosphere instantly grew frigid. Thud! As Elizabeth stepped forward, the crowd split left and right. Catching a brief glimpse of her as their eyes met, Aselle hid behind Ronan. ¡°Hi, hihihihi¡­¡± Aselle could see the mana emanating from Elizabeth¡¯s body. The dark violet mana was not something found in nature. It was unique to her alone. An aura. ¡°She¡¯s already reached Aura¡¯s bloom¡­!¡± He wanted to warn Ronan, but his voice wouldn¡¯te out. Ronan frowned and asked: ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°This is because I was interrupted during a precious encounter, and it angered me.¡± ¡°Release him immediately.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Elizabeth obediently followed Ronan¡¯s words. With a light gesture from her, the magic that had been gripping Braum was released. ¡°Ugh¡­! Ugh! Seriously¡­ you totally ruined my form today¡­¡± Braum copsed onto the stairs as if his legs had given out. Other students rushed to his side. Seeing this, Elizabeth let out a smallugh. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°The sight of a flock of sheep wandering around is always amusing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hearing those words, Ronan sighed. Sometimes, you could understand a person with just a single phrase. What a tiring day. Anyway, why do all these geniuses seem to be like this? ¡®Well, at least I got to see if her underwear is purple.¡¯ Ronan ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was a gesture he was making to turn this unpredictable girl into something resembling a ¡°Stripping Darian.¡± Elizabeth continued speaking. ¡°I was deeply impressed by your match. The reason I¡¯vee is to make a proposal.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°Yes. I couldn¡¯t bear to see you in such a pitiful state, being reduced to a sheep. A lion should roam with other lions.¡± ¡°Get to the point. Make it as concise as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re impatient. Just wait a moment.¡± As Elizabeth rummaged through her belongings, she handed something to Ronan. ¡°Here, take this.¡± It was a brooch embedded with arge ck sapphire. On the back was engraved the image of a hunter roaring toward the moon. It was the crest of the de Acalusia family, a major lineage rivaling the de Gracia family to which Shullifen belonged. For a moment, Ronan¡¯s pupils dted. Elizabeth, who noticed this subtle change, smiled lightly. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Do you happen to understand the significance?¡± ¡°¡­Vaguely.¡± ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no need for further exnation. If possible, this weekend will do. Join me on a visit to the Acalusia domain.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. Elizabeth turned her body, leaving a charming smile. ¡°¡­Well, take your time to think it over. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Finally, Ronan didn¡¯t draw his sword. He was simply staring at the brooch Elizabeth had given him. Elizabeth¡¯s footsteps echoed elegantly as she departed. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thud! ¡°Ouch!¡± Out of nowhere, Elizabeth screamed and fell with a loud crash. The surrounding gazes were fixed on her. Stretching both arms forward and face nting into the ground, it was a truly embarrassing and painful fall. ¡°Are¡­ Are you okay?¡± Braum spoke up, concerned about how much pain she seemed to be in. Elizabeth quickly got up and walked away as if nothing had happened, now moving at a pace almost twice as fast as before. Thump! Her short hair revealed pointed ears that were red like iron. Just as she turned the corner and disappeared, Marya roughly patted Aselle¡¯s head. ¡°Good job, cutie! Those kinds of rude girls need a good lesson.¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Weren¡¯t you the one who used magic on her?¡± Marya widened her eyes. There was nothing around that Elizabeth could have tripped over. Aselle replied, flustered. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t use any magic, she just tripped over her own legs¡­¡± The two stared at each other, lost for words. Meanwhile, Ronan was still fixated on the brooch. Marya chuckled. ¡°Your re is going to pierce through. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°An invitation.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it should be apass.¡± The ck sapphire emitted a dim light. It indicated that it was infused with mana. Ronan recalled the conversation he had with Adeshan before he died. ¡°I was originally amoner. It was to prove my talent and be a member of the Acalusia family. The strange events that happened in that mysterious castle are still vivid in my memory.¡± ¡°A castle? Tell me more.¡± ¡°Well, since there¡¯s not much time left, I suppose I can share the story with you. So, when I was attending the Philleon Academy¡­¡± Adeshan leaned against a rock and began to recount her journey to bing Adeshan de Acalusia. The fog surrounding the castle, the gatekeepers, the trials of the family, the treasures obtained afterpleting the test, and finally, being recognized as a member of the prestigious lineage. ¡°Without a doubt, as an inspector, you had to prove yourself and it took several years to receive such an opportunity.¡± The Acalusia family¡¯s values were different from other families that pursued pure bloodlines. They didn¡¯t discriminate based on race or status when recruiting talents, and they even epted boys and girls with high potential from various backgrounds. The brooch that Elizabeth gave him was a kind of invitation to enter the Acalusia domain. It indicated that he could take the family¡¯s trials and be a member. ¡°Are there any benefits to bing a noble?¡± ¡°Well, your social status would certainly rise. Aside from the de Gracia family and the royal family, no one would dare oppose you. It¡¯s also an advantage to have the full support of the Acalusia family.¡± Ronan honestly had no intention of bing a member of the Acalusia family. Even if his feelings changedter on, it would still be a decision he¡¯d need to carefully consider. However, the secrets held within the Acalusia Castle intrigued him. In addition to position and treasure, there were undoubtedly other things to gain within the castle of this ancient and prestigious lineage. Perhaps he could obtain information to face the giants. Thinking about his future ns, Ronan stroked his chin. ¡°For now¡­ I¡¯ll have to get a sword from that cksmith¡¯s forge.¡± Chapter 27: First Class Chapter 27: First ss The other secrets held within the Acalusia Castle were stimting him. Ronan, who had estimated the ns ahead, rubbed his chin. ¡°First¡­ I¡¯ll need to get a sword from that cksmith.¡± The invitation to Acalusia was truly an unexpected stroke of luck. He didn¡¯t think he would receive it, and even if he did, he assumed it would be muchter. Ronan recalled his conversation with Adeshan. To pass the test of Acalusia, all he needed were the invitation and skill. He had his own skills, but there was one problem. ¡°He handled me roughly.¡± Ronan drew his ck iron sword. The state of it had worsened since he had met Shullifen before. Engaging in continuous sparring in its already damaged state had been fatal. If he had known how tomunicate, he would have screamed for them to throw him into the forge immediately. No matter how unselective they were about equipment, this kind of damage was beyond repair. Ronan thought of the metal que in his pouch. It had been a temporary memory impairment gift from Shullifen that Iril had fallen for. ¡°Still, if it¡¯s a secret forge in Gracia, I might be able to get something sturdy.¡± Ronan remembered the location of the secret forge in Gracia. The fact that they were on vacation for a few days also helped. ¡°Today¡¯s Wednesday¡­ I¡¯ll have to wait until the weekend anyway.¡± ording to the rules of Philleon Academy, students couldn¡¯t leave the grounds on weekdays. Ronan decided to focus on academy life until the weekend arrived. The party didn¡¯t end until nightfall. The new students moved under the guidance of the dormitory supervisors. **** Philleon Academy valued skill more than any other educational institution. Schrships and privileges given to top performers were evidence of that. For the top 30%, regardless of where they were in the Empire, free transportation was provided. They could ess Grade 3 or lower forbidden books for academic research. They could also receive official invitations to the mage tower or knight order they wanted to enter after graduation. Numerous other benefits were provided throughout their enrollment. But as the saying goes, fresh carrots can also whip. The dormitory system, divided into three tiers, was a prime example. The first night of admission. The cries of noble neers echoed from the dormitory for the lower ranks, just as always. They were realizing for the first time that the floor and ceiling could creak. ¡°Are they telling us to stay in a ce like this? I¡¯m the son of Count Balbroos¡­¡± ¡°If this is my room, then what are these people?¡± The Kratir Ward provided to the bottom 10% (proposed by himself) was a building modeled after the homes ofmoners. Inside the humble wooden building, four noble boys were staring at each other as if seeing ghosts. The guide spoke calmly. ¡°Four people share a Kratir Ward.¡± ¡°Then where is the servant? Who will organize our luggage and attend to us?¡± ¡°There are no maids or caretakers in the Kratir Ward. Please check the living rules and any helpful information written here. Well then¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ignoring the noble boys, the guide left the room. The students¡¯ status was not considered in this matter. Even if they were from affluent and prestigious families, if their grades were low, they had to lead the life ofmoners without any objection. It was possible due to the Imperial family being the entity running Philleon. In contrast, the upper-tier dormitories were so luxurious that one might wonder if they were eptable. The Navirose Ward, where the top 10% resided, boasted elegance almost on par with the pce itself. ¡°¡­And who might you be, miss?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow as he looked at the maid standing in front of his room. The maid with tied-up hair lowered her head slightly and gathered her apron-d hands. ¡°Wee, Lord Ronan. Congrattions on your admission.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I am the dedicated maid in charge of your service, Lord Ronan. You can entrust me with tasks such as cooking,undry, and cleaning.¡± Dozens of crude maid-rted jokes crossed Ronan¡¯s mind in an instant. He managed to suppress his urge and spoke up. ¡°Just make good food, that¡¯s all I need. I¡¯ve got all my limbs attached.¡± ¡°ording to the rules, I cannot do that.¡± ¡°Then, if I were to smear feces on the wall, you¡¯d clean that up too, right? Or if I peed on the sink instead of the toilet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Not an easy one, are you? Let¡¯s get along.¡± After shaking hands with the maid, Ronan opened the door. The room, about twice as spacious as Nim¡¯s home, was filled with luxurious furniture. The bed wasrge enough for three people to roll around, and the dinosaur-like bookshelf was packed with expensive books. Ronan let out a whistle. ¡°Killer.¡± Aselle probably got assigned a room like this too. He could imagine him standing there with his mouth open like a dimwit. While he was leisurely looking around the room, he noticed a pamphlet on the desk. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The first page of the pamphlet read ¡®Course Enrollment Form.¡¯ Come to think of it, he remembered what the seniors had told him. Philleon students could choose the courses they wanted to take. Ronan clenched his fist when he saw the words ¡®Mana Maniption.¡¯ No matter how hard he tried to self-study, understanding mana affinity and maniption proved elusive. Lately, the necessity of handling mana has be more pressing. He felt acutely the awkwardness of being in front of sensitive magic users like Aselle, feeling like he was blind even when his eyes were wide open. ¡°Damn it, even if it means getting dirty, I¡¯ll learn.¡± Imagination and affinity for mana were the things he couldn¡¯t figure out no matter how much he tried. Seeing the words ¡®Imperial Swordsmanship,¡¯ his interest was piqued. As someone who never properly learned swordsmanship, proper swordsmanship intrigued him. Just looking at a rotating sword made it seem useful. Learning would make him stronger. Ronan steeled himself and turned the page. There were rows of subjects with intriguing names. ¡°Herbology, Magical Combat, Basic Archery¡­ damn, why do they all look interesting?¡± Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t learned anything. They all seemed interesting. Among them, the ones that caught his attention the most were ¡®Fundamentals of Elemental Studies¡¯ and ¡®Communication and Understanding of Phantasms.¡¯ Elementals had been a curious concept since long ago, and thetter was a course taught by Professor Varen Panacir. Ronan remembered Varen¡¯s promise to create a position for him and Aselle. ¡°I¡¯ll find out what kind of person Varen is when I meet him.¡± Cita was absent due to its guarding duty for Iril. It was supposed to be back tomorrow morning. A creature that broke out of its mithril-hard shell, drank blood, and was tougher than anything. Cute and capable, so it didn¡¯t matter much, but he was still curious about its true nature. ¡°This one looks interesting too.¡± It was a format where he could write down the subjects he wanted on the nk timetable. On Friday afternoon, Ronan added the subject ¡®Practical ¨C Wilderness Cooking¡¯ as an additional entry. He reluctantly squeezed in most of the martial arts sses and the ones that sparked even a little interest. ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± Shortly after finishing, Ronan headed to the lobby with his course enrollment form in hand. He coincidentally ran into Marya, who greeted him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here too. Well, you¡¯re in the upper ranks, so I guess that¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did youe to submit your course enrollment form? Let me see it.¡± Ronan handed her the form. Marya¡¯s pupils widened as she read it. She yelled as if she had just read a prophecy about the end of the world. ¡°Hey, are you crazy?! You¡¯ll die if you take all these!¡± ¡°¡­Why would I die for doing what I want?¡± With a furrowed brow, Marya alternated between looking at the form and at Ronan. Ronan, epting the submitted form, spoke up. ¡°I want to stop hearing about how I couldn¡¯t learn anything. I¡¯ll learn everything I can.¡± **** The next morning. The first ss at Philleon was Imperial Swordsmanship. ¡°Wee, new students. I am Instructor Avarda, responsible for the Martial and Imperial Swordsmanship courses.¡± Avarda was a tall and rough-looking man. He had a history of working as an instructor in the Imperial Knight Order. The aura exuding from his body was different, indeed. Ronan muttered. In his eyes, shadowy marks rested due to his sleepless excitement. ¡°Imperial Swordsmanship. I¡¯m learning it properly for the first time.¡± Imperial Swordsmanship consisted of a total of nine forms, truly the basic swordsmanship that anyone in the imperial army would learn. The movements themselves were simple, but mastering them required years of consistent practice. Even Ronan, who used to be a disciplinary unit soldier, had been exposed to Imperial Swordsmanship at nauseam, but at that time when he had no intention or will to learn, it was less interesting than watching grass grow. He had learned for himself that there were different forms to learn. He had swung his sword in whatever way he pleased. Avarda spoke. ¡°As this is a widely practiced swordsmanship, many of you might already know it, but the basics are more important than anything. I hope you all approach the training seriously, without taking it lightly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The training ground was mostly filled with new students from the martial arts department, excluding Shullifen. There was no need to teach someone who had already transcended that level. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°Argh, that guy who doesn¡¯t know when to stop. He thinks everyone already knows everything. You¡¯re supposed to practice consistently.¡± ¡°First, watch a demonstration from the instructor.¡± Avarda sequentially demonstrated the first three forms of Imperial Swordsmanship. They were perfect movements, free from any superfluous actions. Astonishment spilled from the lips of the new students. After demonstrating the forms three times, Avarda raised his practice sword and shouted. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin. First Form! Downward Strike!¡± Everyone picked up their training swords. The new students practiced Imperial Swordsmanship on the practice dummies in front of them one by one. Avarda walked among the new students, correcting their stances. He looked around at the students and grinned meaningfully. ¡°If you can perform all nine forms perfectly, you can apply for earlypletion at any time.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Grades will naturally be perfect.¡± Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! The new students cheered. Imperial Swordsmanship was a long ss that took up three hours every day. The possibility of earlypletion meant that they could make that long durationpletely their own. Energetic new students swung their swords with enthusiasm. The sound of hitting the practice dummies echoed all around. Avarda smiled with satisfaction and nodded. He knew how to handle people. Of course, except for Shullifen, there hadn¡¯t been such a genius for several years. Then, in a corner of the training ground, Ronan approached hesitantly. ¡°Um, Instructor.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I think I¡­ can do it. Up to the ninth form.¡± Ronan scratched his head as if uncertain. Avarda¡¯s expression stiffened. It had only been five minutes since training had begun. ¡°Do you have experience with Imperial Swordsmanship?¡± ¡°No, I never learnt it properly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not getting ahead of yourself due to your upper rank, are you? Of course, I saw your sparring match at the entrance ceremony. However, this is apletely different situation.¡± Avarda spoke with a lowered voice. He had also seen Ronan using Navirose¡¯s rotating swords during the entrance ceremony. While the form itself was urate, the speed wascking. Of course, even just imitating the form of the sword was proof of his genius, but disregarding the basic Imperial Swordsmanship that served as the foundation for numerous derivative sword techniques was nonsensical. ¡°Shullifen has been holding a sword since he was five. He practiced Imperial Swordsmanship consistently for nearly ten years without missing a day. That¡¯s why he can skip my ss. Are you disrespecting the basics that even the imperial sun respects?¡± ¡°No, I know. I understand, but¡­ well, just give me a chance.¡± Ronan tilted his head as if feeling wronged. He didn¡¯t want to appearpletely unskilled either. Avarda sighed and nodded. ¡°Fine¡­ I guess there¡¯s no helping it. Alright, give it a try. But be prepared if you fail. I¡¯ll increase the training intensity several times over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan assumed his stance. Avarda narrowed his eyes. Mana flowed into his eyes, enhancing his dynamic vision. He intended to dismiss Ronan mercilessly if his form deviated even slightly. ¡°Then, First Form. Begin!¡± Ronan swung his practice sword. There was no wavering in his wless form. Avarda, who had been silent for a moment, spoke again. ¡°¡­Second Form. Begin!¡± Ronan swung his practice sword once more. Avarda chuckled softly. ¡°Heh, I should¡¯ve known. Third Form. Begin!¡± The sound of hitting the practice dummies had ceased some time ago. All the new students were staring at Ronan in amazement. Finally, Ronan demonstrated the Ninth Form, then lowered his practice sword. Avarda, who had remained silent for a while, opened his mouth with an exasperated expression. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve seen enough.¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± Without a word, Avarda took out a silver piece of paper from his pocket. It was an earlypletion certificate. Ronan epted it, feeling a sense of bitterness as if it were a tissue with a used tissue. ¡°You don¡¯t need to take this ss for the remaining year. Your grades will be recorded as perfect.¡± ¡°Um¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Right. Don¡¯t be conceited and make good use of the remaining time.¡± Having received the early graduation certificate, Ronan left the training ground. Avarda, watching his retreating figure, muttered to himself in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s Beyond expectations to the point of being terrifying.¡± Ronan¡¯s forms were wless. Compared to Shullifen and even himself, who had been wielding a sword for over twenty years, there was hardly any difference. If it was true that Ronan had never learnt Imperial Swordsmanship, then he possessed an iprehensible talent. Avarda chuckled softly, then turned his head towards the new students. ¡°You little chicks!! Can¡¯t you swing your swords any faster!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let moss grow on your elbows that way! Faster and more urately!!¡± Avarda¡¯s tone brought back memories of his demon-like days as a military instructor. Startled new students resumed striking the practice dummies. Thump! Thump! The sound of hitting the practice dummies continued for a long while. **** ¡°What the¡­?¡± Ronan sat down on a bench by theke. Suddenly finding himself with free time, he had nothing to do. Staring nkly at theke, Ronan drew his sword. He demonstrated the Imperial Swordsmanship forms he had just learned one by one in the air. All nine forms were reproduced perfectly. ¡°Why is this so easy¡­?¡± Ronan tilted his head in confusion. Unlike Navirose¡¯s rotating swords, he didn¡¯t need to repeatedly analyze and mimic the forms. Though there were slight differences in the stances and sword movements, it was no different from reproducing them at a nce. It wasn¡¯tpletely pointless either. Following the instructions, he felt that his movements and the sword forms had be more efficient. He felt confident that he could easily defeat a swordmaster who only used Imperial Swordsmanship. However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of emptiness, different from what he had anticipated. ¡°Ugh¡­ this wasn¡¯t what I expected from the ss.¡± As Ronan rummaged through his pockets, he pulled out a tobo stick. He realized that the time that should have been dedicated to sweating had beenpletely emptied. Should he do some stamina training? As he leaned back on the bench, supporting himself with both arms and gazing at the sky, a voice came from behind. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably Avarda¡¯s Imperial Swordsmanship ss time. Wasn¡¯t it a required subject for new students?¡± The voice wasmanding yet dignified, one that Ronan had undoubtedly heard before. Ronan turned his head backward. He saw the dark green uniform worn by senior instructors. Ronan¡¯s pupils dted. ¡°Navirose?¡± ¡°Address me as Instructor. And remember, smoking is prohibited on campus.¡± With fair skin and gray hair, the former Grand Swordmaster, Navirose, stood there. Ronan took the cigarette out of his mouth and stood up from his seat. Chapter 28: Gran Cappadocia (1) Chapter 28: Gran Cappadocia (1) ¡°Navirose?¡± ¡°Address me as Instructor. And remember, smoking is prohibited on campus.¡± With ashen skin and silver-gray hair, the Grand Swordmaster Navirose stood there. A massive de, longer than her own height, was slung diagonally across her back. Ronan, who had been flicking a cigarette holder, stood up from his seat. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°I see you have questions, Ronan. How did the Empire¡¯s swordsmanship ss go?¡± ¡°I did too well and got kicked out. I was too upset.¡± Ronan, rummaging through his pockets, handed Navirose his early graduation certificate. Navirose nodded as she looked at the slightly crumpled certificate. ¡°As expected, it seems it was rather mundane. I had expected it.¡± ¡°While it¡¯s nice to find out things I didn¡¯t know, there¡¯s no sense of aplishment. It was fun learning your techniques on my own.¡± Ronan recalled the times at the inn when he mimicked Navirose¡¯s rotating sword technique. It took a while to get used to it, but it was a rewarding time. As Navirose pondered something, she spoke up. ¡°Draw your sword.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s spar. There¡¯s not much else to do, is there?¡± ¡°Well, still, we¡¯re going to spar here?¡± Instead of answering, Navirose raised her hand to the hilt of her massive de. Ronan, unable to resist, drew his own sword. Seeing the condition of the obsidian sword, Navirose furrowed her brow. ¡°¡­Have you been swinging that thing around?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I will have to use it until I get a new sword this weekend.¡± ¡°Handle your weapon carefully. It¡¯s a swordmaster¡¯s lifeline.¡± ¡°Well, the person swinging it is important, not the sword. Of course, I¡¯ll choose the most sturdy one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, Navirose¡¯s expression stiffened. She let go of the hilt of the de, releasing a light sigh. ¡°I wanted to assess your skills first, but¡­ let¡¯s cancel the sparring. Hand me the sword.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Navirose wordlessly grabbed Ronan¡¯s sword. She began to stroke the de of the obsidian sword with her fingers. With each rough scar she felt, her brow furrowed. ¡°Negligent maintenance¡­ no, it¡¯s like you haven¡¯t done anything at all. Why do all these swordsmen search for legendary swords with such passion? Why do they treat their treasured swords like their own children?¡± ¡°Is it because they¡¯re not skilled enough?¡± ¡°¡­Well, you might not know. You haven¡¯t even reached the level of a Sword User. To someone who doesn¡¯t know how to infuse mana into a weapon, it might not hold much meaning.¡± Ronan¡¯s pupils dted at her words. ¡°What? Did you know?¡± ¡°Yeah. I find it hard to believe that you can exhibit such strength without using mana.¡± ¡°Damn, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not using it, I can¡¯t use it. It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about that. You¡¯ll be able to use it eventually. But if you don¡¯t start now by choosing good weapons and practicing proper maintenance, you¡¯ll face trouble when you start using mana.¡± Navirose walked toward thekeside. The expansiveke had ripples created by the spring breeze. With a poised stance, Navirose began to speak. ¡°Watch closely. I¡¯ll show you the importance of a weapon.¡± Swish! In an instant, Navirose¡¯s arm vanished from sight. The sword stroke sliced through the air, and the shockwavended at the center of theke. Ssh! A fan-shaped water spray rose, obscuring the forest on the other side of theke. ¡°Wow.¡± Ronan eximed. It was an incredibly clean sword strike, more impressive than he had imagined. Navirose tossed the obsidian sword to Ronan. ¡°This thing is even less useful than I thought. It¡¯s just a piece of iron.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too much. Is there that much of a difference between your sword and the professor¡¯s?¡± Ronan grinned. Even whenparing it to his memories from his past life, it was an impressive strike. Currently, Navirose was undoubtedly one of the prominent swordsmen on this continent. Swish! Navirose drew her massive de without a word. Her arm disappeared from sight once again. The same stance, the same technique. ¨C Swish! A different oue. A wall of water filled the sight. The waterspout that had shot up from one end of theke to the other obscured the sun. The de that had flown towards the water created a slope from theke¡¯s surface to thekebed below. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Ronan nced down the slope of blue. He could see thekebed devoid of water below. Mud with vegetation was bubbling up. Water nts that were experiencing wind for the first time swayed gently. A few unfortunate fragmented fish blinked their eyes. ¡°Enroll in my ss, Ronan. Normally, it¡¯s avable starting from the second year, but I¡¯ll make an exception for you.¡± Shoosh! The waterspout that had covered the sky turned into rain, pouring down. Students strolling by thekeside were shielding their heads and running away. Against the backdrop of the closingke with the thunderous sound, Navirose spoke. ¡°But there¡¯s a condition. Bring a weapon that suits you, something you can wield for the rest of your life.¡± **** ¡°¡­Something like that happened.¡± Ronan spoke with a serious expression. It was the first weekend he had spent in Philleon. Aselle and Marya, dressed in casual clothes, were led out by Ronan and walking somewhere. ¡°Beah!¡± Cita was perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Aselle, having heard Navirose¡¯s story, opened his mouth in astonishment. ¡°Incredible¡­so, the weapon matters that much.¡± ¡°Yeah, it does if you know how to handle mana. I¡¯ve decided to pick a better weapon and use it properly.¡± ¡°That sounds like a good idea. But how wasst week? Your timetable looked terrifying¡­¡± Aselle knew about Ronan¡¯s killer schedule as well. Ronan sighed and pulled out a bundle of papers from his pouch, handing it to Aselle. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Termination notices.¡± The crumpled papers were all early graduation certificates. Marya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°H-How many are these? Empire¡¯s swordsmanship, Empire¡¯s spear techniques, basic hand-to-handbat, basic shield techniques¡­¡± ¡°Nine certificates. Thanks to them, my timetable ispletely empty.¡± Ronan grumbled. The timetable that had been filled to the brim was now adorned with X marks. All of the subjects were courses that had been granted early graduation. ¡°If you know any good sses, introduce them to me. All I¡¯m doing is training my stamina.¡± Most of the courses that received early graduation were basic martial arts subjects. They were simr to Avarda¡¯s sses in context, leading to earlypletion. ¨C I have nothing more to teach you. ¨C I¡¯m fortunate that there¡¯s no one like you left. Otherwise, I would have starved. ¨C Let¡¯s be honest. Have you ever handled a spear before? Marya furrowed her brows. Until just yesterday, she had been rolling around in Avarda¡¯s hellish training. ¡°I hate it. This is why I dislike geniuses.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I would understand if it¡¯s difficult. It¡¯s just simple.¡± ¡°Do you know how jealous your ssmates are of you? You¡¯re probably in a situation where if you had even handled mana well, you might have dropped out.¡± Upon hearing these words, Ronan quietly took out a cigarette holder. Just thinking about it felt like his head was about to explode. Aselle, who had intruded without reservation, grinned. ¡°Oh, you still can¡¯t sense mana well?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I felt like I was bing a monkey or something. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong.¡± Twice a week. Despite attending sses taught by renowned professors in the Empire, Ronan still couldn¡¯t sense mana. Among his peers, he was the only student who hadn¡¯t reached the level of a Sword User. ¡°Not even being able to sense mana. Isn¡¯t that ridiculously funny? Master Nari achieved enlightenment in her eleventh year.¡± Ronan chuckled in self-deprecation. Aselle clenched his fists and said with determination. ¡°Someday¡­ no, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do it soon!¡± ¡°I know, buddy.¡± Ronan lightly tapped Aselle¡¯s head with the cigarette holder. It was frustrating, but there was a sense of aplishment in the challenge. With a bun pinned behind her head, Marya spoke. ¡°If there¡¯s anything like a potion that helps with mana sensing, I¡¯ll get it for you. So, where are we going?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right. I was curious too.¡± It felt like they had been walking for a long time, and there was no sign of stopping. Aselle looked around the gradually deteriorating area with an anxious expression. ¡°Ah. I¡¯ve been thinking, but since we¡¯re already going, wouldn¡¯t it be better for all of us to go together?¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Ronan rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a metal te. Marya¡¯s eyes widened as she recognized the metal te. Ronan caught the te in mid-air after tossing it, then said. ¡°To a ce that might make decent weapons.¡± **** The cksmith shop Shullifen had mentioned was located at the western end of Craftsmen Street. After walking for about thirty minutes, the three of them arrived at a cksmith shop with the stupid name ¡°[Hammer Hammer Hammer].¡± Ronan, sensing something was off, raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡­Is this the right ce?¡± The three looked around. Something was strange. Not only was it almost copsing, but there was also no sign of poprity. Ronan muttered under his breath. ¡°There¡¯s no way that guy lied¡­ Let¡¯s go in first.¡± As Ronan entered the cksmith shop, he looked around. It seemed like quite some time had passed since anyone hadid a hand here. The forge had gone cold, and the various weapons hung on the walls were all rusted. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± Ronan¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness. At that moment, a rustling sound came from deeper inside, and a man walked out holding his head. ¡°Ugh, hungover¡­ What the hell do you guys want?¡± He was even taller than Ronan by two heads. On the top half of his body, which was exposed since he wasn¡¯t wearing anything, fur was growing in tufts. Rather than human, he seemed closer to a beast. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Terrified, Aselle hid behind Ronan. Ronan furrowed his brow. The man emitted a strong smell of alcohol, iron, and an intense dog-like odor. The man asked in an irritated tone. ¡°Who are you guys?¡± ¡± There¡¯s no way he¡¯d lie If you know him¡­ Anyway, can wee in?¡± Stepping into the cksmith shop, Ronan looked around. It felt like quite some time had passed since anyone had touched anything. The forge had gone cold, and the weapons hung on the walls were all rusted. The man spat on the floor. Ronan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. If he caused a scene here, people outside might hear. As Ronan rummaged through his pouch, he took out the metal te. ¡°Here, look.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan pushed the metal te in front of the man. For a moment, the man¡¯s pupils widened. He looked at Ronan, then at the metal te, then at Aselle and Marya behind him, and burst intoughter. ¡°House Gracia¡¯s emblem, huh? So what? Are you guys Gracia?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°So you guys are from Gracia? Damn, I don¡¯t know where the information is leaking from. Get lost, kids.¡± The man scratched his head in annoyance. He yawned, stretched, and then focused his gaze on Marya and Aselle. ¡°But if possible, leave those two behind.¡± ¡°Those?¡± ¡°Those scrawny kids. They look quite tasty.¡± The manughed coarsely. Aselle and Marya¡¯s expressions hardened. Ronan turned to them and spoke. ¡°Be careful, you two. If you provoke him, you might end up living as ashes.¡± ¡°Is it a crime to say that something looks tasty? If you don¡¯t like it,e at me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. The tip of the ck iron sword shot toward the man¡¯s abdomen. It was the moment the strike touched the man¡¯s skin. -ng! As the shock was transmitted through his hand, a sound of something shattering resonated. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ronan, the sword!¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. In his hand was half of the broken obsidian sword. The broken de was lodged in the wooden wall. ¡°¡­It was an heirloom.¡± The manughed incredulously. He seemed not to have even noticed that the strike had been unleashed. Marya, who had been ring at the man, suddenly yelled. ¡°Huh?! Armor?¡± Sure enough, the upper half of the man¡¯s body, which had been clearly exposed a moment ago, was now d in armor. No one present saw when he put on the armor. The man, rubbing the spot where he had been hit by Ronan, sighed. ¡°Damn, the enchantment broke just from blocking a single attack. I need to reinforce it a bit more.¡± ¡°What kind of sorcery did you use?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Judging by the fact that the obsidian sword broke, the armor wasn¡¯t ordinary. It seemed to possess the strength of a Madros-ss or even higher-grade material. However, it wasn¡¯t invulnerable. Ronan was about to swing the half-broken sword again. The man raised both hands and pped. ¡°Whoa! whoa! stop. Since you passed, you¡¯re wee toe in. Damn it, I never thought an Enchanted Sword like this would be blocked. You¡¯ll need to provoke me a little more if you want to make it through. Who gave you that emblem?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. He pointed his thumb at Aselle and Marya behind him and said. ¡°First, apologize to these two.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Sorry, Both of you. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± The man immediately bowed politely. Caught off guard by his unexpected action, the two were taken aback and epted the apology hesitantly. It was only after seeing their reactions that Ronan finally provided an answer to the question. ¡°Shullifen.¡± ¡°The young lord of the Gracia family? Quite the coincidence.¡± The man chuckled dryly and knocked his leg with a hammer. Once again, before the hammer hit his leg, a metallic sound resonated. Another set of armor appeared. The formpletely encased his leg, with the upper and lower parts connected, creating an elegant armor suitable for knights. Ronan lowered his sword. ¡°An armorsmith werewolf, this is intriguing.¡± ¡°What? You figured it out?¡± ¡°The stench of a dog is quite overpowering. Are you the owner of this forge?¡± The man burst into a hollowugh. He looked at Ronan, who remainedposed, as if finding him interesting. ¡°No, I¡¯m just an apprentice. The true owner would be the inspirations below.¡± ¡°Then why are you here if you¡¯re not assisting at the forge? If you¡¯re ying the role of a gatekeeper, you could have assigned someone else.¡± ¡°I wanted to test the transparent armor I developed this time. Originally, I was nning to ask the knights of Gracia to test my technology, but then you guys showed up.¡± As he spoke, the man¡¯s body began to transform. His snout elongated, and a reddish-brown fur burst forth all over his body. His height increased considerably, his head nearly touching the ceiling. He had a bulk that was almostparable to that of a werelion or weretiger. ¡°Hee-hee-hee-hee!¡± ¡°A-a werewolf?¡± ¡°Ba-aah!¡± Aselle and Marya retreated in terror. The werewolf bristled its fur, emitting a threatening presence. Ronan asked with a stern expression. ¡°Why did you suddenly transform?¡± ¡°I wanted to show off the excellence of my masterpiece. Look, even though my physique changed, it¡¯s noting off or breaking.¡± Come to think of it, it was indeed quite impressive. The strange armor automatically formed seams and conformed precisely to the anthropomorphic shape of the transformed man. The man spoke proudly. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it fantastic? True enchanting is the forefront of technology. Those cksmiths who monotonously pound on metal can¡¯t survive anymore.¡± Just by looking at the man¡¯s expression, one could feel his passion for his profession. Ronan smiled wryly and sheathed the half-broken ck iron sword. ¡°You¡¯re quite capable of specializing in Gracia¡¯s weapons.¡± ¡°What, did you know that too? Hahaha! I¡¯m proud of my workce.¡± Hisrge tail wagged vigorously from side to side. The man, who had torn his mouth all the way to his ears, extended his hand. ¡°Dydican.¡± ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°All right, Ronan. What exactly is your purpose for visiting the forge?¡± ¡°To acquire usable weapons.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯vee to the right ce. Let¡¯s go inside. You guys too.¡± ¡°You want us to enter?¡± ¡°Did you really think this was our workce? Come on, follow me.¡± The three humans and one beast followed Dydican into the interior of the forge. From the outside, it looked quite narrow, but the space inside wasrger than expected. Dydican stopped behind the furnace. He turned to Ronan¡¯s group and said. ¡°Everyone, stick close to me. I wonder if we can all fit in this thing at once.¡± The group huddled around Dydican. He pressed a certain area on the wall behind the furnace. The building vibrated slightly, and the floor they were standing on began to descend slowly. Chapter 29: Gran Cappadocia (2) Chapter 29: Gran Cappadocia (2) The group gathered around Dydican at the center. Dydican, who had been feeling along the walls of the furnace, pressed a specific section firmly. The building seemed to vibrate slightly, and the floor on which the four people were standing began to gradually disappear. ¡°Wh-what is this?!¡± Swoosh! Startled, Marya quickly embraced Aselle. Creaking sounds were heard from all directions. -Gugugugu¡­ The descending floor slowly vanished,pletely swallowed by the surrounding walls. Dydican, watching their bewildered expressions, chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s an elevator created using magic stones and a lever. The fastest passage connecting the underground forge.¡± ¡°Are there passages to other ces too?¡± ¡°Yes. The locations are a secret, but there are easily dozens of them. While Gracia is the biggest client, we also receive requests from other customers.¡± The elevator descended through a dark vertical shaft. The entrance they looked up at had already be as small as the moon. Only Cita¡¯s pupils were sparkling like red gems. ng¡­ ng¡­ Somewhere, the sound of metal shing could be heard. Gradually, their view became clear. A chilly wind rushed in. ¡°Wee. To thergest forge on the ind.¡± The elevator, now out of the rocky passage, was descending along a framework of iron girders. The pupils of all three of them widened in astonishment. A sight they couldn¡¯t have imagined unfolded before their eyes. ¡°What in the world is this¡­¡± It appeared to be a space created by erging a massive cavern. Towering stctites and stgmites resembling houses were scattered around. Luminescent moss covering the cavern¡¯s walls acted as a source of light. Several stone-built buildings, about the size of houses, sprouted like mushrooms throughout the cavern. It looked more like a vige than a forge. Dwarves of all sizes scurried busily between the buildings. These were the underground craftsmen. Dydican spoke with a proud smile. ¡°Gran Cappadocia. This whole ce is the forge. Most of the residents are dwarves, but there are a few of us from other races as well.¡± In one corner of the vige, bubblingva gathered like ake. Dwarves were pouringva from specially treated buckets. Thud! Soon, the elevator came to a stop. Dydican looked at the three of them and spoke. ¡°Come on. Follow me. I¡¯ll take you to the best cksmith.¡± Dydican pricked up his ears and nced around. He shouted toward a distant dwarf carryingva. ¡°Hey! Is Doron back today?¡± ¡°Dydican, you damn fool! Did you steal the Invisibility Enchantment Scroll? Are you behind that nonsense with invisible armor or something?¡± The dwarf erupted in anger. All three of them looked at Dydican simultaneously. Dydican leaned forward, cing his index finger in front of his lips, and shouted again. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true! Is Doron here?¡± ¡°How would I know? Now that the vacation is over, he¡¯s probably sulking in his usual spot!¡± The dwarf grumbled as he walked away. The buckets ofva he carried teetered dangerously. Dydicanughed snickering and turned his head. ¡°Well, it looks like the vacation is over.¡± ¡°Do you have different thoughts than other cksmiths?¡± ¡°Well, of course. While it¡¯s undeniable that our ancestors are legendary generals, stagnant water tends to rot. We must do our best to develop better techniques.¡± Dydican nodded with a determined expression. Ronan was starting to find this mischievous character likable. The group following Dydican came to a halt in front of a massive cubic building. ¡°This¡­ looks quite perplexing.¡± Ronan scratched his head. The surface of the stone-built cube was so smooth that not even a fly couldnd on it. They couldn¡¯t even begin to guess how it was made. On top of the cube, a tall chimney reached all the way to the ceiling. Dydican spoke excitedly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it ingenious? This is a work that Doron created when he was young. It was made about four hundred years ago.¡± Aselle gasped. ¡°F¡­ Four hundred years?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s probably the oldest among the dwarves living on the ind.¡± Considering that the average lifespan of dwarves was around three hundred years, this was truly astonishing. The cube had only one wide door, without a single window. The moment Dydican opened the door, a rush of red light poured out like waves. ¡°Ah! My eyes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s-it¡¯s hot!¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Ronan raised his hand to shield his eyes. The intense beam of light felt like it could burn his face. In the red light, nothing could be seen. Dydican took a deep breath and shouted toward the source of light. ¡°Doron!! It¡¯s guests!!¡± Then, the light and heat gradually subsided. Ronan lowered his hand that was covering his eyes. A chaotic yet strangendscape appeared before them. ¡°What is all this?¡± The forgendscape resembled a nest woven from battle standards rather than tree branches. Weapons of all kinds, including swords, shields, daggers, and polearms, were piled up, filling the rectangr space. At the center of the steel nesty arge, white anvil. In front of it stood a small figure, wielding a hammer. ¡°The guests, you say?¡± The small figure raised its head. He was a dwarf of diminutive stature. His round, white beard covered every part of his face except his eyes. The dwarf known as Doron opened his mouth. ¡°Quite the anticipated guests, Dydican. To bring them directly to me.¡± ¡°Yeah, without this armor, I would¡¯ve be a toast. It was the first time I saw such a swift sword.¡± Dydican pointed at Ronan andughed. Doron hobbled toward Ronan. ¡°Come here, let me see.¡± Without a word, Doron took Ronan¡¯s dark iron sword from him. He sighed when he saw the broken sword. ¡°Dydican, is this boy really my guest?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°What¡­ is this? Carrying around this trash and calling it a sword.¡± Doron wordlessly threw the obsidian sword behind him. The sword, now in the huge furnace, melted into molten iron. ¡°Doron, What¡¯s going on with this¡­¡± ¡°Let me see yours too.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Doron checked Marya and Aselle¡¯s weapons one by one. After each inspection, he let out a deep sigh. Then he threw their weapons into the furnace one by one. Marya and Aselle shrieked when they saw their melting swords and staff. ¡°My-my staff!¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is this!¡± Ronan chuckled. He picked up a short sword that had been rolling on the ground. ¡°It seems living in a cave for four hundred years can mold your brain in strange ways.¡± Ronan approached Doron with confident steps. Since the dark iron sword was already rendered unusable, it didn¡¯t matter. However, the rest of the weapons were clearly in good condition. Doron opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s perfect timing. Since you¡¯re holding a sword, give it a swing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you already gone deaf, young man? Swing it, even if it¡¯s into thin air. Just do it.¡± Doron urged with a tongue click. Ronan red at Dydican with a look that could kill. Dydican was signaling desperately through hand gestures that Doron meant no harm. Ronan, cooling his temper, sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ I get it.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead¡­¡± Doron¡¯s sentence hadn¡¯t even ended when Ronan¡¯s hand disappeared from sight. It was the Empire Swordsmanship¡¯s First Stance he had learned in his first lesson. The vertically descending de tip came to a halt right in front of Doron¡¯s pupils. Swish! A dyed sonic boom resonated and spread. Marya and Aselle covered their mouths. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan! What¡¯s going on!¡± Even if their corneas were cut by the pressure, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising. If Doron had leaned his head forward even a bit, he would have undoubtedly been pierced. However, there was no change in Doron¡¯s expression. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°How about that, kid?¡± Oddly enough, it was Ronan who was flustered. He was alternating his gaze between Doron and the sword he had just swung. Doron put his hands on his hips and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s what you call a sword.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t say a word. The swords he had swung so far were on apletely different level. The sword was stable, and the sense of drawing it was as if he was writing on a piece of paper. The bnce was perfect as well. This was just a casual swing. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of swords like this. Ronan gently ced the short sword on the ground. ¡°¡­I have to admit.¡± ¡°That goes for me too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dydican. Where did you bring this monster from? He¡¯s definitely qualified to be my guest!¡± Doron shouted excitedly. Seeing the exchange between the two, Dydican breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I told you. He¡¯s a no joke, really.¡± ¡°Want to try one more time? Come on, this time with this.¡± Doron handed a longsword to Ronan. Without a word, Ronan executed his second sword strike. This time, it was Navirose¡¯s Rotating Sword. Swish! The strike was smoother than usual, cutting through the air. Doron grinned. ¡°Hmm? A familiar sword technique¡­ Could it be, are you friends with that Navirose girl?¡± ¡°Friends? You know Navirose Instructor?¡± ¡°I know, I do. By the way, did you say instructor? Did my old ears finally go bad?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s an instructor at the Philleon Academy.¡± Doron¡¯s eyes widened. He stroked his beard a few times and let out a chuckle. ¡°Hehe, just as you say. Being stuck underground for hundreds of years surely blurs your sense of time. The girl¡¯s an instructor, you say?¡± ¡°An instructor? Are you really talking about Navarose?¡± Doron¡¯s expression became mischievous. After stroking his beard several times, he let out a quietugh. ¡°What about the giant de? The wide and long one.¡± ¡°That? Fungus de, Uruza. It¡¯s a masterpiece that fits within ten fingers of my life¡¯s work.¡± Doron exined the story of creating Navarose¡¯s Fungus de. He mentioned how he thoroughly studied all of Navarose¡¯s swordsmanship, including Aura, before epting themission to craft her weapon. ¡°It¡¯s not just Uruza. I¡¯ve also crafted the Grand Duke of Grancia¡¯s sword, Pale Road, and thence of the former Imperial Knight Commander Aston, Eskamon. Ahh, my mind is finally starting to work again.¡± ¡°Does that mean you make weapons tailored for each individual?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Every warrior has a different fighting style, and naturally, the way they handle weapons is different too. Hey, how about you give it a swing?¡± ¡°Me? You mean me?¡± Marya pointed to herself with her finger. She shrugged her shoulders once, then picked up two short swords simr to the one she used. ¡°¡­Sure, I¡¯ll give it a try?¡± Doron nodded silently. Swish! Her unique and sharp sword cut through the air with a sound reminiscent of the wind whistling through rocks. After swinging it about twenty times, Marya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wow¡­ What¡¯s this sword? Seriously, it¡¯s so good!¡± Her reaction was like watching Ronan earlier. It was the first time she had encountered a weapon so light yet perfectly bnced. Doron looked at Marya¡¯s arm with an interested expression. ¡°The force is much stronger than it looks.¡± ¡°Th-thank you¡­ By any chance, do you have any ns to sell the weapons disyed here? If you negotiate with your higher-ups¡­¡± ¡°Hey, the right weapon for you isn¡¯t a short sword.¡± ¡°What?¡± Doron tilted his head. As he rummaged through the pile of weapons, he pulled out a greatsword. It was smaller than the one used by the second-year senior, Braum, but it still looked substantial. ¡°You want me to use this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Give it a swing.¡± Marya held the hilt of the greatsword with a somewhat startled expression. It was her first time wielding such arge sword, so she didn¡¯t feelfortable with it. ¡°Huuh¡­!¡± Marya managed to assume a stance and swung the greatsword. Whooong! The brisk strike tore through the air. Ronan rounded his lips and eximed in admiration. ¡°Oh. Definitely.¡± ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Ronan nodded. Although her stance was a bit awkward due to not properly learning how to handle a greatsword, the speed and stability with which she swung the sword were on a different levelpared to wielding dual swords. Marya was equally surprised. She felt that if she got a little more used to it, she could handle it like an extension of her own limbs. Ronan asked. ¡°Then, what should I swing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the type of weapon for you.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the material. I wonder how many types of materials in the world can withstand your dual sword.¡± Doron let out a sigh. Ronan¡¯s strikes were faster than any he had seen before. He began to dig through the umted experience. ¡°Could it be Mithril after all¡­? No, maybe Orichalcum would be better. I wonder if there¡¯s any Alloy-Forging Iron left¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the price. After all, I¡¯m not the one paying.¡± ¡°I never cared about the price to begin with. If you had been concerned about that kind of thing, you would have gone to those shabby workshops up in the upper district. Hm, what would be the best? How about making it out of a monster¡¯s exoskeleton or scales¡­¡± ¡°Scales?¡± The moment Ronan heard the word ¡°scales,¡± a sh of insight illuminated his mind. He suddenly started stripping off his coat and began shaking it to dislodge its contents. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just wait. I¡¯m sure I kept it somewhere¡­¡± From the coat, which had more than eight pockets, all sorts of objects were bouncing out. Half-eaten biscuits, crumpled socks, jingling coins, and so on¡­ Finally, Ronan found what he was looking for and burst into a triumphantugh. ¡°I found it.¡± Ronan approached Doron, clutching what he had found. Doron was still muttering to himself, lost in thought about the material. ¡°No, no. Blue Wyvern scales are too bouncy. Then, what about¡­?¡± ¡°Doron, how about this?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan extended his hand. Doron grinned. Thin pieces resembling fragments of something were ced on Ronan¡¯s palm. Their appearance was as beautiful as ck pearls, dark and elegant. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Despite working as a cksmith for over four hundred years, Doron had never seen such a material. Ronan petted Cita while smiling. ¡°This is from the shell that Cita hatched.¡± ¡°Hatched?¡± Cita nuzzled Ronan¡¯s hand. Doron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°From a shell? Are you serious?¡± Chapter 30: Gran Cappadocia (3) Chapter 30: Gran Cappadocia (3) For over three hundred years, despite his work as a cksmith, the material was unlike anything Ronan had ever seen. Ronanughed as he stroked Cita. ¡°This is the shell that it came out of when it hatched.¡± ¡°B-B-But¡­¡± Cita patted Ronan¡¯s hand, her face buried in it. Doron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A shell? Are you serious?¡± Doron began examining the shell as if he were entranced. He examined it by rotating it emotionally, of course, he also put it in the furnace or put it on the anvil and hammered it. Finally, Doron, who had sprinkled unknown reagents on the shell, eximed with admiration. ¡°This is truly remarkable. Hardness, weight, toughness¡­ everything is perfect! If it¡¯s mixed properly with Brangar maic iron, my greatest masterpiece as a cksmith mighte out. Can I really use this?¡± ¡°Well, yes. It was just in case, but it turned out well.¡± Doron let out a breath. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and started shaking it up and down. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll definitely make you the best weapon. Come back in three months.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ wait, three months?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. Even if it took a long time, it was still too long. He needed to get the weapon as soon as possible to be able to attend Navirose¡¯s lessons. ¡°Yes, three months. I want to make it faster, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. I just did a heat resistance test, and it seems we need to use top-grade me coal to melt it. We¡¯re almost out of me coal right now.¡± Doron pointed to a cube-shaped furnace. There were about six reddish and round chunks rolling around it. These were the me coals used to melt high-temperature ores. ¡°We¡¯re also backed up with requests from other customers. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to wait.¡± Doron scratched his head with the handle of the hammer and said. Marya, who had been silently listening to the conversation, widened her eyes. ¡°Just a moment, Grandfather. me coal, you say?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes, me coal.¡± ¡°Can I get some for you?¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about? I heard there was an earthquake in Drumcus, thergest source of me coal, so it¡¯s not circting throughout the region.¡± That¡¯s why the dwarves were busy pouringva. Since they couldn¡¯tpletely stop working, they had to melt special ores with the heat of theva. Marya nodded her head. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. There was an earthquake. But right before that, our upper ranks visited Drumcus.¡± ¡°Th-That means¡­¡± ¡°Yes. We have about one wagon¡¯s worth left. We¡¯re holding onto it until the price goes up¡­ would you like to buy it?¡± ¡°Of course! How much¡­how much should it be? Dydican! Bring my vault!¡± Doron threw the hammer and shouted. The pupils revealed between his beard were shining brightly. It was the moment when Dydican, who was surprised, was about to move his foot. ¡°Wait. We don¡¯t need money, Grandfather. Can we ept something else?¡± ¡°Something else? What¡­?¡± ¡°We have weapons here. Overall, they¡¯re of very high quality, so we¡¯d like to try selling them in our upper ranks.¡± ¡°You mean these practice pieces? Well, okay then. As long as you give me the immediately usable me coal, you can take as much as you want.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. It would be bad if we scammed other people, wouldn¡¯t it? Just let me exin again.¡± With a smile, Marya took out paper and a pen from her bag. With graceful handwriting, she wrote the contract and exined the details of the deal to Doron. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ve assessed the value of one piece of me coal to be this much. As for the weapons, each type¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, I wouldn¡¯t understand even if you exined. Just take the me coal and go.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that. We should write an urate contract.¡± Marya smiled and took out paper and a pen from her bag. With graceful handwriting, she wrote the contract and exined the details of the deal to Doron. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ve assessed the value of one piece of me coal to be this much. As for the weapons, each type¡­¡± ¡°Well, even if you exin, I won¡¯t understand. Just leave the me coal and take whatever you want.¡± It took well over an hour to finish writing the contract. Marya smiled satisfactorily and tucked the contract into her bag. Doron grumbled and rubbed his tired eyes. Seeing his appearance, Ronan burst intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re quite something, seriously. Trying to be a merchant in this situation.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s basic to be the best merchant. I think this deal could help us expand in the upper ranks.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t suddenly put on a merchant¡¯s disguise after living like a mole for hundreds of years, did you?¡± ¡°Hey! How do you see the future head of the Carabel upper ranks?¡± Considering the future image and the philosophy of my father Duon, it seemed unlikely. I thought I did well to be close friends with Marvas back then. It was a good thing that they could receive the weapons quickly. Ronan handed over the letter of credit from Gracia to Dydican. ¡°Send all three shares to Shullifen de Gracia.¡± ¡°Are you sure? The amount might be considerable.¡± ¡°This should be a turning point to wake him up. We can¡¯t let that ¡®Rising star of the Empire¡¯ mess around with women¡­¡± With a chuckle, Dydican wrote up the trade agreement. It was a deal in which Doron would create weapons for Ronan, Aselle, and Marya, and the payment would be made from Gracia. Aselle hesitated and spoke up. ¡°Um, um¡­ I haven¡¯t decided what kind of weapon to get yet¡­¡± Aselle hadn¡¯t even drawn up an estimate yet. Doron, who was preupied with the shell, raised his head btedly. ¡°Oh, right. You¡¯re here. A mage, right? What type of magic do you handle?¡± ¡°Telekinesis¡­¡± ¡°A rare talent. Precision is crucial in that field. Can you cast spells without a staff?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ for now.¡± Doron permitted Aselle to show him magic. Aselle hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand forward and cast a spell. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± About twenty different weapons of various types floated in the air. Aselle manipted the weapons like chess pieces, moving them around. Doron nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ not bad at all. Can you control each of them separately?¡± Although there were a few mistakes due to being more ustomed to manipting mana with a staff, Aselle did an excellent job overall. Doron chuckled. ¡°Interesting, quite interesting. You¡¯re the first kids I¡¯ve seen who are this interesting.¡± He bent over for quite some time, chuckling to himself. Eventually, he raised his head and, with a somewhat serious expression, stroked his beard. ¡°Did you say your name is Aselle? When you have the chance, you should visit the Twilight Matap where Lord Lorehon resides.¡± ¡°Lord Lorehon¡­?¡± Aselle knew about him. It was a name he had learned from his first lesson with Philleon magic. The first 9th Circle mage of humans. A transcendent being who surpassed the limits of the physical body and enjoyed hundreds of years. ¡°Enchanted Inspirations.¡± The name was also familiar to Ronan. The author who had sealed one of the three giants during the Advent. The problem was that he had used his own soul as a catalyst. Aselle asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Can¡­can I meet Lord Lorehon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I¡¯ve only met him a couple of times. Anyway, you should definitely visit the Twilight Matap.¡± Doron patted Aselle¡¯s back as ifforting him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to discuss your weapons with the other old folks. Mages¡¯ equipment requires much more delicate adjustments. There¡¯s someone who¡¯s good at that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Doron, if I decide to receive the me coal immediately, how long would it take?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ even generously, a fortnight should be sufficient.¡± Ronan nodded. A fortnight was a reasonable period. He could spend that time doing other things that had been left unfinished. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, Doron.¡± ¡°Farewell. Thank you for rekindling the fire in this old man¡¯s heart.¡± With those words, the group left the cksmith¡¯s workshop. Dydican escorted them to the exit. As they were about to step onto the elevator, Ronan¡¯s ears caught a strange sound. ¡°Vroom¡­¡± Ronan looked around, but Aselle and Marya seemed not to have heard it. He poked Dydican¡¯s side and asked. ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, what is it? You heard it? You have excellent hearing.¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. It¡¯sing from deep within¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s a new tunnel being dug deeper inside. It seems to be doubling as a mine.¡± Ronan frowned. It didn¡¯t quite sound like the noise of digging the earth. Cita was also staring intently at the direction of the sound. Dydican chuckled. ¡°It happens often. Dwarves handle rocks like they¡¯re kneading dough, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you say so.¡± With a somewhat gloomy expression, Ronan nodded. Dydican shook hands with the group one by one. ¡°It was a pleasure, friends. If you ever have any business in Gran Cappadocia, don¡¯t hesitate to find Dydican. And please give my regards to my older brother.¡± ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°Yeah, my older brother is Kydokan of Philleon Academy. Tell my younger brother that I¡¯m satisfied with my work in the iron forge. He worries about me a lot.¡± Ronan managed to recall Kydokan¡¯s appearance with difficulty. He was one of the examiners who conducted his interview and the instructor responsible for his archery lessons. Ronan smirked. ¡°If you say so.¡± The group boarded the elevator and headed to the surface. In their hands were the makeshift weapons they had taken from Doron¡¯s forge. Marya held the greatsword she had swung earlier, Aselle carried a slightly smaller wand than his usual staff, and Ronan wielded a new, pure white longsword. The appearance and material were ordinary, but the quality was far superior to the ck iron sword he had been using. As they left the old cksmith¡¯s shop, intense sunlight poured over their heads. Looking at the people walking under the blue sky, the time they spent in Gran Cappadocia felt like a dream. ¡°Cita!¡± Cita flew up as if it had been waiting. After enjoying their outing, the group returned to Philleon. **** The weekend and the following week went by smoothly. Ronan focused all his efforts on using his time efficiently. At the mostly deserted gym where he usually went to train, he often encountered familiar faces. ¡°Heh-heh-heh! My junior Ronan, you¡¯re here again! Your persistence is admirable!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here again today, Senior Braum. I didn¡¯t have much else to do. By the way, how¡¯s the greatsword?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my junior! I repaired it right after our match on the induction day! It¡¯s now 130kg!¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± ¡°By the way, Instructor Navirose kept asking about your well-being. Is something going on?¡± ¡°Um¡­ please just pretend you don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll visit her soon.¡± At night, he read books and reviewed subjects at his lodgings. Unlike the entrance exam preparations, he only took the courses he was interested in, making the learning process more enjoyable. ¡°Hmm. So that workbook wasn¡¯t interesting after all. Reading isn¡¯t as bad as I thought?¡± Ronan sprawled his legs on the desk as he read various books. [Imperial History], [Journeys in the West], [Why Did the Countess Give Steak to Max?] and more¡­ There were interesting books and boring ones. Nheless, the fact that he could learn unknown information without physically moving brought him joy. On the third Monday, he took Cita to visit Professor Varen. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my! That¡­ that child is¡­¡± ¡°It took much longer than I expected. It¡¯s been a while, Professor Varen.¡± The ss with Professor Varen hadn¡¯t started yet due to personal reasons. This was the first time Ronan had a conversation with him since entering Philleon. The tuft of hair between Cita¡¯s eyes caught Varen¡¯s attention noticeably. ¡°Ah, please have a seat. I¡¯ll bring tea. How have you been? Oh, congrattions on your second ce in the induction!¡± ¡°Take your time. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Ronan sat on the sofa. Varen swiftly brought refreshments like lightning. Throughout arranging the tea and cookies, his gaze remained fixed on Cita. ¡°Bava?¡± Cita was sitting on the table, looking at Varen with curious eyes. Varen carefully pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes as Cita¡¯s gaze held him. ¡°¡­ Truly, such a beautiful child. What¡¯s its name?¡± ¡°Cita.¡± ¡°Right, Cita.¡± Varen very cautiously reached out his hand and brought it in front of Cita¡¯s eyes. As Cita blinked, its face brushed against Varen¡¯s finger. ¡°Purr~¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ronan deliberately raised his teacup to his lips. The sight of over 3 meters tall Varen shedding tears was not a pleasant spectacle. At that moment, Marpez, who had been napping on Varen¡¯s chair, approached them. -Phee? ¡°Hey there, your fur has grown even more. Have you been well?¡± His azure feathers had be so thick that they reminded one of a thicket. When Ronan extended his hand, Marpez approached with a chirp. Seeing this, Cita¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Meow?¡± -Meow? Marpaz¡¯s reaction was the same. There was no need for someone to start. Cita and Marpez simultaneously flew and rushed toward each other. Soon, the two dreambirds met as if they had waited for this moment, and they began grooming each other¡¯s feathers. Seeing the heartwarming reunion, Varen murmured as the main voice. ¡°hehe, is there no way to capture this moment, this scene, and preserve it forever¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Um, sorry to ruin the mood, but Varen, do you happen to know what¡¯s influencing it?¡± Ronan pointed his index finger toward Cita. Varen sniffled and stood up from his seat. Searching through his desk, Varen ced three pieces of paper on the table and said, ¡°I apologize. I thought of Marpez¡¯s child, and my emotions got the best of me¡­ Haha, the only thing I can guess is that these three are rted.¡± On the paper were detailed drawings of creatures that appeared to be fantasy creatures or monsters. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°This is the ck Dragon Orsego¡­ as for the others, what kind of creatures are they? Is this one not human?¡± On the far left paper was the depiction of the ck Dragon Orsego. A dragon that had moved its residence to the far western teau after being defeated by the Empire. Ronan was familiar with it from the fairy tales Iril used to read to him during his childhood. The problem was that he didn¡¯t know the names of the other two beings. In the center paper, there was a human man dressed in borate attire, and on the other sheet, there was a pink luminescent mass resembling a sea urchin. Varen spoke up. His gaze was still fixed on Marpez and Cita. ¡°The one in the center is a vampire from the Barschaba lineage, and the one on the right is an Atia fairy. They each possess magic that maniptes blood and the ability to heal wounds.¡± Chapter 31: Reunion (1) Chapter 31: Reunion (1) Varen opened his mouth. His gaze remained fixed on Marpez and Cita. ¡°In the center is a vampire from the Barshaba lineage, and on the right is an Atia fairy. Each possesses magic rted to blood maniption and the ability to heal wounds.¡± ¡°I recognize Orsego, but I¡¯m not sure about the others. Are these the people who might have influenced Cita?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Starting with its appearance resembling a ck Dragon and the abilities of the other two. Even assuming the appearance came from a dragon, thebination of blood magic and healing magic in one dragon is unheard of in my knowledge. Furthermore, vampires have been extremely rare within the Empire, and fairies live in ces far removed from civilization¡­¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like we¡¯re not making much progress.¡± ¡°I apologize, but that¡¯s correct. However, I¡¯ve formted a hypothesis.¡± ¡°A hypothesis?¡± Ronan blinked. Varen cleared his throat and pointed towards Cita. ¡°What Cita disyed before hatching¡­ perhaps it wasn¡¯t mana absorption at all, but something else.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As I mentioned before, Dreambirds are exceedingly rare even among fantastical creatures. There¡¯s hardly any known information about them.¡± With that statement, Varen brought out a thick notebook. It contained notespiled over 40 years of living with Marpez, documenting everything about Dreambirds. He stated that over 80% of all known information about Dreambirds was contained within this single book. ¡°The phenomena disyed by Cita before her hatching differs significantly from the information we have. Perhaps this incident could lead to new research findings about Dreambirds.¡± Even in its egg state, it absorbed mana. And now, it even drank blood. Its behavior upon waking was extremely peculiar. Silent high-speed flight, magic rted to blood maniption, wound healing, and more. There were no other creatures with such diverse abilities. ¡°If it¡¯s not mana, then what is it absorbing?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a tough question. I believe there¡¯s a possibility it could be more abstract concepts, like emotions or souls¡­ something along those lines.¡± Suddenly, Varen let out a deep sigh. ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, it¡¯s all uncertain spection. As a professor, I should be providing help, but the more I dwell into this, the more my ipetence bes evident. However, the research will continue, and if you can just bear with me a little longer¡­¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve already named it, so we just need to have some fun watching it.¡± Ronan pped his hands and whistled. Cita flew to him, holding Marpez in its arms. Despite almost dropping it a few times due to its weak arms, it eventually managed to ce Marpez on Ronan¡¯sp. ¨C Squee~ ¡°You little cuties!¡± ¡°Are you that excited about them, these bundles of fur?¡± Ronan petted the two Dreambirds. The texture of their ck and blue feathers felt quite pleasant. Suddenly, Ronan seemed to remember something and looked at Varen. ¡°By the way, have you been receiving updates regrly?¡± About a month ago, while Varen was away on a business trip, Ronan left a note on his desk. The note contained a rough description of Cita, a sketch, and a message stating that he had made contact with the smuggling organization Caribolo. Varen nodded his head heavily. ¡°Sure.¡± Ronan noticed a momentary change in Varen¡¯s expression. He was making an effort to conceal any signs of tension, even holding back his ws from showing. Varen rummaged through his jacket pocket and retrieved a crumpled piece of paper, about three or four notes in total. ¡°It¡¯s written in great detail. You¡¯ve done quite a significant job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to the vein, I mean¡­ the incident in the Fountain of Phaenar.¡± ¡°Not really. Thanks to your information, we were able to resolve it early. Here, take a look.¡± Ronan nodded as he received the note. It was a report sent by Valus, a lower-ranking member of the smuggling organization kaliborro. The address Ronan provided for sending in reports happened to be Varen¡¯s office. The note contained information about the movements and lists of various branches of kaliborro, along with their major ns. ¡°It seems that Valus was quite terrified of both me and Cita.¡± ¡°Apparently, the Imperial Forest Patrol has achieved unprecedented results. If things continue like this, it might be possible topletely root out kaliborro from the Empire.¡± Using the information from Valus¡¯s report, Varen had forwarded the details to the Imperial Forestry Office. There was a slight concern that the information was too urate and could raise suspicions, but Varen¡¯s identity as a professor from the Philleon Academy helped alleviate those concerns. Two of the branches had already been eradicated, and there were gradually emerging clues about the main headquarters of kaliborro. Unexpectedly, Varen lowered his head deeply. ¡°I truly don¡¯t know how to thank you enough. Ronan¡­ no, ever since meeting you, my life has been changing. I feel like this retribution must¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s alright. We can discuss thatter. Do you remember what I mentionedst time? About the club?¡± *Creak!* Ronan was about to bring up their previous conversation. Suddenly, the office door swung open, revealing a familiar figure. Dressed in emerald green robes, arge sword nted across her back, and a flying sword, Bijian, hanging on her waist, a familiar figure entered. The woman looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°So, you¡¯re here, Ronan.¡± ¡°P-Professor Navirose? What are you doing here¡­?!¡± Varen raised an eyebrow. Navirose was seen suddenly grabbing Ronan¡¯s ear, her grip strong enough that her nails could easily have dug into his flesh. From Ronan¡¯s mouth came a scream that could rival a monkey with its tail stepped on. ¡°Aaargh!!¡± ¡°Apologies, Professor Varen. I shall take my leave.¡± Navirose bowed politely, her grip still firm enough to almost rip Ronan¡¯s ear off. She nced at him sternly. ¡°Wha-what¡¯s going on here¡­¡± Varen just looked at them, not sure what to make of the situation. Ronan struggled and shouted. ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, let go! Varen, help me out here!¡± ¡°Quiet. Follow me.¡± ¡°For crying out loud, you¡¯re a Wyre Lion! You don¡¯t get to order me around like this! Argh, don¡¯t twist it!¡± Navirose left the office, still gripping Ronan¡¯s ear. With a thud, the door closed, yet Ronan¡¯s agonized scream continued to echo through the hallway. After Navirose and Ronan left, Varen and the two Dreambirds stared nkly at the closed door. Varen scratched his head and mumbled. ¡°This¡­ is something.¡± **** It wasn¡¯t until they reached the main Galerion building that Navirose released her grip on Ronan¡¯s ear. He stumbled backward, his ear throbbing as if it had been scorched by fire, and shouted. ¡°What the hell was that! What¡¯s with this sudden behavior? Damn it, do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done to a student?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe looking for me? I told you toe to my office as soon as your weapons were ready.¡± Her voice was cold. Her green eyes reminiscent of the forest glinted. Ronan noticed that Navirose was suppressing her anger. ¡®¡­What if I provoked her by mistake? This could get really bad.¡¯ For a moment, he had forgotten. Somehow, he didn¡¯t have any memories of meeting her or hearing her name in his past life, but Navirose was a legendary swordmaster. At his current level, Ronan had no chance of winning against her. ¡®If she tells me to lick her toes after cutting off my limbs¡­ I¡¯d probably have to do it while crying.¡¯ Realizing the gap in strength, a chill ran down his spine. Ronan suppressed his instinctual voice of resistance. ¡°Well, um, my weapons aren¡¯t ready yet, so¡­ I mean, they need to bepleted before I can bring them.¡± ¡°Is that a dagger at your waist?¡± ¡°This is a temporary sword I borrowed. Once I have a proper weapon ready, I was nning to go¡­¡± ¡°Even if you go all the way to the artisan city of Lodium to buy one, it wouldn¡¯t take as long as this. Did you evenmission it in Gran Cappadocia?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± ¡°Are you even trying to lie anymore? You wouldn¡¯t even know what it is.¡± Navirose reached out her hand. Ronan covered his ears with his palms. ¡°For crying out loud, not my ears! Alright, fine, I¡¯ll tell you. The sword¡­ Did Doron make it for you?¡± ¡°¡­ How did you know about that?¡± Navirose hesitated. Ronan exined the events in Gran Cappadocia, giving her an abridged version. The old forge connected to an elevator, dwarves moving among the Endurium. With each detail, Navirose¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not a ce just anyone can enter.¡¯ The conditions tomission something in Gran Cappadocia were incredibly stringent. Only those who had proven themselves in a specific field, or those who were fortunate enough to show potential, could entrust the artisans of Gran Cappadocia with a request. And if it were Doron, wasn¡¯t the chief cksmith among the best? ¡®Is there someone else who recognized his talent?¡¯ Navirose smiled faintly. She turned away from Ronan. ¡°Alright. Just follow me quietly.¡± His resistance had long been crushed. Ronan obediently followed her. The two of them walked along the grand corridor for a few minutes. Finally, an enormous door appeared, a door unlike any he had seen in his lifetime. It seemedrge enough to amodate beings of all sizes and races. Navirose ced her hand on the door and spoke. ¡°First Arena. Remember this. My sses will always be held here.¡± With a slight push from Navirose, the door smoothly opened. Whaty ahead was not so much a ssroom but a space that resembled a diatorial arena. Echoes of shing metal reverberated through the enclosed space. The vast expanse of the stone floor arena hosted dozens of students forming groups to engage inbat. Most of them were unfamiliar faces, yet there were some aspects that Ronan recognized. ¡°Haah!¡± ¡°Your strength is great, but you¡¯re still slow, Braum!¡± Braum¡¯s heavy sword was tracing a destructive arc. The rapier, infused with mana, relentlessly darted forward, exploiting any opening it found. Thebatants were Braum, a sophomore, and the second-year top student Nasdo. ¡°That kid¡¯s here today, too¡­ Huh?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. In a corner of the arena, Shullifen was kneeling, holding a sword. Unlike other students who were dueling, he sat there with his sword in hand. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Why¡¯s he just sitting there while everyone else is fighting?¡± ¡°He¡¯s practicing manipting mana. Since he doesn¡¯t have a student to spar with, he¡¯s practicing with his sword asionally. It¡¯s just a level of training where I asionally oversee his swordsmanship.¡± Navirose exined. She was certain that Shullifen would eventually surpass her. At the age of eleven, Shullifen¡¯s talent for manipting mana had indeed been a gift, but his obsession with strength had far exceeded normal bounds. Navirose, examining Shullifen¡¯s core, nodded in approval. ¡°Excellent. Once you learn to manipte mana, follow Shullifen¡¯s example, Ronan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. Even though I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s what.¡± ¡°You have potential. As an educator, I won¡¯t let your talent go to waste.¡± Navirose¡¯s expression remained as serious as ever. She thought of the two boys who might be her sessors and the girl who had yet to reach the level of a sword expert after several years. ¡°There are so many people in this world who can¡¯t attain what they desire¡­¡± Due to the quiet murmur, Ronan didn¡¯t hear her words. He had no intention of stopping his observation of the other students¡¯ sparring. Interestingbat techniques he had never seen in his previous life were being exchanged. ¡°How about a match using only sword techniques?¡± ¡°Sure, go for it. Attack or defend.¡± Among thebatants, there were those who engaged solely in de-to-debat. Noticing the distinct tie color, Ronan could vaguely tell they were senior students, likely third-years or higher. Navirose spoke. ¡°Originally, only students who reached the level of Sword Expert or higher could attend my sses.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not the case now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Sincest year.¡± Swoosh! Navirose suddenly drew her great sword and sent a de of energy toward the ceiling. The crescent-shaped energy de struck a massive bell hanging from the ceiling. Dong! The resounding bell drowned out all the noise. Students who had been sparring instinctively stopped and turned their heads. Navirose spoke in her usual, unchanging tone. ¡°Everyone, gather.¡± The students assembled. Some discarded their jackets, others removed their tops, but Navirose didn¡¯tment on their attire. With a slight sigh, she continued. ¡°Starting today, you¡¯ll be attending ss together. Ronan, step forward.¡± Ronan scratched his head and stepped forward. All eyes were on the first-year student with the crimson tie. Murmurs from senior students other than second-years filled the air. ¡°Is that him? The top neer this year? He¡¯s good-looking.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the look in his eyes. He seems arrogant.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really feel anything special¡­ Did Navirose instructor make a mistake bringing him here?¡± The whispers were loud enough to be heard without even trying. Ronan shot Navirose a pleading nce. He wasmunicating through his gaze. ¡®Can you give in just a little bit?¡¯ Navirose tilted her head slightly. In aposed voice, she asked. ¡°Ronan, what subjects did you learn in Philleon till now? Onlybat subjects?¡± ¡°Yes? Um¡­ yeah. I mean, Imperial Swordsmanship, Imperial Spear Technique, and Basic Shield Technique¡­¡± ¡°Enough. Show me each of them one by one. Weapons and shields are all prepared.¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± It was a demonstration of his abilities. Ronan drew his sword, understanding her intentions. Swish! The white hilt of the longsword Doron had provided emerged from its sheath. ¡®Looking at it again, it¡¯s really well-made. I¡¯m looking forward to a few days from now.¡¯ It was hard to believe that the object being treated with such casualness was an extraordinary sword. Ronan, who had somewhat cooled down his temper, spoke with a sulky tone. ¡°Well, then, here I go.¡± Ronan began to swing the sword ording to what he had learned. Before the senior students¡¯ eyes, he disyed nine different sword techniques, followed by two additional techniques. The initial reactions of admiration gradually transformed into silence, their awe giving way to overwhelming silence. ¡°Is this his¡­ talent?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m at a loss for words.¡± ¡°Darn it, did you not hear what I just said?¡± Navirose watched the scene with an emotionless gaze. She knew that there was nothing better than a demonstration of skill to wipe out unnecessary pretensions. At that moment, the entrance to the arena opened slightly, and a tall girl burst in. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Instructor! I stayed back for extra lessons, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. But rather than that, look at that student. What do you think?¡± Navirose pointed her finger towards Ronan. He was currently holding a spear and demonstrating the second form of Imperial Spear Technique. The girl covered her mouth with both hands and eximed. ¡°Wow¡­! Who is he? He¡¯s a neer judging by the red tie, but how is he so skilled with that technique¡­¡± ¡°Can you recognize what¡¯s impressive about it?¡± ¡°Of course. First of all, his distribution of strength is perfect. When wielding a spear, people often makemon mistakes, but¡­ bnce¡­ huh? Could it be that he¡¯s not using mana right now?¡± The girl precisely pointed out why Ronan¡¯s martial arts were exceptional. Her analysis was sharper than that of most instructors. Navirose pursed her lips in a half-smile. ¡°If her skill were only half as keen as her insight, it would be wonderful.¡± Finally, Navirose turned her gaze towards the girl. There was a significant height difference, so the girl had to tilt her head up. ¡°One of the lucky few in this world. Keep a close eye on him. He¡¯ll quickly reach heights that aren¡¯t even visible at a nce.¡± Navirose noted the girl¡¯s midnight-ck hair, porcin skin, and prominent nose. She murmured the girl¡¯s name under her breath. ¡°Adeshan.¡± Chapter 32: Reunion (2) Chapter 32: Reunion (2) ¡°It¡¯s one of the rare strokes of luck in the world. Remember it well. You¡¯ll be able to rise to ces that are even beyond sight in an instant.¡± Her night-ck hair, pale skin, and prominent nose caught the eye. Navirose whispered her name softly. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yes. By the way, I really can¡¯t feel any mana from him. Is his innate mana really so weak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s even worse. You managed to reach the level of a Sword User, somehow, but not even a single drop of mana can be felt from that child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Is that even possible¡­?¡± Adeshan watched Ronan¡¯s spear technique as if she was possessed. His movements flowed seamlessly, without a hint of superfluousness. After demonstrating the Imperial Spear Art, Ronan picked up his shield and short sword. Adeshan muttered to herself. ¡°If I keep trying, could I eventually¡­ be like that?¡± Navirose didn¡¯t answer. The silence was as harsh as reality. However, Adeshan paid no mind to such things and continued to gaze at Ronan with admiration. It wasn¡¯t long before Ronan¡¯s demonstration concluded. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m done.¡± Ronan let the mace drop to the ground. After a moment of silence, apuse rang out among the seniors. p! p! The apuse that grew louder and more numerous gradually filled the entire arena. Someone shouted. ¡°Impressive, Junior!¡± Praise for Ronan followed sporadically. But none of it reached Ronan¡¯s ears. The heat radiating from his body dulled his senses. ¡°Ugh, damn, it¡¯s so hot.¡± Even though he was only shing through the air repeatedly, sweat poured down as if it were no joke. He had long since undone his jacket and loosened his tie. Ronan lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. His well-defined abs, reminiscent of a beast¡¯s, were faintly visible. Some of the female students whispered as they covered their mouths. ¡°Does he have a girlfriend? I should take Professor Navirose sses more from now on.¡± ¡°Damn, He¡¯s so hot. Should I ask him out?¡± Ronan wiped away all the sweat before raising his head. When his eyes met Navirose¡¯s, she nodded as if acknowledging his efforts. At that moment, someone approached with a towel. ¡°Um, there. I saw everything. There was not a single mistake in the end.¡± ¡°Oh, really. Thank you.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to receive some guidance some time. My name is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan.¡± Ronan grabbed the towel. It was the moment to express gratitude and say farewell. Facing a girl taller than himself, Ronan stiffened like a rock. ¡°General?¡± ¡°Huh? General¡­ What did you say?¡± The towel fell to the ground. Adeshan chuckled in embarrassment. Although sweat trickled down his forehead and gathered at the tip of his chin, Ronan stared at her face without blinking. Eventually, his mouth opened. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Hu¡­huh? You know my name?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Her expression changed slightly, but her face remainedrgely unchanged. Ronan picked up the towel and wiped his face. Ronan considered himself lucky to be sweating so profusely. He thought that a single drop of liquid, not sweat, from his eyes could go unnoticed. **** Navirose¡¯s ss mainly consisted of sparring. After a brief theory session and a demonstration of swordsmanship, students were paired up to engage in practice bouts. Today, Navirose taught the ¡°1-Second Stance¡± of the Navirose style. It was a technique that involved coiling the ck sword like a snake, making it difficult for the opponent to react effectively. Normally, Ronan would have watched with burning enthusiasm and followed along. However, today, he couldn¡¯t get into the rhythm of the lesson. He was thinking about the young general who had given him a towel before. There are people you can¡¯t forget no matter how hard you try. Having experienced death once, Ronan understood that fact. His beloved sister was one of them, and the disciplinary unit soldiers who used tough together every night were as well. The General who handed over the future at thest moment was also one of those people. Since receiving the towel, Ronan had stood at the same ce for quite some time. Adeshan stared at him strangely before responding to Navirose¡¯s call and rushing off. ¡®There¡¯s something wrong¡­ the atmosphere feels very different.¡¯ Ronan recalled the appearance of Adeshan from his previous life. The youngest Imperial General, the Duke of Acalusia, could not be found with even a trace of vulnerability. ¡®If someone tells me that iron flowed through her veins instead of blood, I¡¯d believe it.¡¯ The Adeshan Ronan knew was an extremely rational andposed individual. She sent most of the remaining Imperial Knight Order and other troops as an escort for the disciplinary unit during the battle with Ahayute, and that alone was evidence enough. Emotions were never revealed, and she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve her goals. She had opened her heart during theirst moments together, but even then, there was no sign of vulnerability in her role as the General. However, now her expressions were richer, and somehow, she seemed less mature. Nasdo, who had been practicing swordsmanship alone, shouted. ¡°Assistant Adeshan! Could you take a look at my posture?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡± Adeshan rushed over, holding a stack of documents. She was assisting Navirose . Nasdo demonstrated swordsmanship by thrusting his rapier into the air. Adeshan carefully analyzed his posture and then offered some corrections. ¡°Um¡­ overall, it¡¯s fine, but you¡¯re putting a bit too much strength into your left thigh. Try reducing the output of your core by about 20% and shift your center of gravity forward to the right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s much better. Thank you.¡± Nasdo expressed his gratitude. Adeshan left a kind smile and went to observe another student¡¯s posture. Ronan furrowed his brows at her meticulous and gentle manner. He couldn¡¯t reconcile her current appearance with her appearance from his previous life. Then a question urred to him. How many lifetimes has the present Adeshan lived? ¡®Could it be her first or third life¡­,¡¯ He couldn¡¯t know the effects of the bead exactly. However, judging by her appearance now, it seemed clear to anyone that she was living her first life. The smile Adeshan showed wasn¡¯t the expression of someone worn down by the storms of multiple lives. ¡®Could it be her fourth life? No, if that¡¯s the case, she must have been living by cutting fabric or something. In that case, did the General I knew die there? Damn, what exactly happened? His questions became increasingly overwhelming, making his head spin. Just then, a voice came from behind. ¡°Hey, neer. I saw your demonstration just now. It was quite intimidating, huh?¡± Ronan turned his head. A tall and sturdy-looking young man was standing there. He pointed to Braun and Nasdo, who were swinging a greatsword and rapier with great effort. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors. Youpletely crushed those two ruffians, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°At the entrance ceremony. Didn¡¯t you take care of that big, useless oaf and that guy who looks as dull as his weapon?¡± He was not wearing his tie, so his grade wasn¡¯t clear. However, seeing him belittle Braun and Nasdo made it seem like he was a higher-ranking student. It was a bit annoying to see him address the two who were still novices so disrespectfully, but he thought it might be due to familiarity. The young man extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Karudan Oun. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°To be honest, when I saw you, I felt a bit of self-doubt. How can you handle different types of weapons so perfectly?¡± ¡°I just did what I learned.¡± Karudan continued to praise Ronan. It felt somewhat excessive or condescending, but Ronan let it slide. There¡¯s no reason to dislike someone who likes you. Karudan twirled his spear and spoke. ¡°Would you like to have a duel with me? I want to learn a thing or two from a promising junior.¡± ¡°Sure. Are we doing it right here?¡± ¡°No. Just wait a moment. Hey! Adeshan!¡± ¡°Uh, yes?!¡± Karudan shouted. Adeshan, who had hurried over, stopped in front of the two. Karudan spoke irritably. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re so slow. Go and get my spear.¡± ¡°Spear? But the one you¡¯re holding right now is¡­¡± ¡°You idiot, you should understand when I hint. I¡¯m talking about the long spear and the short spear. Go quickly and fetch them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Adeshan turned and rushed away. Karudan grumbled about her frustration. Ronan frowned as he observed how Karudan treated her like a subordinate rather than an assistant. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just ask her to bring them when you called her?¡± ¡°Huh? Ahaha, you must have been a bit surprised. Sorry. I just can¡¯t stand people like her who try to enjoy privileges in fields where theyck skills.¡± Karudan pointed to Adeshan, who was searching for the spear. He exined that she wasn¡¯t qualified to attend Navirose¡¯s ss of ¡®Advanced Practical Swordsmanship.¡¯ He said she was shamelessly taking the ss despite still being at the level of a sword user. ¡°Why do they let her take the ss?¡± ¡°Stop talking. Can¡¯t you see how despicable it is for someone who¡¯s not even an official student to request privileges? Our grade knows all about it. It was the overwhelmed Navirose who allowed her in as an assistant.¡± In short, Adeshan wanted to take the ss of the renowned swordmaster Navirose , but she didn¡¯t meet the requirements. So, she asked to be an assistant by showcasing her keen observation and meticulousness, and Navirose epted. What¡¯s the problem? Ronan asked. ¡°She must have had some potential that made Navirose allow it, right? Just now, it seemed like she was quite capable as an assistant.¡± ¡°Well, are you into a girl who looks like a mix of everything? This is shocking. Although her face is not bad, your taste seems a bit¡­ ¡± ¡°Karudan! Here¡¯s the spear¡­¡± Just then, Adeshan, holding the short spear, arrived and stopped in front of the two. A few drops of sweat were trickling down her pale cheeks. Karudan lightly tapped Adeshan¡¯s forehead and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be so slow¡­ Even if you¡¯re not capable, you should do your assistant duties properly. Originally, you¡¯re not even qualified to take the ss.¡± ¡°Please, stop¡­ Karudan.¡± ¡°You should call me ¡®senior.¡¯ Hmm? I¡¯m a third-year student now. Address me as an upperssman.¡± Karudan didn¡¯t stop. Ronan looked around. Navirose was talking to Shullifen in the corner. Some seniors were ncing at them, but no one was intervening, just watching. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. His frustration was boiling over, and he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He ced his hand on Karudan¡¯s shoulder, who was mocking Adeshan. ¡°Let¡¯s have our duel then. I can¡¯t stand watching this anymore.¡± ¡°Oh? Sure thing. But why the sudden change in your tone? What you mean by ¡®Can¡¯t stand watching this anymore¡¯?''¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to know. Just get ready quickly. Is it okay here?¡± The floor of Arena 1 was marked with long, spacious rectangles. They were designated areas to ensure that different groups wouldn¡¯t ovep during their duels. Ronan walked to one end of a nearby rectangle and stood there. Karudan, who had taken the short spear from Adeshan, positioned himself at the opposite end. Seeing Ronan¡¯s expression, Karudan muttered irritably. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have the kind of look that you¡¯d show to a senior. What¡¯s bothering you so much, junior?¡± ¡°Just shut up, and I¡¯m d this is Philleon.¡± ¡°What are you suddenly talking about? And did you just use informal speech?¡± ¡°Yeah. Screw you.¡± The rectangles illuminated brightly, signaling the start of the duel. Ronan dashed forward as if shot out, grasping the hilt of his sword Chapter 33: Reunion (3) Chapter 33: Reunion (3) ¡°What are you suddenly talking about? And did you just use informal speech?¡± ¡°Yeah. Screw you.¡± The rectangles illuminated brightly, signaling the start of the duel. Ronan dashed forward as if shot out, grasping the hilt of his sword. ¡°What, what is it?!¡± Startled, Karudan swung his spear. Four crescent-shaped des flew through the air towards Ronan. He deftly twisted his body, evading the des. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat the school lunch through your asshole, right?.¡± It was clear just from looking at the des. They were far superior to Braun¡¯s. Of course, Ronan didn¡¯t know that. In an instant, the narrowing distance caught Karudan¡¯s attention. He gathered his remaining mana, summoning a de several timesrger than before. Karudan released the de and shouted. ¡°You crazy bastard! Die!¡± The de was aimed directly at Ronan¡¯s waist. It was an inescapable trajectory unless he had wings. But Ronan didn¡¯t evade. He merely held his sword vertically. ng! The dual-edged de struck Ronan¡¯s sides and exploded. Karudan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?!¡± The distance hadpletely closed. Before Ronan¡¯s eyes were already thousands of ck des. Most of them led to futures directly tied to turning Karudan into a pile of flesh. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°The academy is all fine, but this is the only thing I don¡¯t like.¡± He couldn¡¯t kill or mutte him. Ronan sighed as he sent a sword strike towards Karudan¡¯s head and his chest. Swoosh! The razor-sharp de slid back through the scalp. It was a moment after Karudan btedly retracted his body. As the severed hair floated in the air, a wide path was opened on Karudan¡¯s head. Seeing the falling hair, Karudan eximed in a bewildered, mixed voice. ¡°Huh? What¡­what is this?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to cut your hair for a while.¡± At the same time, thin lines appeared on the spear. The spear, now divided into twelve fragments, exploded into pieces. Ronan¡¯s motion continued as he swiped at Karudan¡¯s chest. ¡°Ugh!¡± Karudan, pinned from his back to the ground, gasped for breath. For a moment, his vision blurred before the ceiling unfolded before his eyes. It felt like his ribs were broken. Ronan twisted Karudan¡¯s cor and growled. ¡°Listen well, Karudan. This is a warning.¡± ¡°You, you think you can get away with this even after doing this? You, you¡¯re not even in the same grade, and you¡¯re doing this to a senior¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Smack! Ronan pped Karudan¡¯s cheek. A dull sound echoed from the violently turned head. Ronan pulled Karudan¡¯s cor, bringing his face close. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a senior like you, you bastard. And I don¡¯t care about that crap.¡± ¡°What, what¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Remember. If you act like that to her once more, I¡¯ll cut off your pathetic little thing and stick it to your forehead.¡± ¡°Hee¡¤¡¤¡¤hee hee¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°The most pathetic unicorn in the world. You¡¯ll probably even be shunned among the unicorns because your horn will be pathetically small.¡± Ronan let go of Karudan¡¯s cor. Karudan copsed, rubbing his head. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just had the worst nightmare of his life. The dueling arena had fallen into silence. Braun and Nasdo, who usually carried themselves with grace, were no different. Their attitude waspletely different from how they normally acted. Ronan, standing up, aimed the tip of his sword at a male student. ¡°Hey, you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah?¡± When Karudan was tormenting Adeshan, it was a senior who locked eyes with him. The student, pressed by Ronan¡¯s momentum, shrank back. ¡°When did this shit start happening?¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to die? You locked eyes with me earlier. Remember?¡± With his sword drawn, Ronan approached him. The frightened male student took a step back. Only then did Adeshan, who had regained his senses, step in front of Ronan. ¡°T-There is no need¡­ I¡¯m really fine. Calm down, okay?¡± ¡°Step aside. I can¡¯t stand seeing people like you being cursed and those bastards who are just standing there watching are the same.¡± Ronan pointed at Karudan, who was lying on the ground. His face,pletely drained of color, was filled with terror. Indescribable emotions boiled in Ronan¡¯s chest. He couldn¡¯t tell if it waste loyalty to his former superior or the result of the division he had made at thest moment. However, this wasn¡¯t the right way. The person who had given him a new chance shouldn¡¯t be treated like trash. It was the moment to repel Adeshan and move forward. ¡°Stop, Ronan.¡± The world Ronan was looking at was suddenly engulfed in darkness. The sound of metal clinking echoed from various ces on the ground. Ronan turned his gaze to where the voice came from. A gigantic serpent was ring at him up close. Ronan clenched his teeth, taking a deep breath. ¡°¡­Is that your familiar?¡± The snake¡¯s body coiled around the dueling arena, its end not visible. The serpent, as huge as Professor Varen, was enough to swallow him whole. The eerie pupils that paralyzed any creature they met had a deep green color simr to Navirose¡¯s. The snake¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°I won¡¯t ask about the responsibility for what happened during the duel with Karudan. A lot can happen during a duel. However, I cannot allow anything beyond that.¡± ¡°¡­Did you actually see everything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Damn, and you call yourself an educator? Your subordinate, no, a student, is being tormented.¡± Ronan spat on the ground. Swordmaster and all that bullshit didn¡¯t matter now. The snake revealed its venomous fangs as it fully opened its mouth. ¡°That¡¯s not your area to interfere. My assistant and I will handle it. Go back to your ce with your sword.¡± An eerie feeling, as if licking the brain with his tongue, ran through him. He knew this illusion was created by Navirose. But the trembling in his hand holding the sword didn¡¯t stop. Taking a deep breath, Ronan took a step forward. ¡°Fuck it.¡± The snake closed its mouth. A sharp impact was felt at the back of his head. Ronan¡¯s consciousness went nk. **** He woke up to the sound of cicadas. The ceiling made of leaves came into view. Through the gaps between the fluttering leaves, he could see the cloud-filled sky whenever the damp wind blew. ¡®Where is this¡­?¡¯ The air felt heavy. Ronan slowly raised his upper body. He was lying on a hammock made ofting. In a corner, the familiar voice wasing from. ¡± Even catching just one of them properly would be worth more than a mansion, like a dream eater or a sea nymph! The same goes for those bastards who just stand by and watch.¡± ¡°Then why are you shoveling shit with a spade here, Valus? Where did you leave the mansion?¡± ¡°Maybe those brainless idiots don¡¯t understand it, but really? Hey, Ronan! Could you lend a hand with these idiots!¡± Ronan got up from his spot. A very familiarndscape entered his view. A run-down shack built with debris, an Imperial campsite spread out below the mountain, and the guys sitting around a campfire chattering nonsense. Ronan recited the names of his punishment unit soldiers like a drunk person. ¡°Luudan? Martin? Valus? Why are you all here?¡± ¡°Ah, how much did you drink yesterday to look like that? I said let¡¯s have some together if you stole some alcohol.¡± ¡°Forget it. You guys went crazy from being bored, huh? Uracil, how much longer do we have to wait here? Are you the General or what?¡± Are you the General? The moment Ronan heard those words, an eerie feeling passed through his mind. It was a scene he clearly remembered. Immediately, he recalled what would follow and hastily got up. ¡°Damn it, now is not the time, you bastards. You can¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°What are you suddenly talking about, Ronan?¡± ¡°Shut up and follow me. There¡¯s no time¡ª¡± Ronan was about to grab Valus¡¯ cor when suddenly a ring sound, like a horn shaking the heavens and earth, echoed. Boooom! Boooom! Boooom! ¡°Ah, my ears!¡± ¡°What the hell is this sound?¡± His friends covered their ears. The cacophony from the campsite below the mountain began to reach their ears. The moment Ronan¡¯s gaze reached the sky, a majestic voice resounded in everyone¡¯s minds. ¡¾Ahayute answers the call. Everything is as per ¡°His¡± will.¡¿ A geometric magic circle appeared in the air along with the breaking of the clouds. The gigantic figure, with four wings outstretched, began to descend slowly as if shaking the earth. ¡°W-What is that?¡± ¡°M-Monster!¡± The soldiers who were used to unreal scenes screamed in terror. Arrows and offensive spells, as if waiting for the giant, were shot towards it. Seeing light gathering in Ahayute¡¯s hand, Ronan turned his head. ¡°Listen well. You guys won¡¯t be any help, so take advantage of the chaos and run away. Two of those things areing down, so head north¡ª¡± But Ronan froze in ce. All three of his friends had turned into corpses. Their bodies were so twisted that it was impossible to recognize their original features. Swoosh! The sound of rain reached his ears. Ronan realized that the background had suddenly turned into a deste wastnd. Ahayute¡¯s blue blood pooled beneath his feet. Someone whispered in his ear. ¡°Will you make me a judge?¡± ¡°Guh!¡± Ronan jolted up as if propelled. The nket covering him fell to the ground. White curtains were hung around, transforming his surroundings. The sound of urgent footsteps came with the curtain being pulled back. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Adeshan?¡­ Navirose?¡± Emerging from the wet curtain were Navirose and Adeshan in school uniform. Navirose, who was wiping Ronan up and down, turned around. ¡°You seem fine. I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Yes, sure!¡± The sound of footsteps grew fainter. It was truly an absurd exit. Adeshan, who had hesitated for a moment, sat down on the makeshift chair beside the bed. ¡°You fainted, so I brought you to the infirmary. How¡¯s your body?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Hey, did you get angry at me earlier?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. It was as if he had dreamed a nightmare. The image of the descending Ahayute, the scattered corpses, and the General¡¯sst words were lingering in his mind. Adeshan, noticing Ronan¡¯s mood, spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t hate the casual ones too much. Karadan was one of the top students in the third year. He was smart enough to know it was wrong, but he might have been too scared to say anything.¡± ¡°¡­Speaking of which, what about that guy?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but he probably won¡¯t show up in ss for a while. He couldn¡¯t even walk properly and had to be supported by his friends.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Ronan nodded. He decided to trust that Karadan or whoever that guy was had some sense. After warning him like that, if he didn¡¯t understand, Ronan would have had no choice but to kill him or make him a fool. ¡°General¡­ no, Adeshan. I have a question.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°Why do you tolerate such treatment and stay quiet? Don¡¯t you get angry? Especially Navirose, the instructor, allowing her student to be treated that way.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice became intense. ¡°Let me and my assistant handle it.¡± That was making him angry again. The words that fueled his anger were building up once more. Adeshan, twisting his lips anxiously, began to speak. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I asked for it.¡± ¡°You asked for it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Professor Navirose is a really good person, so I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand. I asked her. Even if someone who thinks like Karadan treats me lightly, don¡¯t intervene.¡± ¡°Why did you make such a ridiculous¡­ no, foolish request?¡± Adeshan exined the situation. The former Sword Saint Navirose was Adeshan¡¯s idol. After miraculously passing the Philleon entrance exam after four years of preparation, Adeshan wanted to attend Navirose¡¯s sses no matter what. However, her sses were only avable to students who had surpassed the level of Sword Expert. ¡°Because I enjoy privileges I don¡¯t deserve. I¡¯m still at the level of a Sword User. Even if I be an assistant, that won¡¯t change.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t particrly surprising given Adeshan¡¯s seemingly thoughtful nature. ¡°Even after years of training, you¡¯re still just a Sword User¡­? That General Adeshan?¡± In the past, when he didn¡¯t know much about mana, he might have let it slide. But now, the story was different. It was nonsensical. Ronan remembered Adeshan¡¯s aura. Of course, Adeshan¡¯s true strength came from her unique ability, not just her aura, but her aura also possessed a power befitting someone at the pinnacle of the Imperial Army. He recalled something about shadow mana. Just as Ronan was about to say something, Adeshan continued. ¡°But thanks anyway. It¡¯s our first time meeting, yet you cared this much.¡± ¡°¡­I was just annoyed.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re really a good person. Oh, look at this.¡± Suddenly, Adeshan pulled something out. It was the jacket he had thrown away during their duel. Pointing at the elbow area, Adeshan grinned mischievously. ¡°It was slightly torn, so I sewed it up. Looks nice, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± There was no sign of any blemishes on the elbow. Her sewing skills were exceptional. Adeshan, who had opened up a bit, began to chatter away. ¡°You¡¯re the first student to resist Navirose¡¯s aura and move. How did you even do that? Everyone dropped their weapons except Shullifen.¡± ¡°Just grip the hilt of the sword tightly.¡± ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re quite amusing.¡± Adeshan chuckled. She didn¡¯t seem to feel any difort at Ronan¡¯s rough way of speaking. The more he talked to her, the more he realized she was unusual. As Ronan was thinking about something, he spoke up. ¡°So, inspired by you, I went to the library, and there was this 1st-year girl there, standing alone. She had beautiful purple hair, so¡­¡± ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Why are you working so hard?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I want to know why you¡¯re so obsessed with bing stronger. You know it yourself. If it were someone else, they would have given up long ago.¡± Adeshan¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t good at all. Shecked innate talent, her practical scores were low, and she was even taking odd jobs to earn money for tuition. Yet, if her determination wasn¡¯t shaken, there must be something she can rely on. Ronan asked. ¡°Do you have any particr reason?¡± Adeshan hesitated for a moment. Ronan stared at her with a knowing smile. Avoiding his gaze, she looked at herp before speaking. ¡°W-well, I have a dream¡­¡± ¡°A dream?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to achieve it no matter what¡­ If you promise not tough, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Okay. I think we get along pretty well. Can I really believe you? I haven¡¯t told anyone yet.¡± Ronan nodded. Adeshan took a deep breath and began to speak. ¡°General.¡± Time seemed to stand still for Ronan. Adeshan, who had just washed her face, blushed and continued talking. ¡°I might look reckless, but I want to try challenging myself. Even though I¡¯m saying this myself, I have confidence in military strategy and tactics. I¡¯ve never missed being in first ce.¡± Hope was evident in her ashen eyes. Adeshan spoke rapidly, pouring out her feelings about her dream. ¡°And when a war breaks out, a lot of people die, right? I¡­?¡± Suddenly, Adeshan trailed off. A shadow crossed her face for a moment, but Ronan, whose vision had already blurred, didn¡¯t notice the change. Adeshan brightened up and smiled again, raising her head. ¡°Well, no, not that. Later. Anyway, I don¡¯t think anyone would want to follow a General who hasn¡¯t awakened her aura.¡± As her words grew longer, realization dawned on him. The Commander Adeshan he knew, who wanted to be a Tailor, was no longer here. Ronan wiped his eyes with his sleeve and let out a bitterugh. ¡°So¡­ oh! You said you wouldn¡¯tugh!¡± ¡°I¡¯m notughing.¡± ¡°You really aren¡¯t?¡± Adeshan looked at Ronan skeptically. He nodded, suppressing a bitter smile. Adeshan checked the time, then stood up from her seat. ¡°Well¡­ I should be going now. I¡¯ve rested enough.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, Navirose said to make sure youe to the next ss. She added that she won¡¯t let you off the hook if you don¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Damn it, got it.¡± ¡°Alright, see youter, Ronan. If you have anything to worry about or want to talk about, feel free toe to the First Training Ground or the Kratir dormitory anytime.¡± Thud! The door closed. Even after Adeshan left, Ronan remained seated on the bed for a while. The message she left behind lingered in his mind. ¡®Tell me not to fool around and be a Tailor, okay?¡¯ Fool around? Ronan twisted his lips. A reddish beam of light seeped through the curtains. The sun had set by now. ¡°How can I¡­ say that?¡± Ronan mumbled to himself. He remained there until the room grew dark, then finally returned to the dormitory. Chapter 34: The Cry from the Depths (1) Chapter 34: The Cry from the Depths (1) ¡°How can I¡­ say that?¡± Ronan mumbled to himself. He remained there until the room grew dark, then finally returned to the dormitory. As he opened the door, a maid who was dusting greeted him cheerfully. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯ve returned early today. Shall I prepare your meal?¡± Ronan threw his clothes into a corner of the room and flopped onto the bed. He mumbled as if speaking from underwater. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lucy. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°Not exactly¡­ it¡¯s more like¡­ something that¡¯s bothering my mood. Can I just pee here? It¡¯s too much trouble to go all the way to the toilet.¡± The maid¡¯s name was Lucy. Over the past few weeks, Ronan had gotten fairly close to her. He had been annoyingly persistent in wanting to learn various cooking skills. Lucy responded with a serious expression. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Please maintain human dignity.¡± ¡°But you said you would clean it up for me in the beginning.¡± ¡°Just as lovers who can¡¯t bear to part after three days of being together will whisper eternity during their first confession. By the way, are you really okay?¡± Lucy looked at Ronan, who was sprawled out, with concern. Normally, he should have engaged in productive activities as soon as he entered the room, behaving like a person who might die tomorrow. Reading books, exercising, and such. Ronan mumbled again. ¡°Lucy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Should I protect the dream of the innocent, or should I fulfill theirst wishe?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been pondering some philosophical questions.¡± ¡°Choosing one means the other won¡¯t be realized. Damn it, I really don¡¯t know.¡± Ronan grabbed his head. Thetter was a conclusion he had reached after three lifetimes. The general who saw the end knew that going back home and working with fabrics or tailoring was the path that would make her the happiest. From a rational perspective, it made sense to break Adeshan¡¯s sword and retire after that. But every time he tried to make a decision, the face of the girl Adeshan appeared before him. ¨C I want to be a General. Even though it may seem reckless, I want to give it a try. Ronan couldn¡¯t make her a general. However, he could awaken qualities within her that she wasn¡¯t aware of. But that would only expedite her bing a general. ¡°What the hell¡­ what do you want me to do¡­¡± If he were someone else, he wouldn¡¯t have even considered the dilemma. Amidst his exasperation, he heard Lucy¡¯s voice, which was dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Is this something you have to decide right away?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not something you have to decide immediately, how about observing for a while? I don¡¯t know the details, but everyone has their own worries. Just like when I was debating whether to be a maid or not.¡± ¡°Observe¡­? So¡­ I don¡¯t have to make a decision right away¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. The more important the decision, the more it requires contemtion.¡± Lucy spoke in a gentle tone. After a few minutes of silence, Ronan lifted his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it a lot, but Lucy seems better than most teachers.¡± ¡°Hehe, even if it¡¯s empty praise, it¡¯s nice to hear. Thank you.¡± ¡°No, really. Professor Navirose is even capable of knocking out students.¡± ¡°Navirose? Seriously?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. She even transforms into a massive serpent¡­ I¡¯ll take a rest, Lucy.¡± ¡°Alright. If you ever need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± Lucy bid farewell and left. Ronan remained in the same position for quite some time. The ticking of the clock¡¯s second hand, the rustling sound of his own breathing were the only things filling the space. Eventually, Ronan, who had flipped over his body, murmured softly. ¡°¡­ Maybe I should observe a little longer.¡± Moonlight seeped through the window, casting a blue path across the room. At that moment, the path was interrupted as something collided with the window. Thud! ¡°Ah, damn it, you scared me!¡± Ronan quickly sat up. A rather ugly sparrow was perched by the window, fluttering around. Ronan sighed and opened the window. ¡°What are you up to again? Did you drink?¡± Then Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the sparrow¡¯s leg. A small note was tied to it. As he untied the note, the sparrow flew off without looking back. The contents of the note were brief. ¡°The weapon isplete. ¨C Dydican¡± **** Even as the sun set, the work of the educators continued. Adeshan and Navirose were in the office attached to the primarybat arena, organizing the materials from the day¡¯s lessons. The piles of documents before them listed the information and progress of each student. Dressed in a shirt, Navirose rummaged through the papers and spoke. ¡°Adeshan, do you see any students showing signs of awakening soon?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Marsha de Acalusia from the fourth year seems promising.¡± ¡°Another one from that family, huh? Quitete for an Acalusia.¡± Adeshan nodded. She had already known about one new student who had awakened magic. Speaking of which, she remembered they had ns to go to a caf¨¦ together tomorrow. ¡®Strangely, I¡¯ve been more involved with new students this year¡­¡¯ New students. Adeshan, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke up. ¡°Professor, I have something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°About earlier¡­ when you manifested the aura to stop Ronan¡­ was it necessary to go as far as awakening?¡± Her voice trembled slightly. Navirose smirked, recalling the events of the morning. It had been a while since she had experienced any form of rebellion. ¡°Why? Were you suddenly spouting this type of nonsense in the infirmary?¡± ¡°No, no! It¡¯s not that¡­ I mean, it was just¡­ an exceptional case, wasn¡¯t it? You could have easily subdued him with your skill alone.¡± ¡°True, it had been a while since I brought out the serpentpletely. I believe it was the third time since I became Professor.¡± Navirose nodded. She had known about the magic-awakened student from the moment she awakened it. Come to think of it, she had promised to meet Ronan at a cafe tomorrow. ¡°Professor. If I may ask, how did you feel about Ronan¡¯s reaction?¡± Navirose didn¡¯t answer. It was an inexplicable, unsettling energy that was difficult to describe urately. She had experienced it once before, albeit briefly. Not as a Swordmaster, but in the dense forests of Armauge before she reached that level. In a fleeting moment, an exhrating sensation pierced through her entire body. Just as a flock of birds takes off, her aura manifested reflexively. ¡°It was peculiar. Moments after manifesting the aura, the energy subsided. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t escte into anything significant.¡± ¡®Among the opponents I¡¯ve faced so far, he was the strongest swordsman.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t forget it even if she tried. The white-haired swordsman had handed Navirose a crushing defeat and then left after teaching her a few sword techniques. Some of those techniques became the foundation of Navirose¡¯s style. For a moment, Navirose felt a simr sensation from Ronan. Reflecting on it briefly, she spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t exin in detail. The important thing is that he resisted awakening and took a step forward. And look at my uniform.¡± ¡°What?¡± Navirose gestured to her uniform hanging over the chair. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as she approached, her pupils contracting. There was a hint of reddened skin, about the width of a finger, near the cor. ¡°As you know, I suppressed him with my aura and struck the back of his neck to make him lose consciousness. In the process, he countered. Whether he read my movements or instinctively swung a blind sword, I¡¯m not sure, but his sword undoubtedly aimed for my neck.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Well, it happened, so we must consider it possible.¡± Adeshan was amazed. The fact that he even took a step forward was inconceivable. Awakening. The aura of a swordsman who once stood at the peak of the Empire. Even Shullifen de Gracia, holding onto the hilt of a sword, could barely stand before the snake that mourned those about to die. Adeshan knew the rumors were true, that Navirose had once paralyzed a flock of wyverns in the sky, causing them to plummet to their deaths. ¡°Anyway, keep an eye on Ronan, Adeshan. He¡¯s the only talent who can rival Shullifen for the Swordmaster¡¯s position. At least, that¡¯s my perspective.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Zaifa should be on alert as well. Even that cat can¡¯t stay in the Swordmaster¡¯s position forever.¡± Navirose let out a lowugh. Adeshan looked at her as if she found her peculiar. Was it because of what happened earlier in the day? The usuallyposed professor seemed unusually lively today. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the rtionship between you two?¡± ¡°What rtionship?¡± ¡°He seems to hold you in quite a high regard. It¡¯s evident he has special feelings for you. Most of the time, it¡¯s love, but given how strange he is, it¡¯s hard to be certain.¡± Navirose said nonchntly. Adeshan¡¯s face turned red as she pondered the meaning of ¡®love¡¯ for a moment. ¡°Lo-love? What are you talking about¡­? We just met today¡­¡± ¡°Just think of it simply. Most of the male trainees are little more than talking rocks.¡± Adeshan pped her hands forcefully. Navirose let out a wry smile and turned back to the stack of documents. ¡°Well, shall we continue our work then?¡± **** ¡°This stupid weekend outing system. Just let us go after ss; where else could we possibly go?¡± ¡°Well, we can do most things within the grounds, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like being restrained.¡± The weekend had arrived. Ronan, Aselle, Marya, and Cita were heading towards Gran Cappadociate at night. As Aselle saw Ronan¡¯s exhausted face, he worriedly asked. ¡°By the way¡­ Ronan, did you not sleep? You look really tired.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not okay, Aselle. Did you manage to sleep? Aren¡¯t you curious about what kind of monstrosity that punchbag-like genius has created?¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Cita interjected. Somehow, looking at Ronan¡¯s slightly pudgy appearance, Aselle burst intoughter. It seemed that every time Cita brought messages back and forth between them every four days, his sister sent a lot of food. Maraya, hearing Ronan¡¯s words, responded incredulously. ¡°By the way, Isn¡¯t it toote now?¡± ¡°I had no choice. If I had missed the Navirose ss, that demon professor would have killed me. Dammit, my shoulders are still sore.¡± Ronan had to attend Navirose ss that he had missed due to fainting. Perhaps because there weren¡¯t many people due to the makeup ss, the teaching became even more intense and relentless. Only after Ronan wlessly demonstrated Navirose¡¯s three fundamental techniques was he allowed to leave the gates of Philleon. ¡°Damn it, She should¡¯ve at least taught us something like that snake thing.¡± ¡°Snake thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that. If you guys had seen it, you probably would¡¯ve wet your pants.¡± Ronan recalled an incident that had urred a few days ago. The gap between him and the former Grand Swordmaster was even greater than he had thought. While his eyes could follow the movements, his body couldn¡¯t keep up. Under Aselle¡¯s teasing, Ronan had not slept properly. However, it wasn¡¯t just because of the excitement about Doron¡¯s weapon. ¡°At least this much is not eptable. I need to be stronger, using any means necessary.¡± It was a humiliating defeat. He didn¡¯t expect to be unable to use any techniques, no matter how formidable they were. Ronan conserved his sleeping hours, trained his body, and honed his skills. He even stayed up all night trying to achieve mana maniption, something that was beyond his current capabilities. ¡°At least within three years, I want to achieve awakening.¡± Navirose¡¯s awakening had been a tremendous shock. It wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as Shullifen¡¯s Stormde, but it was a powerful technique with a psychological impact. The thought that such power might also be hidden within him left Ronan unable to stay still. Of course, he would need to first seed in mana sensitivity. Muttering to himself, he said: ¡°I need to find something good to eat¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± Walking along the workshop street, they soon arrived at a copsing cksmith¡¯s forge. The signboard that read ¡°Hammer Hammer Hammer¡± looked like it might fall even if the wind blew slightly. Ronan knocked on the forge¡¯s door and called out: ¡°Hey, Doron. We¡¯re here.¡± However, there was no response. Even knocking again didn¡¯t yield any results. Ronan looked back at hispanions and asked: ¡°¡­You don¡¯t think something bad happened, do you?¡± ¡°Surely, he wouldn¡¯t lose his sanity and do something like that. Doron! We¡¯re here!¡± Marya, sensitive to the notion of something going wrong, shouted. Her voice was loud enough to make the forge tremble, but there was still no response. Frustrated, Ronan mmed the door with his fist. Bang! The door slid along its hinges and hit the wall. There hadn¡¯t been atch in the first ce. ¡°Hey, Doron. Stop fooling around ande out.¡± The group entered the forge. The scene was no different from before: andscape of hammers. Moonlight streamed in through a hole in the ceiling. Floating dust, the still-cool forge, and rusty pieces of armor were visible. They moved toward the location where the elevator had been. The entrance to Gran Cappadocia was supposed to be connected here, but it was impossible to distinguish it with the naked eye. Ronan reached out his hand and began to explore the back of the forge. ¡°Where was it¡­?¡± It was a structure that activated the elevator by pressing a specific spot. He had been searching the dusty surface for a while. Somewhere, he heard a strange sound. ¡°Aaah¡­¡± It was a sound that couldn¡¯t be described in words. Ronan halted his actions. As Aselle followed suit, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Shh. Be quiet for a moment.¡± He tried to listen again, but all he could hear was the creaking of the outer wall in the wind. Ronan looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m sure I heard it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s shoulders suddenly shook as Cita leapt from his shoulder. Itnded on the ground and tapped its forehead against the floor. Ronan hurriedly pressed his ear against the spot Cita had tapped. He felt a faint vibration. ¨C Wuuuurrrrmmmm¡­ ¨C Aaaaahhh¡­ ¡°Dammit.¡± Ronan quickly got up. It was a strange sound reminiscent of the day they left Gran Cappadocia. And faint screams wereing from below. Chapter 35: The Cry from the Depths (2) Chapter 35: The Cry from the Depths (2) ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan quickly stood up. It was a strange sound, simr to the days when he left Gran Cappadocia. And faint screams wereing from below. Aselle looked at Ronan¡¯s grim expression and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong, Ronan?¡± ¡°It seems like something has happened in the lower district.¡± Ronan pounded the back of the furnace haphazardly. Suddenly, a certain section went in, and the floor began to sink. Ronan furrowed his brows and muttered. ¡°Too slow¡­¡± The descent was painfully slow. Ronan grabbed a battle hammer hanging on the wall and started striking a corner of the elevator. Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°What, what are you doing now?!¡± Marya, surprised by Ronan¡¯s sudden actions, eximed. The hollow sound echoed, and stone fragments scattered. Ronan nodded at Marya, who locked eyes with him. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the strongest. Use your strength.¡± ¡°Hu-huh?¡± Ronan threw the battle hammer at Marya. Catching the hammer, Marya alternated her gaze between Ronan and the hammer. Ronan shouted in frustration. ¡°Damn it, hurry up. You¡¯ve got money and weapons to collect!¡± ¡°Ugh, fine, I got it!¡± Marya clenched the hammer handle. Mana permeated through the handle, gathering at the head of the hammer. She raised the hammer above her forehead, then mmed it onto the elevator floor. Kwaang! A bluish glow appeared along with a deafening noise. ¡°Your nickname ¡®Riceball Genius¡¯ was right on. This side suits you better.¡± The corner of the elevator shattered as a pitch-ck space appeared. Complete darkness, devoid of even a hint of light, stretched out before them. A sudden rush of cold air dampened Ronan¡¯s bangs. Catching a whiff of the smell reminiscent of rotting eggs, Ronan wrinkled his nose. ¡°The smell of sulfur¡­¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Aselle and Marya covered their noses and mouths. It was a much stronger sulfur smell than usual. Ronan twisted his lips, considering several possibilities. Boilingva beneath the ground, the scent of sulfur, and dwarves digging through the earth. Based on his umted experiences wandering the world, a promising future wasn¡¯ting to mind. Ronan gestured to Aselle and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aselle.¡± ¡°Huh? What? What¡¯s happening all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Marya, go back to Philleon and let them know the situation. Especially informing Kaido.¡± ¡°Kydokan? You mean¡­ the hunting instructor? Dydican¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. He might have some connections for finding people. And given the level of our professors, they probably know something about that forge. Anyway, hurry.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan? Why are you suddenly grabbing me¡­¡± Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s hood. Sensing a familiar sense of foreboding, Aselle was about to step back. Ronan¡¯s footnded on the edge as he jumped into the hole. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Darkness poured over the boys¡¯ heads. Marya¡¯s scream echoed from above. Cita, eyes wide, wings folded, swooped down toward Ronan and Aselle. ¡°Byeeee!¡± In an instant, Cita reached the boys and grabbed onto Ronan¡¯s back. Her four wings spread open, slightly reducing their falling speed. It was the moment when Aselle, regaining his senses, was about to cast a spell. ¡°I-in-invisible¡­ hand!¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Ronan covered Aselle¡¯s mouth with his palm. Even in the midst of the rapid descent, Ronan¡¯s expression remained calm, as if he were on a pic. He pulled Aselle¡¯s hood and said, ¡°We can¡¯t stop now. We¡¯re almost at the bottom. Understand?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh!¡± ¡°You have to do it at the right time. If you mess up this time, It¡¯s not empty words¡ªwe¡¯ll really die. Got it? Nod if you understand.¡± Ronan demanded. Aselle barely nodded his head. Tears welled up in his eyes and scattered into the void. Just as they thought the bottom was getting brighter, the sight of Gran Cappadocia unfolded before them. Ronan twisted his lips. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°What¡­ What is all of this?!¡± It was a dismal sight. It seemed like a deluge of massive rocks had swept over the city. The once orderly buildings were now shattered like sandcastles trampled upon. The previously confinedva had overflowed and was cooling on the road. Most of the once abundant stctites and stgmites were shattered. Ronan, catching the stronger smell of sulfur, furrowed his brow. ¡°Let¡¯s get ready.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Steel supports were swiftly passing by the boys¡¯ sides. Aselle closed his eyes. Amidst the roaring wind, a faint incantation resonated. ¡°Slow Zone.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was a spell Ronan hadn¡¯t heard before. He reached his hand towards the ground. A geometric magic circle appeared at the point of anticipated impact, and the falling speed noticeably slowed down. ¡°Wow.¡± Ronan rounded his lips in amazement. The boys¡¯ bodies, which had been slowing down gradually, nearly came to a halt about 5 meters above the ground. Another familiar incantation flowed from Aselle¡¯s lips. ¡°Invisible Hand!¡± Invisible hands caught the slowed bodies. Aselle¡¯s telekinesis lowered both of them quickly and safely to the ground. As Ronan¡¯s feet touched the ground, he gave Aselle¡¯s back a firm pat. ¡°Good job, Aselle. When did you learn something like that?¡± Using a spell other than the Invisible Hand was quite remarkable. Aselle, his eyes wet with tears, managed a faint nod. Atst, the ground brightened beneath their feet, revealing Gran Cappadocia¡¯s scenery. Ronan twisted his lips. ¡°Damn, we¡¯rete.¡± ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± The scene was dismal. It looked as though a torrent of massive rocks had swept through the city. The once orderly buildings nowy in ruins, much like sandcastles that someone had stepped on. The previously containedva had overflowed and was cooling on the streets. Most of the prominent stgmites and stctites were broken. Ronan, catching the stronger scent of sulfur, furrowed his brow. Just then, a faint moan reached their ears. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± Both boys turned their heads almost simultaneously. The groan wasing from beneath a scattered pile of stgmites. Hastily, Ronan pushed aside the rocks. A dwarf, draped in a tattered apron, came into view. ¡°Cough, cough! Urgh¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized the dwarf¡¯s face. It was the same dwarf who had been scolded by Dydican for something rted to transparent scrolls before. ¡°My, my legs¡­ twisted.¡± Seeing the dwarf¡¯s legs twisted at a grotesque angle, Aselle felt a surge of nausea. Ronan poked Cita, who was still clinging to his back. ¡°Cita.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As if in response, Cita muttered, and it casted a spell on the dwarf. A small magic circle appeared in the air, and the twisted leg straightened back to its original position. The dwarf, feeling relief from the diminishing pain, opened his eyes wide. ¡°Th-this¡­ my leg¡­ Wait a moment, you two came with Dydican before¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll ask quickly. Simple rock ident, infuriated rock spirits, cave giants. Which one happened? Personally, I hope it¡¯s not the second or third.¡± Ronan grabbed his shoulders and shook the dwarf. The dwarf, trembling, spoke with a quivering voice. ¡°I-it seems like the third¡­ suddenly, they surged from the depths of the tunnel¡­¡± ¡°Darn, I had a feeling. Stay put here.¡± It seemed they identally stumbled upon the dwelling of the cave giants while digging through the tunnels. Considering their tendency to live deep underground, encountering such monsters was unlikely for dwarves, in any case. Ronan was about to take a step forward. ¡°Ho-hold on¡­ just a moment!¡± The dwarf, struggling, got up. He held onto Ronan¡¯s shirt and spoke. ¡°C-can you help¡­ myrades have been kidnapped. Even the old Do¡­ Doron was taken¡­ by the time the stupid old man tried to resist, Dydican¡¯s child had gone to save him, but he hadn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Ronan impatiently swept his bangs aside. The situation was far from cheerful. ¡°How long has it been since the rocks came crashing down?¡± ¡°Uh, not much time has passed. It¡¯s been a few hours at most.¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s somewhat fortunate. Wait here.¡± Ronan nodded his head. Given the cave giants¡¯ habits, there was still hope if it had only been a few hours. These creatures had the habit of taking captives to theirirs and preserving them for a while before consuming them. Tears resembling chicken droppings were flowing from the dwarf¡¯s eyes under his apron. ¡°P-please¡­ both of you¡­ going like this won¡¯t do¡­ especially that Dydican¡¯s child¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Ronan promised. While rescuing those kidnapped was important, it wasn¡¯t right to leave other survivors to their fate, especially when there was a possibility they might perish soon. However, sending Aselle to rescue everyone was impractical due to the vast area. It was also possible that his mana would deplete quickly while searching for injured people. Knowing where the captives were buried would make things much easier. With a quick decision, Ronan spoke with a bitter tone. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ll be back soon, so do your best to hold on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Aselle nodded with determination. Cita, who had been yfully tilting its head by their side, now climbed atop Aselle¡¯s head. ¡°Cita?¡± ¡°Go fast.¡± Suddenly, its four wings spread wide. Its red pupils emitted light. Soon, beams of red light began to rise from various piles of rocks. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. After swinging a total of twenty-five times, the ores that functioned as armor finally fell apart and scattered. Ronan finally swung his sword toward the exposed gray flesh. Slice! Along with the sensation of cutting through frozen meat, yellowish blood spurted out. ¡°Kraaaargh!¡± Once again, a guttural scream erupted. The unbnced giant staggered and fell. Ronan thrust his sword into the giant¡¯s face as it crashed to the ground. The de went deep, almost as if piercing through something soft. A squelching sound followed as the de went in¡­ and then the giant let out a gurgling scream, thrashing before finally going limp. ¡°Disgusting bastards.¡± Fortunately, Ronan was ustomed to dealing withrger foes. He drew his sword and swung his arm like a seasoned warrior. The de, stained with yellow blood and chunks of flesh, was already showing signs of wear. There might still be more giants lurking around. Ronan hurried as quietly as he could toward Doron¡¯s forge. Thankfully, no new giants appeared until he reached the interior of the building. Suddenly, a doubt crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®But how did they know what weapon to take?¡¯ He realized he hadn¡¯t heard the most important part. However, it was toote to worry about it now. Ronan stealthily made his way into Doron¡¯s forge. The nest made of barrels was still intact. In the center of the nest was a furnace with a perpetually burning fire and a pristine white anvil. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± As Ronan¡¯s gaze fell upon the anvil, his eyes widened. Resting atop the anvil was a sword unlike any he had seen before. Ronan approached the sword almost trance-like. The hilt was short, the pommel almost nonexistent. The long de, radiating a ck sheen, was so thin that the back could be seen through it. ¡°This is my sword?¡± Ronan instinctively recognized it as his weapon. To confirm, he lightly touched his fingertip against the de. A sharp pain and a thin cut followed on his finger. ¡°Damn!¡± The sharpness was beyond belief. The blood that trickled along his finger didn¡¯t stick or slide off; it soaked directly into the de. Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°An expert like Doron made this¡­ What on earth did he create?¡± Chapter 36: The Cry from the Depths (3) Chapter 36: The Cry from the Depths (3) The blood that flowed along the fingers dripped onto Ronan¡¯s dark de. Instead of forming droplets or sliding off, the blood seeped directly into the de. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°D-Doron¡­ What exactly did you create?¡± In many ways, the sword was far from conventional. A crimson energy danced across the surface of the de, which had absorbed the blood. Beyond the translucent sword, the view of a cksmith¡¯s workshop could be seen. Its weight was astonishingly light as well. Swinging this de through straw of the same size wouldn¡¯t feel lighter. Ronan furrowed his brow as he spun the sword in the air a few times. ¡°Darn, is this thing going to break as soon as it hits something?¡± With an anxious heart, Ronan sheathed a longsword and a dagger. It was a precaution in case the new sword didn¡¯t hold up its strength. Upon leaving the cksmith¡¯s workshop, he spotted Cita and Aselle moving around busily. People who had been buried beneath the rubble were emerging whenever debris floated up. Those who had already been rescued were lying in a row on the ground, receiving Cita¡¯s healing magic. The reinforcements that Marya had gone to call seemed to not have arrived yet. Ronan began to follow the footsteps of the giants. **** ¡®Jegiral. Jegiral. Jegiral. Jegiral¡­¡¯ Dydican cautiously took steps forward. Fortunately, his footfalls weren¡¯t loud. He resented even being a creature that had to breathe to survive. ¡°Grrr¡­ grrr¡­¡± In the expanse of the cavern, Dydican was surrounded by three Stone giants. Ugly stone creatures exhaled a pungent sulfur smell with every breath. He felt like he would fall asleep if he rxed even for a moment. The heat trapped inside his full-body armor,bined with the sensitive senses of a werewolf, made his mind hazy. Still, Dydican couldn¡¯t remove the armor. The moment the invisibility enchantment on it was lifted, the stone giants would tear him apart. Tears welled up in Dydican¡¯s eyes. ¡®How did things end up like this¡­!¡¯ All the problems started when the newly dug tunnel copsed. Suddenly, a spacious chamber appeared as the rock crumbled away. Unfortunately, it was the hideout of the stone giants. Invaded in their territory, the giants chased the miners, reaching Gran Cappadocia. In just a few hours, the stone giants turned Gran Cappadocia into ruins. They hurled boulders the size of houses, smashing buildings and causingva to flood the streets. It was an unprecedented disaster that happened too quickly to respond to. The giants who had destroyed the vige took some of the miners and craftsmen as their food. Even the renowned inspiration, Doron, was among them. Dydican remembered Doron resisting, saying he had to protect his creations. ¡°Foolish Doron. Did he think he was a warrior?¡± Stealthily avoiding the giants, Dydican ventured deep into the cave. Eventually, the cavern that the giants used as theirir came into view. Dydican swallowed hard. Eighteen stone giants were either sleeping or wandering around. Just then, the werewolf¡¯s acute hearing detected something. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ Damn it, Master Doron. We¡¯re going to die, aren¡¯t we? Just like that?¡± ¡°The chances are very high. But we shouldn¡¯t give up just yet.¡± Doron¡¯s voice was mixed in the conversation. Dydican quickened his pace. Soon, he saw a group of people sitting huddled together. Doron sat beside a highly anxious youth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Master? W-We¡¯re going to die¡­ They¡¯re going to devour us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve lived a life without regrets. But it¡¯s a bit regrettable that I couldn¡¯t pass on the sword to that child.¡± Doron¡¯s voice was bitter. He felt satisfaction and regret that his final creation concluded in such a masterpiece, yet he couldn¡¯t pass it on to its rightful owner. At least I¡¯ve guarded the forge by leaving my body behind. The young man, who had been biting his nails all along, stood up abruptly. ¡°Darn it! I can¡¯t die here! I don¡¯t want to be those monsters¡¯ meal!¡± ¡°Hold on, wait!¡± Doron tried to stop him, but it was in vain. The young man started running towards the exit. Naturally, his footsteps caught the attention, and the nearest giant began chasing him. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! The giant caught up with the young man after just four steps. ¡°Aaah! Help me!!¡± The young man, caught in the giant¡¯s grasp, screamed. The stone giant put the young man¡¯s head into its mouth. Dydican turned his head. Squelch! Blood sprayed out from between the rocky lips. ¡°For crying out loud¡­¡± The giant that devoured the young man returned to its original spot. Dydican gritted his teeth. He should¡¯ve at least brought Doron some time. Just then, a shiver ran down his spine. ¡°Growl?¡± ¡°Dammit.¡± Dydican slowly turned his head. A stone giant had appeared behind him, staring nkly at him. Dydican realized that the enchantment on his armor had been lifted. ¡°Of all times¡­¡± It seemed the enchantment was still iplete. He needed to achieve his goal, even if only partially. Dydican was about to rush towards Doron. ¡°Growl!¡± ¡°Whack!¡± Suddenly, another stone giant appeared behind him and swatted Dydican away. Thud! Dydican went flying and mmed into the wall. ¡°Ugh! Growl¡­¡± The impact, as if he were losing consciousness, surged over him. Bleeding, Dydican slid down the wall. Only then did Dydican, who had finally noticed Doron, widened his eyes. ¡°Dydican? Why are you here¡­¡± ¡°Cough, shut up, inspiration. Just run away!¡± There was no way out now. Dydican threw his helmet aside. He grew almost twice his size, and russet fur sprouted all over his body. Transformed into a werewolf, Dydican charged at the giant that had knocked him away. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡°Growl!¡± Dydican, now on top of the giant, swung his fist. With a dull thud, the rock that covered the giant¡¯s face shattered. The people who had been trapped began to scatter in a panic. ¡°Ugh! Dydican?¡± ¡°Now¡¯s the time! Run away!¡± ¡°Growl!¡± Hearing the noise, other stone giants were shouting and charging toward them. All their attention was fixed on Dydican. Seeing Doron still rooted in ce, Dydican yelled in frustration. ¡°Why are you still here? Run!¡± The stone giants were already closing in. Uttering curses, Dydican hurled himself forward. Just before the giants could reach him, he smacked Doron and rolled off the ground. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Ugh! Growl¡­¡± It was a boulderrger than an ordinary chicken coop. Dydican¡¯s resignation settled in as he closed his eyes tightly. Familiar voices reached his ears. ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m not toote. ¡± Thud! The giant, who was carrying a boulder, fell to the side unexpectedly. The giant blinked and looked down at his lower body. Yellowish blood was spurting from the severed section of his ankle. ¡°Growl?¡± The foot that had fallen from Dydican¡¯s bodyy not far away. The giant, btedly realizing the situation, let out a pained scream. The shadow that had rushed while stepping on the giant¡¯s body swung a sword. Swish! A yellow line appeared on the giant¡¯s neck, and his head fell to the ground. ¡°Gurgle?¡± ¡°Growl?!¡± The giants who were stomping on Dydican turned their heads. Slowly, a dreamy voice flowed from Dydican¡¯s lips as he raised his head. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Well, I guess this won¡¯t be needed after all.¡± Ronan tossed the longsword he had at his right hip. Dydican¡¯s pupils widened at the sight of the sword in Ronan¡¯s hand. Ronan pointed his thumb towards Dydican. ¡°Nice job, Dydican. I saw you fight well.¡± ¡°Ro¡­ nan? H-how did you get here¡­ What about the other giants?¡± ¡°Ah! The ones we encountered on the way here?¡± Ronan was about to say something when a giant, who had btedly understood the situation, swung a fist at him. ¡°Growl!¡± Ronan jumped up, stepping on the giant¡¯s fist. Rising to the height where he met the giant¡¯s eyes, Ronan rotated vertically and swung his sword. Swish! The thin ck de sliced through the giant¡¯s face and simultaneously, the massive body copsed forward. As the head hit the ground, the gush of brain matter sttered across Dydican¡¯s face. Ronan nonchntly spoke. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Upon closer inspection, the giants that had been wandering the area were nowhere to be seen. Ronan dashed towards the remaining giants. With each graceful swing of his translucent sword, the giants¡¯ arms and legs were severed. ¡°Groan! Growl!¡± ¡°Growl!¡± Intermittent screams erupted from the giants¡¯ mouths. The eerie de sliced through the rocky skin of the giants like butter. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Dydican watched Ronan¡¯s merciless ughter, forgetting his own pain. Doron¡¯s sword was just a sword, but his swordsmanship was far more refinedpared to their previous encounter. Imperial swordsmanship, the Navirose style, and even the stolen swordsmanship from Marya. Each technique emerged sequentially to match the situation. Suddenly, Dydican¡¯s body trembled. The sound of a shiver ran down his spine. If Ronan had decided differently, he might have died during their first meeting. Thud! Within minutes, thest giant fell. ¡°Gr¡­ growl¡­¡± ¡°You damn stone bastards.¡± Ronan swung his sword through the air like a whip. It was a habitual motion to shake off blood, but the strange sword didn¡¯t spew any blood. ¡°Oh, ohhh! You finally found me¡­¡± At that moment, Doron crawled out from beneath where Dydican had been crouching. Seeing Doron unharmed, Ronan ruffled his hair. ¡°You¡¯re alive, Doron. I thought you would have be a piece of meat.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks to my apprentice.¡± There wasn¡¯t a single wound on his small body. Dydican, who smiled faintly, copsed as if he crumbled. Doron gently patted the battered armor of his assistant and spoke. ¡°Thank you, Dydican. Truly.¡± ¡°If you are then¡­ promote me to a proper master cksmith¡­¡± Dydican left those words hanging before he fainted. Doron chuckled and turned his head to Ronan. ¡°He¡¯s quite an impatient fellow. Anyway, this guy will end up taking my position sooner orter.¡± ¡°Our race can¡¯t live for hundreds of years like you, Donor.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hahaha.¡± Doron chuckled while stroking his beard. He looked at the sword in Ronan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°So, do you like Lamancha?¡± ¡°Lamancha?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the name of the sword. I took the name from my beloved dreamer. It¡¯s the name of the knight who was madly obsessed with touching the stars.¡± ¡°Madly obsessed with stars¡­ It¡¯s not bad at all.¡± Ronan nodded. Doron snorted and continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t it impressive? You have no idea how much effort I put into melting that eggshell to alloy it. Creating ore from a blend of ten different ores was less demanding than that.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weapon specifically made for you. It¡¯s as strong as mithril or even stronger, and it¡¯s so light that it¡¯s almost chilling. But the most astonishing thing is that when it¡¯s fed blood, it heals from injuries and gains additional attributes. Oh my, and I didn¡¯t even apply a separate enchantment!¡± Doron said that the reason Lamancha drank blood was unknown even to him. Ronan could only specte that it stemmed from Cita¡¯s ability to manipte blood. After discussing Lamancha for a while, Doron seemed to remember something and widened his eyes. ¡°Oh right, what happened to the people who were captured?¡± ¡°They all managed to escape safely. I killed all the giants we encountered on the way here, so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°Well, well¡­ you¡¯ve done something big.¡± Doron let out a relieved sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment and reflected sadly on the young man who had died. When he eventually opened his eyes, Doron looked around carefully. He noticed the scattered bodies of the stone giants. There seemed to be dozens of them. Doron¡¯s head tilted as a sense of unease washed over him. ¡°However¡­ something¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The current situation. Do you know anything about the ecology of stone giants?¡± ¡°To some extent.¡± Ronan nodded. He had been involved in a mission to subdue stone giants in his previous life as a punitive officer. Doron absentmindedly stroked his beard. ¡°In that case, our conversation should be quick. Can you guess why these creatures have gathered like this?¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t monsters like them naturally social creatures?¡± ¡°They do form groups, yes. But at most, there are usually three or four together. I¡¯ve never heard of so many stone giants gathering like this before.¡± ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Upon hearing Doron¡¯s words, it seemed to make sense. The previous operation to subdue the stone giants had taken ce in a western mine. Despite being as deep and vast as the Gran Cappadocia, the mine had only four giants. Ronan remembered the words of themander back then. ¨C It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen them gathering in groups of three or four. Stay alert, everyone. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Doron¡¯s expression turned serious. Ronan, who had been massaging his chin, finally spoke up. ¡°I wonder what happened among them.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m bothered by the fact that they were overly aggressive. Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Kruawaaaack!¡± Doron was about to continue speaking, but a familiar roar echoed from the other side of the cave. With thudding footsteps, new stone giants emerged, and Doron took a sharp intake of breath as he stepped back. ¡°W-What is this¡­ There are still more of them left?¡± ¡°Well, these creatures sure have a talent for interrupting conversations. I think it¡¯s just as you said, Doron.¡± Even at a nce, there were over twenty of them. The pupils of the giants glowed fiercely in the darkness. Ronan looked at Lamancha¡¯s de. Despite reaping so many lives, the ominous aura around the sword didn¡¯t diminish. Adjusting his stance, Ronan fixed his gaze on the giants. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out once we start killing them.¡± ¡°Kruawaaaack!!¡± The stone giants roared in unison. Ronan gripped Lamancha tightly and lunged forward. Chapter 37: The Cry from the Depths (4) Chapter 37: The Cry from the Depths (4) ¡°Well, if we keep killing them, something will definitelye out.¡± ¡°Groooaaarrr!!¡± The Stone giants roared simultaneously. Ronan, gripping his sword tightly, charged forward. Knowing the power of his sword, there was no need for heCitation. Ronan dashed forward in a straight line, swinging his sword. The legs on both sides of the giant at the forefront were severed. ¡°Growl¡­!¡± The torso of the legless giant copsed forward. Ronan leaped over the falling giant¡¯s back, using it as a springboard, andnded on the shoulders of the giant right behind. Thud! As Ronan spun through the air, the giant¡¯s headnded on the ground. Thud! ¡°Roooaaargh!¡± Blood spurted from the clean cut. The giants on either side clenched their fists in anger. Ronan leaped vertically to evade their attacks. Kwaaang! Two massive fists collided in midair. ¡®They really look damn ugly.¡¯ Had he been hit, he would have been smashed beyond recognition, but since he wasn¡¯t hit, it didn¡¯t matter. Debating between left and right, Ronan sprinted along the arm of the less attractive left giant. Thud! Ronan drew a circle with Lamancha once again. A yellow line appeared around the giant¡¯s nose, and its upper part fell off. The giant whose half of the face was missing looked at Ronan with widened eyes. ¡°Gro¡­ growk?¡± ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ronan swiftly turned his body and struck the left giant¡¯s eye socket with a well-aimed blow. Saack! Oozing liquid spurted from the giant¡¯s bisected pupil. ¡°Gr-groooaaargh!!¡± A scream of agony erupted from his mouth. Despite cutting into rocks, there was no resistance as if cutting through water. Even without infusing mana, the effect was impressive. The giant who had be a leader raised its hand to cover its eyes. Ronan¡¯s arm shot forward. Thud! Ronan, with his de embedded between the giant¡¯s fingers, scrambled the giant¡¯s brain before retracting. ¡°Grawk.¡± The lifeless body began to tilt. Less than a minute had passed since the start of the battle. The blood-soaked de was gleaming triumphantly. Ronan looked around at the other giants and spoke. ¡°At this point, you should be frightened. Aren¡¯t you even a bit afraid?¡± He felt that unnecessary killing was starting to weigh on him. Frankly, Ronan hoped that scaring them a bit would make the giants flee. The giants responded with defiant roars as they charged relentlessly. ¡°Groooaaargh!!¡± Ronan sighed. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop now. He leaped towards another giant and muttered to himself. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you want it.¡± The smooth ck de extended like a snake. As always, it didn¡¯t take long for the job to be done. **** ¡°Wow, this is amazing. It works like this too.¡± Ronan dipped the tip of Lamancha¡¯s de into the pool of blood at his feet. As the pool rapidly diminished, a radiant energy akin to a crest began to emanate from the sword. Behind him, the dismembered bodies of Stone giants were strewn everywhere. Looking at the carnage, Ronan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°What were these guys trying to achieve in the end?¡± ¡°¡­What exactly are you?¡± Doron stared at Ronan in disbelief. Steam was rising from his body, soaked with the giants¡¯ blood. It was unbelievable even when he saw everything that happened. Ronan hadn¡¯t set foot on the ground until he wiped out twenty-six giants. It was a sight akin to a predator hunting its prey. ¡°By any chance, do you not have a scabbard for that sword? If you keep carrying it on your back like this, your butt might fall off.¡± Ronan swung Lamancha, now soaked with blood, into the air. The sound echoed like a ghost whistling. Doron, who btedly regained his senses, opened his mouth. ¡°Ah¡­ looks like I need to make a scabbard again. Sorry, but could you wait a bit?¡± ¡°Why do you need to make it again?¡± ¡°I entrusted the final decorative work to another smithy, but they barged in. It probably wasn¡¯t destroyed, but the remnants might be buried somewhere deep.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, we can look for itter. Anyway, what were you about to say earlier?¡± ¡°What was I going to say? Ah, right. Your memory is good.¡± Ronan nodded his head. Doron couldn¡¯t hear his words fully due to the interruptions from the oblivious rock creatures. Without taking his eyes off the unreal carnage, Doron continued speaking. ¡°I think¡­ there¡¯s a possibility that the king of the Stone giants has appeared.¡± ¡°A king?¡± ¡°Yeah. Whether it¡¯s a king or a leader, it¡¯s someone who ys a role at the top. The fact that so many gathered here, along with the actions the Stone giants disyed today, made me sense some sort of organization.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that a hasty judgment?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a high chance. But, as you know, we dwarves have the most interaction with the monsters underground.¡± Doron recounted the stories passed down among the dwarves about the king of the Stone giants. The king, several timesrger than the typical Stone giants, resided deep underground, ruling over the Stone giants¡¯ kingdom. ¡°So, the attacks on the miners in the tunnel and the dozens of them following us all the way to the forge¡­ you think it¡¯s the doing of the Stone Giant King?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but apart from that, there¡¯s no other usible exnation. We¡¯ve never experienced or heard of such a thing¡­¡± Ronan scratched his chin. It sounded like an unbelievable story, yet it seemed oddly convincing. After all, in a decade or so, winged buggers would descend and wreak havoc in the world; there was nothing that couldn¡¯t be believed. ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll go check out where these guys came from. Whether it¡¯s a king or whatever, once we kill them all, this kind of thing won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Wait a moment¡­ How about waiting a bit? Reinforcements have been called, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going right now. I don¡¯t know who that girl will bring along, but I can¡¯t just let her wander into the underground infested with monsters by herself.¡± He realized it from the recent disy of aggression. Coexistence with Stone giants was impossible. Determined, Ronan stretched and yawned. He used his finger to scoop up some giant¡¯s blood and smeared it on Dydican¡¯s nose. A pungent smell of sulfur emanated from the blood. Dydican, who had been twitching his eyebrows, stirred and woke up as Ronan poked his nose. ¡°Grrooaack! Hrrrk¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s this?! What¡¯s that smell¡­¡± ¡°Dydican. Can you move? No, you have to move.¡± ¡°Ronan? Ugh¡­ damn it. What the hell happened? Why does it feel like there are more corpses?¡± Dydican covered his head like someone suffering from a terrible hangover. Ronan briefly exined the current situation. Dydican, as if suffering from a severe hangover, clutched his head like a person in distress. Ronan recounted the current situation briefly. Having heard that he was going to find the king of the giants all of a sudden, Dydican furrowed his brow. ¡°What were you talking about the Stone king?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ll finish it up ande back, so go up with Doron. If you ask Cita, It probably will heal your injuries.¡± ¡°Cita?¡± ¡°You saw itst time. The ck, featureless bird, remember?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Dydican nodded. He stared at the rolling head of a Stone giant that had ended up at his feet. Suddenly, his eyes widened. ¡°Wait a moment, Ronan.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Dydican nudged the giant¡¯s head with his foot. As he furrowed his brow and examined the back of the giant¡¯s head, he extended his index finger. ¡°This.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ronan squinted. Where Dydican¡¯s index finger pointed, there was a pattern etched into the giant¡¯s head. Faintly emitting a peculiar light, it gave off an alien impression. ¡°Do they have tattoos too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The feeling is odd¡­ Wait a moment.¡± Dydican furrowed his brow further and began examining the corpses of other giants. While the body parts were different, the same pattern was engraved on each corpse. The werewolf¡¯s intuition was sending a warning. Dydican, who had been drooling, called Doron. ¡°Doron,e take a look at this for a moment.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Doron, who was walking over with a stagger, examined the pattern. After gently stroking the pattern with his wrinkled hand, Doron spoke up. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. It seems like some kind of magic¡­¡± ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°Yeah. But I can¡¯t really tell what kind of magic it is. You¡¯re saying this was engraved on the giants¡¯ bodies?¡± Ronan nodded. Doron scratched his beard, pondering. Eventually, he shook his head. Even after hundreds of years, he had never seen anything like it. The mystery only deepened with each new piece of information. Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s making me more curious. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Even if I tell you not to, you¡¯ll leave anyway. Please be careful.¡± ¡°Sure, Ronan. Something about this doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing much will happen. With this, what could possibly be scary?¡± Ronan shook Lamancha. After seeing the two off, he headed deeper into the Stone. It didn¡¯t take long before he came across a massive passage leading further downward. The traces left by the giants were evident. ¡°After the King of the Stones, it¡¯s unknown magic.¡± The eerie passage was shrouded in darkness. The sound of water seemed to echo from somewhere. Should¡¯ve brought a torch or something. I wonder if everyone¡¯s found some by now. Ronan continued to think various thoughts as he pressed on. How much time had passed? His narrow view widened as a vast space opened up. Ronan halted his steps. The spectacr sight before him dwarfed even the grandeur of Cappadocia. ¡°This¡­ is truly¡­ incredible.¡± The space was so expansive that he couldn¡¯t gauge its end. Ronan looked around like a person overwhelmed. Various glowing mosses covered the walls and ceiling of the vast chamber. Rather than a Stone, it felt like being cast into a night sky full of stars. Somewhere, flowing water formed a stream. Animals, whether birds or insects, flew around, making it difficult to tell which they were. Enormous mushrooms with tentacle-like extensions, resembling jellyfish, sprouted here and there. A unique ecosystem had formed within the Stonernous night sky. It was an environment where several smithy buildings could be constructed, more like a vige than a few forges. ¡°Is the kingdom of the stone giants really here?¡± Ronan took slow steps. The damp floor bore the dense footprints of Stone giants. While he didn¡¯t know where they were hiding or whether he had killed them all and they weren¡¯t visible anymore, he could deduce that giants had once congregated here. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Something¡¯s off, for sure.¡± Ronan muttered under his breath. The remaining footprints were all rtively recent. If this was the stone giants¡¯ kingdom, there should have been older traces. Based on the clues, Ronan formed a hypothesis. It seemed that the giants who had been wandering the underground had gathered here momentarily. They had all moved uniformly towards Cappadocia. As if following someone¡¯s orders. ¡°Ugh!¡± While walking and looking at the floor, Ronan bumped into something and hit his forehead. As he cursed and raised his head, he saw a wall made of yellow crystals. The wall extended upward with a gentle curve. What the hell are these doing in the middle of the Stone? It was a moment of absentmindedly inspecting the wall. ¡°Damn.¡± Ronan took a sharp breath and staggered back, nearly dropping his scabbard. It wasn¡¯t a wall. A giant covered entirely in crystals was sitting hunched over. Ronan had mistaken the giant¡¯s back for a wall. This giant was on apletely different scale than ordinary Stone giants. Even while hunched, it was impossible to gauge howrge it would be when standing. But something was off. Ronan frowned. ¡°¡­Dead?¡± The giant remained hunched, unmoving. There was no sound of a heartbeat, no scent of sulfur that emanated whenever Stone giants breathed. What in the world is this? Could it really be a Stone giant? Ronan tried to closely examine the giant. Just then, he heard a voice from across. ¡°Got a problem?¡± ¡°Not exactly sure. The connection with thest dispatched entity has been severed.¡± ¡°Damn it, what do we do now? There are no giants left.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ve confirmed that all the facilities have been destroyed anyway.¡± Instinctively, Ronan concealed his presence. He pressed his body against the giant and slowly moved in the direction of the voices. Before long, he spotted a man and a woman engaged in conversation. ¡°Well, that settles it. With this, the empire¡¯s alchemy and metallurgy will likely experience a setback.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a high chance of that. Most of the craftsmen are probably dead.¡± ¡®Who are these bastards?¡¯ Listening in on their conversation, Ronan furrowed his brow. Judging from their physique, both of them were human. The woman wore a pure white robe, while the man was d in armor. The appearance of the robe was particrly unique; the hood that covered the face down to the nose reminded him of the messengers depicted in fairy tales. Just as the woman raised her palm, she interrupted the man. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°I sense an intruder.¡± ¡°An intruder? How did the mana barrier not detect anything?¡± ¡°I can smell sulfur. Right over there.¡± The woman pointed in Ronan¡¯s direction with her chin. The man in armor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Wait and see. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s just shoot once. We¡¯ll know. Fireball.¡± Suddenly, the man raised his arm. He cast a spell and a fireball shot forth from his hand, heading straight for Ronan. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Cursing, Ronan leaped back, hitting the ground. The fireball that hit the giant exploded, producing a loud noise. The man who saw Ronan¡¯s reaction whistled in admiration. ¡°Hey, there really was something!¡± ¡°He got quick reflexes. Be careful not to miss it.¡± ¡°Sure. Fire Wall.¡± As Ronan turned to face the man, suddenly, a wall of mes sprang up around him. The mes surrounded Ronan. The man approached Ronan slowly and spoke. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°¡­I was going to ask you that same question. What is a man and a woman doing alone together in this gloomy underground?¡± ¡°Huh, a cheeky little brat, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t particrly like your attitude.¡± The man flicked his finger into the air. The wall of fire began to narrow gradually. The mushrooms and mosses that came into contact with the mes crackled and sizzled as they burned. ¡°What should we do? Killing him is probably the right choice after all, right?¡± ¡°Though I have many questions I want to ask him¡­ but it seems like killing him is a better option.¡± ¡°Indeed. Such minor issues could dy the arrival of the stars.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. His heart started racing in response to a specific word. The two people turned their heads upon hearing Ronan¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s up, kid? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Arrival of the stars, what does that mean?¡± The man and the woman faced each other. The woman tilted her head. The man scratched the back of his head and looked at Ronan again. ¡°As much as it pains me to admit it¡­ I can¡¯t answer that question. Unfortunately, that¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t tell you. Since you¡¯re going to die anyway, ask me something else.¡± The man shrugged as if regretful. Ronan clenched his scabbard. He felt his breathing quicken. A slightly defiant voice escaped his lips. ¡°No, You both have to answer. You need toe with me.¡± ¡°Huh, you think you can catch me?¡± The man chuckled. ¡®He¡¯s really quite amusing.¡¯ Just as he was about to say that, Ronan¡¯s figure vanished from sight. Only the divided wall of fire remained, flickering in the darkness. The man¡¯s eyes widened. A voice echoed in his ear. ¡°Yeah.¡± The disappeared Ronan reappeared between the two. Thump. The man¡¯s left arm fell on the ground. Chapter 38: The Cry from the Depths (5) Chapter 38: The Cry from the Depths (5) The disappeared Ronan reappeared between the two. Thump! The man¡¯s left arm fell on the ground. Soon, a burning pain engulfed the man. ¡°Kr-Kraaak!¡± A scream echoed through the tunnel. The man clutched his arm and copsed. Red blood gushed out from the bone-revealing wound. Most wizards would be incapacitated by pain alone, but Ronan had no intention of giving an opening. Swish! Three swift sword strikes flew, severing the man¡¯s ankles and tongue. ¡°Ugh, aghh!¡± ¡°Edwon!¡± ¡°Thedy shoulde too.¡± The man referred to as Edwon groaned. Ronan immediately swung his Lamancha towards the woman. He could sense something tick-ticking against the de, as if it was hitting a mana shield. Judging by the sensation, it was a significant shield, but unfortunately, Ronan was the opponent. sh! A red line appeared where the woman¡¯s thigh was, and blood sprayed forth. ¡°Urk! Th- The shield?!¡± ¡°Oh, it was shallow.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t feel the bone cutting. The woman didn¡¯t move her legs as if someone was pulling her from behind. She shouted sharply. ¡°Serysma!¡± ¡°What kind of magic is that?¡± At that moment, Ronan¡¯s body floated in the air. It felt entirely different from Aselle¡¯s telekinesis. Ronan gritted his teeth against the immense force that enveloped his entire body. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Swallow him whole!¡± The woman shouted. Then, the shape of a massive serpent gradually appeared. Beyond the serpent¡¯s body that held Ronan captive, a panoramic view of the aerialndscape was visible. ¡°A spirit, perhaps¡­!¡± The woman poured a potion from somewhere onto her wounds. The serpent spirit named Serysma pushed its round head forward. Itsrge mouth opened wide. -Shaaa¡­ ¡°You fool, is it a trend for women to raise snakes these days?¡± A suppressed ribcage pressed against his lungs. His entire body waspressed, making it impossible to swing his sword at the right angle. Ronan grabbed themanca buried in the soil. Just as the serpent¡¯s tongue almost touched his cheek, Ronan pulled out themanca and stabbed it into the serpent¡¯s eye. The translucent tip prated deep into the serpent spirit¡¯s eye. -Shaaargh! The body that held Ronan was released as if it were thrown back. Taking advantage of this, Ronan stomped on the serpent and charged towards the woman. The woman was muttering something quickly, but themanca was already approaching her. ¡°Th- This!¡± This time, he won¡¯t miss. The crescent moon drawn by themanca was about to pierce the woman¡¯s ankle. From behind, a familiar low-pitched sound reached his ears. ¡°Explosion.¡± Instantly, a shiver ran down his spine. Looking down, Ronan saw a massive magic circle shing under his feet. In an instant, numerous possibilities shed through his mind. ¡°Toote to dodge. Can¡¯t block it. Attacking is dangerous too.¡± He didn¡¯t take long to make a decision. After dispelling the mana shield, Ronan charged towards the woman. Kwaaaang! An explosion swallowed the two. A massive column of fire erupted from the center of the aerial square, illuminating the surroundings like daylight. Before long, the shes subsided. As the smoke cleared, the figures of the three individuals became visible. Ronan¡¯s judgment was correct. A deep and wide pit had been dug where Ronan had been, but there wasn¡¯t a scratch on his body. Seeing Edwon¡¯s appearance, Ronan let out a bitterugh. ¡°I thought you were an idiot.¡± ¡°Let her go.¡± Edwon red at Ronan and growled. His pronunciation of the growl was fluent. His severed left arm and tongue were attached once again. However, it was a bit questionable whether they should be called ¡°attached.¡± If one were to be precise, it would be more urate to say they had grown back. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ll probably think of this for three days every time I eat. Are you even human?¡± The newly grown left arm of Edwon wasn¡¯t humanlike. Dozens of tentacles twisted and wriggled, barely imitating a human hand. The same applied to his tongue and ankles. The wriggling tentacles in ce of tendons were repulsive. The tentacles that pried and slithered out through clenched lips gave the impression that they were holding a living amphibian inside his mouth. The woman was breathing heavily. She looked at the transformed Edwon and opened her mouth. ¡°Ed¡­ Edwon¡­¡± ¡°Shut up,dy. My sword can¡¯t recognize a human face.¡± The de of Lamancha was a paper¡¯s width away from her neck. With each of her breaths, her snow-white neck would touch the de, creating a delicate spectacle. Edwon spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll ept your demands. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. So release her.¡± The few drops of blood that flowed were being absorbed by the sword¡¯s de. Ronan chuckled as if he found it amusing. ¡°Acting all sentimental about a subject you¡¯ve stripped of such magic.¡± ¡°She had a mana shield strong enough to withstand my magic. I didn¡¯t know you could exploit it, though.¡± ¡°Usually, the brain works quickly in urgent situations.¡± Ronanughed heartily. Just as the explosion was about to trigger, Ronan used a sword strike to slightly breach the mana shield and then attacked the woman. As expected, the quickly regenerated mana shield blocked the explosion. Ronan frowned, unexpectedly. ¡°But¡­ why is your tone like that? Can¡¯t you assess the situation?¡± Lamancha was a hand span away from Ramanca¡¯s neck. Its red lines had appeared on both sides of her ankles. As the tendons snapped, blood gushed out. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Cyril!¡± The woman called Cyril copsed as if her legs had given away. Her hood fell, revealing her face that had been hidden all along. Shiny blonde hair, distinctly elongated ears unlike those of humans, caught his eye. Ronan stepped on Cyril¡¯s fallen back and growled. ¡°Just as I thought, you weren¡¯t human. I¡¯ve known since I smelt the sulfur or whatever.¡± ¡°Cough!¡± She appeared to be an elf or a half-elf. Due to the characteristics of her race, she resembled a doll, but that wasn¡¯t something to be noted. Ronan chuckled while aiming the tip of his sword at Cyril¡¯s neck. ¡°Decide. Will you obediently follow me? Or do you want to be dragged along like a limblessrva after all your limbs are cut off? I won¡¯t ask twice.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Edwon clenched his fist. Crunch! It was the sound of his teeth breakinging from his mouth. Edwon, who had been trembling all over, finally lowered his head. ¡°¡­.I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Good choice. If I carelessly cut them off and you guys end up dying, that¡¯d be problematic. Well then¡­¡± Suddenly, Ronan halted his words. He felt an indescribable unease. Edwon¡¯s eyes were slightly curved. ¡®Is he smiling?¡¯ Suddenly, a breeze blew in from the right. Sensing a dreadful premonition, Ronan turned his head. A giant fist covered in golden crystals was approaching right in front of him. ¡°You¡­!¡± Ronan put Lamancha sideways and assumed a defensive stance. Kwaaang! The giant¡¯s strike erupted, causing dirt and dust to explode. The crystal giant that sent Ronan flying grabbed Cyril, who was hanging by his other hand. ¡°Graaaah¡­¡± The giant ced her on his shoulder. Cyril, who had donned her hood again, opened her mouth. ¡°Wow¡­ Thank you for buying me time, Edwon.¡± ¡°How did he notice? I casted interference and silent magic for sure.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a warrior who relies on intuition like that guy¡­ Oh, you¡¯re like a monster!¡± Cyril breathed heavily. The spell she had been casting before the explosion was a spell to control the crystal giant. Blood was still flowing from her ankles. Unlike Edwon, her body wasn¡¯t regenerating on its own. Edwon said with a shocked expression. ¡°Well, I was in danger too. Crazy kid, not hesitating even with a knife.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯m d you killed him now¡­¡± She had never imagined that the little bastard who suddenly appeared would pose a threat to her life. Edwon shook his head. ¡°If I had encountered him a bit more grown¡­ I¡¯d have been done for without a chance.¡± But in the end, battle experience determined the oue. He probably couldn¡¯t have imagined using a simr technique to Explosion again. Edwon whistled as he looked up at the crystal giant. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s incredible. He¡¯s massive, fit for a king. Couldn¡¯t we have just used this giant in the first ce?¡± ¡°He¡¯s practically just a shell¡­ you know it can onlyst a few minutes.¡± ¡°True, you¡¯re right.¡± As she fumbled through her belongings, she pulled out a sealed scroll. ¡°First¡­ Oh, I¡¯ll be going back to check. Please take care of the aftermath.¡± ¡°Sure. As soon as we get to the sect, make sure you get treated.¡± Cyril untied the string that bound the scroll. Geometric runes wriggled on the ck paper. A blue light cluster appeared behind her. Edwon moved his footsteps to confirm Ronan¡¯s death. Thick dirt and dust obstructed his view. The crystal giant, freed from Cyril¡¯s control, was still pressing his right arm into the ground. He must have turned into a virtually unidentifiable lump. Edwon muttered in frustration. ¡°What a waste¡­¡± Thunk! In an instant, amidst the rising dust, a circr void appeared, and a single shadow darted out. ¡°Huh?¡± In a split second, Edwon, who met Ronan¡¯s gaze, opened his mouth wide. An iprehensibly fast thrust sliced through his limbs. Swoosh! Both his arms and legs were severed from his body simultaneously. Beyond the threshold of pain, Edwon¡¯s consciousness was severed. Seeing this scene, Cyril screamed. ¡°H-How!¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d catch you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Ronan¡¯s guess was spot on. Dust stuck to the blood on his body. The blood flowing from his forehead was gathering at the tip of his chin. ¡°Wait.¡± With his sword¡¯s tip, Ronan aimed at Cyril. He began his charge. With each of the crystal giant¡¯s arms he pierced, the gap narrowed at a terrifying speed. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡± It was the moment when Cyril desperately tried to throw herself into the portal. Ronan threw the Lamancha he was holding. The sword flew in a straight line and struck Cyril¡¯s knee. ¡°aaagh!¡± Lamancha pierced through her knee and lodged into the giant¡¯s body. Cyril fiercely struggled and severed her own leg. Seeing this sight, Ronan spat on the ground. ¡°Damn it. What a stubborn woman.¡± ¡°Th-his can¡¯t happen¡­ This is unbelievable!¡± Struggling and crawling, Cyril finally reached the portal. With tear-soaked eyes, she looked back at Ronan and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll never¡­ never forget what happened today. I¡¯ll find you wherever you are and kill you.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Cyril¡¯s arm gradually disappeared into the portal. It was an unreachable distance. There was nothing more to throw. Obsession. Anger. Despair. These three emotions stormed through Ronan¡¯s mind like a tempest. Just as Cyril¡¯s head was about to enter the portal, the world turned ck. Both Ronan and Cyril¡¯s bodies stopped at the same time. ¡°What¡­?¡± Cyril couldn¡¯tprehend the current situation. The portal that had been running out of time was flickering in front of her. She had to jump in right away, but her body wouldn¡¯t move as if it were a stone. Swooosh! After a few seconds, the portal disappeared. Despite that, Cyril couldn¡¯t even let out a scream of despair. A familiar voice came from behind Ronan. ¡°Are you okay, Ronan?¡± ¡°Seriously¡­ What fantastic timing.¡± A familiar voice. A familiar paralysis. Even experiencing it again, it felt like a bitter sensation. Still, he was better than the first time. Ronan turned his head with a groan. A massive snake, muchrger than the snake spirit Serysma, was ring at Cyril. The sword of the First Sword of the Vanguard, Mansa, was in its slightly open mouth. From the slightly parted jaws of Mansa, the voice of Navirose flowed out. ¡°I heard the general outline. You did a great job.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Who thought the professor wouldpliment me?¡± ¡°I do when it¡¯s called for. Anyway¡­ you¡¯re injured, Ronan.¡± Navirose, looking at Ronan, who was aplete mess, muttered quietly. At the same time, the scales of Mansa, unlike Serysma, began to rise like waves. ¡°You have to listen to my lessons in this condition.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaah¡­¡± Cyril¡¯s face turned pale. In a world where all her senses were paralyzed, she stared at the massive snake approaching her. Just as despair began to engulf her, a familiar voice echoed behind Ronan. ¡°Did you touch my disciple?¡± The snake¡¯s jaws closed. Cyril¡¯s consciousness faded away. Finally, Navirose, who had harvested Mansa, hugged her. Ronan descended from the giant¡¯s body and sat on the ground, feeling a wave of umted fatigue rushing over him. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Ronan lifted his head. The luminescence from the moss-covered walls was scattering light like stars. The screams that had been reverberating from underground were no longer audible. ¡°Professor Navirose!¡± Soon, soldiers holding torches entered. Navirose, throwing Cyril beside Edwon who had turned into an otter, gave an order. ¡°Restrain these two.¡± Chapter 39: Rodollan (1) Chapter 39: Rodon (1) Ronan seeded in capturing Cyril and Edwon. They were led away by soldiers who followed behind. The soldiers took basic precautions to ensure that Cyril wouldn¡¯t die during the transportation. ¡°Her bleeding is severe. Bring potions and bandages.¡± Cyril¡¯s left knee was cleanly cut off. Her bleeding only stopped after pouring potion into it. ¡°W-what is this exactly? Are his limbs growing back?¡± On the other hand, no such measures were taken for Edwon. Tentacle-like sprouts were growing from where his limbs used to be. The soldiers who were carrying Edwon became thoughtful. Ronan, who was approaching, snatched the torch from one of the soldiers. ¡°Give it here.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Ching! Ronan sliced all four sections with the torch. Edwon, who had been struggling, emitted a painful groan as he fell unconscious. The writhing tentacles stopped growing and regenerating. It was a scene that made one¡¯s stomach turn. Ronan spat on the ground and muttered as he wiped his mouth. ¡°Damn, is this some kind of magic too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not well-versed in this area, so I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°No matter how impressive magic is, I don¡¯t want to learn about stuff like this. But I have something I really need to ask these guys.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a crime against the Empire rather than individuals, so they¡¯ll probably be escorted to Rodon right away.¡± ¡°Rodon? The prison floating in the Yemyeong Sea?¡± ¡°Yes. The interrogators there will extract everything they know.¡± Rodon was a ce Ronan had heard of many times. The Fortress of Screams, Rodon. It was a ce where criminals who had caused harm to the Empire were imprisoned and interrogated, where screams and tears never ceased. The interrogators of Rodon, who employed cunning and persistence as their basic qualities, were said to extract confessions from suspects by ¡®any means necessary¡¯. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling uneasy, I¡¯ll arrange a separate meeting ce, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Geez¡­ You look so cool today, Professor.¡± ¡°You little¡­ Is this also some kind of magic?¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened for a moment upon hearing thepliment. She pointed her chin at Lamancha at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Tsk, by the way, that¡¯s an unusual sword. Did Daron the craftsman make it?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you like it?¡± Navirose nodded in silence. The aura emanating from the Sword wasn¡¯t ordinary. If not for herposure as a Professor, she would have wanted to swap and wield itter. ¡°Anyway, good job, Ronan. The achievements you and your friends have made will be reported to the headmaster in due time.¡± ¡°I just did what I could.¡± ¡°While it¡¯s impossible to awardmendations for events that took ce in secret, there will surely be separatemendations. As someone indebted to Gran Cappadocia, I express my gratitude.¡± Navirose smiled lightly. The corners of her eyes curved softly. Come to think of it, it was the first time he had seen herugh like this. Maybe she¡¯s truly a good person, as Adeshan said. Ronan thought that as he used the torch to strike Edwon¡¯s limbs again. Ching! ¡°Gahh¡­!¡± Ronan and Navirose headed to Gran Cappadocia together. In the ruined forge, rescue operations were in full swing. The professors of Philleon, soldiers of the Empire in their formal attire, were busy moving people and materials. ¡°Hey there! Start clearing the debris. Be careful not to damage any salvageable equipment.¡± ¡°Yes! Captain Avar! It¡¯s good to see you like this, even if it¡¯s just for a moment!¡± ¡°I retired ages ago, what¡¯s with the ¡®Captain¡¯¡­ Well, let¡¯s hang in there a little longer!¡± Avar, the Empire¡¯s swordsmanship Professor, was directing the soldiers. Dozens of animal-shaped spirits were carrying debris. An elf with pierced ears, likely an elementalist, observed the scene with a long pipe in his mouth. ¡°Ahahaha! You still can¡¯t catch anything, little brother. It¡¯s been a while, but what¡¯s this mess?¡± The figure of the hunting Professor, Kydokan, also appeared. He handed a drink to Dydican, who was leaning against the wall, and chuckled. Dydican, who was muchrger, was impressively respectful. ¡°Sorry to cause trouble, big brother.¡± ¡°No need to apologize! If only my heart was willing, I¡¯d teach you the Gidokan Ryu martial art right away¡­ But now I need to go down below. There might still be people there!¡± ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re always full of energy. Take care¡­¡± Kydokan, who had been snoring, rushed toward the mine. As Ronan had expected, he was making a significant contribution to finding the injured. Dydican, who met eyes with Ronan, raised his hand in greeting. ¡°Oh, Ronan. Did you meet the King of the Stone Giants well?¡± ¡°I had bigger things to deal with. I found a new location for Gran Cappadocia.¡± ¡°A location¡­?¡± Ronan smiled at Dydican¡¯s demeanor. He still seemed somewhat groggy, but most of the injuries that had scattered over his body were gone. It was probably Cita¡¯s doing. Dydican pointed with his thumb toward a corner of the ruins. ¡°By the way, your friends are over there. They¡¯ve incurred a debt that can¡¯t be expressed. I¡¯m truly thankful.¡± ¡°Forget it, it was your efforts that saved Daron.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just because of Daron¡¯s. Many people were injured, but there were almost no fatalities.¡± Dydican suddenly got up, his legs wobbling, and he stood up. Bending his waist in half, he expressed gratitude to Ronan. ¡°You saved not only Gran Cappadocia but also the future of metallurgy. I¡¯m really grateful. I won¡¯t forget it.¡± It was quite a grand gesture of gratitude. After giving Ronan a cool smile, Dydican headed toward the ce he mentioned. It was a ce where the injured who hadn¡¯t been brought to the surface wereid down. The injured were lying in a row on the long stretchers, groaning. ¡°Should I put them over there?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. This youngdy has a lot of strength¡­!¡± Soon, Marya¡¯s figure, carrying boxes of relief supplies five at a time, came into view. Spotting Ronan, she called out happily. ¡°Ronan, you¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°Would I be here if I were dead?¡± Marya put the boxes down and rushed over with her arms wide open, embracing Ronan. ¡°Why are you so badly injured?¡± ¡°I got hit by the Giant King¡¯s fist with my sword.¡± ¡°Speaking gibberish again¡­¡± ¡°But could you let go of me? I¡¯m really dying.¡± His breathing was obstructed by her generously endowed chest. Marya, her face turning red, hurriedly released him. As Ronan surveyed the scene, he tapped her shoulder and spoke. ¡°Great job. You brought a lot of people.¡± ¡°Yeah. Everyone took the situation more seriously than I thought, so I did something¡­ But I felt it was necessary. Can you let me know exactly what happened down below?¡± ¡°When we get back, I¡¯ll exin properly. It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°Oh, take care!¡± Passing by Marya, Ronan followed the stretchers. Aselle and Cita were lying side by side at the front. Ronan crouched down by their heads. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ Uh¡­ Ronan?¡± ¡°Beah¡­!¡± Both of them looked noticeably exhausted. It was because they had exerted too much strength during the rescue operation. Ronan scratched his head against Cita¡¯s belly as he spoke. ¡°Your skills have improved even more, Aselle. You practically outshone the Archmage.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I mean¡­¡± ¡°At times like this, stand tall, my friend. If it weren¡¯t for you guys, those dwarves would have all ended up as graves without coffins underground.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you and Marya, we were able to do it. Thank you for following me from Nimbuten, Aselle.¡± Ronan spoke calmly. Aselle¡¯srge eyes glistened with moisture. Cita, who had been wriggling around with its wings fully extended, let out a whimper that seemed to express its feelings. ¡°You too, Cita.¡± While he was the one who defeated the giants and dealt with the threat, the sword was just a tool. Without the help of those around him, it would have been impossible. Realizing the importance of teamwork once again, Ronan smiled and said, ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll be off. Take a rest.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Where are you going?¡± ¡°Hanging up some pelt trophies, two young falcons.¡± Ronan followed the soldiers assigned to escort Navirose and departed to the surface. After walking for about an hour on the winding path, the clear night sky stretched out before them. The wind whistling through the wastnd was refreshingpared to the underground air. ¡°This is¡­¡± Underneath the dark cliffs, there spread a forest of turquoise hues. The surrealndscape left Ronan¡¯s eyes wide open. It was the ce he visited during his trip to the Fountain of Phaenar. The Shemo Forest near Jidu was located not far from the academy. ¡°It¡¯s about time¡­¡± The officer in charge of the escort nced at a pocket watch. Shortly afterward, something huge flew quickly from the other side of the night sky. It was a convoy being pulled by two griffins dispatched from Rodon. Phwoooo! ¡°They are no joke, seriously.¡± Ronan stuck out his tongue upon seeing the griffins. The guards dispatched from Rodon were all wearing bird-shaped masks on top of their avian outfits. They had already put additional restraints on the still unconscious Cyril and Edwon. Cyril, who had regained consciousness btedly, opened her eyes wide and began shouting. ¡°Just¡­ s-stop¡­ uuuh!¡­ Uuuh!!¡± Thud! One of the guards who saw that scene injected a syringe into Cyril¡¯s neck. The green liquid flowed in, and Cyril¡¯s head drooped as she lost consciousness again. The transfer waspleted in less than five minutes. The guards, who had kept silent until the end, boarded the convoy with the two individuals. Ronan shrugged his shoulders as if he were fed up. ¡°These are quite the quiet bunch. I guess they won¡¯t be weing me at the party.¡± ¡°They know how to distinguish unnecessary actions.¡± As the griffins took off, creating a gust of wind, the soldiers staggered back. Ronan felt relieved only after the convoy became a dot and disappeared in the night sky. Ronan returned to Gran Cappadocia and continued to help the people. The rescue operation was finallypleted around noon the next day. ¡°I¡¯m back, Lucy¡­¡± ¡°Oh my! Ronan, what¡¯s gotten into you? What happened?¡± ¡°Just let me rest a bit¡­ Geez¡­ Can you take off my socks¡­¡± Thud! Returning to the dormitory with heavy steps, Ronan copsed onto his bed. Only after sleeping and shedding the umted fatigue in his body the whole day did he manage to feel refreshed. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± He muttered, puzzled, as he picked up something. After two days, Ronan woke up to find Cita curled up at the head of his bed, along with a letter. Ronan yawned widely and then proceeded to open the sealed envelope. As he read the letter carefully, his eyes widened. ¡°¡­Already?¡± The letter from Rodon was informing them that the interrogation regarding the two individuals had concluded. **** The sound of the waves was rough. The salty sea breeze tousled their hair. A senior gentleman who hade to greet them bowed respectfully. ¡°You both havee a long way. I hope the journey was not too ufortable.¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Not bad. I nearly got my hips split horizontally though.¡± Navirose had kept her promise to prepare a ce. On the afternoon they received the letter, Ronan and Navirose took the griffin-pulled carriage to Rodon. The ride was quite bumpy, but the breathtaking dawn view from the sky made it bearable. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. Well then, please follow me.¡± The elderly man smiled gently as he turned around. A ck-clothed man had a bird-beak mask hanging from his belt, but its form was different from the ones worn by the guards before. Navirose said, ¡°He¡¯s not a guard, but an interrogator. One of the most malicious nightmares among the many nightmares Rodon¡¯s prisoners could have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this friendly reception, Inspiring One?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t judge the world based on appearances alone? By the way, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m doing the right thing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought a thousand times, haven¡¯t you? There¡¯s no ce I could have brought a student to. If it weren¡¯t for you catching them, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here no matter what happened.¡± Navirose frowned as if she were displeased. Ronan looked up at the fortress of screams, Rodon. The colossal, pointed structure that rose from the sea looked like a reef that could shipwreck any vessel. As the gates of Rodon opened, unexpectedly sleek and neat interiors came into view. Ronan thought that this seemed like quite a decent workce. Well, except for the asional shouting. Shrill screams and sobbing were echoing from all directions. ¡°Kyaaah! Stop, stop!¡± ¡°Kill me, please, just kill me¡­¡± ¡°Yihi¡­ yihihi¡­¡± Guided by the man, Ronan headed deep into the fortress. Thick iron doors lined both sides of the long corridor. Different screams could be heard from behind each door. After walking for about twenty minutes through thebyrinth-like path, the old man finally stopped walking. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± In front of him was a door much thicker and sturdier than he had seen so far. The elderly man took out a long, intricately shaped key and turned to the two of them. ¡°Official reports will be submittedter, but for now, let me briefly tell you what we¡¯ve learned from Rodon. Neb zier. That¡¯s the name of their organization.¡± ¡°Neb zier?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. It was a name he had never heard of in his previous life. ¡°Yes. They were behind therge-scale inexplicable idents that urred all over the continent for nearly a year. The incidents that have been cross-verified as their doing include the devastating fire that swept through the Naranja Singing Grounds and the explosion incident at the magical engineering institute, Etemen.¡± The elderly man detailed the crimesmitted by Cyril and Edwon, or rather Neb zier. All of them were major offenses that could have a significant impact on certain fields. After listening to the man¡¯s exnation, Ronan raised his hand and asked, ¡°By any chance, did they mention what ¡®The Arrival of the Stars¡¯ is?¡± ¡°That¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of it. Was there something like that?¡± ¡°Is that so? Nasty bunch. Let me ask them something.¡± ¡°Seriously, I thought they had spilled everything, but turns out they were still hiding something¡­¡± Cracks ofughter appeared on the old man¡¯s face. In an instant, an eerie sensation swept through, causing Ronan to nearly reach for the hilt of his sword. He pressed the bird-beak mask he had on his belt against his face. The mask resembled an eagle devouring a carcass. ¡°Forgive myck of manners, but I¡¯ll ask. While Navirose may be fine, I¡¯m concerned about you, Ronan, as you¡¯re still a young student. I worry that it might be a shock to your young heart. Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I cut off the limbs of those bastards.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ You¡¯ll have a different perspective from back then.¡± The old man didn¡¯t press any further and inserted the key into the lock hole. With the sound of dozens of locking mechanisms moving, the door opened. A horrendous moaning sound that hardly seemed human emerged, making it hard to believe it was produced by a person. ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! Shut it! Shut uppp¡­¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± As Ronan saw Edwon and Cyril, his eyebrows narrowed. The grotesque sight was so terrible that, if shown to a hundred people, ny-nine would either vomit or faint, except the leader would either vomit or faint. Under the interrogator¡¯s bird-beak mask, a mischievous voice flowed out. ¡°Have you had sweet dreams?¡± Chapter 40: Rodollan (2) Chapter 40: Rodon (2) As Ronan saw Edwon and Cyril, his eyebrows narrowed. The grotesque sight was so terrible that, if shown to a hundred people, ny-nine would either vomit or faint, except the leader would either vomit or faint. Under the interrogator¡¯s bird-beak mask, a mischievous voice flowed out. ¡°Have you had sweet dreams?¡± The square room had no windows. All six sides of the space were made of in white stone. The only source of light was a smallntern hanging from the center of the ceiling, casting a faint glow. ¡°Keuh¡­ heeeuuk¡­!¡± ¡°Ow¡­ aaahh¡­¡± Edwon and Cyril were securely bound to iron chairs. Long, narrow tables were ced beside them at a distance of about ten steps, with each person sitting at their own table. The three-tiered table was neatly arranged with tools specialized for interrogation or dissection. The interrogator, who had hidden his face behind a mask, approached Edwon slowly. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve heard that there are still secrets left that you didn¡¯t reveal.¡± Edwon¡¯s limbs were still severed. There were no longer tentacles growing from the four severed surfaces covered by ck cloth. Instead, tentacles were wriggling out of all the openings on his face except his mouth, squirming and writhing. As the interrogator grabbed one of the tentacles that emerged from Edwon¡¯s eye sockets, a scream akin to bone-chilling agony erupted from Edwon¡¯s mouth. ¡°Thanks to you, my esteemed guests, my dignity is at stake.¡± ¡°Ugh, uuugh!!¡± Edwon struggled. The interrogator coiled the tentacle around his finger and spoke. ¡°This friend Edwon here learned dark magic.¡± ¡°Dark magic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a kind of magic that the Empire banned due to its cruel and dreadful nature.¡± Unlike other branches of magic that are derived from elemental affinities, dark magic can be learned by anyone with the skill to back it up. Even Edwon¡¯s ability to regenerate his body was a form of dark magic. ¡°The issue is that this old man also once studied dark magic.¡± The interrogator chuckled sardonically and pinched another tentacle. Edwon, who was convulsing, opened his mouth with a trembling voice. ¡°Kkeuh¡­! S-s-stop, please! I¡¯ve told you everything!¡± ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t expect that you could change the direction of the tentacle growth.¡± The interrogator exined that there was a pattern to each strand of the tentacle. There was no trace of Edwon¡¯s former loyalty or ease in his plea, even using politenguage. The interrogator released the tentacle he was holding and asked kindly. ¡°Is that so? Have you told me everything?¡± ¡°Gkeuh¡­ yeah! I¡¯ve told you everything¡­! I¡¯ve told you everything! The sect¡¯s name is Neb zier, and that woman is Cyril Lemation, an executive of the 8th Division! Everything we¡¯ve done, I¡¯ve told you everything¡­!¡± ¡°Then let me ask. What did you mean by ¡®The Arrival of the Stars¡¯?¡± Upon hearing that, Edwon took a deep breath. A short but heavy silence descended. Snap! The interrogator waited precisely three seconds and then grabbed the tentacle protruding from Edwon¡¯s face all at once. Then, he began to tear it apart indiscriminately. ¡°Kreuaaak! Aaaah! Heuaaak!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Navirose clicked her tongue. The iron chair trembled as Edwon struggled, as if it was about to topple over. With a sound like pulling out deeply rooted weeds, writhing tentacles burst forth. The interrogator tearing out the tentacles looked like a child unwrapping presents haphazardly. ¡°Kkeeeeh¡­¡± Soon, the empty eye sockets were revealed. Underneath the chair where Edwon had screamed and fainted, various wriggling tendrils were moving. ¡°Edwon, you¡¯re a disappointment. Haven¡¯t you heard the old saying that friends should have no secrets among themselves?¡± The interrogator, who had pulled out all the tentacles, turned his back. Cyril, who heard footsteps, cringed. Yellow urine was flowing down the legs of the chair she was sitting on. ¡°Cyril, you are my friend, right?¡± ¡°Please, please. Please kill me. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong¡­¡± Cyril¡¯s limbs were only her left arm and right leg. The thick bandages, stained with vivid red marks, implied that she was no longer able to see the world. The most noticeable thing was her ears, each reduced to less than half. The elongated ears, which could be called an elf¡¯s characteristic, were cut into grotesque polygons. The interrogator, who had been rummaging through the table, picked up a pruning shearmonly used in gardening. Holding one of Cyril¡¯s ears between its des, he looked at Ronan. ¡°Pain is quite remarkable, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°A while ago, I asked about Cyril¡¯s age. She¡¯s lived for two hundred and twenty-two years. Even an elf who has enjoyed a life four times longer than this old man¡¯s can¡¯t help but scream like a child in the face of unbearable agony. Even as she screams, begging for the right to give up her long life.¡± As he spoke, the interrogator cut off a piece of Cyril¡¯s ear with just a finger¡¯s breadth. With a squelch, Cyril, who had sprung up like a fish freshly caught, let out a bone-chilling scream. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± ¡°Now, Cyril, there¡¯s not much of your ears left. What exactly is the Arrival of the Stars?¡± Cyril only screamed in response, refusing to answer. The interrogator, with a lowugh, reached for a vial at the bottom of the table. ¡°Is that secret really so remarkable? Let me share a good news.¡± He poured the liquid from the vial onto Cyril¡¯s ear. Slowly, the wound where pus had formed began to heal. The interrogator spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°You can¡¯t leave Rodn until you¡¯ve spilled all your secrets. Whether alive or dead.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ aaaah!¡­ Aaaah!¡± Cyril¡¯s desperate screams echoed. The interrogator turned back to Ronan and Navirose, shaking his head as if sympathizing with Cyril¡¯s plight. ¡°This¡­ seems like it will take a little more time. It seems that there are still hidden secrets, so would you like to go back for now? I will contact youter.¡± ¡°I see. What do you want to do, Ronan?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. He was cross-referencing the conversation he had overheard between the two and the current situation. ¨C Unfortunately, I can¡¯t answer that question. ¨C Please¡­ please kill me! It was strange. At first, he had thought they were just prying information out. But the fact that they were baring everything else and yet refusing to utter the words ¡°Arrival of the Stars¡± bothered him. Various possibilities raced through his mind. What if Edwon¡¯s words were taken at face value? Rubbing his chin, Ronan muttered his deduction under his breath. ¡°Could it be¡­ some kind of magic at y?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just odd. They¡¯ve revealed everything else over the past two days, but they¡¯re holding onto this one thing even though they¡¯d rather die. It¡¯s almost as if they physically can¡¯t speak the words. Maybe there¡¯s some sort of magic preventing them from saying it?¡± A moment of silence hung in the air. Ronan scratched his head, feeling puzzled. No matter how you looked at it, the idea of such convenient magic seemed unlikely. Just then, the interrogator dropped the scissors he had been holding. ¡°¡­This is a blow to my pride, indeed.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I suppose I was shocked by the fact that there are still secrets left. Well, that¡¯s an excuse, to be honest. To think I failed to notice something so obvious¡­ Would you mind waiting for a moment?¡± With that, the room fell into silence once more. In the dim room, only Cyril¡¯s sobbing echoed. Ronan chuckled wryly. ¡°You know, he really is a skilled interrogator.¡± His actions and words conveyed a genuine love for his profession. Navirose , who had been holding her arms the whole time, looked at Ronan and asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you bothered by this at all?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit nauseating, but I can endure.¡± Of course, there was no denying that the interrogator¡¯s methods were horrifying. The current appearances of Cyril and Edwon were akin to sculptures carved with a hammer and chisel of malice and cruelty. However, having been on the battlefield, Ronan had encountered even worse sights multiple times. Navirose , who had been staring at Ronan¡¯s profile, shook her head as if amazed. ¡°¡­You really are an unusual student. Doesn¡¯t that old interrogator feel repulsive to you?¡± ¡°Not at all. Someone has to do the dirty work.¡± Strangely, Ronan actually felt a sense of respect for the old man. Perhaps it stemmed from a sense of camaraderie that came from his experience as a punitive soldier, where he had to take on the dirty tasks. A few minutester, the door opened with urgent footsteps. ¡°Sorry for making you wait.¡± ¡°¡­What the hell¡­ No, what the hell is that ugly thing?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The returning interrogator¡¯s hands held lumps the size of apples. In the middle of the fleshy lump, which looked like a tumor, was arge eye. The unsettling way the pupils moved around in the golden eyes was repulsive. The interrogator held up the lump and spoke: ¡°It¡¯s a monster that consumes curses, a Curse Eye.¡± ¡°A monster? Curses?¡± ¡°Yes. We use it to interrogate sinners silenced by various curses. The kind of magic you just mentioned¡­ we categorize that kind of magic as curses.¡± It was a monster he had never seen before. The interrogator approached Edwon with the Curse Eye. Tentacles that had regenerated without him noticing wriggled out of its ear and eye sockets. The interrogator, bending Edwon¡¯s head forward, ced the Curse Eye on the back of his head. There was a squelching sound as the eye of the Curse Eye attached itself like an octopus. ¡°Huuaaaak!¡± ¡°Rx. It¡¯s to ease your mind. It¡¯s currently removing the curse that has bound you.¡± The eyelids of the Curse Eye trembled. Edwon¡¯s constant moans flowed from his mouth. Ronan noticed that the color of the Curse Eye¡¯s irises was gradually changing. ¡°Gluuug.¡± Finally, the Curse Eye¡¯s irises turned a deep blue. The interrogator, satisfied, grabbed Edwon¡¯s chin and lifted it. ¡°Now, Edwon. I believe this will have broken down the emotional barrier between us.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Huk, huk¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. What exactly is the Arrival of the Stars?¡± A moment of silence passed. Just as the interrogator was about to use his tentacles to reach Edwon¡¯s hand again, Edwon¡¯s lips slowly opened. ¡°The day when the stars¡­ arrive. It¡¯s the day our order has dreamed of¡­ the day of destiny¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Cyril, upon hearing Edwon¡¯s voice, quickly turned her head. ¡°Edwon, no!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Wham! Ronan punched Cyril¡¯s stomach. She retched and doubled over. Edwon continued speaking. ¡°We are so weak¡­ humans who can¡¯t even live a hundred years, and elves who age with the mountains¡­ in the end, everyone is racing toward a futile end¡­ Our Neb zier¡­ under the eternal starlight¡­ we are torches that have gathered¡­¡± The word ¡°starlight¡± came up again. Ronan sensed his breathing bing rough. The interrogator and Navirose wore expressions of confusion, listening intently to his words. ¡°The Arrival of the Stars¡­ a day of joyfully weing starlight pouring from beyond the sky¡­ Our wish is¡­ to prevent futile progress¡­ and to keep the de of inadequacy from being pointed at the stars.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being verbose. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m old, but it¡¯s hard to understand. So, to summarize, something ising down from the sky on that day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Edwon closed his mouth again. An impatient Ronan stepped forward, passing the interrogator. ¡°Just a moment.¡± ¡°Ronan?¡± Ronan took a deep breath. He leaned close to Edwon¡¯s ear and spoke. ¡°Do you know the name ¡®Ahayute¡¯?¡± For an instant, Edwon¡¯s shoulders tensed. Slowly, he turned his head toward Ronan. A voice mixed with agitation came from his mouth. ¡°W-Where¡­ did you hear that name¡­ Ugh!¡± At that moment, Edwon¡¯s forehead began to swell. The expressions of the onlookers froze. His head, suddenly expanded like a balloon on the verge of bursting, began to change. ¡®Should I cut it off?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s hand moved toward the hilt of his sword. The interrogator grabbed Ronan¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back. ¡°Step back.¡± ¡°Ughhh¡­ Ughhh!¡± The interrogator deployed a mana shield. Bang! Edwon¡¯s inting head exploded. Brain matter, bone fragments, and torn tentacles scattered in all directions. However, thanks to the mana shield, none of the three people, including Ronan, and Cyril suffered any harm. The interrogator released the shield, and the chunks of flesh and liquid that had been hanging in the air fell with a thud. Aposed voice flowed from under the interrogator¡¯s mask. ¡°Hmm. The curse was stronger than I thought. Perhaps there were a few more.¡± ¡°Damn, does this sort of thing happen often?¡± ¡°If you vite the prohibition, it¡¯s not that hard to find cases where people die.¡± It seemed that someone who spilled a side dish while eating rice would be more surprised. The interrogator looked at the headless corpse and continued speaking. ¡°But it¡¯s surprising that the Curse Eye couldn¡¯t absorb all the curses. It had starved for a year, which should have been enough¡­ ¡± The Curse Eye was a monster that consumed curses cast on others. The fact that, even after eating Edwon¡¯s curses to the point of being full, the curse wasn¡¯t lifted meant that the curse was either a powerful one that couldn¡¯t be resolved by a single creature, or other curses were mixed in. Ronan, who had been pondering over his words, spoke up. ¡°Not being able to reveal information about the Arrival of the Stars to anyone other than the organization¡¯s members is the first part. The second curse is that if the curse is lifted and profound information is revealed, their head explodes. There might be a few more curses as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly the most usible inference. But¡­ I¡¯ve been feeling this for a while now, Ronan, you have the talent of an interrogator.¡± Suddenly, the interrogator removed his mask. He extended his hand for a handshake and introduced himself to Ronan. ¡°Would you consider working for Rodolran in the future? My name is Karaka.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ask him strange things.¡± Navirose, who had been watching the scene, growled. Her fierce eyes beneath her thick eyebrows were intense. Karaka smiled confidently and stepped back. ¡°Please calm down, Grand Swordmaster. It was just an offer.¡± ¡°Thanks for the offer, Karaka. I¡¯ll seriously consider it if my ears start eating away at me.¡± Ronan grinned and shook hands with Karaka. It was a gesture of refusal, but Navirose didn¡¯t seem satisfied with even that. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s a shame to lose one. They¡¯re harder to catch than most illusions¡­¡± Karaka, who was observing Navirose ¡®s reaction, skillfully changed the subject. The Curse Eye that had been attached to Edwon remained intact after the explosion. Karaka lifted one of the remaining Curse Eyes in front of the two of them and said: ¡°If you look closely, it¡¯s quite cute. Would you like to touch it?¡± ¡°I decline.¡± ¡°Uh, me too.¡± Even if they were offered money, they had no desire to touch the object. ¡°Urolorok!¡± At that moment, the Curse Eye that had been sitting obediently on Karaka¡¯s palm suddenly lunged toward Ronan. Reacting instinctively to the unfolding red mat, Ronan grabbed his sword hilt. ¡°Oh, damn, that startled me!¡± Lamancha drew a line in the air. Thwack! The split Curse Eye fell to the ground. Karaka¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Even after being split in half, the Curse Eye wriggled as if it were still alive. Remembering the remark about how rare they were, as rare as illusions, Ronan circled around and said: ¡°For God¡¯s sake, don¡¯t me me. This little bastard lunged first.¡± ¡°Wha-what is this?¡± Unexpectedly, Karaka grabbed Ronan¡¯s right arm. Without waiting for Ronan to say anything, he brought the corpse of the Curse Eye to Ronan¡¯s hand. The fractured eye of the Curse Eye instantly turned blue. Chapter 41: Rodollan (3) Chapter 41: Rodon (3) Karaka tightly gripped Ronan¡¯s right arm. Without waiting for Ronan to say anything, he brought the lifeless body of the cursed eye to Ronan¡¯s hand. The fractured eye of the Curse Eye instantly turned blue. Feeling something being sucked out from within, Ronan swung his arm in difort. ¡°Damn, what is this?¡± Thud! The corpse of the cursed eye was thrown to the ground. The blue color that had overtaken the cursed eye gradually expanded, reaching the whites and even the torso. ¡°Oroluk¡­¡± The foamy, bubbling corpse began to melt away. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Ugh.¡± Soon, all that remained in the spot where the corpse had been was a bluish liquid. Karaka, who had been alternately staring at Ronan and the cursed eye¡¯s liquid, spoke up. ¡°Lord Ronan.¡± ¡°There is no need to call me ¡®Lord¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. Are you okay? Do you feel any changes in your body?¡± ¡°Huh? Not really¡­ I mean, there¡¯s a slight itching in my eyes, but nothing significant.¡± Karaka tilted his head, a look of bewilderment on his face as if he couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. ¡°How¡­ have you been living like this?¡± ¡°What?¡± Even his calm face during the explosion of Edwon¡¯s head was now twisted in confusion. After scanning Ronan up and down, Karaka¡¯s expression grew more serious. ¡°Lord Ronan, you are currently under a curse. And a very powerful one, at that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Navirose, who had been listening, furrowed her eyebrows. Ronan pointed to himself with his index finger and let out a hollowugh. ¡°A curse¡­? Me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure what curse it is, but it¡¯s certainly a powerful one. I¡¯ve seen cursed eye rush forward a couple of times, but I¡¯ve never seen one dissolve under a curse like this.¡± The liquefaction caused by the overload of the curse on the cursed eyes. It was a rare phenomenon that could only be found in centuries-old academic texts or precedents. Karaka added that the oue would likely have been the same even if the cursed eye had been brought while alive. Ronan pointed to the bluish goo and said, ¡°Damn, so what happens to me now? Am I supposed to live each day with the fear that I might wake up covered in this blue diarrhea?¡± Karaka shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely such a thing will happen¡­ However, I can¡¯t provide a definite answer since I don¡¯t know the specifics of the curse. Have you ever felt any restrictions in your actions or speech?¡± ¡°Restrictions?¡± ¡°Yes. Generally, the curse would involve restrictions rted to a specific type of metal, like not being able to run or touch iron¡­ something that everyone else can naturally do, but you can¡¯t.¡± Ronan and Navirose looked at each other almost simultaneously. Even without asking, they could understand each other¡¯s thoughts. The phenomenon of the unknown entity that had been following Ronan like a shadow even after his return. A state of mana inability where he couldn¡¯t see, sense, or control unrefined mana. Reading Navirose¡¯s expression, Ronan nodded. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing like that.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that so? It¡¯s quite miraculous that such a powerful curse hasn¡¯t caused any issues for you so far. I suggest you consult an expert.¡± Karaka briefly exined about other curses that might potentially affect Ronan in the future. Sudden manifestation, dyed-onset terminal illnesses, exploding bodies under specific conditions, and more. It wasn¡¯t a particrly pleasant story. Karaka once again urged Ronan to consult an expert, finishing his words. He gently stroked Cyril¡¯s trembling ear and smiled. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s fortunate that we¡¯ve captured two of them. Whatever remains to be told, we can learn from our dear Cyril.¡± ¡°No¡­ please¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, to extract your secrets without blowing your head up, it will take quite some time.¡± Cyril seemed to have already copsed mentally. Until she spilled every secret, until all the restrictions on her were lifted, she wouldn¡¯t be liberated from Rodon, alive or dead, as Karaka had dered. Of course, Ronan was unaware of the truth. ¡°Well, take your time, but please make sure to find out.¡± ¡°Of course. But, I do have a question.¡± Ronan was adjusting his attire. Suddenly, the smile disappeared from Karaka¡¯s face. He looked at Ronan and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°What is Ahayute?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I overheard you asking Edwon. You were about to answer that question, but then his head exploded. It seemed to be in-depth information about a group called Neb zier. I¡¯m curious how you knew about that.¡± For a moment, Ronan¡¯s words were stuck. The question was so sudden that it seemed unintentional. ¡°Ah¡­ that?¡± He still couldn¡¯t reveal the truth. It was too absurd to use even as a story for a fairy tale. In truth, I came from the future, ten yearster, where three bald men with wings tear through the sky. Ahayute is one of them. Haha. What a ridiculous name, isn¡¯t it? ¡­How could I spout such nonsense with a straight face? Instead of clearing suspicions, I might end up sitting next to Cyril as a fellow suspect. In search of a solution, Karaka raised an eyebrow. ¡°Lord Ronan?¡± ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ He needed toe up with a n. The scraps of memory in his mind raced as fast as his lightning sword. Eventually, Ronan came up with the best response and sighed deeply. ¡°¡­It was a few years ago, actually.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, a deep mncholy clouded Ronan¡¯s face. Karaka raised an eyebrow. Following Ronan¡¯s response, Navirose¡¯s expression also stiffened. ¡°I used to live in Nimbera with my parents, before the great fire happened.¡± Of course, it was a tant lie. Ronan had never left Nimbuten until his current age, and he had no memories of his parents¡¯ faces. Taking a moment, Ronan forced a sad smile. ¡°After the mes had subsided, I finally set foot on the scorched fields. That¡¯s when I saw her for the first time ¨C an elf named Cyril, wearing a robe simr to the one she has on.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°I heard the name Ahayute there. I couldn¡¯t catch much of the conversation, but that foreign word stuck out clearly.¡± Karaka¡¯s frozen expression began to soften. The key to convincing lies was that there had to be an element of truth mixed in. Ronan considered his wanderer days as a stroke of luck. Even after all these years, the people of Nimbera hadn¡¯t forgotten Neb zier¡¯s arson. ¡°¡­So, you knew about it from there. It¡¯s understandable, considering the unforgettable memory. You¡¯ve been through unfortunate events because of those cruel criminals.¡± Ronan¡¯s impassioned speech wrapped up with a usible ending. After all, it was true that he was an orphan, and he had good reasons to hold Neb zier responsible. Observing Karaka¡¯s expression carefully, Ronan¡¯s efforts seemed to have paid off. ¡°I see¡­ I can understand why you¡¯re so fixated on this. You¡¯ve experienced unfortunate events due to those heartless criminals.¡± ¡°Sorry for the dyed response. It¡¯s not a particrly pleasant memory.¡± ¡°I should be the one apologizing. Due to the nature of my profession, I tend to ask questions that resemble interrogations.¡± Karaka¡¯s expression softened once again. Ronan let out a relieved sigh. Karaka then took out a document from his desk and recorded the information they had gathered today. ¡°Well then, have your curiosity been somewhat satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded. While not all truths had surfaced, knowing that ¡®The Arrival of the Stars¡¯ referred to the Advent Incident was a significant breakthrough. Furthermore, now that the Empire was aware of Neb zier¡¯s involvement,rge-scale operations to eliminate the cult would likelymence soon. ¡°Capturing more members of Neb zier should be a top priority.¡± The best scenario would be if the Advent Incident itself didn¡¯t happen. While that might not be possible, dismantling Neb zier¡¯s base of operations or capturing its members and interrogating them in Rodon might yield more valuable information. Their business concluded, Karaka once again escorted Ronan and Navirose outside the fortress. As they stepped out, the brisk sea breeze blew against their faces. ¡°Be careful as you leave. As I mentioned, the information we¡¯ve obtained in Rodon will bepiled into documents and sent to various sectors soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you. Please remember that.¡± ¡°Not at all. It was an honor to meet you of all things. Lord Ronan, please make sure to visit those skilled in dealing with curses.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you, Karaka.¡± With that farewell, Navirose and Ronan left Rodon. The griffin carriage, which provided a rather ufortable ride, took them back to the city. Even if they took an obstacle-free sky route, reaching Jido would still take a considerable amount of time. Looking down from the sky, Rodon Fortress appeared as a tiny speck on the horizon. The red sun was setting, casting its twilight scales over the waters. Ronan turned his gaze out the window and spoke. ¡°Could it be that I can¡¯t manage mana due to a curse?¡± ¡°I believe so.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t have any memories that could warrant such a curse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Navirose swallowed the words she was about to say. She had recently heard the news that Karudan¡¯s hair, which he lost when he fought Ronan, wouldn¡¯t grow back. Ronan wiped his eyes and continued speaking. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a bit frightening. Did you see Karaka¡¯s expression? Damn, even if I threw poop at the wall, he wouldn¡¯t have been that surprised.¡± ¡°Do you have any clue about the curse?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤No.¡± Ronan sighed. Despite having been cursed since his childhood, he couldn¡¯t recall umting any deeds deserving of such a terrifying curse, even after considering his past lives. As they enjoyed the griffin¡¯s pping wings, Ronan turned his gaze back to Navirose. ¡°Oh, thanks for covering for me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I told you not to let Karaka know that I can¡¯t use mana.¡± ¡°Revealing weaknesses is a warrior¡¯s basic rule. By the way, why did you tell such a lie?¡± ¡°A lie? Ah, did you figure it out?¡± Navirose nodded. She was referring to the fabricated past that Ronan had presented to Karaka. In any case, it was a chilling insight. ¡°How did you know? I thought it was wless.¡± ¡°There are ways. You¡¯re not new to telling lies one or two times. Karaka, as a Rodon investigator, must have been quite skilled in that regard.¡± ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t want to tell him the truth, just in case. Should I tell you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You must have your reasons.¡± With those words, Navirose turned her gaze out the window. The more she looked at him, the more she thought he was a decent person, but at the same time, a question arose in her mind. ¡°Why didn¡¯t someone like him appear during the Advent Incident?¡± In fact, it had been a persistent thought. Looking back now, it was quite rare to find someone among the current prominent figures who resembled their appearance during the Advent Incident. Navirose herself, the headmaster of Philleon, Krava Kratir, and the current Swordmaster, Zaifa, also didn¡¯t resemble their past selves. During their time as punishment troops, there had been nothing strange about it. ¡°What sort of scheme did Neb zier concoct?¡± Well, a decade was enough time for anything to happen. Ronan clenched his fists, consumed by the questions that kept piling up. Observing his restless behavior, Navirose narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why do you keep rubbing your eyes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ever since I touched that cursed eye, it¡¯s been itching¡­¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Right after we return, look into the curse. Philleon must have at least one specialist in that field. I¡¯ll let my assistant know too.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Stop rubbing your eyes.¡± It wasn¡¯t untilte at night that Ronan and Navirose finally arrived at Philleon. The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, Ronan headed to the firstbat arena, where Navirose¡¯s ss was held. He spotted Adeshan, busy arranging his weapons. ¡°Long time no see, Adeshan.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here already, Ronan. I¡¯ll be done quickly, so just wait a moment.¡± Adeshan greeted Ronan with a raised hand. Beneath the hair tied up due to work, her snowy-white nape was visible. Remembering their first day of reunion, Ronan spoke up. ¡°How have things beentely?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Is that idiot Karudan or whatever not bothering you anymore?¡± ¡°Ah, Karudan hasn¡¯t been in ss for quite a while. Other students who used to hang around him are gradually approaching me. Thanks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Seeing her after a while, Adeshan still exuded an atmosphere that was hard to adapt to, youthful and fresh. Ronan wordlessly began assisting Adeshan with her work. ¡°Oops, you really don¡¯t have to help¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Sorry. I heard you were in a hurry¡­ You said you were cursed?¡± ¡°Yes. To be precise, I realized I had been under a curse.¡± ¡°It really worries me¡­ Can I really ask for your help? If you just sit over there¡­¡± ¡°Over ten years I¡¯ve been fine, and now it¡¯s just this one thing.¡± With both of them working, the task was quickly finished. Adeshan led Ronan to the section of the campus where the buildings for magic-rted studies were concentrated. ¡°By the way, where are we going?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Pir Park. We¡¯re meeting there. There¡¯s a professor in the magic department who¡¯s deeply knowledgeable about curses. I heard he¡¯s quite entric, so I wanted to ask my junior to guide me.¡± Pir Park was literally a park within a space dominated by huge pirs. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°A guide? You need a guide to find one professor?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not very familiar with the magic department, and also¡­ I heard he¡¯s a very unique individual.¡± ¡°Among magicians, there are quite a few oddballs. Damn, suddenly I¡¯m getting scared.¡± ¡°Hehe, since you¡¯re a very remarkable junior, I¡¯ll surely guide you well.¡± Adeshan nodded with a proud smile, as if She was genuinely proud of her junior. Arriving at Pir Park, Adeshan looked around. ¡°Hmm? We agreed to meet here¡­ Hasn¡¯t she arrived yet?¡± In the tranquil Pir Park, only Ronan and Adeshan were present. Suddenly, a pir behind Adeshan seemed to ripple like a wave, and out popped a young girl. ¡°Adeshan unnie!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The girl was wearing the ck robe of the magic department¡¯s uniform. Her dark violet hair flowed like water. The girl who appeared out of thin air grabbed Adeshan from behind. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the vaguely familiar face. Adeshan gently smiled as he stroked the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Eli, you scared me.¡± ¡°Hehe, I learned a new spell this time. Wasn¡¯t it surprising?¡± ¡°Yeah. Impressive, as expected of you, Eli.¡± The girl named Eli giggled softly. Ronan, his eyes widening, looked back at Eli. With her eyes shaped like a cat¡¯s, the girl was indeed someone he knew. ¡°Please take care of the guidance today. I heard the situation is more serious than I thought.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Adeshan unnie¡¯s request, I¡¯ll do anything. Now, please follow me.¡± Eli finally turned her head towards Ronan. And then she froze. Since the possibility of twins couldn¡¯t be ruled out, Ronan cautiously called her name. ¡°Elizabeth?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s face began to blush. Her lips, which had quickly let go of Adeshan¡¯s arm, slowly opened. ¡°Ronan¡­?¡± Ronan remembered her. The top freshman of the magic department. Elizabeth de Acalusia. She had been the heiress of the Acalusia family, which ruled over the Acalusia Domain, treating those without talents as livestock and ruling with the demeanor of a lion. Chapter 42: Please (1) Chapter 42: Please (1) ¡°Ronan¡­?¡± Ronan remembered her. The top freshman of the magic department. Elizabeth de Acalusia. She had been the heiress of the Acalusia family, which ruled over the Acalusia Domain, treating those without talents as livestock and ruling with the demeanor of a lion. ¡°Huh? Did the two of you know each other?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­ for now.¡± Ronan nodded with a nervous smile. Elizabeth¡¯s face was so red that it seemed like it might explode. Adeshan grabbed her shoulders and yfully pulled her closer,ughing cheerfully. ¡°Looks like you both know each other after all. It¡¯s fortunate. Our Eli will guide you well. After all, she¡¯s the first-year¡¯s top mage student.¡± ¡°Um, unnie¡­ the name Eli is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ well then¡­ shall we go?¡± After exchanging some formal greetings with Adeshan, Elizabeth stepped forward and led the way. Ronan chuckled softly. He was as awkward as Aselle, who would light a cigarette and then spit out phlegm. Ronan recalled the image she had shown at the freshman weing party. She had mmed Braum, the second-year student, to the ground just because he interrupted her conversation. The dialogue she had muttered with a chuckle still vividly echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¨C The sight of a flock of sheep wandering around is always amusing, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t you agree? That youngdy was clinging to Adeshan, who could be called the sheep among sheep, and acting cute. Was it possible that she had found his embarrassing weakness? Adeshan looked at Ronan with a worried expression and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine. Have a good time.¡± ¡°Thank you. If a ck goates with a swordter, you¡¯ll know it¡¯s me.¡± Ronan followed Elizabeth. She guided him towards the forest to the west of the estate. Despite more than twenty minutes passing, she didn¡¯t say a word during their walk. Now, in the secluded forest, only bird songs echoed. As the scenery grew more lush, Ronan finally spoke up. ¡°I get it. You¡¯re nning to kill me and bury me here, right Eli? As payment for seeing a side of you that I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true. And please don¡¯t call me that ?¡± Her words finally came out. Elizabeth turned her head and gave Ronan a stern look. Ronan chuckled and replied. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fortunate. So how did you be friends with Senior Adeshan? Last time, you were talking about sheep and nonsense.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to know that¡­ And Senior Adeshan is different from other sheeps.¡± Something had clearly happened between them. Her face had returned to its usual fair color, but her ears were still as red as if they were burnt. Speaking of which, different from other sheep? You didn¡¯t say that knowing it, right? Ronan thought briefly about Adeshan¡¯s potential and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. But seriously, where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading to Professor Sekreet¡¯s office. He teaches the [Curses and Blessings] course in the Magic Department.¡± ¡°Seriously, does he even have a main job? What kind of nonsense office is in a ce like this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite unique, you see. There aren¡¯t many students who know the location of his office.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. The saying that there were many people who liked magic but not many who liked magicians wasn¡¯t without reason. Elizabeth spoke up. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard some news.¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°They say you rescued the craftsmen of Gran Cappadocia?¡± Elizabeth slowed her pace and started walking beside Ronan. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh? How did you know about that?¡± ¡°Hehe, underestimating Acalusia¡¯s informationwork would be a mistake.¡± Elizabeth spoke confidently. Her voice exuded a sense of self-assuredness, as if she had returned to her original self. ¡°Actually, those in the know already know. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, was it? While Gran Cappadocia itself is a secretive ce, it wasn¡¯t much of a secret in the first ce.¡± ¡°Has it be that widely known?¡± ¡°Of course. You might get busy for a while. Nobles and various social sses won¡¯t stay quiet after hearing your heroic tale. They¡¯ll probably put a lot of effort into recruiting you in advance.¡± Elizabeth even revealed that the royal knights were paying attention to Ronan. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Amidst all the things he had to deal with, his mind was getting cluttered. ¡°I should organize my tasks.¡± After walking for about ten more minutes, a small cabin came into view. A yellow light spilled out from the arched window. Elizabeth stood in front of the door and unexpectedly reached out her hand to Ronan. ¡°Hold my hand.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped¡­ You have to do this to fit more than two people inside. What are we going to do?¡± Elizabeth grumbled even though she didn¡¯t say much. Ronanplied with her request. She opened the door after a moment of hesitation. Inside the cabin, Ronan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly homely for an office.¡± Before him spread a very ordinary farmhouse scene. An old and worn-out table, a boiling kettle in the kitchen. In front of the firece, an old man was dozing off in a rocking chair. Ronan pointed at the old man and asked, ¡°Is he Professor Sekreet?¡± ¡°No. You have to be quiet. Got it?¡± Elizabeth held Ronan¡¯s hand and approached the old man. Despite the creaking floor beneath their steps, the old man dozed on, seemingly oblivious. Elizabeth whispered softly. ¡°Kashpa. Lunajie. Delpirim.¡± The dozing old man opened his eyes. He turned his head towards the two and slowly opened his mouth. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but curse at the endlessly expanding upper and lower jaw. ¡°Damn it.¡± The old man¡¯s mouth expanded in an instant,rge enough to swallow them both. Within the deep darkness inside his mouth, there was nothing but emptiness. Ronan reflexively ced his hand on his sheathed sword. In an instant, the bound-up bandages that concealed the de were unwound. Elizabeth pressed her hand onto the back of Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ronan reluctantly let go of the hilt of his sword. Poof! The old man swallowed them. For a moment, everything darkened, then suddenly it brightened again. ¡°What the hell?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The old man and the cabin had disappeared, reced by a room that resembled a noble¡¯s study. From somewhere, a rather whimsical voice could be heard. ¡°Come in, Elizabeth.¡± Ronan looked around. In the center of the opulent study sat a young child, reading a book. The child¡¯s appearance was so indistinct that it was impossible to tell whether it was a girl or a boy. They were dressed in clothes muchrger than their own body, as if draped in adult attire. Elizabeth bowed her head towards the child. ¡°Hello, Professor Sekreet. I¡¯ve brought the student I mentioned yesterday.¡± ¡°Professor?¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. How could a child who looked like they might be nine years old be a professor? The child addressed as Professor Sekreet nodded without looking up from their book. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re the one with the memorable face. You used the Butterfly¡¯s sword technique during the entrance ceremony, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Butterfly¡­?¡± A shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s arm. Until now, no one in Philleon had referred to Navirose in that manner except for Headmaster Kratir. He found it increasingly difficult to understand the current situation. Sekreet closed the book and stood up. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re quite confused. Just tell me your questions in the order you¡¯re curious about.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. Sekreet looked at him with a puzzled expression before speaking. ¡°My original age is over eighty. This is my office Sepharachio. It¡¯s a room where curses can¡¯t fly out. And the reason I¡¯m dressed like this, wearing ill-fitting clothes, is that I turn back into an adult¡¯s body when the sun sets.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan chuckled. These were exactly the questions he had been curious about. Sekreet, who had been browsing the bookshelf, raised his head and spoke. ¡°Hmm. Could you plug that in for me? The second slot from the top.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure.¡± Ronanplied. He felt a shiver run down his spine as if a ghost had grabbed his ear. Seeing the book slot back into its ce, Sekreet smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Sorry for bringing you here in such a strange manner. It was unavoidable due to Sepharachio¡¯s nature. We had to make the route asplex as possible so the curse wouldn¡¯t escape.¡± Now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t seen any doors or windows. Sekreet extended his hand for a handshake. When Ronan shook her hand, Sekreet enthusiastically shook his arm up and down. ¡°Meet Professor Sekreet, who handles the curses and blessings subject. I¡¯m pleased to finally see the sanctity of the martial arts department, which I¡¯ve only heard rumors about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan. I¡¯ve been curious since earlier. Why are you in that appearance? Lady¡¯s preference?¡± Elizabeth, who had been listening from behind, stiffened her expression. Sekreet, as if finding it amusing, smiled and spoke. ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s called the Sphinx curse. One of the five curses that affect the body¡¯s transformation based on day and night. Butpared to the other four curses, this one is rtively better.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As they shook hands, Ronan¡¯s expression became tense. He began to wonder if he could entrust his own blessing to this being. A curse dealer who was cursed. It was like a doctor specializing in treating baldness being bald themselves. Sekreet seemed to have read Ronan¡¯s thoughts and chuckled knowingly. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, but you can rx. I¡¯m not intentionally doing any blessings. Each of these curses has its own unique appeal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to rx.¡± ¡°Enough small talk¡­ Let¡¯s start talking about your blessing. Stand there quietly.¡± Thud! Sekreet flicked his finger into the air. Chalk flew towards him from a corner of the study. Sekreet started drawing a geometric magic circle centered around Ronan, taking his time. ¡°What made you realize the curse?¡± ¡°A monster that looked like a tumor¡­ Hmm, Cursed eye, was it? It melted away as soon as it touched me.¡± Sekreet raised an eyebrow at that statement. It was something that could only be found in literature. ¡°Huh, if you were hit by such a strong curse, you should have noticed as soon as you entered¡­ I¡¯m also getting interested. Oh, don¡¯t move.¡± Muttering something, Sekreet stood up from his seat. He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°Show me your form.¡± As soon as Secret finished speaking, translucent characters burst forth from Ronan¡¯s body as if pouring out. ¡°Yikes!¡± ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Ronan cursed. Elizabeth, who had been standing behind him, staggered back and fell over, clutching her bottom. The characters gushed out like a tidal wave, forming a cylindrical shape in midair on their own. In the end, a massive cylinderposed of characters was erected around Ronan, with him at the center. Sekreet chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a spectacle in my whole life. It¡¯s an ancient curse indeed.¡± ¡°An ancient curse?¡± ¡°Yes. Just as old as fire or prostitution¡­ this is quite interesting.¡± Sekreet exined that the curse that was embedded in Ronan¡¯s body had materialized. Suppressing the urge to scream, Ronan stared at the characters that had emerged from his own body. ¡°I had this kind of thing inside me?¡± It was a type of script he had never seen before in his life. If it hadn¡¯t had a certain consistency, he wouldn¡¯t have even realized that it was text. Sekreet, who had been waving his hand in the air, was muttering to himself as if possessed by something. ¡°The curse would melt away as soon as the Cursed child touched it. How in the world did theye up with such a design?¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Wait and see. It requires analysis. Most of these curses are unheard of.¡± Sekreet took out paper and pen and began to scribble something. After a few hours of this, he finally allowed Ronan to move. ¡°Gosh, my legs almost gave out.¡± -Whoosh! As Ronan stepped out of the magic circle, the characters that had filled the study vanished like smoke. Suddenly, his eyes began to itch intensely. Elizabeth, seeing Ronan rubbing his eyes vigorously, asked with concern. ¡°Are you okay? Why are you rubbing your eyes like that?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ darn it.¡± The itching sensation persisted for a few minutes before finally subsiding. Sekreet was staring intently at the paper he had been scribbling on without saying a word. Ronan spoke up. ¡°Am I going to die now?¡± ¡°Do you remember when I told you that you¡¯re cursed with five curses?¡± ¡°Yes? I remember.¡± ¡°I thought that these curses had limits that humans could bear while going about their daily lives. Even a minor curse can lead to physical and mental copse if they start to ovep.¡± Sekreet turned his body. He looked at Ronan with a serious expression and opened his mouth. ¡°But your body now carries ten curses. And all of them are powerful curses. I have no idea how you¡¯ve managed to survive with them all.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ so, am I screwed now? What do these curses even do?¡± ¡°Three are copper curses. I can¡¯t determine the effects of the remaining seven for now. Copper¡­ ¡± Sekreet paused for a moment and snapped his fingers in the air. A semi-transparent barrier split Elizabeth and Ronan apart. Elizabeth was muttering something and her lips moved, but no sound reached them. ¡°It¡¯s a Silent Spell. It¡¯s because this conversation seems sensitive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more delicate than I thought.¡± ¡°Given the circumstances, it can¡¯t be helped. If my interpretation of the copper curses is correct¡­ you won¡¯t be able to handle the natural state of mana. It¡¯s beyond sight.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was the moment when the questions that had tormented him were finally answered. ¡°Yeah. Something felt off.¡± Even those who were ipetent with a sword still had the ability to sense mana. Finding out that it wasn¡¯t due to a desperate talent was a relief, but whether that was something to be thankful for remained uncertain. Ronan asked. ¡°Is there a solution?¡± ¡°Ordinarily, I would assert that there¡¯s no curse that can¡¯t be lifted. But this time, I can¡¯t be sure. Most of these curses are unknown. Maybe, even if it¡¯s possible, extensive research would be needed.¡± Sekreet¡¯s voice sounded a bit downcast as she spoke. Despite his appearance he was an intelligent child. ¡°Damn, even aftering this far, it¡¯s still not working.¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. Sekreet, who had been staring at the paper, muttered softly. ¡°Well, at least I might be able to help with one of the copper curses.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ronan¡¯s body tensed. Without answering, Secret snapped her fingers again. The Silent Spell that had been separating Elizabeth and the two of them disappeared. She spoke in a slightly sassy tone. ¡°Hmph, leaving me out and having your own private conversation.¡± ¡°Elizabeth, can you lend me a bit of your mana?¡± ¡°Huh? My mana?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Sekreet nodded her head. She picked up the chalk again and started drawing aplex pattern on the floor. ¡°Professor Sekreet?¡± Sekreet¡¯s hand moved without hesitation as he manipted the chalk. Three much more intricate magic circles were drawn than before. Sekreet, pointing to the topmost one in the row, said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Lie down here with your head, Ronan.¡± ¡°Lie down?¡± Ronanplied. Heid down, and the ceiling filled with strange characters came into view. Lying down with his head on the magic circle, he felt a natural progression: the middle circle aligned with his chest, and the bottom circle with his feet. Sekreet exined with a casual tone. ¡°The method we¡¯re going to attempt now is a curse-breaking method that I¡¯ve developed. There might be a side effect where your consciousness gets damaged if it fails, but one effect is certain.¡± ¡°Darn, is that safe?¡± ¡°Normally, curses and blessingse with risks. But with your strong martial powers, you should be okay. I will create an imaginary world within your consciousness, where I¡¯ll project one of the copper curses that afflicts you.¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. He couldn¡¯t quite grasp what Sekreet was saying. Sekreet continued. ¡°In that world, you just have to break the curse that binds you. You might experience it as a vivid dream. Maybe due to Cursed eye, one of the copper curses was significantly weakened.¡± ¡°So, I have to enter a dream and break the curse? How am I supposed to recognize it?¡± ¡°You should be able to sense it instinctively. It might take a while, so we should start. Elizabeth, ce your hand on my head.¡± ¡°Yes, sure?¡± Sekreet urged her on. Elizabeth hesitated, but eventually ced palm on his head. Then, Sekreet ced his palm on Ronan¡¯s forehead. Elizabeth felt mana being drawn out, and she let out a short gasp. ¡°Kyaaah¡­!¡± ¡°Just bear with it for a little while. This spell consumes a lot of mana.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯tprehend the bizarre situation he was in. Sekreet opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin.¡± A chant like a luby flowed from his lips. It sounded like a dirge for the deceased, yet also like a nursery rhyme. Suddenly, everything in front of Ronan went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he couldn¡¯t see Sekreet or Elizabeth. ¡°Where am I?¡± The ceiling covered in characters disappeared, reced by a familiar sky of the same color. Ronan slowly got up. Below the hill, he could see a vige, and a river winding through the vige. A low chant slipped from Ronan¡¯s lips. ¡°Nimbuten?¡± Chapter 43: Please (2) Chapter 43: Please (2) The familiar color of the sky seen from lying down. Ronan slowly rose to his feet. Below the hill, he could see a vige standing and a river winding along the vige. A murmured whisper escaped Ronan¡¯s lips. ¡°Nimbuten.¡± Even after rubbing his eyes and looking again, it was the same. His hometown, Nimbuten. Ronan walked down the hill as if he were enchanted by something. The sensation of the grass leaves rustling under his feet was vivid. ¡°Is this my imaginary world?¡± The sound of flowing water that faintly reached his ears, the wind that tickled his nostrils, everything felt real. Yet, only the emptiness at the waist where the scabbard usually hung subtly implied that this wasn¡¯t reality. Soon, as Ronan entered the outskirts of the vige, he raised his head with a grin. ¡°Did this really exist?¡± Next to a sign with the name ¡°Nimbuten¡± written on it, a tall birch tree stood. Its height and lushness made it seem like you could see it from anywhere in the vige. If this existed, I wouldn¡¯t forget it. After shrugging his shoulders, Ronan entered the vige. The vige scenery was almost the same as what Ronan knew. The vegetable garden where Aselle¡¯s parents used to farm was unchanged, and the bustling Lambert Inn from every night was as it was. The only strange thing was that there was no sign of life in the vige. In the silent streets, it was only Ronan¡¯s footsteps that could be heard, as if all the residents had vanished. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel good¡­¡± Even the blowing wind was eerily calm. Ronan was about to take another step forward when theughter of a young child reached him from behind. ¡°Hehehe!¡± Ronan quickly turned his head. A fluttering white dress disappeared around the corner. The light footsteps were quickly fading away. Ronan ran towards where the child had vanished as if he were enchanted by something. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Ronan turned the corner. The house where he and his sister lived appeared. Normally, it would have taken a few more minutes, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to care about such contradictions. Nothing was attached to the overgrown walls. Just then, the child who had gone ahead appeared behind Ronan. ¡°Heehee!¡± ¡°Damn, that scared me.¡± She looked about five years old at best. Seeing the child¡¯s face, Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°¡­Noona?¡± ¡°Mama!¡± Ignoring Ronan, the child ran straight into the house. The wooden door opened and closed. Ronan stood rooted to the spot as if his feet were anchored to the ground. No matter how young she was, he wouldn¡¯t fail to recognize that face. Large irises tinted with sunset colors, pale white hair like starlight. Without a doubt, it was his younger sister from his childhood. ¡°So this is¡­?¡± Unfamiliar birch trees, slightly less worn buildings. His younger sister. Ronan finally realized that he was wandering through a past version of Nimberton. wah! wah! Suddenly, the cry of a baby resonated. It came from Ronan¡¯s house. Grabbing a shovel leaning on the fence, Ronan¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°¡­Better than nothing, I guess.¡± He had to remember. This was an imaginary world created to rid him of the curse that had attached itself to him. Since the goal was to break the curse, he mustn¡¯t mistake this world for being friendly. With that thought in mind, Ronan pulled the doorknob. The door, which didn¡¯t have atch, opened smoothly. Three chairs were ced around the dining table. Ronan perked up his ears at the sound of voicesing from somewhere. ¡°Is this my brother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Iril.¡± The conversation wasing from the bedroom with a bed. It was Iril¡¯s room now. Ronan, clutching the shovel, cautiously took a step forward. He leaned his head out while hiding his body by the doorway to get a glimpse inside. Young Iril was lying on the bed, propping her chin on her hands and her eyes twinkling. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you. Because you¡¯re my brother.¡± ¡°Hehe, impressive, our daughter.¡± A woman with ck hairy beside her, gently stroking Iril¡¯s head. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The woman¡¯s face resembled Iril¡¯s exactly. Even though he had never seen her before, Ronan instinctively knew. That woman was his birth mother. ¡°Mother¡­?¡± Ronan hesitated before entering the room. The mother and daughter continued their conversation without showing any reaction to his presence. It was as if they couldn¡¯t see him at all. Ronan extended his hand to touch his mother but it passed through her as if he were swatting at thin air. ¡°Then, you must be¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s gaze shifted to the bed. Between Iril¡¯s face and her mother¡¯s, a newborn baby was nestled in a nket, making tiny sounds. ¡°Mewnya¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, so cute.¡± When Iril reached out her hand, the baby grabbed her finger. Iril giggled and kissed the baby¡¯s cheek. Their mother watched her two children, her face adorned with a gentle smile. ¡°So, there were¡­ times like this in my life.¡± Ronan observed the harmonious family scene, forgetting his purpose. Just then, the sound of a door opening came from behind. Creak! ¡°¡­¡± In that moment, an eerie sensation he had never experienced in his life swept over Ronan. Clutching the broken shovel tightly, he turned his head. There stood a shapeless shadow, indescribable like mist. At that moment, Ronan realized that this was the curse he needed to break. ¡°I have to break it.¡± Just as he was about to swing the shovel, the shadowy figure that had been lurking in the doorway began to speak. ¡°¡ö¡­?¡± Ronan¡¯s body froze at the sound. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö? Iril? ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ It was a bizarre voice that was difficult to recognize as speech. The only thing he could make out was his sister¡¯s name. Before long, the shadow spoke, and the mother and daughter responded warmly. ¡°Iril, ¡ö¡ö has arrived, it seems. Go out to meet them.¡± ¡°Wow! ¡ö¡ö~¡± Young Iril jumped with her arms wide open. The elongated shadow on either side embraced Iril. With Iril in its arms, the shadow entered the room. It gently greeted the mother who was lying under the covers. ¡°How did you time it? He was just born yesterday. How is he? Cute, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡± ¡°Ahaha, he seems more like you than me¡­ but why the strange expression? Did something happen?¡± ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡± The shadow that had set Iril down then picked up the newborn baby. It looked at the baby for a while before turning its head towards the mother. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡± ¡°Yes? It¡¯s dangerous? What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡± ¡°Why, why are you like this, ¡ö¡ö?¡± In an instant, the shadow roiled as if boiling. Both the mother and Iril copsed as if they were asleep. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened, as if they were about to pop out. ¡°No¡­ way¡­!¡± A sharp cracking sound came from Ronan¡¯s mouth. His muscles were already swollen as if they were about to burst. Since his body had stiffened, he had been exerting all his strength just to move. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­ Iril¡­¡± The shadow¡¯s agitation subsided. Unbidden, tears flowed from Ronan¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure how to exin this situation, but he could sense that the shadow was deeply saddened. The shadow ced Iril and the baby beside their mother. Then, it extended part of itself to cover both the newborn baby and Iril. ¡®What kind of nonsense is this?¡¯ For a fleeting moment, Ronan saw the curse¡¯s symbols that hade out of his body swirling within the shadow¡¯s body. They were flowing into the newborn baby¡¯s body. ¡°¡ö¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡± The murmuring shadow moved outside the door. The moment the shadow left the house, the restraints that had bound Ronan were released. Thud! Ronan bounced off the wall after being pushed away. It was because the energy that had been pent up in him was suddenly released all at once. But there was no time to feel pain. Ronan immediately rushed toward his family. The mother, daughter, and baby were all lying still, as if dead. ¡°No¡­ No¡­!¡± He struggled to prop them up, but he couldn¡¯t get a hold of them. As darkness encroached on his vision with despair, he heard the rustling breaths of someone nearby. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Regaining his senses, Ronan saved his family. Iril¡¯s swollen belly was slowly rising and falling, as was the mother¡¯s and the baby¡¯s. Fortunately, they were all merely asleep. Even in her sleep, Iril clutched the baby tightly. Ronan, clutching the broken shovel, slowly stood up. A voice, almost animalistic, emerged from his mouth. ¡°This¡­ damn bastard¡­¡± Despair was quickly turning into anger. The wooden handle of the shovel broke in half. Ronan, who had been lurking around, picked up the obsidian sword leaning against the entrance. Why was the obsidian sword here? Such a fact was as insignificant as the fact that this was an imaginary world. Whether this was a mere delusion or a representation of past memories was also unknown. There was only one thing that mattered: the fact that he hadmitted something unforgivable. Thud! Ronan mmed the door and dashed out of the house with all his might. The moment he left the house, the vige¡¯s buildings scattered like mist and disappeared. Ronan dashed through what remained of Nimberton¡¯s streets like a madman. Before long, he saw the distant bird tree and the shadow copsed on the ground. With part of his body drawn out like a sword, Ronan approached the scene with his breath heaving. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö, Iril¡­¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡± Suddenly, tears welled up in Ronan¡¯s eyes. A mixture of sorrow and anger, much greater and more intense than the anger that had consumed him, surged within his chest. Instinctively, Ronan sensed that these were the emotions the shadow was feeling. However, he didn¡¯t slow down his sprint. The distance had significantly shortened. The shadow still hadn¡¯t noticed Ronan¡¯s presence. He concentrated the sourceless emotions within his throat and shouted them out as if expelling them. ¡°Stand there! You bastard!!¡± ¡°¡ö?!¡± The shadow turned its head. At that moment, Ronan¡¯s body shot forward like a sh. The fastest sword strike he had delivered so far surged toward the shadow¡¯s body. Ching! ck sparks flew out into the air. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°¡ö¡¤¡¤¡¤¡ö¡ö?¡± The ambush had failed. The obsidian sword, which hade into contact with the shadow, was shing through empty space. Ronan, who had spat on the ground, swung the sword again. ng! ng! ng! A series of strikes too fast for an ordinary person to see were unleashed. However, the shadow easily evaded or blocked all of Ronan¡¯s attacks. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± No matter how he changed his swordsmanship and attacked with unconventional moves, they were all either avoided or blocked. Ronan gritted his teeth. It felt like he was being toyed with, rather than being properly engaged. After exchanging about twenty blows, the shadow, which had been solely on the defensive, suddenly surged like an explosion. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± The atmosphere hadpletely changed from before. The eerie ckness of the shadow prated Ronan¡¯s chest. The blows he couldn¡¯t defend against tore at various parts of his body. Thud! In an instant, a thrust pierced through Ronan¡¯s thigh and wrist. ¡°Ugh!¡± ng! The ck iron sword fell to the ground. Ronan fell to one knee and copsed. The shadow aimed the tip of the sword at Ronan¡¯s neck. While he was prepared for the worst, the shadow didn¡¯t take any further action. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°Huh, what are you doing¡­? Ugh, why are you not killing me¡­¡± The shadow stood still, only staring at Ronan. Intense sorrow and anger flooded into Ronan¡¯s mind once again. The shadow sheathed the sword. ¡°¡ö¡ö.¡± Then, the shadow swung its sword through the air like pulling out a root and started walking away, turning its back. Ronan, who had stood up unsteadily, grasped the obsidian sword with his left hand. ¡°Damn it¡­ Ugh, stand right there¡­!¡± The shadow didn¡¯t stop. It sent a gesture of farewell to the cut bird tree and continued walking. At this rate, he was about to lose itpletely. Ronan took a deep breath. He needed something to stop the shadow. An idea emerged, but he really didn¡¯t want to say it, even if it meant his death. Three chairs ced around the dining table. Iril, who hugged him with a bright smile. His mother¡¯s words that she resembled her more than me. He had realized it in his mind a while ago, but he didn¡¯t want to admit it. Facing the truth was scary. It felt like denying himself the moment he spoke it out loud. ¡°Damn it.¡± But there was no other way. Blood was still flowing from his leg and wrist. Taking a deep breath, Ronan shouted toward the shadow. ¡°And you call yourself a father, even after all that! You bastard!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡ö?¡± The shadow stopped. Clear fluctuations of emotion passed through it. Soon, an indescribable thrill surged through Ronan¡¯s entire body. ¡°A chance onlyes once.¡± Ronan clenched the sword handle. Whoosh! The swirling shadow charged toward Ronan. His vision narrowed and time seemed to slow down. He had to end it with this surprise attack while the opponent was off bnce. The shadow that hade so close raised its sword. ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, a faint shimmering caught Ronan¡¯s eye. It was like a stream of water, yet it seemed to have been tinted by the wind. The worn-out obsidian sword had transformed into a smooth rapier. Ronan swung the sword toward the shadow that was almost upon him. However, it wasn¡¯t a reckless swing; he followed the flowing stream of water in the air. sh! The shadow was cut in half. Chapter 44: Please (3) Chapter 44: Please (3) The worn-out obsidian sword had transformed into a smooth rapier. Ronan swung the sword toward the shadow that was almost upon him. However, it wasn¡¯t a reckless swing; he followed the flowing stream of water in the air. sh! The shadow was cut in half. Whoosh! Dark bursts erupted like blood and poured over his face. ¡°¡ö¡ö¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°What the?!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The result was unexpected even for the one who had delivered the sword strike. The two split shadow streams fell on either side of Ronan. ¡®That move just now¡­¡¯ It was a strike much faster and more powerful than what he could have produced before. The sword deity riding on the peculiar flow advanced like a wind-fueled ship. He swung the sword again into the empty space, but the same sensation as before didn¡¯te. The mysterious flow vanished and reappeared in various ces within his field of vision. I¡¯ll need to confirm thister. Ronan thought and lowered his gaze. The split shadows wriggled on the ground. Ronan crushed the shadows underfoot and questioned them. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± There was no reply. The shadows started dispersing like ashes in the wind. Ronan, frustrated, muttered under his breath as he spat on the ground. ¡°Of course¡­ I didn¡¯t think I could convince you so easily.¡± The entirendscape within his sight was disintegrating. Ronan closed his eyes as he saw his fingertips turning into dust-like particles. It seemed he had lost too much blood, making his head feel dizzy. Amidst the fading consciousness, the voice of the shadow reached him. ¡°¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. Ronan.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The blue sky vanished, and a dimly lit interior spread before him. The dry air carried the scent of ink and musty paper. ¡°Where is this?¡± As he squinted, he saw words written on the distant ceiling. It was Separachio, the Sekreet study of Sekreet. However, all the lights that used to illuminate the library were turned off. ¡®Did burrs break in¡­?¡¯ Ronan slowly got up and ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. His muscles, tense from the intense battle, were still tight. Then, a voice from behind reached him. ¡°Did you enjoy your journey?¡± ¡°Damn it, you startled me.¡± Ronan quickly turned his head. Sekreet was nowhere to be found, instead an old man with a somewhat stern expression sat behind the desk. The small candle ced next to him cast a crimson hue on the old man¡¯s face. The old man, wearing round sses, diligently wrote something with a fountain pen on a piece of paper. Ronan noticed that he was dressed in the same attire as Sekreet. With a relieved sigh, Ronan removed his hand from the sword hilt. ¡°Well¡­ it seems like it¡¯s already nighttime.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± ¡°Why are all the lights turned off? And where¡¯s Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Rx¡­ she¡¯s over there.¡± Sekreet, who had brought his index finger to his lips, gestured behind him. When Ronan turned his head, he saw Elizabeth curled up on the sofa, sound asleep. Judging from the fact that she was covered in a nket, quite some time seemed to have passed since she fell asleep. ¡°Ugh¡­ mmm¡­¡± She was diligently picking at a strand of hair that had entered her mouth. Sekreet, who had risen from his seat, came down and ced the nket over her shoulders. ¡°She insisted on waiting even though she could¡¯ve gone ahead. If it wasn¡¯t for this child, we couldn¡¯t have cast the Spell so easily. Treat her to something deliciouster.¡± ¡°Indeed, I should be grateful.¡± Ronan nodded. His head was spinning, much like the day after a heavy drinking session. He washed his face quickly and looked back at Sekreet. ¡°How long was I lying down?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the sun to rise.¡± ¡°Damn, I slept for quite a while.¡± Ronan muttered a curse. He had spent nearly a day in the imaginary world. Sekreet pushed his sses up his forehead and spoke. ¡°But still, it¡¯s fortunate since the Spell seeded.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Take a look over there.¡± Sekreet pointed to the floor of the study. It was the spot where Ronan hadid down the magic circles. The three magic circles drawn with chalk had all turned pitch ck. Sekreet exined that the magic circles had absorbed the curses that had flowed out of his body. ¡°It must have been tough, and I¡¯m grateful you managed it well. You shouted so many times, even cried. It¡¯s amon urrence during the Spell, but I found myself worrying needlessly.¡± ¡°¡­I cried?¡± Ronan quickly wiped at the corners of his eyes. There was still a hint of moisture beneath his swollen eyes. Could it be that he had caused a scene in the real world every time he acted up in the imaginary world? ¡°Damn¡­ so frustrating.¡± Ronan sighed as he looked at the ceiling. Then he turned his gaze back to Sekreet. He had many things he wanted to say, but there was one thing he needed to say first. Ronan suppressed his emotions and spoke. ¡°Thank you, Professor. Really.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I merely untangled a knot that was already there.¡± ¡°But what exactly was the knot that got untangled?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ you should be the one feeling it the most. Has nothing changed from your usual self?¡± ¡°Changed? ¡­Oh.¡± Come to think of it, his eyes were no longer itching. Along with this realization, Ronan recounted the strange flow he had seen in the imaginary world. Sekreet chuckled warmly. ¡°Heh heh, it seems you can now perceive mana.¡± ¡°That murmuring was mana?¡± ¡°Yes. It was pitch ck, so I can¡¯t recall much of the distant past, but¡­ when I first seeded in sensitivity, I perceived mana in that form. Congrattions.¡± Sekreet exined that as sensitivity developed, Ronan would be able to see mana in a broader and more detailed manner. Ronan nodded as he looked at the flows rippling around Sekreet. ¡®Was that final strike unconsciously utilizing mana too?¡¯ Ronan recalled the strike that cut through the shadows. Instead of cutting through the mana that should have been severed, it seemed to have infused more strength into it. He couldn¡¯t grasp the exact mechanics, but Ronan subtly conjectured that it was akin to how following a groove while sawing made the task smoother. ¡°Good oue.¡± Ronan smiled. Now that he could see mana, not just magic or aura, a lot more changes were bound to ur beyond just battles. Even though there were still around nine curses lingering within him, it was a happy development. Sekreet suddenly posed a question. ¡°By the way, Ronan, what did you see there?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In your imaginary world. I mean, the process leading up to the Spell might not have been smooth.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s a bit long¡­ um, so, I mean¡­¡± Ronan recounted each event he had experienced in the imaginary world. From encountering the unfamiliar birch tree to the silence of Nimbuten, and even meeting his younger self and a forgotten mother from his childhood. ¡°Ah¡­ so you¡¯re saying that the imagery that got mixed up was a depiction of your hometown from the past? Quite intriguing¡­¡± Sekreet meticulously captured every detail of Ronan¡¯s words, not missing a single detail. Ronan was in the midst of describing the time when he met his family members in the imaginary world. ¡°Wait a moment, you saw your newborn self?¡± ¡°Yes? But¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Could it be that you mistook someone else for yourself? Like a being you created with your imagination.¡± ¡°No, I can distinguish that. It was definitely me.¡± Sekreet¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He sighed as if he had discovered a major w in one of his inventions. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an unprecedented urrence. The imaginary worlds arising from curses take various forms, but they share amon factor. The protagonist navigating those worlds is none other than the cursed individual themselves.¡± Sekreet exined that around the cursed individual, all sorts of unrealistic and dreadful events took ce in those imaginary worlds. Most curses were born out of malice. However, Ronan had seen himself lying down and whimpering. The destendscape wasn¡¯t filled with malice or unreality; it was eerily realistic and serene. The protagonist of the world he walked through wasn¡¯t him. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling it for a while now¡­ It feels more like someone else¡¯s memories than an imaginary world created by me. Please continue.¡± Sekreet resumed taking notes. Ronan hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice growing heavier. There was no point in hiding it; the issue couldn¡¯t be resolved anyway. ¡°And¡­ I saw my father.¡± ¡°Your father?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t see what he looked like directly¡­ but I¡¯m sure it was my father. He was the curse I had to bear, and he was the one who cursed me.¡± Ronan exined the eerie shadow that seemed to be his father. As the story unfolded, Sekreet¡¯s expression became more and more rigid. ¡°So, to summarize, you couldn¡¯t see what your father looked like, you couldn¡¯t hear his voice, yet you could feel his emotions quite distinctly. Furthermore, you witnessed a scene where the shadow in the form of your father cursed you as a newborn baby?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You said you had no previous memories of your father, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, none. I truly had no memories. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been living with my mother either. This situation is quite different.¡± Whenever he tried to recall the form or voice of the shadow, his head throbbed with pain. It felt as if the part of his brain responsible for his memories of his father had been excised with a de. Come to think of it, Ronan had never questioned his parents¡¯ existence throughout his life. The part of his memory that defined the beginning of his recollections, his ¡°early childhood,¡± already existed without the presence of his parents. He might have asked Iril once or twice, but even those memories were absent. Sekreet spoke up. ¡°Well, based on the information you¡¯ve provided so far¡­ you seem to have had your memories sealed.¡± ¡°My memories are sealed?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It matches your symptoms as well. If the one who cursed you was your father, then the story is quite convincing. To erase the fact that he cursed you and his identity, it¡¯s likely that your memories were sealed.¡± So, was Iril¡¯s memory also sealed? Ronan asked once again. ¡°In that case, the imagery of the birch tree, your mother, and your newborn self¡­ it¡¯s likely that your sealed memories and your father¡¯s memories got mixed up, creating those scenes?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s highly probable that your father¡¯s memories from the time of the curse got intertwined with your sealed memories. Such things often happen when magic deals with memories.¡± ¡°Why would he do such a thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Understanding the thoughts of someone who curses their child with ten curses is quite difficult.¡± Sekreet put down his fountain pen and added. ¡°I don¡¯t want to understand it.¡± Ronan chuckled as he wrote. The first riddle hade to an end. Sekreet exined that the two revealed gold pieces were likely rted to mana in some way. ¡°Once you manage to unlock these two gold pieces, you should be able to handle and sense mana like everyone else¡­ I¡¯ll contact you as soon as the research isplete.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± ¡°Sure, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Sekreet flicked his finger into the air, and suddenly, lights throughout the study illuminated. Elizabeth, who had been rubbing her eyes, yawned and stood up. ¡°Ugh¡­ is it over?¡± ¡°Yeah. Thanks for waiting.¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯ve just added another debt to me, Ronan¡­¡± Elizabeth let out a faintugh. It seemed like she intended to create a sense of indebtedness in Ronan¡¯s heart. The strand of hair that had been caught in her mouth fell onto her chest. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The purplish-red strand of hair was clumped together in sections. Her face turned redder as she looked at her damp hair. ¡°Um, hold on a moment. This, well¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I drool too when I sleep.¡± ¡°That liquid can¡¯t be¡­ You¡¯re really¡­¡± ¡°Elizabeth, do you know how to get back? I can¡¯t open the door due to my nearly depleted mana.¡± ¡°What?¡± Elizabeth was about to say something, but Sekreet interjected just in time. The btedly rationalized Elizabeth nodded somewhat arrogantly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been waiting for this all along.¡± ¡°Is there enough mana left?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Elizabeth gave a hollowugh and walked across the room. She took ten books from the bookshelf attached to the wall and, facing the empty space, recited an incantation. ¡°Delpirim. Lunagie. Cashpa.¡± Thudududud! The bookshelf started to move back slowly. Before long, Ronan saw a narrow corridor appear, furrowing his brows. ¡°This is really something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the students avoid meeting with me.¡± Across the dimly lit, unadorned corridor was sheer darkness. Elizabeth, who had opened the door, said gleefully. ¡°See?¡± ¡°This is quite absurd.¡± ¡°Just because students shy away from talking to me.¡± Beyond the narrow corridor devoid of decoration, only darkness loomed. Elizabeth walked through the open door. ¡°Did you see it?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s impressive, Elizabeth. You truly have the skills of a senior.¡± ¡°Heh heh, it was nice meeting you, Professor Sekreet. I¡¯ll see you in the next ss.¡± Elizabeth giggled at the praise. For some reason, Ronan felt like he knew how to deal with her. Hand in hand, they walked down the corridor just as they had arrived. When Ronan turned back to give his regards, his eyes widened. ¡°My body¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, it looks like the sun is rising.¡± Seeing his hands shrinking, Sekreet chuckled. His body continued to diminish, slowly being absorbed into his clothes. Sekreet waved his dwindling sleeves and bid his farewell. As Ronan walked down the corridor, he turned his head again. Sekreet had transformed back into the appearance of aplete child. The odd voice flowed from his lips. ¡°See you again.¡± Just as the darkness seemed to deepen, the surroundings suddenly brightened. Ronan and Erzjebet found themselves standing in the middle of Philleon za, not in the forest cabin. Ronan let go of Elizabeth¡¯s hand and chuckled as if he were amazed. ¡°You¡¯ve been quite the independent one until the end.¡± ¡°Still, this much progress is good enough. I¡¯ve heard of students who¡¯ve transitioned above theke.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± As they took a breath, the refreshing morning air filled their lungs. The sun was rising amidst the pointed spires that jutted into the sky. Amidst the warm radiance bathing the za, Ronan could see the mana of the natural world, rippling like waves. ¡°Thank you so much, Elizabeth. I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I could help. Oh, by the way, you still have the brooch I gave you, right?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Come to think of it, he had forgotten. Ronan rummaged through his belongings and took out the brooch Elizabeth had given him. It was the first thing he had received from the world since the day of the entrance ceremony. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at the shimmering brooch. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve been carrying it around so lovingly. You know, Ronan, the doors of Acalusia are always open for you, even if you don¡¯t hold onto it like a treasure.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve just been busy and forgot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it. Not just anyone can receive an invitation from Acalusia. I¡¯ll be looking forward to the day you visit the castle.¡± Her voice was filled with a slightly intense conviction. Elizabeth firmly believed that Ronan would be a part of Acalusia. Come to think of it, quite some time had passed since he received that proposal. As he was contemting his future ns, Elizabeth turned her body. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way. Please send my regards to Adeshan.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the debt you owe me.¡± With those words and a yful smile, Elizabeth left. His first impression of her wasn¡¯t that great, but he thought she might be a better person than he initially assumed. Ronan crossed thendscape, where mana was scattered in an unfamiliar manner, and headed back to the dormitory. On the bed, Cita was curled up, sleeping. As he looked at it, Ronan mumbled, thinking about the eerie symbols that might still be wiggling within it at this very moment. ¡°Nine pieces¡­¡± His eyes kept closing. It was fortunate that his first ss, Archery, was in the afternoon. Ronan fell asleep with his face buried in Cita¡¯s feathers. In the darkness created by his eyelids, he saw swirling red and blue mana¡­ **** -Polygon¡­ Polygon¡­ Polygon¡­ Polygon¡­ As Ronan was falling asleep, a carriage entered Philleon¡¯s courtyard. The carriage, pulled by six white horses, was magnificent. An emblem of a knight standing atop a dragon was engraved on the back of the carriage. The carriage slowly entered the courtyard, passing through a section that was still half-asleep. ¡°Halt.¡± The carriage driver pulled on the reins upon reaching their destination. When the carriage came to a stop, the imposing Navar-Dorje Mansion stood next to the stationary carriage. ¡°We have arrived.¡± The carriage driver, who hade running, opened the door. From within, a middle-aged man in ornate attire stepped out. His extravagant clothing,yered several times over, and his emerald-blue hair and neatly groomed mustache left a strong impression. The man, who had scrutinized the dormitory building with sharp eyes, murmured ufortably. ¡°¡­Is this where you¡¯ve been staying?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been residing here for a while, Your Grace. Have you been well?¡± In that moment, as the space before the man tore apart, a deity-like figure emerged. His beard flowed down to his chest, swaying in the wind. The man recognized the face of the deity and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been well, Lord Kratir. Your magic seems to be growing even more formidable.¡± ¡°Hehe, would it be as dignified as your grace? Shullifen is also doing well.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still young. However, the buildings here seem modestpared to Philleon¡¯s stature. Would you consider expanding, given that funds from Gracia are avable?¡± Instead of answering, Kratir, the headmaster of Philleon, chuckled while stroking his beard. It carried a meaning of declining the suggestion. The man known as the Duke twisted his lips with a slightly displeased expression, but he didn¡¯t show more than that. Today¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t about improving student welfare. ¡°I appreciate your consideration for granting my unreasonable request. I can¡¯t find time even on the weekends.¡± ¡°I understand. You hold such heavy responsibilities.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not because of my position that you agreed. Well then, can we meet right now?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll send someone to check. He¡¯s a diligent student, so he¡¯s probably awake.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll go up myself.¡± With those words, the Duke started walking. Avishly adorned longsword hung from his waist, a masterpiece forged by the cksmith Doron. The chilling de was known as the Pale Road. Chapter 45: Erosion (1) Chapter 45: Erosion (1) ¡°Nine pieces¡­¡± Whether it was a side effect of the potion or not, fatigue rushed over Ronan suddenly. He fell asleep with his face buried in Cita¡¯s feathers. As he was about to sink into a deep slumber, someone lightly knocked on the door. Knock! knock! knock! It was probably Lucying to tidy up the bedding. Ronan, half awake, mumbled sleepily. ¡°Mmm¡­ Come backter, Lucy. I¡¯m going to rest until afternoon sses¡­¡± There was no response. Cita was tilting its head, looking at the door. The knocking sound came again. Knock! knock! knock! ¡°What is it, Lucy? Or is it Aselle?¡± Getting up to check felt too heavy. He¡¯d probably say that. Ronan grabbed his pillow and covered both ears, frustrated. Knock! knock! knock! ¡°For crying out loud¡­¡± But the knocking persisted. Knock! knock! knock! It was the moment the 57th knock echoed out. Ronan, who had thrown off the nket, irritably got up. ¡°Who the hell keeps knocking on a sleeping person¡¯s door as if they¡¯re trying to beat them to death with a stick?! Are you going to bang on it like you¡¯re ying the tambourine on New Year¡¯s Day?¡± In front of the door stood a well-dressed middle-aged man. Two knights in te armor stood behind him. The man¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing Ronan¡¯s words. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Judging from his expression, he seemed quite shocked. One of the knights behind him clenched the hilt of his sword and growled. ¡°Outrageous. If you don¡¯t want your tongue cut off, apologize immediately.¡± The knight had a rock-solid impression. Anyone with a sense of self-preservation would¡¯ve taken his words seriously. Of course, Ronan didn¡¯t know that. ¡°Huh, outrageous? Cut my tongue?¡± Ronan smirked at the knight. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the guys who woke up someone peacefully sleeping by knocking incessantly aren¡¯t ¡®outrageous¡¯? Hey, you there, want to show me what ¡®outrageous¡¯ means, huh?¡± Ronan spat on the ground. The knight released an imposing mana pressure and stepped forward as if he was about to attack Ronan any second. The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dan. Looks like he was sleeping.¡± ¡°Well, well¡­¡± Dan, as the knight was called, snorted. Suddenly, Ronan frowned. He saw something faintly shimmering around the sheath of Dan¡¯s sword. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ More urately, there was something glimmering lightly within the mana Don was emanating. It was like static electricity arcing in the air, a phenomenon Ronan had never seen before since he gained the ability to see mana. However, an unfamiliar sense of danger welled up within him. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I said.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Dan backed off as the middle-aged man lowered his head. Then, the glimmer within the mana vanished along with the mana¡¯s pressure. The man turned his gaze to Ronan. ¡°You can rx. I thought you were awake. I apologize for Dan¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan lifted his head, and only then did the face of the middle-aged mane into view. Ronan, who had calmed his excitement, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Do you know me?¡± ¡°Yeah. After all, I came here to meet you.¡± The middle-pitched voice carried an air of dignity. His striking blue hair and stylish mustache left an impression. Suddenly, Ronan felt like he had seen this man somewhere before. ¡®Shullifen?¡¯ If the Imperial Sun had aged gracefully, he might have looked something like this. Ronan, who soon realized the man¡¯s identity, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Damn it, Duke de Gracia?¡± ¡°Thanks for recognizing me. Can Ie in for a moment?¡± ¡°Um, just a moment. Let me put on some pants.¡± The door closed with a thud. The faces of the escort knights stiffened. As the door closed before their eyes, Duke de Gracia muttered softly. ¡°Turned out a bit different from what I expected.¡± **** ¡°Sorry about earlier. I was a bit tired.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I came here unexpectedly.¡± Ronan weed the Duke, wearing only pants and a shirt. It was his first time seeing him in person. Fortunately, there was a table and a sofa for receiving guests. ¡°Please make yourselffortable. Here¡¯s some tea.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Ronan ced a cup of tea he had brewed himself in front of the Duke. The Duke, who had been fidgeting since entering the room, spoke. ¡°Hmm¡­ Is this the best dormitory building in Philleon?¡± ¡°Yes? Um¡­ isn¡¯t it quite obvious just by its looks?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Quite good¡­¡± It was slightly better than the lodgings for the estate¡¯s servants. The Duke lowered his head and took a sip of tea. His eyebrows raised at the intense fragrance that wafted up. ¡°This¡­ Did you brew this yourself?¡± ¡°Yes. Is it okay?¡± ¡°Not just skilled with a sword, but also talented in various ways, I see. It¡¯s a shame to bring this kind of skill to a building like this.¡± As he spoke, the Duke took another sip of tea. Ronan¡¯s mood improved slightly, and he chuckled softly. He thought he had done well to pester Lucy to teach him. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. By the way, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯te just to talk to you. Can you wait for a moment?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. The door opened, and the escort knights entered. Following behind them were Aselle and Marya, and Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your Grace, we brought them.¡± The formal knights stepped aside. Aselle and Marya looked bewildered, ncing around. ¡°Um, this is Ronan¡¯s room¡­¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡± Both of them seemed to have just woken up. Marya even mistook the knights for Philleon guards. ¡°Nice to meet you all. With this, all three heroes have gathered.¡± At that moment, the Duke stood up. The two people who recognized his face were frozen in ce. ¡°Gr-Gra-Gra¡­ Gran de Gracia?¡± ¡°W-What, what¡¯s going on here¡­? If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve at leastbed my hair¡­¡± It was a face that could be recognized easily without any effort, thanks to various media. The Duke of Gracia, Shullifen¡¯s father, stood before them. The head of the Gracia family, a lineage that split the empire, was right in front of them. The Duke extended his hand for a handshake with an expressionless face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense. I¡¯m here to express my gratitude to you all.¡± ¡°Gratitude¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. First, let¡¯s sit down and talk. Ronan, is it alright?¡± ¡°Did you really need to ask if it¡¯s okay to sit on my couch? Of course.¡± Ronan nodded his head. Despite his cold and authoritative appearance, he seemed quite considerate. Well, he¡¯s Shullifen¡¯s father after all, so his character must have rubbed off on him. After everyone was seated on the couch, the Duke began speaking. ¡°Then let¡¯s make proper introductions. I am Joseph Cinevan de Gracia, the head of the House of Gracia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Aselle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Marya Carabelle. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Duke de Gracia.¡± Unique greetings were exchanged. The Duke looked carefully at the faces of the three and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Ronan, but the reason I¡¯vee to see all of you today is¡­ to express my gratitude.¡± ¡°Gratitude?¡± ¡°Yeah. Gratitude for saving Gran Cappadocia. As you know, the main customer of that forge was our Gracia family. Thanks to your swift action, the damage was minimized.¡± The Duke was well-informed about the entire incident in Gran Cappadocia. He shared the news that there were almost no casualties, and the new Gran Cappadocia was being rebuilt in therge cooperative Ronan had discovered. Suddenly, Ronan recalled what Elizabeth had mentioned the other day about guestsing from various ces. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be Duke de Gracia himself. After finishing his expression of gratitude, the Duke gestured to the knights standing by the door. ¡°Bring them.¡± Two knights briefly left the room and then returned, carrying three elegant boxes and a sword that looked to be about 2 meters long. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°These are items Master Doron requested me to deliver to you. Take them.¡± The knights handed the items to the three. In front of Ronan was a narrow, elongated box; Aselle received a small box, and Marya¡¯s greatsword leaned against her side. Ronan opened his box first. On a bed of red silky a sleek, ck rod. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He picked it up and examined it, but it hardly had any weight. Suddenly, Ronan eximed with excitement. There was a thin groove at the head of the rod. ¡°Ah!¡± Ronan inserted the tip of Lamancha into the groove. Click! The sword, which had been sliding in like it was greased, stopped right at the front of the hilt. Ronan spoke with an excited voice. ¡°Damn, I finally have a scabbard. Thank you.¡± ¡°We found it during the restoration process. Master Doron insisted on making it from the same material as your sword.¡± Come to think of it, the scabbard¡¯s material was very simr to Lamancha¡¯s de. Ronan nodded with satisfaction. Even when he sheathed the sword and hung it on his waist, he could hardly feel the weight. At that moment, a surprised voice came from Aselle as he opened his box. ¡°A bra-bra-bracelet¡­?¡± In Aselle¡¯s box, there were a pair of metallic bracelets. Their intertwined double helix form in a circr shape was impressive. Ronan, looking intrigued, chuckled. ¡°They suit you, Aselle. Is this like telling you to y house like a little girl?¡± ¡°Th-Tha-that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it seems they were made using Madelphium¡¯s technique. The Master was quite excited when he mentioned it. I¡¯m curious too. Would you mind trying them on?¡± Aselle nodded and slid the bracelets on both wrists. The loose bracelets naturally adjusted to fit his wrists. As Aselle felt the mana converging at his fingertips, his eyes widened. ¡°This, this is¡­!¡± The flow of mana itself had changed. It felt much more efficient in movementpared to when he used his staff. In the midst of his astonished admiration, Ronan interjected. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive. The direction of the flow has changed.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Ronan, can you see mana?!¡± ¡°Yeah, man. I¡¯ve been able to see it sincest night.¡± Ronan grinned and nodded. While he couldn¡¯t see every detail of the flow just yet, he could at least perceive that mana was flowing through the bracelet and his fingers. As Aselle pped his hands in awe, he eximed. ¡°Co-Congrattions! Finally¡­!¡± Thud! A noise so loud it seemed like the floor might have broken. Everyone in the room turned their gaze towards the source of the sound. Marya¡¯s greatsword had fallen over neatly. ¡°Ahaha, sorry¡­ It¡¯s heavier than I thought.¡± Marya, who had stood up from her seat, picked up the greatsword. Veins popped out on her white arms as she struggled. Only after using both hands was she able to stand the greatsword back up. ¡°I forgot to warn you about that. I heard it¡¯s an incredibly heavy greatsword.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ among the weapons I¡¯ve handled so far, this was the heaviest.¡± Marya said as she twisted her wrist. It seemed like she would have to exert all her strength to swing it properly. The Duke began speaking, his gaze fixed on the waves engraved on the reverse of the greatsword. ¡°But that greatsword is said to be the weapon that suits you best. He also mentioned that as mana fills it, its weight increases.¡± ¡°Wait, it gets heavier here?¡± ¡°Master Doron must have a reason. It¡¯s rmended to follow his advice whenever possible.¡± The Duke spoke calmly. His trust in Doron seemed quite substantial. Well, considering that the Gracia family had deep ties with the forge that had created Gracia¡¯s weapons for generations, it made sense. Marya nodded her head. She looked at the knights who had brought the greatsword and smiled casually. ¡°By the way, you have incredible strength. I¡¯m envious.¡± The knight didn¡¯t respond. He was the same Dan who had attempted to draw his sword against Ronan earlier. Seeing Marya slightly dismayed, the Duke spoke up. ¡°Dan, it seems your strength is impressive. Your loyalty is highly valued, but please respond in such cases, Dan.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I will do so.¡± Dan respectfully lowered his head. It was clear that he was an extremely loyal knight, abiding by his lord¡¯smands. ¡°Understand that he¡¯s a very proud man. That¡¯s why I leave my security to him.¡± ¡°Wow, impressive. Did he also Awaken?¡± ¡°Of course. Nearly all of Gracia¡¯s knights are Awakened now. Dan stands out even among them.¡± ¡°Your praise is too much, Your Grace.¡± The Duke and Dan, along with Marya, began to chat naturally. Suddenly, Ronan whispered to Aselle, recalling the earlier situation. ¡°Hey, Aselle.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Look at that guy over there, the one who looks like a beetle. Doesn¡¯t the mana seem a bit off to you?¡± Ronan pointed his chin towards Dan. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened in curiosity. Focusing his attention, Aselle saw Dan¡¯s mana core and pulsating mana, but nothing particrly unusual. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­?¡± ¡°Damn, and you call yourself a mage? Don¡¯t you see the glimmering in the mana?¡± ¡°G-Glimmering? I¡¯m not sure what you mean¡­¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t visible now, but it had definitely been there a moment ago. If Aselle, who had a much keener sense, had been able to see it. Perhaps it only bes apparent under specific conditions? ¡°Darn¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve sensed it somewhere before.¡± Under usual circumstances, he might have dismissed it as ¡°an ufortable sensation¡± and moved on. However, if it had manifested visually, the situation would have been different. Ronan whispered to Aselle, poking his side. ¡°Take a closer look. It might reappear at some point.¡± ¡°Um, okay¡­¡± At that moment, the Duke, who had been engaged in conversation, turned his gaze to Ronan. ¡°Oh, by the way, there¡¯s something I wanted to hear from you.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Well, an official letter will arrive from Rodon in a few days anyway, but I¡¯m curious. I heard that you were the ones who captured the masterminds controlling the stone giants. Can you tell me about that incident?¡± ¡°Ah, those two idiots?¡± At that instant, Dan¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. The glimmering mana intertwined with his pulse flowed up his shoulders. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There it is!¡± Ronan poked Aselle¡¯s side again. However, Aselle only looked bewildered and tried to feel for it. It seemed he hadn¡¯t noticed anything strange in Dan¡¯s mana. Damn, is it only visible to me? Ronan stared at Dan with wide eyes. It didn¡¯t seem like something he could just brush off. Suddenly, a single spark shed across Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°I remembered.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. Edwon and Cyril. The same ominous feeling they exuded was now emanating from Dan. The glimmering within the mana seemed to visualize that foreboding. Ronan¡¯s expression hardened. Sensing something amiss, the Duke raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why the sudden change?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s nothing. What were we talking about?¡± ¡°We were talking about the two people.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Ronan looked at Dan again. The glimmering mana had disappearedpletely. It had been a momentarypse in emotion, like he had released his mana due to a surge of feelings. ¡°That was definitely a reaction to the mention of the ¡®two idiots.''¡± He wasn¡¯tpletely sure yet, but he felt the hunch. For sure, it hade to him. With a sinister grin forming, Ronan spoke. ¡°Duke.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the Arrival of the Stars?¡± Chapter 46: Erosion (2) Chapter 46: Erosion (2) Ronan spoke. His gaze remained fixed on Dan. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the Arrival of the Star?¡± ¡°The Arrival of the Star¡­?¡± The Duke smirked. Surprisingly, there was no change in Dan¡¯s expression. However, the mana that was once again rising above his shoulders indicated that he was unsettled. Regardless, it seemed certain that it was rted to Neb zier. Ronan continued speaking. ¡°Since the story will soon spread throughout the Empire, I¡¯ll just tell you. First, the Arrival of the Star is the day when the end descends from the sky. The organization that destroyed Gran Cappadocia is Neb zier.¡± ¡°Neb zier¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. The so-called Neb zier is a gathering of fools who believe in nonsensical stories, even a three-year-old child would scoff at. The problem is that these violent fools keepmitting crimes.¡± Ronan spoke, weaving together his own experiences and the information he had gleaned from Investigator Karaka. He covered everything from controlling cave giants with wicked magic to the fact that they were behind significant events that had been assumed to be idents so far. ¡°Well¡­¡± As the conversation progressed, the Duke¡¯s face grew more serious. It seemed he couldn¡¯t believe that the owner of Grancia hadn¡¯t noticed such a massive secret. He asked in a voice tinged with suspicion. ¡°How did you find out about all of this? I heard that the arrests happened after the Grand Investigator¡¯s intervention, so did you resort to torture before that?¡± ¡°Oh, you caught me.¡± Ronanughed mischievously, covering his mouth. While most of the information had been acquired by Karaka, there was no need to reveal the fact that he had been to Rodon. He nced at Dan and continued. ¡°Yes, I made myself spill the beans.¡± At that moment, the two men¡¯s eyes met. Despite Dan¡¯s nonchnt gaze, there was a fierce intensity simmering within. ¡®You¡¯re in trouble.¡¯ Ronan continued his story. ¡°They both had an absurdck of loyalty. All viins are like that, but those brats were particrly ruthless. Just because their arms were cut off, they started bbering like it was nothing?¡± Aselle and Marya¡¯s faces turned pale. It was an unheard-of story. Ronan deliberately exaggerated the tale. He recounted it as if he had been the one to extract the information through Karaka¡¯s interrogation. ¡°Well, anyway, that¡¯s how I learned that elves treasure their ears. They didn¡¯t even draw their swords, but they threw a fit while peeing themselves? It was so disgusting¡­¡± ¡°Enough. That¡¯s sufficient. We¡¯ll receive official reports from Rodon anyway, so let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± The Duke raised his hand to cut off Ronan¡¯s words. Ronan nodded with a smile. The Duke, who had been stroking his chin, sighed. ¡°From the news that you single-handedly killed so many cave giants, I already felt it, but¡­ You¡¯re far from ordinary.¡± ¡°I was friends with Doron and his apprentice, after all. I was really angry.¡± ¡°While I don¡¯t fail to understand that sentiment¡­ Hm? Dan, is something bothering you?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, no, my lord.¡± ¡°Your mana is rough. If you¡¯re tired, take a break ande back.¡± For the first time, a hint of surprise crossed Dan¡¯s face. The knight who hade with him was also looking at Dan strangely. Dan politely declined the Duke¡¯s offer. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m perfectly fine, my lord.¡± Though he was trying his best to suppress it, Dan¡¯s mana had grown fierce enough that others could feel it now. The flicker, apanied by a tic, remained consistent. ¡°Judging by the reaction, you were quite close, weren¡¯t you?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t directly bring up the topic with Dan. The reliability of the information wasn¡¯t certain yet, and if Dan dismissed it, it could have been the end. Acting too hastily might have even raised suspicions about Ronan himself ¨C as a dubious character doubting the loyalty of a faithful knight. At that moment, the Duke took out his pocket watch and nced at it, sighing. ¡°Hmm. Time has gone by quickly. I should give you my reward and send you off.¡± ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you just give it to me?¡± ¡°I merely conveyed what Master Doron had given. Did you think that was Gracia¡¯s way of showing gratitude?¡± The Duke furrowed his brow. His expression seemed to say, ¡°Are you spouting nonsense?¡± Come to think of it, one of the three boxes brought by the knights was ced in front of the Duke. When the Duke opened the box, a brilliant light emerged. The pupils of the three who saw the contents widened almostically. Marya had the most explosive reaction. ¡°T-This is¡­!¡± ¡°Do you know what it is? Well, I guess it¡¯s strange for a merchant not to know.¡± Inside the box were nine pieces of tinum-colored metal cards. The front of the cards depicted a knight standing atop a dragon. The Gracia Family¡¯s promissory notes. Essentially, they were one-time-use vouchers for free exchange that could be used throughout the entire Empire. To Ronan, who had already used them once, it was a familiar item. ¡°Take them.¡± The Duke distributed the promissory notes at three per person. As Aselle and Marya epted the cards, their hands trembled. ¡°Is it really okay for us to receive something like this¡­?¡± ¡°Considering what you all protected that day, even a hundred wouldn¡¯t be enough. Consult with those who have passed and use them discretionarily in necessary situations.¡± Ronan also epted the promissory notes with a wry smile. Unless Shullifen¡¯s dementia recurred, he thought he wouldn¡¯t touch these again any time soon. However, what mattered now wasn¡¯t the promissory notes or such. It was the Duke, who had just delivered the reward, preparing to leave. Suddenly rising from his seat, Ronan began rummaging through the drawers under the desk. ¡°Hmm? What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Oh, I was thinking about showing something to you, my lord. Just a moment¡­ Oh, here it is.¡± Ronan pulled out a notebook. He quickly flipped through loose pages. Both sides of each sheet were densely filled with writing. The Duke looked interested. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a record of the information I obtained through interrogation. I thought it might be somewhat helpful for the investigation¡­ I was thinking of showing it to you first, my lord, but¡­¡± Of course, it was a wicked lie. The notebook was actually the sketchbook Ronan used for his doodles. Ronan painstakingly examined drawings of spewing fire from Cita or trivial information like the method Lucy taught him for making tea, all with a serious expression. After a while, he closed the notebook and raised his head. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s no good after all. It¡¯s too messy. I¡¯ll organize it and send it to you by mail by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Dull, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Once you see the content, you¡¯ll change your mind. There were quite a few interesting things among the tidbits of information gleaned from screams. For instance¡­¡± Dan¡¯s gaze was tantly fixed on Ronan¡¯s sketchbook. Ronan intentionally drew out the conversation with a trailing tone and chuckled lightly. ¡°Ah, about information rted to something called ¡®Ahayute¡¯.¡± In that instant, Dan¡¯s eyes widened. For a moment, it seemed like boiling mana surged within him. Precisely at the same spot, Ronan slipped a note into the notebook. The Duke smirked. ¡°Ahayute? It¡¯s a strange name.¡± ¡°I agree. It¡¯s a name suitable for attaching to a monkey with hemorrhoids.¡± Dan bit his lips. With thatst exchange, the Duke of Gracia left. Before leaving the room, he expressed his gratitude once more for saving Gran Cappadocia. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your progress.¡± ¡°See you again, Your Grace.¡± Ronan let out a heavy sigh as the door closed. He had done everything he could. What remained was for things to unfold as he had envisioned. As Aselle and Marya approached him, bewildered, he thought about how to approach the situation. ¡°R-Ronan¡­ We don¡¯t understand¡­ What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this talk about interrogation? Did you kill someone?¡± The fact that they had faced the Duke of Gracia since early morning, along with the revtion of a secret organization they¡¯d never heard of, left them bbergasted. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ronan sighed, stroking his chin. Aselle and Marya. Since they were the ones who would stay by his side until the end, he knew he would eventually have to tell them the truth. However, involving them in today¡¯s events seemed premature. ¡®Dan, the duke¡¯s knight, without a doubt, is affiliated with Neb zier.¡¯ Ronan made up his mind and stood up. The most important thing now was to secure undeniable evidence. After calming Aselle and Marya and sending them on their way, he left the room. Ronan¡¯s destination was the top floor of Navirose Manor. Wandering through the spacious corridors, he came to a stop in front of an unusually ornate door. Shortly after he knocked roughly, the familiar face appeared. **** That night. The sky was covered with dense, ominous clouds. The full moon rising behind the clouds emitted feeble light akin to a candle behind a screen. Guards on the castle tower were betting whether the moon would appear before sunrise. Swoosh! At that moment, a shadow crossed over the walls of Philleon. Swiftly bypassing the guards, the shadow headed straight into the heart of the estate. The shadow¡¯s footsteps were silent, devoid of sound. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Finally reaching its destination, the shadow looked up. The Navirose Manor, shrouded in the night¡¯s shadow, exuded an eerie atmosphere, resembling a vampire¡¯s castle. Moving along the side of the building, the shadow began to count floors with gestures. Fortunately, the room he targetedcked illumination. Leaping swiftly, the shadownded gracefully on the balcony of a third-floor room. The window had no curtains. Inside the room, luxurious furniture of all kinds was visible, and the back of a sleeping boy whose nket was turned up to his head was revealed. The shadow retrieved a piece of parchment with geometric patterns from its pouch and affixed it to the window. Shuaaa! Before long, the massive window began melting away like ice. The shadow entered the room before the window hadpletely dissolved. The boy was still asleep. ¡°Puh¡­ Uuugh¡­ Cough¡­¡± His sneeze was feeble. The shadow silently approached the boy while suppressing its presence. ¡°Graaah¡­ Cooough¡­¡± The sound of something snapping came from the shadow¡¯s mouth. Quickly, the shadow seized a drawer under the desk while keeping its presence hidden. Upon pulling open the second drawer from the top, it saw a tattered notebook. Crumbling sounds came from its mouth. Snatching the notebook, the shadow turned to the sleeping boy. In his hand, however, was not the notebook but a sharp dagger. Approaching the boy, the shadow held the dagger ready. Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°¡­.?¡± The moment the shadow reached a distance of three steps from the boy, it suddenly felt something odd. Rushing, the shadow lifted the nket. Revealed were four thick pillows. ¡°Guh¡­ guh¡­¡± At that moment, the sound of a sneeze echoed once more. The shadow realized that the sound hade from above. The lifted shadow could see the ck-haired boy hanging upside down from the chandelier, making sneezing sounds, and the creature with red eyes. Thump ¡°¡­ Heh heh, I told you, didn¡¯t I? That he¡¯de tonight.¡± Thud! The boy hanging from the chandelier turned into a raven andnded by the window, naturally blocking the shadow¡¯s escape route. He held an unfamiliar-shaped sword in his hand. Ronan said, ¡°There are too many reasons you¡¯d want to kill me.¡± The shadow calmly took its next action. Inserting the dagger into its belt, it rested its hand on the hilt of the longsword. A voice from behind them reached their ears. ¡°Can you exin?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± An eerie chill ran down their spines. The voice was deep and low, familiar, like a bottomless abyss. The shadow turned its head, its mouth agape for the first time. ¡°Why¡­ are you here¡­¡± ¡°I asked if you can exin.¡± A human form was slowly approaching from the darkness. At that moment, the clouds cleared, and moonlight filtered into the room. Under the serene beams of light, a boy with azure hair revealed himself. ¡°I¡¯ll ask for thest time.¡± In the boy¡¯s hand was a mithril-made longsword. The sharp tip of the blue sword was aimed at the shadow. Shullifen de Grancia began to speak. ¡°Can you exin the current situation? Dan.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Your Highness.¡± Dan gripped the hilt of his sword. The white de revealed itself under the moonlight. Eerie mana flickered above Dan¡¯s shoulder. Chapter 47: Erosion (3) Chapter 47: Erosion (3) A few hours ago. Ronan knocked on the borately adorned door with a rough demeanor. As the door swung open, the familiar figure of Shullifen de Gracia stood revealed. ¡°Ronan? What are you doing¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside for now.¡± Shullifen was already dressed in his school uniform. m! Ronan, who had burst in unannounced, closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Hey, let me ask a few questions first. Among your father¡¯s guards, there¡¯s a guy named Dan, right? How many years has he been in service?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Kid, answer my questions withoutining. Don¡¯t you want to know how my sister is doing?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Dan Kyeong, he¡¯s been in service for four years now. He quickly secured a position as a guard with his skills and unique loyalty. About a year ago, he had a sword fight, and his mastery of aura techniques and their application was quite impressive.¡± ¡°Gracia has truly gone to the dogs. In more ways than one.¡± Ronan twisted his lips upon hearing the four-year mark. He seemed to understand why the powerful figures weren¡¯t visible during the Advent incident. Also, the reason Shullifen had inherited the duke¡¯s position at such a young age. ¡°How strong is your fatherpared to that Dan guy? Is he stronger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Lord of de Gracia. Even if all the guards attacked at once, they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat my father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. So, listen carefully to what I¡¯m about to say, and don¡¯t be surprised.¡± Ronan took Shullifen and moved away from the door. He began to recount the information and ns he knew, one by one. As the story progressed, Shullifen¡¯s expression gradually hardened. ¡°¡­So, whether it¡¯s Dan or someone else, they¡¯reing to kill me. Probably tonight.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to believe this story?¡± ¡°You can confirm it, can¡¯t you? Hide in my room and when that guy shows up, we¡¯ll deal with him together.¡± ¡°Dan Kyeong is not that kind of person.¡± ¡°Right. With you thinking like that, it¡¯s no wonder they could sneak a bite of Gracia¡¯s food for four years. Anyway, I¡¯ve said what I wanted to.¡± Ronan left those words behind as he exited the room. Even after he was gone, Shullifen, who had been standing in the same spot, slowly lowered his head. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be true.¡± **** Night fell again. Under the serene rays of light, a boy with azure hair revealed himself. The tip of his verdant sword was aimed at the shadows. ¡°I¡¯ll ask onest time.¡± Shullifen de Gracia opened his mouth. ¡°Can you exin the current situation, Dan?¡± ¡°¡­Young Master.¡± As if in response, Dan drew his sword. The ivory de gleamed under the moonlight. The meaning behind his action was clear. Shullifen¡¯s face turned stern. From beneath his ck hood, a low, whispered utterance escaped Dan¡¯s lips. ¡°I will not exin.¡± Thud! Suddenly, Dan stomped his right foot on the ground. Waves emanated from that point, spreading throughout the room. Ronan, who felt his body suddenly grow heavy, furrowed his brow. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± At the same time, Dan twisted his body and swung his sword toward Ronan. The massive, cross-shaped de aura sliced through the air, hurtling towards him. ¡°You little¡­¡± Ronan, who had spat out curses, swung the heavy Lamancha. Kwaang! With a st that engulfed half the room, the remaining windows shattered into pieces. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. His body, too, felt as heavy as a bag of sand in his limbs. Judging by the range affected by the Aura, it was close to the Awakening stage rather than the Enlightenment stage. ¡°What in the¡­!¡± However, there was no time to be bewildered. Dan, charging in the midst of the explosion, was suddenly right in front of Shullifen. Swoosh! Swift yet weighty strikes aimed at Shullifen¡¯s neck. Enhanced by mana, Shullifen urgently raised his sword. ng! A sharp metallic sound resonated. ¡°¡­You were hiding your true strength.¡± Shullifen muttered with clenched teeth. His wrist that had endured the sword¡¯s impact was throbbing. Both Dan¡¯s swordsmanship and the power of Aura were on a different level than what Shullifen had known. Dan continued his barrage of strikes. ng! ng! ng! With each spark that flew from the air, Shullifen retreated step by step. Dan eventually backed Shullifen against the wall and spoke. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using Aura?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Are you even worried about people getting hurt in this situation? After all, Young Master¡¯s control of Aura is still limited to a wide range, not individual targets.¡± Shullifen remained silent. Dan calmly but somewhat prematurely continued to speak, as if he was eager to get his message out for the future. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. I wanted to maintain a good rtionship with you until the end, but some unknown fool ruined everything.¡± ¡°¡­Since when did you be a traitor? What stained your loyalty?¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Young Master. I have never betrayed you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Even amidst the conversation, the battle continued. Shullifen furrowed his brow. Dan spoke matter-of-factly, but it seemed he was too quick to bring out the words he had reserved forter, as if he found it wasteful. ¡°From the beginning, I was never a knight of Gracia.¡± At that moment, Shullifen¡¯s expression changed. Within the temporarily demolished room, only the sound of metal colliding resonated fiercely. After a while, a faint sigh escaped Shullifen¡¯s lips, breaking the silence. ¡°¡­I see. Handle it how you see fit.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Dan smirked. At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Ugh, you frustrating brat. You must be the only one making a fuss to hear that one word. Did you pull out that dagger to scratch my head or something?¡± ¡°Enough of this¡­!¡± Dan turned his head, feeling a chilling sense of foreboding. He saw Ronan, who was supposed to be dead from being cut by the de, sitting on the couch, yawning as if he was watching a boring match. ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°You should have done the opposite, you idiot. You should have shot the de at that guy and charged at me.¡± Ronan said with frustration. Of course, Dan didn¡¯t know that Ronan was capable of manipting mana, so he remained ignorant. ¡°Well, it probably wouldn¡¯t have made much difference either way.¡± In reality, Dan¡¯s luck had run out the moment he entered the room to retrieve his notebook. While Dan was certainly strong, facing both Ronan and Shullifen simultaneously was beyond his capability. Easily parrying the de, Ronan continued to sit on the couch as Shullifen put on a rather theatrical performance. Don¡¯t intervene until Dan acknowledges his betrayal. That was Shullifen¡¯s demand. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s so convenient that mana is visible.¡± Frankly, the moment Dan¡¯s Aura was activated, it caught Ronan off guard. Suddenly feeling as heavy as if he had just emerged from water. But when he focused his mind, he noticed mana extending from Dan like tree roots. The mana tendrils, containing an unpleasant glimmer, clung to the arms and legs of the two boys. As Ronan cut away the roots clinging to his body with Lamancha, the heavy sensation disappeared as if it were a lie. Ronan looked at Shullifen, who was still swinging his sword with the roots attached, and clicked his tongue. ¡°What a monstrous brat¡­¡± He thought he was also bing strong quite rapidly, but that kid seemed to be getting stronger even faster. ¡°Well then, shall we finish this?¡± The y had ended, anyway. Ronan stood up from his seat. With a forceful stomp on the ground, he rushed forward and swung Lamancha towards Dan. ¡°Urgh!¡± ng! Dan urgently deflected Ronan¡¯s sword. At that moment, Shullifen¡¯s sword strike brushed against Dan¡¯s cheek. Ronan continued tounch sessive strikes,ughing as he did so. ¡°Give up, you idiot. You¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­!¡± ¡°Cyril is waiting for you andEdwon is already dead.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± But despite his anger and attempts to wield his sword, it didn¡¯t change much. Dan¡¯s rock-like face was gradually distorting. As they continued with a 2:1 pattern¡ªblocking one person¡¯s attack, only to be struck by the other¡ªDan¡¯s robe began to show signs of being soaked with sweat. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Suddenly feeling dizzy, Dan staggered. He felt his body rapidly growing cold. Only then did Dan realize that excessive bleeding was urring from the wounds on his body. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why is this¡­?¡± Despite being minor cuts, blood was gushing out as if being sucked in by a pump. Realizing the strangeness, Dan turned his gaze away. ¡°Are you not paying attention?¡± Swoosh! Lamancha, having found a gap, passed through Dan¡¯s side. Ssh! Blood spurted out like a fountain, staining the floor. ¡°Ugh!¡± Dan clenched his teeth as he took a gasping breath. His right foot hit the ground. As the Aura-like roots covered the room, the movements of the boys slowed. Despite that, excessive bleeding continued. ¡°W-What is this¡­?¡± Taking advantage of a brief moment, Dan pulled away and surveyed his surroundings. He witnessed a bizarre sight. The drops of blood flowing from his body were gathering and rising up to the ceiling, like droplets being drawn to a chandelier. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± The blood droplets were converging on a bizarre life form hanging from the chandelier. The creature, with folded wings, was absorbing the blood. Cita, who was absorbing blood with folded wings, looked at Dan and smirked. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°Darn it, what¡¯s this again!¡± Dan shot Aura at Cita. The considerably weakened Aura shot out as if a lot of energy had been used up. Cita effortlessly jumped off the chandelier, evading the attack. Ronan, who had dismissed Aura again, shouted in an angry voice. ¡°You piece of trash! Where do you think you¡¯re shooting that crap!¡± Ronan rushed forward. Stepping on the bed, he leaped into the air and swung his sword downward. The mana flow around him turned into his sword. ¡°Hyup!¡± It was toote to dodge. Dan, holding the hilt with both hands, raised his sword. The piercing strike, powered by mana, went through Dan¡¯s cheek as his arm was severed. Swoosh! With a snap, the sword broke, and Dan¡¯s right arm fell to the ground. ¡°Kraaaargh!¡± The room seemed to quake. The pain was overwhelming, almost causing Dan to lose consciousness. He bit his tongue, desperately preventing himself from fainting. There was no other way. He gathered thest of his strength, shot Aura towards the boys, and leaped out of the window. Quaaaang! The explosion erupted terrifyingly as he hurled his body, engulfing the room. ¡°Urk! Huuk¡­! Huuueeuk¡­!¡± Ronan, who had fallen to the ground, began to run desperately. Most of the rooms in Navirose¡¯s building were illuminated. Students who had been awakened by themotion were already out on the balconies. ¡°Look at that! Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a thief!¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t we hear an explosion just now?¡± Without looking back, Dan fled. If he was caught here, it would be all over. In the distance, he could hear the sound of armor clinking, as if approaching. ¡°How did ite to this¡­? How did things end up like this!¡± He was lucky that there was still some strength left in his legs. Dan passed through various buildings and reached an isted open space. The walls of PhilLeon¡¯s castle were right in front of him now. He just had to cross that. As a glimmer of hope flickered in Dan¡¯s chest for a moment, a voice suddenly came from beside him. It was a voice he had heard for almost four years, so familiar. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using Aura?¡± ¡°Shullifen!¡± Shullifen, who had somehow left the room, was running beside him. Seeing Shullifen¡¯s core pulsating, Dan¡¯s face turned pale. Shullifen let out a light sigh and pulled out the hilt of his sword. ¡°Your guess is correct.¡± Shullifen swung his sword. The stormy aura shot towards Dan. The Aura that hit Dan turned into a massive whirlwind with a radius of 10 meters, wrapping around his body. -Quaquaquaq! However, the whirlwind was notposed of ordinary wind. It was made of threads of Aura that resembled sword des. Harsh screams resounded within the whirlwind. ¡°Kraaaaaah!¡± The whirlwind,posed of Shullifen¡¯s Aura, soared up to the top of Philleon¡¯s castle walls. Dan¡¯s screams were soon swallowed by the sound of the wind. Ronan arrived only after the Storm Sword hadpletely disappeared. Dany sprawled on the ground, his body turned into a crimson mess. Seeing the exposed skull, Ronan felt nauseous. ¡°Ugh, damn it. Is he even alive?¡± ¡°Barely.¡± Shullifen nodded. Dan was still breathing, for now. He looked at Dan¡¯s blood-soaked uniform and clicked his tongue. There were some things he disliked about situations like this. ¡°Tch, messy.¡± ¡°Phew~¡± At that moment, Cita, who had been perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, absorbed the blood on the boys¡¯ bodies and clothes. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the clean uniforms. Gazing at Cita, who was staring back at him, he whispered softly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Cita pped its wings and let out a cry. It was an unspoken understanding between them. Soon, heavily armored guards arrived. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Intruders? But why are they in this state¡­ Uwup.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Navirose!¡± Among the guards, Navirose emerged. She was wearing an utterly different outfit from her usual image, in disheveled pajamas. She probably had just rushed out of bed. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be saying this again so soon¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t fathom the situation at all. As she stepped out of her room, she found the dormitory exploded, and some monstrous figure sprawled on the floor. Navirose alternately looked at Ronan, Shullifen, and the disheveled Dan before speaking. ¡°First¡­ cover up this guy.¡± Chapter 48: Conclusion Chapter 48: Conclusion I couldn¡¯t fathom the situation at hand. Navirose looked at the fallen Dan on the ground and spoke up. ¡°First of all¡­ heal this person.¡± ¡°Heal¡­ do you mean? Where¡­ um.¡± The surrounding guards hesitated. His condition was like meat prepared to soak in seasoning, a preparation that Ronan had made with a sense of nausea in advance. ¡°As expected of Stormde. Even though it¡¯s not fullyplete, that power is up there.¡± He had been skeptical about Aura at first, but his thoughts had changed recently. He wanted to unlock Aura quickly. If things like the Stormde or Mansa worked against giants, he might actually have a chance in a fight. ¡°But to do that, we need to break this damn curse.¡± First, he needed to feel and control mana. His thoughts naturally turned to Haze. At that moment, Dan coughed as if he could die at any moment. ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Hey, hey! You can¡¯t just let him die!¡± A few startled guards rushed to get potions. Wearing heavy armor, they weren¡¯t very fast. Ronan scratched his head and spoke. ¡°For God¡¯s sake, Cita. Just fix him up enough not to die.¡± ¡°Beahh.¡± A healing magic circle appeared before Cita¡¯s eyes. Dan was barely clinging to life after all. With the situation settled, Navirose, wearing sleepwear, stood between the two boys, arms crossed. ¡°Exin what happened.¡± ¡°You look good in these clothes.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Navirose red at him with an ax-like gaze. Ronan gave a subtleugh. Cute snake drawings were embroidered like a pattern on her sleepwear. ¡°That knight had been working in Gracia for four years was actually a spy from Neb zier.¡± Shullifen, who straightened his attire, exined the situation. The betrayal of the knight Dan, the nighttime dormitory attack¡­ Navirose¡¯s face stiffened when she heard the name Neb zier. ¡°The situation is more serious than I thought.¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a good chance that person isn¡¯t the end of it. We might need to return to the Gracia mansion right away.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll inform the headmaster.¡± Shullifen promptly left for the Gracia domain on his horse. The sound of hooves quickly faded away. Ronan clicked his tongue as he watched him go. ¡°Tch, that useless guy. He¡¯s leaving without even saying thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the situation is urgent. By the way, you did well to involve Shullifen.It was a smart move.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to look too suspicious.¡± Ronan nodded. Shullifen¡¯s words would have a greater impact on the Gracia duke than a thousand of his own. Suddenly, Ronan remembered the events of his past life and clenched his jaw. ¡®But how did that strong man die?¡¯ If his memory served him right, the duke would die under mysterious circumstances a few yearster. The death of the pale Lord of the de Gracia would remain undiscovered until just before the giants descended. ¡°No, the question is ¡®to whom¡¯.¡± It was probably Neb zier. Of course, the possibility of Dan or the like being the murderer seemed unlikely, but what was scary was that there might be more such people. Perhaps even here in Philleon. Ronan, who predicted a protracted war, twisted his lips. His frustrated gaze, fixed on the sky, caught the smoke rising from the dormitory. ¡°¡­But where do I sleep now?¡± It suddenly crossed his mind. Damn Dan had wrecked his room. He had been considering camping out or something. Navirose nonchntly spoke. ¡°So, there¡¯s that issue. Would you like toe to my room for now?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± Ronan¡¯s body stiffened. For a moment, he thought everything was revealed. But she had taken on the form of a human, not a snake. ¡°¡­ You mean the professor¡¯s room? Seriously?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s plenty of space. In fact, it¡¯s unnecessarily spacious.¡± He knew. It was an action born of simple goodwill. But that wasn¡¯t particrly important. Instinctively, Ronan scanned Navirose and swallowed his saliva. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but she was indeed from the southern region. Her determination was clear even on her baggy sleepwear. This proposal might not be a bad idea. ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s a bit shameless, but¡­¡± Ronan made a truly embarrassed expression and followed her. Suddenly, the space in front of his eyes flipped, and a robed shaman appeared. ¡°You¡¯re working hard even at this time.¡± ¡°Oh, for crying out loud, you scared me¡­Headmaster.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Ronan.¡± The figure that appeared in the inverted space was Krava Kratir, the head of Philion. He spoke to Navirose. ¡°I just heard that they¡¯ve imprisoned him in the underground dungeon. Looks like we¡¯ll have to strengthen security a lot more. For something like this to happen in the dormitory where the students live¡­¡± ¡°I agree. Oh, a little while ago, Shullifen set off for Gracia.¡± ¡°Yes. I just confirmed it. He¡¯s going to the outskirts of the domain along with his horse and will be back soon.¡± The usual rxation was absent from Kratir¡¯s face. Even just looking at the mana shield that flowed from his body, you could tell the gravity of the situation. Kratir smiled as he looked at Ronan and said: ¡°¡­But at least you can rest easy for now. You and Shullifen did a good job.¡± ¡°Oh, well, he just barged in suddenly, so I got startled.¡± ¡°Hehe, you always talk about serious matters as if they¡¯re not serious. Come to think of it, I heard something by chance. If you don¡¯t have a ce to stay right now,e with me today.¡± ¡°Huh? No, I already¡­¡± ¡°No need to refuse. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Kratir grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist. Before he could say anything, the space flipped again. The two of them disappeared from view. Navirose, who had been standing nkly, turned her footsteps and muttered to herself. ¡°¡­A wild night, indeed.¡± **** ¡°The headmaster screwed up everything.¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± Ronan stared with empty eyes. The affair with the beautifuldy with her fair skin had turned into an argument with this distant old folk over a minute. Even though he knew that nothing would¡¯ve happened, it was a regrettable situation. ¡°For goodness sake¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± If this old man wasn¡¯t a level 8 mage, he would have set his beard on fire. Ronan, who had been looking around, opened his mouth. ¡°By the way, where is this?¡± In front of Ronan was an expanse of rocky ground. It looked like the summit of some tall rocky mountain, but it definitely wasn¡¯t anywhere near the ind. Kratir touched his beard and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a ce Ie to when I want to catch some fresh air. Isn¡¯t the view nice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Ronan nodded. He couldn¡¯t deny the fact that it was a breathtaking sight. Above their heads spread a sea of brilliant stars, while below the sheer cliffs extended a sea of pure white clouds. The roaring wind tousled their hair wildly. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like afortable ce to sleep.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about before we go to sleep.¡± ¡°With me?¡± ¡°Yes. First, I want to express my gratitude. I know you yed a crucial role in the Gran Cappadocia¡± Kratir turned his gaze to the sea of clouds and began to speak. He expressed his gratitude for saving the artisans underground, for bringing the organization Neb zier to the surface, and for the dormitory attack that had just urred today. ¡°I¡¯m truly thankful. As the head of Philleon Academy and as the human Krava Kratir, I¡¯m grateful. Your actions will bring about significant changes in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just something I could do. Oh, please thank Aselle and Marya for meter too. Even that annoying jerk.¡± ¡°Hehe, of course. I¡¯ll convey it properly.¡± Kratir chuckled softly. He looked proudly at the bewildering new student standing before him. The feeling that destiny had orchestrated their meeting. It was reminiscent of when he had heard the words from the Great Mage Lorehon to be his apprentice during his days in the Cold Sniffles. Those emotions were resurfacing. After a moment of silence, Kratir spoke again. ¡°By the way, apart from that,tely you seem to have a deep worry on your face. Is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°A worry? Um¡­ yes, there is.¡± ¡°If you¡¯refortable with it, go ahead and share. If there¡¯s something this old man can help with, I¡¯ll do anything I can.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Ronan hesitated. He was unsure if he could reveal this so soon. He didn¡¯t distrust Kratir, but the recent Dan incident had heightened his caution. But if he continued to act like this in every situation, nothing would change. With his resolve almost set, Ronan looked at Kratir. ¡®His mana is clean.¡¯ He had checked earlier as well, but he couldn¡¯t sense any unsettling glimmers of Neb zier¡¯s presence in Kratir¡¯s mana. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Ronan met Kratir¡¯s gaze and spoke. ¡°Headmaster, could you please repeat what I say exactly? It¡¯s really important.¡± ¡°Hmm? Alright.¡± ¡°When the arrival of the stars meets the light of the stars.¡± ¡°When the arrival of the stars meets the light of the stars?¡± ¡°Ahaha, damn it.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ damn it¡­?¡± Kratir repeated his words with a puzzled expression. There were no signs of his head swelling or exploding. Ronan let out a relieved sigh and began his story. ¡°Perfect. Headmaster, I¡¯m under a curse.¡± ¡°A curse?¡± Kratir raised an eyebrow. Judging from his reaction, it seemed he hadn¡¯t heard it from Sekreet. Ronan exined his situation calmly. Kratir¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that he was afflicted by nine curses. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s quite something. So, that¡¯s why you couldn¡¯t control mana before.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a serious problem. I thought that if I learned to use mana, I could even beat Shullifen with just my toe.¡± ¡°While I¡¯m not sure about your toe¡­ indeed, the only talent thates close to the rising star of the Empire is you.¡± ¡°Thank you for listening to me. Speaking of which, Headmaster, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask for your help with.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s something I can help with, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± Ronan chuckled softly. After all, to do things properly, he needed to talk to Kratir, and this opportunity had presented itself nicely. With aposed voice, Ronan began to speak. ¡°I want to start a club.¡± ¡°A club?¡± ¡°Yes. But this is a rather special club, so I need the Headmaster¡¯s permission. By the way, Professor Varen Panacir has agreed to oversee it.¡± ¡°That guy Varen¡­? What kind of club is it?¡± Kratir asked with curiosity. Ronan exined the n he hadid out even before he entered Philleon. Throughout his exnation, Kratir¡¯s expression shifted in various ways. ¡°This¡­ could potentially cause quite a controversy.¡± ¡°Is it going to be difficult?¡± ¡°No, go on. It¡¯s intriguing.¡± Two seas flowed above their heads and beneath their feet. Ronan began exining why he had to wear his uniform, get his hands covered in blood, and brave all sorts of dangerous jungles just before sunrise. The next morning dawned, and even though it was early, Philleon¡¯s Grand Square was bustling with students. They were there to witness the scene of the monster who had attacked the Navirose dormitory being escorted to Rodon. -Woooh! In the Grand Square of Philleon, a griffin-drawn escort vehicle was waiting. Soon, the crowd split, and Dan, surrounded by guards, was revealed. With his right arm, left eye, and two fingers missing, he was wrapped in thick chains, wearing the same clothing he had worn the previous day. As Ronan watched over the transfer, he whistled. ¡°Off to Rodon you go. Sounds nice. Doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll enjoy it there. The perverted interrogator Karaka will find you adorable. And I heard Cyril¡¯s ears are nearly gone by now.¡± Dan just red at Ronan without saying a word. The guards in raven masks put him into the vehicle. Just before the door closed, Dan¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°¡­You know nothing.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ng! The door shut. The escort vehicle took off into the sky. Students watched the spectacle with a mix of awe and fear in their eyes. ¡°This is unreal¡­ I better live a good life¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Quickly pick up those griffin feathers!¡± Ronan furrowed his brows as he mulled over Dan¡¯s words. ¡®You know nothing¡¯. What did that mean? ¡°¡­I wish he was just talking nonsense.¡± No immediate answers came to mind. In a few days, Interrogator Karaka would extract an answer amidst screams, anyway. Ronan headed straight for Varen¡¯s office. It was likely because he had seen the arrest that his steps were light. Knocking lightly on the door, he heard a familiar voice from within. ¡°Come in~.¡± Varen Panacir, who could tear a bull¡¯s neck with his bare hands, had dreambird Marphez on his shoulder. He was pouring tea with her on his shoulder. As Ronan entered, Varen shed a wide smile. ¡°Oh, Ronan. How have you been? Perfect timing. I had just set the tea down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. The time hase to keep our promise, Varen.¡± ¡°Promise¡­? What do you mean?¡± Varen tilted his head, his smile fading. To be fair, quite some time had passed, so it was easy to forget. With a meaningful smile, Ronan took out a piece of paper from his pocket. As Marphez sat on Varen¡¯s shoulder, they began reading the paper that Ronan presented. ¡°Permission for Club Establishment¡­ Special ss Adventurers Club¡­ Oversight by Professor Varen Panacir?¡± -Hmm? [A group that engages in additional training to gain practical experience through proactive external activities and aims to be individuals who can contribute to the Empire.] Under Kratir¡¯s signature, the ¡®Reason for Club Establishment¡¯ was written like that. Barren smirked. Chapter 49: Special Adventure Club (1) Chapter 49: Special Adventure Club (1) [A group that engages in additional training to gain practical experience through proactive external activities and aims to be individuals who can contribute to the Empire.] Under Kratir¡¯s signature, the ¡®Reason for Club Establishment¡¯ was written like that. Varen smirked. ¡°Special ss Adventurers Club¡­?¡± ¡°You surely won¡¯t pretend not to know about it now, right? You asked me to rescue that blue furball in return for a favor. Now, Be my guinea pig.¡± ¡°No, I remember that, but¡­ why is there only this information written down?¡± The document should have contained much more information than this. Philleon¡¯s club establishment evaluation was known to be stringent. As the academy fully covered the activity expenses, one had to detail the purpose and value of the club as extensively as possible to be officially recognized as a club. However, the application brought by Ronan had all the sections empty except for the club name, reason for establishment, and the name of the supervising professor. Ronan extended his index finger and pointed at the top of the paper. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about the trivial things. The Headmaster¡¯s signature is there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± The contradictory fact was that Kratir, the final inspector, had signed under Ronan¡¯s scribbles. Varen looked at the signatures one by one after a moment of surprise. Astonishingly, it wasn¡¯t a forgery. ¡°Um, alright. It¡¯s practically a club already, so my opinion won¡¯t change anything. But what exactly does this club do?¡± ¡°Well, we have a lot of diverse ideas, so it¡¯s hard to put it concisely. Still, I¡¯ll do my best to ensure that the professor doesn¡¯t get arrested.¡± ¡°Arrested?!¡± Varen¡¯s eyes widened. Seeing his mane slowly rising, Ronan pped his hands. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a joke. Why would you get arrested?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to understand student jokes these days. I must be getting old.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Do you happen to know about a monster called ¡®Curse Eye¡¯?¡± ¡°Curse Eye? The hex-eating hexapod, you mean?¡± Ronan nodded his head. Indeed, Varen knew about Curse Eye. He seemed surprised not just that Ronan knew about the monster¡¯s existence, but also by the fact that Ronan was aware of it at all, given the rarity of information about the creaturepared to other fantasy species. ¡°You must have read some monster-rted guidebook recently. Information about it is scarce in the first ce.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. So, here¡¯s the thing, Varen. Do you happen to know where they live? If you don¡¯t know exactly, maybe just some characteristics of their habitat?¡± Ronan asked again. Varen delved into various books and provided information about what he knew. Ronan nodded. ¡°Thanks. I guess my first activity should be to go there.¡± ¡°Hmm? There?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough, Professor. See you.¡± Ronan turned his back, leaving behind an ominousugh. Thud! The door of the office closed. Varen, who stood still for a while, picked up his teacup. A droplet of overflowing teanded on Marpez¡¯s head. Phew! ¡°Oh, sorry Marpez. Why am I acting like this¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t even shivering, but his hand trembled gently. Somehow, he didn¡¯t feel quite right. **** ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ look at the size of the text. Even a mole could read it.¡± That morning, arge poster was attached to the notice board in Philleon za. It was so huge that students walking around the za werepelled to nce at it. [Recruiting members for the Special ss Adventure Club. Gender and grades are irrelevant. Brief interviews will be conducted at the First Arena. / Author: Ronan] That was all that was written on the poster. Even looking closely, there were no detailed exnations. The students who saw the poster buzzed with excitement. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ronan? The one who defeated the Empire¡¯s rising star in the practical test.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the crazy guy with nothing above and below¡­ Word is that Karudan withdrew because of that bastard.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s connected to the prisoner escorted to Rodon yesterday.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I wrote him a letter a few weeks ago, but he didn¡¯t reply. Seems like he¡¯s got some attitude¡­¡± Whether good or bad, Ronan was the person whose name was most frequently on students¡¯ lips at the moment. Since the entrance ceremony, his remarkable actions had always been the center of Philleon¡¯s gossip. ¡°But what¡¯s the Special ss Adventure Club? He should exin.¡± ¡°Is it simr to a travel club? It sounds interesting¡­¡± Naturally, Ronan¡¯s recruitment notice garnered explosive interest. Students flocked to the location where interviews were being held at the First Arena, where Navirose¡¯s sses were usually conducted. The First Arena was already packed with a huge crowd. Ronan had set up chairs and tables in a corner of the arena and was conducting interviews. ¡°Okay, show me a demonstration of your skills.¡± ¡°Yes. Fire Arrow!¡± A young mage who hade for the interview chanted the spell. Five fire arrows flew towards a makeshift magic technology scarecrow prepared in advance. Kwaaang! The arrows hit the scarecrow, causing a small explosion. Ronan nodded, touching his chin as if satisfied. ¡°Having a fire element mage around might be convenient¡­ Now, I have a question. Can you shoot the magic you just showed at a person or a monster?¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°Oh, assume that a person is a deserving criminal who deserves to die. And is it okay if youe without taking a bath for about three days and wander around? You might have to wipe yourself with leaves.¡± The boy¡¯s pupils shook in response to the unexpected question. After exactly ten seconds, Ronan licked his lips in a disappointed manner. He bid the boy farewell and called out the next candidate. ¡°Ugh¡­ be careful when on your way out. Next!¡± Ronan¡¯s interviews were straightforward. He simply verified the applicants¡¯ skills and asked a few questions rted to survival and resilience. However, if an applicant¡¯s gaze wavered or their answers faltered, they were immediately disqualified. The interviews continued. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve seen enough¡­ If you join, you¡¯ll have a lot of tasks to do as I instruct. Is that alright with you?¡± ¡°I can do it. But why should I follow you? Rumor has it you¡¯re still an inferior student who can¡¯t even properly sense mana.¡± Of course, there were students who didn¡¯t quite favor Ronan. The higher-level students tended to have this tendency. Ronan responded consistently to such friends. ¡°It¡¯s a duel. Come out and face me.¡± ¡°What? A duel?!¡± ¡°Yes. If you have any objections, we can appoint witnesses and have a sacred duel, shall we?¡± The reason Ronan chose the First Arena as the interview venue became apparent. This time, his opponent was Sanda, a third-year student from the Martial Arts Department. Without waiting for Sanda¡¯s response, Ronan stood up first. He walked towards the center of the arena and positioned himself. ¡°Even though I¡¯m busy, you damn punk¡­e on, then.¡± ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll be safe doing this to your senior?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m on good terms with the real seniors. Besides, don¡¯t you worry about the ones above you.¡± Courtesy was nowhere to be found in the reversed speech. In fact, Ronan had a good rtionship with most of the seniors he had contact with. Unless they were crossing the line like Karudan or Sanda did, he was a more reliable and talented junior than anyone else. Ronan patted Lamancha as he spoke. ¡°Come out before you be more pathetic.¡± ¡°Fuck you¡­¡± Sanda¡¯splexion turned pale. He had intended to put up a decent fight and then withdraw, but the situation had changed. All eyes were on him, so he couldn¡¯t refuse. He clenched his hand in his pocket and shouted. ¡°D-Do you think I¡¯d be intimidated by youing out like that?!¡± Walking with trembling legs, Sanda stood in front of Ronan. Thud! Before the duel even began, Ronan lunged forward frighteningly, sending a sword strike towards Sanda¡¯s body. Without a hint of hesitation, Sanda closed his eyes and flinched from the countless sword strikesing at him. ¡°Eek!¡± It was hardly worthy of being called a duel. Sanda, who was not as skilled in practicalbat as Karudan, couldn¡¯t even put up a resistance against Ronan. In the ce where Lamancha had passed, numerous thin lines appeared, and Sanda¡¯s uniform and underwear exploded and scattered like a burst of cherry blossoms heralding the arrival of spring. Seeing Sanda¡¯s scrawny body, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s disgraceful.¡± No one brought him a nket to cover himself. Spit! After spitting on Sanda¡¯s head, Ronan returned to his spot. With this, no one among the gathered students would make a scene. The faces of the waiting applicants were all pale. Whether they liked it or not, Ronan continued the interviews. ¡°It took a bit longer. Next?¡± Hup! The freshman who was waiting for his turn immediately burst into hups. The interviews that started at noon continued untilte at night. Exactly 512 applicants went through the interviews, and three losers like Sanda acquired emotional scars that would stay with them forever. There was only one sessful candidate on the first day. **** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The girl finally got out of bed after the sun had set. Outside the window of Netia Hall, the dormitory for mid-level students, the sight of Philleon bathed in darkness unfolded. Stretching herself, she mumbled in a drowsy voice. ¡°It¡¯s finally night¡­¡± As time passed, she didn¡¯t like how the days were getting longer. The girl opened the window and stretched her arms wide. With each cool breeze hitting her face, her eyelids that had been half-lowered slowly rose. ¡°How refreshing¡­¡± Eventually fully awake, the girl leaped out of the window. Even though it was the fifth floor, there wasn¡¯t a sound as shended. The girl began her nightly stroll as usual. Her favorite route was endlessly circling the empty Philleon Square. While she was walking through the square as usual, her attention was caught by a huge poster attached to the bulletin board. ¡°Recruiting members for the Special¡­ss Adventure Club?¡± The girl tilted her head in confusion. The poster was as unfriendly as it was intriguing to someone who was indifferent to everything. Curiosity piqued, she immediately headed to the location mentioned on the poster. Though the interviews probably weren¡¯t being held at the moment, she stepped into the Galerion Hall where the First Arena was located. ¡°Yeah. By the way, what was that creature sitting on his shoulder? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything like it even in Professor Varen¡¯s ss.¡± The girl furrowed her eyebrows at the murmurs that pierced her ears. Many students were still walking out from the corridor connected to the arena. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The girl defied the waves of students and headed towards the interview location. ¡°Thanks for your help, Adeshan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re the one who went through a lot.¡± In the empty arena, two boys and a girl were having a conversation. Both boys and girls had hair as ck as the night, but the girl was taller. A male student who had been moving a desk turned his head towards the girl. ¡°Hmm? Did youe for the interview?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± The girl¡¯s body stiffened. It wasn¡¯t just anyone who spoke to her. Her gaze was fixed on the creature perched on the boy¡¯s shoulder, picking its feathers¡ªan utterly unidentifiable creature. The round, plump-looking creature¡¯s pupils were the same bright pink as the girl¡¯s. Cita smirked. ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Later.¡± After a while of staring at Cita, the girl turned away. With a gentle motion as if flowing like moonlight, she walked out of the arena. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What? Do you know who she is?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her before either. What grade is she in?¡± Shrugging their shoulders, the two boys resumed tidying up. Lost in thoughts about the club, Ronan didn¡¯t realize that the girl¡¯s footsteps made no sound as she left. **** Perhaps the greatest advantage of having a spacious campus with many buildings was that it allowed for various spaces dedicated to student activities. Furthermore, the robust Philleon Academy, with its strong backing, truly showcased student welfare befitting its nickname ¡°City of a Hundred Towers.¡± One of the most representative examples was the support for student clubs. Most of the clubs in Philleon were gathered in an area called ¡°Nest.¡± Along the curved road, unique buildings lined both sides. Each one of them was a club building. Aselle, marveling at the fact that every single one was a club building, sighed. ¡°I-Is it like this in other academies too?¡± ¡°Of course not. Usually, they just give you a messy room.¡± On the day after the recruitment was announced, Ronan, Aselle, and Marya were walking along Nest. They were looking for the building assigned to them. ording to rumors, it used to be the building used by the ¡°Dungeon Exploration Club¡± in the past, but the club disappeared when all its members went missing. Ronan grumbled. ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s no talent. How can there be just one person who¡¯s decent?¡± Shullifen had yet to return from Gracia. Elizabeth, who they had considered recruiting, declined. Well, even if Ronan didn¡¯t know, the other two had their own reasons for not getting along with the rest of the group. ¡°We¡¯ll somehow secure those two¡­ and as for the rest.¡± Ronan sighed. In truth, even if they weren¡¯t geniuses like the other two, as long as they showed some potential, he was willing to ept them. However, most were filtered out during the interview questions. Aselle, who was fidgeting with the bracelet Doron had given him, spoke up. ¡°Since we just started recruiting yesterday, more people will gather over time. But, Ronan. Why the sudden club¡­? I haven¡¯t heard anything about it¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s going on with this all of a sudden? What kind of club is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin once we get inside. And you two can write down that you¡¯re founding members. I mean, I can¡¯t kick you out even if I wanted to.¡± Aselle and Marya¡¯s expressions stiffened. It was only on that morning that Ronan finally informed them about the club. Before long, the trio stopped in front of a two-story wooden building. A couple of flower bouquets were ced in front of the worn-out door, in memory of the missing students. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Eek¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re so unlucky.¡± Ronan snatched the flower bouquet and opened the door. Ahead of him spread an interior reminiscent of an adventurer¡¯s guild. A dusty bar table, a massive oak barrel piled withyers, and a cork board covering one wall, filled with a giant map of the continent and various mission requests for dungeons. Ronan whistled. ¡°Not bad at all.¡± ¡°Yeah, um¡­¡± ¡°Just one more person toe.¡± It had been a while since he¡¯d interacted with others, but with a little guidance, they could improve considerably. As they explored the corners of the club building, suddenly the door creaked open, and a young man swaggered in. ¡°Hahaha! Is this the club building? Not bad at all!¡± ¡°Wee, Braum sunbae.¡± ¡°Oh! You guys are already here. Nice to meet you all!¡± Second-year student in the Martial Arts Department. Braum, the only sessful applicant, waved his hand energetically. Aselle and Marya received his greeting with awkward expressions. Braum, who had been wandering around, shouted at Ronan. ¡°But seriously, what exactly does this club do? Of course, I joined because it seemed interesting, whatever it is!¡± ¡°Oh, right. I guess I should start exining. Do you all want to gather around?¡± Ronan led the members towards the massive map. As he was about to begin his exnation, he suddenly looked at Braum and said, ¡°By the way, I forgot to mention something. We use informalnguage among club members. Is that okay?¡± ¡°This is a new one for me! But it¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°You¡¯re easygoing, Braum. That¡¯s why I chose you.¡± Using formalnguage could be a hassle during trainingter on. Ronan looked at each member and began to speak. ¡°Okay¡­ let me exin. We¡¯re a top-tier adventure club. Our goal is to be stronger by taking on life-threatening adventures periodically, gaining practical experience, and preparing for the day that¡¯s yet toe.¡± ¡°A day that¡¯s yet toe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Look at this.¡± Ronan pointed at the map with a stick. Along the de were illustrations of mountains lined up. It was the Baydian Mountain Range rising in the northwestern part of the Empire. ¡°Our first destination, so remember it in advance.¡± ¡°Baydian Mountain Range? What¡¯s there?¡± Ronan nodded. It was a ce he had discovered during his previous life¡¯s journey. At that time, it was already upied, but now it was likely still uncharted territory. ¨C ¡°The habitat of the Curse Eye¡± ¡­ Well, basically, it¡¯s a ce where human feet rarely tread, a mana-rich area. After all, curses are ultimately a type of mana. Ronan raised the corners of his mouth, recalling his conversation with Baren from the previous day. ¡°I¡¯ll try everything I can.¡± Chapter 50: Special Adventure Club (2) Chapter 50: Special Adventure Club (2) Ronan, recalling his conversation with Varen from the previous day, raised the corner of his mouth. ¨C The habitat of Curse Eye¡­ Well, fundamentally, it must be a ce untouched by human feet and rich in mana. After all, curses are ultimately a form of mana. ¡®I should try everything I can.¡¯ The veins of Baydian perfectly matched that condition. Of course, he wasn¡¯t just looking at Curse Eye, which might or might not exist. Taking control of mana-rich veins would not only help cultivate sensitivity but also provide a fair amount of profit through byproducts. ¡®I can¡¯t do this alone.¡¯ He had realized it once again during the crisis of the Gran Cappadocia. To stand against crises, a powerful organization was necessary. So, Ronan established this club. He intended to gather talents to apany him until the Advent event, strengthen and expand their power using information acquired from past lives. To achieve that, he needed to make the most of his memories from his past life. Marya asked again. ¡°Why are you hesitating? What¡¯s in the Baydian Range?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. There¡¯s a prettyrge vein there. It will be helpful in various ways.¡± The eyes of the group twinkled at the mention of the term ¡°vein.¡± Aselle, who had visited the Fountain of Phaenar before, seemed particrly surprised. He remembered the improved mana maniption skills and the amount of money he earned from just one visit. Braum chuckled heartily. ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t really understand, but it sounds fun! So, when are we leaving?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. How are your ongoing sses?¡± Ronan divided pieces of paper and had everyone draw up their schedules. Probably because they were all top students, their schedules were generally tight. Ronan sighed. It will take two days to get to the Baydian Range. And that was assuming they were to take swift horses instead of walking. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until the vacation.¡± They needed to secure as much time as possible for smooth activities. As much as he wanted to focus solely on club activities and disregard everything else, he couldn¡¯t deny them the opportunity to learn what they wanted. At that moment, Aselle handed over his schedule. ¡°Here, Ronan. I¡¯ve filled it out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Aselle¡¯s schedule seemed almost empty. Ronan grabbed one side of Aselle¡¯s cheek and pulled it. ¡°Are you kidding me? What¡¯s this, youzy bum? Are you nning to not take any sses? Huh?¡± ¡°Ack! No, no! I¡­ I recently finished some subjects early¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The moment he heard those words, a sh of insight lit up in his mind. Ronan released his grip on Aselle¡¯s cheek. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of this before? Aselle had finished nine subjects early, just like himself. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ow¡­ It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Alright, Aselle¡­ That¡¯s really good. Everyone, grab your weapons and follow me outside.¡± ¡°Huh? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­ I was nning to make a bit more of a n, but it¡¯s not going to work.¡± Ronan swung his Lamancha and headed outside. The group followed him, not understanding a word he was saying. At the center of Nest, there were training areas set up for various practical clubs. Ronan stood in the middle of the training ground, looking at Marya and Braum. ¡°Well, based on what I¡¯ve checked, the basic subjects take up the most time. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Well, yes.¡± ¡°Wah! Basics are important!¡± Ronan rechecked the subjects that the two were taking. All of them were subjects he had finished early in his past life. He remembered the details and essentials of those subjects perfectly. ¡°Well then, what¡¯s this nonsense? If we all finish the basic subjects early, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be useful for the future. From today, you all wille here in your free time.¡± Ronan chuckled as he slung Lamancha over his shoulder. In many ways, it worked out well. Considering the danger of the Baydian Range, taking them there immediately felt somewhat uncertain. Marya and Braum¡¯s expressions stiffened. Ronan alternated his gaze between them and pped his hands. ¡°Marya, you¡¯ll start with Imperial Swordsmanship, and Braum, you can try Intermediate Martial arts. Get ready, everyone.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. What exactly is this¡­¡± ¡°Quickly, aren¡¯t you going to draw your sword?¡± Smack! Ronan struck Marya¡¯s forehead with the hilt of his sword. Reactively, Marya drew her broadsword, spouting curses. ¡°Ouch! Are you insane?!¡± ¡°The one who¡¯s not sane yet is you, who hasn¡¯t finished Imperial Swordsmanship. How are you still struggling with something so easy?¡± ¡°What¡­Do you think everyone is like you?¡± Marya retorted in exasperation. Smack! Smack! Smack! Instead of answering, Ronan continuously struck her forehead. Marya resisted desperately, but wielding a broadsword she wasn¡¯t yet ustomed to was difficult. Soon enough, she dered her surrender. ¡°Aaargh! Fine! I get it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. In regr sses, you¡¯d use a wooden sword, but here, you need to wield that broadsword.¡± Marya¡¯splexion turned pale. Just thinking about it felt like her arm was being torn from her body. Then, Braum, who had been striking a scarecrow on his own, spoke. ¡°This sounds like a great idea! But for Intermediate Martial Arts, isn¡¯t sparring crucial? Are you going to spar with me?¡± ¡°Exactly. When I¡¯m not around, you can spar with her.¡± ¡°Her? With Marya? But isn¡¯t there quite a difference in skill levels?¡± Braum shrugged. Indeed, Marya and Braum had a difference in height of about a head. Ronan raised the corner of his mouth and gestured to Marya. He was implying that she could at leastnd a good punch. Marya, who was about to get angry, raised her head. ¡°Fine. How should I hit my senior?¡± ¡°Wahaha! Everyone¡¯s equal in the club, Marya! Still, we should consider skill levels, so give it a shot!¡± Braum thumped his chest and shouted. His fluctuating muscles seemed like they would burst out of his uniform at any moment. Marya sighed lightly and clenched her fist. ¡°Well, in that case¡­¡± ¡°Great! It¡¯s fine, just give it a try.¡± Thump! Marya¡¯s fist struck Braum¡¯s abdomen. His eyes widened. Braum, who had gasped for breath, sat down. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Oops, I didn¡¯t control my strength. Are you okay?¡± ¡°That¡­ that was¡­ incredible¡­¡± The impact, which pierced through his muscles, turned his insides upside down. Marya extended her hand. As Braum held her hand and stood up, he wore an expression that seemed to suggest he had gained enlightenment. ¡°I genuinely¡­ Ugh, realized just now¡­ I made a great decision by joining this club! Learning Imperial Swordsmanship and how to wield a broadsword¡­ Ugh, I¡¯ll teach you!¡± ¡°Huh? Come to think of it, you¡¯re pretty good with a broadsword too.¡± In this way, the two unexpectedly drew their broadswords and began sparring, using only Imperial Swordsmanship. The sight of tworge swords shing in the air consecutively was quite impressive. ¡®Since there¡¯s still energy left circting, I can focus more on stamina training. This is a good development.¡¯ Ronan had a satisfied smile. At that moment, Aselle approached hesitantly. ¡°Um¡­ Ronan, what should I do?¡± ¡°Oh, right. You can just attack me fiercely with those weapons over there.¡± Ronan pointed to the practice weapons stacked in a corner of the training area. Aselle, who thought he had misunderstood once again, tilted his head in confusion. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You need to embody the spirit of telekinesis more.¡± Ronan exined that using the full power of telekinesis only for defense was a significant waste. He instructed Aselle not only to use weapons but also all the techniques he knew to attack him. ¡°Be as unconventional as possible. Now that I can see mana, I need to practice.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t just focus on stamina training. With a reluctant sigh, Aselle cast a spell. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± As he moved his fingers, dozens of training weapons levitated in the air. The training weapons, one by one, seemed to be aiming at Ronan, resembling living soldiers. ¡°Of course, Aselle was waiting for this moment. Did you want to kill me that badly?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± ¡°Quiet down. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡± The bracelet that Doron had prepared seemed to be in good shape. It had improved considerably since thest time he saw it. As Aselle swung his arm, the floating weapons surged toward Ronan. Laughing as he watched the daggers flying through the air, Ronan remarked. ¡°It seems like you were really looking forward to this.¡± Ronan dodged and parried the weapons, practicing reading the flow of mana. He didn¡¯t forget to create a sense of danger by aiming Lamancha at Aselle¡¯s throat several times. ¡°Normally, you would have lost just now. You could have set up that Slow Zone or whatever around you. Mages are usually the first targets in most battles.¡± ¡°Heehee¡­ Alright, got it.¡± The training sessionsted until thete evening. Ronan had to carry the three exhausted members to the dormitories due to theirck of mana and exhaustion. **** ¡°Ouch, my shoulders. I pushed myself too hard¡­ It¡¯s been a while.¡± It was nighttime. After settling the tired members in the dormitories, Ronan returned to the first arena. Having moved his body close to its limit after a while, his whole body felt sore. ¡°Are you okay? Here, have some water.¡± ¡°Thanks, Adeshan.¡± Adeshan, done with her tasks, handed him a water bottle. Her kindness was bing more familiar over time. Adeshan had also mentioned that quite a number of applicants had visited today. ¡°Are the ones who just left thest ones? No one passed today either?¡± ¡°Seems that way. With talents like these, it¡¯s tough¡­¡± ¡°haha, I¡¯m thinking of trying out as well, except for the assistant tasks.¡± Adeshan chuckled and bumped Ronan¡¯s arm. But her words were sincere. Lately, Ronan¡¯s feelings were leaning more towards the advice of General Adeshan. And it was all because of the existence of Neb zier. ¡°Since their true nature hase to the surface, they¡¯ll probably be even more reckless.¡± The future was already irreversibly twisting. If Ronan were to develop her talent and turn her into a Commander, naturally, she would be a target for those fanatics. Of course, judging from Neb zier¡¯s movements, in her past life, attempts to assassinate Adeshan would have continued. It was likely that this was the birth of General Adeshan, avoiding all those ill-fated schemes. But the present her was not a regressor. Ronan didn¡¯t wish for Adeshan to be endangered. He didn¡¯t want to drag her into a muddy swamp like he had in his previous life. ¡®I should probably tell her soon. To give up on that dream.¡¯ -Urgh¡­ While he was lost in thought, the entrance to the arena slowly opened. A girl in a pressed robe often entered with hesitant steps. Both Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s attention turned to her. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± She was the girl who had visitedst night as well. With flowing silver-gray hair and bright red eyes, she looked at Cita, who was dozing on Ronan¡¯s head. ¡°Squee¡­ beah¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The girl approached until she was right in front of Ronan. She stared at Cita fixedly while standing still for a while. Ronan, who couldn¡¯t wait any longer, spoke first. ¡°Did youe for the interview?¡± ¡°Interview¡­?¡± Ronan nodded. He briefly exined about the top-tier adventure club. The fact that they had plenty of time was one reason, but the energy flowing intermittently from the girl was intriguing. The girl¡¯s lips, which had been sealed in silence, parted slightly. ¡°If I join your club¡­ could I keep seeing it and¡­ touch it?¡± ¡°It? Cita?¡± Ronan nced up at Cita. It had woken up in the meantime and was staring intently at the girl. Ronan nodded. ¡°Well, I mean¡­ Cita almost always follows me around. So, there¡¯s a good chance.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll give. The interview.¡± ¡°Sure. What¡¯s your name and grade?¡± ¡°¡­Ophelia. Magic department, third year.¡± ¡°Wow, I thought you were at most a second-year. Third year, huh? It¡¯s just like the entrance exam. You just need to show off one skill you¡¯re confident in at the Magical Engineered Scarecrow over there.¡± Ophelia nodded and stood in front of the magical engineered scarecrow. For a moment, mana gathered in her hand. It wasn¡¯t the typical blue color; it was red like blood. Or is it aura? Ronan thought that for a moment, and Ophelia began the incantation. Amidst that, she kept her gaze fixed on Cita. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. A swirling liquid gathered at the tip of her hand. Ophelia seemed to notice Ronan¡¯s gaze and shrunk her shoulders. ¡°Hot¡­!¡± She dissolved her existing magic as if making a grave mistake and started a new incantation. In the ce where the red liquid had disappeared, a ck aura remained. ¡°Shadow w.¡± Ophelia¡¯s elongated shadow transformed into a massive w that swiped at the magical engineering scarecrow. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Dark attribute magic¡­!¡± It was the first time he had seen it for real. It was as rare as telekinesis or light attribute magic. However, Ronan¡¯s interesty elsewhere. He clearly saw it. The magic Ophelia had initially attempted to use was a type of blood magic, simr to Cita¡¯s. Ronan opened his mouth as if possessed by something. ¡°¡­You¡¯re in.¡± Chapter 51: Special Adventurer Club (3) Chapter 51: Special Adventurer Club (3) He clearly saw it. The magic Ophelia had initially attempted to use was a type of blood magic, simr to Cita¡¯s. Ronan opened his mouth as if possessed by something. ¡°¡­You¡¯re in.¡± He didn¡¯t even consider asking interview questions. Ophelia, upon hearing the word ¡°You¡¯re in,¡± slowly turned her head. Her white skin, contrasting against her red eyes, seemed so pale that it almost felt transparent. The moment he observed this contrast, a certain race came to Ronan¡¯s mind. One of the three beings predicted to have influenced Cita. A race that, unable to realize coexistence with humans in the past, eventually left the Imperial Territories and established their own kingdom. ¡°Ophelia. Perhaps¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Ronan was about to ask a question driven by curiosity. Ophelia¡¯s voice resonated in Ronan¡¯s mind. [¡­You¡¯ve indeed seen it.] It was telepathic magic. It was only audible to Ronan, not Adeshan. Ophelia spoke. [You¡¯re right about it¡­ but for now, keep it a secret.] Even through telepathy, her voice sounded cautious. Ronan nodded subtly. Ophelia let out a relieved sigh. [Thank you.] She responded and slowly approached. Cita stared at Ophelia with wide eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Can¡­ I touch it?¡± It was like a child asking if they could eat a candy they were holding. Ronan scanned Ophelia¡¯s face and gave a slight nod. He now perfectly understood the type of person Cita liked. ¡°Yes, well¡­ it might like it.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Opheliaughed bashfully and reached out to touch Cita. Cita didn¡¯t show any sign of resistance and immediately ced its face on her palm. ¡°Beah~¡± Truly a consistent guy. With the interview concluded, Ronan left the Galerion Manor with Ophelia. There were so many things he wanted to ask. Leaving the Galerion Manor, they headed to the Grand za. There was no one passing by, and the wind blew fiercely, making it a suitable ce for secretive conversation. ¡°Is it okay to talk here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t all of your kind supposed to have left the Empire?¡± Ophelia didn¡¯t answer. Silence took the ce of the conversation. After a few minutes of walking, telepathy resonated in Ronan¡¯s mind. [¡­Not all of us.] ¡°I see. You don¡¯t have to say if you don¡¯t want to.¡± [No, it¡¯s just that a tiny minority of us vampires are still living in various parts of the Empire. I¡¯m the only one who entered the Philleon Academy.] ¡°Do other people not know at all?¡± [Apart from Headmaster Kratir and a few professors, no one knows. Revealing our true identities would only lead to trouble.] Ophelia fell silent. She didn¡¯t exin the circumstances or background behind her enrollment in Philleon. Ronan didn¡¯t press further either. Sensing the atmosphere bing heavy, Ronan changed the topic. ¡°To be honest, did you join the club because you¡¯re interested in Cita?¡± [Yes.] ¡°It¡¯s nice to be honest. It¡¯s probably not just because it¡¯s cute, right? What¡¯s going on?¡± [I sensed the aura of our race¡¯s magic¡­ I mean, the aura of blood magic.] With those words, Ophelia raised her index finger. A rose made of blood appeared on her slender fingertip. Cita, who had been perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, stretched its neck and blinked its eyes. ¡°Beahh!!¡± Suddenly, Cita¡¯s eyes brightened. The shape of the rose transformed into a bird resembling Cita, with its petals crumpling. The blood bird was absorbed into Cita¡¯s feathers. Ophelia stroked Cita and smiled. [As expected.] ¡°That monstrous-like magic is called blood magic, huh?¡± [Yes. It¡¯s fascinating¡­ I felt the mana of blood after a long time, but to think a non-vampire race would use blood magic¡­ What¡¯s the principle behind it?] Her tone carried a schrly curiosity, reminiscent of conversations among academics. Strangely, he felt a simrity to her conversation with Dydican, the werewolf cksmith. Suddenly, Ophelia, who had been stroking Cita¡¯s wings, chuckled. [But what kind of animal is this¡­? It has wings just like Orsego, all four of them.] ¡°It¡¯s a dreambird, a phantasmal species. I don¡¯t know how it ended up like this, but I found out it can manipte blood.¡± Ronan exined the characteristics of the dreambird and the story of how he met Cita. When Ophelia heard that Cita was less than two months old, her eyes widened. ¡°Two months¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ But did it just manipte the form of blood?¡± ¡°¡­Was that surprising? It has done even more amazing things.¡± Ronan recounted Cita¡¯s feats. In the battle with Dun, it exacerbated bleeding to create openings. In Gran Cappadocia, it manipted the blood of survivors extensively to create pirs that indicated their positions. With each elongated exnation, Ophelia¡¯s face gradually stiffened. Between her slightly parted lips, pointed fangs glistened. Cita, who had been gazing at her with concern, suddenly brightened its eyes. ¡°Beah.¡± Suddenly, a blood-made rose appeared before Cita¡¯s eyes. It had the exact same form as the one Ophelia had created. As if giving a gift, Cita asked for the blood rose and extended it toward her. ¡°Unbelievable¡­!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°This¡­ This is truly amazing. Did you say its name was Cita?¡± Ronan nodded. Excitement flowed from Ophelia¡¯s voice. Emotions began to show on her previously expressionless face. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Perhaps with it, it might be possible. By the way, can I ask for a favor¡­?¡± ¡°Just tell me.¡± ¡°Could you give me a few of its feathers? Or rather¡­ just two?¡± ¡°Feathers?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He suddenly recalled how he had followed Varen to retrieve Marpez¡¯s feathers. Ophelia spoke with an entreating tone. ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t n to do anything actively, just research¡­ But I¡¯ll participate fully. So could you give me three, no¡­ two feathers¡­?¡± ¡°Calm down. What do you n to do with them?¡± ¡°I want to use them for researching new blood magic. I¡¯ve got a feeling this time. I promise I¡¯ll teach it as well when I¡¯m back¡­ Okay?¡± ¡°¡­Teach magic? To Cita?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was an intriguing proposal. He had been sensing it, but Cita learned and applied things at an incredibly fast pace. ¡®Yeah, even the biggest rascals get smarter when they learn¡­¡¯ The problem was that due to the grotesque nature of the magic it dealt with, there was no one to teach it. In this situation, the idea of someone teaching it blood magic was a highly appealing suggestion. Ronan stroked Cita and asked. ¡°Cita, are you okay?¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Cita nodded its head. Ronan, after verifying its approval, plucked three feathers and handed them over. Ophelia trembled as she epted Cita¡¯s feathers. ¡°Thank you¡­ By the way, Ahayute¡­? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name of a monkey with a toothache.¡± ¡°What a strange name¡­ Anyway, thank you. I¡¯ll definitelye back¡­¡± With those words left behind, Ophelia turned around and walked away. Soon, within the shadows cast by the Galerion Manor, a silvery bat emerged and flew. The bat flew westward at a speed almost matching that of a bird of prey. Ronan watched its back, now indistinguishable from starlight, and murmured. ¡°¡­It¡¯ll be okay, right?¡± **** Training continued daily. Fortunately, the club members actively participated in club activities. Otherwise, it would have been inevitable since Ronan would have gone to catch Lamancha. Aselle, Marya, and Braum dedicated themselves to training whenever they had free time. Thanks to their natural talents and passion, their growth rate was swift. ¡°No, can¡¯t you do this? Just swiftly enter and slice.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯d like to shave your head with a slice! Is that what you mean, jackass?¡± ¡°Hold on, Braum.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand. Let¡¯s do it again. Twist your waist swiftly like this!¡± Ronan tried his best to teach the two. Of course, one couldn¡¯t really say he had the talent of an educator. For the most part, most martial arts were something Ronan could pick up after seeing it once. So, the inadequacy of Marya and Braum felt like a type of developmental dy. ¡°In my view, it¡¯s just because your efforts arecking. Who will win? Let¡¯s try.¡± Ronan ultimately introduced a punitive training system. If they can¡¯t do it, they get hit until they can. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hit the chicks whose feathers had yet to dry, so he substituted rigorous training for the agonizing beatings. ¡°Wow, seriously¡­! Whatp are we on now¡­!¡± ¡°The most important thing is stamina. Without stamina, it¡¯s all futile. And with improved stamina, you¡¯ll be able to train longer.¡± ¡°Wauahaha! Spare me!¡± Ronan pursued not only stamina but also strength training. Before long, they became well-known figures in Nest. They used the training facilities more actively than anyone else could be seen doing anywhere else. With daily rants, changes naturally urred in their bodies. One day, after finishing training, Marya called Aselle. ¡°Cute one, try touching it.¡± ¡°Huh? Uhh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pull away, do it quickly.¡± Marya took Aselle¡¯s hand and ced it on her stomach. Through her sweaty clothes, Aselle¡¯s fingertips felt the sensation akin to touching a stone. Marya wiped her sweat and smiled. ¡°How does it feel? It¡¯s amazing, right? I really like how my body is getting stronger.¡± Aselle couldn¡¯t sleep that night. Originally, Braum also enjoyed showing off his body, but after getting mistaken for a monster three times at night, he was bing a bit modest. After about two weeks, Marya was able to showcase the Imperial swordsmanship with her own greatsword. The next day, she came back with a certificate of earlypletion for Imperial swordsmanship ss. ¡°Ha! Did you see!¡± ¡°Good job. Now, you need toplete hand-to-handbat.¡± ¡°Aaaargh!¡± The next day, Braumpleted intermediate hand-to-handbat early. He received praise from the instructors for achieving an overwhelmingly impressive result among the second-year students. ¡°Wow Haha! It¡¯s all thanks to you guys, thank you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Braum being Braum!¡± ¡°Oof!¡± Thunk! Instinctively, Braum¡¯s leg came free from Marya¡¯s punch. However, he didn¡¯t fall down like the first time. Seeing this, Ronan nodded with interest. Perhaps a different weapon, not a greatsword, would suit Braum better. Maybe a one-handed sword and a massive shield. ¡®By the way, when is that rascaling?¡¯ More than two weeks had passed, but Shullifen still hadn¡¯t returned. Only rumors ofrge-scale oppression urring in Gracia were gradually filtering in. Navirose had conveyed that information gathered from Cyril and Dan was being documented and reported to the upper echelons of various realms. ¡°The Emperor seems to have learned about this incident too. I¡¯ve heard rumors that a specialized organization targeting Neb zier is about to be established.¡± ¡°Things are bound to get even more chaotic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyway, what have you been up to, running around like that? Varen¡¯s concerns aren¡¯t without reason.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m getting ready to run around. It¡¯s just as secretive as the instructor¡¯s pajamas.¡± In the first training arena, Ronan¡¯s screams echoed. He hade to fear showing his ears to others for a few days. Another ten days passed. Maya and Braum both seeded in earlypletion for two more sses each. They disyed their certificates of earlypletion on the cork board in the club building. ¡°This makes it our third!¡± ¡°I¡¯m at four!¡± ¡°Everyone worked hard.¡± Ronan apuded. Now, the schedules of the two weren¡¯t much different from Ronan¡¯s or Aselle¡¯s. After coordinating schedules, all club members, including weekends, had a four-day break. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re ready to go.¡± Ronan had been receiving periodic letters from Ophelia. Three days ago, he received a letter stating that they were finally in the finishing stages, but he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. It was time to depart. Ronan immediately contacted a guild named ¡®Pale Horse.¡¯ They were the onlypany that could provide a rental service for ghostly horses, capable of riding on the wind. While nning, Ronan discovered that by riding a ghost horse, they could reach Baydian within half a day. Of course, it came at a considerable cost, but that wasn¡¯t Ronan¡¯s concern; it was the school¡¯s problem. Chapter 52: The Baydian Mountains (1) Chapter 52: The Baydian Mountains (1) The first journey of the special-ss adventure club began on theing Saturday. The day they had to return was the following Wednesday. Originally, they could only leave the premises on weekends, but if it was under the pretext of ¡°club activities,¡± they could go out even on weekdays. Following Ronan¡¯s suggestion, they decided to ride ghost horses. Riding these swift steeds could cut the two-day journey time in half. The ghost horse rental took ce near the northern gate of the institution. Behind the employees of the Pale Horse Guild, three horses stood still like statues, eerily formed. ¡°Is th-th-that a horse¡­?¡± ¡°Aselle, seems like you¡¯ve got one more nightmare to deal with.¡± Ronan frowned upon seeing the ghost horse. Its twitching pupils were purely white. The hairless, sleek body was pale blue like a frozen corpse. It felt like the ssification of ghost horses as monsters rather than fantasy creatures had been debated for a long time. After a simple exchange of greetings, the staff gave them each a pair of goggles. ¡°Ah, you must be the ones with reservations. Start with these.¡± ¡°Goggles?¡± Ronan tilted his head curiously. The craftsmanship was impressive, and they were useful items for griffin riders or anyone else. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re essential when riding ghost horses. Without these, even keeping your eyes open will be a struggle.¡± It made sense that Imperial messenger riders had their reasons for using these. After receiving a brief set of instructions, they were handed the ghost horses. ¡°We¡¯ve ced a location-tracking spell, so just hold onto the reins and stay seated. Let me emphasize again, never straighten your upper body while riding at high speeds.¡± ¡°Thank you. Shall we go then?¡± Ronan skillfully mounted the ghost horse. Ronan and Braum each took one horse, while the rtively lighter Aselle and Marya shared another. Marya asked Aselle. ¡°Cutie, have you ever ridden a horse before?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­! I¡¯ll take the reins.¡± Aselle replied confidently, exerting force as if he remembered the horseback riding lessons he had with Ronan. Although there was a considerable difference between old nag and ghost horse, the current situation didn¡¯t call for such distinctions. Maryaughed unexpectedly and pulled Aselle close from behind. ¡°Oh, impressive, huh? Well then, please take care!¡± ¡°U-uh¡­!¡± Aselle froze. The feeling of pressure against his back was intense. After barely regaining hisposure, Aselle lightly tapped the ghost horse¡¯s side with both feet, as he had learned. ¡°Hyah!¡± Thud! In that instant, Aselle¡¯s head snapped backward. The eleration wasn¡¯t gradual. The ghost horse shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. ¡°Noooo!¡± ¡°Aselle!¡± Aselle¡¯s scream was swallowed by the wind the moment it left his mouth. Marya, her arms outstretched, also grabbed the reins. Ronan, who started a momentte, clenched the reins while cursing. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, there¡¯s a limit to this¡­¡± The importance of the goggles became apparent fairly quickly. Kwaah! An unexpected gust of wind tore at their skin as if trying to peel it off. The nearby scenery was bing a blur and fading away. Distantndscapes were rapidly receding. The ghost horse¡¯s peculiar movement made it seem as if they were truly galloping through the sky. ¡°Whooooa-!¡± Cita was flying at almost the same speed right next to them. The ghost horses carrying the four of them had be the wind and were racing along the Northern Highway. Looking up, they could see distant mountain peaks rising like spines. Their destination for the day was the Baydian Mountains. **** ¡°Uweeee! Uweeeek!¡± ¡°Cutie, are you okay?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Should¡¯ve vomited while running like me!¡± Before half a day had passed, they reached their destination. The moment the ghost horses stopped, the group dismounted in a posture resembling imminent falls. The hornless horses turned back along the path that had been a terrifying descent for the group. ¡°Seriously, what the hell¡­ So clueless.¡± When they raised their heads, the majestic sight of the Baydian Mountains came into view. Just a few hours ago, it was hard to believe they were still within the institution. Cita, who had tied in a race with a ghost horse,y on the ground, gasping for breath. ¡°Beheeeeh¡­ beheeeeh¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I said follow slowly, why rush?¡± Ronan put the exhausted Cita into his backpack. Marya, who had been patting Aselle¡¯s back, spoke up. ¡°How do we get back?¡± ¡°They¡¯lle if you call this. No matter where we are.¡± Ronan took out a white stick from his pocket. It was a whistle to call the ghost horses. He started to lead the group up the mountain. ¡°How far do we have to go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about a day¡¯s journey. Have any of you camped before?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Exciting, isn¡¯t it? Heard about it, but this is my first time actually going to the Leylines!¡± Each of them carried arge backpack on their backs. The goal of this journey was to find curses from the Mana Veins by sucking honey from them. ¡°Remember? If you see anything like an octopus with a single eye on its forehead, make sure to catch it. They tend to be in shady ces under rocks or trees.¡± ¡°Yeah. Weren¡¯t they cursed monsters?¡± Ronan nodded his head. He had told the three about his curse a few days ago. Braum, pounding his chest, eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll bring back a pile like a mountain!¡± ¡°Thanks, Braum. By the way, there seem to be quite a lot of monsters here. If you don¡¯t want to get bitten while sleeping, let¡¯s lower our voices a bit.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Got it¡­¡± Ronan led the group deep into the mountains. The terrain was rough, but the three of them, who had improved their stamina over the past month, climbed the mountain without much difficulty. ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be imps around.¡¯ The Leylines of the Baydian Mountains were located near the ruins of some unknown structure. At the time, a mercenary group that seemed to have rolled in from nowhere had upied it. Due to their demands for passage fees, Ronan had to make seven out of ten of hispanions look foolish before they were allowed to leave. The group walked until nightfall and set up camp under a nameless valley. The warmth of the bonfire that had sprung up among the four of them dispelled the cold chill. Chewing on jerky, Ronan talked about the journey the next day. ¡°Rest up. We¡¯ll have to walk a lot tomorrow too.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what kind of monsters are we going to encounter here?¡± ¡°A variety. The most terrifying and the second most terrifying. Which one do you want to hear about first?¡± ¡°Se-s-second.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As Ronan turned around abruptly, he threw Lamancha. The ck sword flew in a straight line and disappeared into the thickets between the grass. Thud! With a sound as if meat was being pierced, a chilling scream spread through the air. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± ¡°Wha-what is it?!¡± Ronan approached the thicket with his hand in his pocket. Lamancha¡¯s ck de had pierced through a green-skinned dwarf, who was writhing while impaled. ¡°Kyaheeek¡­! Kaak¡­¡± ¡°As expected, they followed us. We¡¯ll have to pick up the pace tomorrow.¡± Phew! Ronan ended the life of the still-breathing dwarf before him and tossed the body in front of the group. Braum, who recognized the identity of the dwarf, furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Goblin¡­? Right?¡± ¡°Uh-huh! But can you see this?¡± Ronan pointed his sword at the goblin¡¯s back. Several distinct circr scars, like fiery earthquakes, were visible. ¡°It¡¯s one of the ves that the surrounding orc ns use. Among the monsters lurking in the Baydian Mountains, it¡¯s the second most terrifying.¡± As Ronan recalled memories from a past life, his head lowered as if he had a headache. He exined that there were orc ns scattered throughout the mountains. Orcs, who had basic physical abilities superior to humans and tended to gather in groups, were a presence that even seasoned adventurers feared. ¡°The biggest problem with those bastards is that they¡¯re fucking numerous. You should see them pouring out of caves.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the second most terrifying, what¡¯s the most terrifying?¡± ¡°Ogre.¡± The group¡¯s faces turned pale. They hadn¡¯t expected to hear that name here. Ronan spoke calmly. ¡°Those are seriously damn monstrous. Their skin is thick, so swords don¡¯t prate well, and they¡¯re insanely strong¡­¡± ¡°Ha-have you¡­ fought them? Ogres?¡± Ronan nodded. Of course, it hadn¡¯t happened in this life. It must have been around the time when he discovered the Leylines of the Baydian Mountains, perhaps when he was about eighteen years old. The battle between the young man and the monster had taken three days and nights without a clear victor. ¡°Still, they¡¯re not just straight-up monsters. The fact that the mountains aren¡¯t overrun by orcs is thanks to the fact that ogres periodically destroy orc ns.¡± Even if a hundred orcs gathered, they couldn¡¯t defeat a single ogre. Come to think of it, one might be roaming around somewhere here. Ronan twisted his lips as he remembered the two-headed ogre, who couldn¡¯t end the fight due to his half-drawn sword. ¡°Anyway, if you encounter an ogre, just run. You guys aren¡¯t ready to face them yet.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay. Got it.¡± ¡°Speaking of terrifying creatures, there are wyverns as terrifying as ogres. If you¡¯re walking along just fine and suddenly a shadow appears under your feet¡­¡± Night progressed along with their stories. The four of them took turns keeping watch in three-hour shifts. Fortunately, after the initial goblin encounter, no more monsters appeared. The next morning, as Ronan stood atop a cliff, surveying the mountain range, he said, ¡°Found it. I remember the path from here on.¡± The arrangement of thendmarks was familiar. Ronan walked the mountain path while recalling his memories. He saw the ambient mana gradually thickening. Hourster, when they came upon the sight of the Leylines, the group¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Whoaaa!¡± ¡°T-This is the Leylines? Ronan, how did you¡­?¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is amazing! Mana is overflowing!¡± The Leylines of the Baydian Mountains were situated in the middle of the mountain. The trees around them were twisted eerily due to excess mana. It was muchrger in scale than the Fountain of Phaenar they had been to before. Even a stone fragment on the ground was imbued with mana, emitting a brilliant light. The mana rising from the ground was dozens of times more concentrated than the ambient mana they were used to sensing. ¡°Beh-yaaa!¡± Cita, fully energized, shot up into the sky. They could see the mana from the Leylines being absorbed into Cita¡¯s body. As expected, the Leylines were still ownerless. Ronan removed his backpack and looked at the group before speaking. ¡°Since even a single stone fragment is worth money, try to fill up as much as you can. Also, attune yourself to the mana here. Aselle, can you exin?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Leaving those words behind, Ronan walked deep into the Leylines. He was searching for any cursed items that might be here. Suddenly, memories of a past vision of ruined structures came to his mind. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Since they liked gloomy ces, it was possible that they might gather and live under the remains of buildings. Soon, the spot where the ruins should have been came into view. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Instead of the expected ruins, there stood an intricately carved stone building. Rubbing his eyes didn¡¯t change the scene. The sharp roof and supporting pirs were quite impressive. ¡°Impressive¡­ I thought it would have copsed a long time ago.¡± The fact that it was still intact indicated that it couldn¡¯t have been destroyed more than three years ago. Ronan approached the building and touched one of the pirs, his expression bewildered. Though there were signs of the passage of time, there was no sign of imminent copse. Just as Ronan was about to enter the building, a voice came from behind. ¡°Quite a surprise. To think guests woulde all the way here.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was the voice of a stranger. He hadn¡¯t sensed any presence until he was close. Ronan reflexively drew Lamancha, turning to face the source of the sound. Startled, the stranger dropped the basket he was carrying. ¡°W-Why are you suddenly acting like this? Please calm down¡­¡± He extended both hands as if to prove he meant no harm. Observing the stranger¡¯s demeanor, Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°An elf?¡± ¡°uhh? Yes, as you can see.¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡± Ronan lowered his sword. The middle-aged elf finally heaved a sigh of relief. Picking up the fallen basket from the ground, he spoke. ¡°I am a priest who serves Saniel. Toe all the way to this dangerous ce, you must have a reason.¡± Chapter 53: The Baydian Mountains (2) Chapter 53: The Baydian Mountains (2) Ronan lowered his sword. The middle-aged elf finally let out a relieved sigh. He picked up the fallen basket from the ground and spoke. ¡°I am a priest who serves Seniel. Toe all the way to this rugged ce, there must be an important reason.¡± ¡°Seniel?¡± ¡°Yes. The forgotten spirit. Only a very few remember that name now¡­ I thought for sure only pilgrims who worshiped him woulde.¡± Seniel. It was a name Ronan had never heard before. The man began to gather the herbs and mushrooms spilled from the basket, and Ronan helped gather them too. ¡°Oh, thank you for helping.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural after I knocked you down. But are you really going to eat all of this?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The peculiar-looking herbs he had never seen beforey scattered around them. The man, who had gathered the strange and distant roots like devil¡¯s beards, chuckled. ¡°These are precious herbs. They can only be found in ces where mana gathers, like here.¡± ¡°Just looking at them, they seem like they¡¯d grow tails on our bottoms¡­ but now that you mention it, I am curious.¡± ¡°Come inside. I¡¯ll make some tea or something simr. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve met someone who isn¡¯t a pilgrim.¡± ¡°Sure. But I havepanions with me. Can I bring them along?¡± ¡°Ah, no wonder I sensed people. Of course.¡± The elf man readily agreed to Ronan¡¯s proposal. Before long, Aselle, Marya, and Braum arrived in front of the temple. They all admired the fact that a temple stood in such a rugged ce and looked around in awe. The man gathered his hands and bowed at the waist. ¡°La Seniel. Sarante Lematyon.¡± ¡°Lematyon?¡± Hearing the name Lematyon, Ronan frowned. The castle where the elven Cyril Rodon was held captive was called Lematyon. However, he didn¡¯t voice any objections. It wasmon among the forest folk to use the names of the Mother Trees as surnames, and Lematyon was amon surname. Ronan¡¯s group exchanged greetings as they went inside the temple. ¡°I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°Ah, hello¡­ I¡¯m Aselle.¡± ¡°Hello, Sarante. I¡¯m Marya Carabel.¡± ¡°Hahaha! And I¡¯m Braum!¡± Sarante led the group into the temple. The rectangr interior carried the distinctive ascetic yet serene atmosphere of a temple. Marya caressed the wall with inscribed symbols and murmured. ¡°It¡¯s an unfamiliar architectural style.¡± Most of the structures, including chairs and tables, were made of stone. They appeared rough at first nce, but a closer look revealed intricate craftsmanship. As Ronan surveyed the temple, his gaze stopped at one particr spot. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± In the center of the temple stood an oddly-shaped stone. In other religious temples, this position was reserved for relics or important altars. Just then, Sarante¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s Seniel¡¯s idol.¡± ¡°An idol? This?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Nowhere on the corn-like stone did he see the semnce of a deity. Its worn surface conveyed only the passage of time and effort it had endured. It was indeed a strange religion. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan spoke. Secretly, he was also bothered by matters concerning Cyril. ¡°Hey, Sarante.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why the sudden formality?¡± ¡°Without asking anything, just repeat after me once.¡± ¡°¡®The Arrival of the Star is the day when the end descends from the sky¡¯.¡± Sarante raised an eyebrow. Ronan was always ready to draw his sword if needed. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon. Just repeat after me for now. Quickly.¡± All eyes were on Sarante. Marya suddenly started cleaning her greatsword, while Braum pretended to admire the carvings on a statue as he blocked the entrance. Eventually, Sarante spoke. ¡°Okay then.¡¯The Arrival of the Star is the day when the end descends from the sky¡¯.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Now, will you tell me what it means? Is this some kind of incantation popr in the outside world these days?¡± Sarante repeated Ronan¡¯s words without changing his expression, just as he had with the insult to Ahayute. Finally relieved, Ronan let go of the hilt of his sword. He briefly exined about the Neb zier organization. Sarante chuckled and nodded. ¡°Throughout history, there have always been forces that confuse the world with false beliefs. Come to think of it, during the reign of Emperor Lixoda VII, there seemed to be a simr organization¡­¡± ¡°Lixoda¡­?¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. It was a name he had heard in history lessons. The kingdom that ruled the central region of the continent when the Thousand-Year Empire Barun was still just a small state. Sarante smiled as if interpreting Ronan¡¯s silence. ¡°Well, it seems the rulers of thisnd have changed again.¡± ¡°How old are you, really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I stopped counting my age a thousand years ago.¡± Ronan lowered his head. Conversations with long-lived races often made him feel like hismon knowledge was being shattered. Sarante had asked various questions about the current state of the continent. ¡°Ah, how surprising that the dragon Ors¨¦gogo has fallen. Mortals¡¯ power has be quite remarkable.¡± ¡°The war between the former emperor and Ors¨¦gogo is now the stuff of fairy tales.¡± ¡°I should try harder to catch snippets of news from the outside world once every hundred years¡­ Ah, please, have some. It¡¯s a tea that can only be enjoyed here in Baydian.¡± After the verification of beliefs had concluded, they couldn¡¯t let their guard down just yet. Only after Sarante emptied his cup did Ronan take a sip. As the hot liquid passed his throat, his vision suddenly became hazy. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s happening¡­¡± Ronan blinked his eyes repeatedly. From the blurry vision, Sarante¡¯s faintughter reached his ears. ¡°Hehehe¡­ I hope you enjoy it.¡± ¡°What-my eyes!¡± ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Confused exmations from the others echoed around him. Has poison been added to the tea? Ronan was about to pull out his sword. But before he could, the view suddenly cleared as if he had plunged into a frosty field. ¡°Huh? Why¡­?¡± Ronan blinked his eyes again and again. The previously clouded vision had turned as clear as a sunny field. Sarante looked around with satisfaction, seemingly pleased with the perplexed expressions of his guests. At that moment, Aselle, who had been looking around, eximed in awe. ¡°M-Mana¡­! It¡¯s so vivid¡­!¡± ¡°Hahaha! This is amazing, did I just bloom my aura?¡± Unable to contain his excitement, Braum stood up. Ronan blinked his eyes repeatedly, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The mana floating around seemed several times more vibrant. ¡°What the¡­?¡± It felt like he had plucked out his eyeballs, rinsed them in a potion, and put them back. The range had expanded significantly, and he could vaguely see traces of mana within people¡¯s bodies. If one wasn¡¯t born with the innate talent of a mage, achieving the level of sight akin to the Ors¨¦go Bloom was normally only possible after reaching a level of mana affinity. Ronan chuckled dryly as he spoke. ¡°Seriously, what did you feed us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tea made by blending herbs that enhance mana affinity. It currently has only temporary effects, but if you drink it consistently, it will undoubtedly help improve your affinity in the long run.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really grateful, but this is creepy.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Take this too.¡± Sarante handed over a sizable pouch filled with the same herbs he had collected in the basket. He also gave each member of the group one of these pouches and even shared the recipe for the tea. ¡°By the way, if you have the time, would you consider staying here for a few days?¡± ¡°Staying here?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s fine to decline if it¡¯s inconvenient. It¡¯s just that the opportunity to converse with young and promising individuals like you is quite rare.¡± Well, the pilgrims were probably elderly elves who had spent at least a thousand years in seclusion, like Sarante. Ronan looked at the group. They all seemed amazed by the effects of the strange tea. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, but how about you all? Is it okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine too. It does require some mental preparation to try though¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in favor as well. If I can learn more about the leylines, it would be invaluable.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t care at all! Can I have another cup?¡± The group unanimously agreed. Ronan nodded, breaking his silence. It was too good an offer to refuse based on mere skepticism. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your debt. Thank you, Sarante.¡± ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± And so, their short stay in the temple began. Sarante generously treated Ronan¡¯s group. He didn¡¯t prevent them from collecting mana-rted items; in fact, he helped them find even better ones. That afternoon, Sarante led the group into a cave. The density of mana in the area was so high that it had even progressed to petrifying the stctites. Sarante pointed to the mana stones scattered deep within the cave. ¡°How does this look? These mana stones here are rtively good.¡± ¡°These aren¡¯t just rtively good¡­ Most of them are even higher-grade than the highest grade!¡± ¡°If you need them, take as many as you want. They are beings that gain meaning when someone uses them.¡± Marya¡¯s eyes almost popped out. She carefully selected the best mana stones and ced them in her backpack, determined to repay the favor. At the end of a fulfilling day, Sarante brought back arge wild boar. ¡°Let¡¯s have this for dinner tonight. Its taste is enhanced by the mana of Baydian.¡± ¡°¡­Are you really an elf?¡± ¡°Hehe, it seems that prejudice against elves won¡¯t disappear until they be extinct. Of course, though most of our kind refrain from consuming meat, those of us who worship Seniel don¡¯t mind. After all, death is not an end but the beginning of a cycle.¡± Sarante¡¯s mindset was different from what Ronan had seen in other elves. Unlike the typical elves who would shoot an arrow if even a rabbit were killed in their territory, Sarante didn¡¯t seem to fear the consumption of nature¡¯s resources. Behind the temple, there was an oven for roasting meat. Sarante skillfully cooked the wild boar meat and served it to them. Indeed, meat infused with mana tasted unlike anything they had eaten before. Sarante watched his guests tear into the meat with delight and murmured softly. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Tomorrow, I¡¯ll treat you to an even more special dish.¡± Coincidentally, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at those words. Horrific possibilities flickered through his mind. Judging by Sarante¡¯s expression, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Aselle to disappear tonight and for a meat they had never seen before to be served on the table the next day. The tragedy would begin with Marya finding a red hair stuck between her teeth. ¡®Yes. He seemed oddly kind, but he¡¯s finally showing his true colors.¡¯ However, despite Ronan¡¯s concerns, that night passed without any incidents. The next day, Sarante caught a massive deer for lunch. It was a deerrger than your typical elk. ¡°¡­What the hell?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows, and Sarante noticed his expression, chuckling. ¡°Hmm? Is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°No¡­ I just heard something about special meat yesterday, and your expression seemed suspicious. Looks like I misunderstood.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ What did you think?¡± ¡°Yes. I was sure one of us would end up on the dinner table.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I apologize if I made you ufortable. Having esteemed guests like you visit after such a long time got me a bit too excited.¡± Sarante scratched his head, appearing somewhat embarrassed. That evening, the deer meat appeared on the dining table. True to its status as special meat, its taste was exquisite. Ronan nodded as he finished devouring one of the hind legs. ¡°I was being too sensitive.¡± By now, he had to admit it. Sarante was just a kind old man. Ronan suddenly wondered who might have destroyed the temple where such a good soul lived. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like an act of vengeance.¡± Comparing the temple¡¯s current state and the sense of age from the ruins, Ronan concluded that the series of destructive acts had likely happened rtively recently. Starting to recall the runescape, Ronan began to sort out candidates who could have caused the temple¡¯s condition. Approximately three potential culprits emerged, one of which might be unavoidable, but the other two could possibly be dealt with. ¡°Well, it worked out well. My body was itching for some action anyway.¡± That night, Ronan gathered his party in the absence of Sarante. Yawning, Marya woke up and asked, ¡°Wha¡­ What¡¯s happening in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°I suddenly had a good idea.¡± ¡°A good idea¡­?¡± ¡°Before we leave here, let¡¯s clear out the nearby orc settlements. And maybe find a Curse eye while we¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°What?¡± The eyes of the party, including Marya, widened. They were taken aback by the sudden suggestion. Ronan spoke with a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re just indebted to that old elf. If we¡¯ve eaten, we should do some work.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°And there¡¯s nothing like practical experience to improve your skills. Right, Aselle?¡± ¡°Hiihiik!¡± Aselle took a step back. Ronan was suppressing augh, much like when he proposed stealing Lunar Goblin¡¯s treasure. ¡°Everyone,e with me.¡± Ronan led the party up to the mountaintop in a haphazard manner. The panoramic view of the vast Baydian Mountains spread before them. Pointing out distant flickering lights, Ronan spoke. ¡°Those are all damn orc settlements. Imagine each one having around a hundred to three hundred in poption.¡± ¡°Th-Three hundred¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe all of them out today or tomorrow. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be quite a valuable experience.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize that Ronan wasn¡¯t joking. The party¡¯s faces turned pale. ¡°All¡­ all of them?¡± There seemed to be at least six settlements. Even if individual orcs were formidable, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Reading hispanions¡¯ minds, Ronan continued. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. But it¡¯s probably going to take a damn long time, right?¡± ¡°Frankly, yes. Even if we fight well, our stamina will have its limits!¡± Braum spoke with a serious expression. A moment of exhaustion could lead to being overwhelmed by orcs. Ronan exhaled smoke and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯ll only have to face a few when we really start swinging our swords.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan chuckled, looking at the orc settlements. Four out of the six were positioned along the base of the mountains, near curving rivers. He turned to the visibly nervous Aselle and continued, ¡°Engaging in a fight and actually killing are two entirely different things.¡± Chapter 54: The Baydian Mountains (3) Chapter 54: The Baydian Mountains (3) Of the six viges, four were situated along the foothills of the mountains, following the curves of the river. Ronan looked at the nervous Aselle and began to speak. ¡°Fighting and killing are distinctly different.¡± ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡± ¡°Fighting is the process to achieve a goal. War is a prime example. People usually engage in such nonsense to gainnd or money, not to burn enemy territories to the ground and bathe in the blood of captives.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s true?¡± ¡°But if killing itself is the goal, the story changes. It ends much faster and conveniently. Think about why King Ballon the 7th was called the Blood Monarch.¡± The faces of the three individuals showed confusion. The words that came from Ronan¡¯s mouth were incredibly insightful and coherent, almost unbelievable. Ronan continued after taking a drag from his pipe. ¡°Aselle, do you remember dropping the mace on the goblin¡¯s face back in the day?¡± ¡°That, well¡­¡± Aselle nodded with his mouth tightly closed. It was an unforgettable experience that he would never forget. He still vividly remembered the sound of the goblin¡¯s skull breaking. ¡°Today¡¯s task is somewhat simr. Just on arger scale. Your role will be significant.¡± ¡°My role is significant¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you try. For now, let¡¯s head to the river to block it.¡± ¡°B-Block the river?¡± Aselle blinked in surprise. Without answering, Ronan began to walk with determined steps. The remaining three people exchanged bewildered looks, their eyes moving between each other¡¯s faces. **** The orcs of the Stonehorn Tribe became aware of the anomaly just as dawn was breaking. ¡°Chieftain, Oink! Something strange has happened!¡± An orc carrying a battle hammer on his back entered the chieftain¡¯s tent. Soon, the chieftain, who had been sleeping among the female orcs, rose. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Oink?¡± ¡°The river disappeared, Oink! We should be drawing water, but it¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°What¡­ the river disappeared?¡± The chieftain furrowed his brows. He couldn¡¯tprehend what was being said. ¡°Exin clearly, Oink. Why did the river disappear?¡± ¡°Oink! It really disappeared! Not just me, but all of my brothers saw it too, Oink!¡± ¡°Oink! Calm down!¡± The chieftain hurled the handaxe that had been lying next to his bed. With a swift rotation, the flying handaxe embedded itself in the scout orc¡¯s forehead. ¡°Chu-eek¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re being foolish, Oink.¡± The scout orc¡¯s body fell backward. As the chieftain was about to attempt to sleep again, a voice echoed from beyond the tent. ¡°Oink, Chieftain! It¡¯s a big problem!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It seemed something significant was indeed happening. With a sigh, the chieftain put on his bear-hide clothing. Stepping outside, he saw the gathered tribesmen bustling around. ¡°Oink! The chieftain¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you chopping wood? What are you doing here, Oink?!¡± ¡°Oink! The river disappeared!¡± Even the lumberjacks who were busy with their work were saying the same thing. Eventually, the chieftain gathered the tribe¡¯s warriors and headed toward the riverbank. It wasn¡¯t so much to prepare for the actual disappearance of the river, but more to contemte how to punish the idiots who were spouting nonsense. However, it didn¡¯t take long for them to realize that their words were true. ¡°Oink?¡± The orc chieftain¡¯s eyes widened. Where the river should have flowed, there was only a wide, gaping pit. The rocks that had lined the riverbed were drying up in the morning sunlight. ¡°Oink!, Oink!¡­ What is this? Oink!¡± ¡°Oink! The river really disappeared!¡± The orcs began to grow restless. The water that should have reached their chests was now merely ankle-deep. As if entranced, the orcs walked into the depression that used to be the river. Fish, robbed of their home,y dying with exposed bellies. Amidst the chaos, they were struggling. ¡°Oink, where did that strange bird go!! Oink!¡± ¡°It clearly came this way, Oink!¡± A group of orcs emerged from the forest on the other side of the river. Their bodies were marked with red palm patterns. The chieftain orc¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Oink? Knuckle de Tribe?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Oink?!¡± It was indeed the Knuckle de Tribe across the river. They had been a tribe of frequent conflict, especially after recently expanding their territory. The answer was clear. The chieftain of the Stonehorn Tribe, gripping his axe, shouted angrily. ¡°Oink! Knuckle de Tribe! It was you guys!¡± ¡°Oink! Let us exin! When we went to sleep and woke up, the river was gone, Oink!¡± ¡°Kuwaack! The cowardly Knuckle des stole the water! Kill them!¡± The orcs of the Stonehorn Tribe rushed out. The momentarily bewildered Knuckle de Tribe orcs also charged out with roars. On the parched riverbed, the two groups of orcs shed. Roaring battle cries and shing sounds echoed through the mountains. Another group of orcs emerged from downstream. ¡°Oink? Who are these guys?!¡± This time, it was the Sandstorm Tribe from downstream. Their chieftain soon reached a simr conclusion to the other two chieftains. The Sandstorm Tribe¡¯s warriors, wielding clubs, joined the fight, and at the same moment, orcs from upstream also arrived. ¡°Found you, Oink! They¡¯re river thieves!¡± Soon, the four tribes were entangled in battle. With each swing of the savage weapons, blood and screams filled the air. The liquid sshing from the blows became closer to blood than water. The battle was reaching its climax. The ground beneath the orcs¡¯ feet began to tremble slightly. -Kugugugugu¡­ ¡°Oink?¡± The chieftain of the Stonehorn Tribe, sensing the anomaly, turned his head upstream. There seemed to be some kind of sound. As the battlefield expanded beyond their immediate fight, a nightmarish sight came into view. -Kwakwakwakwa!! ¡°Oinkkk?!¡± An unseen torrential current surged, breaking trees along the riverbank as it rushed toward them. A few orcs who sensed the danger screamed. They were already trying to flee, but other orcs, already caught up in the excitement of battle, thrust spears and des into their backs. ¡°Oinkk!¡± ¡°Oinkkkk! I¡¯ve got the Stonehorn Tribe¡¯s chieftain!¡± ¡°Oink! Let go of this! Idiot!¡± Before long, the swift current reached the orcs. Those blinded by battle finally realized that their own river was reiming its water, not being stolen. ¡°Kwaahh! The river swallowed the orcs.¡± ¡°Oinkkkkkk!¡± ¡°Oinkk¡­! Save¡­!¡± Hundreds of orcs were swept away by the rushing waters. Most likely, about half of them would perish in the process. Ronan, watching the scene from a nearby hill, nodded his head. ¡®There was a reason Adeshan favored this strategy. The effects are deadly.¡¯ Water maniption (??, su-gong) was one of the strategies frequently used by Adeshan in his past life. Her rise to prominence had begun after she quelled a rebellion in Tuoang using water maniption. While a perfect Adeshan-style strategy would involve setting fire to the forests around the viges, Ronan didn¡¯t intend to go that far. Even Sarante would likely not find amusement in seeing the mountains turned to ashes. ¡°You all did well. You managed to build the barricade while conserving your energy.¡± Ronan spoke as he looked at the three stunned individuals. Marya¡¯s lips parted in astonishment as she watched the scene of carnage. ¡°Is this¡­ a club activity?¡± ¡°Wha¡­ hahaha¡­¡± Braum was letting out an awkwardugh, resembling someone with facial paralysis. Aselle, who had been turned into an ouw overnight, was gazing at the now-flowing river with a sense of hopelessness in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to hell¡­¡± The MVP of the operation was undoubtedly Aselle. He had constructed the barricade with the logs Marya and Braum had gathered the previous night, along with the rocks in the vicinity. Thanks to Aselle¡¯s control over telekinesis, the groundwork had beenpleted in such a short time. ¡°Now, shall we go for a bit of looting? Marya, Braum,e with me.¡± Regrettably, there was still work to be done. Ronan pulled out his spear and gestured to the two. ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re finally going.¡± ¡°Um! Honestly, it¡¯s nerve-wracking.¡± Marya and Braum gripped their greatswords. Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s shoulder and spoke. ¡°Do you think you can do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ give it a shot.¡± ¡°Good. Just close your eyes and imagine dropping the mace. Cita, you stay here with Aselle.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Havingpleted their orc-baiting mission and returned, Cita jumped onto Aselle¡¯s head. Cita was also a vital member of the group. While Aselle executed the assigned task, Cita would be his reliable guard. Ronan, Marya, and Braum headed toward the closest vige. Even if onlyborers remained in the vige from which the warriors had departed, that wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration. Indeed, they were able to enter the Drifting Rock vige without any significant obstacles. After scanning the interior, Ronan muttered with a rxed tone. ¡°Seems quiet.¡± ¡°Quiet? In this state?¡± ¡°For orc standards.¡± He truly meant it. At most, there seemed to be no more than a few dozen orcs present. With so few remaining, it was practically the same as having no one there. Only a few orcborers and goblins used as ves were left in the vige. The orcs who btedly noticed the presence of the group shouted in rm. ¡°Oink?! Humans?¡± ¡°Kuak! Kill them!¡± The orcs wielding tools rushed toward them. Ronan maintained a leisurely pace as he swung his Lamancha. Sch! With each stroke, two heads fell to the ground. Lamancha, imbued with magic, effortlessly cleaved orc skin as if it were tofu. The smooth carnage continued. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Oink!¡± Braum demonstrated theposure befitting a senior student. He stood by Ronan¡¯s side, defending against attacks and systematically taking down each orc. Kwang! Orcs whose attacks were blocked by Braum¡¯s greatsword staggered, and Ronan swiftly dispatched them by taking their lives. The orcs, having lost more than tenrades, now set their sights on Marya. ¡°Oink! Those humans are strong!¡± ¡°Female! Oink, target the woman!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Marya tightened her grip on her scabbard. She had always faced humans or magical constructs; this was her first time confronting monsters. As she had learned. Uttering these words, Marya swung her greatsword horizontally. Swoosh! The orc charging towards her was cleaved in half at the waist, spilling blood and entrails. Marya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why¡­why is this working so well?!¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s a small frame, you need to realize how incredibly strong you are.¡± ¡°Ugh! Die!¡± She felt the shock of taking a life. Marya, with an expression of disbelief, swung her greatsword again. Whooong! With a brutish sound, the cleaving strike bisected two charging orcs. ¡°Oiii-nnnk!¡± ¡°Oink! The woman is strong too!¡± Masterpiece of a cksmith from a losing battle. As it absorbed mana, her greatsword had grown heavier than Braum¡¯s. Braum, observing Marya¡¯s skillful handling of the greatsword, chuckled. ¡°Hahaha, is this the difference in talent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a difference in nature. From what I see, something other than a greatsword suits you better, Braum.¡± ¡°Huh?! Did you hear that?¡± Braum¡¯s face reddened. After asking him not to make such an expression as it was annoying, Ronan finished off the remaining orcs. It was then that a sound like something huge splitting the air echoed above their heads. Whooong! Looking up, they saw massive rocks and trees arcing through the air. These were the rocks Aselle had propelled using telekinesis. The flying stones were bound tond on the two remaining viges untouched by the water maniption. ¡°Good job.¡± They were soaring through the air with exhration that overshadowed their worries. It seemed that the advice not to anticipate the tragedy that would unfold upon impact had been effective. Confirming that there were no more charging orcs, Marya and Braum lowered their greatswords. ¡°Ha! is it over already?¡± ¡°Almost disappointingly quick¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your good coordination. Rest a bit; we still need to deal with five more. I¡¯ll clean up and be back.¡± With these words, Ronan headed toward the deepest part of the vige. As he lifted the tent of the chieftain, female orcs, their offspring, and cowards who had fled from the battle revealed themselves. ¡°Oink¡­! H-human¡­¡± There was no resistance apparent in the unarmed orcs. They only stared at Ronan with eyes filled with fear. Ronan slowly moved towards them. Various bones and scraps of clothing were embedded in the ground beneath his feet. There were many human bones, and most of them bore the distinct marks of teeth. They were likely the remains of adventurers who had passed through the mountains or had the misfortune of being caught. Yes, they¡¯re all like that. Muttering to himself, Ronan drew his sword from its sheath. **** ¡°Tsk.¡± Bloodied Ronan spat on the ground. The cleanup was quickly finished. The bloody sword, Lamancha, was emerging with its thirst for blood evident. The Drifting Rock tribe had beenpletely annihted. Ronan began to search the interior of the tent for anything worth taking. Ronan hadn¡¯t held high expectations for finding treasure on monsters like Lunar Goblins. But suddenly, his gaze fell on a corner of the chieftain¡¯s bed. A familiar form caught his eye. ¡°No way¡­¡± The appearance resembled a bundle of meat, with shimmering golden eyes. There was no mistaking the identity of the creature ¨C it was undoubtedly a Cursed Eye. However, about half of it was missing. ¡°What the hell, they discarded this precious thing¡­!¡± Anxiously picking up the Cursed Eye, Ronan cursed aloud. It seemed the orcs had bitten into it and then discarded it due to its unappetizing taste. With a deep sigh, Ronan threw the Cursed Eye¡¯s remains away. ¡°Damn it, this is a valuable¡­!¡± ¡®Well, yeah, it¡¯s rumored to live somewhere in the mountains, right?¡¯ He had to think as positively as possible to maintain his sanity. Perhaps there were one or two more around here. Just as he was considering this, Marya¡¯s voice reached him from outside the tent. ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her voice sounded urgent. Ronan quickly exited the tent and narrowed his eyes. Between Marya and Braumy an elven woman. ¡°What¡¯s this again?¡± ¡°I found her while searching the tent. Did they bring her here to eatter?¡± ¡°Damn it, is she alive?¡± Marya nodded her head. The elf woman, dressed in a tunic, was tied up with ropes, breathing heavily. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you untie the ropes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn¡¯t cut.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was iprehensible. Ronan unsheathed his sword, Lamancha, which was resistant to cutting even the skin of orcs, and struck at the ropes binding the woman¡¯s wrists. Tang! The sensation was like striking the hide of an orc, and Lamancha rebounded. ¡°Huh?¡± He tried several times, but the result was the same. Even the all-powerful Lamancha couldn¡¯t cut the ropes. At that moment, the woman¡¯s lips parted slightly. ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s no use¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh¡­¡± A painful groan escaped her lips. Though she seemed unharmed on the surface, it seemed she might have internal injuries. Ronan gave her a potion he carried for emergencies. After a while, the woman¡¯splexion improved slightly, and she opened her mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­ thank you¡­ I¡¯ll exin everythingter¡­ could you take me with you? These ropes¡­ I can¡¯t remove them using conventional methods.¡± ¡°Take you with us? Where to?¡± ¡°If you follow the mountains¡­ ugh, you¡¯ll find a temple¡­ please¡­ take me there¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The woman was undoubtedly speaking of a temple belonging to the Seniel. Gradually, words that struck like nails were pushed through her split lips. ¡°Sara¡­ Sarante¡­ please¡­ take me to him¡­¡± Chapter 55: The Baydian Mountains (4) Chapter 55: The Baydian Mountains (4) Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The woman was undoubtedly talking about the Seniel Temple. Gradually, words piercing through her parted lips flowed out. ¡°Sa-Sarante¡­ Please take me to him¡­¡± ¡°You know Sarante?¡± Instead of answering, the woman bowed her head deeply. Even though she shook her shoulders, she only managed to expel rapid breaths, unable to open her eyes. It seemed she had lost consciousness again, and her mana was also invisible. ¡°Ronan, she¡¯s not in a good state. I¡¯ll take her there ande back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the fastest on foot. I¡¯ll be back soon, so wait with Aselle.¡± Ronan scolded the woman, frustration evident in his words. He didn¡¯t know what circumstances led to a noble race like elves crawling to such a ce to die, but he couldn¡¯t just leave her. He looked back at Marya and Braum and said: ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary and get hurt.¡± With those words, Ronan started running. Despite carrying another person, he sped up the mountain like a squirrel. Braum, watching his back, chuckled. ¡°Such a kind junior.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because my mouth is dirty and dull.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just stand by either. Let¡¯s go.¡± Marya, tilting her head, looked up at the sky. Aselle¡¯s bombardment was still ongoing. ¡°Quite impressive, cutie.¡± The influence of the leyline had made their telekinesis much stronger. At this point, even being swept away by the river would have seemed a better fate for the orcs. The two of them, carrying their greatswords, moved forward. **** ¡°Sarante!¡± ¡± Sir Ronan?¡± Not even thirty minutes had passed before Ronan arrived at the temple. Sarante, who was polishing Seniel¡¯s statue, turned his head in surprise. When he saw the tied-up elven woman, his eyes widened with concern. ¡°Th-That person¡­?¡± ¡°She was rolling around near an orc vige in this state. Just before she fainted, she called out your name, so I brought her here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s looking for me? What on earth is happening around the orc vige¡­¡± ¡°Sarante, just take a look first. She doesn¡¯t look well.¡± Ronan gentlyid the woman on a long chair. Fortunately, she was still breathing. Sarante looked at her face and eximed in amazement. ¡°Goodness, Lady Brighia¡­¡± ¡°Is she someone you know?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s one of the pilgrims. Ist saw her about two hundred years ago, and now she¡¯s in this state¡­¡± Sarante exined that she was a believer in Seniel, just like him. The pilgrims periodically visited Seniel¡¯s statue for pilgrimage, but she must have encountered some danger on her way here. ¡°This isn¡¯t the right time for this. Just a moment.¡± Sarante hurriedly ran inside the temple. When he returned, he held a small vial in his hands. Inside the vial was a viscous liquid, simr to honey. When he fed it to the woman, herplexion noticeably improved. Sarante wiped the sweat from his forehead and murmured. ¡°Phew¡­ She¡¯s fine for now.¡± ¡°Damn it, what happened? Potions weren¡¯t working well earlier, but now she¡¯s fine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But judging by the symptoms, it seems like she¡¯s been poisoned by a potent toxin. I gave her an antidote to neutralize it.¡± ¡°Toxin?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a type of mana-infused poison, but I don¡¯t know where she could have encountered such a powerful poison.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the identity of this rope? Even when I tried cutting it with a sword or used fire, it wouldn¡¯t break.¡± ¡°This¡­ surely¡­¡± Sarante examined the rope. His usual gentleness was absent from his contorted expression. After a while, he touched the rope and muttered something. ¡°Huh?¡± The rope that wouldn¡¯t even break with a saw suddenly started unraveling on its own like a mating snake. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? How did you do that?¡± ¡°Fortunately, this spell worked. It¡¯s a very old magical tool. It was meant to be something that couldn¡¯t be cut.¡± Exining this, Sarante hugged Brighia and gentlyid her on the bed in his room. He ced a damp towel on Brighia¡¯s forehead and finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯ve done all I can for now. You¡¯ve done a great job.¡± ¡°What happened to that woman?¡± ¡°As I mentioned before, I don¡¯t know either. We¡¯ll have to wait until she wakes up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a situation.¡± Sarante said that it was impossible to guess how someone like Brighia, who had lived a simr amount of time as himself, ended up in such a state. After finally catching his breath, Sarante asked Ronan: ¡°But why did you go to the orc vige?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I appreciate you saving Lady Brighia, but I¡¯m curious. Was there a reason you had to go to such a dangerous ce? You could have been seriously hurt.¡± For a moment, Ronan was at a loss for words. Even though he had mentioned that he found her not inside the vige but around it, he still found himself being criticized. He felt like a great-grandchild who¡¯s getting scolded for ying by the river. ¡°Well, I was just wandering around and happened to end up there. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Wandering around? Are you looking for something?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Have you heard of a monster called a ¡®Curse Eye¡¯?¡± Ronan exined that a friend of his was cursed, and to lift the curse, he needed to capture a Curse Eye. Listening to the story, Sarante nodded. ¡°I see. A curse.¡± ¡°Yes. In truth, I meant to ask you from the beginning, but somehow I missed the right timing.¡± ¡°Certainly, the Baydian Mountains is a suitable ce for Curse Eye to reside. I¡¯m not sure exactly where it is located, but¡­ Why would you attempt such a dangerous curse removal?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Using Curse Eye can indeed make dispelling curses more convenient, but it can also impose a significant burden on the person afflicted by the curse. Since it¡¯s not a formal curse removal procedure, forcibly extracting a curse can result in substantial challenges.¡± This was new information to him once again. Sarante added that those affected by severe curses could go mad or suffer permanent disabilities. ¡®Come to think of it, I recalled how my eyes had been constantly itching after my visit to Rodon. Back then, I only thought it was a precursor to being able to see mana, but it could have been a precursor to bing a shaman.¡¯ ¡°That was a close call¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I¡¯ll be on my way, Sarante.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving? You¡¯re not heading towards the orc vige again, are you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I would do that.¡± Ronan turned around. He hadn¡¯t expected to find himself in a situation like this once more. Time was running out now. To make it back to Philleon by Wednesday night, he had to leave the temple today. **** ¡°¡­Just wait quietly.¡± When Ronan returned, another vige had already fallen to ruin. In the empty orc vige, Aselle, Marya, and Braum had gathered. ¡°Hahaha! I couldn¡¯t let you have all the fun by yourself!¡± Braumughed heartily with his hands on his hips. Around him were the bodies of at least six orcs. Marya swung her greatsword to fling off the blood that had sttered on her weapon. Red droplets clung to her golden hair like dew. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Was it more manageable than you thought?¡± ¡°Well, hunting monsters is something I¡¯ll have to do sooner orter.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a good attitude. This dwarf still has a long way to go.¡± ¡°P-please¡­¡± Ronan lightly tapped Aselle¡¯s head with his hand and shook him back and forth. Dark shadows hung under Aselle¡¯s eyes, showing that he had depleted his mana. ¡°And what about Cita?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dealing with the orcs who survived being swept away by the river. Wasn¡¯t that what you asked it to do, Ronan?¡± Marya smirked. Ronan chuckled sarcastically. Seeing itpetently handling things even without being instructed, he realized that it might start talking soon. ¡°Anyway, you all did well. We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s finish up quickly.¡± The group swiftly moved to the next location. The ughter that was taking ce in an already defeated state was systematic and efficient. As they progressed through each vige, the party¡¯s abilities noticeably improved. ¡°Invisible Hand!¡± ¡°Here I go! Flying in the sky!¡± Aselle executed ughter using methods that caused the orcs to fall to their deaths. He didn¡¯t feel prepared to kill them by shooting projectiles. The idea of floating them up so high that they were barely visible and then releasing the telekinesis was quiteical. ¡°Then shall we go to the area where our Archmage demolished?¡± ¡°Hyiiik!¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t much to do in the two viges that Aselle had bombed. The huge rocks and trees he had dropped had already created ruins that were difficult to ssify as viges. ¡°Well done, Aselle. This is your masterpiece.¡± It was, once again, telekinesis magic. p! p! p! Seeing the bodies of orcs and the copsed buildings, Ronan pped. Aselle covered his mouth with both hands and muttered something. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to hell.¡± After thoroughly searching the vige, they collected everything of value. Despite that, the loot collected from the vige that had existed for a long time was substantial. Other than Brighia, no survivors were visible. Havingpleted their vige circuit, the group returned to the temple. Despite the heavily clouded sky, their footsteps were light. ¡°We¡¯ve eliminated the biggest threats with this.¡± The biggest possibility for the attack on Sarante¡¯s temple was orcs. It was in their nature to rampage and pige. Reducing their numbers by more than 70% andpletely destroying the viges that could have be their bases, the remaining orcs would likely scatter and leave Baydian. With this, the gnome schr could now gather herbs more peacefully. However, one question lingered in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Ogres are rare, but monsters like that shouldn¡¯t be this hard to find.¡± In truth, when he triggered the river¡¯s explosion, he expected at least one or two to appear. He had considered the possibility that the attack on the temple might have been the work of that creature, so he had actively searched for ogres. However, he had not found a single one. ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing.¡± For a moment, Ronan reminisced about past adversaries as he savored his meal. The Twin Head Ogre, who had reigned as the king of Baydian for three days and nights in a fierce battle that remained undecided. He had wanted to settle the matter even now, but it was regrettable. They had done everything they could, dealing with both orcs and ogres. Among the three potential disasters ¨C the orc, the ogre, and the natural disaster ¨C they had only managed to handle one. But now that the orcs were eliminated, there shouldn¡¯t have been any significant issues. As he entered the temple, he spotted Sarante meditating. Ronan greeted him, ¡°Sarante, we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°You¡¯vee. You didn¡¯t go back to the orc vige, did you?¡± ¡°Of course not. And the woman?¡± ¡°She¡­ still hasn¡¯t woken up. The poison seems to be stronger than expected.¡± Brighia was still suffering, Ronan twisted his lips in frustration. ¡°Darn, it¡¯s bothering me for no reason. Could you let me know if she wakes up?¡± ¡°Of course. I will definitely inform you.¡± Ronan wrote down the address of their dormitory on a note and handed it to Sarante. Sarante, who had raised his lips with effort, began to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There probably won¡¯t be any major issues. If it weren¡¯t for you all, Brighia would have suffered a tragic fate without a doubt. We almost lost one of the few followers of Seniel in the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been curious since the first day, but what exactly is this Seniel?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, Seniel is not a god, but a great spirit. A being guided by a great will that transcends time¡­¡± Sarante muttered as if he missed something while stroking his chin. His gaze was fixed on the image of Seniel. ¡°My memories from the past areing back. I lifted that rock and moved it all the way to Co?a.¡± ¡°You moved that rock to Co?a? All the way there?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a sacred ce for those who believe in Seniel.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Sarante talked about the ce called Co?a, a sanctuary that was located far from the Imperial Territory. ¡°It¡¯s a ce where storms always rage. Once every thousand years, we bring a hundred giant rocks to the center of the sanctuary. And for a thousand years, we leave them there undisturbed. The rocks that remain after a thousand years be the representation of Seniel.¡± ¡°So if there were a hundred rocks left, that would be all of Seniel?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but that¡¯s a really strange religion. How can you call that a representation?¡± Sarante put his hand on the image and said, ¡°Because Seniel isn¡¯t a god, but a spirit. Just like there¡¯s no clear form for pride, belief, or love. We respect the will that has lingered here for a thousand years, and that¡¯s what the representation of Seniel is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perplexing. It sounds impressive, but¡­¡± A thousand years. It was an activity that only a race as long-lived as elves or dragons might undertake. With the information about Seniel, Ronan was really prepared to leave. The group¡¯s luggage had multiplied several timespared to when they hade. He wondered if the ghost horse would be able to carry it all. However, it wasn¡¯t the end. Just as they were about to leave the temple, Sarante handed over a few pouches. ¡°Take these. I¡¯ve prepared them to give to you.¡± ¡°Why give us all this? We¡¯ve already received more than enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really need these items anyway. Please ept them as a token of gratitude for saving Brighia.¡± The pouches were filled with herbs and magic stones that he had given them so far. Despite Ronan¡¯s refusal, Sarante persisted, and he epted the pouches. ¡°This is¡­ really¡­¡± It was hard to decline when an elderly person, who was at least many centuries older, came out in such a posture. Ronan epted the pouches. Only then did Sarante finally smile generously and shook hands in farewell. ¡°Take care on your journey. These have been the most enjoyable two days in the past thousand years. May Seniel bless your future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit asionally. Take care.¡± Ronan smiled back and shook hands gracefully. Sarante waved his hand until their figures disappeared behind the trees. It felt like thunder was about to rumble beyond the clouds, as if it was about to rain soon. Gazing at his palm after the handshake, Sarante whispered softly. ¡°Ronan.¡± Sarante had stood outside for a while before returning to the temple. Once the guests left, the temple was silent again. He walked past the statue of Seniel that stood firmly, and entered his room. He couldn¡¯t see Brighia, who had been lying down until a moment ago. Sarante quietly picked up a teapot and left the room. As usual, he poured himself a cup of tea and started wiping the image with a dry cloth. Thoroughly wiping every nook and cranny. After cleaning the imagepletely, Sarante opened his mouth without turning his head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. You¡¯ve changed a lot, Brighia.¡± Chapter 56: The Baydian Mountains (5) Chapter 56: The Baydian Mountains (5) Sarante, who had cleaned up his appearance, spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot since Ist saw you. Brighia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still the same, Sarante.¡± The voice came from the side. Sarante slowly turned his body. Brighia was leaning against a pir, twirling her hair. It was hard to believe she had been ill just moments ago. ¡°This temple hasn¡¯t changed much either. As unchanging as ever.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you came to pay your respects to Seniel.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to betray me too. Sending an old friend as an assassin, the sect is so ruthless.¡± Sarante folded the rag and put it in his pocket. Brighia chuckled. ¡°Ha, even you, who poured paralysis poison as soon as we met, is not easy either. Neutralizer? You should talk more sensibly.¡± ¡°Do you think it makes sense that Lemeheim¡¯s shadow was captured by the orcs? I was helping you with your clumsy acting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Still, wasn¡¯t it usible to untie the rope?¡± ¡°Yes. If it wasn¡¯t for that treasure, I might have worried about you a little bit. You yed it well with the act.¡± The rope that had bound Brighia¡¯s hands and feet was a treasure known as ¡°ng.¡± It was incredibly tough and had the ability to be untied or bound only ording to the user¡¯s will. Sarante furrowed his brows as he recalled the image of her untying the rope while pretending to be unconscious. Mana-infused poison, untying spells¡­ Sarante had to spout all sorts of nonsense to deceive Ronan. ¡°Still, the words you said while untying ng were quite impressive. ¡®Don¡¯t touch her.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t move because I was so scared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate. You could have juste to visit me instead of going through all this trouble. Putting yourself in shackles and getting caught by an orc group, Your method is quite worrisome.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s fun that way, right? And I don¡¯t want to see unnecessary bloodshed in the temple. I¡¯ve believed in that hunk of rock for a long time too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that some semnce of faith remains in you, even if it¡¯s like stagnant water.¡± Brighia looked at Seniel¡¯s statue with a gaze that seemed to see a long-lost lover. After stepping away from the pir, she stood facing Sarante. ¡°Again¡­ I knew you would be curious enough to put on such a dramatic performance. Since the Baydian Mountains are your domain, I¡¯m sure you sensed my presence anyway. But even after I was being captured all night, you still didn¡¯te to save me.¡± ¡°There was no rush and I was busy attending the esteemed guests.¡± ¡°Esteemed guests? Are you referring to those human children from earlier?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much.¡± ¡°¡­You should have just killed them. There was no need for this act.¡± ¡°It was an action born from goodwill or perhaps it was a simple whim.¡± ¡°Ever since you forgot your age, everything you do has been nothing but whims.¡± The amusement disappeared from Brighia¡¯s face. Sarante sped his hands politely and continued speaking. ¡°Brighia, where has your faith in Seniel gone? Didn¡¯t we move the rock where the soul dwells all the way to Konya together?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that dawned on mete. After all, the world will be engulfed in starlight anyway.¡± ¡°Do not sumb to the false eloquence of a fake god. It¡¯s a delusion and an escape. The path to salvation can only be found in each person¡¯s own life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time you grow up, Sarante.¡± p! Brighia suddenly pped her hands. Soon, a monstrous roar reverberated outside the temple, shaking the mountains. ¡°Groooaaar!¡± ¡°Grrrrah!¡± Sporadic roars echoed, causing Sarante to narrow his brow. Closing his eyes, he saw the ogres surrounding the temple. There seemed to be more than thirty of them. ¡°¡­What a strange sorcery. To think you would summon so many monsters of the forest here.¡± ¡°This too is the grace of the stars.¡± Kwaaang! In an instant, a giant hand smashed through the temple¡¯s outer wall. The grip of the hand closed around Sarante, while a section of the wall crumbled. A reddish ogre, its entire body blood-red, revealed itself. ¡°Grrroooaaaar!¡± The ogre roared as it held Sarante in front of it. Brighia, wearing a mocking smile, spoke. ¡°As you said, we¡¯ve been friends for thousands of years, so I¡¯ll tell you themand I received. ¡®Persuade Sarante Lemation, or kill him if that is impossible¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly good news.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? If you¡¯re as talented as you were earlier, the head of the branch is easy. In the near future, you could secure the position of a close aide to the leader.¡± Sarante didn¡¯t respond. He gazed at the ogre¡¯s upper body with a mournful expression. After a moment, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Originally, I would have epted death.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Honestly, I was growing weary. The great spirit remains elusive, and despite thousands of years of hiding from the sect, there was no sign of it ending.¡± The voice was calm. Despite the ogre¡¯s teeth baring in front of him, Sarante¡¯s expression was as peaceful as that of a sleeping person. Brighia frowned and asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Exactly as I said. This time, I wanted to let go of everything and start a new cycle. But over the past few days, I¡¯ve seen hope.¡± ¡°Hope?¡± ¡°Yes. Seniel has not abandoned us yet.¡± At that moment, a whistle-like sound spread. Thud! The ogre¡¯s arm that had been gripping Sarante fell to the ground. A guttural scream erupted from the ogre¡¯s mouth, like its insides were twisting. ¡°Grrraaaaghhh!¡± Sarante, who hadnded gracefully, swung his finger towards the ogre. As the whistling sound echoed again, the ogre¡¯s body split in half. Brighia looked at Sarante and asked. ¡°Can I take that as you choosing thetter option?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really agree, but sure.¡± ¡°You gonna regret itter, Sarante.¡± Brighia extended her arm. Shadows gathered, and a short dagger appeared in her hand. Her voice flowed like she was reciting a eulogy. ¡°Once, we walked the same path¡­ My friend.¡± The shadows that hung around the temple began to tremble. Brighia¡¯s aura was much more intense than when Sarante hadst seen her. Sarante spoke as if sighing. ¡°Drake Skin. Storm Song. Double Tornado.¡± A magic circle spread out from beneath Sarante¡¯s feet, enveloping the temple. Simultaneously, Brighia¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. Mana gathered in a whirlwind, converging into a brilliant ze. **** ¡°Hmm? Did you guys hear something just now?¡± ¡°Sound?¡± Braum looked around. For a moment, it seemed like he heard someone¡¯s scream. But as he looked around, all he saw were shadows blending into the growing darkness and densely packed trees. Aselle shook his head. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hahaha, maybe I misheard.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a sound from the sky? Ugh¡­ Look at those clouds. I don¡¯t even have spare clothes.¡± Maryained, looking up at the sky. The heavy clouds covering the mountain range seemed to be growing denser with each passing moment. The moist masses of cumulus clouds looked like they could burst forth rain and lightning any second. The group that had left Sarante¡¯s temple was in the midst of descending the mountains. Due to the increased load from their journey, their descent was naturally slower. Carrying a backpack three timesrger than the others, Marya spoke up. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s not that heavy, but my back keeps getting tired. Ronan, can¡¯t you call the Ghost horse on the mountain?¡± ¡°Pff~¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. Even when Cita poked his cheek, he was the same. Aselle tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°Ronan?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me for a moment.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± He had been thinking about the events of the day as they descended the mountains. Ronan¡¯s mind was filled with the woman he had taken to the temple, ¡®Brighia¡¯. ¡°Something¡¯s definitely off.¡± He couldn¡¯t make rational observations because she looked unwell. But as he mulled over his memories, everything felt strange. Starting with Brighia being held captive by the orc tribe was suspicious. Orcs were not monsters that stored their prey to eatter. In a normal situation, she would have already been consumed for a meal. Furthermore, it was odd that he couldn¡¯t sense any mana at all. Even if she had lost consciousness, in most cases, a faint trace of mana would still be detectable on the surface. But the mana of the woman named Brighia didn¡¯t appear even after he had taken a sip of Sarante¡¯s magical tea, which should have heightened his senses. It was as if she deliberately concealed it. -Kwaaaah! At that moment, a thunderous noise erupted, and the sky above their heads brightened. Aselle screamed and covered his ears. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Aselle! What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Marya and Braum rushed to Aselle¡¯s side. Ronan urgently turned his head in the direction of the sound. Two massive dragon ridges were soaring above the ridge line. Ronan¡¯s forehead furrowed deeply. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Around the dragon ridges, he could see torrents of mana surging. It was the direction of Sarante¡¯s temple. Within the roiling mana, he could discern the familiar glimmer unique to Neb zier, the same glimmer he had seen in Dan. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, cutie? Were you startled by the thunder?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ thunder¡­ My head¡­¡± Aselle groaned while clutching his head. In an instant, a shockwave seemed to wash over his brain, like a bucket of cold water being poured over it. Among the four, only Aselle, with his exceptional mana sensitivity, felt this sensation. ¡°Hey, Braum.¡± At that moment, Ronan approached. He took out a slender white stick from his bag and handed it to Braum. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a horn that summons the Ghost horse¡¯s. Everyone, head back to Philleon for now. Don¡¯t follow me under any circumstances.¡± Braum couldn¡¯t argue. The expression on Ronan¡¯s face, warning them not to follow, was contorted like a demon. ¡°Understood.¡± Leaving those words, Ronan dashed off in the direction where the sound hade from. Marya and Braum¡¯s voices echoed from behind. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Ronan¡¯s figure disappeared behind the rocks in an instant. At that moment, a cold droplet of water fell onto Marya¡¯s forehead. Frowning, she looked up. ¡°Of all times, now¡­!¡± Another heavy droplet fell, striking her cheek. Plop! Plop! It didn¡¯t take long for the asional droplets to turn into a torrential downpour. **** Shwaaaa- Darkness settled over the mountain range. Rain poured down as if it could drown the world. The rainwater rushing down the slope bore a muddy hue. ¡°Ugh¡­ Darn it¡­¡± Ronan cursed under his breath and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. The momentary rity of his vision quickly gave way to a rapidly darkening world. A metallic taste of blood was sensed deep in his throat. Although he felt like he had been running for an hour, the temple was still not in sight. As he lifted his gaze, he caught sight of mana pulsating like explosions. ¡°What the¡­ What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± The battle seemed to be ongoing. The two dragon ridges had multiplied into four, writhing and twisting in the air. Dark shadows were asionally protruding like thorns amid the darkness. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ Fine.¡± After catching his breath for a few seconds, Ronan started running again. His gaze remained fixed on the sky. Plop! Suddenly, something hard struck his side. ¡°Damn it!¡± It wasn¡¯t the sensation of wood or rock. A massive shadow loomed before him. An unpleasant smell struck his nostrils, making Ronan furrow his brow. ¡°What the hell is this smell?¡± Ronan looked up. From high above, four mes were flickering. In an instant, a powerful sensation engulfed him. ¡°You¡­¡± At that moment, lightning struck a nearby tree. As the world momentarily brightened as if it were daytime, an ogre with two heads revealed itself atop a nearby tree. The right head of the ogre met Ronan¡¯s gaze and grinned. ¡°Gwok!¡± ¡°Growl!¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. He felt an electric current coursing through his limbs. The ogre had a muchrger build and thicker arms than the others. It was the orge Ronan couldn¡¯t win against despite fighting for three days and three nights in his past life. As Ronan scrutinized the Twin-Headed Ogre, he frowned. ¡°But you¡¯re sick.¡± In the short time he had, he noticed it clearly. The ogre¡¯s chest bore a pattern simr to the ones inflicted by the stones Giants. At that moment, light vanished. The ogre¡¯s thunderous roar burst forth like an impatiently waiting thunder. ¡°Graaaah!¡± ¡°Gr-Growl!¡± The roar of the double-headed ogre pierced through the sound of rain, echoing through the mountain range. The ogre clenched its fists, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. Ronan, who had dashed forward, grabbed the hilt of his sword. Chapter 57: The Baydian Mountains (6) Chapter 57: The Baydian Mountains (6) ¡°Grooaaah!¡± ¡°Krooooaak!¡± The roar of the double-headed ogre pierced through the sound of rain, echoing through the mountain range. The ogre clenched its fists, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground. Ronan, who had dashed forward, grabbed the hilt of his sword. ¡°It should be easier thanst time.¡± Ronan rushed towards the right side of the Ogre and swung his sword. The sensation of the de cutting through tough skin traveled through his fingertips. At the same time, the Ogre¡¯s fist swung downward where Ronan had been standing. Thud! The ground turned over as a chunk of earth flew up. The left head, a bitte to react, burst with a ssh. ¡°Krooaaah!¡± Indeed, Lamancha was a great sword. Its sharp edge was engraved on the Ogre¡¯s thigh, a result quite different from the hundreds of sword swings required tond a single effective blow in his previous life. ¡°Damn.¡± However, Ronan¡¯s expression was far from joyful. The wound wasn¡¯t deep enough, and the Ogre¡¯s speed was too fast. After a few seconds, the bleeding stopped, and even the mud that had clung to the wound was washed away by the rain. Then the Ogre¡¯s kick came flying straight at him. Ronan rolled to dodge the attack. Before he could get up, a massive log fell from above. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake¡­¡± It was toote to evade. Ronan swung his sword while still in a seated position. The log broke into pieces, revealing the startled expression on the Ogre¡¯s face. Ronan, who had leapt forward, hung onto the tree trunk that the Ogre had in its hand. ¡°Groop!¡± The Ogre released the log. Simultaneously, Ronan jumped up from the tree branch he had stepped on, driving Lamancha into the Ogre¡¯s chest. Thump! About a third of the sword¡¯s length prated deep into the flesh. ¡°Kraaak!¡± The Ogre swung its other hand down as if trying to swat a mosquito. Ronan anticipated the move and leapt to the ground. Thud! His palm struck the hilt, and Lamancha was driven even deeper into the chest. ¡°Kraaaak!¡± ¡°Krooooaak!¡± Painful screams echoed from both heads. Given the amount of blood, it seemed they were internally injured. Ronan, who had crawled up along the Ogre¡¯s chest under its clothes, grabbed the hilt of his sword again. This had to end now. Ronan pulled the hilt downwards, leaping towards the Ogre¡¯s face. Lamancha was drawn out as ifpelled. sh! A red line appeared on the left head¡¯s forehead, and blood and cerebral fluid spurted out. The right head, realizing its sibling¡¯s death, opened its eyes wide and let out a scream. ¡°Kwaaak!¡± ¡°You should go with him.¡± sh! A consecutive attack severed the right head¡¯s throat. The sensation of the arteries and bones being cut was vivid. Thud! The Ogre¡¯s massive body toppled backward. Ronan, who hadnded, groaned. ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if we fought when you were in your right mind.¡± As the Ogre¡¯s breath ceased, the mark on its chest that had been glowing slowly faded. Blood mixed with rainwater flowed down the slope. It was a futile ending. Despite finishing the unfinished battle, Ronan didn¡¯t feel any satisfaction. Leaving behind the remains of his old rival, Ronan continued down the mountain path. As he neared the temple, the surroundings became increasingly deste. Trees were broken or uprooted. The corpses of mountain beasts and Ogres were scattered everywhere. Come to think of it, the Dragon¡¯s Peak and the tumultuous mana were no longer visible. Finally, Ronan arrived at his destination and came to a halt in his tracks. ¡°¡­Damn.¡± The ground was upturned, resembling the furrows of a plow. The forest that had surrounded the temple had transformed into uneven open space. In the ruins that had been utterly destroyed, not even a single pir remained, and the form of the temple was nowhere to be seen. Just as Ronan was about to take a step, the voices of a man and a woman cut through the sound of rain. ¡°H-how¡­¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s about time you grow up a bit.¡± It was the voices of Sarante and Brighia. Ronan quickly turned his head. In the midst of the ruins, Brighia stood in the rain. Sarante wasn¡¯t visible, perhaps obscured by Brighia¡¯s figure. ¡°Of course, that woman¡­!¡± Ronan twisted his lips. He approached Brighia while concealing his presence as much as possible. Sarante¡¯s voice could be heard again. ¡°What kind of¡­ stunt did you pull?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. It¡¯s about time to grow up. If it weren¡¯t for the blessing of the stars, I could have been in real danger.¡± ¡°Blessing of the stars¡­ What a strange power¡­¡± As he got closer, Brighia¡¯s appearance became clearer. Ronan frowned at the gruesome wounds he saw. Her left elbow was cleanly severed. Her clothes were almost torn to shreds, revealing a state close to beingpletely naked. From her missing right ear, which was more than half gone, blood was still dripping. Her condition was surprisingly severe for someone still standing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would end up like this either. Even in this iplete state, the power is this strong¡­ I feel like I understand why the superiors use stars power¡¯s to advance.¡± Despite this, Brighia¡¯s voice carried a sense of cheerfulness. Even a sense of relief that it had ended this way could be sensed. But then, what happened to Sarante? Ronan narrowed the distance bit by bit and finally caught sight of Sarante. He leaned against Seniel¡¯s statue, taking deep breaths. His priestly attire, as well as both his ears, seemed intact, and at a nce, his condition appeared better than Brighia¡¯s. The problem was that his lower body waspletely gone. A ridiculous amount of blood was gushing out like a fountain from where his waist should have been. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He instinctively grasped the hilt of his sword and charged at Brighia. Just before the de could touch her throat, Brighia turned her head slightly, locking eyes with Ronan, and smiled. ¡°Oh, that kid.¡± Brighia raised her hand. ng! Lamancha stopped in its tracks, unable tond a hit. In her hand, a ck energy emitted from a dagger. As Ronan tried tounch consecutive attacks, sheughed, as if she had just thrown something away. ¡°This damn woman! What have you done?!¡± ¡°I appreciated what you did earlier. It¡¯s nice having broad shoulders.¡± There was no sense of urgency in her nonchnt voice. While the consecutive strikes were blocked once again, Ronan relentlessly swung his sword. ng! ng! ng! Sparks flew as their arms moved, cutting through the rain. Brighia easily dodged or parried Ronan¡¯s attacks and began to speak. ¡°But why did youe? I had spared you, but now, there¡¯s no other choice but to kill you.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­!¡± Ronan opened his eyes wide. The mana¡¯s flow was scattered in every direction, perhaps due to the surrounding leylines. Ronan reached out to the flow extending towards Brighia and sent a sword strike along it. ¡°Huh?¡± The sword strikes, now several times faster, cut through raindrops and flew towards her. Sensing the danger, Brighia quickly assumed a defensive stance. ng! Unable to withstand the impact, her dagger flew into the air. ¡°Grgh!¡± ¡°Die!¡± Ronan attempted another sword swing. Suddenly, a sinister energy surged up his nape. Instinctively, he halted his attack and moved his body backward. Thud! A massive thorn made of shadows shot up from exactly where Ronan had been standing. Beyond the thorn, Brighia¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°It¡¯s a technique of mine.¡± ¡°Using such cheap tricks.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Ronan, readjusting his stance, charged towards Brighia once more. As his foot left the ground, thorns shot up menacingly. Simultaneously, the air shimmered, and five thorns shot forth from different directions towards Ronan. Ronan spun in a flurry of five rotations, swinging his sword. Swish! Along the de¡¯s path, the thorns were severed, revealing Brighia¡¯s figure. Ronan clenched his teeth. Above her shoulder, a ck and ominous mana, dark as pitch, was emanating. Amidst it, a familiar cluster of light sparkled like stars in the night sky. A murmuring chant escaped Ronan¡¯s lips. ¡°Neb zier.¡± ¡°What? How do you know that¡­?¡± Instead of answering, Ronan released another sword strike. Brighia leapt backward, avoiding the attack. The shadow beneath her feet climbed up her legs. Withpletely changed eyes, she spoke with a lively voice. ¡°Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°Your mother mentioned itst night.¡± ¡°¡­I guess I can¡¯t let you live after all.¡± Brighia swung her remaining arm like a whip. Squaaah! The unbelievably long de made of shadows shot towards Ronan. It was a skill one would never expect from someone injured as she was. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan stood his sword upright. The flying shadows collided with a mountaintop, causing a massive explosion. But the assault wasn¡¯t over. Thorn-like projections, resembling fingers, once again rushed towards Ronan. One thorn that he failed to deflect pierced through his shoulder. ¡°Ugh!¡± Blood sprayed. He was overwhelmed by pain, but he had no time to feel it. Thorny shadows wriggled like vines, pursuing Ronan. He needed to close the distance to do anything, but getting closer was impossible. In the midst of swatting away the thorns and retreating, suddenly, Sarante¡¯s voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. [Ronan, retreat.] ¡°Damn, You surprised me. You aren¡¯t dead yet?¡± ¡°Not yet. I will buy you some time. Seize the opportunity to escape.¡± He suddenly felt his fingertips trembling. Instinctively sensing danger, Ronan turned and began to run. Brighia scoffed. ¡°After all that boasting, you¡¯re running away?¡± Brighia raised her palm, with a mocking smile. Once again, a crescent-shaped shadow wasunched at Ronan. He didn¡¯t try to fend it off; he bent his body and dodged. The shadow grazed his head. Suddenly, the sky brightened. ¡°What?¡± Brighia tilted her head. Simultaneously, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from above her head. Kwaang! A mixture of mana and current exploded, creating a blinding sh that obscured everything. Now was the chance. Changing direction, Ronan lunged toward the half-bodied Sarante. ¡°Damn it, was that you just now?!¡± [Why did youe this way?] ¡°Well! You¡¯re about to die, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Just then, as the sh subsided, Brighia revealed herself. ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡± Though her appearance of standing still and catching her breath seemed greatly shocked, there seemed to be no apparent harm to her body. ¡®A monstrous woman.¡¯ Just as Ronan was muttering this, something caught his eye. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ A semi-transparent barrier flickered around Brighia¡¯s body. It was a bizarre barrier that gave apletely different impression from a mana shield. An inexplicable unease washed over him. Sarante seemed to express astonishment. [Aah, once again¡­ this time, as well¡­] ¡°Am I the only one who can see that? What is that?¡± [She calls it the ¡®Blessing of the Stars¡¯¡­ I don¡¯t really know either. Any attack that touches it dissipates or disappears.] ¡°That¡¯s why my attack didn¡¯t work?¡± [Yes. I don¡¯t know what kind of power it is, but the dynamics have changed. It¡¯s not an opponent you can face right now.] Ronan raised an eyebrow. He definitely had a memory of this before. Brighia, who was catching her breath, spoke up. ¡°Huh¡­ You can¡¯t let your guard down, Sarante. This time, I really almost died.¡± ¡°Cow-c-coward¡­¡± ¡°Haha, calling me a coward¡­, anyway, with this, your chances of winning arepletely gone.¡± Brighia reached out her hand. Shadows converged, and the dagger Ronan had deflected earlier reappeared. She spun the dagger once, gripping it. She red at Ronan and Sarante and said, ¡°Getting a bit tedious¡­ huh, let¡¯s finish this.¡± Shadows gathered beneath Brighia¡¯s feet. The shadows climbing up her body covered her like armor. The shadow that grew along the dagger took on the shape of a longsword. In session, the space behind her shimmered, revealing hundreds of thorns. It was undoubtedly the posture of preparing for a final strike. A voice, as if exhausted, flowed from beneath the shadowy helmet. ¡°My friend¡¯s life¡­, I¡¯ll have to take it myself¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ aah¡­¡± Sarante, now pale as a corpse, let out a despairing sigh. He exined that there was no way to harm Brighia while the defensive barrier was active. The moment he heard this, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. The name of that damn bastard he could never forget shed in his mind. ¡®Ahayute¡­!¡¯ He remembered. Within the protective barrier that surrounded Brighia, he sensed a simr aura to what he had felt from that bastard. Ahayute had effortlessly deflected or dissipated attacks from everyone except Ronan. The scattered pieces of the puzzle fell into ce. The bald-headed worshippers. The bald-headed adepts¡¯ power. While Ronan was lost in thought for a moment, he whispered to Sarante. ¡°Sarante.¡± [Yes?] ¡°Can you create a single opening for me?¡± [What are you talking about¡­] ¡°I¡¯m not expecting the same lightning as before. Even the smallest thing would do. So¡­ Can you?¡± Ronan quickly exined his n in a whisper. Sarante, who had been silently expressing skepticism, nodded his head. Just then, Brighia vanished from sight. ¡°Goodbye, Sarante.¡± Ronan focused his mind. Time seemed to slow down as he saw Brighia¡¯s changing form. Behind her, thorns that had been shot a moment toote were flying towards them in a torrent. In the desperate moment, Sarante¡¯s chanting echoed in Ronan¡¯s ear. ¡°Wind Sphere.¡± Squish! A magic circle appeared in the air, and a spear made of wind shot towards Brighia. Simultaneously, Ronan lunged with Lamancha. The distance closed in an instant. Ronan was slightly faster. Alternating between Ronan¡¯s stab and Sarante¡¯s magic, Brighia turned her head towards Sarante¡¯s magic. It was a highly logical and rational judgment. It was evident that even though her protection would thwart it, a skilled magician¡¯s magic would be more threatening than a novice¡¯s swordy, naturally. And that judgment determined her fate. Lamancha, tearing through her defense, drew a crescent arc. Swish! Brighia¡¯s head shot up into the air. Chapter 58: The Baydian Mountains (7) Chapter 58: The Baydian Mountains (7) Brighia turned her head towards Sarante¡¯s magic. Lamancha, his sword, drew a fierce arc that tore through the defensive barrier. Swish! Brighia¡¯s head shot up into the air. ¡°Huh?¡± Brighia btedly noticed the sudden change and averted her gaze. She saw Ronan, the inexperienced youngster, swinging his sword and Sarante, riding on his back. Only then did Brighia realize that she couldn¡¯t feel anything below her neck. Suddenly, the world flipped, and the sky appeared. What happened to the Blessing of the stars? Although she tried to say something, no words came out. Everything went dark in front of her, and that was the end of it. Thud! Her severed head rolled across the ground. The thorny vines that had been following Brighia dispersed like mist. Only after seeing her copse did Ronan sigh with relief. ¡°Damn girl¡­¡± Fortunately, her severed head didn¡¯t start talking or her severed parts didn¡¯t regrow tentacles. Her body, previously convulsing and bleeding, soon rxed. Sarante, who had been on Ronan¡¯s back, expelled a burst of crimson blood. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Damn it, Sarante, you¡¯ve been through a lot. Just hang on a bit longer.¡± ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t die.¡± Ronan quicklyid Sarante down on the ground. The bleeding from his wound was still ongoing. Intestines had spilled out below his waist, swaying loosely. He was familiar with this kind of injury. Going straight to a mortuary rather than a field hospital was a practical solution for such severe wounds. Even pouring all the potions he had over the wound didn¡¯t yield any significant results. Ronan mashed his hand against his lips and shouted. ¡°Cita!!¡± Amidst the diminishing rain, his voice echoed out. Soon, a single dark shadow appeared, cutting through the darkness. Cita¡¯s wings pped four times as it flew straight towards Ronan. ¡°Beah!!¡± ¡°Please heal this person. Quickly.¡± Fortunately, it seemed the group hadn¡¯t reached the mountains yet. Cita¡¯s feathers were thoroughly soaked with rainwater. After shaking it off, Cita used its healing magic on Sarante and Ronan. ¡°Beaahh!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Ronan¡¯s previously bleeding wound quickly healed. Sarante¡¯s bleeding also ceased. Sarante, with some color returning to his pale face, looked at Cita with astonished eyes. ¡°You have a fascinating talent¡­ I¡¯ve been curious from the beginning, but what kind of creature are you exactly?¡± ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, you¡¯re curious about that now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. My condition has improved a lot¡­ If it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you take me to the sanctuary in front of Seniel?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. Silently, he picked up Sarante and gentlyid him in front of Seniel¡¯s sanctuary. Sarante smiled softly. ¡°You truly are a good person. I¡¯m d I could see you, even at the end¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk as if you¡¯re about to die. Hold on until we get down the mountains. We can use a Ghost Horse then.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ By the way, you¡¯ve done something big. I never thought you¡¯d be able to bring down Brighia.¡± ¡°Damn it, I still don¡¯t quite understand what¡¯s going on. Who is she exactly? And why did she attack you?¡± Brighia was strong. Even considering that her body was not fully recovered, she was an incredibly formidable opponent. If Ronan had fought her at this age in his past life, he would have undoubtedly been defeated. If Brighia hadn¡¯t been injured in her battle with Sarante, if she hadn¡¯t been overconfident in the protection of the stars and had shown no openings, the oue of the current battle couldn¡¯t have been guaranteed. Sarante looked at Brighia¡¯s head with a mixture of sympathy and determination and began to speak. ¡°Brighia Lemeheim¡­ She was one of the finest swordmasters I knew. At one point, she even served as themander of the Knights of Lixoda. The enemy¡¯s soldiers trembled at the mere mention of Lemeheim¡¯s shadow approaching¡­¡± Sarante briefly exined the information about Brighia and the reason she hade seeking him. He mentioned that Brighia wasn¡¯t the only defector among their oldrades. Learning that she was one of the leaders of Neb zier, Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Damn, she really is on a different levelpared to the idiots I¡¯ve met so far.¡± ¡°After losing faith, she gained strange power¡­ By the way, I had a suspicion from the first day, but it seems you¡¯ve been fighting against the sect¡­¡± Ronan nodded. Sarante shared what he knew about Neb zier. The fundamental beliefs and doctrines about the starlight were not significantly different from what Ronan already knew. However, what surprised him was that Neb zier had existed since Sarante¡¯s childhood. They recruited or assassinated powerful individuals and gradually expanded their influence. ¡°It¡¯s unimaginable how many assassins they¡¯ve sent¡­ Although they remained quiet for decades and rxed their guard, I never expected them to send Brighia¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be humble. Looking at your use of magic, it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if themander himself came.¡± ¡°Hah, the remnants of an old man¡¯s tricks¡­ By the way, that defense barrier, what on earth¡­ how did you break through it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It just felt like it would work.¡± Ronan shook his head. Brighia¡¯s disyed barrier undoubtedly resembled the one Ahayute used. Although it was incredibly inferior and inexperienced in all aspects, it shared the same characteristic of deflecting or dissipating most attacks. And Ronan could ignore that barrier. Suddenly, Brighia¡¯s words echoed in his mind. ¨C To think that even in its iplete state, it has this much power. I feel like I understand why the superiors use dragons to advance. ¡°Dammit.¡± Ronan cursed under his breath. It wasn¡¯t hard to deduce that some members of the organization could handle the abilities of the giants to some extent. If that was the case, the disappearance of strong individuals one after another could be exined. Abilities like the Blessings of the Stars went beyondmon sense. It was then that Sarante coughed up blood-mixed phlegm once again. ¡°Cough!¡± The sttered blood stained Ronan¡¯s trouser leg. It was a dire situation. Ronan finally noticed that Sarante¡¯s condition was deteriorating. He quickly bent down and grabbed Sarante¡¯s hand. ¡°Damn it, Sarante.¡± ¡°Cough¡­ It seems time is running short¡­ Take my ring¡­ If you show it to the librarian of Dawn Matop¡­ You should be able to obtain quite useful information¡­ About¡­ your¡­ curse¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Sarante raised his hand with effort and removed the ring from his left ring finger, handing it to him. Mana of the same kind flowed from the gem set in the ring¡¯s center. ¡°It will be¡­ a long and¡­ arduous¡­ battle¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ give up¡­ I couldn¡¯t say¡­ to give up¡­ Please forgive me¡­ I believe¡­ there¡¯s a reason Seniel¡­ is connected to you¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Exactly¡­ as I said¡­¡± Sarante raised his trembling hand. He extended his index finger and swiftly pricked Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°Right here¡­¡± With those words, Sarante began to mumble something iprehensible in anguage Ronan couldn¡¯t understand. Seeing mana gathering near him, Ronan stepped back cautiously. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Just¡­ need to¡­ rest a bit¡­¡± Suddenly, Ronan felt Sarante¡¯s hand bing harder and harder. The spilled innards started retracting into his body, and a rock-like substance began to cover the severed area. Sarante was literally turning into stone. Ronan unknowingly let go of his hand. His arm, which seemed to wait, gradually disappeared into his torso. Eventually, the mumbling stopped. ¡°Sarante?¡± There was no response from Sarante. He remained frozen with his lips agape. The petrification process that had started from the cut was now climbing up his neck. Ronan tilted his head back to gaze at the sky, as if seeking answers. After a few moments, when he lowered his head again, there was a solitary rock where Sarante had been sitting. Crack! A sound like something breaking came from Ronan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± It was a beautiful rock. Its beauty, worn down naturally, seemed unmatched by any jewel. The polished surface, refined over countless years, bore a faint white color, akin to a fish¡¯s belly. The rain had stopped. Only a light drizzle remained, gently showering the ruins. Before long, the moon emerged through gaps in the torn clouds. Gazing at the moonlight flowing through the rock¡¯s veins, Ronan whispered softly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Ronan picked up the rock. It was lighter than he had expected. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind. ¡°Hey! Over there.¡± ¡°What in the hell is this¡­ Ronan!¡± ¡°Hey, wait¡­ Slow down a bit¡­¡± Ronan turned his head. Aselle, Marya, and Braum were running toward him, drenched from the rain. Aselle seemed to have depleted hismana again, as he was leaning on Braum¡¯s shoulder. Seeing their blood-stained clothes, Ronan narrowed his brows. ¡°Why did youe when I told you not to? And what¡¯s with the blood?¡± ¡°Sorry. We ran into an ogre on the way here and it dyed us.¡± Braum lowered his head as if ashamed. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You ran into an ogre? Did you win?¡± ¡°Yeah, barely. Thankfully it was heavily wounded.¡± ¡°Damn it, did anyone get hurt?¡± Ronan quickly assessed their condition. Although they all looked exhausted, none of them seemed to be injured. Marya, who had been restlessly looking around, spoke up. ¡°No one¡¯s hurt. But seriously, what¡¯s going on here? And where¡¯s Sarante¡­?¡± ¡°This is Sarante.¡± Ronan gestured toward the rock he was holding. Marya frowned deeply. Before she could say anything, Ronan turned his back. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°Come over here and start digging. Aselle, how long until your mana recovers?¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Lie down somewherefortable until your mana recovers. There¡¯s a lot to do.¡± Leaving those words, Ronan approached Brighia¡¯s body. Just as Marya was about to say something, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Gyaaah! What the heck?! W-wait, could that be the woman from earlier?¡± ¡°Ugh. She was a total bitch.¡± ¡°S-So, what exactly happened? And what are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Shut up, dude. Just go dig a hole or something.¡± Ronan buried Brighia¡¯s body in the ground. It was a gesture of respect for Sarante¡¯s friend and adversary. The group cleared the debris and retrieved Sarante¡¯s belongings that were underneath. After hearing the circumstances, Aselle, her voice choked with tears, spoke up. ¡°S-So, Sarante is really¡­ dead?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Ronan took a deep breath. Unlike Sarante, Brighia¡¯s body hadn¡¯t turned to stone. Maybe Sarante had actually turned into stone to restore himself. Looking at the gleaming rock tied in his backpack, Ronan spoke. ¡°I hope not.¡± By the time they finished their tasks, dawn had broken. The sky, now cleared of clouds, disyed an immacte azure. In the spot where the debris had been neatly cleared, Seniel¡¯s statue stood tall. Ronan gently touched the statue¡¯s surface and turned to look at hispanions, who had turned into greenery. ¡°Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°Thank you too.¡± ¡°An unforgettable adventure, indeed¡­¡± They nodded at each other in mutual acknowledgment. Shoo-aah ¨C with every gust of wind, raindrops that had clung to leaves and branches were dispersed, lightly brushing against their faces. Despite the chaos of the previous day, the Baiydian Mountains in the morning light appeared exceptionally peaceful. They descended from the mountains over the course of the day. They arrived at Philleon around noon. Due to the increased baggage, it took more time than when they hade. **** The day after the club activity. ¡°Aaaah!!¡± A scream echoed from Professor Varen Panacir¡¯s office. In his hand was a paper titled ¡°Club Activity Report.¡± With every line he read of Ronan¡¯s handwriting, Varen¡¯s mane bristled furiously. ¡°Why, Varen? I submitted it because I was told to submit it. I followed the rules and the schedule perfectly.¡± Ronan reclined in the chair before him, shamelessly crossing his legs and sipping his tea. Varen clenched his mane with one hand and spoke with exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s not about the rules or the activity time! I-is all this here true? Unauthorized use of a ghost horse, ogre extermination, orc massacre using craftsmanship¡­¡± ¡°Well, of course. I¡¯m not a liar.¡± ¡°Aaa¡­ aaaaah!¡± Varen sank onto the sofa, a moan that was almost a wail escaping his lips. Ronan thought he had done well not to write down everything ¨C like Sarante turning into stone or decapitating the Neb zier officer. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s all true, so please report it to the higher-ups. I¡¯ll submit the next club activity n soon.¡± ¡°Ne-Next activity? Do you think that¡¯s even possible?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve already finished discussing it with Inspirer Kratir, right? Professor Varen, you don¡¯t need to do anything except enjoy reading our exciting adventures.¡± Varen was left speechless. He still couldn¡¯t forget the shock of the ghost horse requisition notice. Ronan, finishing his third cup of tea, got up. He ced the prepared package on the table and spoke. ¡°Well, I¡¯m heading out. This is a gift, so make sure to open it.¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment!¡± ¡°Got sses to attend, so I¡¯ll be off. Thank you so much, and I¡¯ll be grateful in the future too, Professor Varen!¡± With that, Ronan hurriedly left Varen¡¯s office. Varen slumped onto the sofa, his gaze filled with a sense of futility as he stared at the spot where Ronan had just been. ¡°-Peii?¡± Marpez, who had been grooming its feathers, prodded the package that Ronan had left behind. The loosely tied knot unraveled, revealing its contents. Varen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± The package was filled with herbs and mushrooms that Varen had never seen before. The twisted, bizarre-looking nt fragments exuded an extraordinary energy. Some still had living roots, as if they could be directly cultivated. **** After leaving Varen¡¯s office, Ronan headed towards the club area known as Nestro. He thought about Marya, who was likely busy with year-end tasks. ¡°It seems even the highborn will have a hard time this time.¡± The value of the items obtained from the Baydian Mountains was beyond imagination. Ronan and the group separated the items to sell from those they intended to use. He remembered the projected earnings that Marya had mentioned. ¡°I might even be able to buy a house.¡± It seemed like the right time to call for Iril¡¯s carriage. Lost in various thoughts, he found himself at the club building that reminded him of a tavern. When he opened the door, he saw the dusty interior. ¡°What? Has no one arrived yet?¡± The ce was silent. It seemed like everyone was runningte due to backlogged schedules. Were they training? Just as he was about to take another step, the creaky stairs leading to the second floor announced someone slowly descending. Ronan frowned at the sight of the boy he hadn¡¯t seen in almost a month. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came back, Ronan.¡± The boy¡¯s perpetually unlucky demeanor hadn¡¯t changed. His hair, seemingly unattended, had grown longer in the back. With a sharper gaze, Shullifen looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s have a conversation.¡± Chapter 59: Midterm Evaluation (1) Chapter 59: Midterm Evaluation (1) ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came back, Ronan.¡± He was still the same unsophisticated-looking Ronan. His hair had grown longer, seemingly uncared for. The extended back hair caught the eye. With sharper eyes, Shullifen looked at Ronan and opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s have a conversation.¡± ¡°Conversation?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wait.¡± Without warning, Shullifen pulled out a single scroll from the front pocket of his uniform. Swish! As the scroll unfolded, a semi-transparent hexahedron enveloped the two of them. It was a silence spell that blocked the noise from inside going out. Ronan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re quite thorough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good habit for you to adopt caution as well. Ratlings are literally everywhere.¡± Shullifen took out three more scrolls of the same kind and handed them to Ronan. They were likely expensive, fitting for a young master from a wealthy family. Ronan, who received the scrolls, grinned. ¡°Use them well. But it looks like you¡¯ve had a tough time since we haven¡¯t seen each other? Your face is half swollen.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny it. There has been extensive torture work until today.¡± The tiredness seemed to seep out of the exhausted voice that had stayed up for several days. Shullifen exined the events that had taken ce in the Gracia territory over the past month. ¡°There were neen traitors, and I personally dealt with five of them. The rest are either imprisoned in the family¡¯s underground prison or sent to Rodon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fewer than I expected. What about Duke?¡± ¡°He¡¯s unharmed. He asked me to convey his thanks to you. He added that he wouldpensate you soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved. When I heard the words ¡®four years,¡¯ I really thought things had gone to hell.¡± Ronan let out a sigh of relief. He couldn¡¯t be certain, but perhaps the possibility of the Duke being assassinated had decreasedpared to the original history. Shullifen continued speaking. ¡°However, there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°What problem?¡± ¡°It seems that the divination technique using curses is no longer effective. For the past two weeks, no one among the personnel can sessfully perform the divination using the verse you provided. This applies to more than half of the individuals.¡± Ronan frowned. He had provided Shullifen with a verse, ¡®The Arrival of the Star is the day when the end descends from the sky,¡¯ to be used for the divination technique. ¡°It¡¯s not just because they captured everyone, right?¡± ¡°Considering that in the past two weeks, twelve people have been apprehended using that method, it¡¯s unlikely that there are no traitors among the remaining half.¡± ¡°Is it because you didn¡¯t gather them all in one ce but rather did it one by one and the information leaked somehow?¡± ¡°The territory is vast, and there are many people, so it wasn¡¯t feasible to gather them all at once for divination. Also, based on Rodon¡¯s situation, we judged that not acting immediately posed a greater risk. But I can confidently say that we had strict information control during the torture.¡± ¡°Damn, have you tried using the word ¡®Ahayute¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah. It didn¡¯t make a difference. It¡¯s just spection, but it seems like the curse was either lifted or its contents were modified.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know much about this, but can the curse be changed remotely as easily as flipping your hand?¡± ¡°Logically, it¡¯s impossible. But upon further thought, it didn¡¯t seem like an entirely impossible task. Considering that there were four more traitors among the escort knights, perhaps¡­¡± Shullifen twisted his lips. Suspicion and anger were swirling beyond his ultramarine irises. He seemed to be able to vaguely imagine what had happened to him in Gracia. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan pulled out a cigarette. If Shullifen¡¯s words were true, then the situation has be more than just an ordinary annoyance. ¡°Is the faction also making a move? This is really troublesome¡­¡± The unique ¡®sparkling¡¯ mana that he could detect except for himself had also disappeared, just like the special divination technique. Ronan, after a moment of organizing his thoughts, exhaled cigarette smoke. There was no immediate answer, anyway. ¡°Hmm¡­ I should look for other methods. So, what about the remaining half? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to keep only the minimum personnel and eliminate the rest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reduction in personnel. Except for those who underwent torture, everyone is on regr duty.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°If there were any organization members among those sent away, they might cause trouble outside of Gracia. The shadow cast over Gracia will be dealt with by Gracia.¡± Shullifen stated calmly. One corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth lifted. Even though he wasn¡¯t fortunate, he was still a good kid. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re quite impressive.¡± ¡°Naturally. Anyway, my business is done with this. I appreciate the help you provided to Gracia.¡± Eventually, the hexahedron disappeared. As Shullifen was about to take a step, he wiped the table with his index finger. Seeing the thick dust umting on his finger, he frowned. ¡°By the way, are you staying in a ce like this? Even a pigsty would be cleaner than this.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, bring a mop and a rag and clean up, you brat.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll be looking forward to four dayster.¡± ¡°What are you expecting?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you not interested in your studies at all? I¡¯m talking about the midterm evaluation.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Lately, he had been busy, so he had forgotten. Ronan soon realized that Philleon Academy was entering the midterm evaluation period. Shullifen was talking about the midterm evaluation for ¡®Advanced Practical Swordsmanship,¡¯ which was Navirose¡¯s subject. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think of only facing weaker opponents and winning, right? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re such a coward.¡± ¡°You think a wimpy brat like you would deter me? It would be more productive for you to clean your throat and wait rather than wasting your time with useless training.¡± Of course, Ronan didn¡¯t know what kind of test it was. At best, he could deduce that it was some form of a duel. Shullifen nodded in satisfaction, as if he was content with the answer. In an instant, vitality returned to the eyes that had been filled with anger and suspicion. ¡®Perverted brat.¡¯ Well, among his peers, there was no one else he could pour his full strength into. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll look forward to it, Ronan.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a moment.¡± Ronan called out to Shullifen, who was about to leave. He almost forgot the most important thing. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Join our club.¡± Ronan spoke seriously. Originally, he had nned to recruit him slowly, but it seemed like he needed to expedite the n. Given the long history of Neb zier and the extent of its influence, as well as the method of removing dangerous elements, it was the right decision to bring talents like Shullifen as quickly as possible. After a brief silence, the expected reaction came. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to spend on such trivial matters.¡± Shullifen turned his back as if there was no more worth hearing. He was about to open the door again. Ronan, who hadposed himself, spoke with a clear and concise pronunciation. ¡°My sister seems to be moving to the capital soon.¡± Creak! The door closed again. Shullifen, who activated the silent scroll once more, turned to face Ronan. His expression was as intense as if he was about to grab someone for interrogation. ¡°Tell me everything. In detail.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Why should I tell someone who¡¯s not even a member of our club?¡± ¡°If you can control your participation frequency, I¡¯ll consider your admission.¡± ¡°Okay. Should I give you an application for admission right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of itter. Leaving that aside, moving is a bitte, but it¡¯s a great decision. Staying in a remote ce like that during these ominous times is risky. Ronan, there are many factors to consider when choosing a residence. In the case of Iril, safety would be the most important. By the way, there¡¯s a map here. Look.¡± Shullifen pointed to theyout of the capital on the corkboard and began a lengthy speech. He suggested three ¡®ns¡¯ to propose housing options and safely relocate Iril and her belongings from Nimbuten to Nimbera. ¡°This time, we definitely need to hire a mercenary group. Carrying valuables could make her a target for bandits. A decent mercenary group in the wilderness should be fine. They¡¯reposed of seasoned warriors who can easily hunt wyverns.¡± ¡°Gracia is really in trouble.¡± Ronan shook his head. Shullifen continued his description, ignoring his remark as if it didn¡¯t matter. Time flew by quickly. The day after meeting with Shullifen, Ronan wrote a separate report and submitted it to Headmaster Kratir. Unlike what he showed to Varen, this report detailed most of what had happened in Baydian. It included the battle with Brighia and the events involving Sarante. As Kratir received the report, he chuckled. ¡°Hehe, you certainly pulled off a refreshing performance from your first mission. It¡¯s understandable that Varen got taken aback.¡± ¡°Well, that lunatic suddenly appeared, so things got tangled up. It won¡¯t be this extreme next time.¡± ¡°I Hope so. I don¡¯t want to be impeached for the second time in Philleon¡¯s history. Regardless, I¡¯m relieved that no one was seriously injured.¡± ¡°So, will you continue to approve our activities in the future?¡± ¡°I already promised before, what can I do now?¡± Ronan let out a relieved sigh. Fortunately, the club wasn¡¯t disbanded after their first mission. Unexpectedly, Kratir¡¯s expression turned serious as he spoke again. ¡°However, please be cautious of that organization. It¡¯s not to be taken lightly, as you can tell from Gracia¡¯s case. Even the Emperor considers it a serious matter.¡± Ronan nodded heavily in agreement. Leaving the headmaster¡¯s office, he began to formte ns to gradually head to Dawn Tower after the midterm evaluation. Due to the distance, he nned to depart as soon as the midterm evaluation was over. ¡®I need to hurry and prepare for it. I should make a schedule.¡¯ The next day, Marya called the club members to the club building. It was to distribute the money earned by selling Baydian¡¯s items. Thud! Marya ced an elegant wooden box on the table. ¡°Here, take it.¡± ¡°Eeek¡­! H-how much is all this?¡± Inside the box, engraved with patterns of Carabels, were shining gold coins. The amount was far more than they had anticipated, and everyone¡¯s eyes widened. For the first time in a while, Braum burst into a heartyughter. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s amazing and beyond imagination. Will this be divided among the four of us?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s individual shares. Now, this is yours, cutie.¡± Thud! Thud! Two more boxes were ced on the table. Braum¡¯sughter vanished from his face. Ronan, who had been counting his own share of gold coins, nodded slowly. ¡°If I add a little more, I might be able to afford the house that lunatic rmended.¡± The insufficient funds were intended for Shullifen¡¯s contribution. The houses he rmended were all excellent, but their prices were quite steep. The group left with their hands full of money they never thought they would ever possess in their lifetime. Ronan looked at the (former) Sarante on the bar table and mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you again.¡± Mana was subtly oozing out of the white rock. Ronan started his routine by wiping the stone with a rag every morning. As he dealt with his umted tasks, the midterm evaluation period was approaching. Braum and Marya asked for permission and temporarily suspended club activities. Ronan and Aselle, who weren¡¯t particrly worried about the exams, were the only ones left in the club building, discussing various topics. ¡°Aselle, how was the test today? Did you do well?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ It was, uh, alright.¡± ¡°But why does the guy who did well have such a strange expression? Did you get hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ There¡¯s been this girl who keeps talking to me since yesterday¡­¡± ¡°What kind of girl is following around a prettie guy like you? Her taste must be really unique.¡± ¡°El-Elizabeth¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. It seemed that Elizabeth had approached Aselle since he had surpassed her and took first ce in three written exams. Having roughly grasped the situation, Ronan chuckled. ¡°Well, even highborndies havepetitive spirits. What did she say to you?¡± ¡°She keeps asking about how I study and who taught me. I just followed what was taught in ss¡­¡± ¡°Unlucky fool.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s scary. I don¡¯t even understand why someone on a different level than me would act like that¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the exaggerated whining? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to act so pathetic? Do you think you¡¯ll gain confidence if you get scolded a bit?¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Ronan raised one hand. Aselle hunched over, covering his head. Suddenly, a brilliant idea shed through his mind. ¡°Wait a second¡­ If I do this right¡­¡± Ronan recalled the sight of Elizabeth herding sheep. Perhaps he could recruit her too, just like Shullifen. He thought he might be able to convince her to join their club. ¡°Good job, Aselle.¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Thud! Ronan gave Aselle a light tap on the forehead and then stood up. Aselle held his forehead in pain and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To take the test. It might take a while, so you go first.¡± Ronan left the building, swinging Lamancha. The meeting point for today was not the First Training Ground but the Philleon za. Sure enough, on one side of the za, students taking advanced practical swordsmanship were lined up, ready forbat. Unlike their usual uniforms, they were wearing different types of armor, creating apletely different atmosphere. ¡°What the hell? Am I the only one wearing a uniform?¡± Even Shullifen was wearing a top with Gracia¡¯s emblem. Just then, Adeshan, who noticed Ronan¡¯s presence, waved at him with a grin. ¡°Oh, Ronan, over here. Stand next to me.¡± ¡°What? senior, are you also taking the test?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m an official student, you know?¡± Adeshan¡¯s appearance was also different from usual. She wore leather boots, and a longsword, looking quite impressive, hung at her waist. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nice sword.¡± ¡°Hehe, thanks. I saved up and got it.¡± ¡°But why are we gathering here instead of the training grounds? What kind of grand test are they nning?¡± ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t know? So¡­ Ha, she¡¯s here!¡± Suddenly, Adeshan grabbed Ronan¡¯s shoulder and turned him around. Navriose was approaching with a dignified stride. Behind her was Kratir, and Ronan¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Huh? Why is sheing here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I really didn¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I wore the uniform¡­ Uh, what should we do? Can you at least put on mine quickly¡­!¡± Adeshan fumbled to untie theces of her leather boots. Barely managing to stop her, Ronan was about to say something when Navirose¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°It seems everyone has gathered. Are you all prepared?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°As you all know, the test will continue until only one person remains standing. I will exin the details after we move. Get ready, everyone.¡± The students shouted again. Each voice was filled with determination. Among them, Ronan was the only one with a puzzled expression, looking around. ¡°Damn, what are they trying to make us do?¡± At most, he thought it might be a name-calling match, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. Kratir, standing next to Navirose, chuckled and asked. ¡°Navirose, is it going to be alright?¡± ¡°Yes. Please, trust me.¡± ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯ll look forward to this again.¡± p! Kratir pped his hands. Suddenly, everything in front of Ronan went dark. Chapter 60: Midterm Evaluation (2) Chapter 60: Midterm Evaluation (2) They had guessed that it might be a nominal exercise, but it seemed to be different. Cratir, who had been standing beside Navirose, suddenly pped his hands. p! Ronan¡¯s vision darkened. ¡°Huh?¡± It was the same sensation as when he had been kidnapped by Cratir before. Fortunately, it didn¡¯tst long. Along with a sensation of dizziness, Ronan¡¯s vision brightened again. Frowning at the unfamiliar scenery, he looked around. ¡°What the hell?¡± The sound of waves breaking echoed from all directions. The damp sea breeze carried a scent of salt. Ronan tilted his head and scanned his surroundings. The beach,posed only of rocks without any sand, had a deep gray hue. The deep blue waves crashed against the sheer cliffs along the coastline. ¡°An ind¡­?¡± On the maind, towering deciduous trees stretched densely. It was andscape that felt primitive, close to untouched by human hands. Adeshan, who had been right beside him, widened her eyes and inspected her hands and feet, turning them around. ¡°Wow¡­ This is Headmaster¡¯s spatial magic. It¡¯s my first time experiencing it firsthand.¡± Most of the students were showing simr reactions. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Even the seniors don¡¯t know this ce?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­.The location for the midterm evaluation changes every time. Right! Your armor!¡± ¡°Everyone, pay attention.¡± Adeshan was about to take off her boots again. Navirose¡¯s voice echoed in the sea breeze. Holding a trunk-like bag in one hand, she looked around at the students. After assessing the headcount, Navirose began to speak. ¡°Alright. Since no one seems to be missing, I will exin the rules for the midterm evaluation.¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°As you all know, my ss emphasizes ¡®realbat.¡¯ I would love nothing more than to send all of you to the battlefields in the southern region for a field trip, but¡­ realistically, that¡¯s impossible.¡± The faces of the students turned pale. Only Ronan was left in awe, his lips forming a round ¡°O¡± as he sighed in admiration. The battlefield. Now that he thought about it, that was also an option. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯vee up with an alternative for this midterm evaluation. You will be randomly ced on this small ind and must fight until only one person remains. Look at this.¡± Navirose opened the trunk. Inside the bag were more than a hundred ck and slender bracelets. She continued to exin. ¡°These are perception bracelets designed for the exam. The moment you put them on, you will be instantly transported to a random location on the ind. They also serve as a device to detect losers. If the wearer is about to suffer damage to the point where they can¡¯t be stripped, killed, or healed, the bracelet will forcibly teleport the wearer to Philleon.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Ronan let out a dryugh. He had never seen so many expensive spatial magic items in such abundance. To use such items only for exams was something that could only happen at the Philleon Academy. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just because of that that he was astonished. Navirose¡¯s words meant not to worry about hurting opponents and just fight. ¡°Don¡¯t fear getting injured. The medical team and the best healers from Philleon are on standby. Even if you¡¯re transported while injured, you can receive immediate treatment.¡± Furthermore, she added that there were no separate rules against cheating. In other words, it meant they wouldn¡¯t prevent surprise attacks or forming teams to attack or defend. ¡°So that¡¯s why everyone is dressed up like this.¡± It seemed like everyone knew about it and they hade fully prepared. Even students carrying long-range weapons they never used in ss or backpacks that were as big as their torsos didn¡¯t look out of ce. ¡°I¡¯m getting nervous¡­ Would you like to be on the same side if we meet?¡± ¡°Not a bad idea. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit scared too.¡± ¡°Kekeke, capturing juniors is going to be so much fun this time too.¡± Despite knowing about it in advance, the content was shocking. The students¡¯ excitement was growing louder. As Navirose began to call out the students one by one, it was a moment when their anticipation reached its peak. ¡°Then,e out one by one and take a perception bracelet. Shullifen de Gracia.¡± Silently, Shullifen walked forward and put on the bracelet. In an instant, his form distorted and then disappeared without a trace. Cheers erupted from all around. Not long after, Adeshan¡¯s name was called. ¡°Next, Adeshan.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Even if we happen to meet, promise me you won¡¯t go easy. Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Ahaha, what¡¯s with that? See youter, then!¡± Adeshan, who had put on the bracelet, disappeared. Soon, nearby, the students¡¯ excited voices could be heard. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t she a junior assistant? What is she thinking bying here like this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s aplete pushover.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. Such guys were everywhere. He was currently scanning the area, searching for the student he had just talked to. ¡°Next, Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Navirose called out Ronan¡¯s name. As Ronan stepped forward, the group of students parted on either side. It was thanks to the bald-headed Karudan and the thugs who had confronted him during the introduction. Among the upperssmen of third grade and above, Ronan¡¯s nickname was bing something like ¡®Senior Destroyer.¡¯ Ronan picked up the bracelet. Without saying a word, Navirose quietly opened her mouth. ¡°Take it easy.¡± ¡°General¡¯s word about the importance of practicalbat, I agree with that too.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Ronan put on the bracelet. Soon, his vision blurred, and an entirely differentndscape appeared before him. Towering trees were everywhere. The distant sound of waves seemed to being from the forest he had seen earlier. ¡°It¡¯s like pulling fur from a ghost.¡± A chuckle escaped him involuntarily. Spatial magic was truly something one could never fully adapt to, no matter how many times they experienced it. He was about to stretch and take a step, but suddenly, a question popped into his mind. ¡°Wait a minute. Can I even actually go all out?¡± Ronan came to a stop in his tracks. He could gather mana by touching his weapon. If he went all out in realbat and identally shed a student¡¯s throat, there would be nothing more boring than that. He pondered, his hand on his chin. Suddenly, about five paces in front of him, the space rippled, and a male student appeared. ¡°Huh?¡± The male student immediately assumed a defensive stance and began scanning his surroundings. He seemed extremely tense, more than just ordinarily nervous. It was when he turned his head to the left. Ronan, whose eyes met his, waved and greeted him. ¡°Hey.¡± The male student¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Clutching the polearm in his hand, he shouted. ¡°You¡­you¡¯re!¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re lucky by any chance?¡± ¡°Die!¡± Without warning, the male student rushed forward, brandishing his polearm. The de, infused with mana, shimmered with a bluish light. Ronan exhaled softly and lowered his posture. Whooong! Just as he lowered his head menacingly, a blue serpent was drawn above his head. ¡°What the hell? Calm down!¡± Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. Two strikes were sent flying toward the male student. It was just as the male student was about to bring up his polearm. Thud! The head of the polearm dropped to the ground. Ronan tripped the legs of the disheartened male student, causing him to fall. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°I have something to ask you, so wait a moment.¡± Pointing the tip of his sword at the male student¡¯s throat, Ronan spoke. He had been pondering if there was a way to find out more information. While he was chewing on this thought, the male student, who had been mumbling to himself, suddenly jerked his upper body roughly. ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯t mock me!¡± ¡°Huh?! You little¡ª!¡± Just as the tip of the sword was about to touch the male student¡¯s throat, Poof! A sensation of piercing something other than flesh traveled through Ronan¡¯s fingertips. Swoosh! The male student¡¯s form suddenly distorted and then vanished into thin air. Ronan, who had been dumbfounded for a while, scratched his head and mumbled. ¡°¡­Thank goodness.¡± Since it wasn¡¯t a protective barrier but a detection-based transmission method, it seemed that no disasters had urred. Before long, a faint smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Well then, I guess I can go all out.¡± Suddenly aiming at the trees above, Ronan threw Lamancha. Flying in a straight line, Lamancha pierced through the dense foliage. Crunch! As the sword emerged from the other side of the leaves, a girl in leather armor fell from the treetop. ¡°Eek!¡± She was gripping a longbow in her hand. The girl plummeted from head to ground without a chance to deploy her falling technique. Originally, it was a height that should have resulted in her neck snapping upon impact. However, just as her face was about to hit the ground, her form distorted and vanished. In the spot where the girl disappeared, leaves and arrows fell like rain. ¡°I should¡¯ve concealed my presence a bit more.¡± Chuckling to himself, Ronan picked up Lamancha. It seemed that magic was triggered even by a type of death other thanbat. Well, to handle such a crazy exam, this level of stability was necessary. There were slightly over a hundredpetitors. Ronan moved in the direction where he could hear the sound of waves. There was no particr reason; he just wanted to see the sea. ¡°You, you¡¯re!¡± Thud! ¡°Ahh! I-I¡¯m weak¡­! To the others¡­!¡± Thud! Until he emerged from the forest, Ronan encountered two more students. One tried to charge at him, while the other attempted to flee, but he took both of them down as soon as he saw them. Ronan mumbled to himself with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s not as satisfying when blood doesn¡¯t spray.¡­¡± Soon, the cliff and the expansive horizon came into view. The sea disyed a deep blue hue that he had never seen before. The cliff¡¯s edges were as sharp as if they had been cut with a knife, and the difference in height between the cliff and the sea seemed to be around thirty meters. ng! ng! At that moment, a metallic sound reached Ronan in the wind. The distinct sharpness of the sound made it seem like the sh of des. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction of the noise. Not far away, he saw students fiercely engaged in battle. His eyes widened when he recognized a particr face among them. ¡°Adeshan?¡± With each swing of the sword, Adeshan¡¯s jet-ck hair fluttered. Whether it was due to diligently attending sses or not, her swordsmanship was nearly textbook-perfect. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°¡­The sword is too slow.¡± However, despite the convincing appearance, the battle itself was aplete disadvantage. Despite the significant height difference, Adeshan was being pushed back. The female student she was shing swords with giggled. ¡°Ahaha! Hold on a little longer!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± In truth, it was closer to one side ying around. Adeshan swung her longsword vertically. The female student lightly twisted her shoulder to evade the attack and struck Adeshan¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Urgh¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be the lucky one.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was the same voice he had heard at the waiting area. Ronan, who had been contemting for a moment, kicked the ground and dashed forward. Adeshan continued to swing her sword in session and shouted. Swoosh! ¡°Stop messing around and fight properly¡­!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m going to y some more. What can I do? You¡¯re so weak.¡± Adeshan bit her lip. The female student, named Kacha, purposely avoided fatal strikes andunched her sword attacks. St! A shallow scratch appeared on Adeshan¡¯s shoulder. For a fleeting moment, Kacha¡¯s mouth curled into a disdainful grin. Feeling a sense of danger for a moment, she turned her head. Ronan¡¯s face was right in front of her. ¡°Huh?¡± Before she could react, Ronan pulled back the scabbard. Two thrusts wereunched toward Kacha. Swoosh! The de, which had been plunged with precision, came out, and blood spurted. The sword fell from her hand. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Is it fun to y around with someone¡¯s life? I¡¯m having fun, too.¡± Thud! Ronan kicked her chest, causing her to fall backward. The injury wasn¡¯t fatal enough to trigger a transport. Adeshan eximed in a bewildered voice. ¡°Ro-Ronan?!¡± ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll leave thest attack to you, sunbae.¡± Ronan pointed at Kacha with his chin. With both arms immobilized, she screamed and writhed on the ground. The calmposure she had shown earlier had disappeared, reced by a mess of tears and snot. Kacha looked at Adeshan, pleading. ¡°Adeshan! Please, help me¡­! We¡¯re ssmates!¡± Adeshan didn¡¯t respond. Taking a deep breath and pausing for a moment, she swung her sword. With a clean slicing sound, Kacha¡¯s form vanished. Adeshan drove the tip of her sword into the ground and let out a sigh. ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°You did well. Most people hesitate even when they know the opponent won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Thanks for that,¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Just getting a bit tired of the noise. I¡¯m thinking about what to do about sunbae now.¡± Ronan spoke nonchntly. For a brief moment, a shiver ran down both of their spines. He had momentarily forgotten. Though temporary, he and the girl before him were in a situation where they had to face each other with swords sooner orter. And it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he was the most dangerous adversary on this ind. Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, Adeshan spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my intention. Care to join me for a walk?¡± Ronan started walking on his own, leaving those words behind. Adeshan hesitated for a moment, then followed him. Soon, the two stood side by side, walking along the coastal cliff. ¡°The view is nice. Just looking at the color of the sea, it seems like the Southern Sea, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you attacking? Do you think I¡¯d be pleased by this?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still bothering me. I¡¯m considering how to deal with sunbae.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. He had been thinking a lot about Adeshan¡¯s situation, more than he had during the time of the Dan incident. ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ The fight against Neb zier was gradually intensifying. Throughout every corner of the continent, monsters like Brighia would surely be lurking. The war with the ancient bastards that existed even before the empire¡¯s founding would undoubtedly be long and grueling. Ronan tilted his head slightly and looked at Adeshan. Her ashen eyes and pale skin were the first things to catch his attention. The high and sharp bridge of her nose stood proudly. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but she was quite beautiful. Her long ck hair fluttered in the breeze. Ronan stopped in his tracks, smiling wryly. ¡°Well, okay. I¡¯ve decided.¡± ¡°What have you decided?¡± ¡°Draw your sword, Adeshan.¡± Ronan faced Adeshan with the cliff behind him. Her face stiffened. Ronan spoke calmly. ¡°I won¡¯t use a sword. And if even a single one of your attacks grazes me, I¡¯ll consider it my defeat.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me¡­? Are you just going to toy with me like Kacha?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke, and I¡¯m not ying around either. Instead, if you win¡­¡± Ronan trailed off. His clenched lips didn¡¯t loosen. Stop this nonsense and return to my hometown to make clothes or cut fabrics. He couldn¡¯t utter those words. With great effort, Ronan tried to continue speaking. ¡°If I win?¡± ¡°So¡­you¡­!¡± Suddenly, Ronan charged at Adeshan. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back forcefully. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± She was about to shout something with a flushed face. Shadows were cast over both of their heads. Soon, Adeshan fell to the ground where she had been standing. A huge cloud of dirt and debris erupted with a loud boom. Dazed, Adeshan took a step back. ¡°W-What is this all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised you dodged it.¡± A voice echoed from within the dust cloud. It had a somewhat heavy, low tone. Shortly after, from within the dust, a bald man in heavy armor emerged. A massive war hammer was slung diagonally across his shoulder. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ronan. I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Ayun Dani. Can we have a brief conversation?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She whispered to Ronan as if sticking to him. ¡°He¡¯s the top student in the third year¡­!¡± Ayun was a master of the war hammer who had also demonstrated his prowess in Navirose sses. As if to confirm this, the spot where the hammer had fallen was now imprinted in the ground like a fallen meteor. Ronan spat on the ground and spoke. ¡°Whether you¡¯re Ayun or whatever, get to the point. We were in the middle of an important conversation, and you¡­!¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re quite something. Well, there¡¯s not much to discuss¡­ The reputation of our grade is quite poor for various reasons. As the top student, I¡¯vee for some kind of retribution.¡± Ayun brought the head of his hammer down onto the ground. Thump! Although it was a simple action, a heavy sound reverberated through the area. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s your job to teach us how to talk bullshit when you¡¯re the third years?¡± ¡°Well, I also intend to mentor promising juniors. Arrogance tends to grow along with one¡¯s skill. Just like you. If you were to fail at the beginning of an exam, that pride of yours might be slightly broken.¡± ¡°Ayun, I¡¯ve captured them all.¡± Thud! Thud! At that moment, two figures of considerable bulknded on either side of Ayun. Both of them had bald heads that resembled Ayun¡¯s. Ronan chuckled upon seeing the three muscr figures. ¡°Ganging up together, huh? Aren¡¯t you pathetic?¡± ¡°In a real fight, you shouldn¡¯t be concerned about appearances.¡± ¡°What nonsense is this? I asked whether you three stooges would gang up on me. How pathetic. You should at least pick some grass and nt it on your head, you idiot.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You really are hopeless.¡± Suddenly, Ayun leaped into the air. Whoooosh! His war hammer was descending with a brutish roar. Ronan swiftly stepped back, evading the attack. Quaaang! The hammer struck the spot where Ronan had been standing. The ground cracked and split apart as Ronan stood at the edge of the cliff. Ronan chuckled. ¡°Doing the same thing, huh?¡± With a light leap, Ronan attempted to jump back up. The two bulky figures behind Ayun lunged at Ronan. It was an action that would only end with all of them falling off the cliff unless they intended to do so. ¡°Did they n to do this from the beginning?¡± Ronan pulled his sword hilt. Swoosh! The sword strike shot out like a ricocheting projectile, tearing through the heads and sides of the two students. The student whose head was torn apart disappeared in a blur. Blood sprayed from the side of the other student. However, he paid no attention to the injury and forcefully pulled Ronan¡¯s body toward him. The bald man and Ronan began to fall off the cliff together. Ronan nced up at the cliff edge and muttered. ¡°Damn it, Adeshan.¡± Quaaang! At that moment, a burst of dirt and debris exploded from above. It seemed that Ayun¡¯s hammer had struck once again. Ronan gritted his teeth. Twisting his body, he plunged the knife into the back of the bald man number two. Shortly after, the form of the bald man disappeared, and his body regained its freedom. The ground was rapidly receding below them. Chapter 61: Midterm Evaluation (3) Chapter 61: Midterm Evaluation (3) Ronan turned Lamancha backwards and thrust his sword into the back of Baldie No. 2. As his figure disappeared, his body finally regained its freedom. ¡°Crazy bastards.¡± Ronan muttered curses. The final moments of Baldy No. 2 and 3 were heroic. No matter how secure things were, they were not ordinary in courage. The ground was rapidly receding. The wind roared with enough force to shatter eardrums. Ronan calmly surveyed his surroundings. The cliff face was so smooth that there was nothing to hold onto. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to trust Doron.¡¯ Waves were crashing above his head. The pure white stone wall was shooting up right in front of Ronan¡¯s eyes. Twisting his body this way and that, Ronan managed to position himself upright as he fell. With both hands gripping the hilt in reverse, Ronan swung Lamancha downward with all his might. ng! The de, which had been looking down below, got stuck in the cliff. ¡°Ugh!¡± The shock that ran through his entire body made Ronan grit his teeth. Kaga-gak! Lamancha split the cliff vertically as it descended. The speed gradually slowed, and in a matter of seconds, the fall came to a halt. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ darn it¡­¡± The exhaustion that one would feel after decapitating about a hundred stone giants in a row was overwhelming. When he raised his head, he saw a cleanly cut gash about 5 meters wide. ¡®I can¡¯t afford to do that twice¡­¡¯ White dust was rising from the wounds on the cliff. The ground was no longer clearly visible. Just then, the same explosion sound from earlier echoed from above. -Kwaang! ¡°¡­Are they still fighting?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Chunks of debris that once made up the ind rained down on him. Dodging the falling rocks, he quickly began to crawl up the cliff as fast as possible. Thud! The explosive sound reverberated again. **** ¡°Amazing, Adeshan. How many times has this happened already?¡± Please let me know if you would like any further assistance or information! Ayun raised the hammer embedded in the ground. A deep, wide pit had been dug beneath the head of the hammer, carved with a wolf¡¯s face. After catching her breath, Adeshan spoke. ¡°Hey¡­ Ayun, stop fooling around. Don¡¯t¡­ mock me anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. I genuinely admire you. How is this even possible?¡± Ayun shook his head. His five-foot leap and meteor-like fall was a technique that even the most honors student would have trouble dodging. However, Adeshan had already evaded it five times. It seemed as if she could perfectly anticipate Ayun¡¯snding point. It was an achievement that was hard to believe for someone still at the level of a sword user. ¡°Seriously, how can you just keep using the same technique? Do it right, like you do with everyone else.¡± ¡°Others usually get knocked out with just one move of this technique¡­ Adeshan, why don¡¯t you appreciate my consideration?¡± ¡°Consideration?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just trying to take you out once and for all, unscathed. Why are you putting up a pointless fight? Look at you.¡± Ayun said with a sense of regret. Indeed, regardless of whether she evaded or not, Adeshan¡¯s body was in a pitiable state. Although she had avoided the descent, she couldn¡¯t stop the sharp fragments in time. The flying debris had inflicted numerous cuts, big and small, all over her body. Adeshan said, ¡°¡ªNever mind.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Blood dripping from her forehead obscured her vision. With each movement, a burning pain spread through her body as the wounds reopened. Adeshan wiped her face with her sleeve and adjusted her posture. ¡°If you really care about me, then don¡¯t watch anymore.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve always been stubborn even before your talent developed. It¡¯s truly sad to have no talent.¡± Ayun crouched down again. Adeshan watched his movements with wide eyes. Hundreds of predictive trajectories appeared before her eyes. ¡®His right foot moved first. The left bicep bulged. It¡¯s the same type of downward strike as the third one.¡¯ Ayun seemed intent on using only the downward strike until the end. Eventually, his body shot up. A shadow cast over Adeshan¡¯s head. ¡®Please let me know if there¡¯s anything else I can assist you with!¡¯ The massive hammer was descending, tearing through the wind. Adeshan hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off Ayun until that moment. Before long, hundreds of paths converged into one. Just before the hammer touched her forehead, Adeshan rolled her body to the left. Kwa-aang!! With a deafening noise, dirt and dust exploded. ¡°Heh, I missed again¡­¡± It narrowly missed. Just as Ayun was about to raise the hammer again, a shadow rushed towards him. ¡°Would you like to counter-attack?¡± Ayun smirked and swung the hammer horizontally. Whoosh! The war hammer traced an arc, and dirt and dust flew. Ayun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Where the dirt and dust had cleared, a deformed and mangled armor appeared. Thud! The armor that had taken a direct hit from the hammer bounced far away. And Adeshan? A chilling shiver ran down Ayun¡¯s spine. It was the moment when she urgently turned her head. A diagonal thrust from Adeshan struck Ayun¡¯s neck with precise uracy. Kwaang! The sound of metal reverberated. Adeshan, who had revealed herself from behind, muttered quietly. ¡°¡­Damn.¡± ¡°That was spine-chilling, Adeshan. Seriously.¡± Adeshan¡¯s hand holding the hilt trembled. No matter how much force she applied, the de wouldn¡¯t pierce his skin. Ayun¡¯s skin where it met the de had turned as hard as metal. Ayun muttered with a frustrated tone, as if his breath was stuck in her throat. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d need to activate aura.¡± A cold sweat trickled down Ayun¡¯s neck. Adeshan¡¯s sword strike hade from an impable angle. If she had already reached the Sword Expert level, he would have been knocked out instantly. Ayun sighed with relief and swung the hammer. ¡°Ugh!¡± Thud! The blow to the hilt knocked her backward. Ayun¡¯s mischievous expression vanished. Without leaping into the air, he directly brought down the hammer. Adeshan urgently raised her head. The wolf¡¯s face made of ck iron was right in front of her. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way to avoid it.¡± Suddenly, the image of Ronan, saving her and falling down the cliff, shed in her mind. She had tried her best to seek revenge, but in the end, she had failed. It was the moment she tightly closed her eyes. Kaa-aang! A metallic sound, as if eardrums were being torn, resonated in her ears. ¡°¡ªDid you climb that cliff?¡± Astonished, Ayun¡¯s voice followed. Adeshan opened her eyes. A familiar figure stood in front of her. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive, Thank you for the hard work.¡± ¡°W-Weren¡¯t you eliminated? What happened?!¡± ¡°I just crawled up, no big deal, but my sword had a hard time.¡± Lamancha, clenched in Ronan¡¯s hand, had several nicks and dings. The rough journey up the cliff had taken its toll on the sword. Ronan slightly cut his forearm and let the blood stain the sword. The sword, once again sharpened as if new skin was growing, began to radiate energy. Ayun, who was observing his hammer, spoke with a puzzled tone. ¡°What¡­ What is this sword made of?¡± The wolf¡¯s jaw fragment in the hammerhead had been cleanly sliced. A sword made of specially processed ck iron that could cut through it like butter¡ªsuch a weapon was unheard of. Adeshan, who had regained her senses, spoke urgently. ¡°Ronan, be careful. Ayun¡¯s specialty is leaping into the air and delivering a downward strike. It¡¯s easier to counterattack by targeting his right side where his weight is concentrated. If you watch his elbow angle closely, you can easily avoid it. Don¡¯t rush¡­¡± ¡°Thank you. But this time, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head slightly to look at Adeshan. It was no exaggeration to say that every inch of her that wasn¡¯t covered by armor was wounded. Blood dripped from her arms, stomach, forehead, shoulders, thighs, and shins. His grip on the hilt tightened. Ronan turned his gaze back to Ayun. With a tone that sounded almost mocking, he said. ¡°How dare you¡ª.¡± Sensing a sense of unease, Ayun adjusted his posture. He felt that handling it carelessly wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. Just as he was about to activate aura again, Ronan¡¯s figure disappeared from his sight. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®She doesn¡¯t have any openings.¡¯ Ayun¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared right beside him. It was the moment when he put effort into swinging the hammer. ¡°Quaaaaagh!¡± His clothes exploded, and a fountain of blood burst from his entire body. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± The hammer slipped from Ayun¡¯s hand. Large and small wounds were engraved all over his body. The wounds were precisely measured to avoid death or severe injury. Even Aura, which hardened the skin, didn¡¯t work. Adeshan covered her mouth in astonishment. ¡°W-What is this¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t even see the intermediate process until the clothes exploded. Ayun was on the verge of losing consciousness and copsing. Ronan pressed his bare forehead against his face and delivered a knee kick to his descending face. Crack! With the sound of a broken nose, white teeth flew into the air. ¡°Kuuh!¡± It was a shame he didn¡¯t have any hair to grab onto, being bald. Ronan had no choice but to straddle Ayun¡¯s chest. He was about to say something as he struggled for breath. Quash! Ronan¡¯s fist smashed into the middle of his face. ¡°Puhuk!¡± ¡°Take a few hits before you die. It won¡¯t be a bad experience.¡± One-sided violence continued. With each punch that struck his face, blood and teeth scattered. It didn¡¯t take long before Ayun¡¯s figure vanished. Ronan wiped the blood from his fist into his pants and muttered under his breath. ¡°Damn bald bastard.¡± Finally, his anger seemed to ease a bit. The sight of Philleon¡¯s students in confusion caught his eye. The top student of the third year, now covered in blood, provided quite the spectacle. After a while, Ronan got up and approached Adeshan. She was seated on the ground like someone who had seen a ghost, blinking her eyes repeatedly. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll heal it now.¡± Ronan retrieved a potion bottle from his pouch. He began applying the potion meticulously to each of Adeshan¡¯s wounds. As the blue liquid touched the wounds, they rapidly started to heal. It was the moment when Ronan was about to bring his hand to the wound on her cheek. ¡°Um, can I take care of the rest? I¡¯m really grateful, but¡­¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Ronan held the tip of her chin and finished applying the potion. Their faces were so close that their breaths mingled. Adeshan kept her gaze fixed on the ground until the treatment waspleted. Suddenly, Ronan spoke. ¡°By the way, how did you do that?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­?¡± ¡°Avoiding the attacks from that hothead. Even if you did it carelessly, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for a senior to dodge. You even managed to counterattack earlier.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s not a big deal. I just predicted the trajectory based on his habits and movements. you can figure out most of that stuff after you see it a few times.¡± ¡°Normally, people don¡¯t call that ¡®not a big deal¡¯.¡± Ronan let out a wryugh. It was almost like an incredible insight. It seemed he could understand the reason why she was able to withstand someone with a significantly higher skill level for almost five minutes. After finishing applying the potion, Ronan removed his hand from Adeshan¡¯s chin. ¡°There, all done.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ thanks.¡± Adeshan grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and got up. The wounds and pain that had covered her entire body hadpletely disappeared. With a concerned tone, she asked a question. ¡°Um¡­ that potion you used just now, it¡¯s really expensive, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can you really use something that valuable on me? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll cure me when I get back to Philleon anyway.¡± ¡°Then should I use it on myself even when I¡¯m not hurt? Why does everyone say the same thing as that dwarf? And here, put this on.¡± Unexpectedly, Ronan took off his outer uniform and handed it to her. Adeshan was taken aback and waved her hands. ¡°Huh? Oh, no¡­It¡¯s really fine¡­. It¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°The cold is intense. Just put it on your shoulders or something.¡± Only now did Adeshan realize her condition. Her armor-d areas were soaked with blood and sweat. Her white bare skin was exposed through the cracks in her torn clothes. She quietly draped the outer garment over her shoulders. Ronan, who seemed satisfied with this spoke up, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t we going to fight¡­?¡± ¡°We can do thatter. Let¡¯s go to a ce we haven¡¯t been before.¡± Ronan turned his back. Adeshan, who had been hesitating, stuck close to his side. The two of them moved their steps inward onto the ind. Next to the forest, a hilly area covered in short grass stretched out. Amidst their walk, the sound of screams and shing metal asionally reached them on the wind. ¡°Seems like they¡¯re still in the middle of a big fight.¡± ¡°Yeah, there are over a hundred people, so it¡¯ll probably take a while.¡± ¡°Senior, who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Huh? Um¡­ maybe you, or Shullifen, if I had to guess.¡± ¡°Well, that won¡¯t do. Since I¡¯ll be the winner anyway, I should be telling them to go wash their necks and prepare for my attack. What¡¯s up with those little punks?¡± At that moment, two male students dashed out from behind a hill. Armed with bows and spears, they yelled fiercely as they charged toward Ronan and Adeshan. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a conversation!¡± Their speed was unusual. Ronan swung his sword, somewhat annoyed. Swish! Both of their figures disappeared simultaneously. Adeshan gasped and murmured as she raised her head. ¡°¡ªYou¡¯re amazing, and I can see why Professor said you¡¯re one of the lucky few in the world.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± Ronan, as if taking something out of their pocket, revealed that the two of them were among the top students in the third year. They continued walking, chatting about various things. As the hill area ended, they entered a dense forest once again. Unlike the coastal forest, this one was much more dangerous and vast. The surroundings became quiet. Suddenly, Ronan, who had been strolling between the trees, stopped in his tracks. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I want to hear the stories I didn¡¯t hear back then. Is it possible?¡± ¡°Back then¡­?¡± ¡°On the day we first met, in the infirmary. There was a conversation about why you wanted to be a Grand General.¡± His tone was serious. Adeshan¡¯s face tightened as she recalled the memory. Awkwardly, she scratched the back of her head and chuckled. ¡°Haha, why do you suddenly want to know about that¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something very important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a very interesting story, though¡­¡± ¡°I want to hear it.¡± Ronan showed no intention of backing down. Adeshan hesitated, looking at his eyes for a moment before bowing her head deeply. Her lips parted with a slight pause. ¡°¡­There was a war.¡± Chapter 62: Midterm Evaluation (4) Chapter 62 Midterm Evaluation (4) Ronan seemed resolute, with no intention of backing down. Adeshan, who had been gazing at his eyes for a moment, lowered her head deeply. Her lips trembled slightly. ¡°¡­There was a war.¡± ¡°A war?¡± ¡°Yes. Strictly speaking, perhaps not a war. Have you heard of the Night of Fangs?¡± Ronan nodded his head. He had heard of it a few times during his time as a disciplinary soldier. It was the incident when the Northern Beastman Alliance led a massive army to invade Marquis of Barsa, a border fortress. It was famous for being led by Zaifa, who now held the position of Chief General of the Imperial Capital. Ronan nodded his head. ¡°To some extent.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a long story. My hometown is the northern frontier of Barsa. I lived there until the Night of Fangs happened.¡± The two of them walked slowly through the forest, engaging in conversation. With each step, the fallen leaves crunched and shattered beneath their feet. ¡°My father was a tailor. He settled in the North following my mother, who was a sergeant in the imperial army. I had two older brothers with a significant age gap.¡± ¡°So, did you learn sewing from your father?¡± ¡°Yes. My father was an excellent tailor. He was skilled not only with fabrics but also with leather, so he did well in the North. He often assigned me various tasks, so I became skilled in sewing too. Haha.¡± ¡°And what was your mother like?¡± ¡°Um¡­ She was incredibly strong yet beautiful and kind. Should I call her an ideal soldier? She used to take me on horseback rides frequently. She was tall, so it was delightful.¡± Adeshan recounted her childhood memories with a voice full of joy. Her meticulous and caring nature seemed toe from her father, while her tall stature and graceful appearance were inherited from her mother. Adeshan had two older brothers, almost ten years older than her. Both of them were interested in martial arts and took good care of her, she continued. ¡°I was truly happy. During the day, I helped my father with tailoring, and in the evenings, our whole family, including my mother, had dinner together. My brothers would cut pieces of meat and ce them on my te, saying I needed to eat a lot because I was still growing. I thought those days wouldst forever, forever¡­¡± Adeshan trailed off. A shadow cast over her face. ¡°Until the Night of Fangs came.¡± The fairytale had ended. Finally, the story that made her dream of bing a general began. ¡°I still remember. It was a weekend evening, and suddenly the sound of horns echoed from the direction of the city walls. On that day, my usually silent mother armed herself with a sword, as if she had been waiting, and left the house. She kissed each family member¡¯s cheek, as if bidding them farewell.¡± ¡°Your family knew.¡± ¡°Yes, everyone except me knew. Next, my brothers followed my mother out of the house. As usual, they ced portions of their food on my te. That was thest time I saw my mother and my brothers.¡± Signs of trouble rted to the Beastman had been brewing in the North for quite some time. Though the situation had improved, a significant number of the Beastmen in the North, who valued their wild nature and traditions, vehemently opposed any contact with other races. However, the Empire hadn¡¯t halted its expansion to the north. They sent diplomatic missions to persuade friendly tribes, while opposing tribes were either fought off or driven away with military force. When even the Holy Land, Jube, was taken over by the Empire, the anger of the prisoners of the opposition reached its climax. Eventually, the Beastmen who had gathered under Zaifa¡¯s banner initiated the Night of Fangs. Ronan clicked his tongue. When he had encountered Marya, the Count of Armarlen, back in the North, fighting against the werewolves, he had known their danger well. ¡°Just as troublesome as the fur monkeys.¡± Beastmen possessed significantly superior physical abilitiespared to humans. Even werelions or weretigers, who were treated as living weapons, not to mention werewolves or werefoxes, could take on human soldiers who couldn¡¯t handle mana, outnumbering them by at least six to one. The Night of Fangs was an incident where around ten thousand of such Beastmen invaded Barsa Fortress. The fortress walls of Barsa had sumbed to the beast¡¯s intrusion within barely a day. Adeshan continued, ¡°My father embraced my bewildered self and put me on a cart. We took the escape route. But around the time we settled near the Imperial border, the news of death arrived. Blood-soaked identification tags belonged to my mother and¡­ two older brothers.¡± Most of the deceased were soldiers. Among them, the majority were soldiers of Barsa. They had to be a living wall in ce of the defenseless fortress walls. Their mission was to establish a defensive line at all costs, buying as much time as possible for the main force to arrive from the rear. Unfortunately, Adeshan¡¯s mother and brothers were part of that unit as well. ¡°My mother and brothers died like pawns on a chessboard. They were the defense line, nothing more than meat shields. Everyone said it was inevitable, but I didn¡¯t agree with that.¡± The bearer of the news had been a soldier from her mother¡¯s unit. The soldier whose right arm and left leg had been cut off spoke of the truth and horrors of the day. ¡®They could have survived. Not only your mother and brothers but many soldiers didn¡¯t need to sacrifice their lives. The obituaries were filled with noble sacrifices and whatnot, but in reality, those were people who didn¡¯t have to die.¡¯ The soldier exined that they had been thrust into battle without a proper n. There were many strategies that soldiers and nonmissioned officers saw as far superior. However, the General didn¡¯t change their orders until the very end. They had achieved their goal, and after the situation ended, they had been decorated with medals. Even now, Adeshan couldn¡¯t shake off the words the soldier had muttered as he departed. ¨C Why did we have to die¡­ Adeshan continued in her main voice. ¡°Every year I visit the memorial in my hometown, searching for my mother and brothers¡¯ names. The inscriptions are small and carved so high up that they¡¯re hardly visible.¡± ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be a Grand General, and there will be no more memorials in thisnd, at least not ones covered with the names of those who should have lived¡ª.¡± Eventually, a tear rolled down her cheek. Ronan turned his gaze to the forest, as if appreciating its beauty. Seeing Adeshan crying was an unsightly scene, whether in the past or present. Soon, after wiping her eyes, Adeshan let out a softugh. ¡°¡­Sorry. It wasn¡¯t entertaining after all.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a cheerful tale.¡± ¡°Ahaha, yeah, I¡¯d rather have that reaction.¡± Ronan let out a sigh. She was so different from the Adeshan of his previous life. Who was Grand General Adeshan? Wasn¡¯t she the person who sacrificed her people for the sake of the lineage, who discarded imperial soldiers by the legion for the sake of one Ronan? ¡®What in the world happened?¡¯ It was hard to believe they were the same person. The Adeshan of this time still held gem-like hope and goodwill. It might have been just a theoretical story, but Ronan didn¡¯t find it all that bad. He opened his mouth as he rubbed his chin. ¡°What about your father?¡± ¡°He returned to our hometown and continues his work as a tailor. Right where our home used to be.¡± ¡°I see. Aren¡¯t the Beastmen scary? There are so many in Philleon alone.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not entirely terrifying. Well, I can¡¯t say they¡¯re not scary at all. The fact that my mother and brothers were killed was mostly because of the ipetentmand. And if I join the army, I¡¯ll have to interact with Beastman soldiers too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a positive attitude.¡± The two of them walked in silence for a while. Gradually, the trees began to thin out, and a gentle yet tall hill came into view. Adeshan spread her arms wide, facing the wind blowing directly towards her. ¡°Ah, feels refreshing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°From up there, you might be able to see the whole ind at once.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Pointing to the hill with her index finger, Adeshan spoke. Judging by its elongated shape, it seemed to be the highest point on the ind. As Ronan nced up at the hilltop, he furrowed his brows. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah? Right. There¡¯s something standing up there.¡± Though it wasn¡¯t clear from a distance, there seemed to be a structure of some kind. Even after staring at it for a while, they couldn¡¯t quite make out its nature. Ronan nodded. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll know once we go see.¡± The two of them climbed the hill slowly. With each step, the sky grew closer. Throughout the ascent, Ronan remained silent. In his mind floated the images Adeshan had shown him and the conversations they had shared. A girl who didn¡¯t falter in the face of adversity. A future grand general who detested worthless deaths. ¡°Ah, whatever.¡± The long contemtion that had begun since he had returned to this time hade to an end. Ronan¡¯s mouth fell slightly open. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t have talent for mana.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Your mana is special. They call it Shadow Mana or something like that. They said it required a separate awakening. Among all types of mana, it was said to possess the most secretive, mysterious, and uncontroble power.¡± ¡°What?¡± Adeshan stopped in her tracks. Ronan, who had been walking ahead, also stopped. A bewildered voice mixed with surprise flowed from Adeshan¡¯s lips. ¡°Who did you hear that from? Shadow Mana¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I heard from someone I know. I don¡¯t really know what Shadow Mana is either. I remember the abilities manifested from it were incredibly strong.¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly say he heard it from his future self. The strong wind tousled both their hair. Ronan looked at the girl before him, wrapped in his coat, and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Just give it a try, Grand General.¡± Ronan admitted his own weakness. He couldn¡¯t tell Adeshan to go home and be a tailor. He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to say it in the future either. In that case, it was probably the right decision to help her achieve her dream now. ¡°You¡­¡± Adeshan was silently staring at Ronan¡¯s face. Within her gray eyes, numerous emotions were swirling. At that moment, a voice came from behind. ¡°We finally meet, Ronan.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± It was a familiar deep tone. Ronan furrowed his brows. When he turned his head, the familiar face was revealed. Shullifen leaned against an unknown building. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for quite a while. I¡¯ve even taken care of all the otherpetitors.¡± ¡°Sh-Shullifen¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s face turned pale. Ronan sighed, rubbing his forehead. He seemed tired just from looking at him. ¡°You¡¯re a crazy bastard¡­ How many did you defeat?¡± ¡°Fifty-one. Some of them weren¡¯t bad, but of course, there¡¯s no match for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move and wait right there. We want to enjoy the view from the summit too.¡± Ronan led the hesitant Adeshan up the hill. Indeed, Adeshan¡¯s words were true ¨C this ce was the summit of the ind. The narrow, dense forest, the small meadow, and the deep blue sea surrounding it all came into view. Yawning, Ronan spoke. ¡°The view¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ It¡¯s nice¡­ but¡­ um¡­ is that okay?¡± However, Adeshan had no time to focus on the scenery. She was keeping an eye on Shullifen like someone who had encountered a beast. Shullifen, who had his arms crossed, nced at Adeshan and spoke. ¡°Ms. Navirose¡¯s assistant. I¡¯m always indebted to you.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ hello.¡± ¡°Surviving until now shows you have some skills of your own. But that overcoat on your shoulders doesn¡¯t seem to belong to you.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± Adeshan¡¯s face turned red. Shullifen didn¡¯t press further. Ronan, who had been looking around, spoke up. ¡°But are you sure there are only three of us left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Good. Sunbae,e and take a look at this. What on earth is this building?¡± Ronan ced his hand on the mysterious building and called Adeshan. The structure, shaped like a thick cylindrical column, defied easy identification. ¡°Uh-huh? Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. Wait a moment.¡± Interest flickered in Adeshan¡¯s eyes. She started to examine the building, leaving Shullifen behind. It had a roof like a dome, not quite a watchtower in height. The smooth outer wall was made of an unknown metal. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this architectural style before.¡± For a moment, Adeshan momentarily forgot the presence of the two people. From beside her, Ronan¡¯s whisper reached her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adeshan. ,third ce isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Snap! Ronan unsheathed Lamancha. Adeshan¡¯s form twisted and disappeared. Shullifen spoke. ¡°So, You two weren¡¯t teaming up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rough spot for a pretty girl to be in.¡± ¡°A reasonable judgment.¡± Swoosh! Shullifen drew his sword. Looking closely, it was a different sword than before. Enigmatic characters were engraved on the de. The tension was palpable. ¡°The sword looks good. Did Doron make it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It can¡¯t reach the Pale Road¡¯s level though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough.¡± They retreated, maintaining a distance of ten steps, just like in the arena. When Ronan pulled the hilt of his sword, the thin de of Lamancha was revealed. With a twist of his wrist, Ronan spoke. ¡°Well then, shall we start?¡± A moment of silence hung in the air. In an instant, the two figures vanished from sight. Ronan and Shullifen collided precisely at the midpoint. ng! The sharp metallic sound tore through the wind. Shullifen said, ¡°Now, show me everything you¡¯ve got this time.¡± The two de spirits met, pressing against each other. Ronan remained silent. Shullifen¡¯s mouth opened again. ¡°I¡¯ll do the same.¡± At that moment, mana in the shape of wind wrapped around Shullifen¡¯s de. Having sensed the approaching storm sword, Ronan cursed under his breath. ng! Shullifen, who had widened the distance, fired the de energy towards Ronan. ¡°You crazy bastard¡­!¡± The de energy was broader than a crescent, closer to a half-moon shape. Ronan swung his sword diagonally. The split de energy fell to his sides. Kwaahh! A whirlwind with a radius of 5 meters burst forth from Ronan¡¯s sides. Chapter 63: Midterm Evaluation (5) Chapter 63: Midterm Evaluation (5) ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Adeshan. But, third ce isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± With Ronan¡¯s whisper, her vision darkened. Adeshan clutched her throat and sank down. ¡°I-it was¡­!¡± Without a doubt, she felt it. Something sharp and hot passed through her throat. Adeshan, who had let go of her neck tremblingly, smirked. ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Contrary to the expectation that it would be full of blood, nothing was smeared on her hands. She hurriedly groped my neck, but there were no wounds. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from beside her. ¡°Here you are.¡± ¡°Professor Na-Navirose?!¡± Adeshan stood up in surprise. Looking around, she finally realized that this was the first arena where Navirose¡¯s lessons were held. Failed students gathered in groups, were talking amongst themselves. Medical personnel were treating injured students in one corner. Navirose spoke. ¡°Lower your head.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± It was an iprehensible order, but Adeshan did as instructed. Unexpectedly, Navirose began to gently stroke her head. In a bewildered and mixed voice, Adeshan asked. ¡°P-Professor¡­?¡± ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯re in third ce.¡± Adeshan¡¯s body stiffened. It was as Ronan had said. For a moment, her bright expression dimmed once again. From within her loosened hair, a somber voice emerged. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°You deserve respect just for having survived this long.¡± ¡°All I could do was follow my junior around.¡± ¡°Nope. Your strike in the battle with Ayun wasn¡¯t bad at all. That¡¯s how I see it.¡± ¡°What? How can you¡­¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± Adeshan lifted her head. Only then did she notice that all the students were looking in one direction. On the southern wall of the arena, a certain image was being projected. The video, as if taken from the sky or a bird¡¯s eye view, was showing the familiar ind. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s where we had our exams, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The transmission has been ongoing since the start of the test. There were originally more perspectives, but now only that one is left.¡± In the video, Ronan and Shullifen¡¯s battle was in full swing. While students were doing various tasks, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the video. ¡°Morally, shouldn¡¯t we exclude those two from now on¡­?¡± ¡°It looks like a battle between two magicians, not swordsmen.¡± Two tornadoes were wreaking havoc in the forest. The forms of Ronan and Shullifen disappeared and reappeared in an instant, repeating the process. Kaang! Every time the two collided, a metallic sound resonated through the arena with such force that it vibrated. Navirose spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell too much on those two. They¡¯re strange in many ways.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m aware.¡± Adeshan unconsciously adjusted her cor. Even if she wanted to analyze, it was beyond her ability to keep up with what she was seeing. Shullifen, who dealt with non-standard auras, and Ronan, who faced him, were both far beyond the norm. Navirose, who had been watching her for a while, raised an eyebrow. ¡°By the way, that outerwear doesn¡¯t seem to be yours. Is it really what I¡¯m thinking?¡± ¡°Yes? Th-this is¡­ Well¡­¡± Adeshan hesitated and couldn¡¯t answer. Navirose chuckled at the red-faced assistant¡¯s attempt to respond. ¡°Never mind. You¡¯re a feisty one, so do your best.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± Adeshan shouted back. She vehemently denied this hasty assumption, but ultimately didn¡¯t take off the outerwear. The battle in the video was reaching its climax. Kaang! With each resonating metallic sound, cheers erupted from the students¡¯ mouths. **** Thirty minutes had passed since the battle began. Ronan and Shullifen, who hade down the hill, were fighting using the forest as a battlefield. Shuaak! Whenever Shullifen swung his sword, the released de energy was tearing through the trees. Ducking down to narrowly avoid the de energy, Ronan lunged forward and shouted. ¡°Take this!¡± Stepping on a fallen tree, Ronan leaped forward. He performed a vertical somersault and brought his sword down. It was Navirose¡¯s spinning sword, elerated by the flow of mana. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t an attack that could be blocked or avoided easily. Shullifen shot the de energy forward and pulled his body back with the recoil. Quaang! The ground where he had been standing cleanly split into two, and the fallen leaves that had been lying there shot upward. In the instant Ronan pulled his buried Lamancha from the ground, Shullifen¡¯s piercing strike flew toward him. ¡°You brat¡­!¡± Ronan hastily raised his sword. Kagaang! Sparks flew in the air, and the sound of metal resonated three times, spreading out. Ronan, using the fallen leaves to cover his vision, leaned backward. ¡°This daring bastard. When did you copy that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good technique.¡± ¡°This is why I hate geniuses.¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. Three strikespressed into one motion. It was the technique he used when he first faced Shullifen. Jumping away with a zigzag pattern, Ronan swung his sword again. The two des that had been shing in session came to a halt as they met. Beyond the intersecting des, the two could read each other¡¯s intentions. Seeing Shullifen¡¯s pale face, drained of color, Ronan chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a sight to behold, isn¡¯t it? Are you getting dizzy?¡± His usually calm azure hair had been disheveled for quite a while. Deep wounds adorned his right side and left rib cage. The blood flowing down his thigh seemed like it wouldn¡¯t stop; given time, it looked like it could lead to excessive bleeding and copse. Shullifen replied dryly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you should be the one talking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± However, Ronan¡¯s condition was by no means any better. If anything, it was worse. Drops of blood were falling from his bangs. The aftermath of the Stormsword, whether cut or evaded, had left dozens of deep and shallow wounds all over his body. His already torn shirt was sticking to his body due to the blood, to the point where it felt like it was glued on. Ronan, feeling his legs gradually bing heavy, twisted his lips. ¡°Damn it, I have to end this.¡± Shullifen was gradually adapting to Ronan¡¯s speed. He truly was the continent¡¯s greatest genius. They had to fight in a forest with a lot of variables due to the terrain. Unexpectedly, the corners of Shullifen¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°I¡¯m happy, Ronan.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?¡± ¡°I mean it. I should thank the heavens for giving me an opponent like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the amusing brat. Hey, do you think you¡¯re the strongest in the world?¡± Ronan chuckled as if in disbelief. Of course, in a few years, that would indeed be the case. Shullifen, who had crossed the threshold, would undoubtedly be the best swordsman on the continent. However, not now. Right now, even looking at Navirose¡¯s aura alone, he would be frozen stiff like a mouse before a snake and his head would be blown off before he could match the current swordsman, Zaifa. Ronan was about to rebuke him for his arrogance. ¡°Of course, there are many out there stronger than me in the world. For now, that is. But I am convinced that I will surpass them all.¡± ¡°Even Zaifa and Professor Navirose?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡®This guy is worse than I thought.¡¯ Ronan spat on the ground. Shullifen continued speaking. ¡°But, Ronan, I don¡¯t feel that same conviction from you. You will be stronger. Maybe even stronger than me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give it my all in this fight, so you should too¡ª¡± In an instant, the mana around them swirled and was drawn into Shullifen¡¯s body. Ronan clenched the hilt of his sword. An aura was emanating from Lamancha, which had tasted blood. As Shullifen pushed the sword away, he yelled as if expelling something. ¡°Show me everything you¡¯ve got!¡± Both of them were sent back. Ronan, reading the flow of mana, prepared to strike again. The aura of the Stormsword wrapped around Shullifen¡¯s sword and surged upward. ¡°What the hell¡­!¡± Ronan, cursing, hastily stopped. Shullifen¡¯s sword, thrown diagonally, drew a wide arc. Hoo-woong! The massive crescent-shaped de energy shot toward Ronan. ¡®I can¡¯t cut it.¡¯ The Stormsword was different from the other de energies. Hastily cutting it could lead to being caught in the whirlwind that erupted from the point of impact. Most of the injuries he had sustained were from the early stages of the fight. Haphazardly cutting through the de energy had turned into two whirlwinds, tearing Ronan¡¯s body apart. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As the de energy almost reached him, Ronan twisted his shoulder. Swish! The de energy that had narrowly missed his nose vanished behind Ronan by a mere sheet of paper¡¯s distance. It was the moment when a relieved Ronan was about to kick off the ground and rush forward. Shing! Another de energy came flying at an oblique angle and embedded itself under Ronan¡¯s feet. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This damn trickster¡­!¡± Due to the ovepping waves of de energy, it had been difficult to see. Ronan quickly tried to move his body, but Shullifen shot another de energy, interrupting his motion. Kwaahhh! A burst of mana formed a storm that engulfed Ronan. ¡°Kraaargh!¡± Blood spurted out. In an instant, deep wounds were carved all over his body. Ronan swung his sword like a to cut through the de energy. Just when he thought the situation might improve for a moment, the wind began to blow incessantly. Before long, the formless storm transformed into a swirling vortex with a radius of 10 meters. It was a whirlwind of thrusts, much like the whirlwinds generated by the de energy. Leaves, rocks, whole tree trunks¡ªall torn apart¡ªwere carried by the wind, disintegrating. ¡°¡­Huu.¡± Ronan¡¯s figure disappeared from view. No more screams could be heard. Thud! Shullifen knelt with one knee, copsing. Blood from his side and shoulder formed a small puddle at his feet. ¡°Quite the trickster¡­¡± Shullifen chuckled to himself. He had concealed a de energy infused with aura behind a regr one. It was an action that would have been unimaginable for his true self. But without resorting to such tactics, he didn¡¯t think he could possibly win. The two strikes he allowed Ronan during the fight had both caused serious injuries. ¡°Truly¡­ a monster guy.¡± It was only after enhancing his entire body with mana that he could fight on an equal footing. Shullifen spat out the blood that had been in his mouth. Then, he noticed the perception bracelet on his wrist. ¡®Come to think of it, how does the winner¡­ return?¡¯ His vision was bing hazy. Due to the significant blood loss, coherent thoughts were difficult to maintain. The wind was gradually subsiding. Objects that had been high up in the sky were falling. Most of them disintegrated without a trace, but a few thick and sturdy trees still maintained their circr forms. The shadows cast by the trees fell over his head. He raised his sword to cut them away. An inexplicable shiver ran down Shullifen¡¯s body. ¡°No way.¡± Shullifen raised his head. A shadow emerged above the trees, and Ronan¡¯s face met his gaze, frozen in ce. ¡°He wasn¡¯t eliminated¡­!¡± Ronan was drenched in blood, looking like he had just been pulled out of a hellish forge. He clung to a massive tree, desperately fending off the onught of wind. He had avoided elimination, but he couldn¡¯t escape severe injuries. ¡°I have to end this now.¡± Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down even for a moment, as it felt like he might lose consciousness if he did. He immediately plunged forward with his sword aimed at Shullifen. As Shullifen swiftly rose to his feet, he sent a de energy flying like a counterattack. Swish! The unstable de energy was caught between Ronan¡¯s strikes and vanished on the other side of the sky. Shullifen gritted his teeth. ¡°Ronan¡­!¡± Ronan and Lamancha had closed in unexpectedly, almost within his arm¡¯s reach. It was a distance where he couldn¡¯t dodge or defend. With all his might, Shullifen swung his sword and stomped the ground beneath his feet. Kwaang! A vortex with a radius of about 1 meter erupted toward Ronan. ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± A gust of wind enveloped Ronan. Each swing of his sword to defend himself caused his descent trajectory to waver. Barely managing to keep his head up, Ronan red at Shullifen. His condition was precarious, as if he could die from a single scratch. However, it was a distance just out of reach of the de by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡®Somehow, just once¡­!¡¯ In the end, Ronan gave up on defense and adopted a stance. In an instant, the wind carrying the ominous aura swept past his body. Holding his breath, Shullifen released his strike. At that moment, a shock reminiscent of being struck by lightning surged through Ronan¡¯s body. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan furrowed his brow in unexined pain. But there was no room for doubt. He swung his sword, intending to parry the strike. In a split second, Ronan saw something like an extremely thin wave shoot along his de. ¡°Huh?¡± Swish! A crimson line appeared on Shullifen¡¯s chest, and blood spurted out. Simultaneously, the strike that had changed course grazed Ronan¡¯s neck. The two figures twisted and disappeared. Chapter 64: Evaluation Complete Chapter 64: Evaluation Complete A red line appeared on Shullifen¡¯s chest, and blood sttered. At the same time, a powerful strike aimed at Ronan¡¯s throat from a different trajectory. In an instant, his vision darkened and then brightened again. Thud! The hard ground struck Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°Agh!¡± Ronan exhaled the breath he had been holding. He couldn¡¯t immediately grasp what had just happened. His mind was still adrift in the storm created by Shullifen. Ronan slowly regted his breathing. His blurred vision gradually became clear. He saw a massive bell hanging in a distant ceiling, high above. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± It was the bell that Navirose used to draw students¡¯ attention. Even the sensation of the ground against his back felt familiar. Suddenly, enthusiastic cheers erupted from all around. ¡°Wow!! He¡¯s back!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in first ce? Did anyone see it properly?!¡± ¡°It looks like they were sent at about the same time?¡± Cheers reverberated from all directions, filling the air. Ronan realized that he had returned to Philleon. Sudden pain, as if his body was engulfed in mes, coursed through him. ¡°Ugh¡­ damn it¡­¡± It was only now that Ronan realized he had sustained significant injuries. His arms were covered in numerous small andrge wounds. Then, a familiar voice reached him from not too far away. ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°Adeshan¡­?¡± ¡°Oh my God, look at the blood. Here!¡± Adeshan rushed over and knelt before Ronan. She almost choked as she called for medical personnel. Despite his injuries, Ronan couldn¡¯t help but smirk at her incongruent concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move; your wounds might worsen. Let¡¯s stop the bleeding quickly!¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear you say that.¡± It was a situationpletely opposite to their previous life, where Ronan used to staunchly stop her bleeding on the battlefield. Adeshan gave him a quizzical look. ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. By the way, who won?¡± ¡°You¡¯re curious about that now? You really¡­¡± ¡°I want to know.¡± ¡°¡ªI think it¡¯s a tie, but I can¡¯t tell, so the professor is double-checking.¡± ¡°A tie?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He had been certain he had lost. Suddenly, the memory of the final sh came to his mind. ¡®It was definitely out of reach.¡¯ His memory was jagged. The only thing he remembered clearly was that his sword had narrowly missed Shullifen.. Before long, three healing mages gathered around Ronan. Spells were cast, and a green luminescence enveloped him. ¡®Impressive. I wonder if Cita will be able to do this someday.¡¯ The experts¡¯ recovery speed was astounding. Even the significant wounds that could have left scars healed in an instant. Even while undergoing such a crazy exam, there was a reason why Navirose was so confident. One of the healers muttered in an admiring voice. ¡°Truly remarkable. To not receive a recall verdict until sustaining injuries like this.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I saw you fight. You managed to avoid and defend against fatal attacks that could have triggered the bracelet¡¯s magic, all while not sparing your own body. How is such movement possible?¡± ¡°I just did it, But how did you see me fighting?¡± The older healing mage exined that the test had been broadcasted to the arena. Ronan¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°You bastards¡­ So you were all just looking at me like I¡¯m some zoo monkey?¡± ¡°Consider it a gaze of admiration. I¡¯ve been part of the medical team for Navirose¡¯s tests for quite a while, but this is the first time I¡¯ve ever met someone like you and the Empire¡¯s Rising Star.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, where is that brat? Did he die?¡± ¡°He¡¯s receiving treatment over there. He doesn¡¯t have as many wounds as you do, but each one is quite severe. It might take a bit longer for him to recover.¡± ¡°Darn, he¡¯s in a tough spot.¡± Ronan chuckled. The treatment didn¡¯t take much time. Seeing all those injuries vanish without a trace, Ronan couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of amazement. ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably because they¡¯ve been taught well. How about you, sunbae? Are you all better?¡± As Ronan got up and showed his back to Adeshan, There was not a single scratch on his skin beneath the torn clothes. Adeshan, seeing the well-defined muscles like that of a wild beast, hesitated and said, ¡°Uh, uh-huh¡­ You¡¯re all better now. I-I¡¯ll return this¡­¡± Until then, Adeshan had been wearing Ronan¡¯s overcoat. He shook his head and stopped her from taking it off. ¡°Hey, you can return itter. You haven¡¯t changed clothes yet either, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Still¡­ given your current¡­ condition¡­¡± ¡°What does it matter if a fellow soldier teases a bit? It¡¯s settled, so put it on.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Adeshan hesitated before straightening the cor of the overcoat. A faint redness in her cheeks seemed to indicate some difort. Just then, familiar figures emerged from the crowd. ¡°So, both of you were here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± It was Ayun, the top student of the third year, and the baldckeys who were close to him. Next to them stood the girl who had been bothering Adeshan, looking utterly defeated. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Why did you guys dare toe here? Was that beating not enough?¡± ¡°J-just calm down. We¡¯re not here to fight.¡± ¡°Why are you here then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Seeing Ronan clench his fist, Ayun pped his hands. It was utterly demolished before, yet seeing it unscathed now indicated the impressive skills of the medical team. Ayun and the baldckeys hesitated for a moment before bowing their heads. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I acted without thinking.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I was only listening to what others were saying and trying to judge you recklessly. Especially, I want to apologize to you, Adeshan.¡± ¡°To me¡­?¡± Ronan and Adeshan looked at the flustered baldckeys with puzzled expressions. Their faces were visible through the gaps in their scalps, like shining gems. Behind them, the girl who had been harassing Adeshan earlier mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. Unintentionally, I think I was jealous of you. But it¡¯s true you¡¯re tall and pretty¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s gotten into everyone all of a sudden? What did the Professor say?¡± ¡°Nothing. After being attacked by you, I thought a lot. You did the impossible, Adeshan.¡± Even while undergoing treatment, Ayun had been reminiscing about the time he fought with Adeshan. It made no sense whatsoever. Adeshan, stuck at the sword user level and not particrly physically capable, had managed to dig into his weak spots and activate him to the point of releasing a furious assault. That was more shocking than being hit by Ronan without being able to resist. Ayun continued. ¡°No one will ignore you anymore. At least not among the third-year students.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°I just wanted to convey that message. Well then, we¡¯ll be going. Get some rest.¡± After apologizing, Ayun and the girl turned away. Adeshan had remained standing silently the whole time, not saying a word. Ronan, who had been standing with his arms crossed, nodded his head. ¡°Sunbae, You heard them right?. Be confident.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so humble? Didn¡¯t the Professor say anything? It was a really good attack.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that great¡­¡± Adeshan blushed slightly, touching her wrist as if embarrassed. Ronan considered such a reaction to be natural. After all, what Adeshan had done would have been impossible for anyone else. Anyway, it turned out well. Being a superior student had given off a somewhat aloof atmosphere, but with this incident, that atmosphere seemed like it would disappear. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t really remember, but how did it end in the end? What happened at the very end?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°He was definitely out of my sword¡¯s reach but they said it ended in a tie.¡± Ronan murmured with a hint of unease in his voice. Adeshan was about to answer, but the crowd separated again, and Navirose walked over. ¡°Oh, Professor¡± ¡°Looks like your treatment is over. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°You certainly nned an insane test.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons my sses are unpopr.¡± ¡°But it was fun. What¡¯s that?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Navirose held a sealed scroll in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a reward given only to the winner.¡± ¡°The winner? Did Ie in first?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tie. I¡¯ve reviewed it dozens of times, and the timing of the transmission was exactly synchronized. Anyway, you guys are a bunch of oddballs.¡± Navirose chuckled lightly. Ronan clicked his tongue and murmured. ¡°Damn it, I was nning to fold that arrogant bastard¡¯s nose about three times this time.¡± ¡°Winning and still not being satisfied, you¡¯re just the same.¡± ¡°Well, still, it¡¯s nice that the sunbae came in second. Congrattions, Adeshan.¡± Ronan grinned broadly. Adeshan, who had been standing quietly, shrugged her shoulders. Navirose, who had been observing the two with interest, handed a scroll to Ronan. ¡°So, what¡¯s this scroll?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my rmendation letter.¡± Navirose exined that with that rmendation letter, they would be allowed to visit most organizations within the empire. From prestigious guilds to even the Imperial Knights, it seemed like the scope of permission was extensive. Ronan¡¯s mouth hung open wider than he expected. It was a bigger reward than he had hoped for. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking about how to get that.¡¯ Ronan epted the rmendation letter politely. He felt like it woulde in handy soon. A strangely satisfied tone flowed from Navirose¡¯s voice. ¡°Anyway, I see you have learned how to use it now.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°The Sword Qi. Didn¡¯t you end it with that?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The submerged memory floated to the surface of his mind. The thin waves that had shot out along Lamanca¡¯s trajectory. ¡®I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡¯ ¡®I thought I was hallucinating because I was in a daze. Could I finally use it?¡¯ Ronan drew his sword right away and swung a sword Qi strike into the air. Shing! While it was very fast, there was no wave-like projection. ¡°Darn, it¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°Calm down and try again.¡± However, no matter how many times he attempted, the result was the same. The fine dust scattered in the wind from the sword wind, that was all. Navirose twisted her lips. ¡°¡­It was weak, but it was definitely Sword Qi. Did you not have any forewarning before manifesting the Sword Qi?¡± ¡°Forewarning?¡± ¡°Yeah. You should have sensed the mana.¡± Come to think of it, he remembered the shock that pierced his body as if struck by lightning. It had been a momentary urrence, but it was an ufortable and eerie sensation. ¡®Was that mana?¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan remembered his first day at the academy. Just before he saw mana, his eyes had itched, just like that time. He wondered if that was also a phenomenon that indicated a curse weakening or being lifted. His heart began to beat faster. Navirose spoke. ¡°It seems that since your senses suddenly opened, you can¡¯t grasp the feel of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sometimes there are cases where people gradually advance a few steps in situations as urgent as yours. You¡¯ll need to regain that sense to learn Sword Qi, but it¡¯s troublesome.¡± Navirose looked at Ronan with an annoyed expression. Ronan shrugged his shoulders. Before his regression, he had crossed that threshold countless times. He was about to say something when Navirose, who had been sulking, opened her mouth with a somewhat displeased tone. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll introduce you to someone. He might be a good-for-nothing most of the time, but when ites to handling mana, he¡¯s somewhat skilled.¡± Chapter 65: Battle Report Chapter 65: Battle Report Navirose looked at Ronan with an expression that seemed to convey her frustration with the world. With a tone of annoyance, she spoke while letting out a sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll introduce you to someone. He might be a good-for-nothing most of the time, but when ites to handling mana, he¡¯s somewhat skilled.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s this useless person you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a mage who¡¯s had a grudge since beforeing to Philleon. I didn¡¯t want to get involved, but there¡¯s no choice now¡­¡± Navirose closed her eyes as if enduring a headache. Ronan, sensing that something big was about to happen, spoke in a whisper. ¡°Hey, Professor. This seems to be rted to a curse. Can¡¯t we just go there directly?¡± ¡°Go? Where are you talking about?¡± ¡°The Dawn Tower. I managed to get some leads somehow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of luck, the Dawn Tower is currently closed to outsiders.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was quite a well-known incident. It was rted to the Neb zier.¡± ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡± Ronan frowned. Navirose had mentioned that like the Gracia family, an extensive investigation was carried out in the Five Magic Towers as well. Three members of the organization were captured at the Dawn Tower. Those who failed to escape triggered an explosion using mana backflow and self-destructed. ¡°I heard it was a pretty big explosion. They said that about three-quarters of the garden was blown away.¡± ¡°Were there many casualties?¡± ¡°No. Aside from the Neb zier members who self-destructed, there were no other fatalities. They caught them early enough to mitigate a lot of the damage, but they say it¡¯s going to take some time to clean up.¡± ¡°Useless bastards who can¡¯t even die properly¡­¡± Ronan rubbed his forehead and took a step back. While it was fortunate that the explosion happened in the garden and not in a building, the situation was still problematic. Even if Sarante¡¯s ring could act as identification for entry, there was a high likelihood that investigations would face obstacles due to the confusion. Navirose stated. ¡°It seems like the situation has taken a turn. For now, go meet the person I¡¯m introducing you to. Who knows if they¡¯ll be of any help.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to¡­¡± ¡°Adeshan, do you remember the ce where mana-intertwined students were taken three months ago?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! You mean Professor Jhordin¡¯s office, right?¡± Navirose narrowed her eyes again upon hearing the name ¡°Jhordin.¡± It was an expression one might have when facing a pile of documents like a mountain. ¡°Yeah¡­Jhordin. You¡¯re probably exhausted by now, so take a rest before going to meet him. Adeshan will guide you.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that. Thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Ronan and Adeshan headed to Arena 1 together. As they walked side by side, Navirose murmured as if in disdain at their retreating backs. ¡°The guy on the shorter side is the one who looks better, but still¡­¡± Thete afternoon sun illuminated the academy grounds. Unlike the raggedy individuals, the neatly dressed students were bustling through the streets. Adeshan looked at the gradually darkening sky and began to speak. ¡°It felt like a long dream. The sun still hasn¡¯t set.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Thanks for today in various ways. Thanks for saving me, listening to my boring stories, and¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. By the way, things worked out well.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°If that person named Jhordin is an expert in mana, he probably doesn¡¯t even know about the mana of the shadow that Sunbae possesses. It¡¯s fortunate that our ns weren¡¯t discovered.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She had momentarily forgotten about it amidst the shocking events of the day. Only now did Adeshan recall her conversation with Ronan on the hill of the nameless ind. ¡°Yeah, tell me about that. What is Shadow Mana?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it either.¡± That was the truth. Ronan only knew about Adeshan possessing such abilities and the terrifying power it held. Adeshan pouted as if spitting out a sigh. ¡°Annoying.¡± ¡°What can I do if I don¡¯t know? But are you prepared?¡± ¡°What do you mean by prepared¡­?¡± ¡°Prepared to be a Grand General. If I¡¯m going to help, you have to be a Grand General no matter what.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose so¡­¡± ¡°Not a lower-ranked officer or even a Gold Rank Warrior. Only a Grand General. Only that position, ruling at the pinnacle of the Imperial Army, has meaning.¡± Ronan¡¯s face as he spoke held no trace of a smile. His sunset-colored eyes gleamed fiercely. Adeshan, who had sighed deeply, nodded heavily. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never really considered anything else.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Ronan grinned. It seemed that things would get busier. They parted ways at the junction leading to the dormitory buildings. Adeshan turned around to look back three times before disappearing around the corner. Ronan, leaning against a fence, muttered as he watched her vanish. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was an apology to his former superior. Her will was never carried out. Adeshan¡¯s life would never be the same again. Ronan stood in the same spot for a while. It wasn¡¯t until the clouds began to turn red that he finally turned and walked away. He had been contemting stopping by the club building before heading to the dormitory. Suddenly, he remembered Ophelia, who had left to research blood magic. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard from her.¡¯ The letter he received just before she left for the Baydian Mountains was thest. Ronan sighed. A feeling of unease clenched at his heart. ¡®Could that mosquito-like girl have possibly outsmarted us and fled?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll have to do some investigation, but it seems certain that something has happened.¡¯ He was just about to enter the club building when Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the boy looking at the map with his hands behind his back. ¡°You¡¯rete, Ronan.¡± ¡°¡­Now I have nothing to say.¡± Shullifen had already changed into a neat school uniform. Ronan looked at his neatlybed hair and clicked his tongue as if annoyed. His appearance contrasted sharply with his own, who was practically draped in tattered clothes. ¡°This ce is still messy, as always. Don¡¯t you and your colleagues understand the concept of cleaning?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the leisure to bber about that. By the way, are you feeling better?¡± ¡°My treatment ended exactly five minutes after you woke up. The healers here aren¡¯t half bad.¡± ¡°Good for you. So, what¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯te here to point out the cleanliness.¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Approaching, Shullifen handed over an envelope. The elegant envelope seemed to hold something as grand as an invitation to a royal ball, stamped with the insignia of the House of Gracia. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ronanzily tore open the envelope. Contrary to his expectations, there was only a single sheet of ordinary paper inside. As he unfolded the paper, his eyes widened. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You remember the condition about adjusting participation frequency, right?¡± The club application form had Shullifen¡¯s personal information elegantly written in beautiful handwriting. Ronan¡¯s lips quivered as if convulsing. The continent¡¯s greatest talent hade into his possession. And much faster than he expected. ¡°Of course. Wee to the club.¡± Ronan managed to suppress his emotions and extended his hand. Shullifen didn¡¯t respond to the handshake and continued to speak. ¡°There¡¯s one more condition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Spar with me every day. Regardless of club activities.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say that, I would have done it anyway.¡± Ronan chuckled. Then, finally, Shullifen shook his hand. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ It felt like touching the back of someone¡¯s heel. His palm, still partially closed, was covered in rough calluses. It was ayer formed from umted, indiscernible effort. ¡®He wasn¡¯t just a genius cultivated solely by his talent.¡¯ Ronan smirked. After the handshake, Shullifen unexpectedly activated the Silent Scroll. From his mouth flowed an extraordinary voice that even conveyed a sense of mission. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about Iril¡¯s moving ns. Now that I¡¯m also a member, I have the qualification.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I at least change my clothes before we discuss this?¡± Shullifen tilted his head. Ronan had to listen to that lunatic¡¯s ns until dawn. **** The day had dawned. Though overcast, there were no signs of rain. The cool, pale white clouds were evenly spread across the sky, giving an impression of serenity. Ronan and Adeshan headed straight to Jhordin¡¯s office. His office was located in Tower 41 on the outskirts of Philleon. Adeshan, still half-awake, stretched and spoke. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve visited Professor Jhordin¡¯s office¡­¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you said you¡¯ve met him before. What exactly does he do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a professor in charge of mana maniption at the Magic Department. He¡¯s friends with Professor Navirose.¡± ¡°Our Professor has friends?¡± ¡°He ims not to be, but¡­ judging by how they speak, it seems to be true. Despite acting as if they¡¯re ignoring each other, there¡¯s an underlying acknowledgement¡­¡± Adeshan continued with his exnation. asionally, in ss, there were students who suffered from tangled mana or a stiffened core, resulting in a state of paralysis. In most cases, Navirose could resolve it, but when all else failed, they would turn to Jhordin for help. Even during Adeshan¡¯sst visit, it was the same situation. Despite Navirose¡¯s best efforts, the mana that couldn¡¯t be untangled was easily resolved by Jhordin with a simple gesture. ¡°He must be incredibly skilled.¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s not from the Martial Arts department, but rather the Magic department, focusing on mana maniption.¡± Soon, they arrived at Tower 41. Unlike the magnificent 13th tower where Varen¡¯s office is located, a very simple, or worse, ugly appearance stood out. Oddly, the tower emanated a gloomy energy, and crows circled above, cawing loudly. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked with skepticism. ¡°Is this the right ce?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ It was like this the other day, but why did it get worse¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t be strange if the tower suddenly copsed, with human bones spilling out. They climbed the spiral staircase and soon stood before a door adorned with Jhordin¡¯s namete. The worn door wasn¡¯t very inviting. As Adeshan raised her hand to knock, a sharp screeching sound apanied the door¡¯s opening. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± A man with sunken eyes and cheeks, resembling a skull, appeared. Startled, Adeshan stumbled backward. ¡°Pr-Professor Jhordin!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re the student I remember. Are you still serving as the assistant to that monster?¡± The man¡¯s voice was raspy and difficult to hear due to the hoarseness. Behind the chain curtain, Jhordin was speaking. Ronan frowned upon hearing the term ¡°professor.¡± ¡®A professor? Him?¡¯ Without a doubt, he thought one of the test subjects had escaped. Jhordin¡¯s skin was a simr shade of light brown to Navirose¡¯s. However, instead of Navirose¡¯s healthy and beautiful crimson, his skin was a sallow, lifeless brown, like a dying horse¡¯s hide. ¡°Well¡­ yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the remarkable student. If it were me, I would have stolen that needlessly long sword and escaped long ago.¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­ even though she¡¯s strict, she¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°Considering you¡¯re still saying that, it seems you haven¡¯t experienced any hardships yet. By the way, why is that good-for-nothing Navirose bothering me again?¡± In a voice so fractured and coarse it was difficult to hear, Adeshan managed to continue. ¡°Th-there¡¯s a student struggling with the Sword Qi manifestation. She said toe and see you¡­ that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even an emergency, yet you¡¯vee to find me. You must be quite a promising student. So, it¡¯s you?¡± Only then did Jhordin turn his gaze toward Ronan. Ronan had to make a significant effort to meet his gaze head-on. The pupils within the eye sockets were faintly tinged with a blue hue. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Ronan. So, you¡¯re having trouble with the Sword Qi manifestation?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a different situation,¡­ but for now, yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amon issue for those just entering the Sword Expert phase. Are youing in?¡± Come to think of it, they had been conversing through the door this whole time. Ronan nodded his head. Suddenly, Jhordin reached out through the crack in the door, extending his palm. ¡°1 gold.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°By the way, that¡¯s per hour. I¡¯m a busy man.¡± For a moment, Ronan thought he must have misheard. Adeshan¡¯s expression froze. As Ronan stayed still, Jhordin continued, seeming frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. Being a Philleon student, you should have plenty of money. It¡¯s only natural that you¡¯d have to pay to do things outside of work.¡± ¡°¡­Are you seriously asking for a gold coin per person?¡± ¡°Indeed, your potential for analysis is quite impressive.¡± Ronan nced back at Adeshan. She was murmuring something with a bewildered expression while folding and unfolding her fingers. She seemed to be assessing her own financial situation. ¡°Damn, of all times¡­¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. The sizable amount of money he had just a few days ago waspletely spent on purchasing his house. While he did have an emergency fund, the problem was making the journey all the way to the distant dormitory building. ¡°I don¡¯t have money right now¡­ What should I do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a way. Just turn around and leave. It would be even better if you beg Navirose to give you some gold coins for me.¡± Ronan closed his eyes tightly. He had a feeling he knew why Navirose disliked this person. If only he could, he¡¯d immediately cut through the nonsense and stomp on that moss-covered old man before striding into the office, but given his circumstances, he couldn¡¯t do that. Ronan sighed in resignation. Just as he was about to answer, Jhordin unexpectedly extended his palm again, as if pressing the conversation. ¡°Wait a moment¡­ what¡¯s that in your pocket?¡± ¡°Pocket?¡± ¡°Yes. The right leg¡¯s pocket.¡± Ronan started rummaging through his pocket. When he took his hand out, he was holding Sarante¡¯s ring. Upon seeing the ring, Jhordin¡¯s eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets. nk! The door suddenly closed, and a rattling sound came from inside. ¡®How many locks did he put on this thing?¡¯ Judging by the sound, there were at least six. nk! The door opened again not long after. Jhordin¡¯s excited voice rang out. ¡°Come in. If you grant my request, you don¡¯t have to pay even a single coin.¡± Chapter 66: Jhordin (1) Chapter 66: Jhordin (1) nk! The door opened again not long after. Jhordin¡¯s excited voice rang out. ¡°Come in. If you grant my request, you don¡¯t have to pay even a single coin.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Come in. Quickly.¡± His attitude had changed so much that it was bewildering. Ronan and Adeshan followed Jhordin almost without thinking. His office gave the impression of being barren rather than clean. Through the excessively high windows, only the pale white sky was visible. Furniture consisted of a desk and drawers ced in the corners of the room, chairs, and a desk ced within arm¡¯s reach. Ronan, who was sniffing around, furrowed his eyebrows. ¡®No smell at all.¡¯ Theck of scent also contributed to the sterile atmosphere. Compared to Varen Panacir¡¯s office, which was always filled with the smell of tea and cookies, it was apletely different environment. Jhordin pointed to the desk. ¡°Take a seat. As you can see, I dislike clutter.¡± There were no pieces of furniture meant for reception. Ronan, leaving a hesitant Adeshan behind, perched himself on Jhordin¡¯s desk. Thud! The moment Jhordin closed the door, the external noise disappearedpletely. ¡°Huh?!¡± Adeshan flinched. The sudden silence was as shocking as a firecracker exploding right next to one¡¯s ear. Ronan asked a question. ¡°Is the entire room under a silence spell?¡± ¡°Yeah. I dislike being disturbed as much as being meddled with.¡± Jhordin fastened each of the differently shaped locks one by one. The sound of the lock clicking was unusually loud. There were seven locks, one more than what Ronan had expected. Jhordin¡¯s office, already devoid of any smell, was like a sensory prison. Jhordin, who had locked all the locks, approached the two. ¡°Well, shall we begin our talk?¡± ¡°Sure. What is your request?¡± ¡°First of all, can you show me that ring?¡± Jhordin extended his hand. After a moment of hesitation, Ronan handed over Sarante¡¯s ring while resting his left hand on his sword handle, ready to react if Jhordin attempted anything untoward. ¡°Don¡¯t handle it too roughly. It¡¯s something a friend gave me.¡± ¡°Of course. But the fact that you consider the giver a friend¡­ that¡¯s quite a valuable connection you have.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be friends with someone who has lived for so long. Seems like well over two thousand years¡­ but he¡¯s not a dragon, he¡¯s an elf. His mana essence is gentle.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Then, Jhordin proceeded to deduce Sarante¡¯s predominant attributes and magical tendencies when using magic. ¡°He mainly dealt with wind magic, but he was proficient in various attributes. He was an impressive mage.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°I have talents like this, so I make a living doing odd jobs.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. He had tried to y it cool, but clearly, he was an exceptional individual. After examining the ring carefully, Jhordin spoke. ¡°Anyway, my request is¡­ to extract a little magic from this ring. Would that be possible?¡± ¡°Extracting magic?¡± ¡°Yes. I needed the mana of a long-lived race that has been using magic for a long time. It¡¯s essential to my experiments.¡± ¡°There are some elves in Philleon, too.¡± ¡°No elves have lived this long.¡± Judging by the way he spoke, Sarante had lived a long time, even by elven standards. Ronan didn¡¯t have to look hard to realize that he was as excited as a child. He didn¡¯t know what he was experimenting on, but he was looking for it. Out of nowhere, Ronan snatched the ring from his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± His tone sounded as if he was warning against even dreaming about it. Jhordin, with an expressionless face, responded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk damaging the ring. What if something goes wrong?¡± ¡°I can assure you that won¡¯t happen. I just need to extract a small amount of magic for the experiment. Even if it slightly diminishes its power, it will quickly restore itself.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t want to do it. I¡¯d rather pay for the entry.¡± ¡°Then get out.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go Adeshan.¡± ¡°R-Ronan?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan swiftly took a step towards the door, about to reach for the first lock. ¡°Wait.¡± Jhordin¡¯s voice caught his leg. Ronan turned his head, careful not to let his smile slip. ¡°What?¡± ¡°In that case, how about this, I¡¯ll help you wholeheartedly until you solve your problem. And I won¡¯t take any money.¡± ¡°What about Adeshan¡¯s problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a slightly different matter.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Eventually, Jhordin surrendered. Ronan spun on his heel and started heading out, a smile starting to creep across his face. Jhordin¡¯s lips twisted as he saw that smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before.¡± Ronan no longer held back hisughter. He hadn¡¯t been fond of the way Jhordin had directly demanded money from the beginning, but he felt slightly better now. Desperation was the best bargaining tool after all. ¡°How long will the magic extraction take?¡± ¡°Shortest would be a few hours, longest a few days. But before that, Let¡¯s focus on resolving your problem.¡± ¡°How long will that take?¡± ¡°Fixing mana impurities should take just a few minutes. First, stand over there so I can assess your condition.¡± Jhordin had Ronan stand in the middle of the office. He ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s back and chanted an unintelligible spell. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Aedeshan marveled at the mana coursing through Ronan¡¯s skin. Jhordin, with his eyes closed while analyzing Ronan¡¯s condition, couldn¡¯t hide his smug smile. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just a few days ago, your senses were intact. It was only a day¡­ even at its longest, it felt like two. Have you really never sensed mana before?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve manifested a sword Qi¡­¡± Jhordin¡¯s expression gradually hardened. His palm, which had been moving down his spine, stopped at the back of his heart. His voice came out as if he were chewing on his words. ¡°¡­Are you under a curse?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Because nothing else makes sense. There should definitely be traces of mana flowing through your body, but now it¡¯spletely blocked. It was too subtle; I almost missed it.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t even mention it, but it was the first time I¡¯d been caught since Sarante. Ronan sighed lightly.¡¯ ¡°¡­So it¡¯s a curse after all. Is there no way to undo it?¡± ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll try to forcefully break it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®Forcefully?¡¯ Ronan was about to turn his head. Suddenly, a shock hit him as if he had been struck by lightning. It felt like the sensation when he shot his de at Shullifen. The sharp pain, starting from his chest, spread throughout his body through his veins. Ronan clutched his head and crouched down. Thankfully, the pain subsided within a few seconds. ¡°Damn it, are you out of your mind¡­¡± ¡°Grraaaah!¡± Just as Ronan was about to turn his head while cursing, blood spurted from Jhordin¡¯s mouth. A crescent-shaped spray of blood sttered the floor. Adeshan came running in, horrified. ¡°Professor?!¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Cough, ughhh¡­ Get out of the way¡­!¡± Ronan noticed that blood was not onlying from Jhordin¡¯s mouth but also from his nose, eyes, and ears. He staggered and rushed to the desk, rummaging through drawers in a frenzy. Finally, he found a vial that seemed like a potion and brought it to his mouth. Gulp! It took exactly three seconds for the liquid to pass down his throat. Then, once again, blood exploded from Jhordin¡¯s mouth as if it were a burst dam. ¡°Kerhhhh!¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Mixed with the potions, it seemed like there was even more of it. Meanwhile, Lamancha was absorbing the blood that sttered on the sword¡¯s de. Ronan rushed over to support him. His slender body trembled like a twig in a storm. ¡®Dammit! He is not going to die like this, is he?¡¯ The situation looked serious. To make matters worse, Cita was in Nimbuten. Ronan estimated the distance to the nearest infirmary. Suddenly, Jhordin, who had knocked away Ronan¡¯s hand, clung to the bookshelf like a cicada. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Okay, pick up the book I¡¯m talking about. Top left, third column, fifth from the right¡­!¡± ¡°The ones at the top, I¡¯ll take those!¡± Ronan and Adeshan each pulled out a book pointed out by Jhordin. A total of ten books were pulled out. ¡®This array¡­ Where was it?¡¯ Ronan smirked. The sight of the books sporadically missing from the bookshelf looked somewhat familiar. Jhordin, after confirming the appearance of the bookshelf, shouted while vomiting blood. ¡°Kashpa, Lunazi, Delperim¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± It was an incantation from memory. There had definitely been a time when Elizabeth chanted it. Kugugung! Suddenly, the bookshelf pushed backward, revealing a long, dark corridor. Ronan twisted his lips. He knew where this passage led. Jhordin turned forward. ¡°Kuh¡­ Cough¡­ Crawk¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Adeshan,e with me.¡± ¡°Ye-yeah.¡± Ronan lifted Jhordin and dashed down the corridor. Just when he thought everything was turningpletely dark, a familiar space revealed itself. Adeshan, with round eyes, looked around. ¡°Wh-where is this?¡± A massive library covered in books on all sides. It was the office of the curse professor, Sekreet. A distant voice echoed from somewhere. ¡°Wee. Jhordin.¡± ¡°Sekreet!¡± Ronan eximed. A child, who had been reading a book while seated in the middle of the library, stood up with wide eyes. ¡°Ronan? Why are you here¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, and there¡¯s no time for greetings. Take a look at him.¡± ¡°Jhordin? What happened to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He copsed suddenly while trying to open my mana.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying. Anyway, let¡¯s see.¡± Ronanid Jhordin on the floor. Since the sun was still up, Sekreet had the appearance of a child. Wrinkles appeared on his young forehead as he ced his hand on Jhordin¡¯s forehead. ¡°Huh, what a reckless thing to do.¡± ¡°Why did this happen?¡± ¡°Your curse was transferred in a minuscule amount. I¡¯m going to extract it now.¡± Muttering something, Sekreet removed his hand from Jhordin¡¯s forehead. A shadow-like substance, wriggling like a snake, was drawn out of his palm. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Ronan frowned. It looked like a miniature version of the shadow he had seen in the alternative world. Sekreet swung his hand as if casting a spell. The wriggling shadow on the floor made eerie sounds as it writhed. -¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!! At the moment the shadow leaped toward Jhordin again, Ronan pulled out his scabbard. Swoosh! Lamancha¡¯s de made a shing motion, splitting the shadow in half. Ronan muttered as if chewing on his words. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m out of luck this morning.¡± -¡ö¡ö¡­. The shadow disappeared as if blown away by the wind. Jhordin¡¯s convulsions stopped. He hastily sat up and vomited the blood from his mouth. ¡°Shit, ughhh¡­ damn it¡­!¡± ¡°Jhordin, you got lucky. If you were a bitte, you¡¯d be dead.¡± Sekreet handed him a water bottle. Jhordin, sitting on the floor, wiped his mouth and got up. Bloodstains below his nose and eyes were gruesome. ¡°Phew¡­ did you two know each other before?¡± ¡°Yeah. We talked about it once. He said he¡¯s been cursed by something unprecedented.¡± ¡°So it was this student, damn it¡ª.¡± Ronan arched an eyebrow. Sekeet and Jhordin seemed to have some sort of rapport. They began to discuss the curse upon them. Ronan interrupted, cutting them off. ¡°What happened, is everything okay now?¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s hard to say I¡¯m alive because of you, because your curse nearly killed me.¡± ¡°How did my curse get transferred to the professor?¡± ¡°It was my carelessness. Even though it was a powerful curse, I thought it would be fine since it had been deflected once¡­ turned out, it wasn¡¯t.¡± Jhordin said the moment he touched Ronan¡¯s mana flow, the curse was transferred. His face was as pale as a corpse, and he wiped away the blood that dripped from his ear while speaking. ¡°But at least I achieved my goal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°To some extent. I seeded in slightly enhancing your sensory perception. Sekreet, take a look.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sekreet, who had been standing behind him, ced a hand on Ronan¡¯s back, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°Really, Jhordin. How did this happen-!¡± ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°Ronan. Have you recently met your father?¡± ¡°What kind of stupid question is that?¡± ¡°Then have you fallen into a pit filled with cursed eyes, or experienced an event significant enough to greatly affect the curse?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t really experienced anything like that.¡± Ronan scratched his head as he spoke. While there had been many events, there weren¡¯t any that seemed particrly connected to the curse. At most, he had received a ring from Sarante. Sekreet spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know why these things are happening, but¡­ the curse seems to have weakened since Ist saw it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just as I said. There¡¯s a strange power within you, as peculiar as the curse itself, weakening it. Like a storm gradually eroding a rock.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was hearing. But the important thing right now wasn¡¯t to understand the cause. ¡°Then, can I¡­ now manipte or sense mana?¡± ¡°In theory, yes. Since Jhordin managed to clear that blocked path. However, this particr curse isn¡¯t something that can be fixed immediately. To fully control mana, you¡¯ll have to gradually weaken the curse, almost like peeling offyers of an onion.¡± Sekreet was looking at Ronan, his eyes filled with amazement, as if he had just witnessed a miracle. Ronan couldn¡¯t hide his excitement either. Finally, he had managed to retrieve the sword technique that even those less skilled than monkeys used. In an ted voice, Ronan asked, ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Assuming consistent training every day¡­ I think about 20 years should do.¡± ¡°Damn, 20 years?¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. He had only been expecting maybe a year at most, but twenty years? It was enough time for those bald men who went around the world destroying everything to have a family, build a house, and settle down. Ronan was about to say something when Jhordin, who had been sitting silently, spoke up. ¡°¡­No, it won¡¯t take that long.¡± Chapter 67: Jhordin (2) Chapter 67: Jhordin (2) Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. He had only been expecting maybe a year at most, but twenty years? It was enough time for those bald men who went around the world destroying everything to have a family, build a house, and settle down. Ronan was about to say something when Jhordin, who had been sitting silently, spoke up. ¡°¡­No, it won¡¯t take that long.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°There was resilience in your mana blood. Depending on the efforts you put in, it could be shortened further.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you say so, then it must be true. In that case, I¡¯ll need to create a separate training method. Just saying this child is unique isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s¡­ frustrating.¡± Sigh! Jhordin, who was trying to sit up, hesitated and sat back down. It seemed strength hadn¡¯t fully returned to his legs yet. Ronan reached out his hand and said, ¡°Do you need a hand?¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just do it here.¡± Suddenly, Jhordin sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes with both hands resting on his knees. Suaaah- Strange breathing sounds began to escape from Jhordin¡¯s slightly parted lips. Sekreet¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. ¡°Oh, have you alreadye up with something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not urate yet, but the rough structure should be right.¡± ¡°His genius remains unchanged. Truly worthy of Manwol¡¯s Full moon tower top mage¡± ¡°It¡¯s just pointless history.¡± Ronan smirked. Based on how Jhordin was sitting, it seemed like a simple posture for mana cultivation, so he couldn¡¯t understand why he was so impressed. Jhordin looked at him and said, ¡°Sit with your back to me, in the same position.¡± Ronan did as he was told. Jhordin ced his hands on both sides of Ronan¡¯s shoulder des. Remembering the recent events just a few minutes ago, Ronan asked with an uneasy voice, ¡°You¡¯re not going to make blood spurt out again, right?¡± ¡°Probably. Prepare yourself, I will open your senses again.¡± ¡°Yes? Wait a moment¡­¡± Quang! The shock struck again, spreading through his veins. Ronan clenched his teeth. His toes were curling up like a squid caught in a. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± For a moment, he had the urge to neatly split Jhordin¡¯s body in half. Although the pain was much milder than the two previous times, the fiery sensation still couldn¡¯t be avoided. Ronan turned his head. Jhordin¡¯s face came into view, his bloodshot eyes wide open. Seeing him enduring pain several times worse than his own, Ronan forgot what he was about to say. ¡°Shit, are you okay?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ yeah. Is it very painful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying, but I can bear it. This time the pain issting longer.¡± Ronan frowned in displeasure. If the pain he had experienced up to now had rushed in and disappeared in an instant, this pain was lingering, stabbing at his whole body. ¡°Good, that¡¯s normal.¡± Jhordin sighed with relief. He slowly moved his numb fingers and continued speaking. ¡°The maximum amount of mana you can currently utilize is roughly 0.01 Langstol.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, I don¡¯t know what it means.¡± ¡°Just understand that it¡¯s ridiculously low. If the average amount of mana a sword user wields is a cup of water, yours is just about as much as an ant¡¯s spit.¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say it wouldn¡¯t take that long?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. He was afraid of what woulde next. He couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure when he heard lines like ¡®Right, it won¡¯t take 20 years, maybe around 17 years.¡¯ But Jhordin was a much more knowledgeable and capable person than Ronan had thought. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re already making progress with your efforts. You could fill up 20 years, but if you do well, you could finish it within 5 years.¡± ¡°Five years¡­ that¡¯s quite hopeful. What do I have to do?¡± ¡°The most basic thing is to practice the mana cultivation method I¡¯ll teach you from now on, every day.¡± Ronan¡¯s lips twisted hearing the term ¡®mana cultivation.¡¯ It was the subject he expected to receive the only failing grade in Philleon. He had be ustomed to the looks of pity and disappointment from Professors, with equal parts sympathy and disdain. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never seeded in mana cultivation before, is that okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens when ipetent people teach. If you do as I say, it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°You sounded a bit cool just now. I feel like I¡¯m starting to understand why you¡¯re friends with the Professors.¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll infuse mana into your body. Remember the flow of mana even if it¡¯s a bit painful.¡± Remember the flow? Before he could mention it, Jhordin released mana. Precisely measured for Ronan¡¯s thin mana veins, a minuscule amount of mana flowed through his bloodstream. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Concentrate.¡± Ronan involuntarily shuddered. It was a strange sensation, as if washing the inside of his body with water. The mana entering through his back spread throughout his body and converged in his heart. From the heart, the mana that had been pulsating flowed through his veins and reached his fingertips and earlobes. Ronan understood Jhordin¡¯s words about remembering the flow. Mana wasn¡¯t haphazardly moving, but flowing with its own direction. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Now circte it. Inhale and exhale slowly, gathering and releasing mana.¡± Jhordin exined the breathing technique and continued to infuse mana. Ronan adjusted his breathing intervals as Jhordin instructed. Soon, eerie wind-like sounds began to emerge from his mouth. Suaaah- ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Remember that sensation. Do you have a rough idea of the direction mana is flowing?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ kind of.¡± ¡°Give it a try.¡± Jhordin removed his hands from Ronan¡¯s back. Ronan moved the remaining mana in his body along the path he had just felt. His breathing sound changed once again. Jhordin muttered in amazement. ¡°You memorized it all at once¡­ You¡¯ll receive a lot of Navirose¡¯s love.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a really strange feeling. Is this mana cultivation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a mana cultivation method meaningful only to you.¡± Jhordin stood up. His already pale face became even paler. Walking unsteadily, he reached for the water bottle on Sekreet¡¯s desk and gulped it down in one go. ¡°Puh¡­ Repeat that every day. It might be a bit bothersome now, but once you get used to it, you¡¯ll be able to practice even while moving or speaking.¡± ¡°Without Professor¡¯s assistance?¡± ¡°Yeah. I injected my mana to help you quickly get ustomed to the sensation. The mana you need will naturally seep into your body just by breathing. So you don¡¯t need to make any effort to absorb mana separately. Not yet, at least.¡± At that moment, the mana circting within Jhordin dissipated. Ronan controlled his mana by inhaling and exhaling, just as he had learned. Suaaah- Sensing the mana flowing through his veins once again, Ronan opened his eyes wide. ¡°So, this is mana¡­¡± It was a touching moment. Despite being described as a tiny amount of mana, it wasn¡¯t that important. What mattered was that from now on, he could manipte and feel mana. The path to mastering the sword, and even further, the path to enlightenment, had opened up. It was only now that Ronan understood why Sekreet was so shocked. Jhordin had developed a mana cultivation method optimized specifically for him in that short amount of time. With a wry smile, Ronan said, ¡°Thank you, Professor. Seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I guess today¡¯s session will end here¡­¡± Jhordin looked at his trembling hands. He took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Alright, since I kept my promise, you should keep yours too.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°About the ring. Since mana extraction will be done quickly, hurry up and¡­¡± ¡°Professor!¡± Thud! Jhordin couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and copsed. Thanks to Adeshan¡¯s swift reaction, his head didn¡¯t hit the ground. Ronan quickly stood him up and shook his shoulders, shouting, ¡°Damn it, wake up!¡± ¡°Ring¡­ that ring¡­¡± Still sprawled out on the ground, Jhordin mumbled incoherently. Ronan, spoke with a perplexed tone. ¡°No, really, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± ¡°R-ring¡­ that ring¡­¡± ¡°Why is sekreet acting like this all of a sudden? Is it because of the curse again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s temporary exhaustion due to the aftereffects of the curse and a momentary impulse disorder. I¡¯ve been wondering how long it would take for this to happen.¡± ¡°What, then you knew he was about to copse and still didn¡¯t stop?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s not the type to listen even if I tell him.¡± Jhordin continued to chant about the ring in a mosquito-like voice. Seeing him repeat the same words without focus, it seemed like a kind of madness. Sekreet touched his chin gently and spoke. ¡°Is that ring something he needs for his research?¡± ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡± ¡°I see. I guess he still hasn¡¯t given up yet¡ª.¡± ¡°Is he sick or something? It sounds weird to say this, but it seems like he¡¯s thinking about money a bit too much.¡± ¡°There are circumstances behind it. He wasn¡¯t always like this.¡± Sekreet¡¯s eyes held a profound sense of pity as he looked at Jhordin. After a moment of silence, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­For now, we can¡¯t leave him like this. Let¡¯s take him to the infirmary or something. We¡¯ll continue this conversationter.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what we should do.¡± Ronan lifted Jhordin. They walked back along the corridor to Jhordin¡¯s office. When they turned their heads, the passage leading to Sepharachio had disappeared as if it had never been there. Adeshan said, ¡°The nearest infirmary is in Lexion Hall. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not too far.¡± Ronan nodded. The locks were still open. It was when he reached for the doorknob. Out of nowhere, Jhordin¡¯s right arm shot up. ng ng! All seven locks snapped shut simultaneously, sealing the entrance. Startled, the two of them took a step back. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this surprise? What are you doing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long¡­ I will¡­ meet you¡­ again¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Long-lived race¡­ found a clue¡­ I won¡¯t send you away¡­ beloved¡­¡± Jhordin was muttering something. Unlike a little while ago, where he was fixated on the ring, his incoherent babbling now revolved around vague thoughts that seemed to pop up in his mind. He seemed like someone deeply intoxicated by alcohol. ¡®Is this also a type of impulse disorder?¡¯ Somehow, it seemed like the situation was getting worse. Ronan, who had regained hisposure, cautiously unlocked the first lock. Jhordin raised his arm again. ng! The lock firming up again made Ronan curse in frustration. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°The ring¡­ the¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s really losing it. Sunbae, try to knock him out or something.¡± ¡°Knock¡­ out?¡± ¡°Well, that might be necessary, but we should get him to the infirmary even if we have to do that. He¡¯s not in his right mind.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Adeshan examined Jhordin¡¯splexion. His pale pupils still shook without focus. Amidst his nonsensical rambling, he suddenly mumbled like a child. ¡°¡­Want to go back.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sensing the flow of mana, Ronan turned his head. In that instant, the previously empty office floor began to move. The stone tiles rearranged themselves, creating a spiral staircase leading downward. Ronan and Adeshan stared at this strange sight, frozen in ce. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± They approached the staircase. From the dark lower floor, an indescribable smell wafted up. It was a mixture of books, ink, metallic tang, and an unknown floral scent. Jhordin, who had been muttering iprehensible phrases, let out a bewildered gasp. ¡°Go down¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you back to your senses?¡± ¡°Go down. Roses suit you better than tulips.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Jhordin still didn¡¯t seem entirely coherent. He continued to repeat the phrase urging them to go down. Eventually, Ronan gave in and ced his foot on the staircase. ¡°Is this okay¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be alright.¡± Ronan began descending the stone staircase. Adeshan, hesitating for a moment, followed behind him. As they walked through the darkness, suddenly, the surroundings brightened. Ronan and Adeshan simultaneously looked up. Light emanated from arge, transparent ss container. ¡°Where did you get that?¡± ¡°I just picked up what was on the desk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the readiness of a general.¡± The shadows created by the candles were dancing on the stairs. They reached the bottom floor before long. There was an iparably wider space than the office. Ronan murmured as if he was at a loss. ¡°No wonder it felt smaller on the insidepared to how it looked from the outside¡­¡± As they descended the stairs, they suddenly realized that the floor was covered in books. The scene looked like a book tomb, with books strewn about like corpses and stacked in bundles. Adeshan stumbled and staggered. ¡°Watch out!¡± ¡°Be careful, do you want me to hold your hands?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± With his left hand supporting Jhordin, Ronan extended his right hand. After a moment of hesitation, Adeshan grabbed it. Together, they walked deeper into the tomb of books. ¡°Can you smell the floral fragrance from over there?¡± ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± It was as Ronan said. A thick scent of flowers was wafting from the darkness. They were on their way along the path of smell. Jhordin, who had been silent for a while, murmured softly. ¡°Look¡­¡± In an instant, the area in front of them brightened. Ronan and Adeshan simultaneously looked up. Light was pouring out from arge, transparent ss container. Both of their eyes widened. ¡°A woman?¡± ¡°Th- this is¡­!¡± Inside a ss tube filled with a clear liquid, a naked woman stood with her eyes closed. ¡°Is she dead¡­?¡± She was a beautiful woman, with flowing auburn hair that resembled fine grass. No bubbles rose from her lips, which were pressed together as if she were holding her breath. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± In front of the ss coffin was a pile of roses. Most of them were wilted or withered, but the ones on top were as fresh as if they¡¯d been picked today. A couple of steps away, there stood an old bed, a desk, and a chair. Ronan¡¯s gaze suddenlynded on the book spread out on the desk. The thick tome, thick enough to be used as a pillow, had be so worn that even turning the next page required determination. Ronan cautiously picked up the book. On the half-cracked cover was arge scrawl of what he assumed to be the title. Ronan read it slowly. ¡°On¡­ resurrection¡­?¡± Chapter 68: Jhordin (3) Chapter 68: Jhordin (3) Ronan cautiously picked up the book. On the slightly worn cover, there wererge letters that could be assumed to be the title. ¡°On¡­ resurrection¡­?¡± Suddenly, dozens of ink bottles rolling around caught his eye. All of them were empty. On the desk, there were several feather pens stained with ink stains scattered around. ¡°Could he have written this himself?¡± It seemed that Jhordin had personally written this book. Ronan slowly turned over the pages. On each page, there were dates and records of each day. The first record was from the Imperial Calendar year 1031. It had been written a whopping 17 years ago. [¡­Fortunately, preservation treatment could be carried out before corruption progressed. I agree with the opinions of the Dervat monks that the body is a vessel for the soul. If the vessel remains intact, Sunya will undoubtedly return.] ¡°Sunya? Is that a woman¡¯s name?¡± Ronan turned his head. Adeshan had her hand on the ss, staring at the woman as if entranced. Earlier, he hadn¡¯t noticed, but the woman appeared to be about the same age as Iril at most, or slightly older. Ronan, who had been silent for a moment, twisted his lips. ¡°¡­He was researching to resurrect his dead wife.¡± As if to refute him, stories of death and resurrection were haphazardly scribbled in the middle of the book. It covered topics ranging from afterlife in myths and religions spread across the continent, to information about necromancy, a form of dark magic. Ronan gently ced Jhordin on the bed next to him and picked up the book again. With delicate movements, as if handling a newborn baby, he began to skim through the contents. [Today, Sunya was beautiful as always, and the 22nd attempt at resurrection failed. The money earned from selling medals is running low. Navirose came to visit after a long time. When I told her to go after seeing my wife, she punched me in the face.] [I returned from my trip to the northern region, but there were no significant results. I resigned from all my positions and left Manwol Full moon tower. Honor is worth less than fallen leaves underfoot. I need more money.] [With the help of Kratir, I was able to transfer Sunya. From today, I am a professor at Philleon. Currently, it is the job where I can earn the highest sry.] As Ronan flipped through the pages, his expression grew darker. There was hardly any trace of cheerfulness in the handwritten diary. [77th resurrection attempt: 2kg of adamantine + 432g of ogre¡¯s heart (failed)] As he read, it seemed he understood the reason for his obsession with money. The records of resurrection attempts were detailed across hundreds of attempts. Mostly utilizing magic that required catalysts or alchemy, the issuey in the materials involved. In the 102nd attempt, the expensive outer skin of a Gold Red scaled lizard was used as a catalyst, more expensive than an average house. ¡°Damn it, even if I were paid ten coppers per hour, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Ronan skipped through the middle content and went straight to thest pages. Judging by the date, it was written yesterday. [I want to hear Sunya¡¯s voice. I need to attempt the 144th resurrection, but I haven¡¯t acquired the pure mana of a long-lived race and the essence of pure blood yet. I think i should ept their proposal.] The diary was cut off there. A pristine white note was inserted between the pages of the book. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Their proposal?¡± An uneasy feeling washed over him. Of all colors, it had to be white, another stroke of bad luck. He was about to turn back to the previous pages to find a clue when suddenly Adeshan¡¯s exmation came from behind. ¡°Profes-, Professor!¡± ¡°Dammit, you scared me.¡± Unconsciously, Ronan grabbed the note. As he quickly turned his head, he caught sight of Jhordin sitting up with his upper body, his dry voice escaping irregr breaths. ¡°¡­You witnessed quite a scene.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jhordin slowly looked around. He saw his secretboratory and the two frozen figures. In Ronan¡¯s hand was the report and diary he had beenpiling throughout his life. Jhordin spoke. ¡°Very well done.¡± Shu-a-a-ack! Suddenly, mana from the surroundings gathered towards Jhordin. Adeshan, sensing the ominous energy, took a sharp breath. Ronan, cing his hand on the hilt of his sword, retorted. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t misunderstand, but both Sunbae and I came down because you told us to.¡± ¡°Pr-professor Jhordin, please calm down!¡± Instead of responding, Jhordin raised his hand. It was the moment when Ronan was about to pull his sword. Thwack! In the same instant he snapped his fingers into the air, the naked woman¡¯s body was covered with a white dress. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Jhordin stood up. The gathered mana dispersed like mist. Walking toward the ss, he looked at the woman and spoke. ¡°I apologize, Sunya. I didn¡¯t anticipate a guest.¡± ¡°Jhordin?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean forget what my wife¡¯s form looks like.¡± Suddenly, Jhordin turned and stared at Ronan. His blue eyes burned fiercely from within. As Ronan observed the mana surging above his shoulders, he swallowed hard. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± He was one of the most powerful wizards Ronan had ever encountered. Unable to predict the oue, and with no reason to fight, Ronan raised both hands and stammered. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll forget.¡± ¡°Really, you think so?¡± ¡°Yes. So please calm down a bit. You¡¯re not nning to tear us apart with magic, right?¡± ¡°Why would I do such a thing? It¡¯s a consequence of my carelessness.¡± The tension subsided. From Jhordin¡¯s words, it seemed he remembered to some extent what he had done. Jhordin pointed to the book with his chin and spoke. ¡°By the way, why are you holding that?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± ¡°Never mind. Did you happen to read its contents?¡± ¡°No, I just picked it up a moment ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Jhordin, approaching unsteadily, snatched the book away. His gait was still unstable, indicating that the aftereffects of the curse lingered. As he sat down on the bed as if copsing, he spoke. ¡°¡­You two are the first students toe in here.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± ¡°I know. And if you¡¯re not idiots, you probably have some idea of what I¡¯m doing.¡± Ronan and Adeshan nodded at each other while facing Jhordin. Jhordin let out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to keep this a secret.¡± ¡°Of course. Who would we even tell in the first ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ And one more thing, Ronan, do you currently have the ring?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Since things havee to this point, it might be better to extract it now. Is that okay?¡± Ronan let out a bitter chuckle. Even after regaining his senses, the obsession hadn¡¯t changed. He retrieved the ring from his pants pocket. The gem-studded ring emitted a faint aura of Sarante¡¯s magic. ¡°Feel free to proceed. It¡¯s been a while since I detached it from my body anyway, so this works out.¡± ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s do this as quickly as possible.¡± Taking the ring, Jhordin sat down at the desk. He started the process of extracting the magic using precise tools. Ronan and Adeshan stood side by side in front of the ss. Adeshan, gazing at Sunya with a regretful expression, spoke. ¡°She¡¯s incredibly beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still so young¡­ I wonder what happened to her.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Judging by her clean body, it was likely a soldier or poison that ended her life. Ronan clicked his tongue softly. Although he had never experienced the love between lovers himself, he couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable. He couldn¡¯t fully empathize with the concept of love, but the feeling still troubled him. The two of them strolled through Jhordin¡¯s secret space as if taking a walk. Adeshan scanned the surroundings with an energy that seemed like she would mentally transnt this ce as a whole. It was a habit that formed the foundation of her insight. ¡°It seems quite uneasy.¡± On the other hand, Ronan walked in silence, staring at the ground. An unfamiliar anxiety. His gut feeling, so to speak, was sending him warnings. ¡°Even though I haven¡¯t experienced love¡­ I¡¯ve seen many people mess up their lives because of it.¡± Among his fellow disciplinary unit members, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find those who killed wayward lovers or who were led astray by killing someone for their beloved. Ronan saw love as a form of poison. Love kills dragons, turns empires¡¯ shining stars into dementia patients, and can turn even the kindest person into a ruthless criminal. Jhordin was already a person consumed by an irreversible obsession. From the contents of his diary and his actions, it was clear that he would do ¡®anything¡¯ to resurrect his wife. ¡®If those bastards try to tempt him¡­¡¯ That¡¯s what heightened Ronan¡¯s unease. If Neb zier approached him with a certain way to save his wife, if they offered to help in exchange for something, Jhordin would likely go along with it, even knowing it was wrong. ¡®I have to prevent that scenario.¡¯ Ronan put his hand into his pocket. He touched the note he had grabbed earlier. At that moment, Jhordin¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ enough.¡± ¡°Already?¡± The two returned to Jhordin. He took off his bifocals and handed over the ring, which hadpleted its extraction. Indeed, the mana flowing out as Jhordin had said showed no noticeable change. ¡°Did you extract it properly? I don¡¯t see any difference.¡± ¡°I was surprised too¡­ It¡¯s not the outward flow that matters¡­ There¡¯s much more magic contained within¡­¡± Jhordin stood up. His thin legs trembled like a newborn animal trying to stand. He seemed even more exhausted than before, likely due to expending significant energy in extracting the magic. He ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s shoulder and took a deep breath. ¡°Thank you¡­ I never imagined I¡¯d obtain something like this¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. Thanks to you, I seeded in sensing mana.¡± ¡°You¡­ You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been searching for this¡­ Since you¡¯ve kept your promise, I¡¯ll fulfill the rest of mine¡­ If you face difficulties,e to me anytime¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Well then¡­ Should we call it a day for today? I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ I can¡¯t keep my eyes open any longer¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go back, Adeshan.¡± Ronan turned his back. It was a fortunate turn of events given his tension due to the note. He was just about to take a step when Jhordin¡¯s voice caught him. Without turning his head, Ronan replied. In that moment, a chill ran down his spine as if a ghost had brushed against him. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Jhordin¡¯s voice held him in ce. Ronan answered without looking back. An eerie feeling, as if he¡¯d been caught, crawled up his neck. ¡®Did I get caught?¡¯ Cold sweat trickled down his spine. Jhordin spoke slowly and intermittently. ¡°Don¡¯t forget¡­ Mana training¡­ You must do it every day¡­ Don¡¯t let talent make youcent¡­ Twenty years might not be enough if you ck off due to indulgence¡­¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Skilled masters can practice mana maniption even in the midst of battle. You should strive for that goal too¡­¡± Only then did Ronan turn his head. Jhordin seemed like he could copse any moment, nodding off as he spoke. His gaze shifted to Adeshan. ¡°And you¡­ Navirose¡¯s assistant¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Professor?¡± ¡°Your name was Adeshan, right? You¡­ I think I need to have a closer look at you¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Last time, I couldn¡¯t sense anything, but¡­ It¡¯s strange¡­ I sense a different energy from you than from Ronan¡­¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. After finishing his words, Jhordin lowered his head. Not long after, a faint snoring sound began to spread. Together with Adeshan, Ronan left Tower 41. It wasn¡¯t until they reached a side street where the tower was no longer visible that he finally let out a relieved sigh. ¡®I thought I got caught.¡¯ ¡°Are you okay? You look pale.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a moment¡­¡± The weather remained overcast. Shadows cast by the clouds nketed the surroundings. Ronan put his hand into his pocket and retrieved the note he had sneaked a nce at earlier. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe just a note about what to eat for dinner¡­¡± It could be an overactive imagination, but Ronan was envisioning the worst possible future. He could only hope that the identity of ¡®them¡¯ mentioned in the diary wasn¡¯t limited to just Neb zier. Ronan took a deep breath and unfolded the note. Contrary to his expectations, the slightly rough paper held no writing at all. ¡°Huh?¡± However, there was a reddish stain on the otherwise empty space. The color seemed unusual, not like ink or paint. Ronan raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Adeshan, who had been examining the note, furrowed her brow. ¡°Hmm¡­ Isn¡¯t it bloodstains?¡± ¡°Blood? Ah, yeah, it kind of looks like that.¡± Ronan nodded, but his sense of unease deepened. There must have been a reason this item was carefully tucked amidst the pages of the important book. The bloodstain ced right in the center of the paper seemed deliberately positioned, giving off an arbitrary sensation. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something about this¡­¡± Ronan squinted at the bloodstain, trying to discern any meaning. However, he couldn¡¯t make anything out. It seemed to be something magically altered, yet he couldn¡¯t grasp any sense of it. ¡®Should I show this to Elizabeth too?¡¯ Ronan pondered, considering whether to take the note to Elizabeth. Just as he was about to fold the note again, ¨C Shuaaak! ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± He almost dropped the note. Suddenly, the bloodstain started spreading as if exploding outward. The reddish traces that had been spreading across the paper began to take on a specific shape before finallying to a halt. Adeshan steadied her startled heart and mumbled, ¡°A¡­ a map?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Hearing the word ¡°map,¡± Ronan examined the note. Indeed, upon listening to Adeshan¡¯s words, it seemed to resemble a map of some location. Just then, a familiar voice reached them from behind. ¡°Long time no see, Ronan. And the youngdy by your side.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head. There stood a girl with her hood pulled tightly over her head. From beneath her hood, with her brows furrowed deeply, she addressed Ronan and Adeshan with a mix of confusion in her voice. ¡°¡­Ophelia?¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you been waiting long?¡± It was a face he hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time. It was Ophelia, the one who had left to research blood magic with the feather of Cita. Her red eyes glinted from within the shadows cast by her hood. Chapter 69: Blood Hook (1) Chapter 69: Blood Hook (1) Ronan turned his head. A girl with her hood pulled down to the tip of her head stood there. Inside the shadow cast over her face, her red eyes were sparkling. ¡°¡­Ophelia?¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you been waiting long?¡± It was Ophelia, the girl who had left to study blood magic with a feather from Cita. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Aren¡¯t you the girl who came for the club interview¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve grown taller¡­¡± ¡°Wow, how did you know? You¡¯re Ophelia, a third year Potion student, right?¡± Adeshan eximed, pping her hands. Indeed, she had grown by about the width of a finger over the past month, reaching a height of 176cm. Ronan, who had been frozen, opened his mouth. ¡°Is your research all finished?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not perfect, but¡­to some extent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Honestly, I thought you just took the feather and ran away.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I had some things to deal with.¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice carried a considerable sense of fatigue. It seemed like she had gone through her own struggles during the time they were separated. Although there was a pile of questions, there were other matters to attend to now. Ronan raised the note that had be a map and asked. ¡°By the way, what did you do? All of a sudden it looks like this.¡± ¡°Yeah. When I saw you struggling with the envelope¡­¡± ¡°Envelope?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see you didn¡¯t know.¡± Ophelia muttered. Unexpectedly, her voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. [That¡­ is a letter made with blood magic.] ¡°You surprised me. Why did you suddenly use telepathy¡­¡± Instead of answering, Ophelia turned her gaze to Adeshan. ¡®Come to think of it, Adeshan still didn¡¯t know that Ophelia was a vampire.¡¯ Ronan, who had been trailing off, nodded his head. ¡°I understand.¡± [Thank you. Itpresses information into a single drop of blood¡­ Opening the envelope means infusing mana to unravel the information contained in the blood.] Ophelia continued her exnation through telepathy. Letters using blood were a method that vampires favored when exchanging confidential information. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Adeshan chuckled at the sudden descent into silence. There was some secretive current flowing between the two that she was unaware of. Adeshan alternated her gaze between the now silent Ronan and Ophelia. Even under the shadow, Ophelia¡¯s face was beautiful as if it was radiating light. p! Adeshan, who had been in momentary silence, suddenly pped her hands and spoke. ¡°Oh, by the way, I forgot that the professor asked me to organize some documents.¡± ¡°Adeshan?¡± ¡°Sorry. Let¡¯s talkter.¡± ¡°Are you upset about something? Why is your expression¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Ophelia sunbae, I¡¯ll head back first.¡± Her tone was strangely chilly. Adeshan turned around and left with those words. Her steps were noticeably quicker than usual. Ophelia, who had been watching her retreating figure, muttered. ¡°Perfect timing¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. We couldn¡¯t keep standing here forever.¡± ¡°I wonder why she¡¯s upset¡­?¡± ¡°Who knows? Women can be unpredictable. Anyway, Ophelia, let¡¯s discuss the rest elsewhere.¡± Ophelia looked around and nodded her head. It was clear that the surroundings were not suitable for having a suspicious conversation since there were people around. They moved to the club building. When the creaking wooden door opened, a dimly lit interior came into view. The other members hadn¡¯t arrived yet, presumably attending sses. Ophelia pushed back her hood as the door closed, revealing her suppressed silver hair flowing down her shoulders. She stretched as if wringing something out and began to speak. ¡°I feel better now.¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no sunlight here?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bit better since it¡¯s cloudy¡­ Oh, where¡¯s Cita?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Cita, It¡¯ll be back soon. It has been taking more walkstely.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ve missed her.¡± Ophelia slowly surveyed the interior. In the darkened room with all the lights off, there was a subdued atmosphere, almost like an abandoned cabin. She murmured while running her fingers over a three-tiered candle holder on a bar table. ¡°It¡¯s a cool ce¡­ Is this your club building?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®yours¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®ours¡¯.¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s how it is¡­ Can I sleep here?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re a member now. By the way, in our club, we use informalnguage with each other. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s morefortable that way.¡± Ophelia smiled bashfully. She seemed to have taken a liking to the club. During Ophelia¡¯s absence, Ronan briefly exined what had happened. The Baydian Mountains incident, the midterm assessment, and Shullifen¡¯s enrollment. Ophelia listened attentively, her eyes sparkling with interest. ¡°So much has happened¡­ Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t even greeted the other kids properly. What if they dislike me¡­?¡± ¡°Everyone here is a good bunch, so there shouldn¡¯t be any issues like that. By the way, I didn¡¯t receive any letters from you for the past few weeks. What happened?¡± ¡°Ah. There was some friction with my parents¡­ They suddenly asked me to give up my research and focus on governing the territory¡­ I resolved it and came out, so it should be fine.¡± ¡°Governing the territory¡­?¡± Ophelia seemed to have a strained rtionship with her parents and the rest of her kin. Although she appeared to be a part of a considerable high-ranking group, she hesitated to talk about her family matters. Ronan didn¡¯t pry either. He flicked his finger as he ced the note on the bar table. ¡°So, Ophelia, this is a note made with blood magic, right?¡± Can you also tell who sent it?¡± ¡°Should I check?¡± ¡°Yes, because it seems a bit odd.¡± Ophelia nodded her head. As she picked up the note, a mark resembling a map, stained with blood, began to move again. The once stagnant blood stain transformed into a red hook shape. Ophelia¡¯s face turned stern. ¡°¡­Where did you get this?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just answer first. Did you receive this directly?¡± Her gaze was serious. Ronan vaguely alluded that he had picked it up from someone he knew. Ophelia folded the note and handed it back to Ronan. ¡°That person¡­ Are they trying to obtain the essence of pure blood?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It says here, this note was sent by an organization called¡ªBlood Hook.¡± ¡°Even the name doesn¡¯t sound too friendly. They¡¯re bad folks, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yeah. Although it¡¯s not arge-scale group¡­ they are an emerging power.¡± Blood Hook. It was said to be a group consisting mainly of young vampires who aren¡¯t even two hundred years old. Ophelia continued her exnation with a cold tone, almost as if pitying them. ¡°They¡¯re naive rascals, indulging in the glory of a past they¡¯ve never experienced¡­¡± ¡°Ophelia, how old are you?¡± ¡°There are joys in the world¡ªjoys derived from ignorance.¡± Blood Hook longed for the ancient days when vampires ruled over the nightmares of the night. They roamed the outskirts not under imperial rule, attacking travelers and viges, making and selling ves as their main source of ie. Recently, they also yed the role of treasure hunters who could acquire anything as long as they were paid a price. After a brief hesitation, Ronan revealed that the sender of the note was Professor Jhordin, a mage affiliated with the Magic Department. Shallow wrinkles formed on Ophelia¡¯s porcin-like forehead. ¡°Jhordin¡­? You mean the person who used to be the Tower Mage of Manwol Full moon tower?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you were in front of the 41st tower¡­ Those little ones must be eager to die¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This note¡­ it¡¯s an invitation saying that if you¡¯re willing to ept the proposal with the essence of pure blood, you shoulde. The marked location on the map is the rendezvous point.¡± Ophelia said there was a high possibility they would demand something ridiculous in return. If it was money, they¡¯d demand an unimaginable amount, and if it was an item, it should be a treasure listed in the inventory to be exchanged. ¡°If they sense your desperation¡­ they might demand you to be thier subordinate.¡± ¡°No way. Jhordin isn¡¯t that foolish.¡± ¡°To a desperate person, only ¡®right now¡¯ exists¡­ even if it¡¯s not immediately, they might request you to be a subordinateter and form a blood pact.¡± A blood pact was an unbreakable promise, where breaking it meant losing one¡¯s life. Ronan let out a bitterugh. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Can¡¯t you just kill them all and take the item? There¡¯s no reason to agree to such a ridiculous deal.¡± ¡°Of course, with Jhordin¡¯s abilities, he could turn those kids into dust in an instant¡­ The problem is that the item they¡¯re seeking is the essence of pure blood.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pure cluster of mana that can only be handled with blood magic¡­ Those kids probably have the essence of a pure blood in an unprocessed state. After receivingpensation, they¡¯ll probably allow them to finish processing it before taking it away.¡± ¡°Heh, bunch of weaklings.¡± Ronan revisited memories from his past life. He couldn¡¯t find Jhordin on the battlefield ten yearster. Of course, it was hard to imagine that he had fallen so low as to be a ve of pathetic vampires like Blood Hook. Upon closer examination, the essence of a pure blood was merely an ingredient for one of many resurrection attempts. He had no certainty that it could even bring back his wife, so there was no way he would ept such a proposal. ¡®If he was in his right mind, that is.¡¯ However, Jhordin was addicted to love. Deluding oneself into believing in slim possibilities was a hallmark of addicts, regardless of the field. Ronan started rubbing his chin and contemting. ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t dislike Jhordin. To be honest, he quite liked him, or to be even more honest, he thought he was a damn fine author. Even if the action he took was for his own benefit, it was undoubtedly something to be grateful for, even if it meant enduring a curse. Ronan sighed and spoke up. ¡°Ophelia, help me out a bit.¡± ¡°Huh? Help you¡­?¡± ¡°Write a reply for me. ept the proposal.¡± Ophelia¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan then calmly exined the n he had just concocted. As always, it was a clear yet somewhat insane strategy. ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just make sure to change the meeting spot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I can¡¯t apany you. It¡¯s a matter involving my kind¡­¡± Ophelia¡¯s words trailed off. It seemed to be rted to her family situation. Ronan let out a wide yawn and pped his hands together. ¡°Yawn¡­ You don¡¯t need toe. I¡¯ll go alone, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­Those ¡®kids¡¯ are considered young by vampire standards, but they¡¯re not to bepared with mortals. They are even more vicious and aggressive because theyck knowledge.¡± Ophelia exined the dangers of Blood Hook. While their strength might notpare to high-ranking vampires, they posed a greater threat to humans. umted malice and malevolence over centuries eroded the human body and mind like a sandcastle. Ronan chuckled. ¡°Heh. Who do you think I am?¡± His tone was arrogant, but Ophelia didn¡¯t hate it. In fact, she found his confidence somewhat charming. Ronan tilted his head, waiting for her reply. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you write the reply. But promise me something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do not, under any circumstances, let them form a blood pact with you.¡± Ronanughed, replying, ¡°I have no intention of bing a ve to anyone, ever again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Approaching the window, Ronan drew the curtains aside. Whoosh! Before he could open the window, a shadow lunged forward, attaching itself to Ronan¡¯s face. The soft ck feathers tickled his nose, almost making him sneeze. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± ¡°Where have you been wandering this time?¡± Ronan cradled Cita in both hands. From the salty smell, it seemed like Cita had flown as far as the dawn sea. ¡°Do you have any idea how much trouble I got into with Lucy because of you? You didn¡¯t bring back anything bizarre like a stingray this time, did you?¡± ¡°Beah~¡± Cita yfully poked Ronan¡¯s cheek. Ophelia stood up, interlocking both her hands. Compared to before, Cita¡¯s increased size was noticeable. She looked at it as if entranced, her lips slightly parted in awe. ¡°Will youe here?¡± ¡°Beah?¡± Ophelia extended her hand. Cita, who had been blinking its round eyes, moved to the bar table right in front of her. Ophelia touched it as if handling a delicate gem that might break if mishandled. As she stared at it, Cita¡¯s pupils briefly shed. ¡°Beah!!¡± Simultaneously, a blood-made rose appeared before Cita¡¯s eyes. It was simr to what Ophelia had shown when they first met. Cita plucked the rose and handed it to her. Ophelia¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°Looks like it remembers you.¡± Trembling, Ophelia picked up the blood rose with her shaking hand. Cita hopped onto her shoulder. Ronan, with both hands in his pockets, spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. You just need to teach it how to handle that pure blood thing. It should be fine, right?¡± After a moment of silence, Ophelia spoke. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think it¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°Before Jhordin starts messing around, we need to finish the job, so teach it as quickly as possible. We¡¯ll depart on the uing weekend.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s start right away. I¡¯ll teach it diligently, considering I can¡¯t apany you. There¡¯s so much I want to share.¡± ¡°Go ahead and start. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Ophelia proimed herself as Cita¡¯s mentor. Embracing Cita, she walked out of the building. Silence echoed in the empty room. Ronan, gently caressing the hilt of his sword, muttered to himself. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t afford to lose such talent.¡± Ronan recalled the mana emitted by Jhordin as he growled softly. If there was a possibility that he would turn against them, it would be rational for a powerful individual to eliminate him in advance. However, the world didn¡¯t function solely on reason. Ronan knew he had to exhaust all possibilities before any regrets would linger. As Ronan refined his ns once again, an eerie sensation pierced through the air, making his shoulders tense as if they were about to crumple. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± His entire body felt goosebumps. Ronan quickly turned his head. Like Ophelia¡¯s and Cita¡¯s, a red mana was seeping through the gap in the door. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is she teaching?¡± Kicking the door open, Ronan stepped out of the building. His eyes squinted as he saw the scene outside. Chapter 70: Blood Hook (2) Chapter 70: Blood Hook (2) His entire body felt goosebumps. Ronan quickly turned his head. Like Ophelia¡¯s and Cita¡¯s, a red mana was seeping through the gap in the door. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is she teaching?¡± Kicking the door open, Ronan stepped out of the building. His eyes squinted as he saw the scene outside. A vermilion-tinted mist was engulfing the streets. ¡°Wh¡­ what is this? Clouds? Where did theye from all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s this weird smelling from?¡± ¡°Where did both of them go?! Guys!!!¡± Amidst the dense mist, nothing was visible. Only the bewildered voices of students could be heard from all around. Ronan wiped his forehead and cursed. ¡°These crazy bastards¡­!¡± The culprit was evident. He walked into the alleyway, gripping the hilt of his sword. The scattered red mana led in the direction of the training grounds. With every breath, the sharp scent of blood pricked his nose. The eerie sense of foreboding gnawed at him throughout his journey through the dense haze. He was nearing the training grounds. -Swaaaaaaa¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, the mist began to disperse. More urately, it swirled and gathered in one direction. Gradually, the figures of Ophelia and Cita, standing on the edge of the training grounds, came into view. ¡°Impressive. To create a Blood Mist of this scale all at once¡­¡± ¡°Beahh!¡± ¡°But don¡¯t overdo it. It¡¯s a great technique, but since it consumes blood to that extent¡­ it¡¯s better to use it only when you have a sufficient supply of blood.¡± Cita sat atop a training dummy¡¯s head, spreading its four wings. The mist was being absorbed entirely by Cita. The thoroughly soaked feathers were fluttering in a deep crimson color. Before long, the mistpletely disappeared. p! p! p! Ophelia, who had pped her hands, handed a fish made of blood to Cita. Cita, who had absorbed all the mist, snapped up the fish. ¡°Beah! Beah!.¡± ¡°We can move on to the next technique right away¡­ This one is an offensive move, so watch closely.¡± Ophelia extended her index finger towards the training dummy where Cita was seated. A red sphere formed in front of her slender finger. Bang! The sphereunched from the tip of her fingernail and hit the dummy¡¯s head. ¡°Beahh! Beah!¡± ¡°It¡¯s as elegant as a swordsman¡¯s strike¡­ I like this technique a lot too.¡± Cita pped its wings happily like a child. There was now a small hole in the center of the dummy¡¯s forehead from the impact. ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you¡­.again¡± Ophelia, with a satisfied smile, was about to demonstrate again when a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ophelia turned her head. Ronan, with his arms crossed, was ring at her. ¡°Ronan? How¡­?¡± ¡°How? Did you drink alcohol or something? Why don¡¯t you just walk around with ¡®vampire¡¯ written on your forehead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ I definitely created invisibility and perception interference barriers¡­¡± Flustered, Ophelia looked around. No measures had been taken on the open training grounds. ¡°Huh?¡± Ophelia¡¯s face stiffened. Ronan chuckled in amusement. Students were gradually gathering at the training grounds. ¡°Well, It seems like you were having so much fun that you forgot about your surroundings. You really haven¡¯t been caught in a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ This is my mistake.¡± ¡°Damn it, at least hide for now. I¡¯ll block the others froming.¡± ¡°¡­No. I can still rectify this.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ophelia regained herposure and quickly cast a spell. A magic circle appeared on the ground, and the waves of mana spread throughout the area. A student who had beening from the front looked perplexed. ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t there someone over there just now?¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Surely the mist was gathering in this direction¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. In a mere few seconds, perception, interference, silence, and invisibility spells had all been cast simultaneously. Ophelia extended her index finger once again, pointing at the dummy with the hole in its forehead. Quack! Her elongated shadow shot out like a jaw-like form and engulfed the dummy. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s it.¡± Only after confirming that all traces had vanished did Ophelia let out a relieved sigh. They walked calmly amidst the confused students. Ronan looked at his own hand, which was under the effect of the invisibility spell, and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s amazing.. So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve never been caught until now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. When you¡¯ve lived in hiding, you learn these kinds of tricks¡­ The really impressive one is it.¡± ¡°Cita?¡± Ophelia nodded. While she was surveying her surroundings, she murmured in an amazed tone. ¡°It absorbed all the mist that spread so widely¡­ There¡¯s no need for cleanup.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because you are a great teacher. You seem to have a talent for it.¡± ¡°Just because I can do it doesn¡¯t mean I have the talent to teach it to others¡­ Even the Shadow Duke¡¯s childhood wasn¡¯t to this extent. This child is a genius¡­ No, it¡¯s something beyond that¡­¡± Ronan didn¡¯t know who the Shadow Duke was. Nevertheless, seeing Ophelia, who was usually nonchnt, speak so passionately, he could tell it was quite impressive. Cita was sitting on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, constantly looking around. It seemed like Cita was observing the mana waves in the surroundings. Ronan scratched Cita¡¯s neck and spoke. ¡°Did you hear that? ording to her, you are a genius. Everyone¡¯s a freaking genius now.¡± ¡°Meow~¡± Cita meowed like a cat. It was hard to believe that it was this creature who¡¯d wafted such a terrifying mist just moments ago. ¡°I guess I need to step up my game too.¡± He knew Cita was exceptional, but he hasn¡¯t expected it to be to this extent. If things continued like this, not only Shullifen but even Ronan himself might fall behind Cita. Suddenly, thinking about Ophelia¡¯s other magic, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Hey, can it learn other magic than blood magic?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure yet. But if it tries to learn two types of magic simultaneously, there might be an overload¡­ For now, it¡¯s better for it to focus on blood magic.¡± ¡°I see. Since It just tried learning, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± The current spells Ophelia was casting, like invisibility and perception interference, seemed incredibly convenient. If possible, it would be good if Cita could learn them, but he didn¡¯t want to put pressure on it. Before long, the two of them, along with one little creature, returned to the club building. They locked the door, closed the curtains, and only then did they lift the spells that had been in ce. Ronan cleared his throat and spoke again. ¡°By the way, where are you guys going to train now?¡± ¡°I can polymorph into a bat, so¡­ we¡¯ll just do it outside Philleon.¡± ¡°Damn it, that¡¯s not something you can keep doing every time.¡± He already felt the need for individual training spaces. It wasn¡¯t just because of Ophelia and Cita. Shullifen or Aselle, and monsters like Elizabeth he would recruit soon, all of them would need an environment where they could pour out their full strength. Ronan scratched the back of his head and muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out somehow. There should be at least one spare space.¡± ¡°Yeah. Until then¡­ I¡¯ll just train her outside.¡± The grounds of Philleon Academy were so vast that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a dragon¡¯s nest was hidden somewhere. Since Professor Varen, the club advisor, was also one of the people who knew Ophelia¡¯s true identity, things would probably work out somehow. ¡°By the way, do you think Cita can handle the essence of pure blood? Can you teach it in four days?¡± ¡°Yes. With this level of talent¡­ it should be possible.¡± ¡°Great. Let¡¯s get started then.¡± The two of them immediately got to work. Ophelia sent a message to the Blood Hook, wanting to change the meeting ce and date. She didn¡¯t forget to disguise the letter as if it were written by Jhordin using ink instead of blood. ¡°Give them just two specific requirements. They must not be more than a day distance away from the academy. It should be a secluded ce. Tell them to handle everything else on their end.¡± ¡°These conditions are risky¡­ It¡¯s perfect for the kids to pull off a stunt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why make sure to teach Cita well.¡± Ophelia nodded. From that night onwards, she took Cita outside Philleon for training. Cita returned to the dormitory just before sunrise. ¡°Beahhh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Did Ophelia hit you or something?¡± ¡°Beah!¡± Although it didn¡¯t know what it was learning, Cita waspletely exhausted. Lying sprawled on the bed, Cita didn¡¯t move an inch. After covering Cita with a nket, Ronan sat back down cross-legged. His mana maniption practice, which he had started since midnight, was still ongoing. The circr patterns of mana cirction were still continuing. ¡°Phew¡­¡± He had been entirely focused on mana maniption, setting aside other forms of training. Perhaps because he wasn¡¯t yet ustomed, every time he circted mana through his body, he felt dizzy and experienced headaches. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s not easy.¡± Dealing with a power he had never experienced in his lifetime was more taxing than he had thought. If he woke up with wings or a tail tomorrow, it might feel simr. As the day began to brighten, Ronan finally felt a meaningful change and went to sleep. ********* ¡°A new member has arrived. Get along well and don¡¯t exclude them.¡± The next day during lunch, Ronan introduced Ophelia to the club members. They agreed to withhold revealing her identity as a vampire for now. Ophelia, who had been nodding off, shook hands somewhat hesitantly. ¡°Hello¡­ I¡¯m Ophelia. I¡¯m in the third year magician department¡­ I joined because I wanted to get close with Cita.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Aselle. You can call me Aselle.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really pretty like a doll¡­ I¡¯m Marya Carabel, a first-year in the Martial Arts Department.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m Braum Viodan. It seems like only remarkable individuals are joining our club!¡± Her self-introduction took ce in front of all the members except for Shullifen. As Marya carefully examined Ophelia¡¯s face, she suddenly leaned on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Seeing Ronan¡¯s brows furrow at her arm that wrapped around him like a snake, she muttered. ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°About Ophelia. When did you get to know her?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? We met during the interview, right¡­?¡± ¡°I see. I thought you knew her even before entering Philleon, like I did. Let¡¯s get along well.¡± Marya said with a pompous tone. Ophelia tilted her head with an expression that seemed to convey she didn¡¯t quite get the point. It was only when Ronan used both hands that he managed to shake off Marya¡¯s arm. Somehow, as the days went on, her strength seemed to be increasing. ¡°Uuuuh¡­¡± Aselle was observing the two with an anxious expression. Lately, it felt like his chest was tight, as if a bird was pecking at his heart. At that moment, Ophelia, who had been sitting expressionless, turned her gaze to Aselle. ¡°I know you¡­..¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ The rumors even reached our grade¡­ You are the genius who got a perfect score on all the midterm written exams, right?¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. With the sudden talk about grades, he instinctively curled up. The pitiable boy was still tormented by Elizabeth, who was asking for the secret to getting a perfect score. ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Great¡­ Help me outter.¡± ¡°Help¡­ you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on something¡­ I needed a smart assistant like you.¡± ¡°A-assistant?¡± Ophelia mumbled to herself. Aselle was frozen in terror, unable to provide any response. The flow of mana within her body was certainly not lesser than Elizabeth¡¯s; it was even more pronounced. Ophelia, who couldn¡¯t conquer her sleepiness, sat up. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll take it as a yes.¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Ignoring Aselle, Ophelia went upstairs to the second floor. She aimed to sleep in the most secluded room. Seeing this, Ronan tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s good to be old, that¡¯s why long-lived races are¡ª.¡± He had worried if they wouldn¡¯t get along, but it seemed like his concerns were unnecessary. ******* Time flew by quickly. The reply from the Blood Hook arrived at midnight on Friday. -Kwaaak! Kwaaak! A scrawny crow took on the role of messenger. The neatly folded note had just one bloody mark, as before. Ronan cursed in annoyance. ¡°Pathetic bunch of mosquitoes. Sending it on the day of the promise, what a hassle.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s here.¡± Ronan, Cita, and Ophelia were waiting in the club building. He had prepared to leave immediately. Cita, who had grown closer to Ophelia, was dozing off in herp. As Ophelia infused mana into the note, the bloody mark transformed back into the shape of a map. The appearance had indeed changed significantly from the previous time. Reading the note, Ophelia spoke with a voice tinged with concern. ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°The location they proposed is suspicious. This¡­ seems like a tant setup.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s Jhordin they¡¯re dealing with. And it¡¯s a secluded ce, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°¡­Did you bring his hair?¡± ¡°Yeah. I saved some from thest time it got stuck on my clothes.¡± Ronan handed a small paper envelope to Ophelia. Inside were a few strands of reddish-brown hair. Ophelia let out a faint sigh and began to speak. ¡°¡­I just can¡¯t understand the adventures of humans. They struggle so much even though they can¡¯t live for even a hundred years. Why can¡¯t they just die sooner and be less of a nuisance¡­?¡± ¡°Because they might not die. Anyway, did you teach Cita how to handle the Essence of pure blood, or whatever it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ perfect. It¡¯s at a level where you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Good to hear. We need to head out, so hurry up.¡± ¡°¡­I know. Just, be careful and don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Ronan nodded. Ophelia sighed once again, then lightly pped Ronan¡¯s cheek. Mana gathered into her palm, emitting a cool light. Cita¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Cita¡­?!¡± Chapter 71: Blood Hook (3) Chapter 71: Blood Hook (3) Ophelia ced her hand on Ronan¡¯s cheek. Gradually, mana gathered in her palm, emitting a chilling light. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Cita¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Ophelia withdrew her hand, and Ronan touched his own face, furrowing his brows. The contours beneath his palm felt different from usual. ¡°Darn it, it feels strange. Are you sure it¡¯s done correctly?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ it¡¯s perfect. I used a catalytic spell. If we go off track, I¡¯ll cast it again for you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seeing Cita¡¯s disgusted expression, it seemed to have worked as intended. Ronan and Cita left Philleon, their hearts pounding, to arrive at their destination on time. *** It was a crescent moon night, with a mischievous glint in its eye. Mist rose over the swamp covered with fallen leaves. Dead, white trees gestured under the moonlight. About a third of the swamp, suitable for walking, was covered with short, mossy grass. The agreed-upon meeting point for the exchange of pure blood¡¯s essence was a small mound rising in the middle. It was once a forgotten ancient tomb, now only remembered in the annals of history. Two burly men were guarding the tomb entrance, serving as gatekeepers. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª PR/N: Annals- the record of an activity or organization, arranged year by year, or a history that covers a long period of time. The man with a stubble beard scratched his head and spoke. ¡°Who did they say wasing today? He¡¯s awfullyte.¡± ¡°You forgetful fool, don¡¯t you remember? It¡¯s Jhordin Stonesong.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Was he a mage?¡± ¡°Not just any mage. He was a legend who once sparred with the Grand Swordmaster in the past.¡± The man with curly hair sighed. Working with such a careless partner was embarrassing. ¡®Why did the masters bestow such honor of serving them on such a lowlife like him.¡¯ He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead and spoke. He spoke, his gaze fixed ahead. ¡°The masters are looking forward to this transaction, so keep your wits about you. Do you have the scroll with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, how many times are you gonna ask? Don¡¯t worry too much. No matter how high and mighty that mage acts, in the end, he¡¯s just a human¡­¡± ¡°Hush! Look, there hees.¡± The man with curly hair pointed forward with his finger. In the distance, a single flickering torchlight approached. Soon, a man carrying a torch emerged from the darkness. He was dressed in a long robe that covered him from head to toe, making it impossible to see his face. The gatekeepers, brandishing their swords, approached him. ¡°Are you Jhordin Stonesong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The stubble-bearded man frowned. It was a horrific voice, reminiscent of a crow being strangled. The man with curly hair, holding up a portrait of Jhordin, spoke with gravity. ¡°We need to confirm your identity, so please remove your hood.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The mysterious man obediently flipped back his hood, revealing a rather in, gaunt face. Deep-set blue eyes, preserving some remnants of past beauty, with thick and distinct eyebrows. The man with curly hairpared his face to the portrait and then sheathed his sword. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed it. You are the Tower Mage, Jhordin Stonesong.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Please enter. The honored guests are waiting.¡± The man with curly hair led him into the mound. The stubble-bearded man, scrutinizing Jhordin¡¯s appearance, muttered sarcastically. ¡°Quite skinny, aren¡¯t you? I thought you would be a monster or something.¡± ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t be rude to the guest.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; just open the door.¡± ¡°Ah, sure!¡± The gatekeepers opened the stone door, and a cool breeze rushed in from the revealed passage. Jhordin¡¯s forehead tightened as the stench of blood pierced his nose. The man with curly hair pointed inside the mound. ¡°Just keep following the main path. The interior is intricate, so be cautious.¡± ¡°It¡¯srger than I expected¡­ I have some difficulty in the dark. Could you guide me, perhaps?¡± ¡°That¡­ we have other duties to attend to. I apologize.¡± The curly-haired man politely lowered his head. It seemed that both of them had separate tasks beyond guarding the entrance. Jhordin sighed and asked. ¡°Well, It can¡¯t be helped. Are there no personnel outside, apart from you two?¡± ¡°Well? Um¡­ that¡¯s correct, but¡­¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll give you a little gift.¡± Jhordin rummaged through a small pocket and pulled out a scroll, norger than a finger. Without giving the gatekeepers a chance to question, Jhordin activated the scroll. Swoosh! A translucent cube enveloped the three of them, instantly silencing the noise from outside. ¡°This is¡­ Silent¡­¡± The curly-haired man was about to say something when a glimmer shed from under Jhordin¡¯s robe. With a sensation like the wind brushing past one¡¯s throat, the world tilted for him. Suddenly, the curly-haired gatekeeper¡¯s head fell to the ground. The eyes of the stubble-bearded man, who had been yawning, widened as if about to pop out of their sockets. ¡°Ugh! Wha¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead. Was he even human?¡± Jhordin, whom they had mistaken for a simple subordinate, leaped forward and swung his arm. sh! A red line appeared on the stubble-bearded man¡¯s throat at the same time the de drew a graceful curve. ¡°Gaaah!¡± ¡°You seem to have had a bit more blood than expected.¡± Instinctively, he noticed that his head had detached from his body. The regeneration he had obtained from selling his soul to a vampire was preventing instant death. Stroking his chin with his right hand, the stubble-bearded man reached into his pocket with his left and retrieved a scroll he had kept there. ¡°Uwaaaargh!¡± ¡°Ah, damn, that was unexpected.¡± The stubble-bearded man screamed as he tried to break the seal on the scroll. Jhordin calmly threw a projectile at him. sh! Both his arms were severed in mid-air, alongside his head which had been severed long ago. Witnessing the copsing body, Jhordin breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Using the silence spell worked out well.¡± Things almost went awry from the very beginning. What he had used was a tiny Silent Scroll he had received as a gift from Shullifen. Then he noticed a scroll rolling in the puddle of blood. It was what the stubble-bearded man had been desperately trying to unseal. Jhordin, or rather, the polymorphed Ronan, raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Its purpose remained a mystery. Just as Ronan was about to take the scroll, the bundle string broke, and the magic inscribed on it activated. Whoosh! A sudden mana barrier rose, blocking the stone entrance. Ronan chuckled. ¡°Well, that made things easier.¡± It seemed they had nned to seal the entrance, preventing Jhordin from escaping. The items they had prepared against Jhordin appeared to be quite robust. It seemed like even they couldn¡¯t break through it. Ronan, with a cautious mind, checked the curly-haired man¡¯s sleeve just in case. To his surprise, he found another scroll hidden there. Grabbing the scroll, Ronan lifted his robe and said, ¡°Cita, clean up.¡± ¡°Beahh!¡± Cita withdrew its face from within the robe. It was one of the reasons why he had worn an ill-fitting robe. Cita, after confirming the bloodstains scattered around, spread its wings. The blood that remained in the bodies and even the tiniest specks on the robe turned into droplets and rose into the air, being absorbed into Cita¡¯s body. In just a few seconds, the scene was cleaned up. Ronan, satisfied with the sight of the desated corpses, chuckled. ¡°Good job. This should keep the vampire¡¯s attention off us.¡± It was a precautionary measure to avoid attracting the vampires¡¯ notice. Although the smell of blood was already strong inside, there seemed to be no chance of getting caught. Still, it was best to be cautious. Havingpleted its task, Cita retreated back inside his robe. Ronan continued down the corridor. ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡± The passage continued underground, and intricate stonemasonry was evident. Despite being in a swampy area, there were no signs of water seepage. Suddenly, Ronan realized that the architectural style used in this tomb was simr to the temples of Sarante. ¡°Could it be¡­ just a coincidence?¡± The interior was quiteplex, resembling a tomb where a building had been buried underground. Following the instructions of the curly-haired gatekeeper, Ronan followed the main corridor. The scent of blood grew stronger the deeper he went. Soon, his vision widened, revealing a spacious area reminiscent of a banquet hall. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived. It¡¯s really him, Jhordin Stonesong.¡± ¡°Dealing with humans is quite rare.¡± ¡°He¡¯s too thin. Can¡¯t even provide three servings of blood.¡± In the middle of the banquet hall, a long stone table, about 10 meters long, was ced. Around it, twenty young men and women sat, all of them possessing striking beauty. ¡®There are quite a few of them.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t too difficult to discern that they were all vampires. Forty crimson eyes stared at Ronan. Under their sticky, licking gazes, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Uhh¡­ uhh¡­¡± ¡°Stay still. The guest has arrived.¡± On the table, three individuals were bound, two women and a man. They were all bleeding profusely from their necks and wrists. Ronan was relieved that their heads were covered with sacks. It would be challenging to maintain hisposure if he had to see their pleading faces. At that moment, the vampire seated at the front stood up. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Jhordin Stonesong. I am Zwei von Arnstafel, leader of the Blood Hook.¡± Zwei was a blond young man. His mboyant name indeed suited the ostentatious leader of what appeared to be a mosquito club. He pointed to the people on the table as he spoke. ¡°It took longer than expected for you to arrive, so we started our meal. Would you like to join us now?¡± His voice was as smooth as butter, leaving a strong impression. Ronan did not respond. He examined the faces of the vampires around him, visibly disgusted, and clicked his tongue. ¡°You brought quite a crowd for a mere business deal.¡± ¡°Please understand. Many of us wanted to meet you.¡± ¡°Is this everyone who gathered?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. It¡¯s the full assembly.¡± ¡°And the essence of the Pure Blood?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve brought it. As soon as the transaction isplete, we will extract and process it for you.¡± ¡°Very well. What do you want?¡± ¡°Join us as one of our family members.¡± A moment of silence fell. It was as Ophelia had expected. Ronan responded with a deadpan expression. ¡°¡­You must be joking.¡± ¡°We are not asking for an immediate decision. We will give you a ten-year reprieve. Once you have formed the Blood Pact and the timees, you maye to us.¡± ¡°So you want me to be a ve to your vampire kind.¡± ¡°We are aware that you havee to us out of desperation. When mortals seek the essence of pure blood, isn¡¯t it nine times out of ten to save a precious person?¡±¡± Ronan¡¯s face momentarily froze. Zwei noticed this and grinned with a disgusting smile. ¡°Haha, it seems I hit the mark.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if this deal falls through, obtaining the pure blood Essence will be impossible anywhere. It took us a long time and considerable effort just to find it.¡± Zwei replied politely. Based on Ronan¡¯s conversation with Ophelia, it seemed that what she said might be true. Ronan twisted his lips. ¡°What happens if I refuse?¡± ¡°It would be a shame. You probably won¡¯t leave here in one piece.¡± ¡°What?¡± Snap! Zwei suddenly flicked his finger, and at the same time, twenty vampires rose to their feet. Silently, they closed in on Ronan, surrounding him. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything foolish. You can sense the mana disruption, and there are treasures scattered about that even a mage of your caliber can¡¯t ignore.¡± Ronan hadn¡¯t noticed at all. Now that he listened closely and observed, he could sense an ominous aura emanating from every corner of the banquet hall. Zwei bared his fangs and grinned. ¡°Even if you manage to escape using magic, you will suffer irreparable damage. Your magic circles may copse, rendering you unable to use magic again.¡± ¡°So you were prepared in advance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your misfortune that you were blinded by desperation. Jhordin Stonesong, as a fellow mage, it would be wise to ept our offer.¡± He could feel the life force surging around him. The vampires were on the brink ofunching an attack, their eyes shing with a predatory hunger. Ronan, who had underestimated their preparations, dropped his head. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ept the offer.¡± ¡°An excellent choice. Now, let¡¯s proceed with the Blood Pact.¡± Zwei reached into his pocket and pulled out a crimson piece of paper, which was made of the finest quality parchment,monly used for most magical pacts. Ronan sighed and was about to prick his fingertip to sign it. ¡°Wait¡­ before that, I need to see the pure blood essence. Who is the vessel?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out once the pact isplete.¡± ¡°Vampire, remember that we¡¯re making a concession here.¡± Ronan red silently at Zwei. The young leader of the Blood Hook, aware that it wasn¡¯t just an empty boast, sighed lightly and tapped his chest with his right hand. ¡°Fine¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll show you.¡± As he raised his hand, a crimson mana lump emerged shakily. It matched the description Ophelia had given. Ronan nodded in approval. ¡°So, you¡¯re the vessel. Are you showing your leadership qualities?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright then. It took a long time.¡± ¡°What?¡± Without warning, Ronan lifted his robe and drew his de from its sheath at incredible speed. The razor-sharp sword flew towards Zwei¡¯s limbs, severing them nearly simultaneously. His two limbs detached from his body almost at once. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Looks like you might have been in real trouble if I were the real Jhordin.¡± Zwei¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Just as the vampires surrounding them were about to react, Ronan rotated his body widely and swung his sword. With a whoosh, five heads flew into the air almost simultaneously. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± ¡°Zw-Zwei!¡± Late screams erupted along with fountains of blood. Ronan stepped on the headless body and quickly leaped away. The vampires, who had btedly tried to encircle him, found that he had already escaped. He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the headless bodies move as if they were still alive. ¡°These damn mosquito bastards¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s movements were unlike those of a magician. In his hand, he held a ck and translucent sword. The sudden cmity left the vampires in shock, and they shouted in disbelief. ¡°A sword¡­?!¡± ¡°For God¡¯s sake, you said he¡¯s a magician. What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Leader!! Snap out of it, leader!!¡± ¡°You idiots, this is what happens when you let prejudice cloud your judgment.¡± At that moment, Cita, who had been hanging on Ronan¡¯s back all along, spread its wings and took flight,nding right in front of the entrance of the banquet hall. ¡°Beahh!¡± ¡°Did it ever ur to you that Jhordin could be good with a sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± The faces of the vampires who had been blocking the entrance turned pale. Dozens of silver-made stakes dangled around Ronan¡¯s waist. Ronan untied a scroll he had taken from one of the guards¡¯ bodies and opened it. ¡°Whatever¡­ don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s getting out of here alive.¡± As the scroll unfolded, a mana barrier shot up, sealing off the entrance of the banquet hall. Ronan gripped his sword and charged towards the vampires. Chapter 72: Blood Hook (4) Chapter 72: Blood Hook (4) ¡°Whatever¡­ don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s getting out of here alive.¡± As the scroll unfolded, a mana barrier shot up, sealing off the entrance to the banquet hall. Ronan gripped his sword and charged towards the vampires. The distance closed in an instant. A vampire acting as the vice-captain shouted in a bewildered voice. ¡°Jegiral, kill him!¡± Some vampires, regaining their senses, raised their arms, targeting Ronan. It was an attempt to use magic to restrain him. Just then, a vampire attempting to cast a spell vomited blood and copsed. ¡°Blood Erosion¡­ Urgh!¡± One by one, other vampires also convulsed and spasmed, failing in their spellcasting. The vice-captain shook the fallen vampire¡¯s shoulders and asked in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s happening, everyone?!¡± ¡°Our¡­ our mana isn¡¯t gathering¡­¡± The vice-captain¡¯s eyes widened. Indeed, the mana in the banquet hall was dispersing or flowing backward before taking concrete magical form. He btedly realized the existence of devices that disrupted mana, which had been prepared to confront Jhordin. The vice-captain cursed under his breath. ¡°Damn it, someone go and get rid of those damn things!¡± It was aplete reversal of roles, as he fell into his own trap. Several vampires who were positioned at the rear rushed into the banquet hall. The moment he turned his head again, with a swoosh! Ronan, who had approached unnoticed, thrust his rapier into the vice-captain¡¯s mouth. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The vice-captain screamed, but instead of retreating, he lunged at Ronan, chewing on the rapier as if it were a mere toothpick. At the tip of the sword that pierced through the back of his head, blood and brain matter sttered. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°You sure do fight like a bastard.¡± ¡°Human!!¡± The vampire vice-captain swung his arm. His w-like fingernails were deadly weapons on their own. Ronan dodged by lowering his head and lifted his sword diagonally. The rapier sliced through the vice-captain¡¯s cheekbone and skull, exiting outside. The vice-captain let out a scream. ¡°With wounds like these, I won¡¯t die!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Ronan spun the rapier once, readjusting his grip. He inserted the rapier fifteen times into various parts of the vice-captain¡¯s face, each strike in a different direction. The mangled face was now covered in red lines. With one swift kick, Ronan knocked the vice-captain¡¯s body, which had copsed like a deted balloon, away. ¡°Guah¡­!¡± The convulsing body slumped. Crack! Ronan stomped on a bone fragment of unknown origin with his heel andmented. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s dead.¡± The six parts that made up the head continued to twitch but showed no signs of regenerating. It was one of the techniques he had learned from a past life. If regeneration was troublesome, simply slice them up beyond recovery. ¡°Commander!¡± After the leader, now the vice-captain had fallen as well. The eyes of the vampires around widened. Without dy, Ronan rushed at a female vampire who happened to be nearby. In times of chaos and fear, he needed to minimize the number of enemies. Swoosh! In an instant, Ronan¡¯s strike sent the woman¡¯s arms flying into the air. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± Blood sttered, and her once beautiful face contorted like a demon. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to make her convulse like the vice-captain, but unfortunately, that was too troublesome. Ronan reached for a stake at his waist. Just as he was about to thrust it into the woman¡¯s chest, two handsome vampires blocked his path. ¡°Attacking ady, are you ignorant of chivalry, sir knight?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you step aside?¡± Ronan twisted his body. With his left hand, he pushed the stake he was holding into the vampire¡¯s chest. Thud! The stake pierced the vampire¡¯s heart, and his white eyes turned pitch ck. ¡°How dare you¡ª!¡± ¡°Why is a filthy monster¡¯s offspring talking about chivalry¡­¡± The impaled vampire on the wooden stake contorted in agony. It was an instant death sentence. Suddenly, a chilling breeze rustled through, echoing in Ronan¡¯s ears. Ronan twisted his head, and Swish! An ominous strike narrowly grazed his cheek. ¡°Did you just dodge that?¡± The expression on the other vampires¡¯ faces turned to bewilderment. In his hand was a sharp saber. It was unnecessarily ornate, but it looked like a good sword. It made Ronan wonder, did mosquitoes use any form of swordy? Out of curiosity, Ronan decided to employ the Imperial Swordsmanship¡¯s first form. Swish! A vertical sh intersected with the vampire¡¯s saber. ¡°Ugh!¡± The vampire¡¯s stance instantly faltered. It was evident that, despite their superior physical abilities, they had never wielded a de before. Grinning with disdain, Ronan swiftly severed the vampire¡¯s neck and impaled the crumbling body on a stake. ¡°Ah, what a waste of a good de.¡± ¡°Who¡­ who are you¡­?¡± A female vampire quivered in fear as she muttered. She was still regenerating below her elbow. Instead of responding, Ronan swung his arm, and Thud! A silver streak pierced through the air, prating her heart. The approaching vampires froze in their tracks. ¡°Drina!¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t the moves of a mage¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, is it still far fromplete?¡± In less than five minutes, over half of them were incapacitated. It was the first time such a thing had happened since the foundation of the Blood Hook. Ronan corrected his stance and aimed his de at them. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll leave here alive.¡± As Ronan was about to charge once more, jubnt shouts came from behind. ¡°We did it! It¡¯s been lifted!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± Suddenly, the vampires¡¯ faces lit up. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Lifted? What did they lift?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re finished now!¡± A scarred-faced vampire shouted with glee. Suddenly, Ronan noticed that the chaotic mana, which had been scattered all around, was beginning to flow normally again. He pursed his lips. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Blood Spear.¡± A spear made of blood flew towards Ronan. He rolled to the side just in time to dodge the attack. Before he could even get back on his feet, a barrage of blood arrows shot past him, narrowly missing his throat. ¡°Ugh!¡± It seemed like they had deactivated some sort of mana-disrupting device. The tide had turned. The vampires swung, threw, and detonated weapons made of blood at Ronan. The terrifying aspect of blood magic was that it could spawn consecutive attacks from the spots where blood hadnded. In a way, it resembled Shullifen¡¯s Stormde. Missed blood formed puddles on the ground, and from there, thorns and arrows sprouted to continue the assault. The frenzied vampires were wreaking havoc. ¡°Hahaha! Look at him running like a scared mouse!¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re winning?¡± However, having ess to magic wasn¡¯t always a boon. Ronan chuckled softly. All the projectiles from the blood magic abruptly halted in mid-air. It was as if time had frozen. The vampires¡¯ faces froze in confusion. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Whoosh! Suddenly, the projectiles transformed into droplets, coalescing into a sphere and began sucking towards one corner of the banquet hall. The vampires simultaneously turned their heads. A bizarre creature, unlike anything they had ever seen, was hanging from a torch sconce, its four wings folded. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Blood was being absorbed into the body of the hunched creature, and the vampires were trying to shout something. Thud-thud-thud! The creature¡¯s wings unfurled, and hundreds of blood orbs were shot towards the vampires. ¡°Ahhhhgghhh!¡± The swiftly approaching orbs pierced through their bodies, sending bones and flesh soaring through the air. While not fatal, they were immobilized. The blood orbs, fueled by the blood they drew, transformed into bullets and shot back towards the creature. ¡°Guess it¡¯s proving its worth.¡± ¡°Beah!¡± It seemed like Ophelia had taught Cita well. Ronan, with a smug grin, charged once more towards the vampires. He knew that Cita¡¯s bullets were striking their vampire targets with pinpoint uracy. -Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± -Thud! ¡°Kiaaaargh!¡± Ronan scoured the banquet hall, driving stakes into the chests of vampires who were turning into beehives. asionally, some overly persistent ones received precise, relentless shes from his saber, reaching the limit of Lamancha¡¯s sharpness. Vampires who realized that the tide hadpletely turned started fleeing, their backs turned. ¡°R-Run!¡± ¡°The entrance is blocked!¡± The barrier sealing the entrance remained intact, impervious to blood magic or any attempts to break it. It was only natural, given that it was an advanced spell prepared to restrain Jhordin. As the vampires desperately attempted to escape, they found themselves trapped in a nightmarish banquet hall, their fate sealed by an unlikely alliance between a skilled swordsman and a mysterious creature hanging from the torch sconce. ¡°Ugh!¡± With An echoing thud! Silver stakes, flying from behind, pierced through the backs of the vampires, precisely piercing their hearts. Vampires who suffered this fate were silenced before they could even let out a final scream. ¡°¡­Is it pretty much over?¡± Ronan stretched and yawned. There were no more vampires in sight who were still moving. The two that had just died seemed to be thest. ¡°This asshole is still alive¡­¡± Zweiy unconscious, with his arms and legs severed during the battle. Regeneration was proceeding slowly due to the torch burns Ronan had inflicted. Thud! Ronan kicked his side, and Zwei¡¯s body flew towards the wall, colliding with it. ¡°Kuh, ugh¡­! Wha-what happened¡­¡± ¡°Are youing back to your senses?¡± Ronan chuckled. Zwei¡¯s face turned thoughtful as he looked around. Silver stakes were deeply embedded in the corpses scattered all around. Zwei, btedly regaining his senses, screamed. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaargh!¡± There was no one left alive except for the two of them. Ronan, crouched down, pointed his stake at Zwei¡¯s throat, and spoke. ¡°Extract the Essence of Pure blood.¡± His voice was emotionless, devoid of any feeling. Zwei, spitting out saliva that hadnded on his face, uttered a curse. ¡°You cursed bastard! I¡¯ll tear you apart and kill you for sure! In the deepest pits of hell¡­¡± Ronan wiped the saliva from his face and thrust the stake into Zwei¡¯s thigh. Thud! A chilling scream filled the banquet hall as the stake pierced deeply into the vampire¡¯s flesh. ¡°Kuuaaargh!¡± ¡°Extract the Essence of Pure blood.¡± The wounds darkened as they healed. Zwei didn¡¯t respond. Ronan sighed and drove the stake into Zwei¡¯s left eye. Zwei¡¯s limbless body writhed like a fish out of water. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ah¡­ Aaargh!¡± ¡°Extract the Essence of Pure blood.¡± The pain was excruciating, and Zwei¡¯s screams echoed through the hall as his essence was slowly drained. ¡°Aaaargh! Kriiieeek!¡± ¡°Extract the Essence of Pure blood.¡± ¡°What¡­What have you done until it¡¯se to this point?!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dammit! You clearly said you¡¯d help capture Jhordin Stonesong! But why¡­ why¡­¡± Out of nowhere, Zwei began babbling iprehensible words. Ronan raised an eyebrow. Had the stake pierced his brain or something? It was the moment Ronan pulled out the stake that had been impaled in his eye. ¡°Damn it.¡± An overwhelming surge of energy, unlike anything before, washed over Ronan. He noticed that Zwei¡¯s gaze was directed not at him but behind him. Ronan slowly turned his head. Except for the scattered blood, organs, and the corpses of mosquito bastards, there was nothing else to be seen. The only people left lying on the table, who had been the vampires¡¯ meal, were three individuals, groaning in agony. Suddenly, Cita¡¯s feathers fluttered with agitation. ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± The blood spread across the banquet hall was being absorbed into Cita¡¯s body. Its four wings vibrated rapidly, as if preparing for something. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Cita?¡± ¡°Aaaargh!¡± A magical circle appeared in front of Cita. Without any warning, a projectile shot out towards the stone table. Kwaang! Thepressed blood exploded, creating a crimson cloud. ¡°What the hell are you doing all of a sudden¡­¡± Ronan was about to say something when the thick blood cloud cleared, revealing a human figure within. A man, wearing a flipped hood, was sitting on the stone table. His ominous voice echoed through the banquet hall. ¡°Disappointing.¡± Unconsciously, Ronan clenched the stake. He immediately realized that the one emitting that ominous presence was this man. Ronan steadied his breath and spoke. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who¡­ am I?¡± He was clearly one of the people brought here as prey. The man slowly turned towards Ronan. Behind his thin hood, crimson eyes glowed ominously. His voice resonated once more. ¡°That¡¯s the question I¡¯d like to ask you, Impostor. Where is Jhordin?¡± Ronan remained silent. The man stood up, and the restraints that had bound his hands and feet had somehowe undone. Zwei, in a bewildered voice, stammered. ¡°I-Is he¡­ an impostor?¡± ¡°I expected more from you. I was curious, so I followed when you said you¡¯d make Jhordin one of your own¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, answer me! Is that creature an impostor?!¡± Ignoring Zwei, the man took a step forward. Ronan gripped the hilt of his de. It felt like facing a force of nature rather than a living being. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve got no luck¡­¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. It was a sensation simr to when he faced Brighia. At that moment, a familiar voice whispered in his ear. ¡°Step back. He¡¯s not an opponent we can handle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shaaak! In an instant, a bluish hemisphere engulfed the approaching man. Blood and shadows from all directions turned into des and pinned the man inside the hemisphere. Finally, a massive maw made of shadows swallowed the hemisphere whole. ¡°¡­Ophelia?¡± All of this had happened in less than two seconds. Ronan turned his head. Ophelia, whom he had clearly said couldn¡¯te, was standing beside him. She had her eyes narrowed, and there was no trace of her usual gentleness. She stared down at the spot where the man had been. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Why are you here? When did you start following us?¡± ¡°I was worried, so I¡¯ve been following you from the beginning. But more importantly, hurry and get the Essence of Pure blood and let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Her tone waspletely different from usual. There was no trace of the usual softness in Ophelia¡¯s face. She chewed her lip and muttered. ¡°Why is that man here¡­¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He is Varsaac von varshava, The younger brother of the Shadow duke.¡± ¡°Shadow Duke?¡± He had heard that name before, probably when Cita was being trained. Opheliapared Cita¡¯s talents to the Shadow Duke¡¯s childhood. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the one who rules the world of the night¡­¡± Ophelia was about to continue speaking when, Kwaang! Suddenly, the ground exploded, and a ck shadow burst into the air. There was no time to react. The man with the flipped hoodnded in front of the two of them. Chapter 73: Valzac Chapter 73: Valzac ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the one who rules the world of the night¡­¡± Ophelia was about to continue speaking when, Kwaang! Suddenly, the ground exploded, and a ck shadow burst into the air. There was no time to react. The man with the flipped hoodnded in front of the two of them. A grim voice resonated. ¡°Where is Jhordin?¡± It was a chilling pressure. Ronan couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. There was not even a single scratch on the body of the man called Valzac after getting hit by Ophelia¡¯s offensive magic. ¡°What the heck¡­¡± Ronan reflexively threw out the stake he was holding. Valzac, who avoided Ronan¡¯s attack by twisting his body at a bizarre angle, swung his hand towards Ronan¡¯s throat. His sharp nails gleamed like five knives. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan leaned back, Valzac¡¯s pale palm narrowly grazing his nose bridge. Thud! A bted sound of impact echoed. Ronan, who had thrown the stake, drew out his sword. ¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯ He¡¯s on apletely different level than those bloodthirsty idiots earlier. Just like the battle with Brighia, he has to seize a single opportunity to have a chance of winning. Amidst the precarious exchange of blows, a nearby shadow flickered, and a fierce wolf leaped out. ¡°Kyaahhh!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡®I thought he was from a pure martial arts background, but it seems not.¡® The shadowy wolf bared its fangs and charged at Ronan head-on, while Valzac was rushing in from the rear, making it difficult for him to defend. Ronan, cursing under his breath, gripped the hilt of his de. ¡°Let¡¯s give this a try.¡± Ronan spun in the direction of Valzac and swung his sword. It was an elerated, super-fast strike, tapping into the flow of mana. Swish! The moment the de was drawn, the upper jaw of the wolf separated from its head, and the creature lost its form and disappeared. For the first time, a groan of bewilderment escaped from inside the cloak. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Sensing the danger, Valzac hastily retreated. The distance between the two of them was now just barely out of reach of the sword¡¯s edge. There was a risk of counterattack, but Ronan didn¡¯t stop. He had to seed. Ronan, muttering inwardly, swung his sword with determination. ¡°Go to hell!¡± For a moment, a jolt of electricity washed over Ronan. St! The sword energy, generated from the de, shot towards Valzac¡¯s head. Unlike before, it was no longer colourless but a crimson sword energy, much like blood. ¡°Ugh!¡± Valzac quickly twisted his head, but it wasn¡¯t a distance he couldpletely avoid. St! As the cloak was torn diagonally, blood sprayed up simultaneously. Ronan, looking at the exposed face, chuckled. ¡°Surprisingly, you look good. I expected you to look like shit to be honest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ quite interesting.¡± Valzac¡¯s appearance was more impressive than Ronan had anticipated. He appeared to be in histe twenties at most. His features were distinct, and his hair was a thick gray, like an owl¡¯s. The notable ws were the lost light in his left eye and the scars inflicted by Ronan¡¯s sword energy. Deep gouges ran from the corner of his right mouth down to below his ear. Valzac licked the blood flowing from the wounds and muttered. ¡°How long has it been since I shed blood unwillingly¡­¡± However, the second w vanished quickly. Within seconds, as Ronan saw the wounds healing, he spat on the ground. ¡°You damn monster.¡± ¡°Well, this worked out nicely. I need you to fill this emptiness for me.¡± A cracked smile spread across Valzac¡¯s face. Snap! When he flicked his fingers into the air, darkness surged, and the same wolves as before began to reveal themselves one by one. Ronan noticed the growling soundsing from various parts of the banquet hall. The gleaming eyes in the darkness numbered easily more than twenty pairs. ¡°Can you be Jhordin?¡± Tl/N: Weird dialogue. Valzac chanted in a crazed voice. In his hand, a blood-crafted spear had appeared, far superior in craftsmanship to what other vampires typically used. It seemed he was adept not only in dark magic but also blood magic. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m really unlucky¡­¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly and readied himself. He realised that Valzac wasn¡¯t using his full power. Cita, perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, spread its wings and let out a threatening roar. ¡°Beaaaah!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Perhaps the story would end here, Ronan thought, but there was nothing else he could do. Bang! The two men, clutching their weapons, rushed forward. It was the moment when ck and crimson des were about to sh. Suddenly, Ophelia appeared, blocking their path. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan applied a sudden brake by gripping his own wrist, and Valzac did the same. The two, who had been swaying as if about to fall, straightened up. Valzac¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Ophelia?¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯d like to intervene and stop you both, there was no way to get through. Both of you are being too rough.¡± Ophelia, who had been alternating her gaze between Ronan and Valzac, sighed. Valzac was stumbling and unable to speak as if he had encountered a ghost. The wolves, which had been poised to leap, all took their seats. Ronan shouted incredulously, ¡°Hey, what are you doing so recklessly? Hurry up and run away!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he an opponent we can¡¯t handle?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Ophelia, trailing off her words, pursed her lips. Valzac spoke again. ¡°¡­Ophelia. Is it really you?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while, Valzac.¡± It seemed that Valzac had only just realised Ophelia¡¯s presence. Amidst all themotion, it appeared he had been deeply engrossed in his struggle against Ronan. ¡°I see. So, that magic attack earlier was yours¡­ If I had known, I would have weed it with open arms.¡± He murmured, stroking his chin. Ophelia¡¯s voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. [This is why I didn¡¯t want to deal with him.] Ronan, who made eye contact with her, nodded. Ophelia continued. ¡°You¡¯re still as insane as ever. Can¡¯t you stop now that you¡¯ve seen my face?¡± ¡°I suppose so. Fake Jhordin turned out to be unexpectedly interesting.¡± Suddenly, Valzac flicked his fingers, and the wolves that had been lurking in the darkness disappeared. It was an oddly anticlimactic conclusion. Ophelia let out a relieved sigh and spoke. ¡°How have you been? It¡¯s been almost 80 years.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s been 83 years. But what¡¯s with that adorable look?¡± ¡°I had to attend human schools temporarily. Didn¡¯t want to stand out unnecessarily.¡± ¡°I see. I remember the times when you were living in our castle. It was enjoyable.¡± ¡°Yeah, there were such times.¡± ¡°By the way, you calling my name¡­¡± Valzac, who had lowered his spear, took a step towards Ophelia. She inclined her head, and he extended his palm. ¡°Sorry. Please don¡¯te any closer than this.¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t forgiven me, have you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I see. Fair enough.¡± Valzac stopped gently. Ronan frowned at his obedient attitude. He couldn¡¯t believe he was fighting this guy until just now. ¡®Could he be a childhood friend of Ophelia?¡¯ However, the way they seemed close yet maintained some boundaries bothered Ronan. Ophelia continued the conversation. ¡°So, Valzac, why are you here in a ce like this? You¡¯re not at the level to y with these kids, are you?¡± ¡°I came to settle a score with Jhordin Stone Song. It¡¯s all been messed up, though.¡± ¡°So, you fought Jhordin as well. Surprisingly, you both survived.¡± ¡°He was a great mage. You have no idea how desperate I was when this fake pulled out a sword instead of chanting a spell. ¡± Valzac¡¯s exnation followed. He had a pretty unusual idea for a vampire, wanting to be stronger than anyone else. Traveling around the world,peting with the strong, and drinking their blood were the reasons why Valzac lived. The match against Jhordin took ce on the western outskirts of the continent. It was said that the battle, which began around the time of dusk, was not over until the next morning. ¡°We had to settle for a draw because of that ursed sun rising on the horizon. It had been a while since I had such a close match.¡± They said that the ce where the battle took ce still has piles of jagged rocks rising up. It was a trace of Jhordin¡¯s earth magic. Valzac spoke with a bitter voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find a clue about him anywhere, but these little brats not only managed to track him down but also concocted a n to lure him in. He said he was looking for the essence of pure blood, so I lent them one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he overheard the conversation. ¡®What did he lend them?¡¯ ¡°Lent them? What do you mean? Could you really lend something like that?¡± ¡°Who dare you butt into our conversation, Fake Jhordin?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Valzac. He¡¯s a friend I made after several centuries.¡± ¡°Come over here and have a seat. It must be hard to hear from that distance.¡± Valzac tapped on a chair made of stone. Ronan grumbled to himself and approached. ¡°This damned bastard¡­¡± ¡°You should have told me earlier. If I¡¯d known you were friends with Ophelia, I wouldn¡¯t have treated you so roughly.¡± ¡°I wish the de would¡¯ve severed your lower jaw.¡± Valzac reminds him of Shullifen in many ways, including the pride thates with strength and the loss of taste in front of certain individuals. Valzac spoke, ¡°Exactly. I have three essences.¡± ¡°Damn, why do you have so many? Ophelia, didn¡¯t you say you only have one?¡± ¡°Yeah, most people usually have none or just one. It¡¯s strange that Valzac has so many.¡± The essence of pure blood was a type of core in which a vampire¡¯s power was condensed and generated within their body. Unlike themon mana cores that could be created with a few years of training, it took decades or even centuries for one to form. Valzac grumbled, ¡°These days, the youngsters don¡¯t even have an essence, let alone a formed core. Ipleted my first core at the age of thirty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the weird one.¡± ¡°My brother has seven.¡± ¡°Then you and the Grand Duke are weird.¡± While natural talent yed a role, it was the relentless training and the determination to exceed limits that were more important in increasing the number or size of cores. Valzac was a vampire who fulfilled all these conditions. ¡°Now that I think about it, I almost forgot about the gathering.¡± Snap! Valzac suddenly flicked his fingers, and a wolf that had emerged from the darkness bit into the neck of the lying Zwei. ¡°Ah, ah-ack!¡± Zwei struggled, his severed limb wriggling, but it was in vain. The wolf tossed him at Valzac¡¯s feet and then vanished. Valzac lifted Zwei by the neck and said, ¡°The n failed, so I¡¯ll have to take back the essence.¡± ¡°Wait, just wait a moment! I can still¡­¡± Valzac didn¡¯t respond. His hand plunged deeply into Zwei¡¯s chest. A bone-chilling scream resounded through the banquet hall. ¡°Aaaaaaaargh!¡± In Valzac¡¯s grasp, the still-beating heart was tightly clenched. The crimson mana seen earlier faintly flickered around the heart. Zwei stared at his own heart, which had been pulled out from his chest. ¡°Sp¡­ spare me¡­¡± Quack! Valzac gripped his heart relentlessly. The blood that had umted scattered in all directions, and at the same time, the body was stretched. The essence of blood was absorbed into Valzac¡¯s body as if it were regaining its original ce. ¡°Tsk, you trash.¡± Valzac tossed Zwei¡¯s lifeless body aside as if it were nothing more than trash. Ronan, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke up. ¡°Hey, how about we make a bet?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s bet on it. The essence of pure blood. With three of them, it could be interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Valzac and Ophelia exchanged nces. Ronan took out the item he had prepared earlier and ced it on the table. It was a parchment made of purebred sheepskin, used for conducting blood pacts. A heavy silence hung in the air, filled with the tension of a gamble. Finally, Valzac snorted and spoke. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°You damn mosquito bastard.¡± Chapter 74: A Despicable Bet Chapter 74: A Despicable Bet ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s bet on it. The essence of pure blood. With three of them, it could be interesting, don¡¯t you think?¡± Valzac and Ophelia exchanged nces. Ronan took out the item he had prepared earlier and ced it on the table. It was a parchment made of purebred sheepskin, used for conducting blood pacts. A heavy silence hung in the air, filled with the tension of a gamble. Finally, Valzac snorted and spoke. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°You damn mosquito bastard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s intriguing, I won¡¯t deny that. But I doubt you have anything of value equivalent to the Essence of Pure Blood.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see about that.¡± Suddenly, Ronan drew Lamancha from his waist and ced it on the table, sheathed. Ophelia, who was watching, widened her eyes in surprise. A telepathic message resonated in Ronan¡¯s head. [Ronan, what¡­ are you doing?] Ronan winked at Ophelia, implying she shouldn¡¯t worry. She looked away, visibly shaken. Valzac, raising an eyebrow with interest, approached the table. ¡°Hmm. You do have something of value.¡± ¡°At least you have a good eye.¡± ¡°May I draw it?¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Surprisingly, Valzac asked for permission before handling the weapon. It was a pleasant disy of respect between warriors. Swish! The drawn Lamancha revealed its form. The straight de was as thin and dark as the eyelids of the night. Valzac, closely inspecting the sword, frowned. ¡°¡­A peculiar weapon. If only a bit more malice was added, it wouldn¡¯t fall short of being called a cursed sword.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I felt something off about it from the start.¡± Valzac gripped the hilt. Suddenly, a red aura emanated from the sword, staining the once-ck de with a deep crimson. ¡°What the hell?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first time he had seen Lamancha react like this. Valzac, turning his body, swung the sword lightly towards the hall¡¯s wall. Whooosh! The sword unleashed a wave of red energy, not in its usual crescent shape, but more like a fan, reminiscent of a water ssh. Kaboom! The ensuing explosions shook the room. Dozens of flowers made of rock and dust bloomed, revealing the damaged stone wall. Ronan spat out a curse. ¡°What the heck, how did you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too malevolent. I have no use for such a thing.¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°Am I obliged to tell you? If you have nothing else to show, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Valzac handed back the Lamancha, looking away. Ronan couldn¡¯t let him just walk away. He grabbed Cita, who was on his shoulder, and presented it to Valzac. ¡°How about this? A creature unknown even to the thousand-year-old elves. With a half-face, swift, and if you hug it at night, it¡¯s warm.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ophelia, the ruby shining in the snow. I¡¯ll see you again if the opportunity arises.¡± Cita¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Valzac didn¡¯t reply and began to turn away. As he was about to bid farewell to Ophelia, Ronan suddenly lunged across the table, grabbing Valzac. ¡°Wait, you bastard.¡± Both vampires turned their heads. Ronan, with both hands in his pockets, stared down Valzac, catching him off guard. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m betting myself.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet myself on the stake. If I lose, I¡¯ll be your subordinate. Isn¡¯t that offer enticing enough?¡± ¡°Ronan¡­ What on earth are you saying?¡± Ophelia called out, unable to hold back her confusion. Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Valzac chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t waste my blood on making just anyone a subordinate. What¡¯s the benefit of making you one?¡± ¡°Of course, even if I became a subordinate, I wouldn¡¯t stop training.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If I be a subordinate, I¡¯ll fight for you whenever you need it. A sparring partner that¡¯ll continuously grow stronger beyond the bounds of lifespan. Tempting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Valzac¡¯s eyes grew wide. The proposal, while arrogant, was indeed attractive. He had glimpsed the potential Ronan had during their brief skirmishes. Maybe he could be a second Jhordin. Valzac, rubbing his chin, suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! How amusing. To think there¡¯s a human with such a perspective.¡± ¡°You¡¯d best not let your guard down even if I be your subordinate. Within five years, I n to take your head.¡± ¡°Fine, I ept the bet. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. All I want is one Essence of Pure Blood.¡± ¡°The terms of the bet?¡± Ronan exined the rules he had premeditated for the bet. They would take turns attacking each other once. Defense or evasion is allowed. However, if one retaliates during the opponent¡¯s turn or fails to rise within a minute after being hit, they¡¯re considered defeated. That was it. There were no special conditions that appeared to favor Ronan. Valzac tilted his head, seemingly confused. ¡°¡­Do you truly believe you can defeat me under those terms?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Ronan smirked. Valzac couldn¡¯tprehend him. Both were well aware of the difference in their strengths. And with these terms? Valzac scoffed. ¡°You overestimate yourself. Such arrogance from one with such a fleeting life.¡± ¡°You talk too much for an old mosquito. Are you scared?¡± ¡°You¡¯re cheeky. I ept the bet. If you be my subordinate, I¡¯ll spend the first hundred years teaching you manners.¡± ¡°An excellent choice. Shall we draft the contract?¡± The two of them penned their contract in blood. Ophelia, a third party, acted as a witness. She continuously sent messages trying to dissuade Ronan, but all he did was wink, indicating he was fine. [You havepletely gone mad¡­.] The rules of the bet and the stakes were documented in order. With both of their signatures, the parchment disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only the letters written in blood, which floated in the air. The letters arranged themselves like a chain, sinking into the chests of Ronan and Valzac. At that moment, as the blood pact formed, Ronan instinctively realised that if he failed to honor it, he¡¯d die. ¡°It feels damn eerie.¡± ¡°The binding power of the pact¡­ it¡¯s wrapped around my heart.¡± Ophelia sighed deeply. There was no turning back now. Thankfully, the difort soon faded. Ronan and Valzac stood in the middle of the banquet hall. Valzac, with a rxed tone, said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you the first move. Act as if it¡¯s yourst.¡± ¡°Much appreciated.¡± Ronan gripped his sword hilt. Ophelia was the referee. All the while, Valzac chuckled in anticipation. He wasn¡¯t confident. It was even harder for him to control his strength without killing. Ophelia, visibly nervous, finally uttered, ¡°Begin.¡± Bang! Ronan charged. Shadows converged around Valzac, forming an armor. This dark magic armor had a defense as strong as mithril. In an instant, the distance closed. Ronan swung his sword. Valzac raised an eyebrow. ¡®Fast.¡¯ It was undoubtedly a swift de, but that was all. A simple, straightforward attack. Easily dodged, but defendable. ¡®Disappointing. I expected more.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s impending scream echoed in his ears. With a bitter smile, Valzac prepared to defend. sh! The de cleanly cut through Valzac¡¯s armor, separating his head from his body. ¡°Ah?¡± It didn¡¯t take long to realise what had happened. Dizziness and pain overwhelmed him as a scream escaped Valzac¡¯s lips. ¡°ARRRGGHH!!¡± His limbs, separated from his body, flew in the air. Ronanughed heartily from Valzac¡¯s lowered perspective. ¡°Haha! Thanks for the effort, Valzac. I¡¯ll take the Essence of Pure Blood.¡± ¡°How¡­ how?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m under no obligation to exin. Just lie there and wonder which essence you¡¯ll release.¡± As Valzac gazed at his scattered limbs, he couldn¡¯t believe his high-density mana armor had been sliced like tofu. ¡°Ophelia, count exactly one minute!¡± Ronan shouted to a stunned Ophelia. Clearly, Valzac¡¯s armor was a potent spell. The sensation on Ronan¡¯s de confirmed it. Of course, how to cut through mana wasn¡¯t Ronan¡¯s business. He gleefully taunted the crippled Valzac. ¡°If you¡¯re good, please be a solid and plump guy. Like a ripe watermelon.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯ll let this slide?¡± Valzac gritted his teeth as his face reddened. After about 20 seconds, his limbs regrew explosively from their clean cuts. Ronan scowled. ¡°Damn.¡± Valzac, staggering, picked up his head. The severed blood vessels wriggled as if alive. He reattached his head seamlessly. His neck healed instantly. Recovered, Valzac red at Ronan. ¡°That was fun¡­ What trick did you use?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see thating.¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s my turn now. Prepare.¡± Ronan nodded, and Valzac looked to Ophelia, who hesitated before whispering, ¡°Begin.¡± In a sh, red and ck energy was sucked beneath Valzac¡¯s feet, draining the surrounding mana. The ambient darkness shimmered, revealing shadowy beasts. Ronan scoffed. ¡°Are you banking on one big move?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if you¡¯re torn to shreds, I¡¯ll fix you up.¡± Blood flowed between Valzac¡¯s fingers, forming long spears aimed at Ronan. Five spears, each about 3 meters long, orbited above Ronan. With a snap of his fingers, the shadow beasts charged, and the blood spears rained down. Ronan gripped his sword. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s see this through.¡± Ronan lowered his stance andunched a horizontal strike. Two heads of shadow wolves soared into the air. Having dealt with three more, Ronan rolled to the side. Bang! Right behind him, the front paw of a charging shadow bear smashed the spot where he had been. After cutting down the bear, Ronan looked up to see a red spear approaching him. Seeing the spear piercing through the beasts and flying towards him, Ronan spat out a curse. ¡°Damn it.¡± Whoosh! Ronan swiftly rotated, evading the blood spear. Immediately, beasts leaped, surrounding him. He swung his arms mightily, releasing a sword aura. The dismembered bodies of the beasts crumbled, creating a gap. But there was no time to catch his breath. Two flying spears, which were hovering around, swooped in to fill the gap. If he had hesitated, it would¡¯ve been toote. Instinctively, Ronan¡¯s de intercepted and split the spear vertically. ¡°It¡¯s simr to that time.¡± Suddenly, he remembered his previous battle with Ahaiyute. The spear of light shot by Ahaiyute obliterated one of his allies in a single strike. The monsters that emerged from where the feathers had fallen cornered the knights. Only after cutting through all of that could Ronan reach Ahaiyute, stepping over the corpses of his sacrificedrades. Compared to that time, this was child¡¯s y. However, his body, not fully recovered, was holding him back. Whoosh! Ronan shredded the shadow lion that scratched his thigh. It was a fairly deep wound, but he felt no pain. Feeling his senses sharpening, Ronan danced, swinging his sword. Valzac, who had been watching, let out a sincere admiration. ¡°Impressive.¡± He seemed to understand why he had proposed such a wager. Ronan was a far better swordsman than he had anticipated. An unbelievable number of beasts, easily over a hundred, were being sliced apart at an astonishing speed. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re still immature.¡± Valzac shook his head. His ¡®single strike¡¯ was still ongoing, exploiting the simple rule of taking turns to attack. At his signal, the remaining beasts all rushed at Ronan. Soon, Ronan¡¯s figure disappeared amidst the beasts. Ophelia, sensing what was about to unfold, screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t do it!¡± Ignoring Ophelia, Valzac snapped his fingers. A thick barrier appeared in front of him and Ophelia. Roars! Suddenly, the bodies of the beasts began to inte like balloons. The remaining spears simultaneously pierced through the beasts. Boom! An explosion made of blood and shadows engulfed the banquet hall. A sigh escaped from the stiffened lips of Ophelia. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­¡± ¡°That concludes my attack.¡± It was an explosion no one could¡¯ve survived. The barrier vanished, revealing the expanded scenery of the destroyed banquet hall. Thick dust obscured the view. After a few moments, an unexpected cough echoed from within the smoke. Cough! ¡°¡­¡± The eyes of the two vampires widened. Unsteady footsteps approached. Ronan¡¯s figure soon emerged, prompting a sarcasticugh from Valzac. ¡°To think you¡¯d withstand that.¡± ¡°Cough, seriously¡­ I almost died there, bastard¡­¡± Ronan looked like a rag soaked in blood. Blood oozed from wounds all over his body. Yet, there were no fatal injuries like severed limbs. He had survived simr situations twice before. Once during the battle with Ahaiyute, and the other when he faced the storm sword of Shullifen. When Cita casted a healing spell, most of the wounds disappeared without a trace. ¡°Thanks, Cita. Phew, feels like I might live now.¡± ¡°Why¡­ are you recovering with the help of others¡­?!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t prohibited in the contract.¡± Valzac frowned. Underestimating Ronan had been a grave mistake. He too had taken advantage of a loophole in the contract, but Ronan did so more cunningly. Stretching like he was warming up, Ronan smirked. ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s my turn.¡± Ronan gripped his de, and the frozen Ophelia sent a subtle signal. Valzac shouted in anger. ¡°You think I¡¯ll fall for it twice?!¡± In that instant, Ronan vanished from view. The strike from the blood-infused sword was much sharper and faster than before. Valzac felt heavier, having exhausted his vitality and energy in regeneration. He attempted to absorb the blood and mana around him. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± But something was amiss. The expected blood and mana from the exploded shadow beasts and spears were missing. His gazended on the creature behind Ronan. Cita, with wings spread wide, was absorbing all the blood and mana in the vicinity. Their eyes met, and Cita tilted its head yfully. ¡°Beah?¡± ¡°You filthy¡­!¡± It was a rigged match from the beginning. The moment he realised it, Ronan unleashed his attack. The de that had once torn through armor now created dozens of red lines on the defenseless flesh. As his vision blurred, Ronan¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Sorry about this. I¡¯m a tough learner.¡± Valzac lost consciousness. Chapter 75: Rebirth (1) Chapter 75: Rebirth (1) It was a rigged match from the beginning. The moment he realized it, Ronan unleashed his attack. The de that had once torn through armor now created dozens of red lines on the defenseless flesh. As his vision blurred, Ronan¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Sorry about this. I¡¯m a tough learner.¡± Valzac lost consciousness. ¡­ ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Valzac opened his eyes. His ears felt stuffy, and his back was cold. From somewhere, a familiar voice reached his ears. ¡°Is he dead?¡± ¡°Not really. With three essences, he won¡¯t die¡­ and his regeneration is almostplete too.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fortunate. Usually, just half of that would kill someone.¡± His head had miraculously regenerated, however, there was no sensation in many parts of his body. Raising his head, Valzac scanned the surroundings. He was lying in the middle of a huge puddle of blood. The regenerating body resembled a haphazardly assembled ceramic doll. Within the blood, fragments that had onceposed his own flesh floated aimlessly. With a clinking sound, he slowly turned his head and muttered under his breath. ¡°¡­Did I lose?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± Valzac concentrated his mind without saying a word. The puddle began to dry up rapidly. Eventually, he absorbed all the blood and flesh, then rose to his feet. There wasn¡¯t a trace of a scar left on his regenerated body. Ronan¡¯s expression crumpled in amazement. ¡°Damn it. At least put something on.¡± ¡°How long was I unconscious for?¡± ¡°About ten minutes.¡± ¡°So, you had about thirty chances to kill me.¡± Valzac picked up a cloak that had been lying on the floor, wrapped it around his body, and then ced his hand silently on his chest. A crimson light emanated from the spot where his heart should be. Valzac extended the essence of life and said, offering it to Ronan. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°dly¡±, replied Ronan. ¡°We both used some dirty tricks but still, I lost and you won.¡± There was no emotion in his voice. Ronan nodded, and Ophelia, who had been observing, approached them with Cita. Looking at her, Valzac said, ¡°Ophelia, it¡¯s been a while since we met, but I only showed you an ugly spectacle. I¡¯m sorry,¡± ¡°No, you fought well.¡± ¡°No need for pretense. By the way, have you forgiven me now?¡± Only then did Ophelia realize that she hade within three steps of Valzac. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s not it, but¡­ at this distance¡­¡± ¡°Finally some progress after two hundred years. I¡¯m touched.¡± Valzac grinned, baring his fangs. Ophelia maintained her stoic expression, not reacting. She and Cita began processing the essence of life pulsating in Valzac¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s right, continue like that. It should feel like it¡¯s slowly freezing.¡± Pssh- A precise blood magic was performed. Clumps of pure mana were being transformed into tangible material. Before long, the processed essence of life was transferred to Cita¡¯s beak. The jewel-shaped crystal shimmered with all shades of red, like it held every hue of the world¡¯s crimson. Ronan gently stroked Cita¡¯s head as he spoke. ¡°You did well. You¡¯ve truly done everything today.¡± ¡°Beah~¡± Cita, who had been growling, handed the essence to Ronan. At that moment, the characters that had extended like chains above Ronan and Valzac¡¯s spines disappeared. Valzac, confirming that the blood pact had run its course, turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then. If the opportunity arises, we¡¯ll meet again, Ophelia.¡± ¡°Sure. Take care.¡± Suddenly, Valzac¡¯s cloak fell to the ground. Ronan muttered a curse. But beneath the cloak revealed not a naked pervert but a gigantic brown bat. The one-eyed bat turned to Ronan and spoke. ¡°Ronan, I¡¯ll remember you.¡± ¡°Very well. I will make good use of the essence.¡± ¡°Get stronger. I expect a proper fight next time.¡± Valzac spreaded his wings. They appeared to have a wingspan of at least 4 meters. With a single p, he disappeared. Ronan watched the spot where Valzac had vanished and muttered to himself. ¡°I thought he¡¯d make a fuss, but that was unexpected.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s just the kind of guy he is.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I almost died, seriously¡­¡± Ronan finally let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, the polymorph spell was released, and his true form returned. He had been anxious, fearing that Valzac, even in his warped state of mind, might attack. ¡®He was disgustingly strong, really.¡¯ To win, he had to employ all sorts of dirty and deadly tactics. In a real battle, the probability of defeat would have been very high. He keenly felt the need to get stronger once again. ¡®I should try a rematch when my body has grown a bit. I¡¯m too weak right now.¡¯ Facing the opponent with a kid¡¯s body was too strong. After calming his mind to some extent, Ronan chuckled. It was by no means an honorable victory, but a win was still a win. He turned to Ophelia and said, ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t¡­ done anything.¡± ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t have intervened, I would have most probably died here, so you deserves to be thanked¡± He meant it sincerely. Without Ophelia, many things would have gone awry. Ronan stretched and turned his back. ¡°You go back first. I¡¯ll explore this ce a bit more before leaving.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t rmend looting.¡± ¡°Hey, do I look like a pathetic guy who would steal money covered in bone dust? I have my reasons for being here.¡± It seemed that the architectural style resembling the temple where Sarante lived had caught his attention. Ronan left those words behind and exited the banquet hall. Though he hadn¡¯t been thinking about it, if he spotted a suitable treasure, he might as well pick it up. Ophelia, who had been standing there, followed him quietly. ¡°I told you to go. It might take a while.¡± ¡°No, I also enjoy this kind of thing¡­ there¡¯s nothing else to do anyway.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ronan nodded. The two of them continued to explore the ruins together. There were already many signs of excavation and damage, as if it had been looted several times before. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been curious for a while. What¡¯s the rtionship between you two? Did you used to date in the past?¡± ¡°We were just childhood friends. Valzac spent his early years in our castle.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t exactly seem like an ordinary childhood friend. He came at us like a dog that¡¯s buried something and is digging it up,¡± Ronanmented. ¡°Well¡­ he killed my little sister.¡± A chilling silence settled in. Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. He had been in the midst of seeking a way to turn back time. Ophelia spoke once more. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t find it hard to understand. My sister was trying to assassinate the Grand Duke, after all. Valzac, in a way, is a hero who protected both his family and the peace of the Night World simultaneously.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Still, I couldn¡¯t forgive him. I truly loved my little sister.¡± Ophelia spoke calmly. Her once lively younger sister had suddenly changed one day. She became dismissive of everything, exhibiting a cynical attitude towards everything. Eventually, she had set her sights on assassinating the Shadow Grand Duke, believing that unnecessary order had to be destroyed. ¡°My sister during that time¡­ she was strange. It was like she had be someone else.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea why that happened?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I really don¡¯t know. After she changed, she rarely left her room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°Yeah, the heart¡­ it can be quiteplicated.¡± With these words, Ophelia closed her mouth, and the two of them walked in silence along the dark corridor. Before long, they reached a dead end. Ronan scratched his head and muttered. ¡°I was sure there was something here¡­ or was there not?¡± There was nothing left to uncover. It seemed like his hunch had gone astray. It happens on days like these. Just as Ronan was about to turn his body, Cita suddenly bit and tugged at Ronan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Beah! Beah!¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ronan turned his head, but he didn¡¯t see anything. That¡¯s when Cita fired a blood bullet toward the blocked wall. Kwaang! A part of the wall was destroyed, and mana began to flow out through the crack. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± It was mana with a familiar feeling. Ronan reached for the hilt of his sword. As heunched the seven-strike thrust, the fragmented wall copsed. Revealed was a hidden chamber. Ophelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There was a space like this¡­¡± It was a small room with intricate reliefs carved on three sides. Faint mana lingered in the air. Ronan, looking around, raised an eyebrow. In the middle of the room, an ugly rock jutted out from the floor. ¡°¡­Seniel?¡± The form was different, but the feeling was the same. It was undoubtedly the same kind of object that had been ced in the temple where Sarante lived. Seniel, the statue forged over a thousand years, weathered by the winds. Sarante had left behind words that this great will was imbued within Ronan. The rock turned into dust as Ronan touched it. ¡°What the¡­?¡± He hastily withdrew his hand, but an inexplicable sensation still lingered within his body. Ophelia, with a somewhat surprised voice, mumbled. ¡°¡­It disappeared.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The mana flowing from the rock¡­ it disappeared.¡± Listening her words and looking, it was indeed the case. The mana that had been floating in the room was no longer visible. It was a situation that could only be exined by Ronan having absorbed it. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow, pondering. No matter how much he thought, he couldn¡¯t find an answer. The strange sensation that had run through his veins had now vanished. He greeted the statue as Sarante had done and then left the tomb. As they neared the exit, a foul odor became stronger. The moment they stepped out of the stone door¡­ Shiiiing! Suddenly, a massive iron flew straight at them. Ronan reacted swiftly, wielding his sword. With a single strike, the thick iron fell to the ground. ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± ¡°Hikkk! Monster!¡± Ronan turned his gaze toward the source of the sound. A rather scruffy-looking man was holding a crossbow and staring at them. Ophelia, standing beside Ronan, spoke up. ¡°It smells familiar. It seems to be one of the offspring from down below.¡± ¡°Ah, should we kill him then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ophelia nodded firmly. The man hastily turned and began to flee towards the swampy area. Ophelia extended her hand and cast a spell. Ronan, who had been contemting something, blocked Ophelia¡¯s path. ¡°Hmm¡­ What are you doing?¡± ¡°Wait. It might work right now.¡± The man was about ten paces away. Ronan, concentrating his mind, aimed at him and swung Lamancha. Swish! The sword energy shot out and struck the man¡¯s thigh. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°As I thought.¡± The man screamed in pain, writhing on the ground. Ronan quickly caught up with him. Deep scars were carved into the back of his thigh, revealing his bones. ¡°P-please spare me! I won¡¯t associate with vampires anymore!¡± The man begged, clutching his half-severed leg. Ronan, his brow furrowed, muttered to himself. ¡°Tsk, It couldn¡¯t quite cut it.¡± ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± Ophelia asked in surprise. Ronan¡¯s sword energy had be noticeably stronger than when he fought Valzac. Ronan shook his head left and right. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯s probably because of that stone, seeing as how it¡¯s suddenly like this.¡± Considering that his previous effective range had been about three paces, this was a remarkable improvement. He also noticed that the impact when he fired the sword energy had been reduced. Ronan was about to cut off the man¡¯s head when without warning, Ophelia firmly grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Wait¡­ can you leave him to me?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°I¡­ I just thought¡­ um¡­¡± Ophelia blushed, averting her gaze from Ronan. She ced her hand on her abdomen. Ah, she was a vampire too. Ronan nodded, patting Ophelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I understand. Then, take your time eating.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Hey, wait¡­ What do you mean by that?¡± Ronan did not answer, but turned and began to walk away.The man, panicking, moved backward. Through the slightly parted lips of Ophelia, her sharp white fangs gleamed. The mist rising from the swamp engulfed the two of them. Soon, a desperate scream echoed. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± When the mist cleared, all that remained was the crumpled leather. **** Ronan arrived at Philleon on a Sunday morning. As soon as he stepped into the academy grounds, exhaustion overwhelmed him. The fact that all of this had happened in just one day was hard to believe. ¡°I¡­ I need to do what needs to be done and then rest.¡± He wished he could just lie down on his bed without even taking off his socks, but that wasn¡¯t an option. Ronan headed straight for Philleon Tower 41, where Jhordin¡¯s office was located. He knocked on the office door. ¡°Ronan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The sound of atch being undone echoed. The door opened, revealing a thinner and even more haggard Jhordin. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t eating part of living? Why do you look even skinnier?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have a gift. Ta-da!¡± Ronan took out the Essence of Pure blood from his pocket and disyed it. Jhordin¡¯s expressionless face suddenly widened with surprise. He hurriedly grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist and pulled him into the office. m! Jhordin closed the door roughly and, in a trembling voice, said, ¡°Wh-where the hell did you get this¡­?¡± ¡°A friend of my professor gave it to me.¡± ¡°A friend¡­?¡± ¡°Never mind that. Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You still look hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. That¡¯s not important right now.¡± Suddenly, Jhordin raised his hand. As all seven locks clicked into ce, the floor began to move. Before long, a spiral staircase leading to theboratory was revealed. Jhordin held Ronan by the shoulders and spoke. ¡°We need to start Experiment 144. Right now.¡± Chapter 76: Rebirth (2) Chapter 76: Rebirth (2) A spiral staircase connected to theboratory came into view. Jhordin gripped Ronan¡¯s shoulder and spoke. ¡°We need to start Experiment 144. Right now.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Instead of answering, Jhordin turned and began descending the stairs with unsteady steps, like a deer on unsteady legs. The essence of Pure blood was still clutched in Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°God dammit.¡± Ronan, scratching his head, followed Jhordin. The dimly litboratory still smelled of ink, iron, and the overpowering scent of roses. A ss container containing Sunya sparkled like starlight in the distance. Ronan stepped over fallen leaves of books as he moved forward. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± Jhordin, who had arrived earlier, was rummaging through his notes as if he was mad. Without even looking, he reached out his hand. ¡°Come here. We need to extract mana quickly.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to go in all at once?¡± ¡°A small amount is sufficient. It will be done quickly, so just wait a bit.¡± On the old and worn desky the tools used to extract mana from Sarante¡¯s ring in the past. With the essence of Pure blood in hand, Jhordin immediately began the extraction. It took less than 10 minutes for the process to bepleted. The separated mana from the Pure blood pulsed within a small sk. Jhordin took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin Experiment Resurrection no. 144. The experimenter is Jhordin Stonesong. The test subject is Sunya.¡± Holding two sks, Jhordin headed towards the ss container. In the other sk, mana extracted from Sarante¡¯s ring shimmered. Sunya, with her eyes still closed, floated in the middle of the ss container. She wore a different dress than before. As Jhordin chanted a spell, the two types of mana inside the sks transferred into the ss container. A scene reminiscent of mixing red and blue paint unfolded. A dry voice escaped through cracked lips. ¡°Please¡­¡± Ssshh ¨C Mana began to slowly permeate into Sunya¡¯s body, mingling with an unknown liquid. Jhordin watched this scene for a while before turning away. ¡°Let me say this first. Thank you.¡± ¡°Is it all done now?¡± ¡°No, we have to wait until all the mana has permeated. It should take about an hour.¡± Jhordin¡¯s face showed a mixture of hope and resignation. It was the expression of someone who was aware that this, too, was just one attempt among countless others. Jhordin spoke. ¡°I apologize for my rashness. The essence of pure blood is best when it¡¯s as fresh as possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I appreciate your understanding. Do you have some time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s chat for a bit.¡± Ronan nodded his head. There were so many questions they wanted to ask each other. They sat side by side on the bed and began their conversation. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°Because I want to.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, you don¡¯t have to. But there¡¯s one thing I must know. What did you do to get your hands on the essence of that crazy vampire?¡± ¡°Wait, you knew?¡± ¡°Yeah. I had a feeling, and it turned out to be what I suspected.¡± ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a long story.¡± Ronan briefly exined the events of the previous night, albeit with some embellishments. The conspiracy involving the Blood Hook, the bet with the Valzac, and as the story progressed, Jhordin¡¯s eyes gradually widened. ¡°Betting on yourself, you¡¯re crazy.¡± ¡°As long as the result is good, that¡¯s all that matters, right?¡± ¡°By the way, that guy Valzac, Is he still looking for me?¡± ¡°He¡¯spletely obsessed with you. What kind of wonderful experience did you give him to make him like that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really answer that because there are too many guesses. It was a fierce battle where we could have killed each other ten times over.¡± Jhordin had numerous questions about Valzac¡¯s current status, and Ronan answered them to his satisfaction. Jhordin, leaning on his chin, listened attentively before he spoke. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve felt it for a while now, but when I look at you, it reminds me of my younger days.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with you out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Yeah. Back then I felt invincible too. It was a time when I thought the world revolved around me.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Jhordin had suddenly started talking about his past. His youth was like a tree that grew straight up without branches. ¡°The Stonesong family was the most prestigious magic lineage in the South. I was a genius that only came along once every few centuries. Wealth and honor were as natural as the sunrise to me.¡± ¡°You must be very unlucky if you are saying this yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was arrogant, incredibly so. I treated everyone, including my family, like stepping stones.¡± Jhordin was a prodigy. He solved challenges that others would spend their entire lives on as easily as wiping his nose. He even challenged those known as the strongest, but in the end, he scoffed at their efforts and moved on. Around the age of eighteen, everything became mundane, so he left on a journey. He threw himself into being a free mercenary, giving in to his impulses. Although he earned a lot of money with his skills, he said he squandered it all on alcohol and women at night. Ronan could rte to his reckless behavior more than he cared to admit. ¡°You were the epitome of a scoundrel.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that. I probably would have continued like that if I hadn¡¯t met those two women.¡± ¡°One of them must have been your wife. Who was the other?¡± ¡°Navirose. You¡¯re quite familiar with that monster too.¡± The first time they met was in the dense southern jungle. Back then, Navirose, like Jhordin, was a free mercenary, and strangely enough, their employers wanted them to capture each other. Jhordin mentioned that Navirose was quite different from her current persona. ¡°She threatened to cut my throat and turn me into a torch if I didn¡¯t give inpletely.¡± ¡°Shit, did our professor go a bit off the rails? Seems like she did.¡± ¡°Valzac was tamer than her. Students should have witnessed her poking holes in palm leaves with her finger.¡± Jhordin shivered as he recounted his battle with the Navirose, describing it in detail, which took nearly thirty minutes. It was like a tidal wave rising and a massive sword striking down every time. Hundreds of trees were cut down with each swing of their swords. The duel that began at noonsted until midnight. The winner was Navirose. ¡°That was my first defeat in my life. No matter what I tried, I couldn¡¯t win. She threw me, who had be half-dead, into the middle of nowhere in the jungle.¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s more cruel than I thought.¡± ¡°The lesson in humility came at quite a cost. If it weren¡¯t for Sunya hearing the noise anding to my rescue, I would have truly be food for those beasts.¡± Sunya was a native living in the dense jungle. She took Jhordin in and nursed him back to health for nearly a year, despite his rebellious nature. What was even stranger was that he fell in love with her. At some point, he couldn¡¯t imagine days without her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even eat by myself, and I slept on a bed made of woven straw. But looking back, that was the happiest time of my life.¡± The two of them naturally became lovers, and in the end, they held a wedding ceremony amidst the blessings of the natives. Jhordin, now fully restored, immediately returned to the Stonesong family with Sunya. Up to this point, everything seemed fine. However, a shadow fell across Jhordin¡¯s face. ¡°The problem is that I was a fool.¡± But the way people looked at Sunya was far from pleasant. The family treated her more like a curious exhibit than Jhordin Stonesong¡¯s wife. Of course, Sunya paid no mind to such disdain. She continued to love her husband as she always had. The problem was with Jhordin himself. He didn¡¯t get angry at those who asked crazy questions. The main voice came from Jhordin¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­I started to feel ashamed of my wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s messed up.¡± Ronan nearly drew his sword in response. The experiment still had about ten minutes left. Jhordin continued speaking. ¡°People frequently asked me why I married her. I gave different answers every time. For the sake of friendship with the natives, for some magical research¡­ Several times, these questions were asked in her presence.¡± Whenever such incidents urred, Jhordin would apologize to his wife. He would hand her a bouquet of roses, her favorite. Sunya always responded by smiling like a fool and repeating that it was okay. Her death came at a time when Jhordin had stopped saying sorry to her. When he returned from work, she was dead. ¡°Do you know why she died?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t an illness or poison. I couldn¡¯t figure out the cause, no matter what I tried.¡± No method revealed the cause. The subsequent events matched what Ronan had read in the diary. Jhordin was risking everything to bring his wife back to life. After he finished his story, he fell silent. Ronan spat on the floor and stood up. ¡°I hate to say this, but you really were a bastard, Professor.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°Then are you trying to revive your wife to find out why she died?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it, of course, and I need to apologize. But the biggest reason is to answer the question I¡¯ve been asked countless times: why did you marry her?¡± ¡°What will you say?¡± ¡°First, no matter who asks, I¡¯ll punch them in the face. And¡­ ¡± As Jhordin trailed off, he looked at Ronan. His eyes, deeply embedded, were now bloodshot. His mouth opened with a low growl. ¡°Just¡­ I¡¯ll answer that I married her because I love her.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t say anything. At that moment, the chime signaling an hour passed, resonated through the room. Simultaneously, both of them turned to look at the ss container. Jhordin¡¯s face froze. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± No more mana remained visible. Sunya still had her eyes closed. After observing for another five minutes, Jhordin stood up. He ced his hand on the ss container and muttered quietly. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a failure.¡± Jhordin¡¯s expression was grim. He then shuffled over to his desk and slumped down onto the chair. Before long, the sound of a feather pen scribbling echoed in the silence. He must have been writing about the 144th failure. Ronan twisted his lips in frustration. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± In a way, it was expected. Despite the grandiose materials used, this was just one attempt among countless others. Ronan was about to take a step forward when an unfamiliar sound rang in his ears. ¨C Gurgling. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned around. At the same time, his eyes widened. Suppressing the urge to shout, he called out to Jhordin, who was still writing his report. ¡°Jhordin?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I think you shoulde and see this.¡± Jhordin slowly turned his head. Ronan¡¯s eyes were wide, as if about to pop out of his head, and he was pointing at the ss container. Jhordin¡¯s gazended on Sunya. The feather pen he had been holding slipped from his hand. ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Jhordin got up, but his legs seemed to have lost their strength, and he stumbled three times in the short distance of less than five steps. Finally, he reached the ss container and fell on the floor. Transparent tears streamed down Jhordin¡¯s cheeks incessantly. He clutched the ss container and buried his head in it. His frail shoulders began to tremble. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Bubbles were rising at the corner of Sunya¡¯s lips. They appeared at a steady pace, like breathing. Her once pale body now had a subtle flush of color. *** Ronan left the 41st Tower. The atmosphere inside was unbearable. Jhordin, who had been sobbing uncontrobly a moment ago, had now gone back to his research as if driven insane. ¡°Anyway, it seems like it went well. It was different from before.¡± The 144th attempt at revival was not a failure. Sunya had started breathing again and exhibited signs of life. However, her consciousness had not yet returned, and her eyes remained closed. Whether Jhordin had truly seeded in fully reviving a person would require further observation. As Ronan walked around the campus, he thought about the story of Jhordin and Sunya. It was truly a tale thatplicated the human heart. ¡®I married her because I love her.¡¯ Ronan returned to the dormitory as it was. Somehow, he felt like he hadn¡¯t slept at all. Just as he was about to enter the building, he heard a familiar voice from behind. ¡°Ronan.¡± Ronan turned his head. A tall girl was leaning against the wall of the building. She held a set of martial arts department clothing in her hand. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Adeshan?¡± ¡°Yeah. It hasn¡¯t been that long¡­ just a day.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°The Rising Star of the Empire was looking for you, so I came here just in case. He was talking about a mission or something.¡± ¡°A mission?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said it was extremely urgent. He asked me to bring you to the club building quickly.¡± ¡°What the hell is that guy up to now¡­ Thanks for letting me know.¡± He wanted to ignore it, but it wasn¡¯t a topic he could dismiss. As Ronan was about to turn and go inside the building, Adeshan, who had stepped away from the wall, grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± Chapter 77: The Moving Operation (1) Chapter 77: The Moving Operation (1) He wanted to ignore it, but it wasn¡¯t a topic he could dismiss. As Ronan was about to turn and go inside the building, Adeshan, who had stepped away from the wall, grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Adeshan extended the overcoat she had been holding. The neatly tailored garment looked as pristine as if it had never been worn. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he epted the coat. ¡°Oh, this is mine.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I survived that time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m d it came in handy.¡± During the midterm evaluation, Adeshan borrowed the overcoat from Ronan. He immediately put on the coat. It felt like he was wearing brand new clothes, and he felt good. Adeshan spoke up. ¡°How does it feel?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel a bit different?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Now that he thinks about it, the fit did seem slightly altered. He soon realized that the lining had be slightly thicker. ¡°Did you put something inside?¡± ¡°Yeah. I had some leftover materials, so I reinforced it with strong leather. It should be able to withstand light cuts or minor injuries.¡± ¡°Wow, you can do that too?¡± ¡°Well, I am the daughter of a tailor, after all. Take a look at the inner pocket.¡± Ronan lifted the front of the coat. Inside the pocket, his name was elegantly embroidered in cursive. Adeshan smiled warmly. ¡°I engraved it for you. You seem like the type to lose your clothes often.¡± ¡°Thank you. You didn¡¯t have to go to such lengths.¡± Ronan grinned happily. He was quite pleased with the modified overcoat. Despite not knowing the specifics of the alterations, it didn¡¯t feel much heavier. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Adeshan looked at Ronan with a proud glint in her eyes. Her genuine happiness was a pleasant sight. After a brief pause, she spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course. Right now, I could even tell you the number of freckles on my buttocks.¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not necessary¡­ I mean, about what happened yesterday. It¡¯s about that beautiful 3rd year mage.¡± ¡°Ophelia? What about her?¡± ¡°¡­You understood right away who I was talking about just because I said beautiful mage. I didn¡¯t even say her name.¡± ¡°Uh, yes?¡± ¡°Oh, I mean¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal. I was just curious about something.¡± Adeshan¡¯s tone, which had subtly be anxious, didn¡¯t carry the usual sharpness. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you two¡­friends?¡± ¡°Yeah, We¡¯re friends. I mean, something like that. It¡¯s just¡­ um¡­ Do you have a simr rtionship with her like the two of us?¡± For a moment, Ronan was at a loss for words. He hadn¡¯t been able to grasp the intent behind Adeshan¡¯s stuttering questions from the beginning. She continued with a voice mixed with anxiety. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just thinking for a moment. Ophelia¡­ Well, if you really want topare, she¡¯s different from you, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, Adeshan froze as if she hade face to face with a Medusa. Her thick eyshes trembled like a forest, and Ronan touched her chin gently. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Because you are much more special.¡± ¡°Sp-special?¡± ¡°Well, of course. We¡¯re going to stick together till the end.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She seemed to have her own pride. It was clear that she felt uneasy now that Ophelia, who appeared so strong, was being treated like a peer. She still had a long way to go to be Grand Generals, and Ronan couldn¡¯t afford to let her doubt herself. Boosting her confidence was the right move. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I said I¡¯d help you along the way. Until we both make it.¡± ¡°So¡­ you mean I¡¯m more important than Sunbae Ophelia?¡± ¡°At least to me.¡± Ronan stared into Adeshan¡¯s eyes as he spoke. She, who had been faltering like a broken doll, lowered her head. Her cheeks turned red as if they had been scorched by a me, and a voice seemed to crawl out from within her disheveled hair. ¡°¡­I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I should get going for today. Yeah, there are things the professor asked me to do.¡± ¡°But today is Sunday.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something else she asked me to do. Then I¡¯ll be off¡ª!¡± Suddenly, Adeshan turned her back and started walking away. Her legs were long, so her strides were incredibly fast. Ronan watched her receding figure and shook his head. ¡°The professor can be quite demanding.¡± She could have given her a break on weekends. Ronan muttered to himself as he headed to the club building. The clouds that had lingered overnight had now dispersed, leaving a bright blue sky. *** *** ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The door to the club building opened, revealing an unusual sight. Shullifen was circling the room like a condor with anxiety, muttering iprehensible words. At a table in the far corner, Aselle was huddled, trembling. ¡°Hi-hihihi¡­¡± Aselle, covering his face with a hefty book, peeked out with only his eyes, observing Shullifen¡¯s behavior. Ronan, seeing this bizarre scene, furrowed his brow. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°R-Ronan!¡± Aselle, locking eyes with Ronan, rushed over. It seemed that he had been studying here, and Shullifen had suddenly appeared. He whispered as if it were a secret. ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s our new member now. Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. At that moment, Shullifen, who had been wandering, came to a stop. Without turning his head, he spoke. ¡°Ronan. Why did youe sote?¡± ¡°What are you doing here in the first ce?¡± ¡°I came because I have urgent news. We need to move Iril¡¯s belongings as soon as possible. We should do it today.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get beaten up, you better have a valid reason.¡± Ronan was taken aback. They had just finalized the moving date at the end of the month the day before yesterday. Shullifen continued without turning his head. ¡°Early in the morning, we received a report. Another vige has been destroyed. It¡¯s called Kakapura, located to the west, in the mountains.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? A vige was destroyed?¡± ¡°Yeah. Frenzied monstersunched an attack. These creatures were beyond the capabilities of the guards, so the Imperial Army had to intervene to contain the situation.¡± ¡°Tell me more about it¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened. Nimbuten, where his sister lived, was also located near the Roma Mountains in the west. It was reported that the incident had urred yesterday evening, while he was absent. Monsters that were usually docile or inhabited other areas had started rampaging. The problem was widespread, and the response had been slow due to therge area affected. ¡°I dispatched a mercenary unit to Nimbutenst night. They might be newly formed recruits, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with you? You look damn impressive.¡± Shullifen¡¯s news left Ronan in disbelief. He knew that Nimbuten was quite far from the other affected areas, but he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. Therefore, it was the right decision to quickly send a guarding force to bring Iril back to safety. ¡°Of course, the urgency remains the same. We received reports of a wyvern sighting in the skies over Marbas this morning.¡± ¡°Damn, a wyvern?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. Wyverns were among the most dangerous monsters, not being able to breathe fire or use magic, but they had venom and sharp fangs, and most importantly, they could fly in the sky. On a map spread out on a corkboard, Shullifen approached and began pointing to the viges near the Roma Mountains with the tip of his de. ¡°Currently, except for the major city of Marbas, there isn¡¯t a proper defense system in ce to counter the monster attacks. Although the incidents are quite far from Nimbuten, we can¡¯t be toocent. Therefore, it¡¯s the right decision to promptly send a guarding force to bring Iril here.¡± The map detailed the route for the move, areas to be cautious of, and more. Ronan¡¯s mind raced as he considered the n. It seemed rational and left no room for criticism. Convinced that there was no time to waste, Ronan ced his hand on Aselle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Aselle, get your things.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We have an urgent club activity.¡± It appeared that there wouldn¡¯t be any time for a break. Ronan quickly took out paper and a pen, writing two notes. He handed one to Cita, who was dozing off by the window. ¡°¡­Beah?¡± ¡°Give it to Varen. You know where to find him, right?¡± It was a draft of a club activity n. Cita, who had been awakened from its sleep, nodded. The other note he left on the table right by the door. There was no time to gather the other club members. The three of them, fully prepared, left Philleon. About thirty minutester, two ghost horses were released beyond the western gate of the Academy. *** The three of them crossed the Roma Mountains before the sun set. It was hard to believe that they were now traveling on the same path that had taken Aselle and Ronan four days in the past. The speed of the ghost horse on the well-paved road was beyond imagination. Of course, the rental fee had also exceeded their imagination, but since it would be covered by Philleon Academy, they didn¡¯t need to worry about it. They stopped only after reaching Marbas. Shullifen spoke calmly. ¡°It was a good idea to rent Ghost Horses, Ronan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve ridden them before, and they¡¯re damn fast.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Uuuh¡­¡± Aselle, still clinging to Ronan¡¯s waist, was barely holding back his vomit. Ronan removed his sweat-drenched goggles and continued speaking. ¡°Anyway, you should head to Nimbuten first and lead the escort unit. We¡¯ll follow the regr horses.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if we go together?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something on my mind. If you mess with my sister, I¡¯ll kill you, so be careful.¡± ¡°Mess? What do you mean? Do you think I¡¯m doing all this just because I have feelings for her? That¡¯s amusing. Listen well, Ronan. I am acting based on the noble spirit of Gracia¡­¡± ¡°Alright, enough talk. Go now. We don¡¯t have time.¡± Ronan cut him off. Normally, Shullifen would have argued and made a fuss, but given the situation, he obediently turned his horse around. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated by the fact that such a simpleton was the youngest son of the prestigious Gracia family. He said with a hint of pity, ¡°Does this idiot really think he won¡¯t get caught?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s already making a spectacle, a tant disy of affection to make sure she notices him. There¡¯s no one in this world who wouldn¡¯t realize when someone likes them.¡± Aselle stared at Ronan in disbelief, as if he wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t find the words. The two of them stood in Marbas¡¯ marketce, waiting for a rented horse. Ronan, ncing around, muttered, ¡°I wonder if Wyverns have really appeared.¡± The atmosphere in the city had be ominous. The number of people on the streets had significantly decreased, and the remaining pedestrians frequently nced at the sky. Imperial soldiers sent from Philleon Academy were patrolling everywhere, each of them carrying a crossbow on their back. Ronan sighed, thinking about the impending encounter with Wyverns. ¡®Geez, they aren¡¯t exactly a pleasant opponent.¡¯ Memories of his past life, where he had tirelessly pursued a Wyvern, resurfaced. Ronan fervently hoped that Wyverns were not among the rampaging monsters. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Ronan and Aselle mounted a rented horse and left Marbas immediately. Ronan rode at a moderate pace, stopping frequently. And it didn¡¯t end there. After the eighth stop, Ronan turned to Aselle and said, ¡°Aselle, lift me.¡± ¡°uh,Okay. Invisible Hand.¡± Aselle chanted a spell, and Ronan¡¯s body gently rose into the air. He could see rivers, forests, and viges scattered below. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, Ronan asked to be lowered. Hended back in the saddle, just as he was before. ¡°Ronan, what¡¯s bothering you? This happened so suddenly, and I can¡¯t quite grasp the situation¡­¡± ¡°It seems to be rted to Neb zier.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan answered calmly. The sudden outbreak of monsters bothered him. All the creatures they had encountered before, like the stone giants or the ogres in the Baydian Mountains, had something to do with Neb zier. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale as he muttered, ¡°Neb zier¡­ Are you talking about the organization that destroyed the temple and made sarante like that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Those damn bastards.¡± Ronan had been requesting Aselle to levitate him repeatedly to detect any traces of the sparkling mana, which was their characteristic. It was a precautionary measure as they gradually approached Nimbuten. They were nearing Nimbuten when they saw a crowd of people gathered up ahead. A group of Imperial soldiers with spears and shields had blocked the road and one of them shouted, ¡°Halt! Halt!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The soldier¡¯s expression was far from good, and it seemed that something had happened. He pointed with his finger beyond the blocked road and said, ¡°Swordmaster Zaifa and her direct subordinates are conducting an operation nearby. Please wait here until it¡¯s over or take another route.¡± Chapter 78: The Moving Operation (2) Chapter 78: The Moving Operation (2) The soldier¡¯s expression was far from good, and it seemed that something had happened. He pointed with his finger beyond the blocked road and said, ¡°Swordmaster Zaifa and her direct subordinates are conducting an operation nearby. Please wait here until it¡¯s over or take another route.¡± ¡°Swordmaster Zaifa? The Zaifa I know?¡± It was a name that hade up from time to time during his two lifetimes. The swordmaster who had risen to the position of the Empire¡¯s greatest swordsman by defeating Navirose. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the news that someone he hadn¡¯t actually seen even in his previous life was now in action. ¡®Is this something big enough for Zaifa toe personally?¡¯ No matter how significant the event with Wyvern might be, Ronan didn¡¯t think it was a stage where such a bigshot would personally intervene. Ronan shrugged and asked. ¡°Why is Swordmaster Zaifa blocking the road?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t provide details. It¡¯s for the safety of the citizens, so please cooperate.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, just tell me a little.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± There was tension in the man¡¯s face. The other soldiers were also on high alert. After a moment of hesitation, Ronan turned his head and said. ¡°Well, then, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Take care.¡± ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. There might be monsters around, so try to stick to the main road if possible.¡± Bothering the soldiers wasn¡¯t to his taste. As Ronan was contemting his next move, Aselle, who was sitting in the back, asked with concern. ¡°Wh-what should we do now?¡± ¡°Go back or take a side road. Besides, aerial reconnaissance can be done elsewhere anyway.¡± It was troublesome, but there was no other option. While he was searching for a suitable detour, a loud shout erupted from among the people gathered there. ¡°These leeches who only suck our taxes! How long are they going to make us wait?¡± ¡°Keep your voice down. It could lure the monsters here¡± ¡°Lower your voice, my foot! My belongings are rotting away even as we speak!¡± It was so loud that at first, Ronan thought monsters had appeared. He turned his head. A plump man was loudlyining in front of the soldiers. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a merchant. Behind him stood a shabby wagon pulled by two emaciated horses. Flies swarmed from all directions, indicating that there was something foul-smelling in the wagon. Ronan chuckled. ¡®He¡¯s practically asking to be killed.¡¯ Not only was he loud, but the stench was unbearable. He could have been a spy sent by Neb zier to lure the monsters here. Despite the warnings from the soldiers, the man continued to shout like a pig. While pondering whether to give him a hand, a lightning-fast idea shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh-ho.¡± It was absurd, but it was possible. Even if they couldn¡¯t find Neb zier, it was a n that could provide some degree of safety in the surroundings. Pulling the reins to stop, Ronan turned to Aselle and said, ¡°Aselle, can you lift a wagon?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± Without warning, Ronan jumped down from the horse. The merchant was still cursing and insulting everyone in sight. ¡°Damn scoundrels! I can¡¯t believe you people have parents! You sons of demons!¡± The soldiers¡¯ faces were bing increasingly distorted. Ronan approached the abandoned wagon. It reeked of a fishy odor that made him want to gag. It seemed to be carrying some sort of pickled fish. The horses, too, were braying, apparently upset by the stench. He took advantage of an opening that no one saw and struck a blow to the wagon. That included the link between the horses and the wagon. The horses¡¯ eyes widened as the link broke. ¡°Neighhhhh!¡± ¡°Huh? Wh-what?!¡± The two horses, now free, bolted away as if they had been waiting. The merchant, clutching his belly, tried to chase after them, but it was in vain. The horses that had left the road disappeared into the nearby forest. ¡°Hey, my horses are running away! What are you just standing there for?¡± ¡°We have to hold our position.¡± ¡°Hey, you guys! Come back!!¡± No matter how desperately he shouted, the horses didn¡¯t return. At that moment, the wagon, which had been standing still, copsed with a crash. The merchant screamed and rushed to the wagon. The parts that had been intact just a moment ago were now all broken. An even stronger stench wafted out, as if something had spilled. ¡°Why¡­ why is this happening to me¡­! No¡­!¡± He couldn¡¯t fathom the cause. In despair, the merchant sat down on the ground. The wagon that had once been his livelihood was now nothing more than a smelly pile of wood. Suddenly, Ronan, who had been quietly watching, tapped the merchant¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ what?¡± Tears resembling chicken droppings flowed endlessly from the merchant¡¯s narrow, watery eyes. Ronan smiled amiably. ¡°Can I take this useless trash away?¡± ¡°Wh-what¡­ trash?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about selling it. If we don¡¯t get rid of this, everyone around here will die.¡± For a moment, the merchant was speechless. Ronan briefly exined what would happen if the wood pile was left unattended. It was enough to convince him that wyverns¡¯ favorite food was rotting fish. **** **** ¡°Keep going straight, Aselle. The scent needs to spread far.¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­ ugh.¡± The two of them, having left the main road, were now crossing a sparsely wooded forest. The pile of wood that had once been a wagon was floating in the air, following the boys. Fifteen barrels filled with pickled herring were inside the wagon. Ronan opened all the barrels and then tore off the roof of the wagon. As a result, every time the horses¡¯ hooves struck the ground, the foul stench wafted into the air. As Aselle roamed around like a meerkat, he screamed. ¡°Eek! Look ahead!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Ronan looked ahead. Twenty goblins armed with branches and farming tools were charging at them valiantly. He sighed. ¡°Damn, now even goblins are joining the fray.¡± They weren¡¯t even special creatures like Lunar Goblins but just regr goblins. Ronan drew his sword. Swoosh! As his body rotated widely, ten heads soared into the air simultaneously. ¡°Uh, are we really going to be okay¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, kid. We haven¡¯t killed a single one yet.¡± Despite what Ronan was saying, his body was drenched in blood. For nearly half a day, He had managed to slice through triple-digit monsters. Together with the pickled fish, they were like a beacon to the monsters. Ronan grabbed one of the goblin¡¯s heads. Sure enough, there was the mark of Neb zier, just like the one they had seen on stone giants and ogres. ¡°These guys fell for it too. Anyway, these bastards are annoying.¡± Ronan¡¯s guess was correct. Neb zier was behind gathering and agitating the monsters. He didn¡¯t know why they were doing this again. However, Ronan had no intention of letting their n seed. ¡®If we keep killing the monsters, something¡¯s bound to happen.¡¯ Ronan knew that killing or incapacitating the spellcaster would release the magic. It had been the case with Brighia and Cyril. However, at the moment, he had no way of finding the spellcaster. So Ronan continued to kill the monsters lured by the smell. It wasn¡¯t a losing deal since reducing their numbers would make Iril¡¯s journey safer. Ronan looked at Aselle, who was riding on the horse, and said, ¡°Get ready to move, Aselle. Watch and learn¡­¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. Aselle raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Ronan?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. His gaze was fixed not on Aselle, who was on the horse, but further up. The beings soaring through the sky after the sun had set were unusually gigantic for birds. One of them was rapidly approaching. Ronan didn¡¯t take his eyes off the sky as he spoke. ¡°¡­Aselle, move the wagon above my head.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°Just hold it still. Understand? Wyverns leave openings when they snatch their prey.¡± Aselle¡¯s face turned pale as he understood the meaning. Soon, a shadow was cast beneath the boys¡¯ feet. Ronan put his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°¡­Alright, it¡¯s finally making its move.¡± Now they could clearly make out its form. It was one of the wyverns, colored like y, folding its wings and descending powerfully. As Aselle heard the fierce wind, he began to whimper. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± The creature was easily over 5 meters long, from head to tail. Aselle was doing his best to hold back his desire to faint as he moved the wagon. Ronan¡¯s face remained stiff as he continued to watch. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± ¡°Aaahhh!¡± Aselle screamed. Somehow the telekinesis didn¡¯t work. Ronan swung his sword just as the wyvern¡¯s ws grabbed the wagon. The de smashed through the wagon and struck the wyvern in the neck. The crescent-shaped de sliced halfway through the wyvern¡¯s neck. ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Good.¡± The range was short, but the power was powerful. A fountain of blood gushed forth. The wyvern crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Then the sky roared once more. The two wyverns were descending on Ronan at the same time. He straightened up. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the wyverns. There was a human on the back of one. A woman in pure white robes, desperately trying to stop the wyvern from descending. ¡°Wh-why is it suddenly¡­? Get a hold of yourself!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± It seemed like the wyvern had suddenly gone berserk, possibly due to being turned to the rotting fish smell. Despite her desperate efforts, the wyvern didn¡¯t change its course. But what was important now was not that. The woman¡¯s shoulders were emitting a familiar glimmer. Ronan ground his teeth. ¡°Neb zier¡­!¡± She must be one of the masterminds behind this frenzy. Just then, the wyvern that didn¡¯t have anyone on its back descended towards Ronan. He knew that surprise attacks wouldn¡¯t work anymore. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Of course, Ronan wasn¡¯t aware of what was happening. He didn¡¯t hesitate, stepping on the remains of the fallen wyvern and leaping forward with a shing motion of his sword. Dozens of crimson lines were drawn on the crocodilian face. Bam! The wyvern¡¯s head, firmly thrust into the ground like a stake, exploded, sending blood, teeth, and fragments of brain flying in all directions. ¡°What?!¡± Only then did the woman notice Ronan¡¯s presence and turned her head. Ronan didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment; he swung his sword towards the sky. Swish! The flying de pierced the wyvern¡¯s wing. The startled wyvern screamed in pain. ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°You nuisance.¡± Ronan muttered under his breath. His strike had only torn the flesh of the right wing, likely due to the distance. The woman in white, her face now pale, screamed urgently. ¡°Retreat!¡± The wyvern hastily changed direction and began to ascend. Ronan tightened his grip on the sword hilt. Just as he was about tounch another attack, Aselle, who had been watching, reached out his hand. ¡°Invisible Hand!¡± ¡°What?!¡± An invisible force grabbed them. The unbnced wyvern froze in mid-air. Ronan clenched his fist and shouted. ¡°Good, Aselle! Drive it into the ground!¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± Aselle swung his clenched fist downwards. The struggling wyvern began to plummet. At that moment, the robed woman chanted something. Suddenly, an overwhelming force increased the weight of Aselle¡¯s body. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Hey, you idiot, let go quickly!¡± Aselle released the gravity spell. Ronan, who had jumped to catch the falling Aselle, managed to grab him. The wyvern carrying the woman was rapidly getting farther away. They couldn¡¯t afford to let it escape. Ronan held Aselle¡¯s shoulders tightly and shouted. ¡°Aselle, shoot me!¡± ¡°What, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Throw me at those bastards! You can catch meter!¡± Aselle¡¯s pupils trembled, but he didn¡¯t question. He silently grabbed Ronan with the invisible hand and threw him towards the wyvern. An immense pressure engulfed Ronan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It reminded him of the mid-air battle with Ahaiyute. The wind roared in his ears, and the distance closed rapidly. Ronan entered the same trajectory as the wyvern, narrowly avoiding a collision. He calmly grabbed the wyvern¡¯s tail. ¡°Kyaah! Wait, how?!¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he drove his Lamancha into the thick part of the tail. The wyvern screamed in agony and writhed. Ronan leaped onto the wyvern¡¯s back, hilt drawn. ¡°You foolish woman. Don¡¯t you realize how important today is?¡± ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­? Who are you¡­?¡± The woman in the robe, her face now filled with horror, took a step back. Ronan was about to pounce when a huge shadow fell over their heads. Ronan looked up. A wyvern so huge he could have mistaken it for a cub, swooped down, ws outstretched. ¡°Shit.¡± Sure enough, the wyvern¡¯s chest bore the mark of Neb zier. It seemed like this was the final weapon in their n. The ws of the wyvern were less than two meters from his face. Quickly assessing the situation, Ronan was about to swing his sword when Swish! A whistling sound echoed, and suddenly, a colossal shadow appeared right before them. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Beastfolk¡­?¡± The shadow turned out to be a fully transformed Beastfolk,rger than any supernatural being he had encountered before. Its right arm, which appeared ready to explode, held a massive de that seemed to stretch about 5 meters. ¡®Where did ite from?¡¯ For a moment, a chilling shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. He couldn¡¯t sense any mana from the Beastfolk; it had leaped here purely through its raw physical prowess. The woman¡¯s voice trembled with despair. ¡°Za¡­ Zaifa¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, the giant wyvern¡¯s body split in half explosively. Blood sprayed across the sky like fireworks. Simultaneously, the wyvern Ronan was riding on also shattered into three pieces and fell to the ground. The Beastfolk, having turned around, wrapped both Ronan and the woman in its arms and began its descent. Chapter 79: The Moving Operation (3) Chapter 79: The Moving Operation (3) ¡°Za¡­ Zaifa¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, the giant wyvern¡¯s body split in half explosively. Blood sprayed across the sky like fireworks. Simultaneously, the wyvern Ronan was riding on also shattered into three pieces and fell to the ground. The Beastfolk, having turned around, wrapped both Ronan and the woman in its arms and began its descent. ¡°Ugh!¡± There was no way to resist. Ronan could only bite his tongue to stay conscious. It felt like a steel serpent was constricting his throat. ¡°Release¡­ now!¡± The descent was much faster than the ascent. Ronan, with a reversed Lamancha in hand, attempted to stab Beastfolk¡¯s throat. But a whip-like tail wrapped around Ronan¡¯s wrist. ¡°What¡­!¡± Struggling, Ronan cursed. At that moment, a shock as if the world had turned upside down struck his entire body. A thunderous roar resounded. Amidst flickering consciousness, he heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, warrior?¡± The voice was deep and resonant, like a mountain range. Ronan twisted his shoulders vigorously. The oppressive feeling lifted, and he regained his freedom. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan quickly distanced himself from the direction of the voice. The surroundings had transformed from the sky to a forest in the blink of an eye. His fragmented view merged into one, revealing the imposing figure of Beastfolk, whom he had seen before. Ronan¡¯s lips parted in astonishment. ¡°¡­Zaifa.¡± There was no need for an exnation. The Empire¡¯s Greatest Swordmaster was right before his eyes. The ck tigress standing on two legs seemed to embody the very concept of strength. She seemed to be the kind that would explode and sweep away everything around her with even a slight touch. The two eyes, burning pumpkin orange, held the primal wildness within them. The woman from Neb zier clung to her side. Her stomach was slowly swelling and subsiding, indicating that she wasn¡¯t dead. Ronan spoke. ¡°That woman has a prior appointment with me.¡± Zaifa did not respond. Ssshh¡ªred and hot liquid began to pour down from above. It was a giant curtain made of the wyvern¡¯s blood. Then, pieces of torn flesh fell down. Amidst the shower of blood, the two of them stared at each other without moving. Finally, Zaifa, who had set down the woman, spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s greet each other. Draw your sword.¡± In an instant, Zaifa¡¯s figure vanished. It wasn¡¯t reason but instinct that moved Ronan¡¯s body. He grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands and swung it around. As Zaifa reappeared before him, their two de edges shed. Kwaang! The thunderous sound shook the forest. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan was sent flying. It felt like his shoulder bone was piercing through the flesh. As he somersaulted, Ronan regained his bnce andposed himself. He could hardly believe he was standing on his two feet. The dizzying shock still lingered in his body. ¡®What kind of power¡­!¡¯ He instinctively realized that this was an opponent he could never defeat right now. He was prepared for death, but contrary to his expectations, the second attack did note. Zaifa raised an eyebrow as she looked at her Sword. ¡°A familiar technique. Are you perhaps the disciple of that snake?¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Just a simple greeting. Actions speak louder than a hundred words, and a single sh is more suitable for understanding each other.¡± Zaifa swept her sword, clearing away the blood that had stained it. She approached Ronan cautiously, with her guard still up. Then, she extended a hand covered in coarse fur and spoke. ¡°I am Zaifa Turkon.¡± Ronan clenched his teeth. Her actions seemed far from rational, but there was no sign of vulnerability. For a while, Ronan kept a wary eye on Zaifa. ¡°¡­¡± Even amidst the awkward silence, she didn¡¯t lower her hand. The rain of blood had ceased. Finally, Ronan, who had let go of his sword hilt, extended his hand for a handshake. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Clear and concise, I like it. A name befitting a warrior.¡± Zaifa chuckled lightly. It seemed she had no intention of killing or tearing Ronan apart to make a sandwich. Ronan let out a relieved sigh and spoke. ¡°Alright, now hand over the woman. You must have seen that I¡¯ve nearly captured her.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Damn it, as a swordsman, do you think it¡¯s fair to snatch someone else¡¯s prey? If you came from the North, you should know how dishonorable that is.¡± ¡°Do you know anything about Neb zier?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected question. After he had put Edwon and Cyril in Rodon, news of their actions had spread throughout the Empire, so it wasn¡¯t surprising. Ronan nodded slowly. ¡°¡­I do.¡± ¡°In that case, the exnation will be swift. It is my mission to capture those fools.¡± ¡°Mission?¡± ¡°Yes, bestowed upon me by the Emperor himself.¡± Zaifa seemed somewhat annoyed, tapping the ground with her tail as if to express her impatience. Suddenly, Navirose¡¯s words from earlier shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. She mentioned there was a newly established organization to deal with the Neb zier. Could Zaifa be rted to that? A question arose in his mind. ¡°How did you know that the woman is with Neb zier?¡± This was important, and as far as he knew, interrogating anyone with restraints no longer worked. Just as Zaifa was about to say something, distant shouts echoed through the forest. ¡°Captain!¡± Ronan instinctively hunched his shoulders. The inhumanly loud call made Ronan involuntarily tense up. Turning, he saw figures leaping through the trees, approaching fast. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that they were all beastfolk like Zaifa. Finally, one of themnded in front of Ronan. She was a lioness beast-woman covered in golden fur all over her body. Shecked fangs, but her majesty was no less than Professor Varen¡¯s. She alternated her gaze between Ronan and the woman before speaking. ¡°I saw them from a distance. They must be these two.¡± ¡°Just the woman. This one was hunting her.¡± ¡°Hunting? For what purpose?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself, so don¡¯t worry. How are the follow-up measures going?¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve confirmed that themotion caused by the monsters has ceased. We¡¯ve eliminated any threatening entities, and Sergeant Tutu and seven others are waiting on each road.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± The lioness saluted. Soon, other beastfolk began tond one by one. Were-tigers, were-lions, were-bears¡­ All theserge beastfolks were dressed in Imperial military uniforms. Surrounded by these towering figures, Ronan looked like a dwarf who had inexplicably sprouted up between the giants. The presence of Ronan was quickly noticed by the beastfolk, and they exchanged murmurs. ¡°Lieutenant, who is this little guy?¡± ¡°Haha, is he our lunch?¡± ¡°He may be small, but he has fierce eyes, the eyes of an eagle.¡± Ronan silently observed them, his grip on the sword hilt tightening. They might not be on the same level as Zaifa, but he could tell that each of them was a formidable warrior. Especially the lioness, referred to as the lieutenant, had an extraordinary aura. Zaifa, as if mocking them, stuck out her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯tugh, you big fools. This boy stood his ground even after I greeted him.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Are you joking?¡± ¡°If you doubt, try crossing swords with him.¡± The faces of the beastfolks stiffened as they looked at Ronan as if they were looking at a newly hatched dragon. ¡°Is it the first time for anyone except the lieutenant?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. He¡¯s a human, and a young one at that.¡± ¡°Well, the previous Swordmaster is a human too. Though I believe she¡¯s a polymorphed dragon.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to fight her once¡­¡± The atmosphere had changed quite a bit from earlier, with the beastfolks openly disying theirpetitive spirits. However, no one was merely in awe. Low growls were emanating from various directions. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the tant disys of rivalry among the beastfolks. This is what animals were like, after all. While he was considering whether to challenge one of them to demonstrate his skills, a familiar voice reached his ears from somewhere. ¡°Hehehe! P-Please, spare me! Don¡¯t eat me!¡± ¡°Kid, it¡¯s okay. Calm down.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amidst this unexpectedmotion, the tension in the air eased. Ronan turned his head to find a boy with fiery red hair struggling in the grip of a gigantic were-bear. The boy appeared to be iling as if he were drunk. Deep furrows appeared on Ronan¡¯s forehead. ¡°Aselle?¡± ¡°R-Ronan? You¡¯re alive!¡± Aselle¡¯s expression brightened momentarily. However, when the other beast folks gathered around to watch, he began to scream like a maiden again. Perplexed, the were-bear holding Aselle extended him toward Zaifa. ¡°I¡¯ve just returned. Well, he seems like a civilian, but just in case, I brought him. Would you mind taking a look?¡± ¡°No. Let him go.¡± Zaifa, after a nce at Aselle, spoke decisively. The were-bear gently released him. Aselle staggered toward Ronan as if his legs had given out, tears streaming continuously from hisrge, round eyes. ¡°I was looking for you when you didn¡¯te back, then suddenly¡­!¡± Aselle exined that he had been captured while searching for Ronan. Even though he had tried to float away, he couldn¡¯t escape. In the midst of this unexpected conversation, the atmosphere lightened. Ronan turned to Zaifa. ¡°Right, you should finish what you were saying earlier. Whether it¡¯s that woman or this kid, how do you identify those from Neb zier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s intuition.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a method for identifying Neb zier members. Those tainted by their wickedness exude a disgusting odor.¡± No further exnation was given. Ronanughed dryly at the notion of intuition. He questioned whether it could even be called a method. ¡°So you just arrest those who you think might be guilty?¡± ¡°Initially, yes.¡± ¡°It seems no different from randomly detaining those you don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Among those I¡¯ve killed or captured, there hasn¡¯t been a single innocent person.¡± She spoke with conviction. Ronan didn¡¯t press further. After finishing her exnation, Zaifa turned to the lieutenant and asked, ¡°Have you figured out their objective?¡± ¡°Yes. Although it¡¯s not entirely clear at the moment, given themotion caused by the monsters in the vicinity, it¡¯s highly likely that it was a mere diversion. Based on the intelligence that we observed the Wyvern¡¯s group, who were heading toward the Roma Mountains, breaking up, it¡¯s probable that the real objective lies over there.¡± ¡°I see. In that case, let¡¯s head to Roma. Inform them to lift the blockade¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Suddenly, Zaifa trailed off. She didn¡¯t respond to the lieutenant¡¯s question. Ronan and Zaifa both turned their heads simultaneously. Their gazes were all fixed on the northern sky. Aselle asked anxiously, ¡°Why? Why are you both acting like this?¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Out of nowhere, Ronan turned to look at the woman who was lying on the ground. Her once pristine white robe was now soaked in blood, turning it entirely red. Ronan walked over to her, grabbed her by the hair, and roughly pulled her up. A chillingughter echoed through the air. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Ahahaha!¡± ¡°Damn it. We should have done the job properly.¡± Ronan sighed deeply. The woman¡¯s disheveled face was contorted with madness. The gazes of those around them grew uneasy. Only now did the beastfolks, who had been slow to react, turned their eyes to the north. ¡°What is that¡­!¡± Something pitch-ck was soaring in the northern sky. It was clear it wasn¡¯t birds. The gigantic wings made a thunderous noise as they sliced through the air. The wyverns, with their dull colors, numbered well over a hundred. ¡°Ahaha! That¡¯s right, Zaifa. You should¡¯ve handled things properly!¡± The woman once again burst into manicughter. The wyverns were flying in the direction of the Roma Mountains, and Ronan¡¯s lips twisted as he realized what they were after: the neutralization of the Roma Mountain Road, a crime the Winter Witch wouldmit in the not-too-distant future. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Hahaha, What are you going to do now?¡± Thwack! Ronan struck the back of the woman¡¯s neck with the hilt of his sword. Although her unconscious body slumped, the wyverns didn¡¯t stop. Ronan had been pondering, ¡®Usually, when an enchanter bes incapacitated, the enchantment should be released. Do we really have to kill her?¡¯ But just as he was considering this, Zaifa¡¯s foot descended onto the woman¡¯s head with a squelching sound, and a crimson flower blossomed. Zaifa, looking up at the northern sky, spoke calmly. ¡°Hmmm. It didn¡¯t stop even when I killed her.¡± ¡°It seems there might be another sorcerer. Probably among those wyverns.¡± ¡°That seems reasonable.¡± ¡°What do we do now?¡± Ronan wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked. Despite the national crisis, there was no tension evident on Zaifa and the beastfolk¡¯s faces. After a brief silence, Zaifa let out a faint sigh. ¡°What else can we do? We have to kill them all. Even if it¡¯s a shame to dirty our clothes, It¡¯s a necessary evil.¡± Her tone held a tinge of regret. The lieutenant questioned,¡±Are you going alone?¡± ¡°Yes. I might need to use the ¡®Aura,¡¯ so make sure civilians evacuate.¡± ¡°Understood. Everyone, to your positions!¡± Upon receiving the order, the beastfolks scattered without hesitation. Zaifa, gripping the hilt of her sword, crouched down. Her hind legs expanded nearly twice their size, preparing tounch herself into the air. Suddenly, she felt her tail grow heavy and turned her head. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Shut up and get going.¡± Ronan clutched Zaifa¡¯s tail tightly in his right hand, with pale Aselle clinging to his left nk. Aselle flopped around like a fish on a chopping block, denying what was about to happen. ¡°Ronan? What are you trying to do? It¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, right? Please tell me it¡¯s not.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Laughing, Zaifa turned her attention back to the road ahead. Aselle, pushed to the limit, let out a scream. With a boom, Zaifa¡¯s body unfurled like a tornado. The sky swallowed them whole. Chapter 80: The Moving Operation (4) Chapter 80: The Moving Operation (4) With a boom, Zaifa¡¯s body unfurled like a tornado. The sky swallowed them whole. Ronan clenched her tail with all his might and cursed under his breath. ¡°What the hell¡­!¡± ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Their bones nearly snapped. The speed exceeded their expectations by far. In the blink of an eye, the shrinking forest was just a distant blur. Bang! Zaifa descended, drawing a graceful arc in the air, andnded on the ground. ¡°Gyaaaaah!¡± As Aselle woke up from his daze, he screamed. Spittle and tears flew in all directions. The wyverns were still flying straight towards the *Baydian Mountains. With only seven leaps, Zaifa caught up to the wyverns. She stopped at a point where the wyverns were expected to reach soon, a rock jutting out like a watchtower in the middle of a wide field. ¡°Now, get down.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Zaifa swung her tail like a whip. The two boys crumpled as if they had been struck by a giant whip. Aselle, who had barely escaped from Ronan¡¯s side,y on the ground, sobbing. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s too much¡­ This is really too much¡­¡± He seemed to have no strength left to stand. Ronan left Aselle, who was writhing in pain, and approached Zaifa. He leaned against the edge of the rock, fists clenched, and stared at the northern sky. ¡°There are more than I thought.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The wyverns were getting closer quickly. The approaching horde of wyverns, emitting a sinister roar, seemed like clouds from hell. Ronan, who estimated that there were at least a hundred, clicked his tongue. ¡°Damn, they¡¯ve gathered quite a lot. Wyverns aren¡¯t your run-of-the-mill monsters.¡± ¡°What a waste. We have to kill all of them.¡± Zaifa twisted her lips as if unimpressed. Wyverns, like griffins, were monsters that could be tamed and ridden. With a horde like that, their value was astronomical. After a moment of silence, Zaifa spoke without turning her gaze. ¡°So why did you follow me?¡± ¡°Just, you know, to lend a hand. Plus, I wanted to see the real skills of the Imperial Sword Master.¡± ¡°Lend a hand?¡± ¡°Yeah. Can¡¯t afford to miss any of them, just in case.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Zaifa chuckled softly. Her long tail swayed back and forth. After chuckling for a while, she suddenly swung her sword without any warning. Swish! It seemed like a simple move to test the wind, and although it was aimed in the direction of the wyverns, no visible attack wasunched. What is she doing? Ronan was about to question when, in the center of the horde, a ck, massive line appeared. ¡°Huh?¡± It was an eerie sight reminiscent of spatial magic from Kratir. The line, which seemed to have a diameter of at least 50 meters,pletely bisected the wyvern horde. Zaifa spoke up. ¡°But, what were you nning to help with?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. At that moment, the ck line turned crimson, and a violet explosion erupted. It was a spectacle that looked like a session of fire magic explosions. With a bted roar, the wyverns at the ends of the line echoed out. ¡°Kiaaaaah!¡± ¡°Creeeeek!¡± A rain of blood poured down. Shredded chunks of flesh fell haphazardly. Zaifa swung her sword once more. Swish! The ck line crossed the horde again, turning about twenty wyverns into meaty chunks. ¡°This is¡­!¡± It was only then that Ronan noticed an unidentified mana condensing on the edge of Zaifa¡¯s de. It was undoubtedly Zaifa¡¯s aura. Like the pre-dawn haze just before sunrise, an immense power, unlike anything he had seen before, was stirring within it. ¡®She¡¯s aplete monster. She¡¯s on a different level.¡¯ Ronan shook his head as if he felt nauseous. He seemed to understand why Navirose had been defeated by her. At that moment, a change urred in the wyverns being massacred. The chaotic horde, which had been clustered together, began to split into twelve formations, spreading out like a fan. ¡°Huh?¡± The wyverns, arranged in groups of about seven in each formation, flew erratically as if challenging someone, and they headed towards the Roma Mountains. It wasn¡¯t a natural dispersal to survive but a strategic scatter with a clear intent. Ronan chuckled as if in disbelief. ¡°It seems like the spell caster still hasn¡¯t given up.¡± ¡°It appears so.¡± Zaifa remained unfazed. She estimated the number of remaining wyverns and turned to Ronan. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere.¡± Whoosh! Zaifa leaped like a shot from a cannon and sent a flying shockwave. The four wyverns leading the charge were divided into nine pieces and crashed to the ground. As Zaifa swung her sword in mid-air, the two distant wyvern formations transformed into clouds of blood once more. Red rain poured down upon the forest. ¡°She¡¯s insane.¡± Zaifa continued her ughter, alternating between leaping andnding. Witnessing theplete annihtion of an entire formation, Ronan lowered his head. She wasn¡¯t just being leisurely for no reason. At this rate, the wyverns wouldn¡¯t even make it near the Roma Mountains; they¡¯d be wiped out before that. Everything seemed fine, but Ronan¡¯s expression was far from rxed. ¡®Something¡¯s off.¡¯ The distinct shimmering mana characteristic of Neb zier was nowhere to be seen. No matter how hard he looked and scanned the surroundings, it remained absent. ¡®It should definitely be around here.¡¯ Neb zier was cunning. Even if they managed to kill the Wyverns, there was no guarantee of safety as long as they didn¡¯t capture the organization¡¯s members. Given the wyverns¡¯ intricate movements, there was a significant chance that Neb zier members were nearby, probably concealed cleverly. They were definitely hiding somewhere. ¡®Where? Where could they be hiding?¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gazended on the empty sky. Beneath the brilliantly blue sky, there were a fewrge and small cumulus clouds driftingzily, a picturesque scene worth sitting down to watch if it weren¡¯t for the dire circumstances. But Ronan, sensing something odd, furrowed his brow. ¡°Hmm?¡± One of the clouds was flying unusually low. Up to this point, it might not have been a cause for concern, but the problem was its direction. The cloud, moving at a slightly skewed angle to the wind, was heading directly toward the Roma Mountains. Ronan¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Found you.¡± ¡°Heeheehee¡­¡± Aselle was watching the massacre of Zaifa with a grin on his face. Every time a ck shot pierced the sky, at least three wyverns met their demise. Droplets of blood carried by the wind were staining his hair even redder. Just then, Ronan, who had been standing on the edge of a rock, rushed over. ¡°If you¡¯re done resting, get up. We need to go after them.¡± ¡°Are we really going after them¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. We need to let these bastards know we¡¯re not easy opponents.¡± Ronan helped Aselle get up, muttering iprehensible words. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Aselel and pointed his index finger at a suspicious puffy cloud. ¡°Do you see that? The cloud flying unusually low.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°I want to go there. Can you do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too far¡­! If I throw you, it¡¯ll definitely miss¡­!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯reing with me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aselle froze, his expression looking like he might justmit suicide at any moment. Ronan looked around. It was much more stable to hold onto something and fly than to gopletely bare. ¡°If there¡¯s something to serve as a foothold¡­ Let¡¯s see.¡± Perhaps it was because they were on a rocky outcrop, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything suitable. Ronan pondered whether they should break some rocks to use as a foothold. Suddenly, a wyvern¡¯s head fell right in front of Aselle. He screamed and staggered back. ¡°Aaargh! Aaargh!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It was unquestionably Zaifa¡¯s work. Its eyes, tinged with madness, still flickered as if it was still alive. Ronan¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Oh, perfect.¡± It was just the right size, and the horn could serve as a handle. Ronan grabbed Aselle, who was about to faint, and wedged him against his side. Stepping on the wyvern¡¯s head, he mounted it and shook Aselle, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Even though the season of cicadas had arrived, the lofty sky felt chilly, likete autumn. White clouds covered the entire sky. Within them, two wyverns were flying silently. The magically created clouds maintained a constant shape and speed, unaffected by the wyverns¡¯ rough pping. On the backs of the red and yellow dragons were a young man and an old man dressed in white robes. They had been shivering in the cold for several hours, hovering in the sky. The young man, riding the red wyvern, spoke up. ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°Any minute now. We should be there in about thirty minutes at the most.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. Damn it, I¡¯ve lost all the wyverns I worked so hard to gather because of that stupid girl.¡± The young man grumbled. He was responsible for gathering and controlling the wyverns for this operation. Their mission had gone awry due to a fellow pilot suddenly deviating from formation. Watching this unfold, the old man sighed. ¡°We gathered those wyverns as bait anyway, so whyin?¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°At least be grateful that Zaifa didn¡¯t catch on. If we hadn¡¯t acted quickly, we would have been in danger too.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. If we fell victim to that monster, we¡¯d all be dead. Damn, I hope whoever spreaded that rotten fish smell rots in hell.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ as long as we achieve our goal, that¡¯s what matters.¡± The n had gone off course, but it wasn¡¯t aplete failure. From the beginning, using monsters to incite a frenzy among them, even the wyvern herd with three digits, had all been nothing more than bait to divert their attention. The young man asked anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re holding it securely, right? If it falls now, it¡¯s really over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if it falls, I¡¯ll retrieve it before it touches the ground.¡± The old man, stroking his beard, nodded. On the ws of the wyvern he was riding, a sphere object made of an unknown metal was attached. Aplex and geometric magic circle covered the surface of the sphere object so intricately that no gaps were visible. The young man looked at the sphere object and burst into a dryugh. ¡°As expected, Lord Alibryhe is remarkable. Thirty different spells are inscribed on that small sphere object.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a high-ranking officer for nothing. He truly is blessed by the stars.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. By the way, I heard that with Brighia gone, there might be an opening for you to ascend, is that true?¡± ¡°It is. I dare notpare myself to her strength, but¡­¡± ¡°Wow, so you¡¯ve received the blessing of the High Priest too?¡± The old man burst intoughter instead of answering. The young man¡¯s eyes widened as he understood the meaning. He knew of the old man¡¯s strength, but he had never imagined that he could rise to the position of a branch manager. Excitedly, the young man asked. ¡°What did you receive? Tell me!¡± ¡°Hehe, I can¡¯t reveal that. I¡¯ll only let you know that it¡¯s an ability that can save us even after dropping that thing into the mountains.¡± The young man sighed in admiration. He practically revealed what he had received. Honestly, it was a little scary, but now he felt relieved and ready to carry out the mission. Starting today, the Empire will be gued by arteriosclerosis. The massive explosion in the Roma Mountain would be an unforgettable nightmare in the minds of those who had acted recklessly. ¡°All right, so first¡­¡± The young man was about to continue speaking when suddenly, the cloud in front of them split, revealing the head of the wyvern. At first, they thought it was an individual whose brainwashing had worn off, but the back of the wyvern¡¯s head was not visible. The young man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The¡­ the head?!¡± ¡°Damn, it took longer than expected. Well done, Aselle.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­! By the way, are people really¡­?¡± Moreover, there were two young children riding on top of the wyvern¡¯s head, both of them with a bluish hue. The old man, who had remained calm all along, spoke in a bewildered voice. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± ¡°There are two of them. We can kill one of them, right?¡± Without responding, Ronan continued. The distance between them had already narrowed considerably. He drove the wyvern¡¯s head forward without hesitation and leaped towards the old man. Lamancha, drawn from its sheath, tore through the clouds as it surged. ¡°Oh, ho.¡± The old man raised an eyebrow. The boy¡¯s strike came so quickly that it was difficult to respond in time. Deciding that counter-attacking or evading would be difficult, the old man seemed disappointed as if he had something to show. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to show off here. What a waste.¡± A spherical barrier formed around the old man¡¯s body. It was a bizarre shield that gave apletely different impression from a mana shield, it was the protection of the stars. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the familiar sight. The eerie barrier was not a mana shield, and it was something else entirely, the protection of the stars. Ronan sighed in relief as he spoke. ¡°Oh, man, that was close.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lamancha continued to cut through the protection of the stars while Ronannded a blow to the old man¡¯s chest. As hended, the old man¡¯s head separated from his body with a red line forming on his wrinkled neck. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 81: The Moving Operation (5) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 81: The Moving Operation (5) Lamancha continued to trace the symbols in the air while murmuring incantations. Swish! A crimson line appeared on his wrinkled neck. As Ronan tackled him, the old man¡¯s head shot up into the air upon impact. ¡°Old man?!¡± The young man was astonished. The severed head, as if bouncing away, disappeared into the clouds. The death of the once-feared strongman known as Aden¡¯s Bloodstorm was so anticlimactic that it was hard to believe. ¡°I thought I was royally screwed¡­¡± On the other hand, Ronan exhaled another sigh of relief. There was no doubt that what the elderly man had activated was the protection of the stars. It was simr to what Brighia, who tore Sarante in half, had used. ¡®If he had been half as strong as that woman¡­ Just thinking about it gives me chills.¡¯ A shiver ran down his spine. What was supposed to be a simple relocation mission was spiraling out of control. The fact that he had the protection of the stars was a testament to the fact that he was a significant force within the Neb zier. However, the battle had already been decided. The old man¡¯s lifeless bodyy sprawled across Wyvern¡¯s back. Ronan, after glimpsing the blood spurting from the severed neck, grimaced. ¡°Well, it¡¯s unfortunate.¡± No matter how strong one was, death was the ultimate end. Ronan callously lifted the corpse and discarded it. The body, which had dangled awkwardly over the saddle, soon got swept away by the wind. Despite the passenger¡¯s death, Wyvern showed no particr reaction. Ronan lightly tapped Wyvern¡¯s back with his heel. ¡°It¡¯s a good ride. They must have trained you well.¡± ¡°Damn it, Fire Arrow!¡± The young man raised his left hand and pointed it at Ronan. Combat was not his forte, but he had no choice. With a short yelp, a bolt of fire shot toward Ronan. Ronan smirked as he twirled his sword around. Ronan, with a casual twist of his sword, evaded the arrow and grinned. ¡°Thank goodness we got rid of the old man first.¡± It was clear that his magic wascking. Ronan shifted his shoulder to dodge the arrow and then swung his sword vertically. St! The de shot straight through, cutting the young man¡¯s left arm in half. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± The young man copsed, clutching his left arm. Ronan, who had leaped over, swiftly moved to the Wyvern where the young man was and struck a decisive blow simultaneously. Swish! The young man¡¯s mangled left arm cleanly severed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Overwhelmed by unbearable pain, the young man lost consciousness. As his torment faded, the madness that had engulfed the Wyverns¡¯ eyes dissipated. The Wyvern carrying the young man suddenly twisted its body violently. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± ¡°Geez.¡± Ronan hurriedly ced Lamancha on the back of the Wyvern. As the pain rendered the Wyvern powerless, its frenzy intensified. At that moment, the young man¡¯s body, which had been swaying and tottering, was thrown outward. ¡°No!¡± Ronan reached out desperately but narrowly missed. It was the moment when the clouds seemed ready to engulf the young man. As his body spiraled in descent, it suddenly came to a halt. Realizing the situation, Ronan eximed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s it, Aselle! Just like that!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve got him!¡± An unseen hand was holding onto the young man. It was Aselle¡¯s magical ability, the Invisible Hand. He was still clinging to Wyvern¡¯s head, trembling. Ronan shouted. ¡°Good job, pull him up!¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± Aselle raised his clenched fist, lifting the limp body of the fallen young man onto the golden Wyvern. For some unknown reason, the golden Wyvern that the old man had been riding continued to maintain a calm flight path even though its rider was dead. Meanwhile, the red Wyvern, which had been rampaging while Ronan was on its back, roared once again. ¡°Kiehaaaargh!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand you either, you beast.¡± Ronan tossed Lamancha aside and leaped into the air. Hended squarely on the back of the golden Wyvern that was flying below. The red Wyvern, meanwhile, soared menacingly into the clouds, having shaken off Ronan. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ronan looked down at the young man and muttered under his breath. ¡°Damn it¡­ you little¡­¡± The young man, with his left arm severed, had still not regained consciousness. Ronan, without hesitation, thrust Lamancha into the young man¡¯s right thigh. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Just as the young man attempted to shout something while jerking his upper body, Ronan¡¯s palm covered his mouth. Ronan crouched down, bringing his face close to the young man¡¯s. ¡°Mmmph, mmph!¡± ¡°When I let go, you¡¯re going to tell me what you¡¯ve been doing. It won¡¯t be fun every time I torture you. If you understand, nod your head.¡± Tears flowed endlessly from the bloodshot eyes of the young man. After a brief moment of silence, he nodded. As Ronan removed his hand, the young man gasped for air. ¡°Fuck you, you bastard! How dare youe out of nowhere and say¡ª¡± Ronan, without a word, twisted Lamancha left and right, piercing through the young man¡¯s thigh. Squelch! The severed leg, like a piece of tofu, vanished into the clouds. The young man¡¯s curses turned into desperate screams in an instant. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡± It was a good thing he hadn¡¯t cut off his right arm. He snapped his index finger back at the fainting young man. Crack! The sound of cracking bone brought the young man back to his senses. Ronan mped his hand over his mouth and broke two more fingers. Then he removed the palm covering his mouth. ¡°I-I¡¯ll talk¡­! If I talk, you won¡¯t¡­ do that again, right¡­?¡± The young man trembled with fear and desperation. Based on his use of formalnguage, it seemed quite genuine. Perhaps, as Karaka had suggested, he might have a talent for interrogation. Ronan took the potion from his pocket and applied a few drops to the young man¡¯s wounds, just to make sure he didn¡¯t bleed to death. ¡°Don¡¯t leave anything out, or you¡¯ll end up with a body that can¡¯t clean its own poop.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The young man spoke with a trembling voice mixed with sobs. His name was Kadyon. He imed to be a monster tamer from the Neb zier and had been on a mission with two others who had died earlier. ¡°Well, originally, a woman and I were supposed to control the Wyvern and other monsters together. But¡­ because of that foul smell of rotten fish in the air¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time.¡± He exined the mission he had been assigned. He and the woman were supposed to control the monsters, including the Wyvern, while an old man, who had used the protection of the stars against Ronan, was their escort. As Ronan had suspected, the rampaging monsters on the ground were merely a distraction and a deception. ¡°You¡¯re right. Making the monsters go wild was all part of a deception. Kgh¡­ I never thought it would be exposed¡­¡± Kadyon emphasized repeatedly that making the monsters go wild had been nothing more than a ruse. The real objective had been to attack Roma and disrupt the mountain road. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ everything¡¯s over¡­ please, just spare my life¡­¡± Kadyon¡¯s mission in the Neb zier had failed. That¡¯s what Ronan gathered from his words. However, the creases on Ronan¡¯s forehead weren¡¯t easing. He felt like he was missing something important. Suddenly, something he had seen during the chaos crossed his mind. ¡°How in the world did you know¡­this was a n I¡¯ve been working on for years¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hiding something.¡± Kadyon¡¯s pupils trembled for a moment. He desperately nodded his head. Ronan, with the tip of Lamancha poised at his throat, continued to speak. How exactly were you nning to destroy it?¡± ¡°By drawing attention to the monsters and storming the mountain road with wyverns.¡± ¡°Then what is this wyvern holding?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s what you mean¡­.¡± ¡°Aselle! Fetch what¡¯s stuck in the Wyvern¡¯s w!¡± ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Ugh!¡± With a cautious turn of his head, Aselle looked at Kadyon¡¯s face and retched. Aselle had been supporting Ronan ever since the interrogation began. Aselle used his telekinesis to extract the object caught in the Wyvern¡¯s talon. Kadyon¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the object that had been revealed before him. Ronan spoke. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± Kadyon trailed off. At that moment, as Aselle examined the sphere object, he let out a scream. He was familiar with most of the magical inscriptions on the object¡¯s surface. ¡°Eeek¡­ it¡¯s a¡­ it¡¯s an explosive spell, Ronan! There are thirty of them inscribed!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed to explode upon impact or after a certain amount of time!¡± Lamancha danced in the air, and Kadyon¡¯s right arm detached from his body. Ronan, while crushing Kadyon¡¯s neck with his foot as he writhed in agony, growled. ¡°Did I or did I not tell you not to pull any tricks?¡± ¡°Da-damn it! We were almost there!¡± Kadyon struggled. Ronan kicked his belly to silence him. Suddenly, the clouds that had covered the surroundings dispersed, revealing thendscape of the Roma mountain range. Ronan pursed his lips. ¡°Damn it.¡± They were approximately five minutes away from reaching the mountain road. Down below in Marbas, the sound of rm bells echoed, and it seemed like they had spotted the Wyvern they were riding. ¡°Heh, hahahaha! Even so, this should be enough! We¡¯re all going to die together, you fools!¡± Kadyon triggered the explosion. Nevertheless, thanks to the time dy, they were able to reach this point. He knew the power of the spells inscribed on the sphere object. Although it couldn¡¯tpletely destroy the Roma mountain road, it was more than enough to obliterate the nearby Marbas. ¡°W-what¡­!¡± The magical inscriptions etched on the sphere object seemed to flicker as if they would explode at any moment. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. Ronan, who had been pondering silently while stroking his chin, spoke up. ¡°Aselle, I¡¯m a bit confused here, but the stuff inscribed here is also a kind of magic, right?¡± ¡°W-well, yes¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough then.¡± Suddenly, Ronan swung Lamancha. Swish! With a cheerful sound, the object split in half. Aselle let out a scream like a girl. ¡°Aaaargh! Wh-what are you¡­ doing?¡± But nothing happened. The flickering light of the inscriptions vanished. Ronan continued to strike the object several more times. It broke into dozens of pieces and lost its form. Watching this, Kadyon¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Wh-what¡­! How did you¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of my constitution type.¡± Ronan scratched his head frantically. He knew from his past experiences that his abilities could interfere with magical inscriptions. Kadyon¡¯s face contorted in despair. Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed in front of the Wyvern. ¡°I was wondering where you disappeared to, but here you are.¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± A familiar low growl resonated through the air. As Aselle almost fell backward, he managed to regain his bnce. Ronan raised one hand and greeted. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Zaifa¡¯s body was covered in blood, and she had clung to the Wyvern with one hand during the fall. The staggering Wyvern began to descend. Ronan, holding Kadyon by the hair, spoke sarcastically. ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t let them go.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I would¡¯ve caught them anyway.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, my ass. You¡¯d have been blown away by the explosion, turning into a flying carpet. Be grateful to me, you bitch.¡± ¡°Explosion?¡± Zaifa raised an eyebrow. Ronan considered exining but gave up¡ªit was too much of a hassle. Kadyon sighed in relief after seeing Zaifa. ¡°Za-Zaifa!¡± The sight of the ck Were-tiger seemed like the final nail in the coffin of all hopes. Zaifa nced at Kadyon and clicked her tongue in disgust. ¡°Tch, you¡¯re disgusting.¡± ¡°Should I cut off the remaining leg?¡± ¡°Leave that to Rodon. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Zaifa leaped away with all three people still clinging to her side. The now free Wyvern flew away, and the sound of bells ringing in Marbas ceased. Those people probably had no idea and would continue living today without a trace of what happened. Ronan sighed deeply and muttered to himself. ¡°¡­.I didn¡¯t realize moving was this hard.¡± Zaifa repeated her leaps and headed back to where they had originally been, just as when she arrived. The constant tickling of the fur was annoying, but it was a hundred times better than having a ragged tail. They were flying at full speed. ¡°Ah. Is there something you want in return?¡± ¡°Want something? Like what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s instructions.¡± Zaifa exined that the Emperor had given instructions to reward those who contributed to the capture or elimination of Neb zier. She spoke in a softer tone. ¡°Thanks to you, we managed to kill fewer Wyverns. You¡¯re more than qualified for this.¡± ¡°A reward¡­ a reward, you say¡­¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. It was an unexpected gain. After a moment of contemtion, he spoke. ¡°Well, in that case¡­ can you lend me your strength?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 82: The Moving Operation (6) Chapter 82: The Moving Operation (6) It was a beautiful evening. The breeze was cool, and the sky was clear. The setting sun was painting the world in shades of crimson. ¡°Hey, is everything clear back there?¡± ¡°Yes, all clear.¡± The path stretched out on both sides, adorned with gently swaying meadows. In the quiet woods, where cicadas had fallen silent, the songs of sparrows could be heard. It was a pastoralndscape that naturally rxed one¡¯s mind. However, on the faces of the mercenaries of the desert¡¯s Ilri, there was an intense tension. The mercenary leader, who wielded a long battle mace, spoke sternly., ¡°Do not let your guard down. Keep your hearts prepared to face any enemy that maye.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°I never thought the young Duke woulde in person¡­¡± About twenty mercenaries were moving around two carriages. One was a massive cargo carriage that could easily fit a small cottage, while the other was an elegant travel carriage. On the sides of both carriages, the emblem of the House of Gracia was engraved. This time, the mission entrusted to the mercenaries was to escort ady from the small vige of Nimbuten to the capital. The client was none other than the Rising Star of the Empire, Shullifen de Gracia. ¡°Could she possibly be a princess in exile?¡± The leader murmured again, his eyes scanning the road ahead. The image of thedy they were tasked to protect lingered in his mind. The sudden sense of duty had ignited a fire within the usually unruly mercenaries. Shullifen had been keeping close to the carriage carrying Iril. He was tense, his nerves on edge as he vigntly surveyed his surroundings. ¡®¡­It¡¯s strangely quiet.¡¯ Despite the intelligence reports of monsters running rampant, nothing had happened so far. The only unusual urrence had been removing a cat napping in the middle of the road. ¡®It¡¯s even more suspicious now.¡¯ Suddenly, an uneasy Shullifen nced inside the carriage. Iril was gently stroking Cita, who was sleeping on herp. Her gaze, previously fixed on the scenery outside, identally met Shullifen¡¯s. ¡°Oh, Shullifen!¡± Iril waved her hand with a bright smile. Shullifen, trying to calm his racing heart, approached her. He cleared his throat a few times and then spoke in the most mature tone he could muster. ¡°Ahem, is there anything ufortable?¡± ¡°No, not at all! Please, Shullifen, take a break too!¡± Iril smiled and patted the seat next to her. Shullifen¡¯s brain felt like it turned to stone. He had to chew his words fairly forcefully before regaining enough cognitive ability to respond. ¡°Oh, um¡­ I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m on duty.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help? I feel bad just relying on you like this, and the others too¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. Um, it¡¯s dangerous outside, so please don¡¯te out.¡± ¡°Huh? Are there wolves out there?¡± ¡°Wolves¡­ yes, something like wolves could be out there.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Iril¡¯s eyes widened. He felt a pang of guilt, thinking that he might have scared her for no reason. He was about to hurriedly correct his statement when Iril suddenly reached out of the window and ced her hand on his shoulder, saying, ¡°Be careful. You¡¯re my younger brother¡¯s friend before you¡¯re a noble. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡± ¡°Uh? Hmm. A noble? Yeah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a friend of a noble.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­ I meant I¡¯m your brother¡¯s friend who happens to be a noble.¡± Shullifen, who had rpsed into incoherent babbling, froze in ce. He was in the middle of uttering meaningless words when one of the mercenaries urgently shouted. ¡°Something¡¯sing from the east!¡± A moment of indescribable dread surged through Shullifen¡¯s entire body. Something inexplicably ominous was rapidly approaching. ¡°What¡¯s¡­!¡± Shullifen hastily drew his sword and leaped to the front of the formation. Kuwung! A colossal shadownded in front of the convoy. ¡°It¡¯s finally shown itself!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± The mercenaries, who had been on high alert, unleashed their prepared attacks. The leader, having discerned the identity of the shadow, shouted urgently. ¡°Hold! Everyone, stop!¡± It was very unusual for a veteran leader to be so flustered. The mercenaries quickly withdrew their hands from their weapon hilts and shields. The shadow, once crouched, unfolded its massive form. In the light of the setting sun, the unmistakable figure of a were-tiger emerged. At that moment, the mercenaries realized that the leader had just saved them all. ¡°Za-Zaifa?¡± ¡°Why is swordmaster Zaifa here¡­!¡± Among the beastfolk, she had an exceptionally massive build, almost resembling a pir rather than a beastfolk. Among those who partake in swordy, there was not a single person who didn¡¯t know her. The Swordmaster, Zaifa, stood before them. ¡°I understand why you made such a request now. Entrusting the escort to these weak individuals.¡± She muttered iprehensible words as she scanned the mercenary group. At that moment, two young boys leaped down from behind Zaifa. Shullifen, who had been standing resolute with the mercenaries, widened his eyes. ¡°Ronan¡­?¡± ¡°You all did well.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel dizzy.¡± The boys were none other than Ronan and Aselle. Ronan approached Shullifen, surveying the mercenaries as though assessing them. Aselle, on the other hand, sat hunched over, retching as if suffering from motion sickness. Shullifen furrowed his brow. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening; in fact, he doubted whether the current situation was real. The sudden appearance of Zaifa was surprising enough, but he couldn¡¯t fathom why Ronan and Aselle were riding on her back. The whole situation left him baffled. Ronan, who had approached closely, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°¡­Why were you riding on Zaifa¡¯s back? No, why is Zaifa here in the first ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very long andplicated story. I¡¯ll exin itter.¡± Ronan chuckled. Hisughter was a mix of self-deprecation and irony. His face, weary from exhaustion, seemed to have aged several years over the past few hours. ¡°So, tell me, does anything unusual happen? Any monster encounters?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Shullifen informed Ronan that nothing had happened so far, which was oddly satisfying. Ronan nodded in approval. ¡°Well, after all the trouble I¡¯ve been through, nothing should happen. Where¡¯s my sister?¡± Shullifen gestured with his eyes towards the back. A noblewoman or an extraordinary carriage was parked right in the middle of the road. Damn, it must be quite a challenge to keep a low profile like that. Ronan chuckled ironically and was about to take another step when suddenly the carriage door creaked open, and Iril stepped out. ¡°Ronan? Is it you?¡± She heard it clearly. It was Ronan¡¯s voice, and as she turned her head, their eyes met. ¡°Oh my goodness! Ronan!¡± Iril hadn¡¯t seen her younger brother in nearly three months. She rushed to him and embraced him tightly. Ronan let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Noona.¡± He thought he had made a good decision to wash off the blood and get new clothes in Marbas. It took a while, but eventually, his sister looked up at him, caressing his face with her hands, and spoke. ¡°How have you been all this time? Why do you look so thin? Goodness, look at your face; did someone trouble you at the academy?¡± ¡°Not the Academy, but¡­ It feels like the world is tormenting me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. How have you been, Noona?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been doing so well! You know, I¡¯ve been telling the vigers about you¨C¡± His sister was as beautiful as ever. A warm sunset glow cascaded down her silver hair. Now, herplexion had noticeably improved, and she seemed to be eating things other than potato stew. This improvement was evident as Iril was in the middle of a lengthy exnation. Just then, from right behind them, a deafening metallic noise echoed through the air. -ng!!- ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Ronan drew his sword, grabbing his sister¡¯s shoulder while pointing his de in the direction of the noise. Themotion caught the attention of Zaifa and Shullifen, who were locked in a confrontation. ¡°That crazy old woman.¡± Ronan muttered curses as he quickly assessed the situation. The mercenaries dared not intervene in the sudden sh of the two giants. Zaifa, seemingly amused, perked her ears. ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve held up.¡± ¡°What¡­ is this madness, Zaifa?¡± The shing des were on the verge of breaking. Shullifen gritted his teeth, barely holding his ground. His trembling legs felt like they would crumble with even a slight gust of wind. Zaifa spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a simple greeting, Rising Star of the Empire.¡± ¡°Greeting?¡± Without answering, Zaifa sheathed her sword. She extended a handshake, along with a brief self-introduction. ¡°I am Zaifa Turkon. I¡¯m pleased to know that the rumors about you weren¡¯t exaggerated.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Shullifen looked bewildered as he observed Zaifa. Stepping closer, Ronan, who had approached them, stomped his feet andined. ¡°Damn it, did you have to make a scene right here?¡± ¡°I guess, After me, it¡¯ll be one of you two.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The next Swordmaster, I mean. If you guys were my kin, I would have personally raised you both, but it¡¯s a pity.¡± The two boys¡¯ eyes widened. They never expected to hear such words directly from Zaifa. Zaifa scanned the parked carriages and asked. ¡°So, is this all the baggage I need to take?¡± ¡°Yeah. Four people.¡± ¡°Heh, who would have thought that Zaifa would end up helping with someone else¡¯s move.¡± Zaifa chuckled. ¡®Forget about the rest; help me with the move.¡¯ That was the reward Ronan had requested in exchange for arresting Neb zia. Without warning, Iril cautiously walked out among the mercenaries. ¡°Wow¡­ Beastfolk?¡± She marveled at the sight of Zaifa. Her eyes widened in amazement. Zaifa lowered her gaze. ¡°This must be the sister you told me about.¡± ¡°Uh, It spoke¡­! Hello!¡± Iril approached, her eyes twinkling like someone who had just spotted a cute animal. Zaifa studied her closely, then looked back at Ronan and spoke. ¡°¡­I think I understand why you hate it here.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ronan and Shullifen both nodded in unison. Suddenly, Zaifa extended her hand to Iril. It was not the entric greeting they had received earlier; this time, it was a simple and affectionate handshake. Iril, as if she had been waiting for this moment, eagerly took her hand, shaking it while expressing her amazement. ¡°Wow, you have such an incredible physique. I¡¯ve never seen a Beastfolk before!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name, miss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Iril! Wow, your hand is so soft¡­ Can I touch it a bit more?¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± Iril giggled like a child while gently caressing Zaifa¡¯s furry hand. The faces of the observing mercenaries turned ghostly pale. It was unprecedented. Zaifa, a seasoned warrior, not only engaged in conversation with a human she didn¡¯t consider a warrior but also allowed her to touch her hand. The mercenaries were in shock. Then, one of the mercenaries pointed to the east and shouted again, ¡°Something else ising over there!¡± ¡°The Imperial Army?¡± Several colossal shadows rose from the forest andnded around the convoy. These were Zaifa¡¯s subordinates, who had temporarily parted ways due to the mission. Were-lion, who was known as the lieutenant, saluted Zaifa. ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve finished our mission.¡± ¡°Good. You did well.¡± ¡°The boy¡¯s words were urate. We found the body of an old man, who is wanted criminal known as Aden¡¯s Bloodstorm¡­¡± The lieutenant continued to report. She mentioned the delivery of Kadyon to Rodon, the retrieval of the bodies of thedy and the old man, and the overall sess in thwarting Neb zier¡¯s conspiracy. Zaifa and Ronan listened attentively, and it appeared that there was no significant issue. It seemed clear that they had sessfully thwarted Neb zier¡¯s plot. ¡°What¡­ what is happening here?¡± ¡°Captain, what¡¯s going on?¡± The Mercenaries were in a state of unprecedented chaos. Surrounded by the sudden appearance of the Imperial Beastfolk army, they were understandably bewildered. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± However, the mercenary leader had no information to share, leaving him with nothing to say. Finally, after finishing the conversation with her men, Zaifa turned her head. A unique, overpowering voice came out of her mouth. ¡°All of you are a nuisance, so just disappear.¡± The mercenary leader had no choice but to nod silently. He had received a substantial sum of money as an advance payment, much more than when he captured the Wyvern herd two years ago. He didn¡¯t have anyints. However, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the identity of the woman they were escorting. She had to be someone significant, perhaps not just a princess from an exile nation but even more important, maybe the Emperor¡¯s hidden daughter. The Young Duke of Gracia, a young but influential noble in the Empire, Zaifa Turkon, known as the strongest Beastfolk in history, and her subordinates, all of them were escorting a single woman. The mercenary leader, who bowed silently, opened his mouth in bewilderment. ¡°May luck be with you.¡± The baggage carriages were lifted by the Beastfolk who moved like the wind. Racing into the distance with the sunset at their backs, they looked like they were off to destroy an entire nation. **** The moving waspleted at an unprecedented speed. Zaifa, along with thirteen Beastfolk, helped with the relocation. Ronan, Iril, Aselle, and Shullifen followed Zaifa¡¯s strong rmendation not to bother them and boarded the carriage for the journey. The powerful Were-bears and Were-lions hoisted the baggage carriages and horses. Zaifa personally lifted the carriage in which Ronan¡¯s group was seated. Those not handling the carriages were assigned to security. The Beastfolk quickly set up a three-dimensional defensive formation, and the citizens of Marbas, who witnessed this imposing convoy, began to make amotion. ¡°Clear the way! The Swordmaster Zaifa is passing!¡± ¡°Whose carriage is this, ait, is it the Emperor himself?¡± They sped down the road faster than horses, even though they were carrying wagons and horses. With the excuse that Zaifa was on a mission, they were able to cross the mountain passes unchecked. The riskiest and bumpiest part of the journey, the mountain pass, was traversed without any issues. The most dangerous and unpredictable movingpany in the world arrived in Jeston on Monday morning, well before dawn. The world¡¯s most dangerous and elusive escort organisation arrived at the city before Monday morning dawned. The men kindly dropped off the wagon and its crew right in front of their new home. Ronan, who had just disembarked from the carriage, lightly patted Zaifa¡¯s leg and said with a grin. ¡°Thanks. Thanks to you, we got herefortably.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to Jido Barun.¡± Zaifa didn¡¯t respond to the gratitude but instead looked around with an intrigued expression. She exined that it had been almost three years since shest came to Jido Barun, as she was always traveling across the continent due to missions. ¡°I-Is this really our home?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Iril¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the new house. Ronan nodded. The two-story stone house was located in an affluent area where the upper ss lived in Jido Barun. After much consideration and discussion between Ronan and Shullifen, they had chosen this house, which not only offered safety and convenience but also had excellent essibility, being only a 5-minute walk from the Philleon Academy, a renowned institution. Iril spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ I think we must havee to the wrong house¡­ it doesn¡¯t look like our home at all¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s our home. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Ronan held Iril¡¯s hand and entered the house. Aselle and Shullifen followed them from behind. Although they had invited Zaifa, she declined, stating that she wanted to enjoy the air of Jido Barun, something she hadn¡¯t experienced in a while. When they opened the front door, a spacious and beautiful interior revealed itself. However, Ronan didn¡¯t give Iril a chance to marvel and immediately went upstairs. The second floor, unlit by separate lighting, was bathed in the tranquil moonlight. Iril¡¯s mouth slowly fell open. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Chapter 83: The Moving Operation (7) Chapter 83: The Moving Operation (7) The second floor, unlit by separate lighting, was bathed in the tranquil moonlight. Iril¡¯s mouth slowly fell open. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Beyond the expansive balcony stretched the view of the Philleon Academy. Normally, the view was limited due to the surrounding walls, but from this house facing the main gate, they could admire the beautiful campus. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and see¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­!¡± Ronan led Iril out onto the balcony. The cool night breeze tousled their hair. With the elevated view, more details came into sight than usual. They could see students passing by, streetlights lining the roads, towering spires reaching for the sky, and a river running through the campus. Even though it was still dawn and the sun had yet to rise, there were lights on in various parts of the Philleon Academy. Ronan suddenly pointed his index finger at a building in the corner of the campus. It was the Navar-Dorje Hall, the dormitory where he resided. ¡°I live over there.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really close! Is that the ce you told me about in your letter?¡± Iril¡¯s eyes sparkled as she confirmed the distance. In reality, the distance between Navar-Dorje Hall and their new home was just about a 10-minute run. It was the main reason Ronan had chosen this house. As good as the multiyered intrusion prevention enchantments and the secret underground refuge were, the ultimate security was proximity. No matter what happened, he could run here in a month, and in case of emergency, he could send Cita. Given Cita¡¯s speed, it would take mere 10 seconds to travel from the dormitory window to here. The psychological stability she gained from being able to see where her brother was staying at all times was a bonus. Iril, who was admiring her night view, suddenly spoke in her main voice. ¡°Thank you, Ronan. Really.¡± ¡°So, do you like the house?¡± ¡°Yeah, very much¡­!¡± Iril eximed, her head held high. Tears of emotion were streaming down her cheeks. Ronan, feeling a lump in his throat, quickly wiped away the moisture from his eyes. He let out a relieved sigh. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s all sorted out.¡¯ The goal he had set when entering Philleon Academy had finally been achieved. Now he could rx and move around without any worries. The days of having to return to a faraway Nimbuten, barring an acute bout of nostalgia, were gone. Ronan turned his head, suddenly remembering the day he and Shullifen had chosen the house. No matter the intent, that guy yed a significant role in finding this excellent house. Shullifen was gazing at Iril¡¯s back as if enchanted by something. He quickly snapped out of it when he noticed Ronan¡¯s gaze and tried to act casual. Ronan smirked inwardly. ¡°An easy-to-read guy.¡± Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to invite him home once in a while, or ask him to guard Iril. Perhaps it would serve as just the right motivation. Just then, Cita swooped down from the night sky and perched on the railing. ¡°Beah!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Iril, wide-eyed, patted Cita on the head as it returned from scouting the area to make sure no one had followed them as Ronan had instructed. ¡°Oh, Cita. Where did you go?¡± ¡°Be-ah-ah~¡± ¡°Ehehe, do you like our new house? Now you cane here instead of Nimbuten.¡± Cita yfully acted cute toward Iril without giving any special report. Fortunately, it seemed like everything had gone smoothly. Ronan took advantage of Iril ying with Cita and returned indoors. He alternated his gaze between Aselle and Shullifen as he spoke. ¡°Thanks, everyone. Thanks to you, we wrapped it up nicely.¡± ¡°We just did what needed to be done.¡± ¡°Oh, no, there were various¡­ things going on, but I was d I could help.¡± Aselle spoke softly. Ronan, who had been chuckling, suddenly snapped his fingers as if he had remembered something. ¡°By the way, your parents should move here too, Aselle.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was nning to finish that before summer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, good thinking. It¡¯s no use regretting after losing everything.¡± ¡°Regret? What do you mean by that¡­¡± ¡°I mean it in general. Anyway, I¡¯ll definitely help, so just let me know when the timees.¡± Aselle nodded timidly. He, too, was diligently preparing to bring his parents to Jido Barun. With Neb zier stirring up trouble, they couldn¡¯t predict when something might happen. Shullifen, who had been standing with his fists clenched, finally spoke up. ¡°So when are you going to unpack?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just take it a little slower?¡± Ronan asked. ¡°I can¡¯t trust the judgment of barbarians like you. Let¡¯s start right away.¡± Shullifen spoke firmly, and they immediately began the task of unpacking and arranging their belongings. Even though they didn¡¯t have much to bring, organizing the furnishings in the house was still a challenging task. Fortunately, with Shullifen and Aselle¡¯s assistance, the work progressed smoothly. Shullifen, who had a keen sense of aesthetics, gave instructions, while Aselle used his telekinesis to position the furniture. ¡°No, cing the potted nt there would ruin the aesthetics. A bit more to the right.¡± ¡°Um, then is it okay if I put it here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s suitable. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯m Aselle.¡± ¡°I see, Aselle. I heard you¡¯re from the same vige as Iril. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes? Well, um, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It was an awkward yet surprisingly fittingbination. They finished organizing around the time the sun was rising. After unpacking all the belongings from Nimbuten, the previously empty house now looked somewhat lived-in. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re done! Thank you all so much! Let¡¯s have a meal!¡± Iril, full of enthusiasm, was crossing through the kitchen. She offered to prepare breakfast, and since the only avable ingredient was potatoes, it naturally became potato stew. ¡°Can I really eat this?¡± ¡°Stop with the chatter and dig in.¡± They sat around the messy wooden dining table brought from Nimbuten and had their meal. Shullifen, as if it was the finest gourmet dish, ate the potato stew without meat and washed it down with what seemed like imperial grape wine. Seeing his reaction, Iril couldn¡¯t help butment. ¡°Wow, do you like it? I thought nobles usually don¡¯t fancy this kind of food.¡± ¡°Very much so. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s plenty more! Please have some more!¡± Shullifen nodded, his face lighting up with undisguised delight as he received his fifth bowl of potato stew. Even the valiant warriors who faced dragons probably wouldn¡¯t have made such a face. Ronan, muttering curses under his breath, sneaked upstairs. He stepped onto the balcony and took out a cigarette from his pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± He needed to smoke it before Iril caught him. He exhaled a puff of smoke while observing the students moving around the campus. By now, Professor Varen, whomuted to work, was probably foaming at the mouth. Ronan was lost in various thoughts when suddenly, a faintmotion reached his ears. ¡°¡­No, please!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­Mm! Endure it!¡± It was a voice he recognized. Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. Not far away, people had gathered in a circle as if they were watching something. Among them were Zaifa¡¯s subordinates, standing out like scarecrows in a field. ¡®Why are those furry ones gathered over there?¡¯ Ronan leaned his upper body out of the balcony to get a better look. In the center of the crowd were three individuals, and Ronan¡¯s expression contorted. ¡°Damn it.¡± Zaifa and Navirose were facing each other. The tension didn¡¯t seem particrly pleasant, especially with the fact that the great sword Uruza was clutched in Navirose¡¯s hand. Adeshan, in her school uniform, was yelling as she tried to intervene. ¡°Professor, please calm down! You can¡¯t do this here!¡± ¡°But you saw it too, didn¡¯t you, Adeshan? This old cat is provoking me.¡± ¡°We just made eye contact, that¡¯s all!¡± Mana, pulsating through Uruza¡¯s sword, was visible even from here. Ronan muttered curses and jumped down from the balcony. ¡°I can¡¯t have bad luck like this!¡± If either of them swung their swords carelessly, it would lead to a very unpleasant situation. Ronan quickly reached his destination and nced at the people standing by, who were just watching quietly. ¡°Are you all so clueless? A disaster is unfolding right in front of you guys, and you¡¯re just standing there?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Well, kid, do you know who that woman is? She¡¯s a former Grand Swordmaster.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to intervene here? If it were a superior officer¡­¡± ¡°Oh well, you¡¯all are useless.¡± Ronan pushed through the crowd and soon spotted the two Grand Swordmasters and the flustered Adeshan. Zaifa, who had been silently observing her, finally spoke. ¡°Your fiery temper hasn¡¯t changed a bit, Navirose. I thought bing a professor might have toned you down a bit.¡± ¡°Enough talk, draw your sword. I¡¯d prefer you use your own weapon rather than that scabbard.¡± ¡°Prideful as ever. You can¡¯t defeat me.¡± The situation was tense, and the sh between the two Grand Swordmasters seemed imminent. At that moment, Navirose¡¯s sword disappeared from view. Except for Ronan and Zaifa, no one saw her sword disappear. Swish! Uruza traced a crescent-shaped path in the air, and a crescent-shaped de of energy shot into the sky. The massive crescent-shaped energy, almost 200 meters in diameter, cleaved through the thick clouds above, splitting them in half. The spectators¡¯ faces turned pale. A curious tone escaped from Zaifa¡¯s lips. ¡°¡­Interesting. You¡¯ve gotten much stronger than before.¡± ¡°Do you feel like trying now?¡± ¡°A light exercise might not be a bad idea.¡± Veins bulged in Zaifa¡¯s hand as she gripped her moonde. The tails of the other beastfolk were curling beneath their legs. The atmosphere between the two Grand Swordmasters was charged, and it seemed like they might charge at each other at any moment. Navirose was about to take the first step. Ronan leaped over the crowd andnded between them. ¡°What the hell are you guys doing here?¡± ¡°Ronan?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened, and Navirose stopped in her tracks. The tension that had been building dissipated, and time seemed to flow normally again. Chuckling with a sense of relief, Zaifa sheathed her moonde. ¡°¡­Is the relocationplete?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Good. I should get going soon. I¡¯ve informed the lieutenant, so you can collect the bounty from the nearby patrol.¡± ¡°Bounty?¡± ¡°Yeah. The old man from the Neb zier you killed was quite a notorious wanted criminal.¡± Zaifa informed him that there was a substantial bounty on the old man¡¯s head, who had been protected by the blessings of the stars. Ronan nodded his head. This was an unexpected reward. Navirose, who had been silent until now, snarled while pointing her sword tip at Zaifa. ¡°Why are you casually conversing with my disciple?¡± ¡°Seeing how I¡¯m not even allowed to speak to him, you must really treasure him. Well, it¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. And ¡®moving,¡¯ what does that mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out for yourself. By the way, both, this child and the rising Star kid received my greeting and stood on both legs. You¡¯ve got good disciples.¡± ¡°What?¡± Navirose narrowed her gaze. Zaifa was about to say something, but the crowd split to reveal the lieutenant were-lion. She saluted Zaifa and then spoke. ¡°Captain. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you, and you will need to report to the Imperial Pce immediately.¡± ¡°Damn, this is why I wanted to leave so badly¡­I see.¡± Zaifa clicked her tongue. It was an urgent matter of course, but it didn¡¯t seem like she had any particr loyalty to the Emperor, as their rtionship was originally forced through a blood pact. The lieutenant, who had saluted Navirose as well, looked at Ronan and said, ¡°Thank you for cooperating with the arrest. We hope you will ept the bounty.¡± ¡°I will. By the way, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯ve seen you often, but I¡¯ve never heard your name before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Nemea from the Imperial Knights.¡± ¡°Wow, you must be quite elite. You seem like you¡¯d get along well with one of our professors. Shall I introduce you?¡± Nemea seemed taken aback and flinched. Ronan, seeing her ufortable reaction, chuckled softly. Zaifa, who had been sighing deeply, finally spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then. I look forward to the festival of swords, Ronan.¡± ¡°The Festival of Swords?¡± The unfamiliar name made Ronan raise an eyebrow. Zaifa didn¡¯t respond. She, along with Nemea and her subordinates, was escorted towards the pce almost as if they were being dragged. The burly giants disappeared from view after a while. Adeshan, who had been standing still, suddenly seemed to lose her strength and staggered. Ronan quickly supported her. ¡°Ah¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong all of a sudden? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but¡­ seeing them in person, I was a bit¡­ nervous, I guess.¡± Adeshan¡¯s breathing was ragged, and Ronan, realizing the cause toote, twisted his lips. Zaifa, the creator of the Night of the Fangs, was Adeshan¡¯s enemy. ¡°Darn it. I don¡¯t know what to say. You went through a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really okay now. Thanks for helping.¡± Adeshan stood up with Ronan¡¯s support. After facing Zaifa face to face for a while, her reaction was not unreasonable. In fact, not screaming or fainting was rather admirable, considering that the person who had directly caused her parents and brothers¡¯ deaths was right in front of her. Navirose, who had been silently gazing into the distance, approached Ronan. ¡°Ronan, is what that cat said true?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That you stood on your own two legs when you were greeted by her.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, if you¡¯re referring to that damned ambush, yes¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, she spoke. ¡°Exin everything that happened when you were with that old cat, Ronan. Don¡¯t leave anything out.¡± Chapter 84: Beyond Spring Into Summer (1) Chapter 84: Beyond Spring Into Summer (1) Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. After taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, she spoke. ¡°Exin everything that happened with that Zaifa Turkon. Don¡¯t leave out a single detail.¡± Her gaze was intense, and there seemed to be some connection with Zaifa. Ronan hesitated for a moment, as it wasn¡¯t a suitable topic for discussion in a public ce, but then he spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated to discuss here. Let¡¯s talk at my ce.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you mention that your hometown is quite far from here?¡± ¡°Yes, but I moved here today. I almost became a refugee because of someone, though.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Navirose cleared her throat. It seemed she had a conscience about bringing up a topic unrted to their current situation. Ronan then led the two women to their new home, and Adeshan, who had tagged along without much choice, asked hesitantly. ¡°Um, can I reallye in too?¡± ¡°Of course. You have the right to listen as a senior.¡± It was none other than Zaifa¡¯s story that piqued Adeshan¡¯s curiosity. It would have been a lie if she said she wasn¡¯t interested. They arrived at the house within minutes. As they entered, Adeshan noticed that the house was well-furnished. Iril, wearing an apron, came out to greet them. ¡°Oh, Ronan, you¡¯ve brought guests?¡± ¡°Yeah, Iril. I¡¯ll use the basement for a moment. Where are the others?¡± ¡°Aselle said he¡¯s going to find you, and Shullifen is still having his meal. Should I call him?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. Tell him to enjoy his meal.¡± Ronan nodded, seemingly determined to let him eat until the pot was empty or until he burst. Adeshan, looking at Iril¡¯s attire, was in awe. ¡°Wow.¡± She had never seen such a beautiful being in her life. Ophelia, whom she had seen before, was stunning, but she paled inparison. She suddenly felt a sense of inadequacy, as if her tall stature was the only thing she had going for her, making her look in and unremarkable. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. ¡®What¡¯s their rtionship?¡¯ Adeshan alternated her gaze between Ronan and Iril. Their hair colors and appearances were too different to be family. Could it be¡­ She didn¡¯t want to entertain the scenarios that shed through her mind. Suddenly, Iril, seeing Adeshan¡¯s attire, pped her hands and said. ¡°Oh, you must be from the same academy as my younger brother!¡± ¡°Younger brother¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ronan¡¯s older sister. Nice to meet you!¡± Iril¡¯s face also lit up with a smile. Adeshan was also overjoyed, but realizing that she had exhaled a sigh of relief too loudly, she quickly covered her mouth. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m Adeshan, a second-year student in the Martial Arts Department at the Philleon Academy. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Navirose. I¡¯m the senior Martial Arts professor at the Philleon Academy.¡± Just like Adeshan, Navirose also extended her hand to greet Iril. Hearing the word ¡°Professor,¡± Iril¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she shook her hand eagerly. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a teacher! How¡¯s Ronan doing? Is he learning well?¡± ¡°In many ways, he¡¯s quite an outstanding student.¡± Navirose replied with aplicated expression, her lips twisting slightly. Ronan grumbled something about not needing to drink and headed for the basement. The basement served as an emergency shelter with various security facilities. As the thick iron door closed behind them, Navirose finally spoke. ¡°Now, tell me. What happened with Zaifa Turkon?¡± ¡°Well¡­ this is a really unbelievable story¡­¡± Ronan began to exin everything that had happened since recently. Tracking Neb zier, meeting Zaifa, preventing a bomb terror attack while trying to kill Wyvern, and even Zaifa and her subordinates helping with his sister¡¯s move. Navirose listened attentively and then spoke with a serious expression. ¡°This could have been a disaster. I wonder if those bastards were targeting Roma.¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re getting bolder by the day.¡± Thinking about it again, it was quite nerve-wracking. If the Roma Mountain had been destroyed, the damage would have been unimaginable. The Winter Witch, who was rtively unknown to the world until recently, had suddenly be one of the Empire¡¯s worst criminals for a reason. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I¡¯ll report this separately to the headmaster. But is what you said about Zaifa helping with your sister¡¯s move true?¡± Ronan nodded, and Navirose raised an eyebrow. She smiled as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It seems like she really liked you.¡± ¡°Well, it did seem that way.¡± ¡°To warn you in advance, don¡¯t get too close to Zaifa. That old cat is dangerous.¡± ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe even more than Neb zier. Just look at her Nightfang de, and you¡¯ll know.¡± At the mention of Nightfang de, Adeshan shivered. Navirose gently held Iril¡¯s hand and continued. ¡°At that time, Zaifa killed over a thousand Imperial soldiers. That¡¯s why everyone doubted when they heard she became a subordinate of the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­She killed so many.¡± Ronan scratched his chin. He had also heard something about Zaifa. The Northern Massacre. Originally, she should have disappeared with the dew on the leaves or been pursued by the Empire. The Northern Beastmen Alliance led by Zaifa captured the Barsa Castle in only three days. Everyone believed that they would advance to the capital. ¡°But Zaifa made a choice that no one could have imagined.¡± Navirose, after briefly reflecting on her memories, twisted her lips. ¡°That cat knew it all along. That, in the end, she would be defeated.¡± Instead of fighting to the bitter end, Zaifa chose negotiations, even at the risk of her own life, with the already-upied Barren cier. She offered to withdraw her troops and let the Northern Beastmen go free in exchange for leaving her subordinates alone. Impressed by her abilities and determination, the Emperor epted the proposal. As a result, the Northern Beastmen regained their freedom andnd, and the Emperor gained the sharpest sword in the Empire. Ronan chuckled, ¡°She is smarter than I thought. I thought she¡¯s just good at fighting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes her even more dangerous. We can¡¯t predict what she¡¯s thinking.¡± Navirose emphasized the unpredictability of someone like Zaifa. Ronan neither agreed nor disagreed with her opinion. He simply sighed lightly at the thought of having more targets to watch over. ¡®It seems like things are getting busier.¡¯ Zaifa, like other strong individuals, never revealed herself on the final battlefield. Such uncertain elements had to be closely monitored. Navirose said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back for now. We have scheduled lessons.¡± ¡°Yes, we should. I also need to work on my club activity report. I¡¯ll leave out the part about Neb zier, of course.¡± ¡°Poor Professor Varen. Handle it yourself.¡± Having concluded their conversation, the three of them headed straight for Philleon. Iril waved them off with a cheerful smile. ¡°Goodbye, both of you! Ronan, take care and see you on the weekend!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Uhm, see you next time¡­¡± Navirose made a brief farewell. Adeshan also bowed respectfully, treating her with an attitude one might have towards a saint. Ronan thought bringing them to his house was a good idea. It meant there would be someone to help if anything happened to Iril. Navirose remarked, ¡°By the way, you mentioned that you can manifest your Sword Qi?¡± ¡°Yes, to some extent.¡± ¡°That wretched Jhordin must have paid for it. Why didn¡¯t hee earlier?¡± ¡°Well, there were already a lot of things to do¡­¡± Before, after hearing about Neb zier, Ronan mentioned that he had been too busy to manifest his Sword Qi. Navirose lightly scolded him by pulling his tongue. Ronan¡¯s face, fatigued from exhaustion, was far from being in any condition to argue. Ronan suddenly remembered the events from earlier and asked a question. ¡°By the way, what have you two been doing since this morning? It¡¯s not the weekend.¡± ¡°Ah, well, um¡­¡± Out of the blue, Adeshan nced at Navirose, who remained silent, and she continued walking without responding. Ronan chuckled, seeing her uncertain response. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It wouldn¡¯t be fair. I also heard some¡­ sensitive information.¡± Adeshan had learned about Neb zier for the first time today. She didn¡¯t know about Zaifa either. Whispering in Ronan¡¯s ear as if she had overheard something, Navirose said, ¡°¡­I visited an Imperial military camp nearby.¡± ¡°A military camp? Why?¡± ¡°The professor asked me to deliver something to one of their officers. In the end, I couldn¡¯t deliver it, though.¡± ¡°Was it something very heavy?¡± Adeshan awkwardly chuckled, taking out an envelope from her pocket. It didn¡¯t look like something someone else should have carried. Navirose mentioned that she had spent two hours walking around the camp because she had forgotten to whom she was supposed to deliver the envelope. Adeshan had observed soldiers conducting morning training during that time. Adeshan scratched her cheek and asked, ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. It¡¯s definitely a good excuse. It must be for someone who dreams of bing a soldier.¡± The envelope was most likely an opportunity to open Adeshan¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t something that should be handed off to someone else. Navirose had already walked ahead of them. Ronan thought of asking about the sword Qi manifestation but forgot. Zaifa had mentioned it. It wasn¡¯t essential right now; getting some much-needed sleep was. ¡®I¡¯ll meet her tomorrow and ask. I should get some sleep now.¡¯ Ronan sighed, tired from his long day. Ronan¡¯s face was buried in the pillow, as the rhythmic sound of his snoring filled the room. Lucy, who had been cleaning the table, looked up in surprise. ¡°Lord Ronan?!¡± She rushed over to shake his shoulders urgently, but he only mumbled incoherently in his sleep. Eventually, the sound of his snoring echoed even louder. Lucy, her hand still on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, muttered in disbelief, ¡°What on earth¡­¡± Lucy ced Ronan on the bed, and he seemed to be fine health-wise. She tucked him in and left the room, closing the curtains behind her. *** It had been two days since Ronan returned to the martial arts arena. It wasn¡¯t due toziness; he had simply gotten up, washed, had his meal, and made his way here. That¡¯s why it was now noon. Ronan, yawning and stretching, grumbled irritably. ¡°Ugh¡­ jeez, if I keep this up, I won¡¯t grow any taller¡­¡± Still, a good night¡¯s sleep had lightened his body. Students were scattered around, engaging in sparring matches and practicing their swordy. In the distance, Navirose stood, observing the students¡¯ stances. She didn¡¯t turn her gaze away as she addressed Ronan. ¡°Ronan, you¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ you had to wait for quite a while.¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that. We¡¯re starting the lesson right away, so go over there to the empty spot.¡± Navirose extended her finger, indicating the area with training dummies. Ronanpiled and made his way there. Yawning and shaking off his drowsiness, he muttered in frustration. ¡°Ugh¡­Is this really necessary? It¡¯s so far away.¡± The training dummies were easily thirty paces away. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you miss; just give it a shot.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Ronan focused his mind and swung his sword. Swish! With a sensation of his energy draining away, a crescent-shaped Sword Qi shot forward. As expected, it didn¡¯t hit the training dummy; it flew and disappeared after about nine paces. Navirose nodded approvingly, not surprised. ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± ¡°Come on, is this all? It feels like peeing against the wind.¡± ¡°Sometimes it happens, especially for those who don¡¯t understand the word ¡®gradual¡¯ like you do. Remember, you skipped the user level and jumped straight to sword expert level.¡± Navirose emphasized that Ronan shouldn¡¯t rush. But he couldn¡¯t afford to take his time, not with the curse blocking his mana flow. He was about to insist on learning Sword Qi techniques when a memory from his time with Valzac in the mountains shed in his mind. ¡°By the way, I have a question. Can you change the shape of Sword Qi?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible. You can control the size to some extent.¡± ¡°No, not just the size. I mean, can you make it look like¡­ well, not like Sword Qi?¡± ¡°Exin in more detail.¡± The Sword Qi Valzac had manifested looked like a raging storm, far more potent than regr Sword Qi. Ronan made gestures and described it in detail. He also mentioned the fact that the sword spirit of Lamancha had turned crimson. Navirose raised an eyebrow as she listened. ¡°Hmm¡­ seems like Master Doron invested quite a bit of effort into forging your weapon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Give me your sword.¡± Her voice carried an inexplicable sense of awe. Ronan shrugged and handed over Lamancha. As soon as Navirose grasped the hilt, the crimson mana burst forth like blood rushing from a wound. Chapter 85: Beyond Spring into Summer (2) Chapter 85: Beyond Spring into Summer (2) ¡°Give me your sword.¡± Her voice carried an inexplicable sense of awe. Ronan shrugged and handed over Lamancha. As soon as Navirose grasped the hilt, the crimson mana burst forth like blood rushing from a wound. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Ronan stepped back in shock. It looked as though the sword was dripping blood. The mana that flowed out was so dense that it could be mistaken for a liquid, it was that concentrated. It was on apletely different scale from the time with Valzac. The crimson mana continued to pour out relentlessly. In no time, the mana covered the floor of the arena, rising up to the ankles of the students. ¡°Ugh! What is this?¡± ¡°Blood¡­?¡± ¡°I feel sick¡­¡± The students were bewildered. Lamancha¡¯s sword spirit was emitting a menacing crimson light that was far from its original color. Navirose, who had been observing the phenomenon with fascination, muttered quietly. ¡°Ferocious, yet flexible. It truly resembles its owner.¡± ¡°Damn, what have you done to my sword?¡± Instead of answering, she tightened her grip on the hilt. The mana that had been flowing throughout the arena began to be absorbed back into Lamancha. In a matter of seconds, a clean floor was revealed. Navirose turned to Ronan after diverting her gaze from the sword spirit. ¡°Let me start by saying that what you are seeing now is the true form of this sword.¡± ¡°You mean that shy thing earlier?¡± ¡°Yes. When I infused mana, it awakened the hidden power within.¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. She looked like a child receiving a new toy. She turned Lamancha in a full circle and then spoke. ¡°Very well-crafted weapons add their own color to the user¡¯s attacks, like my Uruza or the Pale Road of the Duke Gracia. Your sword is no different.¡± ¡°It seems like our little genius used some sort of power after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It has the potential to be on par with some of the legendary swords. Let me show you just how little you knew about this sword.¡± She suddenly swung the sword as if targeting a scarecrow. Along the narrow trajectory, a liquid-like Sword Qi shot out. However, it was quite different from what Valzac had disyed. Valzac¡¯s Sword Qi had been like a deluge, spreading wide like a bucket of water thrown. In contrast, Navirose¡¯s sword Qi was more like a rapid torrent, pouring in a straight line. Kwaang! The torrent of Sword Qi swept up the scarecrow, uprooting it from the ground. But the Sword Qi didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan and Navirose¡¯s eyes widened simultaneously. The torrent of Sword Qi, still extending straight, struck the wall behind them. Kwaandkwaang! A sudden deafening explosion grabbed the attention of all the students. ¡°Aaargh! What now?¡± ¡°Professor!¡± Dust settled shortly. Part of the damaged wall was exposed. The thick wall, more than a meter in thickness, resembled a cliff that had weathered the waves for centuries. It was marred by numerousrge and small holes and cracks, like spiderwebs. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± It was a show of tremendous power. All the days of fighting with half-hearted efforts seemed unjust now. The mere thought that he could one day use such a technique made Ronan¡¯s hands tremble. But what was important now was not that. It seemed like the wall was on the verge of copsing. ¡®It¡¯ll crumble with even a breeze, won¡¯t it?¡¯ Ronan was about to make that kind of joke when suddenly, a part of the wall that had been severely damaged copsed. ¡°Ah.¡± The students screamed. A refreshing breeze ruffled their hair. Beyond the copsed wally a beautiful grassy field. Ronan and Navirose stood still for a long time, gazing at the sight. Navirose spoke. ¡°It¡¯s harder to control the power than I thought.¡± ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to fix itter. Can¡¯t be helped.¡± It¡¯s fortunate that there are no adepts here. She sighed softly. Navirose handed Lamancha back to Ronan. As he received the hilt, the crimson glow on the sword spirit returned to its original ck color. ¡°Damn.¡± Ronan felt dirty all of a sudden. It was as if he had been passionately ying with someone else, only to have them turn cold when it came to him. Navirose spoke with a hint of irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s get started already. I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± ¡°Fine. Can¡¯t I just learn how to use the sword Qi first?¡± ¡°Everything has its order. Don¡¯t rush. If you follow the steps, you¡¯ll be a qualified swordsman who can participate in the festival of sword.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow when he heard the term ¡°Festival of Sword¡±. He had intended to ask about it but kept forgetting. ¡°That¡¯s right. What exactly is the Festival of Sword? I heard something about it being rted to the Sea Wave Sword Style.¡± ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t know beforeing here?¡± ¡°Beforeing here, I was rolling around in some rural backwater.¡± Navirose exined. The Festival of Sword was a kind of ritual and meeting where swordsmen from all over the continent gathered. Only those who had proven their skills could participate, and those who passed the ritual gained the right to challenge the exploration of the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword was a legendary weapon said to be hidden somewhere in the sacrednd of Parzan, where the Festival of Sword is held. The name ¡°Holy Sword¡± is just a ceholder, as no one has ever seen its true form, and its exact nature remains a mystery. However, due to the richness and diversity of legends that have evolved over the centuries, swordsmen from all around continue their relentless pursuit. Phrases like ¡°I will reveal myself before the strongest swordsman,¡± or ¡°The Holy Sword can conquer anything,¡± are the kind of ambitious derations that drive both men and women mad. Ronan, too, seemed intrigued, nodding his head as if agreeing. ¡°It sounds interesting.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not the Holy Sword, it¡¯s still a worthwhile event. The strongest swordsmen from different countries and wandering masters all gather there. Most of them are willing to engage in duels if you request it.¡± ¡°¡­Tell me honestly, How many people have you killed?¡± ¡°Altogether, about twenty, I guess. Not that many.¡± Her tone was tinged with nostalgia as if reminiscing about beautiful memories. Ronan felt a shiver down his spine. ording to Jhordin, she had pierced a coconut shell with her pinky finger and drank from it. ¡®As expected, I shouldn¡¯t make things clear any time soon.¡¯ He realized how pitifully low his mana reserves were, bound by this curse. It was evident how debilitated his own body was. Ronan sighed and gripped the hilt of the sword. Navirose proceeded to teach him how to infuse mana into the sword, as she had mentioned earlier. The key was to transfer the mana within his body to the sword and hold it there. After a moment of concentration, a faint shimmer of light began to rise along the de. Navirose nodded. ¡°Good. Maintain this for five minutes. After five minutes, swing the sword.¡± ¡°Five minutes? Isn¡¯t that too short?¡± ¡°It may be for others. Then I¡¯ll time it.¡± ¡°For others?¡± What did she mean by that? Instead of answering, Navirose took out a pocket watch. Ronan snorted. In any case, he should be able to endure for about five minutes, even though the Sword Qi wasn¡¯t much. Just as he was having that thought, the light from the sword spirit faded away. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°47 seconds.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Why is it like this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it easy just because you¡¯ve manifested the Sword Qi once. Concentrate and try again.¡± Navirose reset the pocket watch as if she had anticipated this. Frustrated, Ronan adjusted his posture. He had started feeling dizzy already, but he didn¡¯t know what was happening. As he gripped the hilt of the sword, the shimmer of light rose along the de once again. **** ¡°One minute and 23 seconds.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± The light faded. Outside the building, the sun was setting. The destroyed wall was now painted crimson by the sinking sun. ¡°Crap¡­! Ugh, why does it keep going out?¡± His head throbbed. Sweat was pouring down like rain. There were no other students left in the training arena after the ss was over. Ronan, who cursed under his breath, lowered the sword. He had lost count of how many attempts he had made. Navirose spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. Your mana control is the only issue. You¡¯re already one of the strongest in the school. You should know that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°So why are you rushing like this? You¡¯re still a freshman, and there¡¯s plenty of time.¡± Ronan responded with a bitter twist of his lips. Normally, this training would take several months. It involved feeding mana into the sword, exhausting it, and then repeating the process to increase mana capacity. But he didn¡¯t have the luxury of time. To manipte mana like everyone else, he would need to spend an absurdly long time¡ªaround twenty years¡ªscratching it out of his veins. Ronan gripped the sword hilt to support himself as he stood up. ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯ He took a moment to catch his breath and then turned back to face the scarecrow. There was no sign of fatigue on the scarecrow¡¯s body, which had to endure for five minutes. ¡®This won¡¯t do.¡¯ He needed toe up with a new approach. Transferring mana from his body to the sword was fine, but holding it there was the problem. His meager mana reserves couldn¡¯t handle the constant consumption of mana by the sword. Nevertheless, drinking cold water seemed to cool his head a bit. That¡¯s when it hit him. ¡®Cooling down?¡¯ A sudden, lightning-fast idea shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. The idea that started with cold water began to evolve in his mind. Cooling down hot things. Heating up cold things. Draining excess. Filling deficiencies. Ronan finally arrived at a solution and burst intoughter as if he had discovered a miracle. ¡°Just use it up and fill it!¡± Mana exercises always required a specific posture, but Ronan was too focused on conventional thinking. He vaguely remembered a warning not to change his posture while practicing, but he didn¡¯t care. He took a deep breath and raised the corners of his lips. ¡°I can do this.¡± It felt unfamiliar, but not impossible. Soon, a strange sound like ¡°Suaaah¡± began to escape Ronan¡¯s lips. He could feel mana leaving and being replenished at the same time. ¡°Hmm?¡± Though more than two minutes had passed, the crimson glow on Lamancha¡¯s sword didn¡¯t fade. Navirose noticed that Ronan was simultaneously consuming mana and practicing, and she chuckled. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve discovered a way to do both.¡± No visible or audible changes were happening around them. Only the sensation of mana circting between the sword and his body remained. How much time had passed? Ronan snapped back to reality when he felt someone tap his shoulder. ¡°Professor?¡± ¡°¡­Time¡¯s up.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± Subjectively, it didn¡¯t feel like more than three minutes had passed. Navirose silently flipped the pocket watch and held it out in front of him. The clock, which had started at 12 o¡¯clock, now pointed to 13 minutes past the hour. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°13 minutes¡­!¡± ¡°Now, while maintaining that feeling, swing the sword. You should be able to do it.¡± Ronan nodded. There was no need to respond further. The sword and his hand disappeared from view. Swish! The sound of the sword cut through the air after a considerable amount of time had passed.. Navirose nodded in approval. ¡°Excellent.¡± Creak! Dozens of lines appeared on the scarecrow¡¯s body. Ronan sheathed Lamancha, and the body of the scarecrow that had been torn to pieces copsed. ¡°Heh.¡± Ronanughed triumphantly. It was a speed he had never experienced before, different from merely following the flow of mana. If he could maintain this state, there would be nothing he couldn¡¯t cut. Navirosemented, ¡°Finally, you did it. Can you maintain that state in a real battle?¡± ¡°¡­For a few minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough. We¡¯re done for today.¡± Silence enveloped them. Neither of them spoke. Navirose was just turning to leave. Ronan, who had been standing still for a while, grabbed her by both shoulders and shouted, ¡°Navirose! ¡°Fuck! Did you see that, Navirose?! Did you see what I did?¡± ¡°Yeah, you did well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you! Come on, let¡¯s go, Navirose. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback ride and carry around Philleon!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your achievement. And call me Professor.¡± However, despite Navirose¡¯s restraint, Ronan didn¡¯t stop. His body waspletely dominated by the bted sense of aplishment. He didn¡¯t stopughing, even after he was grabbed by both ears as he lunged to pick Navirose up. ¡°Hey!.¡± Seeing hisical behavior, Navirose couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly. Just as she was reluctantly considering lifting him once, the ground near the copsed wall suddenly began to tremble. An unexpected event urred so quickly that they had no time to react. The ground seemed to rise up as if something was filling in the copsed hole. Without any gaps, it restored the wall, even the bas-relief that had originally been carved into it. Navirose frowned. ¡°This magic¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Navirose.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan and Navirose both turned their heads simultaneously. A lean man stood bathed in the setting sun¡¯s rays. Seeing his ominous appearance, Navirose furrowed her brow. ¡°Jhordin?¡± Chapter 86: Beyond Spring Into Summer (3) Chapter 86: Beyond Spring Into Summer (3) ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Navirose.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan and Navirose both turned their heads simultaneously. A lean man stood bathed in the setting sun¡¯s rays. Seeing his ominous appearance, Navirose furrowed her brow. ¡°Jhordin?¡± ¡°Did you happen to destroy a wall or something? I could sense your mana.¡± ¡°¡­It was just an ident during ss.¡± Navirose replied, avoiding eye contact. Jhordin gazed at the remnants of the copsed wall as if puzzled. Ronan, squinting at him while assessing his demeanor, chuckled softly. ¡®Jhordin¡­ is that really him?¡¯ He almost didn¡¯t recognize him. There hadn¡¯t been a significant transformation. The only noticeable changes were his neatlybed hair and slightly fuller cheeks, which had previously appeared sunken like a skull. Yet, these subtle alterations hadpletely transformed Jhordin¡¯s appearance. While he used to be just a bookish schr, he now exuded the air of a decadent middle-aged man. Navirose remarked coldly, ¡°So why did youe here? You¡¯re not holed up in the tower even after sses are over?¡± ¡°I have various matters to attend to. The first is to inform you that my research has been sessful.¡± ¡°What?¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. She was one of the few who knew Jhordin¡¯s secret. Jhordin continued, ¡°Come see for yourself. She hasn¡¯t regained consciousness yet, but she might be able to hear your voice. I think she¡¯ll be interested in your adventures.¡± From his words, it seemed that she had a close rtionship with his wife, Sunya. Jhordin patted Navirose¡¯s stiff shoulders as a gesture of gratitude and then turned to Ronan. ¡°Long time no see, Ronan.¡± ¡°Yeah, you look more human now. I couldn¡¯t even recognize you.¡± ¡°Sorry, even though I¡¯m indebted to you, I couldn¡¯t properly greet you back then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright; I did it because I wanted to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But regardless of what anyone says, I owe you my life.¡± Suddenly, Jhordin lowered his head. Navirose, who had seen an unimaginable sight, furrowed her brow. Even with a body broken to the point of being unable to walk or use the restroom, Jhordin had held his head high. His voice, heavy and sincere, resonated beneath his lowered head. ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful.¡± ¡°Damn, why is someone as high-ranking as a professor acting like this? You can thank me properlyter when you¡¯re back with your wife.¡± ¡°This is a different matter.¡± Despite Ronan¡¯s objections, Jhordin only raised his head after a while. His eyes, now clearer and brighter, met Ronan¡¯s gaze. He spoke earnestly. ¡°If you ever face difficulties,e find me. I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t take money, will you?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be free of charge even for your children and grandchildren.¡± Jhordin chuckled lightly. Seeing a glimmer of youthful energy in his eyes, Ronan heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that he wouldn¡¯t sumb to the temptations of Neb zier for the time being. ¡®It seems I made the right choice by helping him. The more unhappy you are, the weaker you be. I can rest easy for now.¡¯ Ronan genuinely believed that Jhordin would be a formidable ally. A master of earth magic, he was undoubtedly someone who could be counted on in the future. After concluding their conversation, Jhordin suddenly seemed restless. ¡°What about your girlfriend, where is she?¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one with ck hair and tall¡­ In fact, I came today because of that girl.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. He was about to retort with his firm preferences, but Navirose, who entered the room promptly, spoke up. ¡°If you mean Adeshan, she¡¯s not here today. Why are you looking for my assistant?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her since I saw herst time. Even amidst my research, it bothered me endlessly. This morning, I finally became sure.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Navirose raised an eyebrow. Jhordin¡¯s lips parted, and he spoke with a solemn voice, as if dering war. ¡°That child¡¯s power is dangerous. Extremely dangerous.¡± For a moment, the training ground fell silent. Navirose asked what he meant, but Jhordin¡¯s expression was serious. ¡®It¡¯s time.¡¯ Ronan swept his bangs aside in silence. The setting sun cast long shadows from all directions. The journey to reinstate the general had just begun. *** ¡°Is my power really dangerous¡­? Professor Jhordin said that?¡± ¡°Yes. He made quite a fuss about it. He even grabbed me by the cor.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m just an ordinary talented student¡­¡± Ronan and Adeshan met the following day at noon. Due to the rain that had fallen the previous night, puddles had formed in various ces on the streets. The atmosphere in the correctional facility was bing even more profound as they weed the arrival of summer. ¡°Like I said, I and Jhordin just happened to notice it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting nervous¡­ and excited. Anyway, thank you, Ronan, for giving me this opportunity.¡± Adeshan smiled. It was a fitting smile despite the early summer¡¯s warmth. It was hard to believe that such a girl possessed such terrifying power. Ronan looked ahead and said, ¡°I probably have more reasons to thank you.¡± They headed to the main building of the Magic Department, not Jhordin¡¯s tower. Although it looked like Gallereon Castle, the main building of the Martial Arts Department, from the outside, the interior was entirely different. Ronan muttered under his breath, ¡°These entric spellcasters.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why there had to be stairs attached to the ceiling, moving portraits, or violin-ying mechanical knights roaming around. The ce was soplex that anyone unfamiliar with it would easily get lost. ¡°Hey, Aselle!¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan?! How did you¡­?¡± Luckily, stumbling upon Aselle, who was wandering aimlessly, was a stroke of luck. Ronan, who had brought him here as if he were kidnapped, guided him to an enigmatic space called the ¡®Deep 6 Research Lab¡¯ and introduced him to Adeshan. ¡°Uh, hello. I¡¯m Aselle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Adeshan, a 2nd-year student in the Martial Arts Department. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°G-Great¡­¡± Aselle looked at Adeshan with a mixture of awe and despair, his head tilted back, and his eyes wide open, as if gazing at a majestic tower or mountain range. ¡°But why did wee to the Deep Research Lab? It¡¯s a ce for experimenting with dangerous magic¡­¡± ¡°This sunbae needs to awaken the power to kill all living beings. If you follow my instructions, she¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°Heeeeeek¡­!¡± Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. While Ronan scolded him not to joke around, he wasn¡¯t making a joke or telling a lie. The Deep Research Lab was located underground beneath the main building, although Ronan decided not to ask how they had gone from climbing the stairs to reaching the underground. Aselle, walking along the corridor, stopped in front of a door with the number ¡®6¡¯ on it. The massive iron door, easily ten meters high, had multipleyers of defensive spells enchanted on it. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t this where they experiment with new explosive spells targeting us?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going in. In case Elizabethes looking for me, pretend you don¡¯t know anything.¡± With that, Aselle, after receiving instructions, hastily retreated as if trying to flee. Seeing him grumble about Elizabeth, it seemed like he was still tormented by her. This is why you need a good head on your shoulders. Ronan muttered as he pushed the iron door. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t locked. Contrary to expectations of narrowness, a spacious area opened up. Adeshan, who was slowly looking around, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It seemed that about a third of all the magic existing in the world could be experimented with here. Various unidentifiable experimental equipment and machinery were neatly arranged. ¡°Squeak! squeak!¡± ¡°Mewk! Mewik!¡± One side of the researchb was made up of cages that could contain animals. Various animals of different sizes, from small mice to foxes, deer, and wolves, were grumbling in their cages. The gray bear that met Ronan¡¯s gaze, standing on its hind legs, roared fiercely. ¡°Gwawwr!¡± ¡°Oh, damn. What are these things doing here?¡± ¡°These are materials for experiments with dark magic and mind control. One of the hidden secrets of Philleon Academy.¡± At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from one corner of the researchb. Ronan and Adeshan turned their heads simultaneously. They spotted Jhordin, who was standing with a heavy burden between giant hexagonal pirs. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Professor Jhordin¡­?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Jhordin¡¯s appearance. Ronan scolded him. ¡°Why are you calling people to a ce like this?¡± ¡°I needed equipment that wasn¡¯t avable in my researchb. I couldn¡¯t just leave it anywhere.¡± Jhordin pointed to the giant hexagonal pirs in front of him. There were three of them, each about 10 meters tall, arranged in the shape of an equteral triangle. Numerous unfamiliar symbols were densely carved on each face, suggesting that these were not ordinary objects. ¡°But why did youe here? I didn¡¯t call you.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was curious, and I thought I might be able to help.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you followed him out of concern, in a roundabout way.¡± Jhordin chuckled lightly. Adeshan, blushing, turned her head as if she hadn¡¯t heard. It was true that she had followed out of concern, so Ronan didn¡¯t argue. Jhordin pointed to his location. ¡°Come and stand here.¡± Adeshan did as instructed, and as she stood in the center of the equteral triangle, Jhordin began chanting a spell. The silent hexagonal pirs started to vibrate loudly. ¡°Why is this happening¡­?¡± ¡°Stay still. I¡¯m extracting your innate mana.¡± Jhordin exined. Adeshan, taking deep breaths, adjusted her posture. The vibrations continued, and before long, a strange energy began to surge upwards from her shoulders. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. It looked simr from the outside, but the feeling emitted by the mana itself waspletely different from ordinary mana. It exuded an eerie and alien aura, seemingly defying thews of the world. Jhordin, his interest piqued, simply stroked his chin. ¡°Hmm, now that I see it clearly, it¡¯s unmistakable. This is Shadow Mana.¡± ¡°Shadow Mana? What in the world is that? I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening right now¡­¡± ¡°You never thought you had no talent for handling mana, right? That everything you did was slower than others.¡± ¡°Well, how did you¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural. The power you should be dealing with has a fundamentally different nature. I didn¡¯t expect to see someone born with Shadow Mana firsthand.¡± Jhordin exined calmly. He talked about Shadow Mana, a concept known to be as rare as Ora, both possessing unique abilities. ¡°Something generally goes unnoticed. Typically, it takes root within the bodies of those born with it, lying dormant for years, even centuries, before suddenly manifesting their abilities. ¡°Information about Shadow Mana is scarce. However, those who have manifested it have usually caused significant incidents, oftensting for decades. While we don¡¯t know exactly what your ability is, there¡¯s a high probability it could be dangerous.¡± Jhordin exined about individuals who wielded powers akin to Archmages or Swordmasters without forming Circles or Cores, and the unfortunate fates that befell most of them. Neen out of twenty had suddenly manifested their abilities one day, unable to control them, leading to disastrous consequences. Jhordin sighed with relief. ¡°The tragedy often lies in awakening their abilities toote. But you, with steady training, can likely awaken your power without dy.¡± ¡°How should I train then?¡± ¡°First, you need to eliminate all the existing mana umted within your body.¡± Jhordin chanted another spell. The pirs vibrated intensely, and the energy emanating from Adeshan¡¯s shoulders grew even stronger. Soon, the ck aura disappeared, reced by the familiar blue mana that Ronan had known. The blue mana moved in response to Jhordin¡¯s gestures, forming a mass simr in size to Adeshan. Jhordin pointed at the floating mass of mana. ¡°You need to get rid of all of this. It¡¯s nothing but impurities for someone like you, who handles Shadow Mana.¡± ¡°All of this? How¡­?¡± ¡°There are several methods. Nevertheless, it will take around five years if you work diligently.¡± Jhordin exined the arduous and tedious effort Adeshan would have to undertake daily. Adeshan looked bewildered, staring at the mana mass as if it were her belly, now visibly distended from the effort. Hearing the five-year timeline, Ronan frowned and asked a question. ¡°If we remove it all now, would it have any adverse effects on her, like causing death or making her a husk, or subjecting her to some terrible illness?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do it. Get out of the way.¡± Ronan pushed Jhordin aside and stood there. A strange hiss escaped from his lips. Adeshan, who saw the gleaming Lamancha sword, raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ronan? Why did you suddenly draw your sword¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sunbae. I can¡¯t wait that long.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Adeshan was about to say something when Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from her sight. Quicker than when he had shattered the vellum earlier, numerous strikes of his sword rained down on the mana cluster. Crash! A bted explosion resounded through the room. Dozens of shattered fragments lost their form and scattered. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Simultaneously, Adeshan screamed and fell to the ground. Ronan quickly reached out and helped her up. With a thud, two of the hexagonal pirs copsed. ¡°What¡­?¡± Jhordin¡¯s eyes widened. The expensive magical tools, highly valued at Philleon, had turned into rubble. While it might have been eptable to scream and jump around if one were hit by falling debris, the crucial point was something else. ¡°¡­Did the mana disappear?¡± The mana that had been temporarily removed was now entirely gone. Inside Adeshan¡¯s body, only Shadow Mana remained, flowing and pulsating. The shock seemed more significant than expected. Adeshan¡¯s tall body still twitched like a deer struck by lightning. At that moment, a cracking sound echoed from a corner of the researchb. -Crash! ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ronan turned his head. ss enclosures were lying shattered on the floor. They were cages for animals used in experiments with dark magic and mind control. Some shattered fragments had trapped squirming mice. Crash! Another enclosure fell, and a loud sound reverberated through the room. Jhordin¡¯s face froze. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this severe.¡± It was an ability that went far beyond predictions. Crash! Cages that held various small animals were falling one after another, releasing the creatures. Ronan¡¯s mouth hung open as he witnessed the scene resembling the copse of an entire wall. ¡°General.¡± Chapter 87: Beyond Spring Into Summer (4) Chapter 87: Beyond Spring Into Summer (4) Crash! Cages that held various small animals were falling one after another, releasing the creatures. Ronan¡¯s mouth hung open as he witnessed the scene resembling the copse of an entire wall. ¡°General.¡± He blurted out without thinking. It was truly a long-lost ability. Although it was far weaker than what he had seen in his past life, he could instantly recognize the power of the same vein. Ronan admired theboratory turning into an animal zoo as he supported Adeshan. ¡°Are small animals still the limit?¡± ¡°Chirp! Chirp!¡± ¡°Squeak! Squeak!¡± Animals that escaped from their cages were running wild. Birds flew around, scattering bird droppings. A group of squirrels, now united, hid withinplex machinery. Most of them were rodents or small birds, so they weren¡¯t particrly threatening, but they had enough power to create chaos. Amidst the chaos, they continued to fall. Jhordin, who had just realized what was happening, furrowed his brow. ¡°Damn it.¡± Expensive magical tools were breaking in real-time. As he flicked his finger, the stone floor rose, blocking the walls. A moan escaped Adeshan¡¯s lips as she seemed to lose consciousness. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ronan? Hot¡­!¡± Adeshan opened her eyes. She realized she was leaning on Ronan. She quickly got up, apologizing frantically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was heavy¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Ronan smiled weakly, a hint of bitterness in his smile. Adeshan¡¯s humane response brought him back to reality. He knew. Enhancing her abilities didn¡¯t mean the General¡¯s former personality would return. Adeshan looked around theboratory and suddenly covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°But, what¡¯s going on here¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the sunbae¡¯s doing. Let me exin.¡± ¡°Did I do all this?¡± ¡°Never mind that, just tell them to gather here. It may still be difficult to control with just your thoughts.¡± With a puzzled expression, Adeshan reluctantlyplied. Ronan pointed at the animals with his chin and replied. Finally, her voice, filled with suspicion, emerged. ¡°Gather here?¡± At that moment, a change urred. The once noisyboratory fell silent in an instant. Animals that had been causing a ruckus or hiding in corners started approaching them. Adeshan, who noticed the gathering animals, recoiled in shock. ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± Most of the animals that had fallen from high ces were not in good condition. There were canaries trying to walk on two legs with broken wings, and mice dying with ss shards stuck in their bellies. Nevertheless, the animals approached Adeshan as if they were possessed. Ronan exined. ¡°This is the sunbae¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°¡­Gathering mice?¡± ¡°For now, yes. This time, tell them to go back to the cages.¡± The animals lined up as if they were trained soldiers. Adeshan sensed an eerie aura in their eyes. She opened her mouth again. ¡°Go back to your cages.¡± Then another change urred. The animals that had gathered began crawling towards one of the undamaged cages among the scattered ones. Suddenly, Adeshan felt a severe dizziness. The strange aura in the animals¡¯ eyes disappeared. ¡°Kheik?!¡± ¡°Sweet!¡± The animals, now back to their senses, looked around in confusion. It was the moment they were about to scatter in all directions again. Kugugwung! A semicircr formation made of rocks covered them. From behind, Jhordin¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Professor¡­!¡± Jhordin heaved a sigh of relief. It was almost a disaster. Forcing the animals deeply hidden in magical tools toe out was not an easy task. He used earth magic to clean up theboratory, which had turned into a mess. Dozens of stone hands moved to gather the debris. Adeshan shrugged her shoulders and asked. ¡°What¡­ what happened to me? Ronan swung his sword, and then suddenly I¡­¡± She felt strange. she couldn¡¯t sense any mana flowing through her body. Jhordin spoke up. ¡°All the mana in your body has disappeared. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°What? What does that mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve awakened shadow mana. Do you feel something like a lump deep in your chest?¡± Adeshan nodded. There was indeed something cold pulsing deep in her chest. It felt strange, but not entirely unfamiliar. In fact, it felt more familiar than the mana she had dealt with her whole life. ¡°That¡¯s the power you need to develop from now on. It¡¯s called a shadow mana core.¡± ¡°A core?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll need to learn to use that power instead of regr mana for things like manifesting a sword or awakening an aura.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. It was a core she had never been able to create despite all her efforts. Jhordin exined that shadow mana was still a form of mana, so she could perform all the actions she could with regr mana, such as manifesting a sword or awakening an aura. ¡°It will require a lot of effort. It¡¯s like starting over from scratch.¡± Adeshan immediately grasped the meaning of those words. Her current abilities didn¡¯t evene close to the level of a sword user. That was because she had lost all the mana she had previously relied on. To master her newly acquired abilities and handle shadow mana, she knew she needed to put in tremendous effort. Adeshan nodded her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Your attitude ismendable.¡± Jhordin smiled. He seemed to understand why she had earned Navirose¡¯s favor. Despite losing everything she had built up until now, her eyes still sparkled with determination. After a brief silence, Jhordin spoke again. ¡°The problem is the abilities contained within your shadow mana. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What exactly are my abilities?¡± Adeshan asked anxiously. The small animals had clearly followed hermands. Even though they were inplete disarray, their unwavering obedience was eerie. ¡°We¡¯ll need more research to know the details. But it¡¯s clear that it is an ability to take control of one¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°Control the mind?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a power that even Archmage Lorehon couldn¡¯t obtain. I only knew of it as a theoretical concept, but I didn¡¯t know it could exist in reality.¡± He exined what he had spected about Adeshan¡¯s ability. Her face turned pale as she listened. Ronan, recalling his past life, pursed his lips. ¡®Power like this would be excessive in anyone¡¯s hands.¡¯ Adeshan¡¯s ability was to impose and instill her will into living beings, and it was a power far more potent than mere illusion magic or simple enchantments. Its strength diminished as the number of targets increased, but it grew more potent against individual foes. In her previous life, General Adeshan had wielded this power to perfection, bing a legendary figure. While applying her ability to tens or even hundreds of thousands of individuals resulted in little more than boosting morale and ensuring clear orders, even that alone led to tremendous efficiency. With a mere thought, she could narrow down the range and organize a fanatical army that followed her orders blindly. As Ronan recalled thest decisive battle, he couldn¡¯t help but twist his lips in a bitter smile. ¡®It¡¯s a power that can be infinitely cruel.¡¯ Three lifetimes had worn Adeshan down. Ronan remembered the soldiers who had rushed towards Ahaiyute to buy them time. There were not many people who carried out orders solely on loyalty and willingness. Except for the foolish punitive forcerades or a few knights who cherished honor. Most of their eyes were filled with a dull light, like the animals that had just been mind-controlled. For some reason, he had mixed feelings. Would this girl someday issue suchmands as well? After finishing the exnation, Jhordin turned his head. ¡°Go back for now. I¡¯ll finish cleaning up here.¡± ¡°Sorry, Jhordin, for destroying things needlessly.¡± Ronan scratched his head and apologized. The shattered hexagonal columns looked incredibly expensive. They were indeed magical tools worth several manors, but Jhordin calmly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I will deduct this amount from the debt I owe.¡± ¡°I like it because it¡¯s exciting.¡± ¡°I might have hesitated if thest one had been destroyed. Now, go back.¡± They walked side by side as the street ahead buzzed with activity. The chirping of cicadas echoed in the distance. Adeshan, lost in thought with pursed lips, sneaked a nce around. Ronan didn¡¯t feel the need to start a conversation. ¡®It must be quite overwhelming for her¡¯ For her, it had been like a day thatsted ten years. Awakening an extraordinary ability, losing all the mana she had umted over the years. Ronan arched an eyebrow, feeling a strange sense of empathy. Adeshan had now be another talented novice. Then, perched on a branch above them, a group of sparrows caught her attention. Adeshan halted in her tracks and raised her hand. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Chirp, chirp.¡± A bird flew over andnded on her index finger. Its white and fluffy appearance was incredibly cute. However, Adeshan¡¯s expression remained far from bright. She looked at the troubled bird¡¯s eyes and spoke. ¡°Ronan, you mentioned before that my abilities might also work on humans, right?¡± ¡°Yes, as long as you work hard.¡± ¡°Is it even eptable for such an ability to exist in the world?¡± Adeshan deactivated her ability. The bird flew away as if it were escaping from something terrifying. Ronan spoke. ¡°If it¡¯s you, I know you¡¯ll use it wisely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared. I might misuse my abilities without even realizing it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°I might be a monster. Manipting people as I please, trampling on their intentions, intentionally causing fights and making countless people die¡­¡± Adeshan trailed off. Normally, she would have thought of a way tofort herself, but she was a genuinely kind person. Ronan, who was gently stroking his chin, spoke up. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll stop you if you ever try to control people for selfish intentions.¡± ¡°How will you do that?¡± ¡°However I can. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ronan said with a calm expression. Adeshan looked at him closely with a faint smile. ¡°Okay, then I can rest easy.¡± Time passed quickly after that. There were no noteworthy events. In the early summer that hade, Ronan and Adeshan gave their best efforts to develop their respective abilities. It was about two weekster. Ronan spotted Adeshan practicing under the shade of a tree and waved at her. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ronan.¡± ¡°Oh, look, it¡¯s the squirrels today.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I must have been crazy back then. How did I control so many of them?¡± Adeshan was sweating profusely as shemanded the squirrels. Ronan chuckled as he watched the five squirrel squads undergoing their specialized training. Mental maniption consumed an immense amount of mental strength, and finding the right approach required consistent training. Adeshan had started with perfecting her control over small animals. ¡°Have a drink.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Ronan tossed her a water bottle before heading to the Nest¡¯s training grounds. Soon, he spotted members of the training squad gasping for breath, and Shullifen was the only one still going strong. He looked at Marya and Braum with a look of disbelief. ¡°These crazy bastards! Do they think everyone in the world is like them?¡± ¡°Wahaha¡­ Wahahaha¡­¡± Braum, who had long since run out of breath, let out a soullessugh. Since Shullifen had joined, all members of the martial arts club were required to follow his training regimen. Naturally, except for Ronan, no one could match Shullifen. Asints continued to surface, one day, Adeshan was approached for advice. She looked at their training schedules and eximed in horror. ¡°Ugh, training should not be done like this! We¡¯re not part of some Imperial special forces!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°We should tailor the training to each person¡¯s level. Have you really been doing it this way all this time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­This won¡¯t do. Can I guide them?¡± From that day on, Adeshan visited the club, analyzing each member one by one. Even though she had lost her mana, her sharp insight remained intact. Before long, each member was receiving training methods optimized for their individual needs. Marya, who had been receiving Adeshan¡¯s guidance, asked with a grateful yet cautious attitude. ¡°Sunbae, can¡¯t you join the club?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Please, that lunatic behaves respectfully towards you. Wait, by the way, what¡¯s the rtionship between you two?¡± ¡°I-If you ask about our rtionship¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to answer.¡± Adeshan hesitated and scratched her cheek. Marya responded with an attitude somewhere between gratitude and wariness. Due to the stereotype that men don¡¯t like taller women, she was more at ease, but their closeness seemed more dangerous than Ophelia¡¯s. ¡°Marya¡­¡± Aselle was tormented by an indescribable pain every time he saw her like this. It wasn¡¯t a pain caused by a broken bone or bleeding, but a constant, gnawing ache in his chest. Despite his efforts to console himself through diligent magic study, the pain persisted. Regardless, it was a time when he had to endure it. Ophelia and Cita weren¡¯t idle either. After the moon had risen, it was their time. One night, Ophelia secretly took Ronan out of the club premises, saying she had taught Cita a new magic spell. ¡°Beah!¡± Cita demonstrated a magic spell where it released a blood mist and exploded it after showing it during their previous fight. Then, it perched on a broken tree and triumphantly celebrated its victory. Ophelia smiled proudly. ¡°I taught it this time¡­ a magic specialized in mass ughter. Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°Why are you teaching such a thing to Cita?¡± It could be useful, but still¡­ Ronan grinned as he added that. Peace hadsted for almost two months. They focused on their academy life, individual training, and gradually built up their strength. It was a day when you could barely call it early summer. Ronan was training his sword by infusing mana into it in the first training ground. In the past few months, his body had be even stronger. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re overdoing it.¡± Navirose approached Ronan, catching the attention of the female students who were watching the training. In her hand, she held a rather sophisticated-looking piece of paper, which turned out to be a letter. ¡°It seems like the Dawn Magic Tower has been restored.¡± ¡°Huuu¡­ What did you say¡­?¡± Ronan wiped his sweat-drenched brow and turned to face Navirose. She had just informed him that the Dawn Magic Tower, which had been damaged in an explosion, hadpleted its restoration and was once again open to the public. A small, satisfied smile crept across Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Atst.¡± It was the ce where Sarante had suggested that they might find clues about the Dawn¡¯s Key. Ronan gathered the mana he had umted during his training and prepared to leave. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a pocket watch. The watch indicated that two hours had passed since he had infused mana into his sword. It was time to go. The season had transitioned from spring to summer. As Ronan left the training grounds, he looked up to see the sky had grown even higher. Beneath the deep blue sky, fluffy white clouds driftedzily. Chapter 88: Shoot Towards Dawn (1) Chapter 88: Shoot Towards Dawn (1) Under the deep blue sky, fluffy white cumulus clouds drifted like they were sliding down. Ronan, after finishing his training, headed back to the club building. By chance, it seemed that everyone¡¯s schedules had aligned as all the club members were gathered. Marya and Braum were arm-wrestling with a table between them. ¡°Urrrggh¡­ Grraaahhh!!¡± Braum exerted so much force that it seemed like his blood vessels might burst from his scalp, but in the end, he was defeated by Marya. Thud! His body slumped onto the floor. ¡°Cheer up!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m humiliated.¡± Marya, triumphant in victory, swept the silver coins that were piled on the table. The scent of illegal gambling lingered, but Ronan didn¡¯t intervene. After all, they needed a reserve forter. Aselle was seated in a corner, engrossed in a conversation with Shullifen. ¡°My younger sibling is also a mage.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯re undergoing training to enroll in Philleon someday. This is just a casual question, but based on your upbringing in the countryside, what do you think they would prefer more among pottery and ssware cups?¡± Ophelia was probably sleeping on the second floor of the club building. Ronan, amused by the bustling scene, chuckled. It was a far cry from the destion when he first arrived, and he didn¡¯t mind the liveliness now. *** ¡°I¡¯m here, Varen.¡± Ronan took only a single sheet of paper and left the building. He was headed for Philleon Tower 13, where Professor Varen Panacir resided. As he opened the door, he saw a well-dressed were-lion sitting on a huge sofa,pletely burying himself in his book. Marpez, the dream bird, Cita¡¯s parent, was curled up on hisp, tending to its lush and vibrant feathers. Varen, closing the book, greeted Ronan. ¡°Oh, Ronan. It¡¯s been a while. Are you doing well with your assignments?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I have a talent for growing things. This is already my fifth attempt.¡± Ronan sighed deeply. The assignment Varen had given him during thest ss was to cultivate the Bread Aloe, a nt that served as a primary food source for various fantasy creatures. It was an easy nt to grow, requiring only sunlight and water, but Ronan managed to turn it into a graveyard of Bread Aloes. Varen chuckled as he stroked his mane. ¡°Well, it¡¯s regrettable, but there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Don¡¯t give up, and you¡¯ll eventually see results.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Varen¡¯s response, with a hint of excitement in his tone, was unusual for him. Normally, he would be solemn, mourning the deaths of innocent creatures. ¡°Is something good happening?¡± ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°Hehe, you caught me. Would you like to try this?¡± Varen stood up and brought out a tea set. It was not the usual ck tea. The liquid had a blue hue and emitted a strangely familiar aroma. When Ronan took a sip, his eyes widened. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the potion made from the herb you sessfully cultivated in the beginning.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re giving me all this just for that?¡± ¡°I prepared this for you from the start, Ronan. Please use it wisely.¡± Ronan noticed that the bottle cap had a lion¡¯s head emblem on it and chuckled. Suddenly, a wave of self-loathing washed over him. While some struggled to grow simple Bread Aloes, he had seeded in cultivating a rare and unknown herb. He handed a piece of paper to Varen. ¡°Thank you, I guess. I also have a gift for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a club activity n.¡± ¡°Uh-oh!¡± Varen almost dropped his teacup. Marpez, who had been sshed with the tea, woke up startled. Varen, trembling, asked with a shaky voice. ¡°W-Where are you nning to go this time? Why¡­¡± ¡°Read it, and you¡¯ll understand why.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaah¡­¡± Varen felt darkness closing in on him. The shock from thest unauthorized phantom horse borrowing, the Wyvern Massacre, and the sh with the Zaifa still haunted him. Taking a deep breath, Varen picked up the paper and began to read. ¡°Hmm? Surprisingly, things seem normal this time.¡± ¡°Of course. How else would they see me?¡± ¡°The Dawn Magic Tower is known for its library. Are you going alone?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t need to bring anyone along.¡± Varen raised an eyebrow as if in surprise. Ronan added that he had submitted the club activity n simply to extend his outing time. After examining the n carefully, Varen nodded in agreement. There didn¡¯t seem to be any issues worth mentioning. ¡°Very well, you have my permission. Just continue doing things like this next time.¡± ¡°Well, all in all, there haven¡¯t been any problems so far. Thanks for the tea.¡± Ronan left the office. As Varen gazed at the empty seat, he muttered to himself while stroking Marpez. ¡°This time, nothing bad will happen. Right?¡± ¨C Siiiiiippppp Slurp! Varen finished the remaining tea in his cup. His gaze happened to fall on the bottom of the teacup. Sediment from the herbs was arranged in a skull-like pattern. It seemed too precise to be merely a coincidence. Varen set the cup down and whispered to himself. ¡°Please¡­¡± *** Ronan had nned the trip for an extended period, but he didn¡¯t see the need to bring anyone along for this tedious research. Two dayster, it was time for departure. He packed his belongings and headed to Skydock, located in the northern part of the city. He was going to ride the Griffin Airship to the Dawn Magic Tower. In the club activity n, it was written that he would go on horseback, but in the world of human affairs, ns can change unexpectedly. ¨C Fwoosh! ¨C Pfthuh! Skydock, an establishment that operated flying transportation, had a spacious runway. Pegasus, havingpleted their tasks, flew in with carriages. A griffin, done with its flight, was tearing into a piece of meat nearby. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be riding something like this.¡± Ronan mumbled to himself as he observed the airship he would be taking. It was grandiose, far exceeding the modified carts used for transporting prisoners. The airship was a small vessel with wheels, carried by eight griffins. As expected, the ticket price was not much different from renting a phantom horse. Ronan paid the sum without hesitation. Merchants in Ido who refused to ept the Philleon Academy¡¯s promissory notes were a rare sight. Ronan boarded the airship. Its interior was luxuriously furnished, seemingly targeting the upper-ss clientele. Throughrge, round windows, passengers had a clear view of the outside scenery. All seats were arranged in front of the windows. Two elegant sofas were ced on either side of a central table, facing each other. Each table had a bottle of wine ced on it. Ronan chuckled as he saw this extravagance. ¡°Money is quite something.¡± Despite the hefty price, there were plenty of passengers on board. Walking along the aisle, Ronan finally found his seat. On the opposite sofa, there was already someone seated. A girl with hair that resembled the color of ripe ckberries. Her face was somewhat familiar. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Oh, Ronan?¡± Elizabeth, who had been gazing out of the window, turned her head. She, too, seemed somewhat surprised. Seated on the sofa, Ronan asked in disbelief. ¡°Why are you here? Did you run away or something?¡± ¡°Run away? What are you talking about?¡± Elizabeth chuckled as if amused by the notion. Of course, she was dressed in the same academy uniform as Ronan, so running away was unlikely. Chuckling, he took out a cigarette and lit it. Ronan, who forgot for a moment, was reprimanded by a stewardess. ¡°Sir, smoking is allowed on the deck.¡± ¡°Oh, I can go up to the deck?¡± Ronan put away his cigarette. The stewardess, looking slightly embarrassed, spoke up again. ¡°Ahem, please smoke on the deck.¡± Elizabethughed softly as she watched Ronan put away his cigarette. Then she spoke up again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good timing. We can have a chat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t really want to mingle with those students anyway.¡± Elizabeth nodded in agreement. Among the passengers, Ronan noticed several students wearing uniforms indicating their affiliation with magic. It was indeed an academy where wealth flowed. Elizabeth, scanning the students, mumbled to herself. ¡°Hmm, among these students, I¡¯m the only one from the first year, it seems. They all look quite pitiful.¡± ¡°True, I thought they were just good at controlling telekinesis.¡± ¡°To be honest, my telekinesis is barely at the level of being considered. Fire is where I excel.¡± Elizabeth created a small me at the tip of her index finger. For a moment, he had forgotten. The girl in front of her was a genius who could control all three elements. While they were chatting about this and that, the airship began its ascent. Stewardesses were going around exining various safety precautions. Since the vertical takeoff andnding were possible for the airship, there was no need for assistance in case of emergencies. Ronan finally spoke, crossing his legs. ¡°Well, I was getting bored, so this works out. Let¡¯s have a conversation.¡± ¡°Sounds good. After all, I didn¡¯t want to hang out with those sheep.¡± Elizabeth agreed with a smile. The journey to the Dawn Magic Tower, located at the eastern tip of the continent, would take more than ten hours even by airship. Having someone to talk to was a wee development. ¡°But hey, do you have any friends? You always seem to be alone.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t meddle in my affairs.¡± Elizabeth blushed like someone who had been stabbed in a sensitive spot. Ronan chuckled and poured wine from the bottle that was on the table into his ss. The airship, steadily ascending, was soon reaching the clouds. The pping of sixteen pairs of wings created a loud noise echoing throughout. *** It had been quite some time since the outside had turned dark. Beneath the airship, bluish-ck clouds spread like a denseyer, obscuring the view of the ground. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The flight was going smoothly, but despite the moon being in itste night phase, Ronan still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He attributed it to Elizabeth, who was babbling nonsense with a tipsy demeanor. ¡°Hehe, isn¡¯t sister Adeshan¡­ just perfect? Beautiful, magnificent¡­ Ah, I want to get married to her.¡± ¡°You should never drink again.¡± Ronan sighed. It was actually his fault for letting her drink, even though her curious gaze and tipsy state were quite endearing. Ronan scratched his head and muttered to himself. ¡°How did you get like this after just one sip, are you faking being drunk?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ that¡¯s right. Acalusia¡¯s princess wouldn¡¯t get drunk from something like this¡­ Keuk! Shall I show you something amazing?¡± Elizabeth snapped her fingers, and at the same time, a small lion made of fire leaped onto the table. Ronan, lost in thought, grabbed her wrist. ¡°Damn it, stop it right now.¡± This was why he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. If he had dozed off for a moment and woke up to find the airship plummeting, it would undoubtedly be Elizabeth¡¯s fault. Ronan took Elizabeth and went up to the deck. ¡°Aah, refreshing. Where are we¡­?¡± Even amidst the strong winds that tousled their hair, Elizabethughed heartily. She still didn¡¯t seem sober. Ronan took her as far away from the cabin as possible to the bow of the ship. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about Adeshan. How did you be so close?¡± ¡°I can tell you all about that¡­! Hehe, where should I start from?¡± ¡°From the beginning.¡± ¡°Ahaha! You have great insight¡­¡± Ronan stood next to her and took out his cigarette. This was already the fifth time he had heard this story, but there was no helping it. Drunk Elizabeth was surprisingly docile, only when she talked about Adeshan. ¡°Well, you see¡­ I was in the early days of school, and I was having trouble finding the library¡­¡± Eventually, Elizabeth¡¯s voice started to flow in a drowsy, slurred manner. In reality, the story was quite ordinary. She couldn¡¯t find the library because she had no friends, and Adeshan helped her, and they became friends from then on. ¡°So¡­ hehe, did you see her hair? It¡¯s like silk woven from the night sky¡­ I feel like I could be strangled to death by it¡­¡± However, the part where she praised Adeshan was long enough to extend the conversation. Inserting questions in between made it even more effective. Suddenly, a question popped into Ronan¡¯s mind, one that he was genuinely curious about. ¡°Why do you treat Adeshan so well? You don¡¯t even look twice at people without abilities.¡± ¡°Don¡¯tpare sister with those other sheep. Keuk. Sister is different.¡± ¡°What makes her different?¡± ¡°Come on, um¡­ well¡­¡± Elizabeth suddenly trailed off. Ronan noticed that her shoulders seemed to slump as if a weight had descended upon her. ¡°Elizabeth?¡± There was no response. Only the faint sound of irregr breathing reached his ears. Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder and seemed to be still. Ronan btedly realized that she had fallen asleep. A transparent liquid was dripping slightly from her slightly parted lips. ¡°Such a handful¡­¡± Ronan muttered under his breath but decided not to wake her up or make a fuss. It was better to have some drool on his shoulder than to deal with her causing amotion. How much time passed while maintaining this state? Gradually, the horizon pointed out by the bow began to turn red. The airship¡¯s altitude had dropped significantly. As they broke through the thickyer of clouds, a massive structure came into view in the distance. The cylindrical tower, consisting of 24 floors, seemed like a pir connecting heaven and earth. Even without exnation, it was clear. Ronan muttered in awe. Behind the tower, there was a vast circr garden spread out. The towering cylindrical structure looked like a pir connecting heaven and earth. Even without exnation, it was clear. Ronan muttered in awe. ¡°Dawn Magic Tower.¡± Beyond the tower, the deep blue sea of the Eastern Dawn stretched out. It was the Eastern Dawn Sea, the sea to the east of the continent. Before long, as if pouring down, the red sun rose above the horizon. The pouring radiance turned the world crimson. Ronan found the situation amusing. The Dawn Magic Tower, receiving the dawn rising from the Dawn Sea. He had been chuckling to himself about the low-level joke. Suddenly, the griffins carrying the ship began to make loud, eerie sounds. ¨C Whoosh! ¨C Kiiik! Kiiik! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ronan frowned. The sharp voices were so ominous that it felt like a bad omen. At that moment, in the direction of the Dawn Magic Tower, a series of red shes began to flicker one after another. What was that? As Ronan squinted to get a better look, he couldn¡¯t help but mutter a curse. ¡°Fuck.¡± Gigantic fireballs, as many as seven, were flying towards the airship. The mes were making a menacing sound as they burned through the atmosphere. Chapter 89: Shoot Towards Dawn (2) Chapter 89: Shoot Towards Dawn (2) ¡°Fuck.¡± Gigantic fireballs, as many as seven, were flying towards the airship. The mes were making a menacing sound as they burned through the atmosphere. Ronan, realizing the dire situation, shook Elizabeth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ why¡­ what¡¯s happening¡­¡± Elizabeth, still groggy from being asleep, slumped to the floor. She had woken up, but she was unable to shake off the nausea and regain her senses. The griffins, excited by the sight of the fireballs, began to thrash about. ¨C Heeeiikk!! ¡°Hold on, it¡¯s okay!¡± The crew members responsible for steering the airship tried to calm the situation, but it was futile. The airship started to shake violently, as if it had encountered a storm. Within moments, the ship¡¯s captain and crew members rushed onto the deck. They btedly noticed the iing fireballs and cried out in shock. ¡°Oh, gods!¡± ¡°What in the world is that?!¡± Judging from their reactions, it seemed this was not a nned event coordinated with the Magic Tower. The captain, running unsteadily towards a bell installed on the deck, rang it loudly. Ding! Ding! Ding! The noisy metallic sound echoed through the sky. ¡°Brace for impact! Brace for impact! Number 1, 5, and 7, use the brakes! The rest, rotate left and decrease altitude!¡± The captain shouted urgently. The crew members did their best to follow the orders. The airship was trying to maneuver to avoid the fireballs, but the fireballs were faster than expected. Ronan, reading their trajectory, clenched his teeth. ¡®Three of them are going to hit.¡¯ Among the seven fireballs, three were on a direct collision course. The one closest to the front was almost certain to hit the ship. It had to be stopped somehow. As Ronan scanned his surroundings, he spotted a rope used for docking. One end was securely attached to the ship¡¯s hull. Ronan tightly fastened the rope around his waist and without hesitation jumped towards the fireball. The empty space below him made him involuntarily curse. The wind roared in his ears. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± Lately, it seemed there were too many incidents happening in the sky. Before he knew it, the fireball was dangerously close. The cluster of mes, which seemed to have a diameter of at least 3 meters, was muchrger up close than it appeared from a distance. Huuuuu! Ronan¡¯s breath started to make strange sounds. ¡®Don¡¯t hold back.¡¯ He had to make it disappearpletely, without leaving any traces. Splitting it half-heartedly might increase the chances of the airship being hit. Ronan pulled out his sword and a dozen or so sharp strikes in various directions sent chunks of fire soaring towards the fireball. Just as the fireball was about to engulf Ronan, a deafening sound erupted. Bang! The fire exploded into hundreds of pieces, as if it had been detonated. ¡°Got it.¡± It was his first sess in a real battle. Ronan looked at Lamacha with a look of disbelief. The mana-infused de emitted a subtle red glow. The shattered fragments of fire were unable to withstand the oing wind and vanished. The rope attached to the ship was now fully extended. Ronan¡¯s falling body came to a halt with a sudden jolt, thanks to the recoil. Simultaneously, the remaining fireballs passed by him as if brushing against him. Now, it was up to fate. A few secondster, an explosion resounded from behind. ¨C Kaboom! Boom! ¡®Did the airship get hit?¡¯ Ronan quickly turned his head, his face brightening as he saw the still intact airship. A violet mana shield covered the ship and the griffins. Smoke from the collisions with the fireballs billowed out in various spots. ¡°Well done, Elizabeth!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ my head. What just happened?¡± Elizabeth, leaning her upper body against the railing andining of her hangover, had managed to block the fireballs that came flying out of nowhere, but she had no idea what had just happened. ¨C Swoooosh! Creak! ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, She noticed a taut, creaking rope. Following the rope with his gaze, she saw Ronan, who was hanging upside down, tightly bound down below. ¡°Ro-Ronan, why are you there?!¡± ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here, huh?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll lift you up now!¡± Elizabeth reached out towards Ronan, and an invisible hand grabbed him. Ronan, hanging like a hooked fish, descended to the deck. He staggered as hended, and Elizabeth approached him, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ugh¡­ I still have trouble controlling my strength.¡± ¡°No, you did well.¡± ¡°W-what on earth just happened? Honestly, I haven¡¯t been able to remember anything sincest night¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ you might want to jump off if you find out.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. He had originally intended to exin in detail what had happened step by step to make Elizabeth feel ashamed of herck of control over her emotions. However, since she had regained her senses btedly, Ronan decided to give her a break. The captain and crew members rushed over, visibly concerned. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°We saw you blocking the fireballs. Tied with a rope and jumping like that, how did you¡­¡± ¡°Thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for you two, we would have been helpless!¡± They bowed their heads in gratitude, repeatedly expressing their thanks. Elizabeth, still nursing her hangover, rushed over to the corner. It seemed that the girl who couldn¡¯t even speak properly when praised was suffering from quite a severe hangover. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m d.¡¯ Ronan sighed in relief as he looked around. Fortunately, it seemed that no one, neither humans nor griffins, had been injured. Ronan turned to the ship¡¯s captain and spoke up. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. We were in contact with the Magic Tower until just before departure¡­ I¡¯ve been captaining this ship for ten years, and this is the first time something like this has happened.¡± ¡°Damn it, are more of theming?¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes as he nced at the Magic Tower. Luckily, there were no signs of further attacks. The captain and crew members began discussing their next steps. Opinions leaned towards returning or making an emergencynding. Suddenly, a man¡¯s voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. [Can everyone hear me? This is Aun Phra, the current deputy of the Dawn Magic Tower.] ¡°Ah, geez, what a surprise.¡± The abrupt transmission seemed to startle everyone on the deck. It appeared to be a broadcast sent to arge audience. [We have just confirmed that seven fireball spells were fired towards your vessel not long ago. Rest assured, this was not the intention of the Dawn Magic Tower. We are currently using all our resources to track down the suspect.] ¡°What did you say?¡± [For more details, we would like to meet with you in person and exin. We will take safety precautions, so please rest assured and prepare fornding.] The transmission ended abruptly. Right then Ronan shouted, ¡°How are we supposed to trust something like that?¡± Swoosh! A thick mana shield, that seemed capable of withstanding a dragon¡¯s breath, had enveloped the entire ship. *** The sun had fully revealed its form, casting its radiant light across the sky. The orange-hued silhouette of the Dawn Tower filled the view. The Captain, who had been observing the situation from the bow, let out a sigh. ¡°Whew¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is the right decision.¡± ¡°I think it is. At the very least, we should see the face of the one who shot those fireballs at us.¡± Roan tapped the captain¡¯s shoulder reassuringly. After careful consideration, they had decided tond. The exhaustion of the griffins and their riders had umted to the point where continuing the flight was no longer feasible. Following the suggestion of the Magic Tower¡¯s deputy, the airshipnded directly in the garden of the Dawn Magic Tower, rather than their usualnding spot. Griffins and the passengers, worn out from their recent ordeal, disembarked from the ship. As Roan surveyed the garden, his eyebrows arched in surprise. ¡°What a beautiful view.¡± The circr garden was a harmonious blend of aesthetics and practicality. Lush grassy areas were interspersed with a variety of flowers and trees, many of which seemed to be used for magical or experimental purposes. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Roan suddenly noticed an unusually barren area amidst the garden. The soil there had hardly any vegetation and was filled with rocks and statues, creating a stark contrast to the rest of the garden. It didn¡¯t take long for him to figure out the reason behind this. ¡®It seems like quite arge explosion happened here.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips in annoyance. It was clear that this was the spot where Neb zier had self-destructed just a few months ago. As the airshipnded, mages in red robes began to gather, forming groups of three or five. On their backs, they all had the sun emblem embroidered, symbolizing the Dawn Tower. ¡°Oh my god. Why is this happening again¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ominous. Why do these things keep happening? Just a while ago, there were even missing people.¡± ¡°This is a curse. Is it okay to keep bringing in outsiders??¡± The mages were murmuring and even pointing fingers at the airship. Their attitude, as if dealing with pests, did not sit well with Ronan. Curse? Missing people? What was all that about? ¡®I don¡¯t like this.¡¯ Ronan ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. If any of them made a fuss, he was ready to strike them down immediately. The airship¡¯s entrance had been open for a while, but due to the situation, passengers couldn¡¯t easily disembark. The captain, after taking a deep breath, was the first to descend from the ship. Ronan was about to leap from the deck when suddenly, a narrow and tall pir of mes erupted just a few steps away from the captain. ¡°Fuck, what is this?¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± Ronan cursed and pulled out his sword. The passengers panicked, stepping back. Amidst the petals of scattered mes, a man in a splendid robe walked out. He was a middle-aged man with a fine beard connected to his mustache, giving him a rather gentlemanly appearance. He extended his hand to the bewildered captain. ¡°Thank you foring. I am Aun Phra, deputy head of the Dawn Tower and a Tower Mage.¡± It was quite a dramatic entrance. The captain, whose heart was still pounding, shook his hand. ¡°¡­I¡¯m Captain Triol of the Western Wing.¡± ¡°I apologize for the trouble you went through. I sincerely apologize.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could exin the situation properly. If it weren¡¯t for these two, things could have gone really bad.¡± The captain pointed to Ronan and Elizabeth, who were standing side by side. Aun Phra sighed as if resigned. ¡°We are also fullymitted to the investigation. We have identified the location where the magic was cast and obtained unique mana waves. So, we may soon apprehend the culprit.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°As soon as we secure the suspect¡¯s new recruits, we will contact you. All the material losses incurred in this incident will bepensated by the Dawn Tower, so please let go of any grudges.¡± Aun Phra bowed his head, and the captain reluctantly epted the apology. Elizabeth, who had been standing beside Ronan, murmured in amazement. ¡°I heard about him vaguely, but¡­ he really was Aun Phra.¡± ¡°Is he more bearable now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble.¡± Elizabeth lowered her head. Apparently, vomiting one¡¯s guts out was having an effect, as herplexion had noticeably improved. Ronan, seeing her downcast expression, couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°I hope it gets better. Is he a famous person?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. Aun Phra, the Heat Bird. He¡¯s one of the few 7th Circle mages on the continent.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s voice held a mix of caution and admiration. Now that Ronan thought about it, he had heard the name ¡°Heat Bird¡± somewhere before. As he tried to recall, he squinted his eyes and asked a question. ¡°¡­Is he the guy who fights by creating birds out of fire and can even transform himself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a signature magic of Aun Phra. Did you already know about him?¡± ¡°Damn it, that was this old man.¡± He had asked just in case, but it turned out to be someone he knew. He had only seen the magic he cast and his transformed form, so he hadn¡¯t recognized him. Aun Phra. He had summoned dozens of fierce birds made of mes and transformed himself into a giant phoenix, leading a faction of mages on the battlefield. ¡®He was a valiant warrior.¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan recalled his final moments. Aun Phra had valiantly fought, reducing Ahayute¡¯s summoned creatures to ashes, but in the end, he had been brought down by a beam of light. It had happened right after he fell in battle. ¡®But I¡¯m d he¡¯s a trustworthy person.¡¯ Seeing someone who had survived until the end made him both d and strangely embarrassed. There was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t betray them, but he had been fated to die anyway. Passengers were slowly disembarking as they felt somewhat relieved by Aun Phra¡¯s words. Ronan was about to step down from the airship, preparing to fulfill his mission at the Magic Tower. ¡°Wait a moment, you two.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan looked down, and Aun Phra was staring at him intently. He nced around to see if there was someone else he might be looking at, but the only ones left on the deck were him and Elizabeth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I saw the two of you in action down below, and I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.¡± Fwoosh! Suddenly, a pir of fire surged up around Aun Phra, wrapping around his body. The eyes of both Ronan and Elizabeth widened. At that moment, right behind Ronan, the same pir of fire shot up and disappeared, revealing Aun Phra, who had just vanished. Elizabeth,pletely unaware of what had just happened, screamed. ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡± Ronan¡¯s hand was already on the hilt of his sword, which he had drawn. The mana emanating from the 7th Circle mage¡¯s body was so intense that it made one¡¯s head spin. Aun Phra opened his mouth. ¡°I wish to talk with the two of you. Would that be alright for a moment?¡± Chapter 90: Shoot Towards Dawn (3) Chapter 90: Shoot Towards Dawn (3) In Ronan¡¯s hand, the already drawn Lamancha shone brightly. The mana emanating from the 7th Circle mage was so concentrated that it made their heads spin. Aun Phra, who had been observing them, spoke up. ¡°I would like to have a conversation with the two of you. Is that alright for a moment?¡± ¡°W-with us?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Aun Phra nodded. ¡°Yes, both of you. You both seem like neers, but your skills are quite impressive. I couldn¡¯t resist my curiosity about promising juniors.¡± ¡°Juniors?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a graduate of Philleon. I entered in the 767th batch.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. What surprised him more than the fact that he was an academy senior was that he appeared to be in his early thirties. Aun Phra, stroking his beard, spoke to Ronan. ¡°Your abilities, in particr, are quite intriguing. How did you make a fireball disappear with a sword strike?¡± ¡°I just¡­ sliced it into pieces, and it vanished.¡± ¡°That¡¯s truly astonishing. I understand that everyone has their secrets.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Ronan¡¯s tone was incredulous. As someone who believed that was all there was to it, he had nothing more to exin. Aun Phra continued speaking. ¡°It seems this conversation might take a while. Would you mind if I invite you to my office?¡± ¡°Uh, of course!¡± Elizabeth quickly nodded. It was a natural response. Among the five towers of Philleon, the Dawn Magic Tower had a high reputation. Being invited by the Tower Mage and Acting Tower Lord was not an everyday urrence. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it too.¡± Ronan readily epted. He had several questions he wanted to ask anyway. A faint smile crossed Aun Phra¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m pleased that you agree. Please follow me.¡± Aun Phra led them, and contrary to their expectations of using a fire column for transport, the three of them simply walked. They would only be burnt to a crisp unless they had reached a stage where they could transform their bodies into elements. ¡°It¡¯s only spatial magic that can move others freely. By any chance, is Kratir still holding the position of headmaster at Philleon?¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± ¡°Indeed, Lorehon¡¯s apprentice. If someone from the 9th Circle emerges next, it will undoubtedly be him.¡± Aun Phra exined that his father had also attended Philleon during Kratir¡¯s time as the headmaster. In any case, Kratir was an impressive elder. It was almost inexplicable that he hadn¡¯t revealed his true form during the final battle. Soon, they entered the main entrance of the tower. Inside, like outside, the interior was made of ivory-colored stone, exuding an elegance proportionate to its long history. The first floor served as a lobby, like other tall buildings. A massive sculpture depicting the rising sun was illuminating the center of it. Mages in crimson robes were moving around the lobby. Whenever they met Aun Phra, they would bow and greet him with reverence. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he looked around. ¡®It¡¯s more ordinary than I thought.¡¯ The atmosphere was quite different from the bizarre and eerie Philleon magic. There were no stairs suspended upside down or sudden arguments with portraits here. Those Philleon spellcasters were indeed a bit strange. Just as Ronan was thinking that, he spotted a peculiar sight in a corner of the lobby: a six-legged lizard-like creature turned upside down and sleeping. Ronan¡¯s face froze. ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s a smander.¡¯ He almost drew his sword. If someone gave him paper and a pen and asked him to list the monsters he had a terrible time dealing with in his previous life, these fiery creatures would be at the top of the list. Smanders were beings who could incinerate humans with a single breath of their fiery mes. Their sleek, 3-meter-long bodies were enveloped in cool mes. Philleon Academy students, who hade with Elizabeth, were listening to the guidance of a mage who seemed to be their guide. ¡°What you¡¯re looking at right now is Nancy, a smander that has been raised in Dawn Magic Tower for the past 120 years. Isn¡¯t she cute?¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a smander. Can I touch it?¡± ¡®These people are insane.¡¯ Ronan muttered as he saw them giggling and listening to this nonsense. In any case, these mages were not in their right minds. They took a magic elevator and went straight to the top of the tower. *** Aun Phra¡¯s office was located on the topmost floor of the Dawn Magic Tower. Through the arched windows that covered the entire wall, they could see the sun stretching and the dawn¡¯s light slowly creeping in. Aun Phra exined that on a clear day, they could see the Fortress of Rodon on the distant horizon. The three of them sat on the plush sofa and engaged in conversation. Gratitude for the situation that had just urred and Philleon¡¯s current situation were the main topics. ¡°Oh, I thought she was unusual, but she¡¯s a prodigy of the Akalusia family. She can handle three elements?¡± ¡°Yes. Fire, wind, and telekinesis. My strongest attribute is fire.¡± ¡°To wield both fire and wind together, that¡¯s truly a talent from the heavens. Do you have any ns toe to the Dawn Magic Tower after graduating? With Gracia¡¯s three daughters doing well, you won¡¯tck anything in your life.¡± ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Elizabeth chuckled, covering her mouth. She was the type who lovedpliments. But, didn¡¯t he mention Gracia just now? She tilted her head as if she had heard wrong. She was about to ask when Aun Phra spoke up. ¡°You too, Ronan. You will undoubtedly be a great swordsman.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an emptypliment. Your skills will certainly not be overshadowed by the Empire¡¯s rising star. I hope you will strive to be a swordsman who can ovee the darkness of the world.¡± Aun Phra said. It didn¡¯t take long for Ronan to realize that he was a good person. He belonged to the type who lived by the fuel of kindness. ¡®For now, at least.¡¯ However, there were a few things that still made him uneasy. Now that the atmosphere had lightened considerably, it seemed like a good time to bring up the main topic. Ronan spoke up. ¡°But Mr. Aun Phra, I have a question.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help us sooner, when we were almost hit by the fireballs?¡± Aun Phra¡¯s face lost its smile. Ronan didn¡¯t change his expression and continued to gaze into his eyes. Out of nowhere, Elizabeth started huping. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, you had enough time to block the fireballs.¡± The more Ronan thought about it, the less it made sense. While he might not know exactly how many mages were in the tower, there had to be hundreds of them at least. Even if Aun Phra himself didn¡¯t see the fireballs, someone among them should have noticed and taken action. Aun Phra remained silent, stroking his beard. Finally, he let out a deep sigh and spoke. ¡°¡­We spotted the fireballs just as you jumped off the ship.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Exactly as I said. None of us at the tower witnessed the process of the fireballs beingunched. To be precise, the fireballs appeared when you swung your sword in mid-air. By then, they were already too close for us to intervene.¡± So, it was a story about seven fireballs suddenly appearing out of thin air. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡± ¡°I can swear on the honor of the Tower Mage. None of us at the Dawn Magic Tower saw the fireballs beingunched. They appeared precisely when you swung your sword, and by then, they were too close to prevent.¡± The exnation continued. Aun Phra exined that since the self-destruction incident involving Neb zier, they had significantly reinforced the tower¡¯s defense posture. They had been sending summoned creatures to monitor the ship¡¯s location in real-time even before the fairpetition arrived. Despite all that, such an incident still urred. ¡°As soon as the investigation is over, we intend to uncover the truth. Initially, I considered telling you, but it would have only heightened your anxiety for no reason. Everyone at the tower, including me, experienced the same phenomenon.¡± It was an unbelievable story. Ronan was about to ask if it was some kind of collective illusion, but just as he was about to, Elizabeth spoke up. ¡°Could it be an illusion spell?¡± ¡°As of now, that¡¯s our spection. Nothing else exins it.¡± Aun Phra nodded gravely. Elizabeth¡¯s face hardened. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous. Casting an illusion spell over such a wide area¡­ If that¡¯s true, even the Tower Mages must have been affected, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Who in the world could cast such a powerful spell¡­¡± Elizabeth muttered in disbelief. An illusion that made it difficult to perceive the presence of a target typically affected only those with lower magic resistance than the caster. In a ce like the Dawn Magic Tower, where excellent mages abounded, and where even Aun Phra, who had reached the 7th Circle, casting an illusion that affected everyone was practically impossible. ¡°Could it be a prank by Lord Lorehon¡­?¡± ¡°That seems unlikely. He has been immersed in his research and didn¡¯t even attend thest Tower Lords meeting. Anyway, if someone used an illusion spell on us, they must be an incredibly powerful mage¡­¡± Aun Phra trailed off. It was indeed an unbelievable situation. Ronan was on the verge of asking if it was some kind of hoax when Aun Phra suddenly stood up, adjusting his robe. ¡°¡­Well, then, I should get up. I have a meeting this afternoon. But before that, let me show you the Cradle of Dawn.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± At that moment, any lingering doubts were swept away. Elizabeth was practically jumping for joy. The Cradle of Dawn was a ce where mages gathered to develop new magic, essentially an experimentalb. Normally, one would have to umte several years of experience and be a member of the tower to gain ess. Ronan shook his head left and right. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t dy any longer. I need to visit the library.¡± It was a reasonable suggestion. Someday, he might learn magic, and such valuable experiences could be helpful in the future. However, Ronan¡¯s primary reason for visiting the Dawn Magic Tower today was to find clues about his curses. With a disappointed tone, Aun Phra spoke, ¡°Then, there¡¯s no helping it. If you ever need assistance, feel free toe by. I¡¯ll do my best to help, not only as the acting Tower Lord but also as a senior from Philleon Academy.¡± ¡°Thank you for your words.¡± ¡°By the way, I have something to give you.¡± Aun Phra rummaged through his pocket and handed Ronan a t metal box. Inside, there were five small scrolls. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°These are scrolls I¡¯ve made. If you attend Philleon Academy, you¡¯ll undoubtedly have to do risky practical exercises, so use them in emergencies.¡± Aun Phra exined that his favorite spells, including Prominence Bird, were inscribed on the scrolls. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. Unless he had gone mad, what Aun Phra gave him was definitely not suitable for self-defense. ¡®¡­Mages are definitely not in their right minds.¡¯ Prominence Bird was a spell he had used even during his battle with Ahaiyute. Unless he had turned into a madman, it wasn¡¯t something he would casually hand over like a bunch of vegetables. ¡°Thank you.¡± He didn¡¯t reject the offer, of course. Ronan put the metal box in his pocket with a wry smile. To be honest, he quite liked it. Elizabeth asked, ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ronan. How long do you n to stay at the tower?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Maybe three or four days?¡± ¡°Hehe, same for me. Let¡¯s meet up again if we get the chance.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s grab a meal with our friends sometime. Don¡¯t stay alone all the time.¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯re such a meddler!¡± The three of them rode the elevator down together. Since the Cradle of Dawn was located on a higher floor than the library in Dawn Magic Tower, Ronan had to let the other two go first. As the elevator descended again, Aun Phra turned around to speak. ¡°Oh, by the way, be careful not to read any forbidden books.¡± ¡°Forbidden books?¡± The conversation was interrupted as the elevator descended, leaving Ronan to ponder the unexpected advice he had received from Aun Phra. ¡®What was that about all of a sudden?¡¯ The tone was more of a friendly advice than a warning. Shortly thereafter, the elevator came to a halt, and as the doors opened, the grandeur of the library unfolded before his eyes. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry chuckle at the sight. ¡°¡­Impressive.¡± The enormous library, housing a vast collection of rare books, upied six floors of Dawn Tower, which itself had a total of twenty-four floors. The library¡¯s ceiling was so high it was impossible to gauge its height urately. Bookshelves lined the curved walls, and dozens of cylindrical bookcases reached up to the ceiling. Sunlight streamed in through scattered windows, providing the perfect illumination for reading. People stood on floating tforms, selecting books. Ronan¡¯s lips curled upward. If there were ever any clues about his curse, this ce was as good a starting point as any. He mumbled to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s give this a try.¡± Ronan immediately set to work. The first step was to find the librarian Sarante mentioned. He realized that if he searched at random he wouldn¡¯t find it in a year, let alone three days. The problem was that the library was so vast, and the librarians were difficult to identify based solely on appearance, as they generally resembled stereotypical bookish types with sses. Should he try questioning them one by one? He was contemting this when he heard a voice from behind. ¡°Excuse me, do you happen to be looking for a book?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his head. A petite girl with short, orange hair and a diminutive stature stood there. Her orange-colored, bobbed hair and small stature were quite distinctive. ¡°Judging by your appearance, you must be from Philleon Academy. If you need anything, please feel free to ask me.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ are you the librarian?¡± The girl nodded. Ronan suppressed a chuckle when he saw her youthful face. ¡®¡­She doesn¡¯t seem old enough for that.¡¯ Despite being courteous, she looked as young or even younger than him. Ronan raised an eyebrow, curious. ¡°Are there any more librarians besides you?¡± ¡°Yes? No¡­ There are many people who assist me, but I¡¯m the only librarian here.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see. Well, wait a moment, then.¡± Without much ado, Ronan rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a ring with a sparkling gem set in the center of a silver loop. It was practically an heirloom from Sarante, something to show to the librarian when they met. The librarian¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the ring. ¡°Is that¡­!¡± ¡°My friend asked me to show this to the librarian here. Do you know this person?¡± ¡°Uh, how¡­ I mean, this is unbelievable¡­¡± She seemed more surprised than if someone had stumbled upon a dragon while taking a stroll. The librarian, who had been alternating her gaze between Ronan and the ring, suddenly grabbed his wrist and said. ¡°I know better about this than anyone else. Follow me.¡± Chapter 91: Shoot Towards Dawn (4) Chapter 91: Shoot Towards Dawn (4) ¡°Hmm¡­?!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened, and the grip on his wrist felt incredibly strong. It was hard to believe that such strength coulde from those delicate hands, like fern leaves. The librarian led Ronan to a secluded corner without hesitation. Before long, they stopped in front of a hidden space behind a bookshelf. With a swift motion, she pulled out a book titled [Secrets and Beliefs.] Thuuuud! The bookshelf shifted to the side, revealing a hidden space. Ronan chuckled at the seemingly familiar theatricality of it all. ¡°Is hiding things behind books a trend these days?¡± ¡°Pleasee in. How could we keep it hidden if we didn¡¯t do this?¡± The librarian let go of Ronan¡¯s wrist and pushed him forward with both hands, making her seem more like a bull than a human. As the bookshelf returned to its original position, darkness descended. A whispering voice echoed within the darkness. ¡°Just a moment.¡± Eventually, the surroundings brightened. On the librarian¡¯s palm, a cluster of light the size of a fist floated. When she exhaled, the cluster of light scattered like dandelion seeds, spreading in all directions. The secret space, filled with various odds and ends, felt like a warehouse. The librarian, who rechecked the entrance, looked impatient and approached Ronan. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t make a mistake. Please show it to me once more.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. Can you tell me whose ring this is?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. No one could afford to let their guard down in this situation. The librarian, who had stopped in her tracks, replied calmly. ¡°Sarante. Sarante Lematyon, the Tower Mage of the Dawn Tower.¡± ¡°The Tower Mage? He was from the Dawn Magic Tower?¡± ¡°Yes. He was the first Tower Mage who couldn¡¯t manipte fire magic.¡± ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t know that¡­ So, you naturally know about the goddess that Sarante believes in, right?¡± ¡°Goddess? Oh¡­ has he changed his belief now? When I was with him, he worshiped some kind of stone.¡± Ronan arched an eyebrow. There was no point in pursuing this line of questioning further. He handed the ring to the librarian and spoke. ¡°Take your time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t heard your name. I¡¯m Ronan.¡± ¡°Name¡­ Call me Eyrie. Everyone calls me that.¡± The librarian, who introduced herself, epted the ring. With a wistful look in her eyes, as if filled with longing, she began examining the ring and finally spoke. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really Sarante¡¯s ring. He always wore it on his left ring finger.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your rtionship with him? You talk about him like he¡¯s your friend.¡± Ronan tilted his head. It had been one of the things he had been curious about since earlier. Eyrie addressed Sarante as if he were an old friend, but there were no hints of dwarven lineage in her appearance. She was short, but not as short as a dwarf, and her slightly protruding ears were typical of neither elves nor vampires. Is she a spirit, perhaps? Ronan pondered various possibilities. Eyrie chuckled as she caught his thoughts. ¡°Oh, you must be new to the Dawn Magic Tower? I¡¯m a spirit.¡± ¡°Huh? A spirit?¡± ¡°Yes. Although very few people know about my rtionship with Sarante.¡± Ronan was about to ask what nonsense she was talking about when, all of a sudden, Eyrie¡¯s body turned translucent and she floated into the air. Matching Ronan¡¯s eye level, she began to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The space here is too cramped to show you my true form.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. There was a reason for her unusually strong grip earlier. From Eyrie¡¯s now translucent body, mana of a density akin to Aun Phra emanated. Ronan asked once more. ¡°Why are you staying here like this?¡± She was clearly a high-ranking spirit. It was hard to understand why such a powerful being would stay in a ce like this. Eyrie returned to her original form and began to exin. ¡°Sarante sealed me here in Dawn Magic Tower. He promised to release me someday if I did my librarian duties properly.¡± ¡°Sealed? It wasn¡¯t a contract?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Eyrie avoided his gaze, scratching her cheek. ¡°Ahaha¡­ yes. How should I say it¡­ I used to be a bit immature.¡± Eyrie mentioned that her sealing by Sarante had happened hundreds of years ago. Initially, she had wanted to destroy the library and everything, but over time, she found reading books enjoyable and realized that her work suited her. She now lived contentedly. ¡®What in the world was that old man doing?¡¯ Ronan realized once again that he knew nothing about Sarante. To make matters worse, not only had he sealed a powerful spirit but also assigned her librarian duties. Suddenly, Eyrie¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she asked a question. ¡°So, how is Sarante doing? He left Dawn Magic Tower to be a priest, but is he still worshiping that stone as a god?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± For a moment, Ronan was speechless. It seemed that Eyrie was unaware of what had happened to Sarante. After some hesitation, he finally spoke. ¡°¡­Yes, he is. He¡¯s living in the Baydian Mountains. That ugly stone is still enshrined in the temple.¡± ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s really him, then. Could you please tell me about how he is doing?¡± Eyrie¡¯s eyes twinkled. Her demeanor was reminiscent of a daughter asking about her warrior father¡¯s well-being. Ronan couldn¡¯t find the courage to tell the truth. Based on Eyrie¡¯s attitude, it seemed that their rtionship might have been more than just a contractual one. It¡¯s not easy to soberly narrate the story of someone¡¯s longtime friend who had turned into a stone after being split in half. Ronan shook his head incredulously. ¡°We can discuss itter. Right now, I have urgent matters.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I apologize. What brings you here? I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± She said Sarante¡¯sst words to her was to help anyone who came with his belongings. Ronan briefly exined how he ended up here. He exined about the curse, its unusual nature that made it impossible to remove by conventional means, and the belief that showing his ring to someone here could provide valuable information. He asked if Eyrie had any knowledge. ¡°I see. So, you¡¯re under a curse.¡± ¡°Yes. I was told that if I show this ring to someone here, they might provide me with some useful information. Do you happen to know anything?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know much about curses, but I do know where to find books that deal with curses.¡± Eyrie exined that there were 289 academic books on curses, and there were well over a thousand books covering various aspects. Ronan cursed under his breath upon hearing the staggering number. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°Originally, it¡¯s not allowed, but I can fetch books restricted to high-level magicians as well. And you¡¯re wee to ess every area except the Forbidden Books section.¡± Once again, the mention of the Forbidden Book piqued his interest. It seemed to be containing books of significant danger, especially given Aun Phra¡¯s warning and the fact that they were managed separately. Eyrie reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. I believe that by the time you leave the Tower, you¡¯ll find the answers you seek.¡± ¡°I hope so. Please take care of me.¡± With that, Ronan¡¯s ordeal began. As soon as he left the secret chamber, he settled in a spot where the sun shone brightly. Before long, Eyrie arrived and stacked a pile of books in front of him. ¡°These are the most basic books to start with: [The Origins of Hate], [A Catalog of Wicked Curses: Top 100]¡­¡± ¡°This won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°Let me know when you¡¯ve read them all, and I¡¯ll bring more.¡± Despite only requesting books that could be found in the Dawn Magic Tower, the stack seemed never-ending. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he looked at the books stacked as high as his eyes. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t afford to give up. With plenty of tasks at hand, he needed to extract as much information as possible from these books. Ronan, wiping his dry face, picked up the book that was ced on top. ¡°¡­Where should I start?¡± *** Just like that, three days had passed, since the airship¡¯s shootdown ended in an unsessful attempt, no more major incidents had urred. The culprit remained atrge, and Philleon students like Elizabeth were still within the Magic Tower. Excluding the time he spent sleeping, eating, or going to the bathroom, Ronan devoted all his time to researching. Eyrie, who flew in through the air, ced another pile of books in front of Ronan and said. ¡°Have you finished reading all the academic works written by Mandy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done with three.¡± ¡°Then you have two more to go.¡± Eyrie flew away again. The wall of paper in front of him seemed endless, and Ronan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Even closing the books didn¡¯t stop the words from floating in his vision. ¡°This is frustrating¡­¡± Eyrie¡¯s offer to help was genuine. She continuously provided him with books that could be of assistance. Thanks to her, Ronan had learned about hundreds of curses and counter-curse methods. Now, if someone suddenly grew goat horns after waking up from a nap, as Aselle had imed, he could lift the curse as long as he had the necessary ingredients. The problem was that the most critical information remained elusive. There was no precedent that matched his current condition, and the curse on his body was unlike anything else he could find. Ronan¡¯s hand wandered into his pocket, where he felt the cold metal casing of a scroll that Aun Phra had crafted. ¡®Should I burn it all down?¡¯ Thoughts of setting fire to the library crossed his mind multiple times. Theck of progress was making him increasingly irritable. But that wasn¡¯t the only problem. As he was about to open another book, he heard murmurs from behind. Three mages who looked to be in theirte teens were pointing fingers at him. ¡°Look, he¡¯s reading books again today.¡± ¡°Be careful. He might cast a curse.¡± ¡°Is he going to cause an explosion again?¡± Ronan sighed deeply. There was no time to catch them, and it was frustrating that this wasn¡¯t the first time such incidents had urred. He turned around, his eyes zing with anger. ¡°Hey, you little brats. If you have something to say, say it to my face.¡± ¡°Hi-hiik¡­!¡± Terrified, the young mages fled. Ronan couldn¡¯t even count how many times this had happened. Just as he turned back to his books, his temples throbbed with a headache. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Eyrie returned, noticing his difort. She asked with concern. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Is something hurting?¡± ¡°My head hurts. Eyrie, I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What happened at the Magic Tower? Except for the airship almost crashing, I mean.¡± Ronan exined the strange atmosphere he had sensed since arriving at Dawn Magic Tower. Dealing with mages whoined while wandering around like scavenging vultures was bing tiresome. Eyrie listened to his ount and nodded. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s true; there does seem to be such an atmosphere. Perhaps it¡¯s because significant and minor incidents keep urring.¡± ¡°Significant and minor incidents?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. Experiments that were bound to seed failing, animals bred in the Magic Tower suddenly dying, and people who were perfectly fine just disappearing overnight.¡± Suddenly, Eyrie reached out into the air, and sheets of paper from the lower levels flew up, apanied by a noisymotion,nding in her hands. Ronan epted the bundle of papers she handed him. Each sheet contained detailed portraits and personal information of missing individuals. Eyrie spoke, ¡°It¡¯s a list of missing persons. There¡¯s already six of them.¡± Eyrie had informed Ronan that for the past few months, there had been a steady stream of missing individuals within the Magic Tower. They simply vanished without a trace. Even she, who could freely traverse the Magic Tower¡¯s interior walls, couldn¡¯t find the missing individuals. ¡°Could they have just left the Magic Tower?¡± ¡°I wish that was the case, but no one has reported seeing them leave.¡± ¡°So there are all sorts of strange things happening.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. It feels like the Magic Tower is bing more and more unsettled with each passing day. And I think the absence of the Tower Lord is ying a part in it as well.¡± ¡°The Tower Lord hasn¡¯t returned?¡± The Tower Lord had set out on a journeyst winter, with ns to return in the spring. However, it was now mid-summer, and there was still no sign of the Tower Lord¡¯s return, leaving Aun Phra to be the acting Tower Lord. Eyrie spoke with concern, ¡°Since the Tower Lord is very strong, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues. And with Aun Phra holding the position temporarily, things should be running smoothly. However, it¡¯s only natural for everyone to feel uneasy when the head is absent for so long.¡± ¡°What happens if the Tower Lord doesn¡¯t return?¡± ¡°Well¡­ if a full year of absence passes, I believe that the acting mage takes on the role of the Tower Lord.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s interest was piqued. If the current Tower Lord didn¡¯t return by the end of this year, Aun Phra would be the Tower Lord. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Suddenly, several suspicious scenarios crossed his mind. However, he couldn¡¯t be sure, so he decided to ask another question. ¡°What¡¯s in the Forbidden Books section?¡± ¡°It contains sealed books, precisely books of curses. It¡¯s a very dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Perhaps I should explore it. There has been no progress.¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Eyrie was resolute in her response. The cheerful demeanor she usually had was gone. She spoke with seriousness. ¡°I can¡¯t let you enter the Forbidden Book section under any circumstances. If there is a reason I work as a librarian other than being sealed, it is because I am the only one who can manage those Forbidden Books¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s just books, do they really pose a threat to people?¡± ¡°Yes, they do. Many of the powerful Forbidden Books have self-awareness. They can mesmerize or manipte the readers and eventually lead to catastrophe. Moreover¡­ they¡¯re sealed in the Dawn Magic Tower for a reason, you know.¡± ¡°That book? Aha, it¡¯s that Vajra of something.¡± Eyrie grimaced. Ronan had learned about the book yesterday while researching. Vajra of Destruction, one of the three books said to have been written by the Devil. It was known to have mesmerized an Emperor and led to the downfall of an entire kingdom. Given the description, he understood why Eyrie was so adamant about it. Ronan¡¯s lips twisted in thought. ¡®Not that I don¡¯t understand, but¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t in a position to argue. If there were any clues to breaking the curse within those Forbidden Books, he¡¯d be eager to read them. But without Eyrie¡¯s cooperation, there was no way to ess the Forbidden Book section. After concluding their conversation, Eyrie turned away. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll have to finish reading the other books.¡¯ Before considering searching for the Forbidden Book, he wanted to do everything he could. Even without the Forbidden Books, there were plenty of books to explore, and he still had several days before he could return to Phileon. Ronan decided to focus on reading as much as possible before attempting any further investigations. * * * ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Ronan suddenly woke up. The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, with moonlight streaming in through the windows scattered throughout the library. ¡°I must have dozed off¡­¡± Stretching, Ronan tried to shake off the sleepiness. It seemed like he had fallen asleep while reading, amon urrence now that he had gotten used to working at his desk. Since Eyrie wasn¡¯t around, it must have been quitete at night. But he didn¡¯t mind; he was getting used to working thesete hours. Rubbing his eyes to banish the remnants of drowsiness, Ronan picked up the book once more. ¡°Thud¡­ Thud¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He felt a presence from below. Ronan turned his head in the direction of the noise. There was a shadowy figure moving somewhere down there. ¡®Is someone here to catch up on their research?¡¯ Ronan raised an eyebrow. It wasn¡¯t unusual for a mage engrossed in their studies to wander the libraryte into the night. Just as he was about to infuse mana into his reading light, a shadow emerged into the moonlight, revealing the face of a woman. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She was undoubtedly someone he had seen before, on the list of missing persons. She was a 5th Circle mage named Parte, if he remembered correctly. Just to be sure, Ronan checked his notes, and it was indeed her. ¡®There¡¯s no mistaking it.¡¯ She had appeared from beneath the moonlit veil and then turned into a shadow again, disappearing deeper into the library. Ronan slowly got up. ¡®Where is she going¡­?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why someone who had been reported as missing would be wandering around here. However, Ronan instinctively understood that he had to follow her. He moved as silently as possible, each step carefully measured. Thud! thud! The muffled sound of his footsteps followed the shadowy figure. Chapter 92: Shoot Towards Dawn (5) Chapter 92: Shoot Towards Dawn (5) Ronan couldn¡¯t figure out why the person who had disappeared was wandering around here. However, he instinctively realized what he had to do. Step by step, his quiet footsteps followed her. ¡®I¡¯m really not good at following people.¡¯ It was an untimely midnight stroll. The irregrly sprouted column-shaped bookshelves reminded him of primeval forest giants. An unusual chill hung in the air, unsuitable for summer. ¡®¡­It¡¯s like a damn haunted forest.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. The library today felt eerie for some reason. It seemed as if the cries of trees murdered to make books were echoing in the air. Even the moonlight had a dim, decaying bluish hue. He frowned as he continued to follow the woman at a distance. ¡®Damn, how far is she going?¡¯ They had walked for more than twenty minutes, but she showed no signs of stopping. Ronan¡¯s whole body was drenched in sweat. He had been walking quietly, concentrating on his footsteps. Then the woman suddenly came to a halt. ¡®Atst.¡¯ Ronan held his breath and took a slow step back. Thud! Suddenly, the shadowy figure¡¯s upper body bent backward, revealing her pale face. Ronan gasped when he saw the back of her head touching her waist. ¡®¡­!¡¯ It was a posture structurally impossible for a human. Her pupils were entirely ck, and a strange voice emanated from her open mouth. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Ronan quickly hid behind a column. His heart was pounding as if it would burst out of his chest. Swallowing the curse words that rose to his throat was no easy task. ¡®What the fuck did I just witness?¡¯ She resembled a creature closer to a monster than a human. Soon, the eerie voice stopped. Ronan, who had been holding his breath, cautiously raised his head. The woman had disappeared without a trace. ¡®Where did she go¡­?¡¯ No more footsteps could be heard. Ronan approached the spot where she had stood, hand resting on his sword hilt. He carefully scanned the surroundings but couldn¡¯t find any trace of her. Only dust floated in the eerie moonlight. ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ Ronan observed his surroundings intently. In the midst of the column-shaped bookshelves, the stone floor with an unknown name, and the faint trace of the woman¡¯s presence, something caught his eye. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Suddenly, he recalled entering Eyrie¡¯s secret space a few days ago. She had opened the door leading to that space by pulling out a book from the bookshelf. Perhaps it was the same here? Ronan once again explored the bookshelves. His gazended on a particr spot. On a book with the title [Stepping Back] there were traces of the woman¡¯s mana, like fingerprints. ¡®Found it.¡¯ Ronan carefully pulled out the book. Surprisingly, the bookshelf didn¡¯t move backward, nor did the floor sink, as he had expected. Was this book not the one? Puzzled, he reached out to touch the bookshelf, but at that moment, his hand passed right through it. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He waved his arms around, trying to feel something, but there was nothing to sense. The bookshelf had vanished, leaving only an empty illusion in its ce. ¡®They put in quite an effort, didn¡¯t they?¡¯ It was a high-level magic. After confirming the emptiness inside, Ronan stepped into the bookshelf. Before himy a narrow, long staircase leading downwards. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no turning back now¡­¡¯ Ronan slowly descended the stairs. The space between the 4th and 3rd floors seemed unbelievably deep. Surprisingly, there were no signs of traps or defensive magic. As he descended for a while, he furrowed his brow. ¡®It¡¯s so dark.¡¯ Even the moonlight didn¡¯t reach this corridor, making it impossible to see anything. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to Ronan¡¯s mind. He pulled out Lamancha. As he concentrated, a red glow started to emanate from his sword. ¡®This will do.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as bright as a torch, but it was better than nothing. Finally, the staircase disappeared, revealing a long corridor. Though it was narrow enough for only two people to pass, it had a bizarre structure that reached a height of almost 4 meters. Ronan held his sword and continued walking. The woman¡¯s presence still eluded him. ¡®Anyway, what on earth is this ce?¡¯ Various hypotheses came to mind, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, the tower of mages were known for hiding many secrets. Lost in thought, he suddenly encountered a split in the path. ¡®Dammit, is this a maze?¡¯ Ronan clicked his tongue. It was one of the most annoying types of structures. He pondered which way to go. Suddenly, an eerie whisper echoed in Ronan¡¯s ear. [You are cursed.] ¡°What the fuck!¡± This time, he couldn¡¯t hold back. Ronan swung his sword in the direction of the sound. sh! The horizontal strike left a red afterimage in the darkness. Not feeling the sensation of cutting anything, Ronan swung his sword again. But there was nothing there. Once again, the voice echoed. [Oh my~ Don¡¯t you want to lift the curse that is binding you?] ¡°What?¡± It was a neutral voice whose gender could not be distinguished, and now that he listened carefully, it seemed to resonate in his mind rather than in his ears. When he heard the word ¡®curse¡¯, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Where are you speaking from?¡± [Come to me. Whatever it is you desire, I will give it to you. Go to your right.] The voice ceased. In a split second, the shock and fear Ronan had felt were rapidly transforming into anger. ¡°This is terrible, seriously¡­¡± Ronan spat on the floor and changed his course to the right path. He had had enough of this nonsense. He didn¡¯t know who was ying such a prank, but he intended to give them a piece of his mind. [Left.] [Center.] [Yes, a little closer¡­ to your left.] At every intersection, the voice from before guided him. Ronan followed the directions obediently. If the woman was hiding here, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find her in such aplex interior structure. Then, a dead-end appeared. ¡°Now, where do I go?¡± Ronan was about to ask irritably when something caught his eye in front of the wall. A wooden pedestal that rose up to his waist had a single book resting on top of it. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± It was a thick book, thick enough to use as a pillow. The cover was made of an unknown leather, exuding an eerie aura. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. The suspicion he had harbored all along had turned into certainty. ¡®Forbidden Book.¡¯ This was the very ce Eyrie had warned about ¨C the Forbidden Library where Forbidden Books were sealed. Ronan¡¯s lips twisted as he stared at the book. He had finally realized why Eyrie had urged him to be cautious. ¡®¡­I now get why she told me to be so careful.¡¯ It was a powerful temptation just by its presence. Ronan had a gut feeling that reading this book might provide the answers he needed. He approached the book as if in a trance. The most important thing to him right now was breaking the curse. ¡®Alright.¡¯ Finally determined, Ronan turned over the cover. The text was written in unfamiliar characters, impossible for him to read. ¡®Is this a script from another country?¡¯ He turned the page. The same characters filled the pages, with several bizarre runic symbols scattered throughout. ¡®What¡¯s this¡­?¡¯ As he brought his face closer to examine the writing, the text and runes suddenly glowed brightly, and tentacle-like appendages burst forth from the book. ¡°Huh?!¡± [Muahahaha, caught you!] Squirm! Multiple tentacles quickly wrapped around Ronan¡¯s body, leaving only his head exposed. An eerieughter filled the air, just like the voice that had been guiding him earlier. It was only now that Ronan realized that the entity that had beenmunicating with him was this book. His judgment, clouded by his obsession with breaking the curse, was quickly returning. This is what Eyrie meant when she said Forbidden Books devoured people. [It¡¯s already toote. Resistance is futile, so be a doll of Lord Langium willingly!] ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan cursed as the tentacles wrapped around him. His obsession with finding answers about the curse had clouded his judgment, but now he was regaining his focus. He asked a question as if he was sighing. ¡°You deceived me from the start, didn¡¯t it?¡± [You fool, there was never any mention of a curse in here.] ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Just to be sure, Ronan asked, but the book confirmed his suspicion. At that moment, dozens of crimson lines appeared on top of the tentacles. Squirm! Violet blood fountains erupted along the lines, and the severed tentacles fell to the ground. A cry of surprise and confusion echoed. [Wh-What happened?] ¡°Did you think you could trick me with a piece of paper?¡± Ronan growled. He had already sliced through the tentacles before they could wrap around him. His decision was swift and ruthless. Now, free from the grasp of the tentacles, Ronan stood with his sword in hand. Ronan plunged his sword straight into the book. Thwack! The tip of the sword plunged deep into the pages, and a chilling scream echoed from the book. [Kyaaaah!] ¡°A paper is feeling pain, huh?¡± [Die! Die!] ¡°What?¡± As Ronan drew his sword to finish it off, the book suddenly gibbered in iprehensiblenguage. In an instant, the surroundings brightened, and Ronan¡¯s back grew hot. He hastily turned his head. A wave of mes,posed of fireballs, filled the corridor and surged toward him. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± It was a quite powerful magic, but it was not something he couldn¡¯t handle. Ronan adjusted his stance and held his sword vertically. Squirm! The wave of fire split in half, flowing past him on both sides. The streams of fire converged on the book once more. [Kyak! Kyaaaah!] The book, engulfed in mes, screamed again. As Ronan blocked the iing fireball to prevent such a situation, it became clear that he had carefully considered this possibility. The screams gradually subsided, and silence filled the air. At the same time, the mes stopped. Ronan lowered his sword when he saw the woman standing on the other side of the corridor. ¡°So, it ended up like this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Ronan lowered his sword as the fire subsided. On the opposite side of the corridor, he saw the woman standing, her eyes regaining their original color. With a whimper, she copsed to the floor. Ronan rushed to her side and supported her. ¡®She was being controlled by the book.¡¯ Judging by what the doll had mentioned, it was clear that she had been taken over in a simr context, possibly like the other missing people. They must have disappeared in this manner. Ronan looked at the remains of thepletely destroyed Forbidden book. ¡°Idiot.¡± It was truly a foolish end. While he had a mountain of questions he wanted answers to, rescuing people took priority. Ronan knelt beside the fallen woman. ¡°Come on, snap out of it.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Aah¡­¡± She didn¡¯t seem to be in good shape. It looked like she needed medical attention urgently. Ronan had memorized the way back and, with that in mind, going back wasn¡¯t too difficult. As soon as he exited the stairs, a blinding light flooded from above. ¡°What the hell?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Judging by the darkness outside, it wasn¡¯t yet opening hours. The distant murmurs of people could be heard. ¡°Is there a fire or something?¡± Themotion seemed unusual. Just as he was about to move in the direction of the noise, a low voice, eerily echoing, filled the entire library. ¡¾Interesting.¡¿ Ronan froze in his tracks. An indescribable chill ran through his body. Something wicked and powerful was behind him. ¡®What¡­!¡¯ Turning his head seemed terrifying. He had to strike quickly. Ronan drew Lamancha and spun around. Swish! The flying de pierced deep into the bookshelves. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± Severed books fell to the ground. Ronan exhaled the breath he had been holding in. The entrance to the Forbidden Library had reverted to the original bookshelves. ¡®What¡­ just happened?¡¯ The evil presence had disappeared without a trace. Ronan, still recovering from the shock, was caught off guard. The woman he had been supporting groaned once more. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°Oh, shit. sorry.¡± Ronan, who had btedly regained hisposure, rushed toward the direction of the sound. It didn¡¯t take long for him to spot Eyrie. She had a bewildered expression on her face as she floated in mid-air. Ronan called out to her. ¡°Eyrie!¡± ¡°Master Ronan! Where have you been all this time? Who is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s one of the missing persons.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take her with us. She seems like she needs medical attention.¡± Eyrie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Ronan handed the woman over to Eyrie, who was struggling to keep up with the situation, and she stuttered. ¡°I-I need an exnation!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter, Eyrie. Did you hear any strange voices?¡± ¡°Strange voices?¡± ¡°Yes. It sounded horrible, like¡­ never mind. A really low, grating voice. Did you hear anything like that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything of that sort¡­¡± Eyrie shook her head. Despite the overwhelming volume of the voice, it seemed like she hadn¡¯t heard anything, just like during the previous encounter with Langium. First, they needed to assess the current situation. Ronan, after taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, spoke again. ¡°Well¡­ Anyway, what¡¯s going on here? Why are all the lights on in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve captured the culprit of the airship incident.¡± ¡°I see. Well, I wanted to see their face, so this works out. Who is it?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. After a brief hesitation, Eyrie spoke with a heavy tone. ¡°It¡¯s the third daughter of the Gracia Family¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 93: Shoot Towards Dawn (6) Chapter 93: Shoot Towards Dawn (6) ¡°¡­The third daughter of the Gracia Family.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. For a moment, he thought he had misheard. If it was the third daughter of the Gracia Family, it meant she was Shullifen¡¯s younger sister. Suddenly, he recalled the conversation between Shullifen and Aselle in the club building. They had mentioned Shullifen¡¯s younger sibling who was mage and was undergoing training to enter Philleon. Was the Dawn Magic Tower where she was training? Ronan raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Why would she do something like that? What¡¯s her motive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­ It just happened moments ago.¡± ¡°Dammit, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ah, wait a moment!¡± He left Eyrie behind and hurried over. The murmurs were growing louder. Soon, he saw a crowd gathering at the center of the library. Most of them were mages wearing red robes. ¡°Unbelievable, Miss Zion. Why would she do something like this?¡± ¡°This is outrageous. We should formally protest to the Gracia Family¡­ Oh!¡± ¡°Let me through!¡± Ronan pushed through the shouting mages and moved forward. In the midst of the crowd, there was a young girl standing there, not more than eleven or twelve years old. Her disheveled, ubed azure hair framed her face. She was wearing silk pajamas with a simplified embroidered bear¡¯s face. ¡°Huh.¡± When Ronan saw the girl named Zion, he let out a bitterugh. They looked so alike, despite being siblings. She could easily pass as Shullifen with her slightly squinted eyes and long hair. ¡°Confess quietly, Miss Zion Synevan De Gracia. Why did you attempt arson in the sacred hall of knowledge?¡± ¡°I-I already told you¡­ I don¡¯t know anything¡­ I was sleeping, and suddenly I woke up in the library¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you weren¡¯t trying to disrupt the fairpetition and tried to cast a fireball in the library just now?¡± ¡°I really¡­ I really didn¡¯t¡­¡± But her demeanor seemedpletely different. Herrge pupils were filled with tears. The mages questioning her were getting louder. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, Ronan smelled a familiar scent of roses. A girl with dark purple hair stood next to him, clutching her fist and ring at Zion. Ronan patted her shoulder. ¡°Elizabeth.¡± ¡°Huh, Ronan?¡± Elizabeth turned her head and her eyes widened. Ironically, they were standing right next to each other but hadn¡¯t noticed each other until now. She also seemed to have hastily rushed out of bed. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°What exactly happened? Do you know anything?¡± ¡°That abominable Gracia has finally revealed her true colors.¡± Elizabeth clicked her tongue and spoke with a venomous tone. Ronan frowned after hearing the exnation of the situation. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that this tiny kid fired a fireball at the airship? And just a moment ago, she tried to set the library on fire?¡± ¡°Yes. I saw her directly trying to disrupt the magical waveparison.¡± Ronan was so stunned that he could hardly speak. The incident had just urred thirty minutes ago. Zion, dressed in pajamas, was caught trying to use fire magic in the library, but was stopped. Naturally, chaos ensued, and some suspicious mages beganparing her mana with the mana detected during the airship incident. Surprisingly, the results matched. Zion, who was arrested on the spot, denied any knowledge of both incidents. Erzabeth muttered through her gritted teeth. ¡°I have to report this to the head of the family as soon as I return. This is clearly an assassination attempt.¡± ¡°Do you really think she was targeting you?¡± ¡°Without any other reason, what else could it be? To involve such a child in a power struggle, it¡¯s truly despicable¡­¡± The angered voices of the mages were unsettling. In fact, it was a situation that could easily be misunderstood. In the past, Gracia and Acalusia had a bitter rtionship, and there had been instances where they sent assassins to each other. ¡®This could escte into a problem shaking the entire continent.¡¯ Amidst all this, the questioning of the mages continued. Zion, who had been under constant pressure, eventually burst into tears. ¡°Waaaah! Please believe me, I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Crying won¡¯t change the fact that this is a serious matter. If you don¡¯t properly exin yourself, it will only put you at a further disadvantage!¡± However, the mages didn¡¯t stop. They seemedpletely unwilling to listen to Zion¡¯s words from the start. Ronan couldn¡¯t understand their attitude, but it wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. ¡®I don¡¯t remember.¡¯ Ronan recalled what happened in the Forbidden Library a little while ago. Zion didn¡¯t seem like she was lying. After observing the situation for a moment, he stepped forward, parting the crowd. ¡°Let¡¯s do this in moderation, everyone.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a kid. You all need to calm down a bit.¡± Ronan slowly approached Zion and stood in front of her. She looked up at him, her eyes widened. ¡°Wh-Who are you?¡± ¡°Huh, you both really do look alike.¡± It was strange how simr the unfortunate girl looked to Shullifen, and even more strangely, Ronan found her kind of cute. He reached out and gently covered her ears with his hands. Zion¡¯s eyes grewrger. ¡°Wh-What are you doing¡­? Please let go!¡± She protested weakly, but Ronan didn¡¯t release his grip. He addressed the mages surrounding them. ¡°You¡¯re all focusing on the wrong thing. This kid is not the one you should be after.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Underground, the books are manipting people. I almost got caught just now, and she might have faced the same thing.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spewing? Outsider, stay out of this!¡± Ronan sighed deeply. It was not easy to persuade the mages who were furious. He tried to speak again. ¡°Stop.¡± Suddenly, a deep voice was heard from behind. Everyone at the scene turned their heads simultaneously. Aun Phra was approaching from the corridor. Beside him, Eyrie, who had been in a trance, was floating in the air, following him. ¡°L-Lord Tower Master?¡± The mages were taken aback and stepped back. A visible surge of mana, which one would expect to see only in battle, was emanating from Aun Phra¡¯s shoulders. He scanned the scene and spoke. ¡°Disperse, all of you. Zion did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°However, she might get manipted again, so two mages of 4th circle or higher will escort and protect her. The detailed situation will be exined in an emergency meeting soon, so please follow along without asking any questions.¡± Aun Phra gave his orders. The mages, unable to refute hismand, scattered. He turned to Ronan and spoke. ¡°Ronan, would you mind apanying us for a while? I heard a brief exnation from the librarian, but I don¡¯t fully understand what¡¯s going on.¡± Aun Phra¡¯s face was more serious than usual. Ronan took his hand off Zion¡¯s ear and nodded, relieved. ¡°That works out well. I had some questions of my own.¡± **** Zion Synevan De Gracia was ced under protective custody rather than confinement. Aun Phra temporarily closed off the library as a precaution. Ronan, Aun Phra, and Eyrie headed straight for the entrance to the Forbidden Library. Aun Phra, who had been keeping his mouth shut, finally broke the silence. ¡°¡­First of all, thank you for saving Parte. She was in a severe state of mental deterioration, and if you had been a bitter, it could have been dangerous.¡± ¡°Thank goodness she¡¯s safe.¡± Parte was the missing person Ronan had found. Hearing that she was unharmed, Ronan let out a sigh of relief. Aun Phra, with an uneasy tone, continued. ¡°I heard it just now, but¡­ I need to confirm it once more. Did you really find her inside the Forbidden Library?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was even attacked by a talking book.¡± ¡°How could such a thing be¡­ Could you provide more details about the situation?¡± Ronan nodded, then began to exin the bizarre events he had experienced just moments ago. Witnessing a woman¡¯s disappearance when he woke up, following her into the Forbidden Library, encountering the intrusive books in his mind, and the attack by the woman controlled by those cursed scraps of paper. After hearing the story, Eyrie reacted with astonishment in her voice. ¡°This is impossible. Just yesterday, we confirmed that there were no security issues¡­! Did you not see any defensive magic or rm systems while passing through the tunnels?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything like that.¡± Ronan shook his head. Thebyrinthine passages seemed to bepletely unobstructed. Aun Phra pursed his lips. ¡°¡­This is a serious matter.¡± His expression was far from casual. Even the 7th circle mage felt tense in the presence of something inside the Forbidden Library. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is this really such a big deal?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. In the Forbidden Library¡­ There¡¯s a presence that should never be allowed to emerge.¡± ¡°Is it that book, Vijra, or whatever it¡¯s called?¡± ¡°Vijra is dangerous too, but¡­ ¡± Aun Phra trailed off. For a while, no one said anything, and the only sounds in the library were the footsteps of the three of them. Finally, they arrived at the entrance of the Forbidden Library. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, you can tell meter. Let¡¯s go in for now.¡± Without hesitation, Ronan pulled out a book from the shelf, titled ¡®Stepping Back¡¯ and it opened the entrance. Eyrie, who had witnessed the smooth action as if he were opening the door his own house, mumbled in amazement. ¡°¡­I might need to choose a different book.¡± The three of them entered the library¡¯s hidden area where the shelves had disappeared. After descending down a long staircase, they eventually reached abyrinthine section of the Forbidden Library. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Multipleyers of thick mana shields blocked the passage. The transparent barriers were so densely stacked that they obscured the view beyond the corridor. Boundary magic seals were evenly inscribed on the walls, ceiling, and floor. Stepping on them caused loud noises to resonate or triggered magic that sent you flying elsewhere. Eyrie raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this? It looks perfectly fine.¡± ¡°¡­This can¡¯t be happening?¡± It waspletely different from when Ronan had gone through earlier. If Ronan hadn¡¯t been suffering from a temporary form of dementia, there should have been no defensive magic. The conversation he had with Aun Phra came to his mind. ¡®Could it be¡­?¡¯ During the airship incident, he mentioned that a fireball had appeared when he swung his sword. A wide-ranging interference magic, Ronan¡¯s swordsmanship that cut mana. Suddenly, Ronan pulled the hilt of his sword and swung it into the empty air. Swish! Along with the sensation of cutting through the wind, theyered forms of mana shields began to disperse like smoke. The eyes of both Ronan and Eyrie widened. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°As expected.¡± The boundary magic circles also gradually disappeared. It seemed to be some form of illusion magic. Since neither Eyrie nor Aun Phra had noticed it, it was undoubtedly a powerful spell. When they first entered, it seemed that the spell was released when Ronan drew his sword to illuminate the way. Eyrie covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense, since when on earth¡­!¡± ¡°This situation doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Eyrie nodded in agreement. The fact that the defense spells were lifted suggested that additional seals on the highly dangerous books in the vicinity might have been undone. Ronan, gripping his sword¡¯s hilt, spoke. ¡°It¡¯s the same guy who casted the perception interference back then, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Seems like it.¡± ¡°The fact that it has been reactivated again means that the caster is nearby. Damn it.¡± Ronan cursed. There was undoubtedly someone around here ying tricks. Aun Phra, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. ¡°I¡­ I owe an apology to everyone.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden apology?¡± ¡°I mentioned that there was a presence that should never leave the Forbidden Library. That¡¯s Tower Master Lorehon.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The topic he had wanted to ask about was Tower Master Lorehon. He hadn¡¯t expected Aun Phra to bring it up first. Eyrie asked in a bewildered voice. ¡°Tower Master¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I apologize for deceiving you, Eyrie. Tower Master Lorehon has not left to train.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± Aun Phra closed his eyes tightly. Through his lips, a mournful voice seeped out, as if announcing the imminent death of a loved one. ¡°¡­Tower Master Lorehon was devoured by Vijrast winter.¡± Chapter 94: Shoot Towards Dawn (7) Chapter 94: Shoot Towards Dawn (7) Aun Phra closed his eyes tightly. Through his lips, a mournful voice seeped out, as if announcing the imminent death of a loved one. ¡°¡­Tower Master Lorehon was devoured by Vijrast winter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The Tower Master of the Dawn Tower being devoured by a book, what kind of bullshit was this? Eyrie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then, this illusion¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of Lord Lorehon¡¯s specialties.¡± Lorehon, the Tower Master of the Dawn Magic Tower, was known as the me Shadow. He earned this title for his mastery of both powerful mes and illusion magic that could deceive the senses. Aun Phra exined how countless enemies had been reduced to ashes or lost their way in the illusions he created with his formidable powers. ¡°¡­But he wasn¡¯t that strong.¡± However, it was difficult to definitively attribute the recent disturbances to Lorehon. He was undoubtedly a skilled illusionist, butpletely concealing the entEyrie Magic Tower or deceiving the eyes of high-ranking individuals like Aun Phra or Eyrie was a challenge even for expert illusionists. Aun Phra grimaced. ¡°Perhaps his abilities were amplified when he was devoured by Vijra. Who on earth broke the seal?¡± ¡°Fuck! Tell me in details! What exactly happened?¡± Ronan urged him on, wanting more details. Aun Phra spoke with a heavier voice. ¡°On the day Lord Lorehon decided to leave for his ascension, he infiltrated the Forbidden Library. I sensed something was amiss and followed him. Without hesitation, he dispelled the protective spells.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unbelievable. If that was the case, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have known¡­¡± ¡°That day was the day when the full moon rose. It was around midnight.¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± Eyrie¡¯s face stiffened. She transformed into her true form under the full moon¡¯s light, a rare time for her to be absent from the library. ¡°Lord Lorehon knew your secret. He must have been well-prepared. So, don¡¯t me yourself too much.¡± The events that followed happened quickly. Tower Master Lorehon immediately headed deep into the Forbidden Library, awakening Vijra, who had been dormant for centuries. Aun Phra arrivedte, and by then, the situation had already deteriorated beyond control. ¡°It was toote. Tower Master Lorehon was already in the process of being devoured by Vijra. All I could do was seal him before he becamepletely monstrous.¡± ¡°Why in the world would the Tower Master do such a thing?¡± Ronan frowned, remembering the face of the woman who had been devoured by the book. Aun Phra sighed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s the nature of a mage. He thought he was prepared. You must have heard the legends about that cursed book.¡± Ronan muttered to himself. In just three days, he had found plenty of information about Vijra in the depths of the sea of characters that were the printed words. The Vijra of Destruction. It could mesmerize and devour its readers, bringing about destruction. Yet, it bestowed almost infinite power upon those who understood its content. The author of the book was none other than the devil. ¡°So far, countless mages have challenged books like Vijra and lost their lives. Most Tower Masters have been wary of such evil tomes. The argument that they should bepletely eradicatedes up regrly in Tower Master meetings.¡± ¡°But Tower Master Lorehon was against it.¡± ¡°Yes, he believed that even such evil power could one day be used for the benefit of people. He argued that even the most dangerous mes could eventually be harnessed.¡± Tower Master Lorehon had believed that he could prove this by obtaining the power of Vijra, the master of the forbidden books. However, he had failed miserably. ¡°I know. It was a reckless and irresponsible judgment. But I couldn¡¯t me him for wanting to shed light on the dawn of knowledge, even if it meant sacrificing himself.¡± ¡°Tower Master¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he became. Don¡¯t me yourself too much.¡± Aun Phra lowered his head. Eyrie, who was about to say somethingforting, mped her mouth shut. Ronan, who had learned the whole story, pursed his lips. ¡®He wanted to uphold the Tower Master¡¯s will.¡¯ His intentions were noble, but he had ultimately failed. It was toote to change what had already happened. Ronan decided to move forward. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s done is done. But how did the seal get broken?¡± ¡°I have no idea about that¡­ It¡¯s certainly not a spell that would naturally dissipate, not even after hundreds of years.¡± Aun Phra exined that he had cast every sealing spell he knew, and Vijra, who was caught off guard because he was in the middle of a predation, was resealed along with the Tower Master. ¡°In fact, it was a state practically no different from when it was previously sealed. If anything, the seal may even have been stronger, but I can confidently say that the seal hadn¡¯t weakened.¡± ¡°So, that means some idiot with nothing to do crawled into the Forbidden Library and unsealed it.¡± ¡°At this point, that¡¯s the most usible assumption. But who could it be¡­?¡± Aun Phra fell silent, and the narrow, high corridor filled with a heavy silence. He finally spoke up. ¡°¡­For now, we have to do what we can. Ronan, return immediately to the safe zone and wait there. Miss Eyrie and I will restore the defensive system and then return briefly. And¡­¡± -Thud! As Aun Phra was about to continue, something fell at their feet. ¡°Hmm?¡± The three of them simultaneously cast their gazes downward. Something small and intricately designed sparkled at their feet. He picked up the item and frowned. ¡°¡­sses?¡± It was a shabby pair of sses. Only the left lens remained, etched with thick, fine cracks like delicate spiderwebs. The decorative frame was bent and twisted. Eyrie tilted her head in recognition. ¡°Huh?¡± She had a vague memory of having seen it somewhere before. Finally, she snapped her fingers and eximed. ¡°Ah, these are the sses that Lapiesta used!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The person who used to help me manage the library. He was the first among the six missing individuals. But why is this here¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a missing person¡¯s belonging?¡± Ronan felt a sense of unease, much like Aun Phra. He squinted and examined the sses. Something shiny was stuck to the frame. ¡°This is¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize it was a residue of mana. And the significance of it all. Ronan¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°¡­Neb zier.¡± Rustle! Suddenly, there was a sense of presence from above. Ronan slowly raised his head. A man, suspended upside-down like a bat, clung to the high ceiling. Between the torn clothes, mana gleamed as it seeped out from his bare skin. ¡°Ugh¡­ Aaaah¡­¡± Crack. The man, who had twisted his neck in a grotesque angle, peered down at them. Ronan, who made eye contact with the man, let out a curse. ¡°Fuck!¡± His parted lips dripped with saliva. His two pupils werepletely ck. Aun Phra and Eyrie followed his gaze, their breaths held. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± It was the same appearance as the woman who had been devoured by the book. Ronan pulled out his sword. Kwaang! At the same time Lamancha drew a circle in the air, a beam of light shot straight towards the man. ¡°Kwaaagh!¡± The man, hit in the eye by a piece of debris, screamed as he plummeted. He tried to get up, his joints bending unnaturally, but Ronan prevented him. Thud! Leaping straight at the man from behind, Ronan struck the back of his head with the hilt of his sword. Eyrie¡¯s shout was heard from behind him. ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, the surroundings brightened. Ronan, sensing a presence, turned his head. A magic circle, about 1 meter in diameter, was flickering on the wall to his right. The geometric patterns on it were glowing as if it could spew mes at any moment. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Ronan was about to release his attack, but a sudden movement from above caught his attention. A sparrow made of me darted down from the ceiling, narrowly missing him, and collided with the magic circle. Bang! The magic circle, made of mes, was absorbed by the bird. It then floated gently down to Aun Phra¡¯s shoulder. Ronan chuckled dryly. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°There are two more.¡± He said, keeping his gaze on the ceiling. Chilling moans echoed through the corridor again. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± ¡°Cursed bastards, just like bugs.¡± Ronan cursed quietly. Not far away, two people hung upside-down from the ceiling like bats, looking at them. The woman in a robe had mana emanating from her hand as if she had just attempted a spell that would have blown her own head off. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaah¡­¡± Meanwhile, the man facing them was preparing a Fire Arrow spell. Six fiery arrows formed around him, ready to beunched. Ronan was about to draw his sword again when suddenly a thick vine grew from the ceiling and wrapped around both individuals. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Keuek!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The semi-transparent vine shone faintly, as if it were bathed in moonlight. Eyrie, who had floated up in the air, intervened in front of Ronan. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Swish! With a light gesture from her hand, the vine was severed. The tightly bound pair slumped to the ground. Ronan rushed toward them, sword in hand. Eyrie shouted. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t kill them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, just step aside for a moment.¡± He carefully observed the man and woman bound to the trees. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t sense any shimmering mana around them. The only one who seemed connected to Neb zier was the man, Lapiesta, who had fallen earlier. ¡®No way.¡¯ Suddenly the puzzle started toe together. The sudden unsealing of Vijra, the first missing person associated with Neb zier, the destruction of the gardens around the same time¡­ He suddenly understood. The first missing person, Lapiesta, was the key to the unfolding events. Ronan pointed at Lapiesta, lying limply on the ground. ¡°Eyrie, that guy was the first missing person, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°When exactly did he go missing? Can you remember?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it waste spring. Strange things started happening at the tower since Lapiesta¡¯s disappearance.¡± ¡°That bastard¡­ No, I mean the garden was blown up by Neb zier, right?¡± ¡°That was about three months ago¡­ around the same time.¡± Ronan¡¯s puzzle pieces fell into ce. ¡°Damn it.¡± A shiver ran down their spines. Everything fell into ce. Based on their previous experiences, Neb zier was not known for executing just one operation at a time. ¡®The self-destruction was a deception.¡¯ The primary objective was likely to unseal Vijra. The fact that Lapiesta had worked in the library confirmed it. The self-destruction was a ruse to create chaos in the tower, allowing them to unseal Vijra. ¡°Damn it, Aun Phra¡­¡± Ronan was about to reveal what he had discovered when a horrifying voice echoed through the maze. ¡¾You¡¯re sharp.¡¿ It was the same voice he had heard in the library. This time, it seemed to reach all three of them, and they froze simultaneously. Suddenly, the corridor began to vibrate violently. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It felt like being inside a giant¡¯s beating heart, and they couldn¡¯t move their bodies. Just as Aun Phra was about to say something, a massive rock wall shot up, separating Ronan from the two of them. ¡°Dammit, what is this?¡± Ronan quickly swung his sword. Dung! The razor-sharp de struck the stone wall, but it was too thick to make any difference. Seeing the scars on the wall healing, he cursed under his breath. ¡°Damn it, Aun Phra! Eyrie!¡± He shouted as loudly as he could, but there was no response. Another wall surged, blocking the back passage that led to the exit. Ronan found himselfpletely trapped in a solitary cell. Once again, the voice echoed. ¡¾Come, I will open the way.¡¿ Thuuuuudddd! Suddenly, the wall in front of him began to recede, revealing an endlessly stretching corridor. The corridor extended almost to the length of a toppled tower before finally stopping its expansion. Ronan growled in frustration. ¡°What kind of trickery is this?¡± ¡¾Bold of you to assume it¡¯s just a trick. You must want to save those two bugs, isn¡¯t that right¡¿ ¡°What?¡± He asked what it had done to the two of them, but there was no response. Then, a low me appeared on the ceiling and began to spread rapidly toward the end of the corridor. Ronan furrowed his brow when he saw the brightly lit corridor. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± It was clearly a staged performance with a sinister purpose. There was no other way forward. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword and began to move forward. As the endless corridor expanded almost horizontally to the length of the tower, he finally stopped. As he walked through the corridor, the voices echoed in his mind. ¡¾It¡¯s that guy¡­! The one who burned down Langium¡­!¡¿ ¡¾Why does Lord Vijra take an interest in such a young one?¡¿ ¡¾Come to me, child! I¡¯ll give you everything you desire!¡¿ Ronan immediately realized that these were conversations between the Forbidden Books. Judging by the variety of voices, there were likely more than a hundred of them. ¡°Shut up, you pieces of paper.¡± ¡¾Kukuk, your arrogance won¡¯tst much longer.¡¿ Ronan continued down the corridor in silence. Before long, he entered a spacious area. The room was made of dark blue stone, and there was a solitary cubic altar in the center. When Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the altar, his eyes narrowed. Aun Phra and Eyrie were tied up with chains, groaning. ¡°Ronan¡­ please, don¡¯te¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± Their bodies seemed to be covered in blood, suffering from severe injuries. Ronan rushed towards them immediately. An earth magic circle unfolded beneath his feet. ¡°Dammit!¡± A few moments earlier, a muchrger magic circle than what Ronan had seen in the corridor appeared. It was toote to dodge, but Ronan quickly assessed the situation and struck the ground with his sword. Kwaah! The swirling mes, split into two, engulfed the entire room. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Sessive magic circles hidden throughout the room revealed themselves, each bearing inscribed magic spells. Dozens of massive me spears wereunched towards Ronan. ¡®I can do this.¡¯ With a peculiar, almost ethereal sound, Ronan invoked the power of Lamancha¡¯s Swordsmanship, and a crimson aura enveloped him. He calmly traced the trajectory and swung his de. Shaaah! As the mes that struck the sphere of energy dissipated and the attacks were thwarted, Ronan confidently spun his sword once and spoke. ¡°You seem rather impolite to your guest, don¡¯t you?¡± Having thwarted all the attacks, Ronan adjusted his stance and stood firm. A figure that was previously invisible was now seated on the altar with crossed legs. It was an elderly man holding a thick book in one hand, dressed in a robe simr to what Aun Phra was wearing. He looked at Ronan and let out a sly chuckle. ¡¾Greetings, Ronan.¡¿ ¡°Virja.¡± Chapter 95: Shoot Towards Dawn (8) Chapter 95: Shoot Towards Dawn (8) It was an elderly man holding a thick book in one hand, dressed in a robe simr to what Aun Phra was wearing. He looked at Ronan and let out a sly chuckle. [Greetings, Ronan.] ¡°Vijra.¡± It was a horrendous voice that Ronan couldn¡¯t quite adapt to. The pressure in his chest made it difficult to breathe, and there was an evil energy in the air that he had never experienced before. There was no need for exnations. The devil¡¯s grimoire was vividly present before him. Vijra, with a smile like a rift, spoke. [I like it. Not only do you not bow your head, but you dare to call me by my name.] ¡°¡­That old man is Lorehon, isn¡¯t he?¡± [Yes, indeed. One of the insects who dared to try andprehend me.] As Ronan stared at the grotesque appearance of Tower Master Lorehon, his lips twisted. Both of Lorehon¡¯s pupils werepletely ck, and ck tears flowed down his wrinkled cheeks like ink. ¡®Is that the main body of that book?¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the book held in Vijra¡¯s hand. The gigantic and thick tome,rge enough to be used as a serving tter, had a sinister appearance befitting a Master of Forbidden Books. In the center of the thick leather cover was a single eyeball the size of a fist. Vertically slit pupils were fixed on Ronan, and veins extended from the eyeball like a spider¡¯s web. ¡®Looks fucking grotesque.¡¯ Ronan thought to himself. Vijra spoke up. [I¡¯ve been watching you for the past few days. You¡¯re quite interesting.] ¡°Why are you doing all this nonsense?¡± [Sitting still and focusing on recovery is quite dull. If you hadn¡¯t disturbed me, I could have enjoyed the war between Gracia and Acalusia.] Vijra savored his words. He boasted about manipting Zion de Gracia to orchestrate his actions. And he also took credit for manipting the three sisters of Gracia. Regardless, he mentioned recovery; perhaps he weakened while he was sealed. ¡°What do you want?¡± [I appreciate how quickly you understand. I¡¯m starting to like you more and more.] ¡°You¡¯re not just going to let those people go, are you?¡± Ronan pointed at Aun Phra and Eyrie, who were bound in blood-soaked restraints at the altar. Whatever method was used to restrain them was unknown, but their condition looked dire. Eyrie groaned in pain, and Vijra, with a sly smile, closed the book he was holding. He stood up, and while he was sitting, it hadn¡¯t been apparent, but he was nearly two meters tall. Vijra extended his slender index finger to point at Ronan¡¯s chest. [It¡¯s quite simple. Surrender your body to me.] ¡°Surrender my body?¡± [Yes. I was getting tired of just ying with illusions. While I had some amusement in manipting fantasies¡­ your body might offer more interesting possibilities.] Ronan furrowed his brow. It wasn¡¯t a proposal he was thrilled about. At that moment, the bound Eyrie spoke, gasping for breath. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ronan, please don¡¯t¡­¡± [Noisy.] Vijra eximed while pointing at them with his finger. ng! The chains that bound the two of them began to glow red, and smoke started to rise. Eyrie¡¯s scream burst from her lips. ¡°Ah, ahhh!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ don¡¯t listen¡­ to him¡­¡± Even Aun Phra couldn¡¯t help but groan in pain. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Eyrie¡¯s form flickered as if it might disappear at any moment. Ronan clenched the hilt of his sword and growled. ¡°Damn it, stop it right now.¡± [Very well.] Vijra nodded in response. The color of the chains returned to normal, and the screams ceased. A malicious smile yed on his lips. [I propose that if you ept my offer, I will release those two little mice. Leave this tiresome tower as well. Isn¡¯t it a fair deal?] ¡°What if I refuse?¡± [That¡¯s something you can¡¯t afford to do, as you should know very well.] Vijraughed. Suddenly, a powerful magic surged like a wildfire, distorting the surrounding space. In an instant, the familiar room disappeared, reced by a vivid desertndscape. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What the¡­ damn it.¡± [Do you like it?] Gone was the dimly lit room and reced by an incredibly realistic desert. The sensation of the gritty sand underfoot was vivid. The sunlight pouring down from above was scorching. It was so unbelievably real that it was hard to believe it was an illusion. With a mere wave of Vijra¡¯s hand, the surroundings changed each time Ronan blinked. A rainforest with pouring rain, a snowy wilderness with ice scales, and even the Imperial capital, Barun, stretching to the horizon. In the end, waves of mes erupted from Vijra¡¯s body, sweeping everything away. When the room returned to its original state, Ronan grimaced. ¡®He¡¯s aplete monster.¡¯ He was on a different level. Even Sarante or Aun Phra couldn¡¯tpare. Ronan spat on the floor and red at Vijra. ¡°Are you showing off your power?¡± [It was just to show you not to be too resentful when you hand over your body. What you saw just now was the potential this bug holds.] ¡°Potential?¡± [Yes, I sense a potential in you that is iparable to this pile of trash.] Indeed, as befitting someone who had even beguiled an Emperor, Vijra¡¯s arrogance knew no bounds. He confidently asserted that he could make better use of Ronan¡¯s body than Ronan himself. While it was more like boasting than actual words, his skill was evident, so it wasn¡¯t an empty im. Suddenly, Vijra snapped his fingers. [Aren¡¯t you despairing enough yet?] Bang! Suddenly, the wall around them crumbled, revealing arger space. The voices of the Forbidden Books, which had been silent for a while, sporadically echoed. [Hahaha, look at his expression!] [Once they realize their situation, humans tend to be quiet.] Ronan¡¯s eyes scanned the surroundings. Forbidden Books of various appearances floated in the air, encircling the space where they stood. [Lord Vijra, please hurry and take possession of that young one¡¯s body toplete your resurrection!] Mana emanated from the wide-open Forbidden Books and was being absorbed into Vijra¡¯s body. It resembled roots supplying nutrients to a stem. Ronan immediately recognized this as part of the previously mentioned ¡°recovery.¡± Vijra spoke. [Now you understand. You have no choice.] Vijra gloated. Ronan didn¡¯t respond, but he knew all too well that this was the most suitable situation for despair. ¡®This is fucked.¡¯ Entering his second life, he faced the worst crisis yet. The disparity in power aside, the issue was the hostages. ¡®Is there really no other way?¡¯ Ronan wondered, rapidly rolling his eyes. Then, amidst his frantic thoughts, something familiar caught his eye. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ It was a sparkling mana, the emblem of Neb zier. It had been overlooked until now, with so many things to consider. Ronan furrowed his brow in puzzlement. ¡®Why is thating from there?¡¯ Mana was flowing from an entirely unexpected source. It wasn¡¯t from Lorehon¡¯s lifeless body or the gigantic book in his hand. ¡®I wonder¡­¡¯ In an instant, a possibility pierced Ronan¡¯s mind. It was a reckless n, but there was no other way. Ronan, who had been spitting out curses, finally spoke heavily. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ept your proposal.¡± [Excellent.] ¡°Be sure to keep your word. Release those two after I surrender.¡± [Hahaha¡­ of course. I swear it on my name.] ¡°What do I need to do?¡± [Just stay still. Everything will be over in an instant.] Vijra chuckled gleefully. Ronan closed his eyes in resignation. The voice filled with joy spread in the darkness. [Don¡¯t be too disheartened. The world will remember you for eternity.] As Vijra approached, Ronan felt his hand on his forehead. It was the moment when Vijra began chanting a suspicious spell. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Ronan grasped the hilt of Lamancha. In an instant, as if anticipating Ronan¡¯s move, Vijra had already taken a defensive stance. It was an incredibly swift reaction. He smirked as if it wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. [Foolish. I anticipated this as well.] ¡°Is that so?¡± However, Lamancha¡¯s de had been aimed at a different target from the beginning. Ronan hadn¡¯t intended to strike Vijra. He swung his sword toward the bound Aun Phra and Eyrie. Swish! A crimson arc pierced through the altar, deep into their waists, and blood spurted out. Both Aun Phra and Eyrie widened their eyes. ¡°Ro-Ronan?!¡± ¡°Why¡­ why would you¡­¡± ¡°You really made it quite well. Now behave yourselves.¡± Ronan said, his tone indicating his annoyance. Then, the forms of Aun Phra and Eyrie dissolved like smoke and disappeared. Even though the illusion had vanished, a continuous fountain of blood and a burst of mana continued to pour forth. Vijra, who had been clutching his chest as if he were being strangled, fell to one knee. [Ugh¡­!] St! Despite the illusion¡¯s disappearance, the fountain of blood persisted. Simultaneously, mana shed like a beam from within the bound Forbidden Books. Both wereing from inside the altar, the very spot where the crimson lines had appeared. Crash! Then, the altar split in half, revealing a single book. ¡®That¡¯s the main body.¡¯ Apart from its darkness, the book wasn¡¯t much different from ordinary ones. It was alive, however, constantly writhing with red blood and sparkling mana as if it were a living being. Ronan frowned at the unharmed book. ¡°Tsk, it didn¡¯t get cutpletely?¡± [Ugh¡­ how¡­] ¡°I just have good eyesight.¡± Ronan chuckled. The gamble was a sess. The sparkling mana was flowing from the inside of the altar, not anywhere else. The grotesque and noisy book was just an illusion; the real body was hidden inside. Ronan saw mana rising from the bodies of Aun Phra and Eyrie and realized that the two were illusions as well. ¡®But why is Neb zier¡¯s energying from that book¡­?¡¯ However, Ronan was bothered by the mana emanating from Vijra. It was dazzling to the point of causing his eyes to hurt. The concentration was too thick to being from a member of Neb zier who was buried while breaking the seal. Ronan¡¯s thoughts, which had been wandering in search of clues, finally connected to the legend intertwined with Vijra. ¡®A book written by a devil.¡¯ Perhaps the devil who wrote Vijra had some connection to Neb zier. Ronan was racing to put the pieces together to bring this to a conclusion. In an instant, the ck book that had flown towards Lorehon pierced into his chest. Ronan cursed as he saw the book disappearing like a drop of water in a puddle. ¡°Shit.¡± [Heuggh¡­ Kugh!] Combined with its host, Vijra expelled ck blood. It seemed that he had suffered considerable damage due to the recent attack. Thud! Vijra, who had been twisting his limbs grotesquely, finally turned his gaze towards Ronan. A roar that seemed capable of shattering the world echoed. [I won¡¯t let you go!!] Ronan gritted his teeth. In an instant, everything, except for Vijra and the Forbidden Books, began to vanish. The bluish-gray rocky walls, the split altar, and the dancing mes of shadows all turned to dust. Vijra, who was shedding ck tears, fell to the ground and shouted. [Hell Prominence!] ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. An intense energy emanated from Vijra, spreading out from him. The magic circle that had appeared beneath his palm expanded rapidly. ¡®This isn¡¯t very fun.¡¯ Before long, the magic circles sprouting from the ground and walls extended into the air. Inside Ronan¡¯s mind, various screams resounded. [Lord¡­ Vijra, what is this magic¡­!] [Damn it, save me!] [Have mercy¡­] These were the cries of terrified Forbidden Books. Ronan tried shing his sword through the air, hoping that they might be illusions, but unfortunately, they were real, tangible magic. ¡®Guess there¡¯s no other choice.¡¯ Ronan grumbled. Simply cutting a few wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop a spell of this scale. The only possibility was to kill the host, Lorehon. With a quick decision, Ronan swung his sword towards Vijra. Whoosh! Just as the de energy was about to hit him, the ground suddenly surged upward, blocking the path of the strike. Kwaaang! Shards flew in every direction, and a deafening noise reverberated. ¡°Shit.¡± [Did you think the same trick would work twice?] Apparently, he could use earth magic as well. Ronan didn¡¯t give up and rushed towards Vijra. His movements were noticeably slower than before the surprise attack, but Vijra was highly skilled in earth magic, making it difficult for Ronan to close the distance. Protruding rocks and stones suddenly emerged, obstructing Ronan¡¯s path. ¡®Not good.¡¯ Amidst this, the Hell Prominence magic circle continued to brighten as if it was about to explode. Inside Ronan¡¯s mind, thousands of hypotheses swirled to salvage the situation. Suddenly, one word shed like a beacon. ¡®Wildfire.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure why that word came to mind, but the memory of being involved in wildfire suppression operations during his previous life as a punitive soldier flickered in the depths of his mind. Ronan reached into his pouch abruptly, extracting a metal case. Inside were scrolls personally crafted by Aun Phra. Some contained powerful spells capable of wiping out entire viges. Ronan emptied the case and grabbed five scrolls at once. He then pulled them both up and down. Boom! The scrolls tore apart, triggering the engraved magic in unison. Depleted mana filled the air, and space began to distort. Vijra¡¯s eyes widened as theplex magic circles expanded rapidly around him. [What have you done?!] ¡°If I¡¯m going down, I¡¯ll take you down with me.¡± [You¡¯re talking nonsense¡­] Whoosh! Suddenly, an erupting column of fire engulfed Vijra. Ronan realized that this was the same teleportation magic that Aun Phra had used. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Ronan had approached with caution, and he seized the opportunity to tackle Vijra to the ground. ¡°I got you, you piece of shit.¡± [Damn you, let go!] The teleportation magic was cut off. Vijra struggled, but with the strength of a frail old man, he couldn¡¯t dislodge Ronan. Eventually, resigned, he began casting another spell. Whoosh! The erupting column of fire consumed both Ronan and Vijra. The two figures vanished from the room. At the same time, the magic circles covering the entire space emitted a bright light. Chapter 96: Shoot Towards Dawn (9) Chapter 96: Shoot Towards Dawn (9) The pre-dawn darkness was intense. The sky, even bereft of the moon, sparkled with scattered starlight against the fading twilight. Distant, rumbling waves from the Dawn Sea echoed through the chilly night air. Most floors of the Dawn Tower had their lights on, as many had experienced a tumultuous night. Elizabeth, strolling through the tower¡¯s gardens, let out a tired sigh. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even get a wink of sleep¡­¡± Her voice, strained from exhaustion, seeped through her parched lips. She couldn¡¯t sleep due to her thoughts about the events of the previous night. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ Everything was shrouded in mystery. So much had transpired in just a day. The culprit behind the attempt to shoot down of the airship was *Sion Synevan de Gracia, the third daughter of House Gracia. She, who had almost burned down the library, was acquitted by the decision of Aun Phra, the acting Tower Master. Elizabeth initially thought that all of it had been orchestrated by Gracia, but upon reflection, many things seemed amiss. Sion was too young, too frail, and, above all, the favored child of a major noble house. It didn¡¯t make sense that she would engage in such actions. ¡®Books manipting people¡­.¡¯ The strange words spoken by Ronan also bothered her. They were iprehensible, but one thing was certain: something unknown was happening within the tower. ¡®Anyway, where has everyone gone?¡¯ Elizabeth, suddenly feeling perplexed, furrowed her brow. The Tower Master and the librarian had mysteriously disappeared, and even Ronan had vanished without a word. ¡°Maybe I should try to get some rest, at least¡­¡± No matter how she tried to piece it together, there were no clues. Eventually, Elizabeth gave in to her drowsiness and ended her lengthy stroll. Just as she turned toward the tower, a deafening sound echoed through the night. ¡°Kwaaaaaaaahhhh!¡± It was as if hundreds of thunderbolts roared simultaneously. Elizabeth turned her head in the direction of the noise. From the northwest corner of the garden, a massive column of me rose, almost as thick as the tower itself. ¡°Wh-what on earth¡­!¡± Elizabeth took a step back, feeling the intense heat even from this distance. In a matter of seconds, the towering me began to subside. Whoosh! In its ce, mes and torrents of mana erupted. It resembled the eruption of a small volcano, and mages who sensed the anomaly rushed to the scene. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s the direction of where the Forbidden Library is!¡± ¡°Could it be Tower Master¡¯s fire? Where are the librarian and the Tower Master?!¡± Mages were in chaos due to the unexpected lightning strike, but the fire¡¯s momentum was too powerful to allow for much panic. Whoosh! Another surge of the fire column erupted, and mages quickly regained theirposure. They rushed toward the source, as the danger of the fire spreading to the garden and the tower was imminent. ¡°We need to stop the fire from spreading!¡± If the garden or the tower caught fire, it could lead to a disaster. Elizabeth, who had btedly regained herposure, levitated herself with telekinesis. Her eyes widened as she arrived at the scene. ¡°Good heavens¡­!¡± It seemed like a gateway to hell had opened. Destructive mes of an unprecedented scale were erupting from a gaping hole in the middle of the garden. The raging fire, unlike anything seen before, split into two distinct colors. One side had a clear crimson reminiscent of a summer sunset, while the other was a viscous and heavy obsidian ck, resembling the flowingva from a volcano. The overwhelming force was carried by the obsidian mes. The sinister mes voraciously consumed the crimson fire, expanding their scope. Mages, hastily dressed in their nightclothes, were doing their best to contain the spreading fire. The mana shields surrounding the crater melted away only to be rapidly regenerated. ¡°We¡­ we can hardly contain it! This is almost an 8th-circle¡­!¡± ¡°Still, we have to hold on!¡± Despite their efforts, it seemed impossible to withstand the overwhelming force of the mes for much longer. That¡¯s when a familiar face appeared before Elizabeth. ¡°Gracia?¡± ¡°Eeek¡­¡± Sion Synevan de Gracia, the prime suspect in the attempted assassination incident, was present. She was vigorously casting defensive spells, taking advantage of the opportunity between the mages engaged in the ritual. The mages who should have been protecting her seemed to have joined in the ritual themselves. ¡®What can she possibly do to help!¡¯ Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, with a deafening noise, dozens of fireballs, resembling volcanic eruptions, shot into the sky. Elizabeth¡¯s face turned pale. One of the fireballs, moving in an arch, was falling directly over Sion¡¯s head. The mages, preupied with their defensive spells, only noticed the presence of the fireball right before it was about to collide. ¡°Damn it, everyone, take cover!¡± ¡°Lady Gracia, please be careful!¡± ¡°Eeeeh¡­?¡± Sion, who was deeply focused on her task, finally raised her head toote. The fiery projectile was about tond directly on her head. ¡°Huh?¡± There was no distance to escape to. At the moment when her short life was about toe to an end. Suddenly, a semi-circr mana shield unfolded, covering the heads of her and the other mages. Boom! The ming sphere collided with the defense barrier, exploding and creating a deafening noise. ¡°You¡¯re so reckless, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Uh, sister¡­?¡± ¡°Did they not teach you in Gracia that if you can¡¯t be of help, you should evacuate?¡± Sion slowly opened her tightly shut eyes, clinging onto Elizabeth¡¯s shoulders. The mages who had risked their lives watched in amazement. ¡°Oh, Lady Acalusia!¡± ¡°How can we ever repay this favor¡­¡± ¡°Stop making a fuss. You fools can¡¯t even protect a single child. You all owe me one.¡± Elizabeth snapped sharply, and the mages fell silent. She lowered her hand, releasing the mana shields, and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Purple energy radiated from her fingertips. Mages, who had been exhausted, regained theirposure and stood at attention. Suddenly, loud cries echoed throughout the Dawn Tower. ¡°Everyone, evacuate!¡± The voice was familiar. Elizabeth turned her head to see a massive bird, resembling a 10-meter phoenix, soaring through the western night sky. A swarm of fiery birds followed, trailing behind it. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Aun Phra!¡± ¡°Evacuate everyone except the minimum essential personnel!¡± It looked like the sun was rising in the west, and it was the emblematic Prominence Bird, the embodiment of the Tower Master¡¯s power. In the blink of an eye, the fiery bird and its swarm of fiery phoenixes plunged into the pit. With a whoosh, the fire¡¯s form distorted, and the mes significantly diminished. Not long after, the fiery phoenix, now engulfed in ck mes, soared into the air. Elizabeth, who had realized that Aun Phra was absorbing fire, eximed in admiration. ¡°As expected¡­¡± It was a more significant achievement than the efforts of all the other magesbined. Aun Phra, who had expelled the fire into the air, began another descent into the pit. With a crack, a sh of light erupted high above. Soon, the mes receded, revealing the figures of two people. A young man whose body was on fire was falling, while clutching onto the neck of an old man. Elizabeth recognized the young man¡¯s face and cried out. ¡°Ro-Ronan?!¡± [Damn you, let go!] Simultaneously, a menacing growl echoed in the sky. Elizabeth froze in ce. Her legs gave way, her heart raced, and her breath quickened as if she had encountered a fierce beast. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The other mages were no different. Cries and explosions could be heard from all around. They were the side effects of magic gone awry or mana rebounding. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± ¡°Eeek¡­¡± Such evil magic power had never been felt before. Sion, who had been clinging to Elizabeth, burst into tears, holding onto her as if for dear life. [Damn it!] At the moment when Ronan and the old man were about to collide on the ground, a bright sh of light and a loud growl in the air urred. The oppressive feeling, which had weighed on them, vanished, and they could finally breathe. ¡°Aaaah!¡± Sion, who had been crying, buried her face in Elizabeth¡¯s stomach. A bewildered Elizabeth hesitated and backed away. ¡°Uh- please don¡¯t cry¡­ What will the nobility think if they see you?¡± ¡°Hnnng¡­ Waaaaah!¡± ¡°Stop, stop crying!¡± Elizabeth consoled Sion, not even realizing who she was. Stillforting Sion¡¯s back, Elizabeth looked toward the spot where Ronan had disappeared. ¡°What is he up to this time¡­?¡± **** [You stubborn fool! If you don¡¯t let go, you¡¯ll burn to death!] ¡°It¡¯s still worth holding on.¡± Ronan was engulfed in mes. His school uniform, which was inherently fire-resistant, seemed to withstand the powerful mes well, but due to his intense focus on the battle, he didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the heat. [You¡­ What on earth are you?] Injured, Vijra was even more furious, thrashing about violently. The powerful spells that were unleashed indiscriminately indicated the strength of his power. With a whoosh, a me Arrow fired at Ronan missed and evaporated the nearby forest. [Get away!] ¡°If it were you, would you let go?¡± They were engaging in an ugly brawl, teleporting countless times. Vijra tried to shake off Ronan using all means and methods, but Ronan never let him go. [¡®This kid is also at his limit.¡¯] As time dragged on, it became distinctly evident. Vijra was weakening. The fire grew lukewarm, and the rocks were receding. With a whoosh, the fire column engulfed the two. When Ronan saw the altered background, he let out a bitterugh. From a distant shore, it appeared that themon night sea was in turmoil. ¡®This is my chance.¡¯ They had reached the upper atmosphere of the Dawn Sea. With a deep backward thrust, Ronan delivered a headbutt to Vijra. Unexpectedly, Vijra whimpered. [Keuuk!] Vijra¡¯s nose broke, blood gushing out. Ronan delivered headbutts consecutively. Thud! Thud! Thud! Their teleportation stopped, and they continued to fall. ¡°Stop bothering the poor old man ande out of his body.¡± With a final push, Ronannded a headbutt on Vijra, causing him to spit out blood. Vijra¡¯s nosebleed erupted, and they both plummeted into the water. ¡®I¡¯ll put you underwater.¡¯ Usually, paper bes unusable when it gets wet. Moreover, the type of magic that Vijra was using would likely render it even more ineffective underwater. Regardless, all he had to do was throw it in water and fish out the remains that resembled a drowned body. [You¡¯re mocking me¡­ Die!] They were about five meters from the surface. Suddenly, Vijra extended his arms as if trying to grab something. Rumble¡­! Suddenly, a palm-shaped reef rose up towards them. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The two people fell and collided on the palm-shaped reef. ¡°Ugh!¡± It was a reefrger than an average sailing ship. Ronan, who had fallen, rolled on the ground. Fortunately, the altitude wasn¡¯t too high, so the impact wasn¡¯t severe. However, he lost his grip on Vijra. ¡°Damn it, where did he go¡­¡± It was the moment when Ronan hastily tried to stand up. With a loud crash, a huge fiery whale descended from above and caused an explosion. Then, five spear-like rocks erupted from below, crossing each other and piercing the spot where Ronan was standing. [Die!] Finally, the hand-shaped reef they hadnded on grabbed Ronan. With a jolt, the reef burst into mes, and a gruesome sound rang out. [Ugh, ack¡­] Kneeling on one knee, Vijra, who hadnded on the reef, fell over. It felt like his body had grown significantly heavier. Once again, he muttered with an unbelievable tone. [Why¡­ is this happening¡­] His injuries weren¡¯t healing at all. He had lived for a long time, experienced various things, but this was the first time he had encountered the symptom the mortals referred to as ¡®excessive bleeding.¡¯ [Hurry up and recover. It¡¯s dangerous¡­] He needed to heal his injuries by consuming a mana-rich life form. This was what he had prepared to return to the Dawn Tower. Boom! In an explosive sound, as if hundreds of people were whistling at the same time, a corner of the reef exploded. As Ronan emerged from the spot where he had been trapped, Vijra¡¯s eyes widened. [How¡­] ¡°It seems you¡¯ve weakened.¡± The crimson Lamancha in Ronan¡¯s hand was radiating light, except for the burns from the teleportation. There were no noticeable wounds on Ronan¡¯s body. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡± With an adjusted stance, Ronan charged straight toward Vijra. He was frozen and seemed incapable of moving. Swish! Ronan swung the hilt of his sword, striking Vijra¡¯s carotid artery. A sinister voice echoed above the sea. [That¡¯s why you¡¯re just a brat.] ¡°What?¡± The hilt of the sword passed through Vijra¡¯s head as it was. His form dispersed like smoke. Realizing it was an illusion, Ronan turned around. From the void, Vijra¡¯s hand emerged and grabbed Ronan¡¯s head. ¡°Ugh!¡± [It was a bit lengthy¡­ It could have been dangerous if I had continued like that.] ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± [But history remembers only the victors. I will use your body well.] Ronan had no chance to respond before Vijra chanted a spell. His original form, resembling a ck book, emerged from Lorehon¡¯s chest. Simultaneously, Vijra¡¯s consciousness, which had been residing within the Tower Master Lorehon¡¯s body, transferred into Ronan. His pupils started to darken, and eerie moans escaped from his parted lips. ¡°Ugh¡­ you¡­ shit¡­ toilet paper¡­. bastard¡­!¡± [Do not resist. You will soon feelfortable.] Vijra sneered. Though resistance was strong, the corrosion had already been sessful. It was only a matter of time before he would be fully absorbed into the body. Suddenly, Vijra felt an unease and tilted his head. [Hmm?] It was an ufortable sensation,pletely different from the others. It was an unimaginably powerful and sinister presence that differed significantly from the rest. Each of these entities took on the form ofmon shadows. The writhing shadows slowly began to approach Vijra, one by one. [Why is something like this inside his body¡­? Don¡¯te closer¡­!] However, the shadows did not stop. One of them bit into Vijra, causing him to experience a burning pain. He suppressed his scream. [Ugh!] Subsequently, the other shadows rushed in, and Vijra¡¯s consciousness was swallowed by the darkness. A piercing, bone-chilling scream echoed within Ronan¡¯s mind. [Aaaargh!] ¡°It¡¯s not a very nice ce to live in, is it?¡± Ronan sneered, stroking his seawater-drenched hair. His eyes, which had been dyed ck, were regaining their original color. Chapter 97: Shoot Towards Dawn (10) Chapter 97: Shoot Towards Dawn (10) ¡°It¡¯s not a very nice ce to live in, is it?¡± Ronan chuckled, wiping the saltwater from his hair. His once-darkened eyes were returning to their original color. Vijra¡¯s agonizing screams still echoed in his mind. [Khaaagh! Ugghhhh!] ¡°Let¡¯s be friends. And, my friend, how did you think I found you at the altar?¡± Ronan chuckled. He had sensed Vijra¡¯s futile attempts at using illusions from the start. He had noticed it right away, as Vijra showed no signs of any visible mana when allowing Ronan to attack. However, it was truly fortunate that the gamble of surrendering his own body paid off. It was a hastily designed n inspired by an incident in the past when Jhordin almost died while trying to cure his mana deficiency. ¡®Just what on earth is this curse?¡¯ The fledgling curse caster, a mere novice, came perilously close to killing a former top mage. Since the original curse was seething inside his body, it would be arduously difficult to deal with. He had contemted trying during their first encounter, but Vijra¡¯s power was overwhelming, and he hadn¡¯t dared. Ronan sighed in relief as he recalled that earlier situation. ¡®I nearly got myself killed.¡¯ Multiple strokes of luck hadbined to secure his victory. If he hadn¡¯t been able to deal a fatal blow to Vijra¡¯s main body hidden at the altar, he would have lost for sure. The eastern sky was starting to brighten. The red glow beyond the low-hanging clouds on the horizon signaled the approaching dawn. Ronan sheathed his sword, Lamancha, and turned his head. In the distance, the Dawn Tower rising from the maind looked like a massive lighthouse. ¡®Did they put out the fire?¡¯ The raging mes that had swept through the garden were now gone. The flickering embers, carried by the wind, had faded. The moment Ronan stretched and rxed, he heard Vijra¡¯s voice in his mind. [¡­Khaaagh! Do you think this is the end?!] ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, Ronan felt extreme nausea and instinctively blocked his mouth. Something ck, like mist, escaped through his fingers and disappeared. Vijra¡¯s consciousness was attempting to escape from his body. ¡°You persistent bastard¡­!¡± Ronan bit his lip hard, and hot blood welled up. He swallowed Vijra¡¯s essence along with the blood, who had been trying to force his way out. [Huh¡­!] The choking sensation disappeared as the nausea subsided. Vijra, who had been screaming moments ago, was now desperately silent. [Hey, listen to me! Do you want to be a renowned swordsman, making a name for yourself in the world?] ¡°Not really.¡± [Foolish¡­! Do you not want to see the Emperor grovel at your feet? Join forces with me, and it¡¯s all possible. Even the sky itself can be torn apart under your potential!] Vijra¡¯s presence was bing increasingly faint. Judging from his incoherent babbling and his flickering mana, it seemed like the situation inside was deteriorating. Anyway, he has the potential to even tear apart the sky? Ronan, who was briefly reminiscing about his past life,ughed. ¡°I already know. I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± [What¡­!] ¡°So, you see, I don¡¯t need your help.¡± [Wait¡­ just wait! Then, this¡­ Kraaaak!] His voice cut off abruptly, and no response followed. Soon, Vijra¡¯s presencepletely vanished. Ronan instinctively realized that his consciousness had been extinguished. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan suddenly felt an eerie sensation. He felt something pulsating with a different rhythm from his heart in the left side of his chest. Could it be that a remnant of Vijra¡¯s consciousness still lingered? He focused on it but couldn¡¯t detect anything suspicious. Puzzled, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°What the heck is this?¡± cing his hand on his chest, he found that his heart was beating slightly faster than usual. The strange sensation had disappeared without a trace. Ronan shrugged, thinking it must not be a big deal. ¡®Nothing will happen, I guess.¡¯ Urghhhh! He spat out the blood that had remained in his mouth. The crimson glob soared on the sea breeze andnded on a nearby rock. It was Vijra¡¯s original form, the forbidden book that had filled the continent with terror. ¡°¡­Is it just a regr book now?¡± Ronan picked up Vijra, whose cover and pages were soaked in blood. He looked inside, but there were no ominous voices or tentacles lurking. However, the iprehensible contents and the shimmering mana seeping from the white text still bothered him. ¡®A book written by a *demon.¡¯ The author of the Vijra of Destruction was known to be a demon. And yet, the presence of Neb zier¡¯s influence was strongly emanating from Vijra. ¡®There must be somewhere to put this.¡¯ It felt like he was approaching a grand secret. Ronan rolled Vijra, who was slowly bing inanimate, and tucked it into the back pocket of his pants. It was a fitting ce for such a trashy book. ¡°Ugh¡­ uhh¡­ ¡± Then, a groan of pain came from somewhere. Ronan looked in the direction of the sound. Tower Master Lorehon, who had copsed at his feet, was writhing in agony. ¡°That¡¯s right,e to your senses, old man.¡± ¡°Am, am I speaking on my own now¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, you are. It¡¯s fortunate that you didn¡¯t die. After all, you went through all that trouble to survive.¡± Lorehon opened his eyes. Freed from Vijra¡¯s influence, his eyes were now a clear blue. Unable to control his body, he eventually got Ronan¡¯s support to sit up. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Where should I start? You¡¯ve made quite the spectacle of yourself.¡± ¡°No need to exin. I¡¯ve seen it all.¡± ¡°You have?¡± ¡°Indeed. Everyst bit of it.¡± Lorehon¡¯s gaze was fixed on the waves crashing against the rocks. He remembered everything Vijra had done in his body. Lorehon had endured nearly a year of vivid consciousness, from when he was taken overst winter to today. ¡°That demon made me witness all the atrocities hemitted using my body. Each day was a living hell. If it were up to me, I¡¯d throw myself into the sea right now.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be doing any such thing, I hope.¡± Ronan warned. Just thinking about the trouble he had gone through to capture Lorehon made his temples throb. And he still had unfinished business. ¡°Of course, I understand that I bear responsibility. Although it won¡¯t be easy for the Tower Master.¡± ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Ronan stopped in the middle of his sentence. Come to think of it, he couldn¡¯t sense any mana from Lorehon, who had regained control of his body. It wasn¡¯t merely weakened; there was no trace of the rings that should surround his heart. Puzzled, Ronan pressed his lips together. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just being alive is enough. In fact, it feels quite refreshing to see the world so vividly.¡± Lorehon chuckled as he stroked his beard. Vijra had taken more than just his body from him. Ronan asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry? It¡¯s your life¡¯s worth of mana he took.¡± ¡°Let me tell you again, I¡¯m satisfied that my life was saved. Do you know how many vengeful spirits I heard while I was possessed by that demon? Just for helping me escape a simr fate, I¡¯m willing to clean your shoes with my tongue.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like that.¡± Ronanughed wryly. For someone who had lost almost everything, Lorehon had an attitude that was overly cheerful and nonchnt. Ronan was puzzled by one question. Where had Vijra¡¯s power, umted over countless years, gone? While pondering this, Lorehon, who had been gazing at the Dawn Tower, spoke up. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that over there? Can you see it by any chance?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Coming from the direction of the tower. Look.¡± Ronan followed Lorehon¡¯s pointing finger. In the distance, something shiny was rapidly approaching. He squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow. ¡°¡­A wolf?¡± A massive wolf was running across the water, its furry paws sshing and creating small geysers with each step. Even in the darkness, its reddish-brown fur was clearly visible. ¡°What the heck is that?¡± Ronanid his hand on the hilt of his sword. The wolf stood still, raising a watery veil as it screeched to a halt before him. Through its torn and elongated jaws, a familiar voice emerged. ¡°Ronan, you¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°¡­Eyrie?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯vee to fetch you!¡± Surprisingly, the wolf spoke in Eyrie¡¯s voice. Ronan realized that this was her true form, something she hadn¡¯t shown in the library. Eyrie exined that the fire had been subdued, and that there were some injuries but no fatalities, and Aun Phra was also unharmed. Hearing these tidings, Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness. So, what happened at the Forbidden Library?¡± ¡°Ah, that!¡± Eyrie¡¯s voice became brighter. Eyrie said that the moment they separated from Ronan, she and Aun Phra were transported to apletely different ce. After clearing her throat, she continued. ¡°I can hardly believe it myself. Suddenly, the entire Forbidden Library was trembling, and when I opened my eyes, I was standing on a hill far from the Dawn Tower. But it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? I couldn¡¯t have left the Dawn Tower¡­ but to my astonishment, the seal was broken!¡± ¡°Congrattions. So, take your time and exin slowly.¡± ¡°After hundreds of years, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve regained my freedom! Oh, this fresh air! This seawater!¡± Eyrie¡¯s voice was extremely cheerful, as if she were extremely happy. Eyrie couldn¡¯t believe it herself, and she was joyfully dancing around the rock. It seemed that Vijra had forcibly torn the seal. Suddenly, Lorehon and Eyrie, who were looking at each other, rose to their feet. ¡°Tower¡­ Tower Master?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Don¡¯t look at me with such respect, I no longer deserve it.¡± ¡°Oh, are you sure you¡¯re okay? I thought for sure you were under Vijra¡¯s influence¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. This boy saved me. Vijra has disappeared.¡± Lorehon nodded and gestured to Ronan. Eyrie was delighted by the news of Vijra¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Vijra is gone? Could it be Sir Ronan¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just unbelievable¡­! First, get on, If you stay in a ce like this for too long, you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Eyrie bowed her head, and Ronan, along with Lorehon, climbed onto her back. Ronan gripped her furry neck tightly. Eyrie spurred her legs and began their journey. ¡®It¡¯s finally over.¡¯ The sea breeze ruffling his bangs was refreshing. The ride wasn¡¯t exactlyfortable, but Ronan¡¯s heart was at ease. As Ronan looked at the Dawn Tower bathed in golden light, he turned his head. The clouds that had lined the horizon had vanished, leaving only the clear dawn to illuminate the world. ¡®It¡¯s been a long journey.¡¯ Ronan quietly closed his eyes. Many things had happened, but in the end, the sun had risen, signaling the end of a four-day-long adventure. **** ¡°Over there, make sure there are no embers still left underground!¡± ¡°Ah, Rockbur Bloodbloom, I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive!¡± Ronan soon arrived at the Dawn Magic Tower. The mages who had endured the longest night since the tower¡¯s creation were busy dealing with the fire¡¯s aftermath. Some were digging through the ashes with hooks, searching for embers, while others were extracting surviving nts. ¡®So, that¡¯s the Forbidden Library over there. No wonder it didn¡¯t seem like it was inside the tower.¡¯ There was a huge hole in the northwest corner of the garden, with a diameter of about 15 meters. It was evidence of the consecutive high-level fire magic explosions, including the Hell Prominence. ¡°Nancy,e here!¡± The smoke was still rising from the hole. Smander Nancy, who had been raised in the Dawn Tower, was busy cleaning up the remains. Looking down into the hole, Ronan raised an eyebrow. He couldn¡¯t find any remnants of books that Vijra had destroyed. ¡®She must have really picked them up. What an amazing librarian.¡¯ ording to Eyrie, as soon as the seal was released, she returned to the Dawn Tower and rescued the burning books. About one-third of the books that were in the same space as Vijra had been destroyed, but the ones in the maze were mostly saved thanks to her quick actions. It was a fortunate oue. They were evil books, but they had the potential to contribute to the advancement of magic. Eyrie left with the intention of returning soon after finding Aun Phra, but she still hadn¡¯t returned. Well, that was understandable. With Ronan and Lorehon off her back, the garden was filled with quiet solitude as he wandered around, carrying the weight of everything. Just then, a familiar voice echoed from behind. ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°Elizabeth?¡± Ronan turned his head. Elizabeth was there, dressed in her uniform. Ronan chuckled when he saw Sion de Gracial was tightly holding onto her hand. ¡°When did you two be so close?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll exinter. Miss Sion, just wait with the adults for a moment. You know where they are, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sis.¡± Sion turned around with a dignified stride. After walking about ten steps, she turned around and looked at Ronan. Then, she bowed her head and spoke. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Uh? Oh, sure.¡± Ronan shook her hand unexpectedly. Sion turned back towards the Dawn Tower. While watching her go, Elizabeth muttered her dissatisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll need to teach her some proper manners. What noble bows like that?¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work. You had a tough night.¡± ¡°Oh, it was nothing.¡± Eyrie told her story of what Elizabeth had done on their way to the Dawn Tower. Before the seal was broken. She looked haggard enough to believe that she hadn¡¯t slept for three days, her characteristic straight posture remained unchanged. With a mix of confusion and concern in her voice, she asked Ronan what had happened. ¡°By the way, what exactly happened to you? I saw youst night with that old man¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. It¡¯s a bit of a long story.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. But, what is that wound? Are you okay?¡± ¡°What wound?¡± ¡°The on the back of your neck. It looks like it hurts a lot.¡± Elizabeth couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all. Ronan touched the back of his neck, and he felt a sensation quite different from his previous encounters with her. He took his hand away and looked at his palm, where blood and fluid had welled up. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he saw the gruesome sight. ¡°Oh, shit¡­!¡± Suddenly, excruciating pain shot through Ronan¡¯s entire body. It felt like a burning sensation from his lower back to his waist. In his agony, Ronan hastily removed his shirt. Elizabeth, taken aback by his sudden action, covered her face with both hands. ¡°Ronan, wh-what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Gaaah¡­ it hurts like hell!¡± ¡°It hurts? What¡­ Aaah!¡± Elizabet, with her fingers slightly apart, nced at Ronan, and a scream escaped her lips. His upper body was covered in gruesome burns. ¡°Th-that wound¡­!¡± ¡°Shit, this is why I should¡¯ve learned how to do Elementalism or whatever it is.¡± Ronan had no idea about the severity of his injuries until Elizabeth spoke. These wounds were the result of the battle with Vijra. Most of the burns urred when they were following the teleportation that utilized mes. Elizabeth, her face drained of color, shouted frantically. ¡°Stop talking! I¡¯ll call for help right now!¡± ¡°Gah¡­ Wait. Let me use this first.¡± Ronan tilted his head and pulled out three vials of potion from his coat pocket, items he had received from Varen before they arrived at Dawn Magic Tower. ¡°It just so happened that I wanted to test the efficacy of this. It¡¯s a new medicine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to test it right now?¡± Elizabeth was bbergasted at the idea, especially considering the severity of his injuries. It was hard to believe that he would think of experimenting with a new potion at a time like this. Ronan unscrewed the caps of two vials and began applying the potion to his injuries. As he did, a soothing sensation washed over him, relieving the burns, and the sensation of his skin rejuvenating. ¡°It¡¯s killing the pain.¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­! Where did you get this potion? It works so fast!¡± ¡°From a talking lion.¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. She had never seen a potion with such rapid efficacy, not even at the Acalusia Family medicine center. Then Ronan said, handing her a bottle of the potion. ¡°Never mind that. Can you pour this on my back?¡± ¡°Me?!¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t reach it. Friends can do that much.¡± Elizabeth hesitated but then nodded her head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it. If you can¡¯t reach it, there¡¯s no choice. ¡± She took a deep breath and began to apply the potion to his back. Just be warned, this was her first time touching a man¡¯s bare skin, and it feltpletely different from a woman¡¯s or Adeshan¡¯s. It made her head dizzy. ¡°¡­What¡¯?¡± As she reached the area below his left wingbone, she sensed a strange and profound energy emanating from him, pulsating within his body. Puzzled, she raised her head and questioned him with an inquisitive expression. ¡°Um, Ronan¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Did you originally have a core?¡± Chapter 98: Second Heart (1) Chapter 98: Second Heart (1) Elizabeth, who was tending to the area below Ronan¡¯s vicle, suddenly stopped her hand. She asked, somewhat puzzled. ¡°Um, Ronan¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Did you originally have a Core?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. He wondered what nonsense she was talking about instead of applying the potion well. A Core? Even for those not cursed by an abomination, it took decades to create a Mana Core. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡± ¡°Really? Then what is this¡­?¡± Elizabeth extended her hand to the same spot once again. There was definitely something inside Ronan, beating with a different rhythm than his heart, vividly conveying the movement of mana. ¡®It¡¯s different from the regr Cores I¡¯ve seen. I wonder¡­?¡¯ She paused, contemting. However, it felt different from the Cores she had seen so far. The way he manipted mana seemed simr to a Core, but the way mana umted felt closer to a Circle. Moreover, unless she had seen wrong, Ronan¡¯s Core wasn¡¯t integrated with his heart but was separated. It felt like he had two beating hearts, which she had never seen before. This puzzled her as she pondered with furrowed brows. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Elizabeth quickly withdrew her hand. She had forgotten about applying the potion due to her intense focus. She hastily applied the potion to the remaining burns. With every stroke, the contours and sticity of Ronan¡¯s muscles were transferred to her fingertips, making her face tingle. It was a sensation she couldn¡¯t get used to. ¡®It¡¯s solid!¡¯ Before long, the treatment was over. Ronan¡¯s wounds hadpletely healed in just five minutes since the potion was applied. Not a trace of the burns, or the minor cuts and bruises he had from earlier, remained. Ronan, now fully healed, chuckled. ¡®The smell of money is making my head spin. I should consult with Marya about this.¡¯ Even in a well-equipped forge, such an item would be hard to find. Once the production process was streamlined, and the right market was found, he would undoubtedly make a substantial amount of gold coins. Ronan, dressed again, looked at Elizabeth and smiled. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± ¡°Hmm, it was nothing.¡± ¡°You applied it very meticulously. I thought nobledies would be reluctant to do this, but you surprised me.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a noble¡¯s duty to helpmoners in trouble¡­!¡± As Elizabeth spoke, she couldn¡¯t meet Ronan¡¯s eyes. Her ears, peeking out from hervender hair, turned bright red. Clearing her throat, she continued, ¡°Um, Ronan, something is strange.¡± ¡°Strange?¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, you have a Core near your heart¡­ I think you should get it checked out.¡± Elizabeth shared what she had discovered: there seemed to be a growth, almost like a tumor, near Ronan¡¯s heart, and it was even pulsating. ¡®Of course, that shxxty piece of toilet paper¡­!¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, he recalled the strange sensation he had felt inside his chest right after grabbing Vijra. He ced a hand over his heart and muttered. ¡°Am¡­ I going to die now?¡± ¡°Um, probably not. It¡¯s just really unique, so when you get back to Philleon¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for a long time.¡± Elizabeth was interrupted as a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan turned to see Aun Phra approaching, wearing a robe that was partly burnt from the recent battle. Eyrie and Tower Master Lorehon stood on either side of him. Eyrie, now back in her human form, held a bundle of books in her hands. Ronan extended his hand. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Sorry for beingte. There was so much to handle.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. I know you went through a lot.¡± ¡°Compared to you, it was like a walk in the park.¡± Ronan shook his head. Aun Phra, who fought the huge fire all night, looked haggard and looked as if he would copse at the slightest breeze. Even ten of his bodies would have been insufficient. Aun Phra spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to begin. First, ept my respects.¡± Out of the blue, Aun Phra knelt down on one knee and lowered his head. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. Elizabeth gasped in surprise. Aun Phra¡¯s appearance was fragile, as if he could copse at any moment. But Ronan knew that he had given his all in the fight. Aun Phra spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start, but first, please ept my bow.¡± Aun Phra suddenly knelt, bowing his head. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened, and Elizabeth was shocked, eximing, ¡°Tower Master, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Thanks to all of you, we can wee a new dawn.¡± Eyrie appeared equally taken aback, suggesting that this action had not been discussed beforehand. Tower Master Lorehon, on the other hand, kept a slight smile and stroked his beard, looking undisturbed by the situation. Ronan grumbled with a frustrated tone, eager to get him to stand up. ¡°Damn it, get up! What¡¯s a Tower Mage doing acting like a fool?¡± The people around them stared. Even the mages who had been busy repairing the damage froze in bewilderment and looked at the Tower Master who was bowing to the young man and woman. After a long silence, Aun Phra finally rose to his feet. He met Ronan¡¯s gaze and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to start. First, I want to thank you for saving the Dawn Magic Tower.¡± ¡°¡­A stubborn old man, you are.¡± ¡°In any case, I¡¯d like to express my gratitude once again. I couldn¡¯t properly greet you on the sea, sinceI was so anxious¡­¡± Suddenly, Lorehon walked forward and bowed silently. He disappeared for a while and came back wearing a in dress and pants rather than the fancy robe of the Tower Master. Ronan, realizing the meaning, twisted his lips. Lorehon chuckled. Having lost all his mana, he nned to transfer the position of Tower Master to Aun Phra as soon as he managed the situation. Originally, he intended to take responsibility for unsealing Vijra, but he added that he was temporarily dying it due to the dramatic opposition from the other mages. Aun Phra spoke. ¡°Once the incident is resolved, we n to hold a grand banquet. Naturally, you¡¯ll be the heroes. Please rest and wait for it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯ll be a bit difficult. I¡¯ll be returning today.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Can¡¯t you stay for a few more days? It might not hurt to be a littlete.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a student, you see. If I¡¯mte again this time, that talking lion will put me in the oven and bake me along with some damn cookies.¡± Ronan exined the situation by skillfully avoiding the subject. In fact, he had already secured his grades, so staying a few more days wouldn¡¯t have mattered, but he didn¡¯t want to burden the busy people even more. Apparently, Elizabeth had the same idea, as she nodded her head silently. With a sigh, Aun Phra said, ¡°Then¡­ I suppose there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have fun next time. I¡¯ll teach you what a banquet really is then.¡± ¡°But you should still ept this.¡± Suddenly, Aun Phra rummaged through his robes and pulled something out. It was an extremely elegant box, usually used to store expensive jewelry, and inside it were two sun-shaped badges. The badges, seemingly carved from a whole diamond, changed color depending on the angle of the light. Besides looking expensive, there was an aura emanating from them that was anything but ordinary. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This¡­ This is a 1st-Grade Tower Medal!¡± ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s beyond discussion. Even in my family, almost no one has received one¡­¡± This medal was awarded to those who had made significant contributions to the Dawn Tower, regardless of their status. Elizabeth rambled on, exining the effects of the medal, such as being granted official ess to most of the Dawn Tower¡¯s facilities, or receiving the right to attend the exclusive market, the ¡®High Remyen,¡¯ reserved for high-level mages. Most of the words made little sense to Ronan. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing.¡± Ronan shrugged his shoulders. It seemed that Elizabeth, the daughter of Acalusia, considered this far from an ordinary item. Aun Phra smiled gently as he fastened the badges to Ronan¡¯s shirt cor. ¡°Of course, even without such items, your rtionship with the Dawn Tower remains unchanged. But as you live, you¡¯lle to realize that most of your memories stem from material things.¡± ¡°I can rte to that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also inscribed a few spells on you, so I hope you¡¯ll find them useful. Please ept them.¡± Subsequently, Aun Phra attached a badge to Elizabeth¡¯s attire as well, and he smiled gently. Ronan nodded his head. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t refuse. Oh, Aun Phra, I have one request.¡± ¡°Of course, as long as it¡¯s something I¡¯m capable of doing.¡± ¡°This book. Give it to me.¡± Saying that, Ronan took out Vijra, which had been tucked away in his back pocket. The eyes of everyone except Ronan widened as if they might pop out of their sockets. ¡°Is that¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Vijra. Originally, I just intended to take it with me, but my conscience got the better of me.¡± ¡°Wait for a moment. That¡¯s a bit difficult. You know it¡¯s not an ordinary book, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a regr book now. See?¡± Suddenly, Ronan began shaking the cover of Vijra as if he was trying to shake something loose. From the ck book, which had be quite powerless, he no longer felt the evil aura he used to. Sensing that the presence had disappeared, Aun Phra carefully spoke up. ¡°¡­What do you n to do with it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to look for something with it.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t openly mention his intention to hunt down the demon that had once written this book. They were all too exhausted to ept such radical information. Aun Phra, with his hand on his forehead, sighed. ¡°¡­All right, take it.¡± ¡°Just as expected of the next Tower Master in the making.¡± ¡°However, you must return it to the Tower once you¡¯re done using it. Even if the evil presence is gone, it¡¯s still a very dangerous book.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just trust me.¡± Ronan patted his chest and put Vijra back into his pocket. They were about to go on an airship. Eyrie, who had been standing still, spoke up as if she had been waiting. ¡°Wait a minute, I have something to give you as well!¡± Eyrie extended the bag she was holding. The bag was asrge as an adult¡¯s torso and filled with ancient books that had probably been preserved for centuries. ¡°These are all books written by Sarante. There are some good ones in there, so take them and read them.¡± ¡°Sarante?¡± This was an unexpected gift. If the books were written based on Sarante¡¯s extensive knowledge, they were likely to be quite useful. ¡°Thank you. What are you going to do now that you¡¯re free?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, and I want to keep working as a librarian. It was also Sarante¡¯s request, and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Well, I just like books.¡± Eyrie smiled bashfully. It was a sound that Sarante would have been very happy to hear. Ronan smiled and epted the bag. ¡°Good for you.¡± ¡°Visit us again. Next time, I¡¯ll introduce you to many interesting books.¡± ¡°Just make sure they have nothing to do with curses.¡± After that conversation, Ronan returned to Philleon. Elizabeth, who still had research to do, stayed at the Dawn Tower. She and Sion de Gracia, standing side by side, waved Ronan goodbye. ¡°Take care! And be sure to check the Core!¡± ¡°Is he sister¡¯s fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Wh-What are you saying right now? Adeshan is the only one for me¡­!¡± Elizabeth yfully pulled on Sion¡¯s cheeks, and Sion looked puzzled. ¡°Adeshan?¡± Ronan chuckled at their almost-sisterly interaction. It was hard to imagine that they were the beloved offspring of two rival noble houses, Acalusia and de Gracia. ¡®Maybe I can use this opportunity to get closer to them.¡¯ In preparation for the end times, they needed all the help they could get. He coincidentally took the same airship, Western Wing, that he rode when he came to Dawn Tower. The captain recognized Ronan and seated him in a first-sspartment suitable for nobility. However, he insisted that he couldn¡¯t charge him the fare and made a big fuss about it, so Ronan had no choice. This time, there were no fireballs flying his way. Transformed into a firebird, Aun Phra escorted them until they were out of the airspace of the Dawn Tower. ***** Ronan arrived in Philleon around noon the next day. Thanks to a good night¡¯s rest, he wasn¡¯t particrly tired. He couldfortably write the club activity report and submit it. Ronan felt a sense of joy as he realized that his writing skills were improving as he wrote. -Piii~ Marpez, the Dreambird, was happily grooming himself, while Varen was anything but happy in his office at the Philleon Academy. Seated across from each other at the table where they had often conversed, they were discussing the recent club activity. After carefully reviewing the report, Varen, with a sigh of relief, looked at Ronan. ¡°Okay, Ronan, so, you were at the center of the incident that urred at the Dawn Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You identally entered the Forbidden Library, nearly getting devoured by the Vijra of Destruction, and escaped dramatically, and also got involved in high ss fire magic like Hell Prominence¡­ is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Ronan nodded confidently. He started exining his adventure in detail. It was a gripping story, filled with vivid descriptions, but Varen was too far gone to notice. ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t the actual thing more ordinary than you¡¯d think? When I think about all the trouble I went through to catch it, it really¡­¡± As he began narrating the story of how he captured the Vijra, vividly describing the intense experience, Varen¡¯s mind drifted off. Crash! His teacup fell from his hand and shattered. It seemed as though his consciousness was slipping away. Varen leaned forward, his trembling hand supported by the table. ¡°Uh, uhhh¡­¡± ¡°What, why are you acting like this all of a sudden?¡± Varen barely managed to stand and steadied himself by gripping the table. Roan, looking concerned, approached him. When Varen saw the book in Roan¡¯s hand, he jumped up from his seat. ¡°Ugh! Get that away from me!¡± ¡°Hey, why are you yelling? You¡¯re going to scare people.¡± ¡°Uhh-uh w-what on earth did you do to report back such a thing after going there for research? I mean¡­ I¡­!¡± ¡°By the way, your potion worked like a charm, Varen, even if the effect was a bit overwhelming.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject! I absolutely need to do something about this now, please sit down!¡± Varen was almost crying. He seemed to be in quite a bit of mental distress. While speaking passionately about the safety of students and the school, he sat down, covering his face with both palms. ¡°Keuheugh, kuugh¡­ You should be more careful¡­ What if something had really gone wrong?¡± ¡°Good grief, are you so weak-hearted? With your size, it¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Varen didn¡¯t respond to his words. Only muffled sobs were heard under the beard. Roan knew this state would likelyst for at least an hour. ¡®I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡¯ Ronan had prepared a gift in advance and left the room. Varen recovered after two hours, and an old, discolored book was ced on the table in his absence. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± It was a very old and yellowed book. The cover of the book had a clear title: ¡®Basic Herbalism¡¯. Below it was written the name of the author. ¡°Sarante¡­ Lematyon?¡± From the family name, it was clear that the author was an elf. Varen wiped his eyes and opened the book. ¡°This¡­ is¡­!¡± His eyes widened with each page he turned. The yellowed pages contained detailed instructions on how to use and grow herbs that he could not even imagine. ***** ¡®It¡¯s great, I definitely put this to good use. It¡¯s a good book.¡¯ After leaving Varen¡¯s office, Ronan headed straight to the club building. The Vijra of Destruction, which once terrorized the entire Empire, was now rolled up and ced in the back pocket of his pants. ¡®Those smart guys might be able to figure something out.¡¯ Ronan was nning to throw Vijra to Aslle or Ophelia. He read it all the way on the airship, but all he could find was a list of things he couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ I should also ask about this thing in my chest.¡¯ Ronan recalled what Elizabeth had said and furrowed his brow. If it was Navirose or Jhordin, they might know something. In reality, he was still haunted by the anxiety that this lump might simply be part of a terrible disease. The thing that was the origin of its birth was such a terrible entity. ¡®¡­Wait a minute. If this is a Core, it means it can extract mana, right?¡¯ Suddenly, curiosity struck Ronan. Depending on whether mana would manifest or not, there would be a mix of jubtion and frustration, but it was better to get it over with first. He should confirm right now. He summoned Lamancha and stood with determination. Sssshhh¡­ A strange breathing sound came from his lips as he attempted to invoke mana. Ronan could distinctly feel something new taking root within his chest. ¡®Alright.¡¯ He attempted to draw mana from the lump he felt in his chest, rather than from his existing heart. His heightened sensitivity made it rtively easy. Before long, a whitish mana began to ascend, riding the steel of Lamancha. Ronan narrowed his eyes and cursed. ¡°What the fxxk¡­?¡± Whitish mana was coiled around the de of Lamancha. Inside the shimmering currents resembling white mist, a sparkle very familiar to him was emerging. Shhhinee! Ronan¡¯s mind turnedpletely nk at the sight of it beingpletely identical to the mana of Neb zier. Chapter 99: Second Heart (2) Chapter 99: Second Heart (2) ¡°What the fxxk¡­?¡± Whitish mana was coiled around the de of Lamancha. Inside the shimmering currents resembling white mist, a sparkle very familiar to him was emerging. Shhhinee! Ronan¡¯s mind turnedpletely nk at the sight of it beingpletely identical to the mana of Neb zier. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s finally my time to die.¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. He had thought he had slept enough in his room on the airship, but it seemed he was wrong. As he rxed his focus, the light of the core faded away. ¡®That can¡¯t be possible.¡¯ Ronan closed his eyes. Then, he infused mana into Lamancha once again. He felt the mana extracted from the lump flow into the hilt of the sword. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. After waiting, Ronan carefully raised his eyelids. Pshh! A blinding sh pierced his retina. ¡°Fxxk.¡± The previously dark core was now shing so brightly that it could be used as a source of light at a party or something. It was the same no matter how many times he tried. Ronan, who had been standing still for a long time, took a step back. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know why this was happening, but he needed to find out. After several attempts and errors, Ronan headed to the Gallerion Hall, the main building of the martial arts department. Jhordin was absent, perhaps in ss,.and he didn¡¯t know how to get to Sekreet¡¯s office. But if anyone in the department knew something, it would be Navirose, the Swordmaster. When he opened the door to the First Arena, he was greeted with a strange scene. ¡°If everyone is here, let¡¯s start¡­ hmmm?¡± The students who should have been sparring had gathered and were sitting in a circle with their weapons lowered. In front of the students, Navirose stood in front of a massive mobile chalkboard, drawing something with chalk. It resembled a monkey pierced through the chest with a cannonball, but it was difficult to discern exactly what she was drawing. As their eyes met, she nodded to Ronan. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Ronan, did you have a good time at the Dawn Tower?¡± ¡°I thought so until just a moment ago.¡± Ronan let out a sigh, looking somewhat embarrassed. Judging by Navirose¡¯s question, it seemed she wasn¡¯t aware of what had happened at the Dawn Magic Tower. Among the seated students was Adeshan as well. When she noticed Ronan, she waved enthusiastically. ¡°Wee. I was about to start the ss on cores and auras, you came at the right time. Come on, sit down.¡± ¡°Cores¡­ the timing is terrible.¡± Ronan, who had walked over hesitantly, took a seat beside Adeshan. It seemed that awakening the Shadow Mana had improved herplexion significantly since thest time. Seeing the dark shadows cast over Ronan¡¯s face, Adeshan asked with concern. ¡°Long time no see Ronan. Your expression doesn¡¯t look so good. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m finished, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve be a fool, no different from those fanatical bald zealots.¡± ¡°Bald zealots?¡± Adeshan tilted her head in confusion at the unfamiliar words. Roan sighed once again. It was a deep sigh, as if he were exhaling his frustration and then swallowing it back. Navirose then resumed her lecture. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sure you all already know about cores, but let¡¯s go over it one more time. Ronan, why don¡¯t you answer? What happens when you pour water into a container made of straw?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯ll leak, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what an uncored heart is like. A heart made of straw. It can circte mana, but it¡¯s not suitable for anything beyond that.¡± Adeshan started taking notes as Navirose continued to exin the importance of cores. Ronan noticed that, apart from him and Adeshan, all the other students seemed to have already formed their cores. Navirose continued to draw and exin the theory of cores diligently. Roan found the theoretical ss surprisingly engaging, even though he had initially thought he would only excel in practical applications. ¡°Creating a core ultimately means changing the material of your heart. At the very least, you need to reach a level equivalent to wood or metal, only then can you truly store mana in your heart and utilize it as a power source. Now, take a look at this knight.¡± ¡°¡­Knight?¡± Ignoring the abysmal drawing skills, Roan was shocked to realize that the subject of Navirose¡¯s drawing, the monkey that had been hit by a cannonball in the chest, was, in fact, a knight operating a core. She exined the core¡¯s operation while pointing out different parts of the monkey-knight¡¯s body. ¡°There are various methods to create a core. The one I rmend is training while consistently stimting the heart with mana. It¡¯s the most basic and side-effect-free method.¡± In essence, the basic principle of creating a core was through consistent training that would modify the ¡®original¡¯ heart. Navirose emphasized the importance of the core repeatedly, as it was an essential step in the process of developing one¡¯s Aura. The only way to develop an individual¡¯s unique mana, Aura, was to umte the absorbed external mana in the core or circle and wait for it to change. It wasn¡¯t long before Navirose continued speaking. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that¡¯s given without effort. Dedicate yourself to training, think of it as turning each straw into steel with diligence.¡± Once the theoretical part of the lesson was over, Navirose immediately transitioned to practical training. The students, except for Ronan and Adeshan, were instructed to practice using their cores actively during their sparring sessions. Only the two people who did not yet have a core had to swing their swords at the puppets in a remote corner. Navirose assured them not to be too upset. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disheartened. You two are special cases. Think of it as investing time to make a big container.¡± ¡°I understand. But, Instructor, I have one question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is there any chance that two different types of mana can manifest from a single core?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her assertion was sharp and definite. Ronan bit his lip and asked again. ¡°Absolutely not? Not even under extraordinary circumstances?¡± ¡°Precisely, there is no known case of it. Unless you have two hearts, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Ronan closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Clearly, this was not a normal situation. ¡°Well, Jhordin¡­ but what is this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I think¡­ my core has formed.¡± ¡°What?¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. Even if her estranged daughter had announced that she was pregnant, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been this surprised. Instead of answering, Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. The mana extracted from the tumor dyed the core within his sword a brilliant white. ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°But, it isn¡¯ting from my heart. Am I going to be sold to the zoo now?¡± ¡°The nature of the mana haspletely changed. What on earth happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. By the way, do you see anything sparkling?¡± ¡°Sparkling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ronan heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed that he was the only one who could distinguish Neb zier. With her hand on his chest, Navirose muttered with an intrigued tone. ¡°¡­Indeed. It seems something that functions as a power source has taken up space next to the heart.¡± ¡°You mean a core? It¡¯s a bit eerie, honestly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see once you try. If there is any sign of something going wrong, I will help you, so give it a try.¡± Navirose pointed her chin toward the puppet. Ronan reluctantly tightened his grip on the hilt. It sounded reckless, but he knew firsthand that sometimes there was no answer until you confronted it. ¡®Alright, damn it. I knew it.¡¯ Lamancha disappeared from his sight for a moment. Then, with a swift motion, the puppet fell into pieces. ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡± Adeshan eximed. Even with her vision enhanced with the shadow mana, it was difficult to keep up with his speed. However, Ronan and Navirose maintained aposed expression. The speed and range were not significantly different from what they were when he used to absorb mana to cut. ¡°Just from this I can¡¯t tell for sure. Try to unleash your sword energy this time.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Swaaah! A peculiar sound escaped between Ronan¡¯s lips. This time, it was a sword energy. He concentrated, wielding his de, and a crescent-shaped sword energy shot towards the puppet, hitting its neck and exploding. Dust and particles flew out in all directions. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan frowned. As expected, there was no significant difference in terms of power or range. Ronan, feeling something strange in his body, opened his eyes wide. ¡°Huh, uh¡­ what¡¯s happening¡­?¡± ¡°Yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Ugh, something is strange¡­¡± Even without moving, Rohan felt breathless, his chest tightened. It seemed like he expended more energy than usual when using his sword energy. Suddenly, his legs gave away, and he slumped to the ground, looking quite pale. rmed by his condition, Adeshan shouted, ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­! Wait! I¡¯ll get some water.¡± Adeshan hurried to the office, and the radiance of the sword energy disappeared. Out of curiosity, Ronan changed his mana back to his original heart, and his breathing slowly normalized, while strength returned to his legs. ¡°What in the world is this¡­?¡± ¡°Is this operating separately from your usual core? Interesting.¡± Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. At the moment, he couldn¡¯t find any differences from his cursed heart, if anything, it felt worse. Not sharing the mana path with his original heart was a relief, but it seemed to result in nothing more than a slight increase in avable mana, and only for some extravagant use at a banquet. His frustration grew as he gradually lost his patience. ¡®Damn, is this all there is? Just a shy disy? Making it harder for no reason?¡¯ ¡°For now, I¡¯ll go check on the other students. Try it out alone where it¡¯s safe.¡± Nabirose turned away, having monitored Ronan. It was a genuine ss period, and she couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to just him. Ronan, gasping for breath, stood up. He couldn¡¯t ept what had happened to him. ¡®There must be something more to this.¡¯ The origin of the core was probably tied to the influence of Vijra. This core originated from a being with tremendous power, whether good or evil, but this could not have been the end. He approached a high-grade puppet, once reserved for knights of Gracia, and took a stance. These high-gradebat puppets were much sturdier than regr practice puppets. Most of his training had been focused on sparring with Shullifen and physical training, so trying to strike this puppet was a new experience for him. Looking at the armor of the puppet, he raised an eyebrow, recognizing the Gracia emblem on it. Probably provided as a support from the Gracia Family. A strange sensation welled up in him, and it reminded him of that time a few months ago. ¡®He¡¯s just like that guy¡­ Was it Nn?¡¯ The high-gradebat puppet before him bore a striking resemnce to Sir Dn Concesto, who was a knight of Gracia, and indeed, the same person who sneaked into his room in the middle of the night attempted to assassinate him as a Neb zier¡¯s spy. A memory of Dn¡¯s unique method for manifesting aura crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®Come to think of it, his way of manifesting aura was quite unique.¡¯ Chapter 100: Second Heart (3) Chapter 100: Second Heart (3) ¡°Ronan, are you okay now? I brought some water¡­¡± Adeshan, carrying a water-pouch, was approaching from behind, but Ronan didn¡¯t notice her presence. He absentmindedly lifted his leg and stomped the ground with his right foot. ¡®Is this how he did it?¡¯ Thud! A wave of sparkling mana spread out along with a dull sound.. Adeshan, who was carrying the water-pouch, lost her bnce and staggered. ¡°Aahh!¡± ¡°Sunbae?¡± Ronan turned his head, and he saw Adeshan falling. Reacting swiftly, he lunged to catch her and the water-pouch that was up in the air. ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± ¡°What did you trip on?¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean? What happened?¡± Adeshan looked around, confused. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything on the t stone ground that would have caused her to fall. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s eyes, which had been scanning the area,nded on Adeshan¡¯s leg, more precisely, her ankle. ng! Lamancha slipped out of his grasp as he cursed under his breath. ¡°This damn thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. He continued to focus on Adeshan¡¯s leg, specifically her ankle. Ronan grabbed her calf as he suddenly squatted down. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± ¡°This is¡­!¡± A flustered Adeshan¡¯s face turned red, and she struggled to break free from Ronan, but he held on firmly. Something like a thin tree root was wrapped around her ankle. The sparkling mana roots were very simr to Dn¡¯s aura. ¡®What the hell happened?¡¯ Given the circumstances it was evident that he had manifested those himself, but his mind was still clouded with deep questions. Crack! Suddenly, the space right beside them flipped. A bearded mage walked out with dignity. ¡°Long time no see, Ronan.¡± ¡°Kr-Kratir?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. If it¡¯s alright with you, we could¡­ hmm?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It was Krava Kratir, the Principle of Philleon Academy. Despite everyone turning their head towards Kratir, Ronan was still focused on Adeshan¡¯s ankle. Kratir, who btedly saw the two¡¯s behavior, narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Did this old man interrupt an important moment, by any chance?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded without hesitation. Nevertheless, he was grateful that the old man had a sense of awareness. What could be more important than this right now? Adeshan¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Ronan, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Just stay still for a moment.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but take your time.¡± Kratir chuckled as he stroked his beard. So Ronan did just that. Adeshan¡¯s ankle was entangled with roots made of glittering mana. ¡®It¡¯s definitely that bastard¡¯s ability. How did they suddenly manifest?¡¯ Ronan remembered Dn¡¯s aura binding his limbs and making his body heavy. Although it was so weak that it could not bepared to the original, it was undoubtedly the same ability. ¡®Did I identally copy his aura? Me?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it, but that was the reality. When he tried to get up to try again, a sudden dizziness overwhelmed him. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± An intense sense of fatigue surged through his limbs. Ronan realized toote that the mana filling the tumor had almost run dry. The roots that were weakly flickering vanished. Ronan staggered to his feet, clutching his chest. Adeshan and Kratir supported him simultaneously. ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°Yourplexion suddenly got worse. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Whew¡­ maybe.¡± Ronan gasped for breath. He switched the power source back to his original heart. He started feeling his strength returning along with a rush of blood through his body. ¡®I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m almost out of mana.¡¯ More mana was consumed at once than when he shot his sword energy. He would have to try again after some recovery. ¡°Sorry. It was really important.¡± Only then did Ronan show his remorse to Kratir. The wrinkled face still held a kind smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It looks like your lover broke her leg so you were massaging it, perhaps?¡± ¡°Well, something like that. Although, she¡¯s not my lover.¡± ¡°Ah, his lover¡­¡± Adeshan covered her mouth with her hand. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°I would like to change location if possible. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it, but¡­¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go.¡± Kratir suddenly pped his hands. The space flipped, and their vision darkened. A momentter, the surroundings brightened, revealing apletely different scene. ¡°This ce¡­¡± It was a familiar ce. The spacious area resembled a living room rather than an office, with three walls covered in windows that offered a view of the blue sky and Philleon¡¯s grounds. In the center of the room, a wooden round table was ced. A man sat with his back to Ronan, facing the table. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows at the sight. It was the office of Principal Kratir on the top floor of Philleon Tower 1. Then the man sitting at the table, who had turned to face them, had a decadent voice. ¡°You¡¯re here, Ronan.¡± ¡°Jhordin? You were here?¡± ¡°Yeah. I came for some work and heard about you. You¡¯ve made quite the mess.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The identity of the man was Jhordin Stonesong. A teapot with steam rising from it was ced in front of him. ¡°¡­Anyway, you came with something strange. It doesn¡¯t seem like a Core.¡± Suddenly, Jhordin scrutinized Ronan from top to bottom and furrowed his brow. His sharp gaze focused precisely around Ronan¡¯s heart. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re able to see it as well, professor! What on earth is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Let¡¯s talk after we finish our business with the Principal.¡± ¡°Haha, is it finally this old man¡¯s turn?¡± Kratir led Ronan to the round table. His usual seat had be Ronan¡¯s seat. With Ronan sitting across from him, Kratir¡¯s voice sounded somewhat excited. ¡°The reason I called you Ronan¡­ was none other than to praise your achievements at the Dawn Tower. I¡¯ve been the principal of Philleon for almost eighty years now, and a student like you is a first.¡± ¡°In a good way, I hope?¡± ¡°Haha, about eighty percent.¡± Kratirughed. Ronan breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if he had been called in to discuss his club activities. Even though they had been destroying the club building with spatial magic, it was nothing more than a monthly event. ¡°I received a direct message from Aun Phra. He spoke with excitement about you and Miss Elizabeth. He wasn¡¯t a student who showed his emotions so much.¡± ¡°I just happened to get caught up in it, it wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t a big deal, words like exploits or achievements wouldn¡¯t exist in this world. You saved Tower Master Lorehon and prevented the resurrection of the Forbidden Book Vijra. How can you say that it was not a big deal?¡± Kratir recited Ronan¡¯s deeds with the enthusiasm of a loyal subject, praising his aplishments. His apparent joy was evident in his formal acknowledgment, and he seemed so pleased that he didn¡¯t even offer the customary safety warning. ¡®Is he telling me to take care of the book myself?¡¯ Since they didn¡¯t mention it, it seemed that Ronan was expected to handle the Vijra situation himself. Or perhaps, both Aun Phra and Varen had chosen to remain silent. Kratir, who had been chattering happily, finally continued the conversation. ¡°You¡¯ve truly made us proud, Ronan. Considering the Dawn Tower¡¯s situation, it will be difficult to praise you in public for the time being, but I wanted to express my gratitude in this way.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Anyway, thanks.¡± ¡°Then tell me, is there anything you desire?¡± ¡°Anything I desire?¡± ¡°Efforts like yours deserve a fitting reward. If I was going to leave it at just a ¡®thank you,¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have called you.¡± Ronan scratched his head. He had already received more than he could have imagined from the Dawn Tower, so nothing specific came to mind. Normally, asking for a schrship or avish stipend would have been reasonable, but Ronan, as the ranked 2 applicant, was already receiving a full schrship. ¡®Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything in particr.¡¯ Declining wasn¡¯t an option. He thought about requesting transportation through spatial magic every time he needed it, but that wasn¡¯t realistic either. ¡®Right.¡¯ At that moment, the faces of his fellow club members crossed his mind. Ronan snapped his fingers and spoke. ¡°Oh, can you provide me with a training ground for the club to use?¡± ¡°Oh, a training ground?¡± ¡°Yes. A spacious and sturdy one.¡± An exclusive training ground was the most crucial facility for a top-tier adventurers¡¯ club. Ronan was aware that Cita¡¯s blood magic training was still taking ce off-site. Nest¡¯s training area was decent, but it might have been somewhat cramped for those who practiced wide-ranging techniques like Aselle and Shullifen, to demonstrate their full potential. ¡°It might be a bit much to ask for something sturdy enough to withstand a dragon¡¯s rampage¡­ Just as long as it can handle Zaifa and Navirose¡¯s force without crumbling, that would be great.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an easy request.¡± ¡°It would be even better if it¡¯s close to the club.¡± Ronan had two requirements. Spacious and sturdy. However, meeting these criteria was easier said than done. Kratir, who had been murmuring, spoke up. ¡°Hmm¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll do my best to arrange something.¡± ¡°Thank you. Is it going to be difficult?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯ll try to have it ready before winter. This should be interesting.¡± While the idea of building a training ground was appealing to Ronan, the prospect of constructing it weighed heavily on him. The two of them continued their conversation for a while. There was so much to discuss, given their extensive club activities. ¡°By the way, Ronan, is it true that Hell Prominence was cast? It¡¯s been a sealed spell ever since Lord Lorehon used it in the Southern Front twenty years ago.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about that damn fire, then you¡¯re right. Vijra went berserk right in front of me.¡± ¡°Haha, they say it¡¯s a never-ending ze fueled by mana. How on earth did you quench it?¡± ¡°Aun Phra provided me with five scrolls. I used those to douse the mes. It ran out of mana to burn.¡± Kratir chuckled. He was discussing his heroic deeds at the Dawn Tower while they were in the middle of the conversation. Ding! Ding! Ding! Suddenly, a clear chime rang out from Kratir¡¯s pocket. ¡°Oh, let me get myself together.¡± Kratir massaged his temples and stood up hastily. The chime wasing from his pocket watch. After adjusting his attire, he addressed Ronan and Jhordin alternately. ¡°Sorry about this. This old man will go first. I hope you both get some rest.¡± ¡°Where are you going all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I almost forgot that I¡¯m visiting the Itrah Gorge in the north next month for the Centennial Beasts Festival.¡± ¡°The Centennial Beasts Festival?¡± ¡°Once again, I would like to express my gratitude for Ronan¡¯s hard work. See you next time.¡± Ronan was about to say something, but at that moment, Kratir had already vanished with a p of his hands. ¡°What the¡­¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the sudden turn of events. With no exnation, it seemed like there was a pressing matter to attend to. The Centennial Beasts Festival. The name sounded like a celebration, but his memory of it was vague, as if on the tip of his tongue. A peculiar silence lingered while they contemted the situation. Jhordin, who had been intently observing Ronan, finally spoke up. ¡°This is strange.¡± ¡°Oh, do you have any idea of what it is?¡± ¡°Not yet. The shape is different from any core or circle I¡¯ve ever seen. Come over here for a moment.¡± Jhordin¡¯s face was deeply furrowed. Even the acknowledged Mana Sage couldn¡¯t discern anything just by looking, which indicated there was a significant issue. He ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s back and began a thorough examination. Perhaps it was due to the close call he had recently, but Jhordin was more cautious than before. After a while, Jhordin¡¯s lips parted. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°As expected, it¡¯s fucked up. Is there anything you can do about it? I don¡¯t mind as long as I can live for at least another ten years.¡±¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue. Can you exin how you acquired this power?¡± ¡°Acquired? Well¡­¡± Ronan exined the events that had urred at the Dawn Tower, which hadn¡¯t been mentioned in his conversation with Kratir. Since Jhordin was well aware of everything, there wasn¡¯t much to hide, except for the fact that he was now able to release a brilliant whiteish mana. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Vijra¡¯s essence integrated into your body? Is this rted to that ¡®Vijraof Destruction¡¯ you mentioned earlier?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, but¡­ then it¡¯s somewhat understandable. This cannot happen without the intervention of a force of that magnitude.¡± Jhordin chuckled. It was an expression he didn¡¯t make even when he saw Sarante¡¯s ring. Ronan expressed his frustration. ¡°Dammit, what¡¯s happening under my ribcage?¡± ¡°In a way, part of the curse that had taken residence in your heart disappeared, or more urately, it¡¯s not entirely gone.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened, and he couldn¡¯tprehend what Jhordin was saying. The curse disappeared? Without giving any answers, Jhordin continued. ¡°More precisely, it seems to have merged. I need to hear Professor Sekreet¡¯s opinion, but my initial feeling is that it has.¡± ¡°¡­Tell me in detail.¡± ¡°Two out of the remaining nine curses seem to have vanished. By the looks of it.¡± Jhordin told Ronan that two of the nine curses Ronan held had disappeared. The problem was that they hadn¡¯tpletely vanished; they had transformed into a lump, seemingly fused with an enigmatic power. ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan let out a curse. In other words, the lump residing in his chest was a conglomerate of Vijra¡¯s immense power and a part of the curse. It was such a wicked entity that it made even dealing with demons seem noble. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. It¡¯s an unprecedented new power.¡± ¡°Can this be used, just like¡­ an ordinary Core?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible. Structurally, it¡¯s far superior to conventional Cores or Circles. Given that it¡¯s unprecedented, considerable effort would be required to use it properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some constion.¡± ¡°What¡¯s also interesting is that this mass ispletely separated from your existing hearts. If you seed in forming your Core, you will have control of two power sources.¡± Ronan nodded. That was as expected. It seemed that the shing mana was connected to Vijra¡¯s power in some way, or maybe the curse his fatherid upon him. ¡°This is as much as I have found out as of now. Pleasee to me whenever you¡¯re having troubles.¡± ¡°Thanks, Jhordin.¡± Jhordin remained silent, just sipping his tea. Ronan contemted his newly discovered condition. It was initially nothing more than a cmity, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed quite advantageous. ¡®I think I could use it in some way.¡¯ Even putting everything else aside, being able to handle two Cores was a definite advantage. Moreover, although further investigation would be required to know for sure, Vijra¡¯s core seemed to be hiding an absurd ability. Ronan, who had been rubbing his chin, opened his mouth. ¡°Jhordin. Let me ask you just one question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Is it possible to copy someone else¡¯s Aura? Something like handling multiple auras.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°As expected, right?¡± Just by the tone of voice, he could tell how absurd it was. Ronan left the principal¡¯s office after that conversation. As he left the Tower, strong sunlight poured down on his head, announcing the deepening summer of light blue skies. ¡®It¡¯s truly a masterpiece. Ronan bes part of Neb zier.¡¯ The conglomerate, or rather, the second heart of wickedness, beat to a different rhythm, a thought struck him. He took a few steps forward, and just as he did, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Sa-Save me!¡± ¡°Aselle?¡± Ronan turned his head and saw Aselle running towards him with a book held tightly in his hands. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Wh-why is this happening?!¡± Even when he called out loudly, there was no response. Judging by the way his eyes were tightly closed, Aslle seemed to be quite frightened. ¡°Ugh. Pathetic bastard.¡± As he reached Ronan¡¯s vicinity, Ronan changed his power source, and with a stomp of his right foot, mana waves emanated outwards. Simultaneously, sparkling roots coiled around Aslle¡¯s ankles. ¡°Huh?!¡± Without warning, Aslle¡¯s feet were entangled, causing him to fall forward. Ronan dashed over and grabbed Aslle¡¯s hood, his face was suspended just a finger¡¯s width above the ground, stuck between the pavement and the edge of a curb. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you making such a fuss?¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­?!¡± It was only now that Aselle noticed Ronan¡¯s presence, and his eyes widened as he stumbled backward, bumping into a wall. He stuttered. ¡°Y-you too, now¡¯s not the time! You need to run!¡± ¡°If I have to ask you one more time, and I¡¯ll tie you upside down to amppost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I-I mean, it¡¯s just that, right now¡­¡± ¡°RIght now?¡± Before Aselle could answer, a loud noise resounded from around the corner that Aselle had just emerged from. People¡¯s screams were spreading like wildfire. The sounds of breaking and shattering were growing closer. Aselle eximed with a quivering voice. ¡°A manticore that was supposed to be disyed at the Centennial Beasts Festival has escaped!¡± Note: Thank you for reading the past 100 chapters on our site. Even though it was a tough journey, we¡¯ve made it here. Look forward to 100 more! Chapter 101: The Centennial Beasts Festival (1) Chapter 101: The Centennial Beasts Festival (1) From around the corner, the screams of people could be heard, and the sounds of destruction were getting closer. Aselle, who had fallen into contemtion, shouted as he stumbled about. ¡°A Manticore that was supposed to be disyed at the Centennial Beasts Festival has escaped!¡± ¡°Manticore?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. A Manticore was a dangerous monster known for feasting on humans, typically found in the treacherous regions of the northwest. It was considered more formidable than your typical wyvern or ogre. It was hard to believe that such a creature would be present in the Academy. Ronan¡¯s vague recollection of the Centennial Beasts Festival suddenly surfaced. ¡®I remember now.¡¯ He had seen it on the academic schedule. The Centennial Beasts Festival, as the name suggested, was an event where they disyed around a hundred different fantasy creatures and monsters on campus. But a Manticore? Ronan found it almost unbelievable. Crash! Just then, a street bronzemp flew in a curve crashed to the ground. ¡°What?¡± The bronzemp had been bent almost to the point of snapping. As the mor spread, a loud roar rang out, and at the same time a huge beast jumped out from around the corner. Aselle, who had been backing away, stumbled and fell. ¡°Aahhh! It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Kwaaagh!¡± In the middle of the street, the lion-like creature stood, bellowing towards the sky. Ronan raised his eyebrow at the thunderous roar. ¡°Is that for real?¡± Indeed, it was a Manticore. Its body seemed to be at least 7 meters long. Covered in pumpkin-colored fur, its muscr frame looked as though it might burst at any moment. Its thick, scorpion-like tail swayed relentlessly through the air. But Ronan couldn¡¯t help feeling something was off. He examined the Manticore and furrowed his brow. ¡°Huh?¡± There were numerous restraints attached to the Manticore¡¯s body. Leather gags were in ce in its snapping maw, and a pair of bat-like wings were bound with heavy chains. The deadly stinger at the end of its thick tail was wrapped in what looked like metal. Ronan let out a sarcasticugh and lightly pped Aselle on the back of his head. ¡°You idiot, you ran away from that thing?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± To be fair, it wasn¡¯t entirely not understandable. The current Aselle might find the monster a bit overwhelming. Even if most of its offensive capabilities were sealed, it was still a Manticore. With its massive size and agility, it was threatening enough. Getting hit by one of its front paws or its tail would result in bingpletely crippled. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Thud! Thud! Thud! Every time the tail struck the ground, shattered cobblestones were sent flying. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®How powerful is this thing, exactly?¡¯ It might seem out of the blue, but Ronan wanted to know how good the Aura he copied from Dn was. Surprisingly, it was possible that they wouldn¡¯t work so well against such a massive creature. Determined, Ronan tapped on Aselle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, got any mana potions? The ones you keep for emergencies.¡± ¡°Um, yes. I have one bottle, but¡­¡± ¡°Give it here.¡± Ronan snatched the potion from Aselle and chugged it down. His empty Core was replenished with mana, and his fatigue vanished. ¡°Good¡­ I¡¯m ready.¡± As Ronan muttered to himself, Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. He had seen what wasing. Ronan picked up a stone from the ground and held it in his hand. Aselle¡¯s face turned even paler. With his left hand gripping Aselle¡¯s cor as he attempted to flee, Ronan swung his right arm. Bang! The stone flew through the air and struck the Manticore square in the back of its head. ¡°¡­Kugh?¡± ¡°Over here, you furball.¡± The Manticore slowly turned its head. Ronan, meeting its fiery eyes, grinned. Although they had crossed paths a couple of times in his past life, seeing the monster up close like this felt strangely nostalgic. ¡°Kwaaaaagh¡± The ferocious Manticore roared and charged towards Ronan. Its approach was incredibly fast, despite the various restraints. Ronan gazed at the creature, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. When the distance closed to about five paces. ¡®Now.¡¯ Thud! Ronan stomped his foot. A wave of mana surged forward. Simultaneously, shimmering roots sprang from the Manticore¡¯s four legs. They were torn away without any hesitation. ¡°Kwaaagh!¡± ¡°Aw fuck. I knew it.¡± Ronan let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Aura enhancements needed more practice. Ronan, recing the power source with his heart, tugged at the hilt of his sword. A reddish sword energy appeared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Kwaaagh!¡± A strange breathing sound sifted through Ronan¡¯s mouth. No matter the circumstances, the sensible thing to do right now would be to kill the creature before there were any casualties. Right at the moment he was about to strike. ng! Suddenly, a huge shadownded from the sky, making a loud noise. Ronan immediately stopped himself and let out a curse under his breath. ¡°Fuck, what is it now?¡± The imposing figure, dressed in formal attire, appeared to be around four meters tall. Ronan noticed the thick fur covering the figure¡¯s neck and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Varen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bitplicated. Why did this happen¡­¡± Instead of answering, Varen raised his left arm. Simultaneously, the Manticore¡¯s forehead collided with his palm. Thud! The unexpected result left the two boys wide-eyed. ¡°Grr¡­! Kraaaah¡­!¡± ¡°Calm down, Nanushi. Please return to your cage.¡± Varen stood there motionless. It was a contrast to the Manticore, which was exerting strength with its ws nted on the ground. ¡°Please, go back. The people here won¡¯t harm you.¡± His calm tone conveyed a sense of reassurance. The Manticore, realizing it couldn¡¯t win a power struggle, reluctantly stepped back, avoiding any harm to nearby bystanders. It then leaped toward a nearby tower. ¡°Kraaaagh!¡± It wasn¡¯t trying to escape. In an instant, it reached a height of about seven stories, kicking off the outer wall of the tower and charging at Varen. Aselle covered his face with his hands as he saw the sight of what looked like a meteorite falling. ¡°Argh! Professor!¡± ¡°Huuu¡­¡± Varen exhaled lightly. Just as the Manticore was about to strike with its club-like forelimb, Varen, who dodged the attack by slightly twisting his shoulder, grabbed the Manticore¡¯s mane and mmed it onto the ground. Thud! The Manticore, with its head buried in the ground, copsed. ¡°Grrroarrr¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nanushi. I didn¡¯t want to do this, but you left me no choice.¡± The Manticore¡¯s body went limp. Varen gave it a light silent bow. Suddenly, something strange caught Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ A golden Aura surrounded Varen, extending from his right shoulder to his fingertips. The sporadically flickering golden mana seemed to take on a fierce form, much like his forelimb. Ronan raised an eyebrow, realizing the identity of this power. ¡®Is that Varen¡¯s Aura?¡¯ It was strange that he had used only one arm to immobilize the Manticore. Even though he was a Werelion, the weight ss itself was different. Ronan thought there must have been some kind of power at work, and he was right. ¡®It¡¯s intense. Seems like a body strengthening type¡­¡¯ Ronan observed Varen¡¯s Aura carefully. Varen, seeing that the Manticore waspletely knocked out, btedly turned his head. ¡°Huh! Ronan?!¡± Varen¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized Ronan and Aselle. His Aura, which had been outstretched in a defensive stance, dissipated. The sharp look in his eyes softened, and the familiar, bewildered expression returned to Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Are you two okay?!¡± ¡°You almost killed us, Varen. Good to see you again.¡± ¡°Now is not the time to make jokes like that. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Varen, still flustered, patted the two of them on the back. He tried to lookposed, but he remained a bewildered lion unable to grasp the situation. Ronan, appearing untroubled, nodded as if nothing much had happened. ¡°We¡¯re okay. But really, what just happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. I should have brought him back a littleter if I knew this would happen.¡± He went on to exin that the Manticore named Nanushi was a creature he had personally captured to participate in the Centennial Beasts Festival. It had originally been raised in the nearby mountains of the ind, and to limate to the environment at the Philleon Academy they had moved it to here the previous night. However, it had managed to break free by breaking the cage door. ¡°It was fortunate that it had been wearing restraints for training purposes. I never would have imagined that the iron bars from Nodnd Mountain would break¡­ Even if the event is canceled now, there¡¯s nothing I can say about it.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not that bad, is it? I¡¯m not sure what the Festival is, but I would have liked to see it.¡± ¡°I would like that too. However, it will depend on the decision of the Student Council and the faculty. Unfortunately, it had to happen at such a crucial time¡­¡± Varen trailed off, and soon, heavily armored officers rushed in. They bound the unconscious Manticore with iron chains and ced it in a massive cart. Varen, watching over the process, bowed once more. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this. As one of the professors and one of the organizers of the Grand Festival, I would like to sincerely apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Living means experiencing all sorts of things. Aselle, you good too?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I¡¯m¡­ f-fine.¡± Aselle nodded weakly, tears still leaving their marks on his pale cheeks. Varen, with a heavy sigh, spoke up. ¡°Thank you for your leniency. I¡¯ll go and attend to the situation now.¡± Thud! Varen leaped into the air. His acrobatics allowed him to effortlessly leap over several buildings. Ronan hadn¡¯t noticed until now because Varen was always busy baking cookies and sipping tea, but he was indeed an incredibly powerful individual. ¡®Well, he is a Wearlion, so it¡¯s only natural. Anyway¡­¡¯ Ronan recalled Varen¡¯s Aura that he had seen just now. It seemed to be in the category that enhanced the body, and at first nce, it appeared to be quite useful. Suddenly, he felt that Auras were indeed unfair abilities. Some people obtained extraordinary, game-changing Auras like Stormsword, while others were stuck with rather mundane or even hindering ones, like glowing roots for legs. ¡®I wish I could copy something like that as well.¡¯ Ronan absentmindedly mimicked the pose Varen took earlier, the gesture that he used to block the Manticore with just one arm. Just as Ronan imagined Varen¡¯s Aura form, suddenly, a burst of golden energy emerged from Ronan¡¯s arm. He was taken aback. ¡°Whoa, what the¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan was visibly shocked and stepped back. Aselle, who had been watching him, blinked in confusion. For a brief moment, Ronan felt that Varen¡¯s mana hade to life from his arm. ¡°What¡­ What just happened?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Ronan shook his head. He had seen it briefly, but it was undoubtedly the same power as Varen¡¯s Aura. ¡®Could it be possible to copy other abilities as well?¡¯ A sudden realization struck him like a lightning bolt. He immediately tried to recreate Varen¡¯s Aura, but all he managed was to drain his mana, with no sessful replication. It felt like far more mana had been consumed than with Dn¡¯s Aura. ¡®If it¡¯s not limited to just those idiots¡¯ Aura, then¡­!¡¯ However, Ronan¡¯s expression remained undarkened. What was important was that he manifested someone else¡¯s Aura other than Neb zie. If the ability resulting from the tumor allowed him to replicate any Aura, and if there was no limit to the target, he had indeed gained an incredible power. ¡®It¡¯s still not enough.¡¯ But he wasn¡¯tpletely sure. He needed more verification of his newfound abilities. Lost in thought, Ronan muttered to himself. ¡°¡­For now, I need to grow my Core.¡± ¡°Huh? Core?¡± ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s head back.¡± No matter how much he thought about it, there wasn¡¯t much more he could do at the moment. The two of them set off toward their respective destinations. The students who had regained theirposure were muttering as they followed the Manticore as it was being transported. *** By the time Ronan arrived at Nest, the club building, the sun was beginning to set. He had gone to exin the situation about his Core to Naviros¨¦ and ended up being detained there. ¡°Damn, that was insane.¡± Ronan let out a string of curses. His arms and legs were still trembling. After learning that he could handle two Cores, Navirose had responded with her typical attitude, ¡°Well, I guess we can double up on training then.¡± In the end, Ronan had practiced until both of his Cores were utterly depleted. As he thought back on the events of the day, he twisted his lips in thought. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not time yet.¡¯ He had shared most of the information he¡¯d heard from Jhordin with Navirose, but he hadn¡¯t revealed the fact that he could now mimic someone else¡¯s Aura. He felt that he should inform her about this ability once he had a better understanding of how it worked. ¡®Could it be that the difficulty of mimicking an Aura depends on its strength?¡¯ As Ronan pondered this during his training, he twisted his lips in contemtion. Mimicking Varen¡¯s Aura had proven to be a failure. Despite multiple attempts, it only drained his mana without any sess. Creek! Ronan had arrived in front of the club building and opened the door, revealing an interior that resembled a tavern. Aselle, whom he had arranged to meet in advance, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Ah, Ronan. Long time no see.¡± Instead, his eyes caught sight of Marya, who was drying her hair with a towel. Her eyes met Ronan¡¯s and she smiled broadly. Water droplets from her lush blonde hair scattered in all directions. ¡°Yeah, it has been. Where¡¯s Aselle?¡± ¡°Huh? That cutie didn¡¯te here. Did you agree to meet?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m waiting. By the way, your body seems to have be a bit stronger.¡± Ronan, who had scrutinized Marya from head to toe, stuck out his tongue. She was wearing a workout outfit that revealed her well-defined abs. Her arms looked strong enough to crush Aselle¡¯s fragile head with just one hand. ¡®Is she a merchant or a barbarian?¡¯ Ronan seemed to understand how, in the previous life, she sessfully disguised her gender even with thoserge breasts. It was clear that she had transformed her body by converting fat into muscle. Marya, who had heard thepliment, lightly patted her abs. ¡°Hehe, you think so? Want to touch them?¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± Marya pouted as if her pride had been hurt. Ronan, who was feeling a bit tipsy, sat down at a table in front of him. The difference in his stamina was apparent, and it seemed that having two Cores made a significant difference. Marya, who had sat down next to him, asked with concern. ¡°By the way, your face looks injured. What happened?¡± ¡°A lot¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. Where have you been?¡± ¡°Dawn Magic Tower. Did anything happen while I was gone? Except for the Manticore incident.¡± ¡°Anything? Well¡­ there was something.¡± Marya squinted her eyes and let out a sigh. Her shoulders, which were close, felt warm against Ronan¡¯s. Slightly damp hair lightly tickled her neck. ¡®Why is she doing this?¡¯ He wanted to tell her to move since it was so hot, but even that felt troublesome to do right now. Marya, who seemed lost in thought, snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh! Lakota, who had disappeared, came back this morning.¡± ¡°Lakota?¡± ¡°Yeah. You know that guy who takes Professor Varen¡¯s sses, right? He¡¯s the same age as us.¡± ¡°Oh, that weak bastard.¡± Ronan remembered Lakota¡¯s face and nodded. He was a fellow student in the martial arts department who took Professor Baren¡¯s sses. He imed that he raised pigs and goats in his hometown, but honestly, he wasn¡¯t a guy with a lot of presence. ¡°That bastard went missing?¡± ¡°Yeah. There was a fuss because he disappeared without a word. When I asked him why he came back sote, he said he went into the forest at night to pick medicinal herbs and got lost. It¡¯s really ridiculous, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°He must be a bit slow.¡± Ronanughed out loud. Of course, in a ce as vast as the Philleon Academy, such an incident wasn¡¯tpletely impossible. ¡°By the way, they just posted a notice. The Centennial Beasts Festival is still going to be held as nned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Did anyone get hurt or killed?¡± ¡°No, nobody.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Some parts of the grounds were damaged, but fortunately, there were no casualties. The Manticore¡¯s escape had ended as a minor disturbance. Marya exined that after discussions between the Student Council and the Faculty, the decision to proceed with the festival had been made. ¡°To be honest, I expected this. There¡¯s no way they can cancel it this year.¡± ¡°Why? Are they going to showcase a dragon ying the guitar or something?¡± ¡°¡­Are you asking because you really don¡¯t know?¡± Ronan shrugged his shoulders. Maryaughed and said in disbelief. ¡°Amazing. No matter how busy you are, how can you not be interested in the world¡¯s news at all?¡± ¡°Stop pretending and tell me the reason.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Marya continued to speak. ¡°It¡¯s because a Doppelganger will be exhibited to the public for the first time. And not just any Doppelganger ¨C it¡¯s an Alpha and Omega pair. The entire Empire is going crazy, and you really didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Doppel¡­ what?¡± Chapter 102: The Centennial Beasts Festival (2) Chapter 102: The Centennial Beasts Festival (2) ¡°It¡¯s because a Doppelganger will be exhibited to the public for the first time. And not just any Doppelganger ¨C it¡¯s an Alpha and Omega pair. The entire Empire is going crazy, and you really didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Doppel¡­ what?¡± Upon hearing the term ¡°doppelganger,¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. It was a creature he had only encountered in fairy tales he heard as a child¡ªa mysterious being with the ability to change its appearance at will. ¡°Did those really exist?¡± ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t know? Well, then you probably don¡¯t know about their incredible ability either.¡± ¡°Their ability? To change their appearance?¡± ¡°Yes. But doppelgangers do it by reading the target¡¯s mind. Alpha takes on the form of a loved one, and Omega bes someone they hate. Fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. Marya, absentmindedly twirling her hair, continued. ¡°They reveal a person¡¯s innermost feelings that they themself aren¡¯t aware of. None of us in our generation will be able to pass by without being affected.¡± ¡°¡­Turn into someone the target hates?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you more interested in Omega than Alpha?¡± ¡°Why bother knowing who someone loves? It¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re quite the cynic. You¡¯ll just take whateveres your way, won¡¯t you?¡± Marya pouted her mouth. Ronan¡¯s interest was only focused on the Omega doppelganger. Although he was dissatisfied with pretty much everything, there was only one thing to which he could apply the grandiose expression of hatred. ¡®¡­It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to use it as self-improvement, I suppose.¡¯ A fleeting image of Ahaiyute¡¯s elusive smile crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. Just that thought was enough to make his head feel hot. Suddenly, a question made Marya raise her head. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Marya treated the existence of doppelgangers asmon knowledge, but Ronan had never heard of them in his previous life. If such a mythical creature existed, it would surely have stirred up gossip among his fellow poachers. While Ronan was lost in thought, Marya, who was lightly tapping his shoulder with her head, suddenly chuckled. ¡°Hehe, well, thanks to the doppelgangers, the Beast Festival will definitely happen this time. The scent of money is already in the air.¡± ¡°The scent of money?¡± ¡°Yeah. During the festival, students can set up their own stalls. I¡¯ve already secured a prime spot.¡± Even in the midst of their conversation, Marya was thinking about business opportunities. It was no longer surprising to Ronan. The person who had be the number one merchant in the Empire had a different mindset from the rest. Come to think of it, the scale of Karabel had grown significantly, as mentioned earlier. This was thanks to monopolizing the leftover martial arts equipment from Doron, the cksmith, and turning a profit from the Baydian Mountains. ¡®She¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Although he hadn¡¯t been given any water, the wildflower, which had grown without any help, felt like a beautiful sight. Recently, he hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to her, but she had been doing her job exceptionally well, both as a merchant and a warrior. Suddenly, Ronan smiled proudly, and he gently stroked Marya¡¯s head. His hand was rough and calloused, like a scarred battlefield and as soon as it touched the top of Marya¡¯s head she jerked back in surprise. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± ¡°Appreciating you.¡± ¡°But still, suddenly doing something like this¡­! Did you eat something wrong today?!¡± Marya, who was already a couple of steps away, stuttered and spoke. Her face was as red as an apple, and she seemed quite surprised. Ronan frowned. ¡°Stop fussing about a little head pat. I washed my hands.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything about that¡­! I mean, I haven¡¯t even finished drying my hair¡­¡± Marya was at a loss, patting her wet hair. It was somewhat amusing that she was making such a fuss about someone patting her hair when her own hair was still wet. ¡°I¡¯m here, Ronan. What¡¯s going on?¡± Creak. Just then, the clubroom door swung open, and Aselle entered. He was carrying several thick books, as if he had juste from a ss. As he entered, his gaze fell on the two of them. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Cutie you¡¯re here? We were just waiting for you.¡± Marya awkwardly chuckled and waved her hand, unsure of what to do. Having quickly read the subtle atmosphere, Aselle froze in ce. The unique observation skills of a mage allowed him to instantly grasp the situation. Marya¡¯s once-pale face was now flushed, and her hair still dripped water. Following the trail of water droplets on the floor, Aselle¡¯s gaze reached Ronan. ¡®A lie.¡¯ Aselle¡¯s face stiffened. Ronan¡¯s shoulders were soaked as if he¡¯d been caught in the rain. Ronan was still sitting at the desk, staring nkly into space. It wasn¡¯t the expression of someone who had just experienced an overwhelming event or waspletely exhausted, but rather one of bewilderment. ¡°Uhh¡­ Uuu¡­¡± Tears welled up unexpectedly in Aselle¡¯s eyes. Between his weakened arms, books cascaded to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting you. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯ve juste, why are you leaving already?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± Aselle raised his head. Hisrge pupils glistened as if they could spill tears at any moment. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Stop thinking about nonsense ande here. I called you here to give you a gift¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ept it next time.¡± ¡°Why is this kid acting like this today? Do you want to get beaten up before you leave?¡± ¡°Wuuu¡­ Uuu¡­¡± Aselle sniffled as he approached. Ronan reached into his back pocket and pulled out a book, Vijra, which appeared freshly bound with its stiff cover and crisp pages. It was hard to believe that it had originally been worn and crumpled, almost like a piece of scrap paper. ¡®It¡¯s unpleasant. This is definitely a forbidden book.¡¯ Just in case, he infused it with his mana, and this is how it turned out. It was an enigmatic mana that defied identification. Ronan handed the book to Aselle, who tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic book you like. I worked hard to get it, so give it a read.¡± ¡°¡­Why is this book all ck?¡± Aselle, wide-eyed, began to flip through the pages. Ronan nodded in approval. ¡®Only someone who knows how to wield a sword should swing it.¡¯ No matter how hard he tried, Ronan couldn¡¯t make sense of Vijra. It wasn¡¯t a matter of difficulty in content or unfamiliar words. The knowledge within the book itself seemed to reject him. So, Ronan passed Vijra to the clever Aselle. It was a bit frustrating to engage in something like this, but at least Aselle had a good head on his shoulders. Perhaps, one day, he¡¯d be able to understand Vijra and unlock its mysterious power. Aselle, who was still flipping through the pages, let out an excited exmation. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ incredible. How did they structure this magic system?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°R-Ronan, where on earth did you get a book like this?¡± Aselle¡¯s voice quivered. It hadn¡¯t even been a minute since he had received the book. ¡°¡­Can you read it?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ I barely deciphered the first page, but I can manage it.¡± ¡°Deciphered?¡± Aselle nodded and exined that all the text in Vijra was encrypted. The strange sensation Ronan had felt was due to this. Only those who understood mana logic could read the text and unveil the hidden content. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s incredibly challenging. It¡¯s a structure that bes more difficult the further you go.¡± ¡°It is to the point that it¡¯s unreadable?¡± ¡°N-Not unreadable, but¡­ with some time, I think I can decipher it somehow. However, decoding the code andprehending the content are entirely different challenges¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re better than Tower Master for sure. I¡¯m not joking, I mean it.¡± Ronan chuckled softly. He hadn¡¯t expected Aselle to be capable of reading Vijra. The day Aselle had joined the club with those ckened eyes, Ronan had feared the worst, that one day he might stand over the corpses of their fellow club members. But right now, he couldn¡¯t ask for more. ¡®Everyone¡¯s doing well.¡¯ A slight smile tugged at Ronan¡¯s lips. Hisrades were excelling beyond his expectations. Not just these two, but also Braum and Ophelia. Even the unfortunate Shullifen was bing stronger through his own efforts. Ronan rose to his feet and turned to Marya. ¡°Marya, it¡¯s been a while. How about a practice spar?¡± ¡°Eh, right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t stand it anymore; I need to move my body. Come with me.¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Ronan grabbed Marya¡¯s wrist and led her outside. Aselle, still engrossed in Vijra,pletely forgot their presence and was focused solely on his reading. ¡°Argh! What did you trip over?!¡± ¡°Pull yourself together. Your sword has gotten slower.¡± Beyond the partially open window, the sound of chirping crickets echoed. A dusky spider crept along the floor,pleting its web. The noisy day came to an end. **** Time passed quickly, and as the Beast Festival approached, the atmosphere at Philleon Academy became increasingly charged with excitement. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left now. Can you believe we¡¯re finally going to participate in the Beast Festival, an event we¡¯ve only heard about?¡± ¡°That Manticore will be there again this time, right? Ugh¡­¡± He could hear news about the festival wherever he went on campus. Students discussed the animals they liked or wanted to see, and their stories blossomed. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go with my boyfriend. If it doesn¡¯t transform into me, I might as well kill him.¡± ¡°Haha, are you going to the Omega Doppelganger? Then it¡¯ll definitely transform into you.¡± [Note: Omega is the one that transforms into the person someone hates.] The most popr attraction by far was the Doppelgangers. Nobody disliked these mysterious beings that could read a person¡¯s mind and transform ordingly. The fact that the Academy was the first ce they were being showcased only added to the students¡¯ excitement. ¡°Animal shaped biscuits¡­ balloon stall¡­ done¡­ cutie, what¡¯s left now?¡± ¡°Well, it seems like only street portraits remain.¡± ¡°Right. We found the person, but we couldn¡¯t find the easel, right? Let¡¯s go look for one!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± Marya pulled out all her connections and prepared nine different stalls. Those enjoying the festival would have no idea that all nine stores selling different items were owned by her. However, in the midst of the preparations, there were bound to be people who couldn¡¯t enjoy it. On the night before the Beast Festival. Even though Arena 1 was supposed to be empty, it was crowded with people. Adeshan asked with a quivering voice. ¡°R-Ronan, are you really going to do this? Won¡¯t there be too many participants?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sunbae. I need to do at least this much to improve my skills.¡± To be precise, the only ones considered human were Ronan and Adeshan. Ronan was surrounded by knights in full-body armor, originally a training tool avable only to students in the 3rd year or higher. ¡°S-So¡­ you want to do this?¡± Through the narrow slit in the helmet, a pair of azure eyes shone. It was the same kind of armor Ronan had faced during the entrance exams, called a Magitech Knight. Adeshan tightly shut her eyes and chanted a spell tomand the knights. ¡°¡­Move.¡± In an instant, the knights¡¯ eye-slits all turned red. Ronan swiftly rolled to the side. Bang! Simultaneously, nine des struck where he had been standing. Instead of confronting them head on, Ronan dealt with the knights mainly through evasion or defense. Swish! The shimmering des barely grazed between Ronan¡¯s arms and legs. Seeing that the knights had gathered in one ce, Ronan stomped his right leg. ¡°Take this!¡± Thud! A wave radiated outwards from him, with roots that clung to the legs of the knights within its range. ng! Crash! The off-bnced knights collided with each other and fell over. ¡°Su-sess!¡± Adeshan pped her hands and shouted, in excitement. It had only been a few days, but Ronan had improved his skills significantly. Swoosh! Ronan shot this sword energy towards the immobilized knights. The knights who suffered damage exceeding the limit stopped moving. Ronan let out a chuckle when he saw that the roots had stuck to all nine knights. ¡°Whew¡­ damn¡­ finally.¡± His mana was depleted almost to the brink, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind. What mattered was whether he had achieved his goal or not. Panting heavily, Ronan sat down on the ground.. ¡°Oh, damn¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I might die¡­¡± ¡°You did well.¡± He had invested all his time in training the second Core and the awakened Aura. Fortunately, the growth rate wasn¡¯t that slow. In fact, it was growing much faster than his own mana. Was this the feeling of awakening the Shadow Mana? As Ronan looked around at the fallen knights, Adeshan pped her hands together in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing. To achieve this in just 15 days¡­¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ it¡¯s thanks to you, Sunbae¡­ Was the bnce okay this time?¡± ¡°Yeah. But I felt a little excited. I think it¡¯s safe to lower the output a bit.¡± Ronan nodded his head at Adeshan¡¯s advice. After listening to it, it certainly seemed so. ¡°Really¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d I can help.¡± Adeshan smiled. She knew Ronan¡¯s secret, the fact that he was the only one who could copy an Aura. Ronan decided to reveal it to her after careful consideration. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be able to copy Professor Nabirose¡¯s Aura someday?¡± ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t even handle the tree roots properly yet, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯m anywhere near that level.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you. Let¡¯s take it one step at a time.¡± ¡°Heh, thank you.¡± Ronan let out a chuckle andid back on the ground. The ceiling, shrouded in darkness, caught his eye. Every word they spoke echoed through the emptiness. Adeshan, who had been assisting Ronan¡¯s growth with her unique insight, sat down next to him. Most of her advice, based on her advanced insight, had proven immensely helpful. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke. ¡°The Beast Festival starts tomorrow. Time sure does fly, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it really does.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. Since I met you, it feels like everything that should have taken ten years is happening all at once.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my mood.¡± Ronan replied dryly. Adeshan just smiled warmly and didn¡¯t say anything in return. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. ¡°¡­Ronan, are you going to just train during the festival?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to just look around once in a while? There are things I want to see.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Silence fell between them again. It was so quiet that it felt like they could hear the sound of dust particles in the air. Adeshan, who had been hesitating, began speaking cautiously. ¡°Then¡­ maybe you could¡­ go with me¡­¡± Just as she was about to continue her words. Bang! The door to the arena suddenly swung open, and the lights, which had been off, came on all at once and a familiar voice rang out. ¡°Amazing! What are you two doing here in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Pr-Professor?¡± Startled, Adeshan rose to her feet. Ronan looked toward the source of the voice. A figure stood in the doorway, arms crossed, and it was none other than Professor Navirose. She spoke. ¡°Last time, you were massaging her feet in the middle of ss and now you¡¯re having a secret affair in the middle of the night? You¡¯re bold for your age.¡± ¡°S-secret affair¡­? It¡¯s nothing like that¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ronan picked up Lamancha and got on his feet. The expression on Navirose¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem suitable for joking around. After a moment of them staring at each other, she let out a sigh. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s you. The Doppelgangers have disappeared.¡± Chapter 103: The Centennial Beasts Festival (3) Chapter 103: The Centennial Beasts Festival (3) Ronan picked up Lamancha and got on his feet. The expression on Navirose¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem suitable for joking around. After a moment of them staring at each other, she let out a sigh. ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s you. The Doppelgangers have disappeared.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin. If you¡¯re willing to help,e with me.¡± With those words, Navirose turned her back to them. After a brief moment of exchanging nces, Ronan and Adeshan followed her. The three of them walked down a dimly lit corridor with minimal lighting. Long, stretching shadows yed across the walls and floor, and at this time nearing midnight, there were no students wandering around. Adeshan muttered, nervously rubbing her arms. ¡°Is it because it¡¯s nighttime? It¡¯s a bit¡­ eerie.¡± ¡°Sunbae, you need to go to the Dawn Tower. As for what I saw in thepletely dark library¡­ Well¡­¡± ¡°Hey, stop talking about that!¡± As their footsteps echoed eerily down the hallway, it didn¡¯t take as long as expected to reach their destination. Navirose stopped in front of arge double door. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly close, it¡¯s in the Gallion Building.¡± The ce where the doppelganger was said to have been kept was a small Assembly Hall located in the Gallion Building. Navirose took a step back after confirming that there was no one around. ¡°I will continue the search. Get the details from the officials.¡± ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± ¡°And aren¡¯t there any other good ces besides the arena? Like the Four Seasons Hill or something. I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s go.¡± With those cryptic words, Navirose turned and walked away. Adeshan¡¯s face showed confusion. ¡°Well, something like that¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ronan opened the door. It revealed a spacious storage room, and around seven people were huddled together in the meeting room of the Gallion Association. From the looks of it, all of them seemed to be representatives of the Beast Festival. There were two who appeared to be professors and four wearing armor. One of them was a male student dressed in a school uniform, and for some reason, his face seemed familiar. ¡°Huh?¡± The male student, upon hearing the door open, turned to look at them. Ronan¡¯s and the student¡¯s eyes met. ¡°¡­Heeik?!¡± ¡°What?¡± The pale male student shrank back in horror, and Ronan gave him a puzzled look. At that moment, in a corner of the meeting room, they noticed a werelion in pajamas. That was the person in charge. Ronan discreetly approached him and tapped his back. ¡°Varen, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan? What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°Professor Navirose sent us to help. She said the Doppelgangers have disappeared?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Varen was as baffled as he had been when he read Ronan¡¯s club activities report. His fur, which should have been sleek and shining, was now as ruffled as a worn-out sponge. He let out a heavy sigh. ¡°To sum it up¡­ the crates containing the Doppelgangers suddenly opened. If this is a nightmare, I hope someone would wake me up¡­¡± ¡°Crates?¡± Ronan looked around. Tworge boxes were wide open in the middle of the Gallion Association meeting room. Four incrediblyplex locks dangled beneath them. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not that good at guarding. Just like with the Dream Bird and the Manticore.¡± ¡°Hehuhuh¡­ I did my best. It was an unbreakable lock unless you had this key¡­!¡± Varen fumbled around in his pocket, producing a keychain with four keys, each as intricate as the locks themselves. He exined that it was impossible to unlock the boxes without these keys. Varen clenched the fur in his hands and sobbed. He exined that he had been doing his best to manage the Doppelgangers to ensure there were no disruptions in the Beast Festival. Using specially crafted locks, they had sealed the crates. Nine people, including Varen, took their positions in the Assembly Hall. Instead of leaving gaps or posting guards here and there, they decided to spend the night together as part of their strategy. Varen let out another sigh as he recollected the situation. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gone to the bathroom¡­ How could this have happened¡­¡± Despite his efforts, the Doppelgangers had escaped. It had all happened while he took a brief trip to the bathroom. Two crates stood wide open, and the Assembly Hall was in disarray. The two Doppelgangers had swapped their appearances between a frost troll, an attractive blonde woman, a giant spider, and everyone¡¯s mother. People were unable to stop these bizarre creatures. They were prepared for external threats, but nobody could have imagined that Doppelgangers would escape from within. ¡°Why did the locke undone? You said it was specially crafted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really the question. Without this key, it¡¯s impossible to unlock the lock. I¡¯m the only one who has the key.¡± Varen fumbled in his pouch and produced a keyring with four intricate keys hanging from it. He began to exin the virtues of his crafted lock, albeit with a rather somber tone. ¡°I know it might sound ironic to say this now, but it¡¯s really a great lock. It¡¯s coated with mithril, making it nearly impossible to break. It also has an anti-unlocking magic enchantment. But the fact that it was unlocked is truly unthinkable¡­¡± ¡°Varen, if you don¡¯t n to sell me those locks, please, be quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Varen, who had been stammering, lowered his head. The fact that the impressive lock had been opened was already a problem, but an even bigger problem was that no one had seen how the lock was opened. Ronan muttered under his breath. ¡°¡­Useless bunch.¡± It was truly pathetic. Regardless of what had happened, all they needed to do was watch and guard properly. In his frustration, Ronan wanted to gather all the people on guard duty and give them a good scolding, but there was no time for that. With the Beast Festival only half a day away, there was only one thing that mattered. Capturing the Doppelgangers. Ronan scratched his head roughly and spoke with an irritated tone. ¡°Damn it, shouldn¡¯t we wake everyone up to go and catch them? The festival is tomorrow!¡± ¡°That, um, will be difficult. If the Doppelgangers blend in with the crowd, it will make capturing them even harder.¡± ¡°So, what are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°We n to search with as few people as possible. Only the strong individuals that can overpower their Doppelgangers.¡± Suddenly, Varen grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand, his trembling fingers betraying his nervousness. ¡°If student Ronan helps¡­ it would be a significant help.¡± ¡°I came here to help in the first ce.¡± Ronan nodded readily. He left Varen, who looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment, and approached Adeshan, who was intently surveying the Assembly Hall. ¡®In situations like this, there¡¯ll be no one as useful as her.¡¯ Adeshan¡¯s insight would be of great help in the investigation and pursuit. Ronan was just about to call her when suddenly a voice came from behind. ¡°Um, excuse me for a moment?¡± ¡°Hmm? Weren¡¯t you¡­¡± Ronan turned his head. There was a thin, awkward-looking boy standing there. It was the same guy he had nced at a while ago. Without a clear reason, the boy¡¯s face seemed strangely familiar. Ronan, who suddenly remembered his name, snapped his fingers. ¡°Lakota?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Right, I heard a rumor about you. They said you got lost while gathering herbs and were officially dered missing. If a kid like you gets lost already, what will you do in the future?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ahaha¡­ that¡¯s what happened.¡± Lakota scratched his head andughed awkwardly. He gave off an impression of someone who was not quite together. Ronan raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior. ¡°Why are you twisting your body like that? Do you need to go to the toilet or something?¡± ¡°That¡­ no, it¡¯s not that. Could we talk in private for a moment?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a hobby of going to the toilet with men.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that. I promise it will be quick.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ I¡¯m busy as is¡­ okay, fine.¡± Ronan reluctantly followed Lakota. The sudden change in behavior was perplexing. Lakota seemed to be in distress as he scanned the surroundings. After confirming that there was no one around, he cautiously began to speak. ¡°How far are we going?¡± ¡°Please¡­ Please just follow me without asking anything. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Lakota¡¯s voice was filled with urgency. After exhaling a sigh, Roanan resumed walking. They continued without stopping until they reached the end of the lower corridor, where the toilet was located. ¡°So, it was the toilet after all?¡± Roanan chuckled, and a faint candlelight was burning on top of the urinal. Lakota anxiously scanned his surroundings, confirming that nothing seemed out of ce. He then carefully began to speak. ¡°If we¡¯re here¡­ It should be fine.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Lakota reached into his pocket. Click. A sound as if he had pressed a button echoed. Simultaneously, a translucent wave of mana radiated from his pocket. Whoosh! In an instant, a hemispherical barrier unfolded, covering both of them. Roanan furrowed his brow. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Ronan realized that he couldn¡¯t hear any sounds from outside the barrier. It was a Silent spell he was familiar with. Lakota breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s better now. I cast both Silent and Perception Interference spells.¡± ¡°How important is this secret that you¡¯re willing to go to such lengths?¡± Roanan let out a wryugh. He couldn¡¯t understand why Lakota was acting like this, suddenly calling him and spouting iprehensible nonsense. Lakota who had been hesitating, finally began to speak. ¡°It seems like¡­ you can¡¯t see the Devil¡¯s Orders.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The first time we made eye contact, I was quite shocked. You seemed to be around the same age as me, but I never expected you to be going to Philleon¡­¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit are you talking about?¡± ¡°I suppose being a warlock was a lie too, wasn¡¯t it? I suspected as much midway through.¡± Suddenly, he mentioned being a warlock. It was iprehensible, but for some reason, it sent shivers down Ronan¡¯s spine. Ronan, sensing the suspicious atmosphere, ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. After taking a few deep breaths, Lakota continued speaking. ¡°¡­I did it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I opened the lock and released the Doppelgangers.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It felt like he had been struck in the head with a boulder-sized fist. His brain, unable to process the information, was making strange noises. He managed to control his emotions and gave a menacing look at Lakota. ¡°What kind of bullshit are you talking about all of a sudden? You released them?¡± ¡°Yes. But it was for the best. Varen¡¯s strategy was going to lead to bloodshed, so I had to take a different path. We need to act quickly before the organization revises their n.¡± ¡°Bloodshed? Organization?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re confused, you have to listen to what I¡¯m saying. Time is running out. If it¡¯s you, you can stop this crisis.¡± Lakota was about to continue speaking, but before he could, Ronan rushed at him, kicking his abdomen. Thud! Lakota¡¯s body went backwards and crashed into the urinal. ¡°Ugh! Wait, just¡­!¡± Lakota tried to raise his arm to protest, but it was futile. Ronan firmly gripped his hair and simultaneously pulled out his sword. Lakota, wincing in pain, froze. The ck de of the sword was against his throat. ¡°Hee-ik¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, or it¡¯ll be the end of you. Don¡¯t y any tricks.¡± ¡°Ca-calm down¡­ please¡­¡± Blood was flowing down Lakota¡¯s neck, but Ronan didn¡¯t lower his sword. Lakota¡¯s voice had changed. The somewhat sinister high-pitched tone had transformed into aposed, low rumble. ¡°Who are you?¡± Ronan remembered. It was definitely a voice he couldn¡¯t forget. Lakota raised his arm, mumbling. ¡°I-I¡¯ll show you now¡­ So please¡­ put the sword down¡­¡± ¡°Do it like this.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I understand¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Suddenly, he grabbed the area just below his left ear as if scratching it. Sheeeik! His pale skin came off just like a mask, revealing a confused countenance underneath. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Valus. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± The sword dropped from Lakota¡¯s throat. Ronan¡¯s brain, failing toprehend the information, was making strange noises. Poacher Valus. Ronan¡¯s formerrade in the punishment unit and a member of the poaching organization Kaliborro. He was the sole survivor among the poachers who had been in the ce where Cita had hatched. Ronan, suppressing his emotions, finally spoke. ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± Chapter 104: The Centennial Beasts Festival (4) Chapter 104: The Centennial Beasts Festival (4) ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± It was a face he hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time. Poacher Valus, a formerrade of Ronan¡¯s in the punishment unit, and a low-ranking member of Kaliborro, one of the continent¡¯s leading poaching organizations. In the past, Ronan had deceived him into a fake contract by pretending to be a dark magician and Cita as a demon¡¯s messenger. Valus, who waspletely deceived, became a spy and regrly reported information about Kaliborro. That had been Ronan¡¯sst memory of Valus. The scattered puzzle pieces in his mind had fallen into ce. Poachers and a festival where rare mythical creatures gathered in one ce. Ronan, who had grasped the situation, opened his eyes wide. ¡°This bastard. After sparing your life, are you back to being a poacher?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Please¡­¡± ¡°Exin. Be brief and clear.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan released the grip on Valus¡¯s hair that he had been holding. Valus, struggling like a newborn calf, got to his feet. After taking a few deep breaths, he began to speak. ¡°This time, Kaliborro is nning a major operation¡­ Their goal is to steal the rare mythical creatures, including the Doppelgangers, before the Centennial Beasts Festival begins. I¡¯ve been assigned to the operation as well.¡± ¡°Why on earth would an organization the size of Kaliborro, which must have plenty of money, crawl all the way to Philleon to carry out this operation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an operation with symbolic significance. The organization¡¯s prestige has been on the risetely.¡± Valus exined further. Since its establishment, Kaliborro had been facing unprecedented difficulties. Several branches within the Imperial territory had been destroyed one after the other, and the power of the Imperial Anti-Poaching Unit had been doubled. Ronan, who was carefully analyzing the situation, nodded his head. ¡®The future has changed.¡¯ Originally, it was an organization that would have thrived until the end of the world. It seemed that the snowball effect initiated by Valus¡¯s espionage activities was steadily gaining momentum. ¡°The money and the other mythical creatures are just a bonus. The most important thing is to prate Philleon¡¯s security and steal the Doppelgangers, which are extremely rare and unique. The organization¡¯s goal is to let the entire continent know that Kaliborro is still thriving.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s something that anyone other than your organization can even dream of.¡± Ronan nodded slowly. If it wasn¡¯t a poaching organization of Kaliborro¡¯s caliber, they wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about it. Suddenly, a question crossed his mind. ¡°Wait a minute, weren¡¯t just you a scaredy-cat when I met you? But now you¡¯ve been deployed on such an important operation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m embarrassed to admit it, but I earned recognition.¡± ¡°Recognition?¡± ¡°Yes. I worked hard to avoid being caught as a spy¡­ but it seems like the higher-ups viewed it favorably.¡± Valus scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed. In other words, he had been promoted because he had diligently performed the organization¡¯s tasks to maintain his cover as a spy. ¡°So it became possible to steal more and more high-quality information as time went on. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that all documents from the Volcanto branch pass through me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Ronan chuckled. He had never imagined that this guy, who used to talk big and swagger around in his previous life, had such a talent. Valus had shown his skills in document work and reconnaissance, and that had led him to be involved in the current doppelganger heist operation. ¡°I infiltrated in advance to gather information and copy the key. It wasn¡¯t an easy task since Varen had it on him at all times. But I managed to do it.¡± Valus¡¯s mission was to disguise himself as a student and gather information about the Centennial Beasts Festival and the Doppelgangers. He had infiltrated Philleon about a month ago, which precisely coincided with the day when Lakota had disappeared. Ronan asked. ¡°Now that I think about it, where did the real Lakota go? Did you kill him?¡± ¡°Our side kidnapped him and took him with us. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s still alive and well.¡± Valus revealed that they hadn¡¯t killed Lakota and exined where he was being held. Ronan let out a relieved sigh. As long as he wasn¡¯t dead, he could rescue him. ¡°Then why did you release the Doppelgangers? What do you mean there¡¯s no time?¡± ¡°I released them to prevent any casualties. I didn¡¯t know that everyone, including Varen, would be on guard there. If I hadn¡¯t released the Doppelgangers at that moment, another organization member in the area would have triggered the Explosion Scroll nted there and taken the Doppelgangers.¡± ¡°Damn it, there was another poacher there?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I said we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Valus mentioned that there were other poachers who had infiltrated Philleon besides himself. Considering that Philleon¡¯s security had been breached, it seemed like it was a very thoroughly prepared operation. Ronan spat on the ground and muttered curses. ¡°God dammit. This damn academy never has a quiet day.¡± ¡°I have no face left. You said you were Ronan.¡± Valus abruptly knelt on the ground. His sudden action made Ronan furrow his brow. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I know this is a shameless and unexpected request, but please stop Kaliborro.¡± ¡°I¡¯d do it even if you didn¡¯t ask¡­ but why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°After meeting you, I realized how terrible poaching is. If the Doppelganger falls into the organization¡¯s hands first, the cruelty we¡¯ve been trying to reduce will spread like wildfire.¡± Valus¡¯s voice was mixed with sobs as he spoke. He truly despised Kaliborro¡¯s actions. Through his espionage activities, he had witnessed many horrifying scenes. Ronan, who was watching the scene, answered indifferently. ¡°You must have another reason besides that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to make such a request, but¡­ I want to leave the organization. Please help me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s good to be honest.¡± Ronan chuckled. Valus had reached a point where he could no longer extricate himself. If the operation seeded, he would continue to endure hellish days, and if it failed and he returned alone, there was a high possibility that he would be held ountable. ¡®He¡¯s been quite useful.¡¯ From the beginning, he had no intention of killing his formerrade. Moreover, Valus had shown remarkable performance during his time as a spy. He was a talented individual, and it was the right decision to bring him back before he made a mistake. Ronan, who had made up his mind, nodded his head. ¡°Now that you understand, you can get up¡­ huh?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He suddenly felt a presence from behind. Although there was no sound, he could sense it. With a wry smile, Ronan muttered to himself, as if speaking to himself, ¡°It seems we¡¯ve been away for too long.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had a feeling something was off since we were in the Assembly Hall. It kept bothering me. Seeing how they hide their presence so well, they must be pretty skilled.¡± ¡°What¡­ Huh?!¡± Suddenly, Valus¡¯s eyes widened. He shouted, pointing behind Ronan. ¡°Behind, behind you!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ronan drew his sword and swiftly turned around. Swish! A smooth de cut through the air, and a dagger-wielding hand dropped to the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan, having fully turned around, adjusted his grip on the sword. A man in full body armor was holding his severed wrist. It was the guard who had been giving Ronan strange looks in the Assembly Hall. Blood was gushing from the clean cut. Bloodshot eyes were shining through the thin slits of the helmet. ¡°Va-Valus¡­ you traitorous bastard!¡± ¡°Eek¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you after all, you disgusting poacher.¡± For a moment, Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight. An invisible sword strike was aimed at the guard. Swish! His armor-covered left arm and both ankles were cut, leaving red lines. The severed armor revealed a spurt of blood as the tendons were sliced. The guard, who had been struggling, let out a piercing scream and fell to his knees. ¡°Ughhh!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to cry, do it in there.¡± Ronan grabbed the guard¡¯s arm and threw him into range of the Silent spell. The guard, who fell like a frog, screamed again. The building was of a substantial size, but a soundproof barrier made of mana prevented any disturbances from reaching the outside. ¡°Shout as much as you like in there, okay? But it¡¯s getting annoying, so let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± ¡°Kuuugh!¡± Thud! Ronan knocked the guard down and stood on top of his chest. He grabbed the guard by the throat, and thrusted the tip of his sword into the slit of the helmet. ¡°Uuukkk.. N-nooo! Not my eyes! Please¡­¡± ¡°Sure. But you can¡¯t even walk on your own now. How frustrating it must be not to see what¡¯s in front of you.¡± With the tip of his sword pointing at the guard¡¯s eye, it was dangerously close to causing severe damage. Any slight movement could easily puncture the cornea. Ronan tapped the guard¡¯s helmet like he was knocking. ¡°Throw up everything you know. How many people are there and where are they?¡± About ten minutester, Roan returned to the Assembly Hall, leaving Valus behind. It was his job to remove the blood stains and hide the incapacitated guard. ¡®I need to hurry.¡¯ It had been about ten minutes. The Assembly Hall was empty, likely because everyone had left to search for the Doppelgangers. Only Adeshan remained, waiting for Ronan. She sensed his presence and waved her hand happily. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here Ronan. Where is the kid you went with?¡± ¡°He fell into the toilet and is taking a shower. It might take a while.¡± ¡°Huh? Fell into the toilet¡­?¡± ¡°Sunbae, could you spare a moment?¡± Ronan led Adeshan to a corner and shared the story he had heard from Valus and the disguised poachers. As the conversation progressed, Adeshan¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°Po-Poachers from Kaliborro? They¡¯re in Philleon now?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s something we can handle ourselves. Do you have a pen and a piece of paper?¡± ¡°I do, but what do you need them for?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. He took the notebook and tore seven sheets of paper from it. He quickly scribbled different pieces of information about the current situation and the locations where the poachers were active. After putting the pen down, Ronan spoke. ¡°This should be enough¡­ Subae, can you control crows now?¡± ¡°Crows?¡± ¡°Yes, please summon seven of them. Make sure they¡¯re sharp.¡± Although it was an unfamiliarnguage to those who didn¡¯t understand, the expression on their faces was serious. Adeshan opened the window and leaned out, feeling the clear and cool night air with the full moon casting its light on the correctional facility. Shortly after scanning the surroundings, they noticed crows perched on the roof of the building, dozing off. She extended her slender finger and spoke. ¡°Come here.¡± The Shadow Mana spread forward. The crows, roused from their slumber, pped their wings and flew toward her. In a matter of seconds, seven crows entered the Assembly Hall. The pupils of the crows lined up before Adeshan were tinged with ash gray. Ronan spoke in admiration. ¡°You¡¯ve grown significantly. It feels like just yesterday you were ying with mice.¡± ¡°Thanks to you. So, what do I do now?¡± ¡°Tie this to their legs. Can you give them orders for where to go?¡± Adeshan nodded. Ronan and she tied the prepared notes to the crows¡¯ ankles. ¡°All right. Now I¡¯ll tell you who to deliver these to. First, Varen and Navirose, and then¡­¡± Ronan listed the seven people to deliver the notes to. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She asked with a voice mixed with surprise. ¡°Th-these are Karibolo poachers, right? They must all be skilled. Are you sure it¡¯ll be okay?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to have them under control to use themter. But this one guy, Arondale¡­¡± Ronan pursed his lips. There were a total of eight poachers who had currently infiltrated Philleon. Based on Valus¡¯s description the others seemed manageable to some extent, but there was one person that bothered Ronan. ¡°Well, what can we do? Let¡¯s just hope that guy runs into Professor Navirose or Varen.¡± ¡°It certainly doesn¡¯t seem like a worthy opponent we can easily handle. Why would a warrior of Vakar be involved in poaching activities¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t do.¡± Once again, Valus¡¯s words of warning about the Karibolo¡¯s executives who masterminded the n echoed in his mind. Arondale, one of the Three Great Beasts. He was a warrior who had reached the level of Aura awakening, and was known to have massacred the entire Wolf Tribe with his bare hands. Ronan spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s get going for now. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ronan and Adeshan left the Assembly Hall. Simultaneously, the seven crows flew out of the window. They had about five hours until sunrise, and their goal was to find the Doppelgangers and root out the poachers before the Beast Festival began. ¡°Finding the Doppelgangers is the top priority. Have you found anything yet?¡± ¡°I did find the mana of a Doppelganger in the Assembly Hall. It¡¯s faint and intermittent, but¡­¡± Adeshan mentioned that she had detected the mana of one Doppelganger. Ronan pped his hands in satisfaction. It was akin to finding the criminal¡¯s footprint. ¡°It¡¯s over there. It went up and down this tree.¡± ¡°I found something too. Judging by the broken branches, it seems like it transformed into something big.¡± Ronan and Adeshan tracked the Doppelgangers with their senses stretched to the maximum. The empty campus resembled a deserted vige, with all of its residents gone. Only the footsteps of the two could be heard on the deserted streets. ¡°Damn it, how far did it go?¡± Ronan grumbled as he followed the trail. They had walked almost far enough to cross the entire campus grounds, but the Doppelganger still hadn¡¯t appeared. After about twenty more minutes of walking, both of them came to a halt simultaneously. The trail of the Doppelganger ended in front of the northern forest. ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on¡­ Let¡¯s go in quickly, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Uh, yes. I have to go in. Alright.¡± Adeshan¡¯splexion had turned pale. Her gaze remained fixed on the dark, foreboding forest. It seemed she was frightened of the darkness, as she had been earlier. Ronan reached out his hand. ¡°Want to hold my hand?¡± ¡°H-Hold your hand?¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s pretty scary. Among the guys with fur and all, there are too many freaks. Let¡¯s just catch them quickly.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Adeshan hesitated but took Ronan¡¯s hand. Her hand, surprisingly rough for her age, was covered in calluses. Beyond the rough palm, warmth seeped through. Her blushing ears seemed to be trying to say something. -Thud. Suddenly, footsteps were heard from behind. It was apletely different sound from human footsteps, a deep and resonant voice. Both of them turned their heads in the direction of the sound. At that moment, a massive reptile was standing there, salivating. -Kuuuuurrrghhh¡­ ¡°Huh.¡± The gap between the head and the ground seemed to be over 5 meters. Its red and sleek scales were the size of an adult¡¯s hand. The long, thick pair of horns on its head were not much different from a Dragon¡¯s. Ronanughed when he saw the monstrous appearance. A Dragon without wings. It was a Drake. [Note: A Drake is a mythological creature simr to a Dragon but without any wings.] ¡°I guess that¡¯s it, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°No one would fall in love with something like that, so it must be the Omega.¡± There was no way it was a real Drake. Even more than the Manticore, a Drake was not the type of monster that anyone could domesticate or tame. Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword. ¡°It¡¯s a fake.¡± The Drake stood motionless as Ronan attempted to draw his sword. Suddenly, the entire body of the Drake began to bubble like foam. Startled, Adeshan took a step back. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.¡± The bubbling Drake was slowly transforming into a human form. Ronan slowly pulled the hilt of his sword. ¡®¡­Calm down.¡¯ He desperately suppressed his emotions. He didn¡¯t trust himself enough to pass by the sudden appearance of Ahaiyute without striking it at least once, even if he knew it was just the Doppelganger. Thud! Finally, the fully transformed Doppelgangernded on the ground. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± However, it wasn¡¯t Ahaiyute that appeared, but instead a big man stood there expressionless. Ronan made eye contact with his man and froze. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± The man¡¯s face looked exactly like Ronan¡¯s, although it was somewhat matured. However, he was quite different from the current Ronan. His height had reached nearly 190 centimeters, and he wore an Imperial Military uniform that had been torn to pieces. A trembling voice came out from between Adeshan¡¯s lips. ¡°Why¡­ why does it look like that?¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t bring himself to look directly at it. The term ¡°severely injured¡± didn¡¯t even begin to describe the sight of the man. Crimson blood oozing from where his military uniform had been torn. The sword he clutched in his hand horribly shattered. But the most horrifying sight were the ck masses scattered all over his body. Seven masses were gnawing at various parts of the man¡¯s body like mold. The man, who had been groaning in agony, turned his gaze toward Ronan and spoke. -I couldn¡¯t protect anything. ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan, who had been standing nkly, slowly took a step back. At that moment, the man turned his back and started running away. The man ran at an incredible speed and disappeared into the dark forest in an instant. ¡°Damn it, stop!¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan!¡± Ronan btedly came to his senses and ran behind the man. After a moment of hesitation, Adeshan followed him with her eyes tightly shut. Whoosh! The strong night wind swept over the edge of the forest. Under the waving branches, three sets of footsteps echoed. Chapter 105: The Centennial Beasts Festival (5) Chapter 105: The Centennial Beasts Festival (5) ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± Ronan, who had btedly regained hisposure, chased after the Doppelganger. The fierce night wind swept through the forest. Adeshan¡¯s shout echoed from behind. ¡°Ro-Ronan!¡± However, Ronan had no time to pay attention to her. The Doppelganger¡¯s speed was unbelievably fast. The trail of blood dripping from it was the only trace of where it was headed. The Doppelganger would suddenly vanish whenever Ronan seemed to get closer. Ronan leaped over huge tree roots, passed beneath the trees haphazardly, and startled the dozing birds, all while running. When the Doppelganger disappeared behind the trees again, Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°It¡¯s so damn fast¡­!¡± As Ronan ran, following the trail of blood, leaped over arge oak tree. An unfamiliar structure appeared before his eyes. It was a wide, pointed tent, like something used in a circus, and the roof was so high that he had to tilt his head back to see the top. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Ronan spotted the entrance to the tent, which was wide open like a shark¡¯s gaping mouth. The trail of blood led inside. Ronan was about to enter when Adeshan suddenly burst out of the tall grass behind him. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Okay, found you¡­!¡± Adeshan, who had been following Ronan, stopped in front of him. Her hair, tied up in the back, glistened in the moonlight, and her sweat-soaked nape was shining white in the moonlight. As she rested on her knees and caught her breath, she opened her mouth. ¡°Whew¡­ Why are you so fast at running?¡± ¡°Sorry, I was in a hurry.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ No, it¡¯s possible¡­ By the way, Ronan, about the Doppelganger¡¯s appearance¡­¡± Adeshan turned her head to look at Ronan. He was still gripping the hilt of his sword, gazing towards the entrance of the tent. After a moment of silence, Ronan nodded. ¡°Right. It was me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on capturing it, for now. We can talk about the restter.¡± Although his thoughts were in turmoil, Ronan didn¡¯t have time for anything else at the moment. They both moved forward. As they entered the tent, an indescribable, intense odor washed over them. It was a mixture of various animal scents, like a cocktail. The inside was well-organized and reminded them of upscale stables. ¡°Wow¡­ They¡¯ve gathered them all here.¡± ¡°They spent a lot of money.¡± The tent was a structure that stretched out in a straight line like a huge cave. The well-appointed interior was reminiscent of a luxurious barn. The tent¡¯s high ceiling was adorned with hangingnterns, casting a soft glow. Along the walls on both sides, various creatures were housed in individual enclosures. Glowing mice, tree camels, desert slimes, and many other mythical creatures and monsters, some of which were rarely seen in everyday life, were peacefully asleep in their enclosures. ¡®It¡¯s better than our dorms.¡¯ Ronanughed when he saw the luxurious facilities. It was clear that Varen had designed this ce himself. Some of the enclosures were so well-equipped that theyfortably amodate people. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He looked around, but there was no sign of the Doppleganger. Fortunately, the trail of blood was still visible, leading them further into the tent. As they ventured deeper, rarer and more dangerous creatures were revealed. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but be amazed when he saw a fairy inside a ss cage emitting a pinkish glow. ¡®They even brought a fairy here. Amazing.¡¯ If Balus from his previous life had seen this, he would have been ecstatic. As they reached the end of the tent, an enormous enclosure stood before them. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Grrrr! Grrrr!¡± Adeshan looked inside a change and took a step back, startled, a massive Manticore was snoring with its stomach turned over. Ronan chuckled. ¡°So he was staying here. Not a bad ce.¡± Judging by its appearance, it was clear that it was the Manticore had been subdued by Varen. Perhaps because the training was over, all the restraints attached to various parts of the body had been removed. The poisonous stinger at the tip of its tail was covered in a purple liquid, a potent venom capable of killing evenrge monsters like wyverns. Ronan wondered if it was safe to show such creatures to students. Adeshan, who was standing next to him, tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes were fixed on a dead end in the distance. Ronan turned his head, spotting a familiar figure standing there. Long, dark fur covered the figure¡¯s neck. ¡°Varen?¡± It undoubtedly seemed like Varen from behind. Ronan raised his eyebrow, puzzled as to why Varen was here when he was supposed to go somewhere else, as instructed by the note. He was just wondering if their paths had crossed by coincidence, when suddenly something caught his attention. He noticed the bloodstains seeping from Varen¡¯s boots and evaporating like shadows. A chilling shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. He ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°It¡¯s not the professor.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s the Doppelganger.¡± Adeshan muttered under her breath. Then, Varen¡¯s body slumped to the side, and another figure appeared from where the Doppelganger had fallen, appearing to be over three average-sized adult men stacked on top of each other. This imposing individual had a thick red beard covering his neck. He wore a bear mask on top of his head. As the bted realization struck him, the mysterious man raised his head, and his eyes met Ronan¡¯s. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Adeshan involuntarily shrank back as she realized that this was no ordinary person. The deep, resonant voice carried an overwhelming power. A fiery energy radiated through his muscr arms, thicker than Ronan¡¯s waist, and his massive fists were poised to strike like imminent volcanic eruptions. Of all the beings Ronan had encountered, this man had the most rugged and sinister Aura. ¡®It seems like the Doppelganger transformed after seeing this guy. Probably because Varen hates him¡­ An Aura of this caliber¡­ Damn it.¡¯ Ronan let out a sigh. Even though he didn¡¯t say a word, Ronan felt like he already knew his name. Why did his ominous predictions alwayse true? Regardless, he was grateful that other club members hadn¡¯t encountered him first. ¡°Answer me. How did you get here? Or was it just by coincidence?¡± ¡°I was actually about to ask you just that, Arondale.¡± The man named Arondale raised his eyebrow. He had been casually tilting his head but now ced his right foot on top of the transformed Doppelganger that had taken on Varen¡¯s appearance. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± Ronan nodded. It had urred to him btedly, but even in his past life, he had at least heard rumors about Kaliborro¡¯s Three Giant Beasts. The most prominent figures in the continent¡¯srgest poaching organization. The brutal ughterers whose acts had created ake of animal blood. Ironically, he had even heard about them from Balus. ¡®Balus used to sing their praises as if they were gods.¡¯ During his time as a member of the punishment unit, Balus praised Kaliborro¡¯s Three Giant Beasts as if they were gods. ording to him, as long as these Three Giant Beasts existed, Kaliborro would live forever. Among them, Arondale was mentioned quite frequently. Today, he would get a chance to confirm his strength firsthand. Ronan spoke up. ¡°I know your n has failed, and by now, your underlings have all probably been defeated.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about? Do you even know who we are?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Was it Kaliborro or something like that?¡± Arondale¡¯s face stiffened. Ronan slowly gripped the hilt of his sword, and the ck de of Lamancha emerged. He locked eyes with Arondale, and whispered. ¡°Sunbae, take the opportunity and run away. Go find Professor Navirose or Varen and bring them here.¡± ¡°You¡­ What about you?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. The silent understanding conveyed the message. Adeshan¡¯s face hardened. After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded slightly. Arondale growled. ¡°Kid, unless you want to be food for wild dogs along with your family, you better talk. What do you know?¡± ¡°Why should I talk? Especially to a fucking poacher.¡± Suddenly, Ronan scratched his ear with his pinky finger. Bulging veins appeared on Arondale¡¯s temple. Ronan withdrew his finger and flicked the earwax toward Arondale. ¡°If you want information, take it out yourself.¡± Ronan tightened his grip on the sword¡¯s hilt. A crimson aura emanated from the de of his sword. Adeshan, who had been slowly stepping backwards, turned and began to run. Meanwhile, Arondale nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± Arondale suddenly put the mask he had been wearing on his head over his face. Ronan took a defensive stance, ready to counter-attack. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting into trouble with kids. No matter how much my reputation might¡¯ve fallen¡­¡± However, instead of attacking Ronan, Arondale reached for his belt. With a swift motion, he pulled out a cylindrical device, and a white gas erupted from its round buckle. Ronan cursed as he covered his mouth. ¡°Fuck, what is this¡­¡± Ronan instinctively covered his mouth, but the gas was already inhaled. A sudden drowsiness overwhelmed him. Ronan finally realized why all the animals in the area were sound asleep; the poachers had used a sleeping gas. ¡°You dirty bastard¡­!¡± ¡®If I lose consciousness right now, it¡¯ll be all over.¡¯ Ronan bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to stay awake, while spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. He turned to Adeshan and yelled. ¡°Damn it, cover your mouth!¡± However, Adeshan had already vanished into the dissipating smoke. Ronan, struggling to stay awake, cursed under his breath. Before long, as the smoke dissipated, the sight of her lying on the ground became visible. Ronan clenched his teeth in frustration. ¡°Fuck, Adeshan.¡± ¡°Where are you looking?¡± Whoosh! With a loud crash, Arondale charged forward. His speed was beyond belief, and in a sh, the distance between them had closed to about fifteen paces. As the gap narrowed in an instant, Ronan twisted his lips. ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯ It felt like a siege wall charging at him. Ronan prepared to confront Arondale head-on, knowing that if they shed carelessly, both would likely end up dead. As the distance between Arondale and Ronan shrank to around fifteen paces, Ronan aimed his strike. Heshed out with a wide swing of his de, sending a crescent-shaped strike toward Arondale. Swoosh! ¡°It¡¯s a sword strike. Pointless tricks.¡± Arondale did not stop or avoid even when he saw the sword strikeing right at him. He had faced numerous swordsmen in his life, and he could count the number of people who managed to hurt him on one hand. He was confident that such a meager attack would not even manage to scratch him. Right then, the red sword energy collided with Arondale. His face suddenly distorted. ¡°Kugh?!¡± sh! The sword energy passed through, grazing Arondele¡¯s shoulder, causing excruciating pain as blood welled up. The unexpected shock disrupted his charge, and he collided forcefully with the metal cage imprisoning the Manticore. The iron bars, which were thicker than most trees, were bent like taffy sticks. ¡°Fuck, what is this¡­?¡± The sword energy was incredibly sharp. If he had been hit in the neck or head, he would have died instantly. The man who had just been sent flying backward turned his head. Ronan¡¯s face appeared before his eyes. The Lamancha held in his hand was emitting an eerie red light. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°What the¡­!¡± Arondale frantically manifested his Aura. Whoosh! A burst of crimson energy erupted from his core. sh! sh! sh! Simultaneously, dozens of shes crossed Arondale¡¯s entire body. Chapter 106: The Centennial Beasts Festival (6) Chapter 106: The Centennial Beasts Festival (6) Arondale frantically manifested his Aura. Whoosh! A burst of crimson energy erupted from his core. sh! sh! sh! Simultaneously, dozens of shes crossed Arondale¡¯s entire body. The sensation felt like cutting through frozen meat and reached Ronan through his fingertips. ¡°It¡¯s tough.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar sensation. It seemed like Arondale¡¯s toughness had increased several times in an instant. The sword had only cut through his soft muscles, unable to reach his bones. ¡®Damn annoying. Is he a body enhancement type?¡¯ Ronan pursed his lips. This was perhaps the most challenging type of ability. Magic-constructed shields could be cut down like paper, but when it came to enhancing one¡¯s physical body, it required a different approach. Arondale, who had been gathering strength while being shed by Ronan,unched a powerful blow. ¡°You brat!¡± Huuung! A fist resembling a cannonball soared towards Ronan. The blow had surpassed the speed of sound, catching Ronan off guard. ¡°Fuck..!¡± It was toote to dodge. Ronan held Lamancha in front of his torso and took a defensive stance. Whoosh! Ronan¡¯s body was sent flying backwards as if it had been hit by a giant tornado. ¡°Kughh!¡± Baang! A bted shockwave resounded. Ronan clenched his teeth. Even the Twin-Headed Ogre¡¯s punches weren¡¯t this powerful. He stopped his flying body by mming Lamancha into the ground. ¡°¡­You fucking wild boar.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Arondale had bought his position with money. A round crack appeared in the middle of Lamancha, if it had hit him directly, it would have been an unquestionable death. ¡°Ughh.¡± Suddenly, dark red blood gushed through Ronan¡¯s throat. Despite his defense, it seemed like he had sustained some internal damage. Cough! Ronan spat out the blood he had stored in his mouth onto Lamancha. As the crack was filled, a haze of anticipation began to bloom. Arondale, who was examining his wounds, muttered in a voice mixed with anger and admiration. ¡°It¡¯s sharp. What¡¯s your true identity?¡± ¡°Just a student.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. A mere student managed to hurt my Aura-covered body?¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± Ronan frowned at the sight of Arondale¡¯s state. Blood was flowing through the cracks of his tattered clothes, but most of them were only superficial injuries. The only significant injury was the initial wound inflicted by the sword energy, exposing white bones beneath the torn skin. The only one that had hit him before he manifested his Aura. From Arondale¡¯s bloody lips, a deep voice emanated. ¡°Kaliborro, will you consider joining us? I promise you the best treatment under my name. You will enjoy wealth that even the Emperor would envy.¡± ¡°Suck my dick.¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± Fwoosh! Arondale¡¯s aura intensified, enveloping his entire body. Already a massive figure, he swelled further, transforming into a beastly shape resembling a werewolf. He growled as he fixed his gaze on Ronan. ¡°Then, prepare to die.¡± Ronan sneered. In terms of momentum alone, he was on par with the Neb zier branch managers. It seemed like it was going to be a difficult fight. ¡®Just my shitty luck.¡¯ Ronan lifted himself up using his sword as support. Shssss¡­ a strange breathing sound escaped from between his lips. Red energy began to fill Lamancha¡¯s de once again. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± Arondale positioned himself with his legs wide apart, disying a fighting style taught to the Balkarian warriors. Ronan furrowed his brow. Regardless of his current state, he had to fight with all his might. Arondale, crouching down with his body, was about to leap towards Ronan. ¡°I¡¯ll remember you¡ª Huh?!¡± sh! Suddenly, a chilling sound echoed. Like spear piercing flesh. The two people froze at the same time. Arondale slowly turned his head. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A massive Manticore¡¯s venomous stinger was buried deeply into his shoulder. The only spot that wasn¡¯t protected by his aura, which was struck by Ronan¡¯s sword energy strike. Purple venom seeped into the wound. Arondale, who came to his senses btedly, let out a scream and shook off the venomous sting. ¡°Khaaaagh!¡± Arondale hurriedly pulled away, but arge amount of venom had already seeped into his body. Slowly, the Aura covering Arondale¡¯s upper body began to disperse. Blood began to gush out of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°Why is this¡­¡± Ronan looked at the stinger, his eyes widening. The long, thick tail came from inside of the iron cage that opened up after Arondale had collided into it. The Manticore inside had suddenly awakened and was ring at Arondale. ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± A low growling sound rang out. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The eyes of the creature, which should have been yellow, were now tinged with a dull gray. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Ronan turned his head quickly. Adeshan was lying on the ground, her hand stretched out towards the Manticore. She fixed her gaze on the creature and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± ¡°Adeshan.¡± A shiver ran up his spine. Adeshan was clearly controlling the Manticore. Her eyelids continued to droop, possibly due to the lingering effects of the sleep gas. ¡°¡­Hurry.¡± Within seconds, her head dropped, and the Manticore copsed simultaneously. The sound of snoring rang out again. ¡°Zzzzz!¡± Seemingly, she had woken it with her shadow mana. Ronan, who was watching the unconscious Adeshan, let out a bitter chuckle. Even though it had been just a moment, controlling a Manticore was an incredible feat, and the speed of her progress was beyond belief. Meanwhile, Arondale, in excruciating pain, rushed towards Ronan. ¡°Kraaagh! Ughhh!¡± There was no trace ofposure on Arondale¡¯s face as he rushed forward recklessly. He was probably feeling hellish pain. It was unbelievable that he did not die even after being injected with that much Manticore venom. His body had transformed into a horrific mess due to the unexpected ambush. The area where the venomous sting had struck swelled up with a bluish tint. His entirework of veins seemed to bulge and pulsate under the skin as if they were about to burst. An overwhelming torrent of Aura was uncontrobly flooding his entire being, shrouding him. Ronan noticed that he was burning up his remaining vitality to attack him. Ronan shot his sword energy as if to intercept it. ¡°You damn poacher!¡± Bang! A massive strike from Ronan¡¯s swordnded directly on Arondale¡¯s body. Simultaneously, Ronan leaped back andunched dozens of sword strikes. However, Arondale¡¯s body, strengthened by Aura, managed to deflect most of the attacks. ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ This can¡¯t be happening¡­!¡± Arondale, in a frenzy, leaped around like a crazed ape, delivering furious blows in all directions. Thud! With a short leap, Arondale mmed the ground, causing a cloud of dust to erupt all the way up to the ceiling. ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re all going to die.¡± Ronan cursed. Leaving him as he was would eventually lead to his death, but he couldn¡¯t let him rampage endlessly. He had to be killed. However, there was no way to cut through the body strengthened with aura. At that moment, a sh of light shed in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®If it¡¯s that technique¡­¡¯ Ronan wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to work, but it was worth trying. Ronan switched his power source to the core made by Vijra. Lamancha¡¯s sword body, which had been glowing red, began to turn into a dazzling white. ¡°Kaargh!¡± Suddenly, Arondale leaped into the air. With a loud crash, his red, swollen body crashed through the ceiling, and starlight spilled through the newly-formed hole. Soon, the sound of Arondale¡¯s approach became rapid. ¡®I only have one chance.¡¯ He could feel his second heart beating rapidly. Ronan bent his waist and took a defensive stance. Simultaneously, a golden phantom enveloped his right arm. It faintly resembled Varen¡¯s, taking the form of a beast¡¯s w. ¡°Kkuuuugh!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth at the sensation that went far beyond his expectations. A strength he had never experienced before surged within his arm. Ronan groaned as he was overwhelmed by the sudden surge. ¡°You are truly amazing¡­ Varen.¡± ¡°Kaaaghh! Die!!¡± Suddenly, a thunderous voice came from the sky. Arondale¡¯s body,pletely covered in Aura, with both his bent and raised, was descending on Ronan. Like a meteor showering down, leaving a red trail behind. ¡°Come.¡± There was no way to avoid it. Ronan had no intention of avoiding it. The distance between Arondale and him was closing in, and when it was almost at a distance of one step. Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight. The sword strike, like a sh, cut across Arondale¡¯s body. The sword, swung with great power, moved forward without stopping, drawing a flowing semicircle. Arondale¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°A death fit for a poacher, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ronan smirked. Suddenly, a white line appeared across Arondale¡¯s body. It started from his forehead and extended all the way to his groin, gradually widening. Just as he was about to collide with Ronan. Arondale in mid-air, was vertically severed in half, and his blood and internal organs spilled out. Thud! Thud! The severed halves of his body tumbled to the side. ¡°Haah¡­! Haahhh¡­¡± Ronan let out the breath he had been holding. The golden energy surrounding his arm disappeared and excruciating pain washed over him. He was left drained after over-exerting himself. Looking down at the fallen Arondale, who was struggling to speak, Ronan realized that he had seeded. ¡°¡­I did it.¡± Though it was a close one, it was still a sess. The phantom that was wrapped around his arm was undoubtedly Varen¡¯s Aura. A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over him from hispletely drained core. Ronan shifted his power source once more. Realizing Adeshan¡¯s presence a bit toote, he turned to her. ¡°Damn it, Sunbae.¡± She was lying face down, her clothes drenched in Arondale¡¯s blood. Ronan staggered toward her and picked her up. Fortunately, she was only sleeping soundly and didn¡¯t seem to be injured. ¡°¡­I¡¯m indebted to you.¡± If it weren¡¯t for the Manticore¡¯s surprise attack, things could have gone awry. Of course, the possibility of losing was much greater, and even if he managed to win, it would have been at the cost of all the cages around them being destroyed. Ronan smiled softly and wiped the blood from Adeshan¡¯s cheek. Suddenly, the reason they had came here shed through his mind. ¡®¡­What about the Doppelganger?¡¯ His gaze swept around frantically. The Doppelganger, still lying in the same spot, caught his eyes. Ronangentlyid Adeshan down and approached the Doppelganger still in Varen¡¯s form. ¡°Oi, wake up.¡± -Kku¡­ Kkuuu¡­ Ronan held his sword to the Doppelganger¡¯s throat with his left hand and pped him with his right hand. The Doppelganger whimpered and opened its eyes, and as soon as it saw Ronan its fur stood on its ends. -Huh! Ronan?! ¡°You really do look like Varen. Let¡¯s not waste any more time ande with me.¡± Ronan thrusted Lamancha deeper into the Doppelganger. Before long, the Doppelganger¡¯s body began to bubble like foam. Looking at the Doppelganger, who had once again transformed into himself, a shadow of a frown fell on Ronan¡¯s face. ¡®As expected¡­ it¡¯s me from back then.¡¯ The Doppelganger was a perfect mirror image of Ronan from his previous life. More precisely, it was the version of himself from the final battlefield where he fought against Ahaiyute. Ronan¡¯s gaze shifted to the ck masses clinging to various parts of the Doppelganger. ¡®Are those the curses?¡¯ They appeared to be the same as the curses he had seen in the Mental World. The curses, taking on the form of ck masses, were devouring the Doppelganger¡¯s body. The Doppelganger, who had been silently observing Ronan, opened its mouth. -I couldn¡¯t protect anything. ¡°¡­I know.¡± Ronan managed a bitter smile. He had a feeling he knew why Ahaiyute hadn¡¯t shown up. What he truly resented was his own past self, who had wasted both his time and talent on futile pursuits. The Doppelganger, seemingly exhausted, made no more attempts to flee. Ronan, who had been silent for a while, spoke. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re working so hard now.¡± ¡°Wh-who is here?!¡± At that moment, a familiar voice rang out. Thud! A massive shadow descended through the hole in the ceiling. It was Varen Panacir, who came after hearing themotion. The note he received from Ronan was held in his left hand. ¡°A poacher? What are you talking about?¡± Varen, witnessing the tragedy, froze in ce. Blood and internal organs were scattered everywhere, and a half-severed corpse wasying at his feet. ¡°Wh-what on earth happened here¡­!¡± It was a sight reminiscent of hell. Meanwhile, the creatures that were going to be disyed at the Beast Festival were all fast asleep. As Varen looked around, he noticed a familiar young boy kneeling on one knee in the middle of the hellish scene. The problem was that another man with the same face as him was lying beneath him. With a perplexed tone, Varen asked. ¡°Ro-Ronan? The other one is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bitte, Varen.¡± Ronan, who was down the Doppelganger, turned his head. The corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile. ¡°We can celebrate the festival now, right?¡± Chapter 107: The Centennial Beasts Festival (7) Chapter 107: The Centennial Beasts Festival (7) The incident finally came to a close in the early hours of the morning. People had gathered in the empty Assembly Hall. Four of them were members of the Elite Adventure Club, and the remaining nine were all rted to the Beasts Festival¡ªwell, they used to be. The ¡°rted to¡± part was now in the past. ¡°Ahh, ugh¡­ Uuugh¡­¡± ¡°P-Please don¡¯t move. It might make your injuries worse.¡± Aselle said in a voice filled with concern. In front of him, three men in armor, who were now groaning in pain, had their backs propped up. Invisible hands had them in a tight grip. Marya snorted as she slung his greatsword over her shoulder. ¡°Just let them be. They brought this upon themselves.¡± ¡°This girl¡­ is she a half-blooded Giant? What kind of power¡­¡± ¡°You guys are the ones who are too weak. This is what happens to powerless adults.¡± Maryaughed mockingly. The men¡¯s armor were dented as if they had been crushed by a giant hoof. The result of Marya¡¯s heavy strikes. Her signature, the ¡°Heavy Impact,¡± crushed the ribcages of the men in just a couple of blows. ¡°When I received the note out of nowhere, I wondered what this was all about¡­ Ronan, how did he know about this?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know either.¡± The men were all poachers disguised as guards. When they received a note telling them to go to Varen¡¯s office in Tower 13 all of a sudden, they were puzzled. However, upon arrival, they found two men actually trying to break into the office. Braum, who had his arms crossed, cleared his throat as if he was displeased. ¡°Cough! Poachers invading the Sacred Hall of knowledge¡­ Unbelievable!¡± ¡°At least¡­ it¡¯s fortunate that we knew beforehand.¡± ¡°Beegh.¡± Ophelia, who was standing to the side, shook her head. Her littlepanion, Cita, pped her wings in apparent agreement. Ophelia, Braum, and Cita had teamed up separately to deal with the poachers who were trying to steal the Doppelganger. Since all of them werebatants, it took quite some time, but in the end, they were able to subdue them safely. The woman who was kneeling at Ophelia¡¯s feet trembled and murmured. ¡°Vam¡­ vampire¡­¡± ¡°Hush.¡± Ophelia ced her index finger on her lips. There were two small, bloody holes on the woman¡¯s neck. She wasn¡¯t the only one. Ophelia had left the disguised poachers drained. A part of them seemed slightly pallid, though they didn¡¯t know why. Ophelia, petting the woman¡¯s head, nced at Braum with a frown. ¡°They were bad people¡­ right?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Thanks. I was so hungry¡­¡± Braum nodded his head like a broken doll. Cold sweat was running down his temples. Ever since learning Ophelia¡¯s true identity, he had been having nightmares about her sucking him dry of his blood every three days. ¡°Is everyone here now? Except for Ronan.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s still one more person left.¡± ¡°Who? Ah, that guy that was also a member of our club.¡± Aselle nodded his head. Creek- Suddenly, the door to Assembly Hall opened, and a boy with deep blue hair walked in. Unlike the other club members with disheveled appearances, Shullifen was dressed in his perfectly neat school uniform. Braum couldn¡¯t help butugh when he saw that he was wearing his tie too tightly. ¡°Haha, truly impressive.¡± ¡°He looks so aristocratic¡­ like a true noble.¡± Ophelia also nodded in agreement. Shullifen was holding the neck of an old man in a suit with his right hand. Judging by the fact that the two people¡¯s clothes were stained with blood, it seemed like things had not gone smoothly. Marya recognized the old man¡¯s face and widened her eyes. ¡°Is that¡­ isn¡¯t that old man quite famous?¡± She remembered seeing his name on a wanted list. He was not just a poacher but also a notorious criminal known for a series of murders. He was at the level of Aura awakening, so he was definitely not someone a student could catch. Shullifen walked forward with great strides and threw the old man in front of the other poachers. Aselle asked worriedly. ¡°A-Are you hurt¡­? The blood¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my blood.¡± A dry response came back. In fact, there wasn¡¯t a single scratch on his body. Shullifen, who was looking around the Assembly Hall, opened his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there would be ten people in total? Why are there only nine?¡± ¡°W-well¡­ Ronan took care of one of them¡­¡± ¡°I see. Did he kill him?¡± Shullifen asked nonchntly, as if he had expected it. Aselle, who was rummaging through his pocket, took out a note and began to read it. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ so, what happened is¡­¡± It was the note he received from Ronan while they were capturing the poachers. Just like the crow-delivered note, it contained information about Ronan¡¯s duel with Arondale and him capturing the Omega Doppelganger. When Shullifen heard the name Arondale, he raised an eyebrow. He never could have guessed that thest one out of the 10 was him. The fact that Ronan defeated the guy he had explicitly ordered everyone to run away from if they encountered him was amusing to Shullifen. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ¡°¡­You seem to be making progress as well.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°No, never mind. I¡¯m going.¡± Just as Shullifen was about to turn away after finishing his business, the double doors suddenly swung open, and a boy with bandages wrapped around his chest entered. A familiar voice resonated through the room. ¡°What, everyone is gathered here?¡± ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°Long time no see, you unlucky bastard.¡± Ronan¡¯s sudden appearance left the members of the club in shock. He was covered in blood beyondparison to Shullifen, and was holding a long rope in his hand. Ronan nced around the Assembly Hall and couldn¡¯t help but admire the situation. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ Oh, you¡¯ve caught them all?¡± All the poachers who had been ordered to be caught were captured. He thought they would miss at least one person, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to catch all of them. Since Navirose had wiped out the entire transport team waiting outside the school, it was safe to say that there were no more poachers left in Philleon. Ronan, who had been grinning, looked at his club members one by one and opened his mouth. ¡°Everyone worked hard. No one got hurt, right?¡± ¡°Umm, no. Everyone¡¯s fine. By the way, Ronan, about the Omega Doppelganger¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that. I was nning to introduce you anyway. And I unexpectedly made some gains on the way.¡± ¡°Unexpected gains?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. Come on in.¡± Aselle raised an eyebrow. Ronan suddenly pulled the rope he was holding. ¨C I couldn¡¯t protect anything. ¨C I love you. Soon, two men entered the room from the other side of the door. The men were bound with ropes and stood on either side of Ronan. The club members stared in astonishment. ¡°There are three Ro-Ro-Ronan¡­?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Beeghhh?!¡± Marya covered her mouth with both her hands, and Cita, who was flying towards Ronan, froze in mid-air. The original Ronan grinned and addressed his fellow club members. ¡°Well, what do you think? Simr, right?¡± The club members couldn¡¯t find their words. The other two men looked exactly the same as Ronan. A total of three Ronans were facing the club members, standing side by side. While the other two were wearing blindfolds, there was no doubt they were Ronan. The original Ronan let out a sigh. ¡°They are wearing blindfolds for a reason. The Omega transformed into a Drake after encountering Varen. That Ware-lion got into trouble with that kind of monster¡­¡± Ronan and Varen had to sweat again to catch the Doppelganger who had transformed into Drake. The blindfolds were used to prevent the Doppelgangers from identally turning into other troublesome beings. The three Ronans each had a different appearance. The Ronan on the left was huge, resembling an adult. He was wearing an Imperial Military uniform, and his boots were soaked in blood. The Ronan on the right looked exactly like the current Ronan, but he was wearing a noble outfit that a crown prince might wear. Aselle asked in confusion. ¡°Did you catch the Alpha as well? When did this happen?¡± ¡°Well, it just happened. We ran into it on the way to here.¡± ¡°¡­Who ran into the Alpha?¡± Suddenly, Marya¡¯s eyes narrowed, and her sharp gaze was directed at Ronan. The other club members flinched at her low voice. Ronan finally spoke up. ¡°Me.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Damn it, me.¡± Ronan sighed. While returning to the main club building carrying a sleeping Adeshan, he encountered a fluffy puppy. The puppy that was perking its ears suddenly transformed into himself. Ronan suddenly felt a pang of shame and twisted his lips. Marya, who¡¯s eyes were quivering, couldn¡¯t ept the situation. ¡°Now, go in.¡± Ronan put the Omega Doppelganger into the cage. Its body was much softer than that of a human, so it was easy to put it in. This time, it was the Alpha Doppelganger¡¯s turn to go in. Suddenly, the thought that it would be a waste to end it like this crossed his mind. To have a creature that could transform into someone you loved. There was no doubt that it would attract a massive crowd, and it would be difficult to see it on the day of the Beasts Festival. ¡°¡­Wait, since I already caught it, shall we have some fun? Hey, Rising Star of the Empire..¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shullifen turned to look at Ronan. At the same time, Ronan removed the blindfold from the Alpha Doppelganger¡¯s eyes, and their gazes met. The Alpha Doppelganger¡¯s body began to bubble, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a beautiful young woman with long silver hair. Iril, ropes were tied around her, smiled brightly. ¨C Woah, Shullifen! Hello! ¡°What is this¡­?!¡± Shullifen¡¯s face lit up with surprise. Ronan couldn¡¯t help butugh. The other club members who seeing Iril¡¯s face let out an exmation. Shullifen, who hadpletely lost hisposure, ced his hand on the hilt of his sword and shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tie Iril like that, you insolent¡­¡± ¡°Does that matter now? You really like my sister.¡± ¡°You scoundrel!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. So, next up is our wimp.¡± Ronan turned the Doppelganger¡¯s body towards Aselle. The Doppelganger who blinked its eyes bubbled up again. Aselle, who btedly realized the situation, let out a scream. ¡°Oh, nooooooooo!¡± However, it was already toote. The Doppelganger¡¯s chest swelled, and the rope tightened. In an instant, the Alpha Doppelganger transformed into Marya and smiled at Aselle. ¨C Cutie! Do you want to live with big sis? ¡°Oh, no¡­!¡± Aselle, whose legs gave way, fell to the ground. Marya¡¯s eyes widened, and her face turned red, as she looked down at Aselle. ¡°Cutie, you¡­¡± ¡°Marya! I mean, this is, um¡­¡± ¡°¡­Did you like me?¡± Marya, who had been gently patting Aselle¡¯s head out of habit, stopped abruptly. Aselle was frozen, and with a voice choked with emotion, he stammered. ¡°That¡­ uh¡­ I, uh¡­¡± ¡°Ahaha, you seem a bit flustered.¡± Marya chuckled, her cheeks tinged with a blush. An awkward silence settled between them. Aselle¡¯s tearful eyes filled with overwhelming emotion as he gazed back and forth between the two Maryas. ¡°Uhh¡­ Wuuu¡­ Uhhhh!¡± Suddenly, Aselle leaped to his feet and bolted out of the Assembly Hall, his cries of frustration echoing through the corridor. Marya, who stood there for a moment, murmured softly. ¡°Cutie¡­ liked me.¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Marya, look over here.¡± But there was no time for her to dwell on emotions. Ronan quickly turned the Doppelganger toward Marya. Marya covered her eyes with her superhuman reaction speed and screamed. ¡°No, don¡¯t! If you show that to me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, Look here. You have to make eye contact for it to transform.¡± ¡°I said no! Aaaaagh!¡± A scream followed. Despite Ronan¡¯s efforts, Marya eventually fled from the Assembly Hall without ever locking eyes with the Doppelganger. Ronan tried to show the Doppelganger to Braum and Ophelia, but both had already escaped through the window. Ronan sighed in disappointment. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s no fun.¡± Shullifen had also left, leaving the Assembly Hall empty. Outside, various sounds were mingling. There were voices of people talking, the growls of animals, the shing of swords¡ªsounds of people preparing for the Beasts Festival. Ronan suddenly had one question on his mind. ¡®By the way¡­ is it possible to love yourself while also hating yourself?¡¯ What Ronan hated was his past self who couldn¡¯t protect anything. But thinking about it, it was absurd that the Alpha Doppelganger, who transforms into the person someone loves, transformed into himself. ¡°I wonder what happened¡­¡± With a wry smile, Ronan stood in front of the Alpha Doppelganger. The moment their eyes met, the Doppelganger¡¯s shape distorted and the transformation began. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. The outline that was beginning to take shape was different from before. The golden hair turned ck, and it grew so tall that he had to slightly raise his head. In the end, the Doppelganger did not transform into himself. A heartbreakingly nostalgic voice sounded in the Assembly Hall. ¨C Corporal. ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Ronan chuckled. The ridge of his nose suddenly turned cold at the unexpected sight. Ronan wiped his eyes with his sleeve, looked up at the Doppelganger, and opened his mouth. ¡°Seems like I admired you.¡± The eve hade to an end. The dark blue sky was slowly bing diluted. The day of the Beasts Festival had arrived. ***** Themotion that urred the previous night had been kept a closely guarded secret. Ronan, who had managed to sleep for about two hours, left his room and headed to Tower 41, where Jhordin¡¯s office was located. He knocked on the door and was soon greeted by Jhordin, who was still dressed in his pajamas. ¡°Ronan¡­? What¡¯s going on at this hour?¡± ¡°Sorry for the sudden visit. Can you please open the passage?¡± ¡°The passage¡­?¡± ¡°Why, you know. The passage leading to Professor Sekreet¡¯s office.¡±¡± Jhordin, who had just woken up, was looking quite disheveled, his hair standing up like a newly built magpie¡¯s nest. He opened his mouth with his eyes half closed. ¡°Ah¡­ you mean Separacio. It¡¯s the long-awaited festival today, but you aren¡¯t enjoying it.¡± ¡°I will enjoy it. But let¡¯s take care of this first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ you live a very busy life.¡± The two walked towards the bookshelf on the wall. As Jhordin took out a few books and chanted an incantation, the bookshelf receded and a passage appeared. ¡°Kashfash, Lunajia, Delphirim.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you in a bit.¡± Leaving a short word of gratitude, Ronan walked down the passage. He emerged into a library surrounded by books. A child was sitting on the floor, reading. Sekreet recognized Ronan and waved at him. ¡°Oh, Ronan. It¡¯s been a while since I saw you.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s been a while, Sekreet.¡± ¡°So, so what brings you to this old man?¡± Sekreet chuckled, stroking his nonexistent beard. He seemed to be grappling with the recent change from having turned into a child. Ronan, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡°I need you to help me. By any means necessary.¡± Chapter 108: The Centennial Beasts Festival (8) Chapter 108: The Centennial Beasts Festival (8) ¡°I need you to help me. By any means necessary.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? Your expression has been looking quite serious since earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special, but I think we should hurry.¡± Ronan pursed his lips. The events fromst night were making him impatient. The Omega Doppelganger, that changes its appearance into the person someone hated, transformed into him from his previous life, instead of someone else. Blood flowing like sweat, a shattered sword. The eyes that had be empty after losing everything, and the seven curses that gnawed at his body. The repeated words of the Doppelganger echoed in his mind. ¨C I couldn¡¯t protect anything. It was a pitifulment. The moment he heard those words, the sense of crisis that had be diluted by daily life regained its original intensity. He needed to strengthen himself to ensure that such a thing wouldn¡¯t happen again. To do that, he had to remove the curse that restricted his growth. Sekreet, who had been staring quietly, opened his mouth. ¡°This is quite fascinating.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just a few days ago, I seeded in deciphering one of your curses.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Sekreet suddenly got up from his seat and headed towards the desk. After rummaging through stacks of documents for a while, he took out a massive notebook. It was so thick that it could double as a pillow. ¡°This is the 52nd rendition. Even if I live for another thousand years, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll see another curse like this.¡± Sekreet nced through the notebook and then ced it back on the bookshelf next to him. The shelf was filled with identical notebooks. ¡°All of these contain analyses of your curses. It was only after going through all these mess that I was able to design a solution.¡± ¡°Tell me in detail. What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Do you remember the first time you did it, when you released the golden bindings from your eyes?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ronan nodded. It was an experience he couldn¡¯t forget even if he tried. Entering the Mental World to remove the source of the curse. In that world of memories, he had seen his old hometown, a mother he couldn¡¯t remember, and his father consumed in the form of a shadow. The sensation of stabbing his father in the final moments was still vivid in his memory. ¡°Good. We¡¯re going to use the same method this time. However, there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°The curse we need to break this time is far more powerful than the first one. It will require a tremendous amount of mana and a catalyst just to enter the Mental World. Now that Jhordin hase to his senses, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to manage the mana, but¡­¡± ¡°The problem lies with the catalyst.¡± Sekreet nodded heavily. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do we need? Is it very expensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s expensive¡­ it¡¯s just that there isn¡¯t a lot of it. Have you ever heard of the ce named Dainhar?¡± ¡°Dainhar? That¡¯s the desert in the southwest, known for its harsh terrain.¡± He had heard the name even in his previous life. Dainhar. Among the treacherous ces scattered across the continent, it was one of the most challenging and unforgiving locations known as the Hell of The Wilderness. Harsh desert terrains, monstrous creatures, and local inhabitants who didn¡¯t treat outsiders very well, had imed the lives of countless adventurers. Ronan, who was reflecting on information about Dainhar, opened his mouth. ¡°Wait, are you saying we need the stones found there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you caught on so quickly. Yes, we need the Dainhar Stones. No matter how hard we try to find a recement, there is no catalyst like it.¡± Sekreet sighed. He exined that among all the materials they had tested, Dainhar Stones were the only ones that showed potential as a catalyst. ¡°Typically, about three of them are auctioned off in the Imperial Auction House or High Lymien each year, and they are immediately sold at unimaginably high prices. Unfortunately, all I have is a shard I bought a long time ago for experimental purposes.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, will it?¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. It needs to be at least the size of a thumb to be used as a catalyst.¡± Ronan nodded. It was clear that this wasn¡¯t something one could buy with just a lot of money. Dainhar Stones were the rarity that had caused people to crawl to that distant hell and lose their lives. It was a material that not only contained much more potent mana than the highest-grade magic stone but also possessed special characteristics, making it irreceable. One in ten thousand. Only a tiny fraction of adventurers, those with both luck and skill on their side, could return alive from the dangerous expedition to obtain this precious stone in the treacherous terrain of the Dainhar Mountains. In a defeated tone, Sekreet continued speaking. ¡°To be honest, I found out about this a while ago, but I didn¡¯t contact you because of this exact problem. Can you wait a little longer? I will definitely find an alternative catalyst.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan replied nonchntly. Sekreet, who was standing there bewildered, narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d continue your research, just in case. Anyway, you¡¯ll be able to do it if you have the Dainhar Stone, right? Is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s it for now.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll figure it out, so don¡¯t worry and just wait.¡± Ronan patted Sekreet on the shoulder. His confident demeanor conveyed his determination. It was only natural; after all, he had been to Dainhar in his past life. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d be going to that damned ce again.¡¯ Ronan frowned at the memories. It hadn¡¯t been a pleasant experience, even for a man who walked the line between life and death, Dainhar was a terrible ce. ¡®Hopefully, it¡¯ll be better thanst time.¡¯ Still, since it was his second time, it was going to be much better than the first. The only issue was the time it would take, and due to Dainhar¡¯s location, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to handle it through club activities. ¡®I should leave as soon as the summer vacation begins.¡¯ Fortunately, summer vacation was just around the corner. Ronan, who had been devising a n for a while, nodded his head. He had to make several preparations, but he figured things would work out somehow. After finalizing their business, Ronan bid farewell to Sekreet. ¡°Thanks, Sekreet. It¡¯s the long-awaited festival, and I want to go out and enjoy it.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, today was the Beasts Festival, right? Is the Doppelganger going to be there?¡± ¡°Yes, If you get the chance, be sure to go and see it. It was quite a pain to capture them.¡± ¡°Huh? Capture them?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you some other time.¡± With these parting words, Ronan left Sekreet. Jhordin dozed off after he saw Ronan off. After quickly tidying up his appearance, Ronan made his way to the front door of Gallerion Hall, intent on fulfilling a promise he¡¯d made to someone early yesterday morning. **** The morning air was cool, and a gentle halo of light surrounded the campus. It was hard to believe that a chaotic event had taken ce here justst night. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly peaceful.¡± Ronan looked around, chuckling to himself. The normally quiet streets were bustling with students dressed in uniforms, all sacrificing their morning sleep to enjoy the Beasts Festival. Soon, a familiar silhouette came into view. In front of the huge main gate, a tall girl was waiting for someone wearing a neatly ironed school uniform. Ronan called out, waving his arms wildly. ¡°Sunbae, I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Ah, Ronan.¡± Adeshan, upon spotting Ronan, greeted him with a warm smile. The contrast between her snow-white skin and pure ck hair was strikingly beautiful. The two immediately made their way to Philleon za, where the Beasts Festival¡¯s opening ceremony and the Grand Parade were scheduled to take ce. As Ronan examined herplexion, he asked: ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ve fully recovered. Thanks to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you, the fight that could have gotten messy ended in an instant. Haha, you should have seen the look on that bastard¡¯s face when he got struck by the venomous sting.¡± Ronan chuckled. Adeshan had indeed yed a significant role in the battlest night. In a disoriented state of mind, she had expertly controlled the Manticore, striking its venomous stinger into the target¡ªan action not just anyone could have performed. As they were walking side by side down the main street. ¡°Hey¡­ can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Ronan tilted his head. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Adeshan spoke with difficulty. ¡°Well, yesterday¡­ wasn¡¯t it heavy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, when you carried me on your back. I¡¯m taller than most men, I must¡¯ve been heavy.¡± ¡°What, were you awake at that time?¡± Adeshan, who realized her mistake a little toote, covered her mouth. Her pure white ears turned bright red. After a moment of silence, she mumbled. ¡°I-I must have mistaken it. Come to think of it, that can¡¯t be right. I was asleep? Right up until I woke up this morning. Yeah. I must have gotten it mixed up with another day.¡± ¡°Was there any other time I carried you?¡± ¡°Uh, there wasn¡¯t? Then I must have gotten it mixed up with a dream. Yeah. I do that a lot.¡± ¡°Adeshan, you¡¯re not still sick, are you?¡± Ronan asked with concern. Her usualposed demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Adeshan reassured him with a somewhat forced smile. ¡°¡®Of course¡­! I¡¯m perfectly fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem that way. If you¡¯re still in pain, just let me know. I can take you to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Gee, I said I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Adeshan couldn¡¯t meet Ronan¡¯s eyes. Even with a knife to her throat, she wouldn¡¯t speak. The fact that she was awake from the moment she was carried on Ronan¡¯s back. She chewed her lip as she remembered what happenedst night. ¡®Idiot, you almost got caught yesterday too¡­!¡¯ His back was wide and warm, and she med herself for just staying still. She remembered what the Alpha Doppelganger had turned into when she¡¯d locked eyes with it. Adeshan was the one who was drooling with excitement. Ronan, still staring at her quietly, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re okay, then it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yes. I was really mistaken. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Adeshan breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, loud cheers erupted from the direction of the za. Ronan turned his head and suddenly grabbed her hand. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s started, let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan? Wait, my hand¡­¡± ¡°I held it yesterday, what¡¯s new? I know the shortcut, follow me.¡± Ronan and Adeshan crossed the campus holding hands. When the two arrived at the za, the Grand Parade was already in full swing. All kinds of sounds were echoing across the sky in the Grand za filled with people and all types of creatures. ¡°Holy shit, they¡¯ve got a real Manticore.¡± ¡°Whoa, there¡¯s a Smander over there too!¡± ¡°Is that Professor Varen in the lead?¡± Doom¡­! Doom¡­! The majestic sound of drums echoed at a slow pace. Beneath the blue sky, all the mythical creatures and monsters lined up for the Beasts Festival Parade. The faculty members took positions between the procession and the students, acting as safety personnel. Adeshan, marveling at the spectacle she had never witnessed before, covered her mouth in awe. ¡°Wow¡­ this is amazing. There are so many more of them than what we saw at the tent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly impressive.¡± Ronan nodded in agreement. He felt that the hardships of the previous night had been worthwhile. Leading the parade was Varen, who was energetically beating on a massive drum at the very front. His race being what it was, he seemed to be ying the part of a hundred humans by himself. Just behind him, the Manticore that had struck Arondale with its venomous stinger strode majestically. ¡°Roarrr!¡± ¡°Roaaarrr!¡± As the Manticore let out magnificent roars, all the students erupted in cheers. Ronan yfully pointed at the Manticore and chuckled. ¡°How about controlling it one more time to make the Beasts Festival unforgettable? This time, make it sting Varen¡¯s ass with its venomous stinger.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sunbae, don¡¯t actually do that.¡± ¡°Just kidding.¡± Their eyes met, and they both chuckled. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze shifted to Professor Kaidokan, who was working as security personnel. For a change, the usually disheveled Werewolf donned armor that made him look quite the part. Ronan suddenly snapped his fingers. ¡°Hey, got any ns for the weekend after the festival?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t youe with me? I¡¯ve already taken everyone else somewhere with me before, you¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t gone.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Adeshan tilted her head. Suddenly, Ronan rummaged through his inside pocket and pulled out a shiny metal que. The que made of tinum had the emblem of the Garcia Family engraved on it. A bill of exchange that could be used across the whole continent, it also served as a permit to enter any ce. ¡°I heard they rebuilt it a while ago¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± There were only about 15 days left until the summer vacation. If he wanted to utilize it and go to Dainhar, he had to submit a request now. It was time for him embark on the journey to forge his second weapon. Chapter 109: The Second Weapon Chapter 109: The Second Weapon ¡°I see. So you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been sending me intelligence all this time¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m Valus.¡± Valus bowed his head. He couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening. Varen, who had been quietly examining him, opened his mouth. ¡°I was surprised to find out you were so much younger than I had expected. The intelligence was very detailed and meticulous, so I expected it to being from someone with more experience.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± Valusughed awkwardly. On the afternoon of thest day of his reign, he hade to Tower 13, and was having a private conversation with Kaliborro¡¯s arch-nemesis, Varen Panacir. ¡®He promised this would save me¡­! How is this saving me¡­?¡¯ It was none other than Ronan who had sent Valus here. He had threatened him, making it clear that he had no other option if he didn¡¯t want to end up as dog food. Ronan¡¯s words, ¡°This is the only way for you to live,¡± had been echoing in his mind. ¡®I¡¯m definitely going to die.¡¯ A heavy breath escaped from between his parched lips. There had never been a moment when he regretted getting involved with poaching more. Valus knew about Varen¡¯s past actions against Kaliborro. It was Varen who had once decimated the Tetra branch that was under the management of Arondale. The story of the lion sent by the devil was still passed down through the mouths of older members in the organization, even to this day. Valus couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of fate awaited him. ¡°But, we can¡¯t leave it like this.¡± Suddenly, Varen stood up. Valus noticed the hand that could easily tear off his head with just the index and thumb fingers. Valus screamed as he jumped onto the sofa. ¡°Ugh! Oh, no!¡± ¡°Hmm? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Y-you¡­ you aren¡¯t trying to kill me, are you?¡± ¡°What? Why on earth would I do something like that? Please, sit down.¡± Valus cautiously sat back down. Varen then ced arge silver tray on the table. The tray held dishes that one might see at a noble¡¯s banquet. Tea filled the china teacups, steam rising from them. Freshly baked cookies emitted an enticing aroma. Varen spoke. ¡°Please, have some. They won¡¯t taste as good once they get cold. It took some time to prepare since it was a sudden visit.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Crunch! Valus took a bite of a cookie. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of doubting if it was poisoned. Soon, his eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­¡± It tasted delicious, even better if it had been made by a professional baker. Varen smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really, really delicious. How did you prepare such food?¡± ¡°Take your time and enjoy it. First of all, I¡¯d like to express my gratitude. I heard that you yed a significant role in the safe return of student Lakota.¡± ¡°How did I¡­¡± ¡°Student Ronan told me.¡± Varen continued. Last night, Ronan had told him all the information about Valus. His aplishments, potential, and the fact that he was an innocent man. Varen remembered his conversation with Ronan and chuckled. ¡®Between this and that, he really is a good person.¡¯ Ronan¡¯sst words implied something obvious. It was a meaningful gesture. By introducing Valus to Varen, he was giving him a new opportunity. Varen swept his mane once and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll put it bluntly. How about bing my assistant?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been getting busier recently, and I need an extra pair of hands. If you live in Philleon, you won¡¯t draw any attention from the organization. Sounds good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Thud! Valus dropped the cookie from his hand. **** Fortunately, the Beasts Festival proceeded without any major disruptions. There were no incidents like vengeful poachers seeking revenge or the Doppelgangers escaping again. Ronan, Adeshan, and the members of the Elite Adventure Club could enjoy the festival without worry. ¡®A festival like this isn¡¯t so bad.¡¯ Ronan exhaled as he watched a puff of white smoke escape from his mouth. He had been running around so much that his body was beginning to feel sore. On the night of the Beasts Festival, a half-moon was smiling brightly in the cloudless night sky. ¡®That idiot must¡¯ve been hired by now.¡¯ Ronan suddenly thought of Valus. He hoped that by introducing him to Varen it would provide him with a new opportunity. He wanted Valus to make something of his life beyond just being a mere pawn. Of course, Valus¡¯s exceptional abilities could be of assistance in their future adventures. ¡®This time, do better, Valus.¡¯ After finishing his cigarette, Ronan went back into the club building. The sight of Marya, who was still counting her money, caught his eye. Ronan let out a chuckle when he saw the gold and silver coins lined up on the bar table. The number had doubledpared to before. ¡°So¡­ you made all this just during the festival? Did you secretly sell alcohol or something?¡± ¡°What alcohol? I have nine stores, so of course I¡¯m going to make this much.¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Marya continued to hum as she stacked the coins. Aselle, who was drinking his milk, opened his eyes wide and looked at her with admiration. She had invested a significant amount of money into this venture, and she had reaped over ten times her initial investment. Marya nned to reinvest all that money back into the students to solidify Carabel¡¯s position. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re incredible.¡± ¡°Hehe, you knew all along, didn¡¯t you? You have to do this much to lead the upper echelons.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that. So, did you two kiss or something?¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Aselle spit out the milk he was drinking. At the same time, Marya threw the coin she was holding. Bang! The gold coin flew past Ronan¡¯s ear and struck the wooden beam behind him. Seeing the coin partially embedded into the wood, Ronan whistled. ¡°Feisty.¡± ¡°You keep this up, and you¡¯ll die for real! Do you know how awkward I felt with cutie these past few days because of you?!¡± ¡°Marya! Calm down¡­!¡± Marya was on the verge of flipping the table over. Aselle used his telekinesis to restrain her. Ronanughed without offering any response. At least the tension between them had improved. ¡°Phew¡­ All right. Since I¡¯m the bigger person, I¡¯ll endure it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thought.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not really¡­ Everyone got their bounty, right?¡± Ronan and Aselle nodded. All the captured poachers had bounties on their heads, so Ronan and the members of his club had made a substantial amount of money. Especially the reward for capturing Arondale had been more generous than they had anticipated. It wasn¡¯t just the bounties; the items Arondale had on him were high-value too. Items like magic-imbued rings and shoes made from ogre leather. Marya looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°Ronan, did you say you weren¡¯t going to sell that mask?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite useful in its own way.¡± Ronan put the bear mask that was hanging from his belt on his face. It was the mask used by Arondale, and it had nearly perfect functions for both a gas mask and a face shield. Valus had told me that it was only given to the top executives of Kaliborro, and that appealed to him. The corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth twitched upward as he removed the mask. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve developed a bit of a collector¡¯s streak.¡± He had decided that after the recent incident with the Doppelgangers. He had no intention of sharing the same air as Kaliborro or any organization like it. Ronan suddenly remembered the weekend¡¯s schedule and said to Aselle. ¡°Oh, Aselle, are you still reading that ck book well?¡± ¡°Huh? For now¡­ yes. I¡¯ve managed to decipher just two pages perfectly so far.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Let me see it for a moment.¡± Suddenly Ronan drew his sword. Aselle, who was about to hand over Vijra to him, stopped. ¡°Ro-Ronan. Why the sword all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Give it to me, it¡¯ll only take a few seconds.¡± Ronan snatched Vijra away. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened at what unfolded after. ¡°Wh-why did you cut it?¡± ¡°I have something I need to do. It won¡¯t interfere with your reading anyway.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Aselle had a puzzled look on his face even as he rambled on. In any case, just like that the long-awaited Beasts Festival hade to an end. There were only ten days left until summer vacation. Saturday morning dawned. The sweet sounds of birds chirping could be heard all over the campus. Ronan took Adeshan and headed straight to the new Gran Cappadocia. The entrance to the underground city was in a dry goods store located in the northwest of the ind. Ronan went into a corner of the store and pressed the button on the wall. Thututud! The building vibrated, and the spot where they stood began to sink. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Just keep going down like this. Don¡¯t be scared; it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I-Is the floor moving?¡± They descended underground via an elevator, just as they had done thest time. Because they had submitted a request in advance, no one stopped them. Clunk¡­! Clunk¡­! The descent continued in the darkness. It wasn¡¯t long before they could hear the sound of hammers. A scenery that could only be described as amazing unfolded before their eyes. ¡°Waaaaah¡­!¡± ¡°Huh, it really has changed a lot.¡± Adeshan, gasped in admiration, forgetting to cover her mouth. Ronan, seeing the new Gran Cappadocia size being six timesrger than before, burst into a hollowugh. The new Gran Cappadocia was built on therge eastward-facing ridge where Ronan had captured Cyrilra and Edwon before. A noticeable contrast to the previous barrenndscape was the ecosystem that had taken root. Bizarre flora that only grew deep underground were scattered throughout. The walls and ceilings, covered in luminescent moss, resembled a night sky adorned with a gxy. Lava from an unknown source had formed ake in the heart of the great cavern. Not far from thevake, there was a natural undergroundke formed by groundwater. The cksmith forges were lined up between the twokes, forming a vige. Dwarves, stocky and tough, were busy going back and forth. It seemed that the number of heads had increasedpared to before the incident. Eventually, the elevator stopped. Creek ¨C As soon as the door opened, a huge shadow rushed towards Ronan. ¡°Uha-ha! Ronan!¡± ¡°Dydican!¡± It was Dydican, the werewolf cksmith. He swung Ronan up and down about five times before finally shaking hands. His fur was a mix of gray and brown, and his tail was wagging energetically. After shaking hands, he spoke, ¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡± ¡°Huh. For some reason, you seem to have gotten even scuffier.¡± Dydican, who hade to greet them, said as he offered his warm greetings. The werewolf master cksmith, someone Ronan hadn¡¯t seen in a while, still retained the cheerful demeanor he¡¯d known. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s almost time for my seasonal shedding, you know. So, what do you think of our new sanctuary?¡± ¡°Much better than thest time.¡± Ronan nodded as he looked around the improved facilities and living conditions. Dydican chuckled. ¡°Because the location is much better than thest. The Gracia Family covered all the reconstruction costs anyway, though some are saying it was better off when it had copsed.¡± ¡°My mistake, I should have let them all get eaten by the cave giants.¡± ¡°Haha, maybe so. By the way, who¡¯s this youngdy here?¡± Adeshan still couldn¡¯t get over the shock of seeing the underground city. After Ronan nudged her shoulder, she finally turned her head, bowing politely. ¡°Uh¡­! Ah, hello. I¡¯m Adeshan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dydican. If you¡¯re a friend of Ronan¡¯s, you¡¯re a friend of mine, so make yourself at home. I assume you¡¯re here to drop off a request for weapons, too?¡± ¡°Yes? Well, I just came along because Ronan said he had something to show me. I don¡¯t have the money tomission a weapon in a ce like this.¡± ¡°Hmm? The payment has already been made, though. The letter clearly mentioned requests for two weapons¡­¡± ¡°Dydican, we¡¯re short on time, so could you guide us?¡± Ronan interrupted Dydican¡¯s questions, and Adeshan looked at the two people in turn with puzzled eyes. Dydican, realizing the situation, elbowed Ronan. ¡°Ha, so it¡¯s like that. Not bad.¡± ¡°You still wearing that invisible armor? Should we test if it can really block me?¡± ¡°Eek, cut me some ck here. Then, shall we go right in?¡± Guided by Dydican, Ronan and Adeshan entered deeper into the cksmith¡¯s workshop. On the left, ake of moltenva bubbled and roiled, while on the right, ake made of crystal-clear underground water gently rippled. All the cksmiths were located between these twokes. Dydican spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no one here who is likely to refuse your request. After all, you¡¯re the heroes of Gran Cappadocia. But I assume the cksmith for yourmissions are already designated, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I mentioned it in the letter.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ there¡¯s no one here better than Master Doron after all. We¡¯re here now.¡± Before long, Dydican came to a halt in front of a building. The building was carved out of pure white stone and took the shape of a perfect cube. A long, thick chimney extended to the ceiling of the cave. Everything was the same except for the size, which was about twice asrge as before. ¡°They rebuilt it in less than a month..¡± With those words, Dydican opened the door to the forge. Suddenly, Ronan nudged Adeshan¡¯s shoulder, as he pulled her aside and stood in front of the door. ¡°Ro-Ronan?!¡± Startled by his sudden action, Adeshan was about to say something, but then a burst of light and heat poured out from behind the door. ¡°Aaack?!¡± The back of their heads felt like they were burning, and Ronan¡¯s shadow stretched long. When the light subsided, he turned back with Adeshan. ¡°I won¡¯t fall for that twice.¡± This precaution was born out of experience. With those words, they continued further into the forge. Compared to hisst visit, the interior was much more neater. This was thanks to selling all of the spare weapons to Marya¡¯s merchants. In the center of the forge, there was a pure white anvil and a huge furnace that could fit an entire elephant. In front of the furnace stood a stout dwarf with a thick, curly beard. He turned his head when he sensed their presence and greeted Ronan with a handshake. ¡°Doron, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Oh, Ronan. It has been a while, indeed. Have you been doing well?¡± ¡°For the most part, yes. How about you, old man?¡± ¡°It¡¯s always the same with me.¡± Doron, the legendary cksmith, looked as healthy as ever. They exchanged pleasantries and began a conversation. Doron chuckled while stroking his beard. ¡°Yes, I saw your letter. You¡¯vee to forge a second weapon?¡± ¡°Yes, but before we begin, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Discuss?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible to use this as part of the materials?¡± Suddenly, Ronan rummaged through his pocket and pulled out something. They were pieces of paper in the shape of small triangles. ¡°Is this¡­ paper?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not just ordinary paper. I was wondering if you could use it.¡± ¡°Not ordinary, it certainly seems that way¡­ Well, let me take a look then.¡± The true identity of the pieces of paper were the corners of Vijra¡¯s pages that he had cut outst night. Doron began to inspect the pieces with the same meticulous scrutiny he had used when examining the eggshell of Cita. ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± Doron¡¯s expression grew progressively more serious as the inspection progressed. Only after some time did he return to his seat. With a furrowed brow, he looked up at Ronan. ¡°Where on earth did you get something like this¡­?¡± Chapter 110: Spreading Blood on Sand (1) Chapter 110: Spreading Blood on Sand (1) The inspection had been carried out thoroughly. It took a long while for Doron to return to his senses. In his hand, he clenched a fragment of Vijra. ¡°Where on earth did you get this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret. So, is it usable?¡± ¡°Usable, you say¡­ it¡¯s undeniably brimming with powerful mana. I won¡¯t deny that its potential as a material is limitless.¡± Doron grumbled gruffly, never taking his eyes off the fragment. ¡°But it¡¯s malevolent. I¡¯ve never felt such a sinister aura before. It feels like a leaf that was plucked from a tree growing in hell.¡±¡± ¡°What an urate analogy.¡± ¡°In conclusion, it can be used to craft a weapon, but it¡¯s dangerous. Unless you¡¯re nning to create a cursed weapon, it¡¯s best to leave it be.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t use it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Doron nodded heavily. His reaction was quite different from when he had brought Cita¡¯s eggshell. A hint of concern seeped through his voice, and it felt somewhat mncholic. ¡®He¡¯s worried about me. That¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Ronan slowly rubbed his chin. He could understand Doron¡¯s concerns. Vijra¡¯s danger was on a whole nother level than that of a Cita¡¯s eggshell. Even if Vijra¡¯s essence had disappeared, that fact did not change. In the ck scrap of paper, mana still sparkled faintly. It might be fine for someone to just read and quietly study it like Aslle, but if someone were to use it to tear flesh and spill blood, the consequences were unpredictable. But Ronan was not willing to give up. It was the moment when he was contemting how to persuade the old man. Doron¡¯s voice, filled with concern, murmured. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± At that moment, Ronan realized that Doron was hiding his emotions. Behind those concerned eyes, an unstoppable desire and curiosity of a master were burning. ¡®A master of craftsmanship, but can¡¯t be straightforward.¡¯ There seemed to be no need to persuade him any further. Suddenly Ronan snatched the piece of paper from his hand. Whoosh! Doron¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the paper was taken from him. ¡°Alright Doron, let¡¯s leave it.¡± ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just make it without using this. I don¡¯t want to be a fool by mishandling this power.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s still true. But where is the courtesy in taking it away like this? Come here and give it back to me. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to handle.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Doron, how about we be honest for a change?¡± Ronan nced down at Doron. His gaze remained fixed on Vijra. Ronan squatted down and spoke with a grin. ¡°You want to use it, don¡¯t you?¡± Doron¡¯s face contorted. As he hesitated, he finally took the paper. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll use it. You, taking advantage of an old man like this.¡± Ronan let out a chuckle and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s right, Doron. What the wielder might do isn¡¯t something a cksmith should think about.¡± ¡°Great talker, aren¡¯t you? Alright, what kind of weapon do you want to make with this hideous thing? Sword? Spear?¡± ¡°The type of weapon¡­ I¡¯ll leave that entirely up to you, since you know better than I do. But first, take a look at this.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Swoosh! Suddenly, Ronan drew his sword. Simultaneously, he switched the power source of his mana. His heart beat in a different rhythm, and at the same time, a white glow ascended through the de of Lamancha. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so damn bright. Anything will do as long as it¡¯s a weapon that can harness this power effectively.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. This power ispletely different from your usual mana. I¡¯ve noticed a subtle change in your Aura since earlier, and now I know it¡¯s because of this.¡± Doron observed Ronan¡¯s mana that had manifested, his eyes sparkling. He furrowed his brow as he felt an instinctual unease. ¡°Hmm¡­ but why does it feel somewhat simr to the paper you showed earlier? Is it just because of this old man¡¯s mood?¡± ¡°You have the insight of a master cksmith, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°What exactly¡­ No, never mind. Let¡¯s see what you can do with this power. Dydican!¡± ¡°Huh? Do you want to use the shield?¡± Doron nodded. Suddenly, Dydican, who went into a corner of the cksmith shop and emerged with a shield in hand. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a test shield.¡± It was a massive round shieldrge enough to cover one¡¯s entire upper body. Its mirror-like surface was devoid of any scratches. Dydican, standing face-to-face with Ronan, raised the shield and spoke. ¡°Alright. Now, give it a try.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. I just want to see your abilities. Don¡¯t worry; even if it might look simple, the old man put a lot of effort into making it. So go ahead and give it a try.¡± Thud! Thud! Dydican smiled confidently and tapped the shield. Ronan, who had some doubts about the quality of the shield, tightly gripped the hilt of his sword. ¡®If I¡¯m going to do this I might as well do it properly. I hope it works.¡¯ This was his second attempt. Ronan closed his eyes and concentrated. Shwaaa! He could feel the surrounding air vibrating slightly, and at the same time, the Core was changing the nature of the mana. The mana, which had been shining white, began to transform into a golden color. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fascinating.¡± Doron watched in amazement as the mana in Ronan¡¯s hand changed. Ronan¡¯s eyes had already sharpened as he focused. Dydican let out a big breath. The golden residual aura that had descended along Ronan¡¯s shoulder wrapped around his right arm, taking on a form that strikingly resembled a lion¡¯s front w. ¡®Sess.¡¯ It was truly a rare sess. The force felt as though it would tear through his skin, emanating from deep within his muscles. It was the same feeling as when Ronan had split Arondale into Aron and Dale. Ronan asked with a worried tone. ¡°How about stopping now? You can tell the extent of my ability if I just hit something on the floor.¡± ¡°My mind is not as good as it used to be, so I need to feel it with my body. And you can¡¯t be a good cksmith if you don¡¯t sacrifice yourself to make good weapons.¡± ¡°Sounds cool.¡± Ronan smirked. Thud! Without warning, his left foot struck the ground. Suddenly, the sparkling roots grew along Dydican¡¯s legs. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you out. Hold it up straight.¡± ¡°Damn it, my legs won¡¯t move. What is this?¡± Dydican was flustered, but the roots firmly anchored his lower body to the ground, making his defensive stance even more solid. Dydican, who eventually gave up, raised the shield again. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing, but you should hurry¡­.¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lamancha disappeared from their sight. Ronan¡¯s arm became a trail of golden light and split through the air. At the moment the sword touched the shield. Bang! Dydican¡¯s body flew backwards and crashed into the wall of the forge. ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Dydican!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± Doron and Adeshan screamed. The werewolf, who stood over 2 meters tall, flew like a ragdoll. Thud! Dydican, who had been momentarily pinned to the wall, copsed to his knees. ¡°Gah¡­ Haha, this is incredible¡­¡± Dydican, still chuckling, raised his head. The roots connected to the ground had been pulled out relentlessly. On the previously wless surface of the shield, now only a very fine and deep line remained. Ronan approached and extended his hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ugh, yes, I¡¯m okay.¡± The Aura that had coiled around Ronan¡¯s arm suddenly dissipated. Dydican grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and got up. Thud! The lower part of the shield, where the line had been drawn, fell to the ground. ¡°Goodness gracious.¡± The perfectly divided lower surface of the shield resembled a crescent moon that seemed to float in the sky. Dydican, who had experienced an unprecedented situation, chuckled. ¡°Heh, I have no idea what to make out of this. This old man will have to face quite the challenge.¡± ¡°Huff¡­ Damn it. As expected, It¡¯s still too mana-intensive.¡± Ronan, who was catching his breath, switched his power source again. A sudden wave of fatigue swept over him from the exhausted second Core. Maintaining the power to swing the sword even once was a meager effort. Ronan looked down at Doron, who was still dumbfounded, and asked. ¡°So, how is it?¡± ¡°¡­Did you use magic? It¡¯s not just separating the two mana, but it¡¯s twopletely different abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I might acquire more abilities other than this, but for now, these two are all I have. Please make suitable weapons out of them, as I¡¯ll be paying you from Garcia anyway.¡± Saying that, Ronan took out a metal que. It was the gue he had received from Shullifen¡¯s father as a token of gratitude for saving Gran Cappadocia. He pointed at Adeshan, who was still in shock, with his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to make hers, too.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right. Hey, would you pleasee here for a moment?¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Finallying to her senses, Adeshan rushed to Doron. Doron examined her closely and furrowed his brows. ¡°You feel unusual too. Let me ask just in case, can you control shadow mana?¡± ¡°H-How did you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it a few times in my time. Thest time was about 120 years ago¡­ You were born with a very rare talent.¡± Doron nodded as if he was intrigued. Coming from the mouth of an old man who was over 300 years old, it really seemed to be a rare talent. He spoke with a more serious expression. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll certainly be able to control an extraordinary power. Alright, what abilities do you possess?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m¡­ not abat type..¡± Adeshan looked around nervously. Her gaze suddenly fell on the bats hanging upside down from the forge¡¯s ceiling. A faint whisper escaped her parted lips. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Kikii!¡± At Adeshan¡¯smand, the bats hanging upside down on the ceiling suddenly fluttered and flew over, arranging themselves in a straight line between Doron and herself. Adeshan spoke hesitantly. ¡°¡­I can control living creatures. It depends on the situation, though.¡± ¡°Unbelievable. Could this power possibly be used on humans too?¡± ¡°Most likely¡­ I think so.¡± ¡°This is truly a dangerous power. It¡¯s a relief that you seem to have a kind heart.¡± Doron sighed briefly, then spoke up. ¡°All right. I can sense your weapon now. If you can control your opponent¡¯s movements, it¡¯s definitely a powerful weapon.¡± ¡°Is it over now?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of the rest from here. You can head back now. It should beplete in about half a month.¡± ¡°Thank you, Doron. We¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s looking forward to it. What kind of monster will appear this time?¡± Doron shivered. His round pupils sparkled amid the curly locks of his hair. Suddenly, clutching his hammer, he turned to Dydican and shouted, ¡°This won¡¯t do. We have to start working right away. Dydican,e help me!¡± ¡°Damn, you impatient old man. I¡¯ll walk them to the elevator and thene back.¡± ¡°Farewell, Doron. See you soon.¡± Ronan waved his hand. Adeshan politely bowed. Dydican wondered if the old man was deaf since Doron did not respond. However, the loud hammering sounds filled in for his farewell. Bang! Bang! The two followed Dydican¡¯s lead and headed back to the elevator. Just as they were about to board the elevator, Dydican suddenly stopped them. ¡°Wait, why don¡¯t the two of you stand together for a moment?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve developed a new invention this time. It hasn¡¯t been released to the market yet, but I want to show it to you.¡± It was only then that Ronan noticed the strange box held in Dydican¡¯s left hand. It had a short cylindrical piece in the center, sealed by a transparent crystal on the rounded side. Besides that, various misceneous attachments were attached all over it, making it impossible to guess its purpose. ¡°Now, take a look here. I¡¯m going to take a picture.¡± ¡°A picture?¡± Kachak! Suddenly, the box emitted a sh, illuminating the surroundings brightly. Both of them furrowed their brows. The light subsided soon after. Ronan asked impatiently. ¡°What the hell did you just do?¡± ¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll show you something amazing.¡± Dydican chuckled. Zzzing¡­! The box suddenly vibrated, and a palm-sized piece of paper slid out from a slot at the bottom. ¡°This¡­?¡± ¡°Woah, isn¡¯t this us?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. The paper contained a ck and white drawing of them. It depicted Ronan and Adeshan making a confused expression. It was so true to life that they couldn¡¯t believe it was a drawing. Adeshan said with a trembling voice. ¡°Am I really this ugly?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not ugly. Did you make something weird again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a device that can preserve a moment for eternity. I haven¡¯t given it a name yet, but isn¡¯t it exquisite?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Ronanughed as if he was amazed. He carefully unfolded the detailed drawing and put it in his pocket. The two of them then took the elevator back to the surface. ¡°It¡¯s already night.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because we were underground, but I didn¡¯t realize how much time passed. What kind of weapon do you think he¡¯ll make for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m curious too.¡± As they left the dry goods store, moonlight poured down from above. Sounds of people living their lives in the city at night reached their ears from various parts of the city. Ronan and Adeshan returned to Philleon, looking at the drawing Dydican had given them, Adeshanined that she looked weird, but Ronan firmly refused to give up the picture. *** Time flew by quickly. The day of the summer vacation arrived in no time. With just ten days, no significant events had urred so far. ¡°May your vacations be filled with meaning. I hope that even while you are away from the academy, you won¡¯t forget that you are still a student of the proud Philleon Academy¡­¡± Katir¡¯s formal speech marked the beginning of the summer vacation. For the next nine weeks, enrolled students could rest at home or spend their time freely without attending school. The once-quiet grounds of Philleon quickly filled with students returning to their homes. A student who was waiting in line to get on a carriage shouted when he saw Ronan appear in front of him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cut in line!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already upset as is, do you want to make me more angry? I¡¯m not going home, anyway.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I guess I should say I can¡¯t go. Damn it.¡± Ronan just walked across the line and headed toward the club building. He was greeted by the familiar faces of his club members as he entered. Aselle, Marya, Braum, Ophelia, and Shullifen¡ªall five members were sitting in their respective seats and were talking to one another. ¡°All right, everyone¡¯s here.¡± Ronan nced at his club members with satisfaction. Thud! He deliberately mmed the door shut to attract their attention. ¡°Attention.¡± ¡°Ah, he¡¯s here.¡± The club members turned their heads simultaneously. Marya, who met Ronan¡¯s eyes, asked a question as if she had been waiting. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Gathering all of us like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I just wanted to decide who¡¯ll go on a month-long trip with me during the vacation. Just one person.¡± ¡°A trip? For a month?¡± ¡°Yes. A very long and¡­ fun trip.¡± The eyes of the club members widened. Ronan, one side of his mouth lifting slightly, revealed an intriguing smile, even appearing a bit mischievous. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale as he felt a sense of deja vu. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what kind of trip is it?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Did I mention that I¡¯ll go back to my hometown during the vacation? I have six lovely younger siblings back home!¡± The other members also hesitated and slowly backed away. Either way, Ronan didn¡¯t care. As he was carefully considering his future schedule, he pointed at one of the club members and spoke. ¡°Yes, I would like you toe.¡± Chapter 111: Spreading Blood on Sand (2) Chapter 111: Spreading Blood on Sand (2) ¡°Yes, I would like you toe.¡± The attention of the club members was focused on him. Ronan pointed his finger at Shullifen, who was sitting in his seat sharpening his sword. Shullifen, who had been silent, finally spoke after finishing the sword maintenance. ¡°Disappointing. Did you summon me just to say that?¡± ¡°Hear me out first. It¡¯s going to be a pretty good trip.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I have sessor lessons scheduled during the vacation. Get another member to go.¡± ¡°Sessor lessons, huh¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Ronan licked his lips. He suddenly reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. ¡°I even prepared a small reward. Oops, I dropped it.¡± Ronan exaggeratedly spread his fingers, and the paper slipped from his hand,nding on Shullifen¡¯s sword. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­¡± The paper had a drawing of a smiling Iril. However, it feltpletely different from a typical painting. Although it was ck and white without color, it was full of life, as if a part of reality had been cut out and pasted onto it. Shullifen¡¯s pupils rapidly oscited. ¡°Anyway, I understand¡­ Have a good lesson.¡± Ronan picked up the picture again and headed towards the other members. Suddenly, Shullifen grabbed his shoulder and stood up. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± His voice was extremely serious. Ronan desperately suppressedughter and turned his head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, broadening one¡¯s horizons is also a part of imperial studies. As time goes on, we might have less and less time together, and this might even be ourst chance. If there¡¯s no other option, I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite something. I¡¯ll give it to you after everything is over.¡± Thepanion for the trip had been decided. The other members who had escaped being chosen breathed a sigh of relief. Considering the events Ronan had experienced with hispanions, even enduring a couple of days was challenging, so it was hard to imagine what would happen if they spent nearly a month together. ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ Ronan was also relieved. The corners of Ronan¡¯s mouth raised as he recalled what happened two days ago. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a good invention. Dydican.¡¯ Dydican hade to the surface to deliver Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s weapons. Attached to his waist was a device that promised to turn moments into eternity. Ronan had invited Dydican to his house, treated him to a meal, and asked him to take several photos of Iril and himself. At that time, he didn¡¯t have any particr intention, but he didn¡¯t know that things would turn out like this. Anyway, it turned out well. This time, Ronan really needed Shullifen. Dainhar wasn¡¯t an easy location where he could bring novices to gain practical experience. Ophelia might¡¯ve been a slightly better option, but the environment was unfavorable for her to be active as she would be constantly exposed to strong sunlight. Afterpleting his goal, Ronan looked at the members and spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard this semester. You¡¯re going to get busier, so take a good rest ande back.¡± With that, the summer vacation began. Most of the club members scattered in different directions, each pursuing their own goals. Aselle went to Nimbuten where his parents were, and Marya left for the distant eastern city of Falchion for long-distance trading. Braum also headed to the northernmost part of the Imperial Territory to meet his family. The only one not leaving was Ophelia, who remained at the club building. ¡°Ophelia, aren¡¯t you going anywhere?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ my parents will say something¡­ and if I stay here, I won¡¯t have to run into Valzac¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that crazy guy was there. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll be fine if I stay here.¡± She yawned and waved her hand as if to tell him not to worry. Ronan and Shullifen had two days to prepare before departing for Dainhar. To safelyplete a trip that wouldst for nearly a month, there was a lot to do. The ever so meticulous Adeshan helped them prepare for the trip. ¡°It¡¯s better to buy a sleeping bag from the club. There is a big temperature difference between day and night in the desert, so make sure to bring thick clothes¡­ If I had known in advance, I would have made them for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ah, I¡¯m sorry I burned the uniform you repaired with so much care.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll fix it for you again. You packed all the potions and scrolls, right?¡± The two of them traveled around the entire ind to gather supplies. Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On a clear morning with not a single cloud in the sky, at the quiet front gate of Philleon, Ronan said his farewells. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± On his back was a backpack as big as his torso. Cita, riding on his shoulder, also pped its wings as if bidding farewell. Cita was also one of thepanions Ronan picked for this trip. A voice mixed with worry and concern flowed through Adeshan¡¯s smiling lips as she spoke. ¡°Yeah, be careful. Dainhar¡­ I want to stop you with all my heart, but there must be a reason.¡± ¡°Nothing will happen. What are you going to do during the vacation?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided to visit my hometown with my father. I need to send regards to my mother and my brothers. After that, I¡¯ll probably return to Philleon.¡± ¡°Why? You should rx for a while longer since you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Since we are behind everyone else, we have to work even harder. There is almost no mana in my body right now.¡± Adeshan scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed. In reality, she was still limited to being a sword user. Since awakening the shadow mana had depleted all her existing mana entirely. ¡®She feels so gentle, but so strong. It¡¯s a good quality to have.¡¯ Ronan smiled. She was a great person who would have risen to a high position even if she had been born with only ordinary talent and not the shadow mana. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m also practicing using weapons. It feels very unfamiliar.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I was surprised when he brought two of them. The Longsword is fine, but the other one is¡­¡± Adeshan nodded. She had received two weapons, including a longsword. The other weapon that Doron had made for her waspletely unfamiliar to her, since she had only wielded a sword her entire life. However, based on her abilities, if she learned to handle it well it would certainly be beneficial to her. Ronan and Adeshan shook hands, and with a smile, Ronan turned and walked away. ¡°See youter. I hope you seed.¡± Ronan left those words behind and turned to walk away. As he left the southern gate of Philleon, he soon spotted Shullifen, who was waiting with his arms crossed. Standing next to him were two vibrant ghost horses, as still as statues. ¡°You¡¯rete, Ronan.¡± ¡°I arrived on time, buddy. You arrived early.¡± ¡°Hurry up and load your stuff. We need to pass through the Southwest Checkpoint before sunset.¡± ¡°Alright. Lead the way, Master Shullifen.¡± The two of them wearing goggles climbed onto the ghost horses, which rattled with excitement. Cita, who had been scolded for the previous race, settled in Ronan¡¯s backpack instead ofpeting with the ghost horse for speed. Kawchak! With a snap of the reins, the ghost horses shot forward with incredible speed. Their destination was Carlisle, the nearest town to the Crimson Desert, where Dainhar was located. **** The road to Dainhar was long andplex. It took a considerable amount of time even riding ghost horses, proving the vast distance they had to cover. Fortunately, they could ride on the roads up to Carlisle, but the real problemy beyond. To reach Dainhar across the Crimson Desert, they would have to rely on their two legs. ¡°Damn, this is why I hate the south.¡± ¡°Beeeh¡­¡± Ronan muttered a curse as he felt the clear change in weather. As they moved south, the sun felt lower and lower. Cita, which had been panting from the heat, slipped back into Ronan¡¯s backpack. They arrived in Carlisle on the afternoon of the fifth day. Several shabby buildings were erected on the scorched wastnd where the heat was unbearable. They had already prepared most of the supplies they needed, so they rested briefly and then immediately set off. The ghost horses, perhaps irritated by the heat, quickly dashed away as soon as they were released. ¡°They¡¯re not even looking back. Damn you bastards.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, looking almost cheerful. Just the fact that they could escape from this scorching heat felt like liberation from hell. As they began their trip on foot, Shullifen and Ronan walked side by side. Ronan suddenly frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot? Stop pretending to be tough and wear something, buddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± Ronan¡¯s head was covered with a wide, round hat. This was the reason why he could endure the scorching heat without going crazy. As soon as he took off my hat, the scorching sunbeam that pierced his forehead felt like it would cook his brain. On the other hand, Shullifen had nothing covering his head. He looked like a piece of raw sugar, ready to melt under the scorching sun. Walking silently under the zing sun, he muttered as if possessed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± ¡°Idiot. Adeshan even packed one for you, didn¡¯t she? I¡¯ll give you ten seconds to decide whether you want to use it or not. Ten¡­ nine¡­¡± From his backpack, Ronan pulled out another hat and quickly counted down. Shullifen silently grabbed it at the count of two. Then they continued on their walk. ¡°How long does it take to reach Dainhar?¡± ¡°About six days. We¡¯ll have to spend two days in the desert. Like I said, you brought a sleeping bag and leather clothes, right?¡± Shullifen grumbled in agreement. Fortunately, they had brought the rest of their supplies. They continued to walk without resting, their inhuman stamina from years of traininging in handy. Ronan, who was quietly looking around, muttered in a nostalgic voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been to the southwest.¡± Memories of his wandering youth flooded back. The desert and its surroundings offered little diversity. Short vegetation, not even knee-high, sporadically dotted the barrennd. The sky was blue, while the earth and the sparse vegetation had a yellowish hue. The only greenery one could find was near water sources, which appeared asionally. Suddenly, Shullifen spoke up. ¡°Is that the new weapon you received this time? Made by the master cksmith Doron.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, this.¡± Shullifen¡¯s gaze rested on Ronan¡¯s right hip. There hung a sheath that he hadn¡¯t seen before. Ronan nodded in response. Sensing a surge of power emanating from the sheath, Shullifen furrowed his brow. ¡°It seems the ce we¡¯re heading to is definitely dangerous if you¡¯ve brought something like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± As they walked, the surroundings grew darker. The lukewarm air cooled rapidly, and the wind picked up. Ronan came to a halt when he confirmed that the sun hadpletely set. ¡°Let¡¯s camp here for the night. I¡¯ll be on guard first, so get some rest. Keep your sword by your side and ready to draw at any moment.¡± Ronan asked with a serious expression. Shullifen, sensing an inexplicable sense of skill and experience, raised his eyebrows. ¡°I will do that. Is there a chance of monsters appearing?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s enough to be cautious of just monsters once you enter the desert. Around here, it¡¯s the losers who are scattered everywhere.¡± ¡°Losers?¡± ¡°Yeah, those who attempted to challenge Dainhar and failed, foolish adventurers who became bandits in the end. They are like hyenas.¡± Ronan recalled his past trips, and the thought of these unsavory individuals made him shudder. These were people who staked everything on the challenge and failed, unable to let go of the desire for a fortune and eventually bing bandits. Their main targets were other adventurers who attempted to challenge Dainhar. Hearing Ronan¡¯s exnation, Shullifen nodded slowly. ¡°I see. So, there won¡¯t be a problem with killing, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course not. Just grind them down.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Swoosh! Suddenly, Shullifen pulled out his sword with a swift motion. Without a word, he swung the sword into the darkness. Swish! The crescent-shaped sword strike flew through the air and disappeared beyond their sight. ¡°Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden?¡± Schlieffen did not answer. Before long, an explosion was heard from afar. Bang! A whirlwind rose under the moonlight, and desperate screams and cries echoed sporadically. ¡°¡­Khaaack!¡± ¡°¡­Move!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ mo¡­ move..!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. From the sound, it seemed quite far away. Shullifen didn¡¯t offer any exnation, instead he sent out three more sword strikes. Bang! Bang! Bang! Once again, with a series of explosions, three whirlwinds emerged. Shullifen mumbled while looking in the direction he had aimed the sword strikes. ¡°They¡¯re quite skilled for mere bandits. They managed to avoid quite a few.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. Did you sense them from over here?¡± ¡°By expanding my senses with mana, it¡¯s not impossible to achieve such a feat. They¡¯reing this way.¡± Only then could Ronan pick up the hostile auras and footstepsing from that direction. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Suddenly, a dozen lights bloomed in the darkness. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that they were torches lit by the bandits. Ronan pulled the hilts of both of his swords, drawing them both simultaneously. ¡°Good. I was already curious about the performance of this new weapon.¡± Chapter 112: Spreading Blood on Sand (3) Chapter 112: Spreading Blood on Sand (3) ¡°Good. I was curious about the performance of this new weapon, anyway.¡± With his arms crossed, Ronan pulled two swords hilts simultaneously. Lamancha and a sword that had not been seen before emerged. Shullifen fixed his gaze on Ronan¡¯s left hand and spoke up. ¡°So it was a dagger. That¡¯s surprising.¡± ¡°When I first received it, I was wondering what it was too.¡± Ronan¡¯s new weapon was indeed a dagger. It looked to be about 30 cm in total length, which made it quite different from Lamancha in many ways. The de had elegant curves, and the hilt, with unknown characters engraved on it, gleamed in a pure white, like the starlight on a winter night. Ronan turned the dagger around in his hand out of habit and chuckled. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s still surprisingly heavy.¡± The weight felt as if he were wielding a two-handed sword, making his shoulder droop. The abnormally heavy weight set it apart from Lamancha. Without enhancing his muscles with mana, it would be difficult to handle it freely. Ronan furrowed his brow as he suddenly recalled the time he received the weapon. ¡°I can¡¯t remember its name. Dydican told me about it. It¡¯s¡­ something¡­¡± ¡°The sword itself looks good. But what¡¯s with the hilt?¡± Shullifen scrutinized the dagger, noticing the stark ck hilt in contrast to the pure white de. He sensed a foreboding aura emanating from it, which had been troubling him throughout their journey. Ronan knew that it was because the hilt had been finished with the pieces from Vijra. Neb zier¡¯s mana was slowly seeping over the dagger. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± However, instead of answering, Ronan shrugged his shoulders. It was too long a story to exin under these circumstances. The torches and shouts were getting closer. The wind suddenly picked up, parting the clouds that had been obscuring the moon, revealing the furious faces of the approaching people. ¡°They¡¯re over there! Get them!¡± ¡°Looks like one of them¡¯s a mage from the way they¡¯re using wind magic. Take care of that one first!¡± ¡°Damn it, I never thought we¡¯d be attacked first¡­¡± There were seven men and three women. The group¡¯s identity was just as expected, the losers of Dainhar. Their disheveled appearance made it clear they weren¡¯t a band of bandits. The adventurers going to Dainhar usually make a lot of preparations, so robbing even just a couple of them would bring in a good ie. Shullifen readied himself in abat stance. Meanwhile, Cita, who was also prepared to cast blood magic. Ronan suddenly walked forward and blocked Shullifen¡¯s path. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just wait a moment. There¡¯s something I want to try.¡± ¡°Something you want to try?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the first time since I¡¯ve received this weapon, so I want to see if it¡¯s any good. Cita, you wait for a moment too.¡± ¡°Bweeh.¡± Cita reabsorbed the blood it had gathered to shoot a blood bullet. Reluctantly, Shullifen stepped back. Suddenly, a shout from the center of the group caught their attention. ¡°Stone Hand!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Hearing the incantation, Ronan curled his mouth. It appeared that a mage had joined the band of bandits as well. Bang! The ground before them exploded, and a giant palm made of rock emerged. It wasrge enough to cover an area of at least 3 meters. ¡°You idiot. At this level, you could make a living without having to steal.¡± Ronan spat on the floor and swung Lamancha. Several lines were drawn on the rock¡¯s surface. Thud! The shattered rock hand lost its shape and exploded. The woman¡¯s eyes widened as she cast her spell. ¡°W-what?!¡± ¡°You again.¡± Ronan located the mage¡¯s position and threw the dagger. Its weight gave it a substantial feeling, much like throwing a javelin. Swish! The white dagger flew towards her woman in a perfect straight line. ¡°Be careful!¡± The man in front, the vanguard, raised his shield to protect the woman. His quick reflexes suggested he was a skilled warrior. However, that didn¡¯t matter much. With a loud crack, the dagger shattered the shield and pierced the man¡¯s throat. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Blood spurted out, and the sound of neck bones breaking echoed. It was an instant and undeniable death. The woman realized what was happening toote. Thud! The tip of the dagger protruding from the back of the man¡¯s neck pierced her forehead. The two bodies flew backwards simultaneously and crashed onto the ground. The bandits around them were scared and backed away. ¡°Min-Mindy! Fuck¡­¡± ¡°Shit, the dagger pierced through the shield?!¡± There was no doubt about their instant deaths. The two bodies were convulsing. Ronan, satisfied, whistled. ¡°It¡¯s quite useful.¡± It had more prating power than he had imagined. Just by looking at the path the dagger had flown, one could tell it was a well-crafted weapon. Suddenly, Ronan raised his right foot. Such agile opponents needed to be dealt with quickly, before they scattered like cockroaches. He turned to Shullifen. ¡°Hey, when I stomp my foot, shoot out a whirlwind.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Shullifen raised an eyebrow, confused. Without answering, Ronan stomped his foot. Thud! The sound echoed, and a ripple of mana spread out. However, their focus was on the dagger dug deep into the woman¡¯s forehead rather than at Ronan¡¯s feet. Whoosh! Shiny roots grew out of nowhere and wrapped around the bandits gathered around the woman. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°My body¡­!¡± The bewildered bandits suddenly found their feet bound and struggled to get free. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened, and he recognized the technique. ¡°Ronan¡­! How are you using that technique?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter, but first, let¡¯s get rid of them. They¡¯re weaker than I expected.¡± Ronan pointed with his chin toward the bandits. Some were already trying to break free from the roots. Shullifen, quickly regaining hisposure, grasped the hilt of his sword. A stormy aura surrounded his sword as the wind of the desert swirled around it. ¡°Very well.¡± Shullifen swung his sword towards the direction of the bandits. The sharp shockwave shot along the de and pierced the center of the group of bandits. Shwaaah! A whirlwind with a diameter of about 10 meters engulfed the bandits. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Save us¡­!¡± The bound bandits couldn¡¯t escape the whirlwind. Faint cries were muffled by the sound of the wind. Sprays of fresh blood sttered like a shower. Limbs torn apart by the sharp wind danced through the air. Eventually, the wind subsided. Thud! Thud! The corpses that had been lifted into the whirlwind fell to the ground one by one. The scene was like a stew filled with spicy peppers and tomatoes. ¡°Ugh, fuck.¡± Ronan frowned. It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t even feel like eating for the next three days. Shullifen¡¯s Storm Sword was much stronger than the one he had seen during the intermediate evaluation. This, along with Navirose¡¯s Aura, seemed like it could never be copied. ¡°You don¡¯t know when to hold back.¡± ¡°Compassion for the wicked is unnecessary.¡± Of course, there were no survivors. In the midst of the carnage, a glimmering light caught their attention. Ronan approached the remains, and, between the internal organs, he retrieved the dagger that had been buried under all the blood and guts. ¡°This is good.¡± This was the reason he had asked Shullifen to use the Storm Sword, even at the risk of losing the dagger. Suddenly, the name of a dagger he had forgotten shed through his mind. He mumbled to himself as he wiped off the blood on the dagger. ¡°Ymir.¡± It seemed like the name of a giant or something. It wasn¡¯t his favorite, especially when it was rted to giants, but regardless of the name, Ronan was quite pleased with the new weapon. Besides its unconventional weight, it also had the ability to redirect spells using mana, which he found advantageous. He picked up whatever he could carry and turned on his heel. ¡°Cita, let¡¯s clean up.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Cita spread its four wings wide. The droplets of blood that had pooled and sshed to the surroundings took the form of droplets and floated into the air. The same thing happened to the two boy¡¯s bodies and clothes. Cita absorbed the blood within less than three minutes. ¡°Good job. You haven¡¯t lost your touch.¡± ¡°Bweeh~¡± When Ronan scratched Cita¡¯s neck, Cita purred, closing its eyes. ording to Ophelia, the more blood Cita absorbed, the stronger its blood magic became, so they took the opportunity to feed it whenever possible. ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite capable.¡± Shullifen muttered softly as he noticed his clothes had be clean. The two of them, having cleared away the band of losers, continued on their way. If Ronan had the same mindset as before, he would have wanted to go to their base and kill them all, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have much time to spare. **** ¡°Damn it. We¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± ¡°Is this it? It¡¯s my first time seeing it in person.¡± Shullifen muttered with apparent interest. A vast expanse of red sand stretched endlessly before them. The distinctive dunes seemed to ripple and change shape slightly with every gust of wind. The sea of stars overhead looked like it might spill over the horizon at any moment. On the fifth night of their journey on foot, the two of them entered the Crimson Desert. Ronan, who had stretched out his body, grumbled. ¡°Ugh¡­ I used too much energy on those bastards.¡± ¡°It was the right choice. The number of victims will definitely decrease because of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The two walked for five more days, just as Ronan had predicted. During this time, the sun had risen and set four times, and they had dealt with thirty-two defeated adventurers along the way. Shullifen had typically been the one to detect their presence, initiatingbat with a sword strike, and Ronan had followed to finish them off. As the rumor about them spread, the bandits had started to employ more strategic tactics, but they always ended up as minced meat in the face of overwhelming power. Ronan nodded his head in satisfaction as he observed Shullifen¡¯s back. ¡®Bringing this guy was the right choice. He¡¯s not only skilled, but he has no hesitation about killing viins.¡¯ His abilities were unquestionable, and he had no qualms about taking down wrongdoers. Thanks to him, they had quickly made their way into the desert, despite the unforgiving terrain. Ronan suddenly stretched out his arm and pointed ahead. ¡°I can see it now. That¡¯s Dainhar.¡± Shullifen said, turning his head. In the distance, a cluster of rock formations reminiscent of a crown or an inverted hand shape came into view. Shullifen had been gazing silently at Dainhar, and his lips twisted as he muttered. ¡°I have a feeling¡­ something¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°Right? The closer we get, the more we¡¯ll learn why it¡¯s called the ¡®Forbidden Land.¡¯ You must absolutely do as I tell you.¡± Ronan, recalling the hardships of his past lives, shivered. Even if they could avoid the damned Sandworms, Roc Birds, and traps set by the natives, the challenges ahead were far from over. He tossed his backpack aside and said. ¡°At any rate, good work. Let¡¯s camp here for tonight.¡± Shullifen hesitated as they set up a campfire andid out their sleeping bags. The desert nights were cold, and they needed to wear thick leather clothes to stay warm. Each breath they exhaled formed white puffs in the chilly air. Tonight, it was Shullifen¡¯s turn to keep watch first. He stood straight with his hands on his hips, scanning the desert. Ronan, wrapped in a sleeping bag, gestured towards Cita. ¡°Come here, Cita.¡± ¡°Bweeh?¡± Cita, who had been dozing by the campfire, approached Ronan as he opened the sleeping bag. Cita came inside it obediently and curled up on Ronan¡¯s chest. Ronan gently embraced Cita, feeling the warmth through its soft feathers. ¡°This is it. Damn, it¡¯s finally warm enough.¡± ¡°Bweeeh~¡± It was one of the positives of having a pet. Cita purred contentedly, as if it were in a good mood. Just when Ronan was about to fall asleep. ¡°¡­I heard you saved Sion.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°While I was busy, such an incident happened.¡± Ronan raised his head. Shullifen¡¯s gaze was still fixed on the sand. Ronan realized that he was soon going to tell him about what had happened at the Dawn Magic Tower. ¡°Oh, that little one is your sibling, right? How is she doing?¡± ¡°Yes. After the Dawn Magic Tower sent a message, I sent a specialized healer right away. Fortunately, there were no issues with her health.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. She seems to be cuter than you, less serious.¡± ¡°She is a child who grew up receiving a lot of love. Among my siblings, she¡¯s the only one with a natural talent for magic.¡± Ronan breathed a sigh of relief, having heard that she was unharmed. He had been curious about what happened during those two days. Shullifen finally continued the conversation. ¡°For the two days we were together, all we¡¯ve talked about is you and Lady Acalusia. Lady Acalusia in particr, it¡¯s almost like they¡¯ve be biological sisters. There is no way she wouldn¡¯t know that we are adversaries.¡± ¡°What are you trying to get at?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Just¡­¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He sensed that he was intentionally dragging the conversation. After a brief silence, Shullifen turned to Ronan. ¡°Thank you for saving my little sister.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Simultaneously, he lowered his head. Ronan let out a wry chuckle. He hadn¡¯t expected to see this guy act sentimental. Feeling a little awkward, Ronan waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°The entire family knows of your contributions already. I will repay you in the name of Garcia.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about rewards. If you¡¯re so grateful, just keep watch for another hour. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± With that, Ronany down, now feeling rather ufortable about the gratitude. Cita, who had already dozed off, let out a contented purr. As her body grew warmer, sleep began to overtake Ronan, and his eyelids slowly drooped. . ¡­Thud! . ¡°Ronan, wake up.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The dazzling night sky was still visible above. A crimson neb beyond the Milky Way was burning brightly. Ronan slowly raised his upper body. It seemed like the fatigue in his body hadn¡¯tpletely dissipated. Shullifen was standing in the same position as when he had seen him. ¡°What the hell, how long did I sleep for¡­?¡± ¡°About thirty minutes.¡± ¡°This damn inconsiderate guy¡­ you can¡¯t stand me any longer, so you wake me up after sleeping for only half an hour? Are you even human?¡± ¡°Just look over there.¡± Without much of a response, Shullifen pointed towards the desert. Ronan, who had just woken up grumbling, looked in the direction he was indicating. His eyes widened. ¡°Damn it. Why is that monster here?¡± ¡°It just flew in from the direction of Dainhar and crashednded here. Do you recognize this creature?¡± ¡°I do, but¡­¡± Come to think of it, he thought he had heard something falling when he was dozing off. Not far from where he stood, a huge, rare bird-like creaturey on the ground. It had a wingspan of nearly 6 meters, almost reaching the size of a wyvern. Ronan knew what this creature was. It was a strange bird called ¡°Roc Bird¡±, which only lived in Dainhar. Ronan shook his head to shake off his drowsiness and opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± Both of them hurriedly ran towards the Roc Bird. Cita, who had just awakened, followed behind them. Ronan, who arrived first, clicked his tongue and muttered. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s dead.¡± The Roc Bird was already dead, with its neck broken. Its stiff wingsy motionless. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would it havee all the way here?¡± Roc Birds were creatures that lived only within the boundaries of Dainhar. He still remembered being chased by these creatures in his previous life. As Ronan examined the corpse, he noticed something unusual. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh no¡­¡± When he was about to say something, a whimper came from under the bird¡¯s wings. The Roc Bird¡¯s wings were blocking the source of the sound. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit. Let¡¯s check.¡± Ronan slowly approached the sound. As he lifted the wing, a trembling, injured boy was revealed. He was huddled in a ball, shivering in the cold. He was covered in various tattoos, visible on his bare upper body. ¡°Agh¡­ ughhh¡­ every¡­ ev-everyone¡­¡± ¡°Get it out quickly.¡± Judging from his appearance, he was a native of Dainhar. Shullifen quickly picked up the boy Ronan, who had lowered the wings, asked the boy. ¡°Hey kid, snap out of it. What happened, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­They¡¯re¡­ all dead¡­¡± The boy mumbled those words, and then lost consciousness. Ronan instinctively sensed that thing had gone very wrong. Chapter 113: Spreading Blood on Sand (4) Chapter 113: Spreading Blood on Sand (4) ¡°They¡¯re¡­ all dead¡­¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about, damn it.¡± Realizing that things were going terribly wrong, Ronan cursed under his breath. The indigenous boy lowered his head. ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s lie him down for now.¡± Ronan removed his coat and spread it on the ground. Shullifen carefullyid the boy down. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m too weak, I didn¡¯t even realize the bird was flying toward us.¡± ¡°Did he fall from a very high ce?¡± ¡°Yeah. If it weren¡¯t for the soft sand below, he¡¯d probably be dead by now.¡± Shullifen exined the rough details of Roc Bird¡¯s crash. The boy¡¯s condition didn¡¯t look good. Besides various bruises, there were signs of fractures. Irregr breathing made it seem like he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Ronan turned to Cita and spoke. ¡°Cita, please.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Cita blinked as if it had been waiting, and a red light emanated from its feathers, wrapping around the boy. Swaaah¡­! The bruises all over the boy¡¯s body began to heal rapidly. The bloodstains on his limbs disappeared. Gradually, the boy¡¯s breathing became more stable. ¡°It¡¯s improved significantly. You must have learned a lot from Ophilia.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Ronan patted Cita as if praising her. Her healing abilities surpassed most high-quality potions. However, even after the treatment, the boy didn¡¯t open his eyes. ¡°Damn it, wake up quickly and exin to me what¡¯s going on.¡±¡± It seemed like he needed more time to regain consciousness. Ronan furrowed his brow as he carefully examined the boy. He was undoubtedly a native of Dainhar, with his ck hair and reddish-tinted skin. Geometric tattoos etched on various parts of his body further confirmed it. Ronan recalled memories from his past life and narrowed his gaze. ¡®They¡¯re not people who can be easily defeated¡­¡¯ The boy¡¯s words about everyone being dead kept echoing in Ronan¡¯s mind. But based on his experience, the natives of the demonic region Dainhar were not easy opponents. Ronan believed that even the imperial army would have a tough time if they tried to conquer Dainhar. At that moment, the boy¡¯s lips quivered, and a faint groan escaped. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ughhh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you awake?¡± As his eyelids slowly opened, Ronan and the boy locked eyes. With a sudden jerk, the boy struggled to sit up, but he tumbled backward. ¡°Wha¡­ what the hell?¡± ¡°Rx, kid. It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Ronan approached the boy, his hand in his pocket. The boy sat down, scattering sand as he scooped it up with his hand. In a quivering voice, the boy shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te any cl-closer! Y-You killed my people!¡± ¡°Ah, for heaven¡¯s sake. Can¡¯t you stop this nonsense?¡± The boy didn¡¯t seem entirely in his right mind. Ronan, hit by sand, pulled out Ymir and threw it. Swoosh! The dagger flew through the air andnded precisely between the boy¡¯s legs. The boy turned pale and froze in ce. ¡°Heeik!¡± ¡°Now, have youe to your senses?¡± Ronan approached slowly and retrieved the dagger. The boy finally stopped his sand-throwing antics, gasping for breath. He stammered. ¡°Wh-where am I?¡± ¡°Your front yard. How are you feeling?¡± It was only then that the boy realized that Ronan meant him no harm. He grasped Ronan¡¯s hand, and with some help, he got to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m okay. Did you heal me?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly. She did.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Ronan gestured to Cita, perched on his shoulder. The boy nodded and bowed his head in gratitude. ¡°I see. Thanks, strange bird. I mean it.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the boy¡¯s earnest response. He didn¡¯t quite fit the image of the indigenous people Ronan had encountered in his past life. After expressing his gratitude, the boy turned to leave. ¡°I need to go now. I will definitely repay this favor.¡± ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± ¡°To fight. I have to get my revenge. I have to save those who are still alive.¡± The boy was about to leave, but Ronan swiftly tripped him with his foot. Thud! The boy, who was already unsteady, tumbled onto the sand. ¡°Hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Hey, kid. You can¡¯t even stand properly. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. I have to go. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to Dainhar too, so tell us what happened.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me, but I don¡¯t need your help. At most, you guys seem to be around the same age as me. You should run away before they get here.¡± ¡°Hey, Shullifen.¡± Ronan chuckled at the boy¡¯s stubbornness and signaled to Shullifen. Understanding what he meant, Shullifen fired his sword energy towards the middle of the desert. Kaaboom! A huge sandstorm rose from the spot where the sword energy collided. The boy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Monster¡­!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Do you think you¡¯re as strong as me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twice as strong as him. So, don¡¯t be stubborn and tell me. It doesn¡¯t look like something you can handle on your own.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan spoke calmly, making a rational judgment. The indigenous boy seemed to agree, nodding his head. ¡°I get it. So¡­ Ughh!¡± Suddenly, the boy retched. It seemed like he had suddenly recalled a memory he had momentarily forgotten. Ronan waited until he had vomited out everything inside him. The boy, catching his breath, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Strange people killed and captured the people from my vige. Almost all the men who could fight were killed.¡± ¡°Strange people?¡± ¡°Yes, very strange people.¡± The boy continued speaking in a trembling voice. He exined the mysterious invaders. One of them appeared to be a middle-aged man, while the other wore strange clothing, making it impossible to discern their face or gender. They had entered their vige andmitted a massacre. ¡®The vige?¡¯ Ronan recalled the ruined Dainhar structure. Even Ronan had never ventured into the heart of the indigenous vige, which was said to be at the center of Dainhar. ¡°Did those bastards fall from the sky? How did you crawl all the way there?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t sneak in. They pushed through the front. They broke through our defense line in just three days.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They used some strange power we couldn¡¯t defend against. Our attacks had no effect, but theirs went right through. Even our Chief died in the end.¡± Upon hearing those words, Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. The characteristics seemed all too familiar. ¡°I kept trying to fight, but the adults sent me away on a big bird. I was attacked while flying, and I fell here¡­ Where is this?¡± Suddenly, Ronan turned his body and rushed to check on Roc Bird. When he observed closely, he noticed injuries he hadn¡¯t seen before. A huge iron bolt resembling a harpoon was embedded in the side, concealed beneath the feathers. ¡°These bastards.¡± Fwoosh! Suddenly, a white glow creeped up the de of Ymir. The sight before Ronan was simr to two objects with the same properties resonating with each other. Grit! Ronan gritted his teeth. The metal rod, which was maliciously sharp, had an all-too-familiar aura around it. ¡°¡­Neb zier.¡± It was unmistakable, even though it was faint. It was the shining mana that was the symbol of Neb zier. Ronan, who was silent for a moment, turned to the boy and said. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dreaming Thunder.¡± ¡°Alright, Thunder.¡± ¡°Are you okay? Your expression¡­¡± The boy, seeing Ronan¡¯s face, hesitated and backed away. It was so violently distorted that it seemed as if he had be apletely different person than before. Ronan growled, his eyes locked on Dainhar. ¡°We¡¯re leaving right now. Guide us by the fastest route.¡± They quickly packed their bags and set off toward Dainhar. The sun had already risen and was heating up the ground. There was no time for rest. Besides the disturbing presence of Neb zier, the most terrifying aspect was that it had been three days since the incident had urred. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be strange if everyone was dead by now.¡¯ Ronan clenched his fist. These individuals were troublesome enough as it was, and he had no idea what kind of schemes they were concocting. However, judging from their cruel actions, it was highly likely that the indigenous people had already been wiped out. Ronan and Shullifen walked without stopping, following Thunder¡¯s lead. Ronan, looking around, twitched his lips. ¡°The path wasn¡¯t this easy¡­¡± Tragedy had unfolded even before reaching Dainhar. A nauseating stench permeated through the hot wind. Monsters that should have yed the role of gatekeepers were lying dead all over the ce. The feathers of the fallen Roc Birds scattered like autumn leaves in the hot wind. Sandworms, which are considered a nightmare for adventurers, were also uprooted and withered to death. Among them, some colossal monsters measuring over 10 meters in length could be found with rtive ease. It was challenging to catch such creatures, as they could burrow deep into the ground, so it was unclear how they were brought to the surface. The sand beneath the zing sun quivered. ¡°It feels weird¡­¡± Something was different from before. Roan felt a sudden uneasiness in his chest and furrowed his brow. It wasn¡¯t clear which of his hearts was sending this warning signal. They entered Dainhar in thete afternoon. It had been a day saved in their journey. Before them rose towering rocky mountains that looked too sharp and organic to be naturally formed. Thunder, who was walking ahead, pointed to the middle of the rocky mountain and said. ¡°You guys are quite good to have made it this far already. We can go through that gap; it¡¯s a shortcut to the vige.¡± ¡°Damn, it¡¯s so small, I can¡¯t see the entrance.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. In the ce pointed out by Thunder, there was barely enough space for a single person to pass through. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead. Be careful; we might attract their attention.¡± With those words, Thunder started climbing the rock with his bare hands. His movements were so agile that it looked like he was observing some bug. Ronan and Shullifen followed him closely. The passage was dark and narrow, twisting and turning, making it easy to lose bnce. They walked through the darkness, guided only by the sound of their footsteps. It felt like about an hour had passed when Ronan suddenly felt a blinding light and raised his head. ¡°Have we arrived?¡± Not far ahead, there was an opening in the form of a crack. Light was pouring in from there. Thunder, who had been breathing heavily, suddenly rushed forward. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Everyone¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, you said it¡¯s dangerous?!¡± Despite the warning, Thunder didn¡¯t stop. Ronan hurriedly followed him. As they emerged from the crevice, their view opened up. A curse escaped Ronan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Fuck.¡± A thick, metallic smell of blood rushed over them. There was no sign of the vige. Instead, they were greeted by the wreckage of destroyed structures and the remains of children. The barely recognizable ruins of buildings hinted at the fact that people once lived here. Iron bolts, simr to the one that had pierced the Roc Bird, were embedded in the bodies of the people. Over a hundred corpses were embedded on the cliff walls like ques. Shullifen, who was worse off, sighed softly. ¡°This is terrible¡­¡± There were corpses everywhere, but finding one that wasn¡¯t mutted beyond recognition would be hard. Limbs were scattered as though they were just rocks from the outside world. Even merciless mercenary bands would not havemitted such a massacre and destruction. Neb zier¡¯s mana was blooming like a haze everywhere. Thunder, who was frozen in ce, roared softly. ¡°¡­They¡¯re all dead.¡± In a daze, He started walking through the vige that had turned into a hellish scene. Ronan, who reacted btedly, expanded his senses. There was no sign of survivors, but there was no sign of the culprits either. As he looked around, Ronan turned to Shullifen. ¡°Did you sense anything?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t detected anything yet.¡± Shullifen shook his head, his voice heavy as he exined that his sensory abilities had been thrown into confusion since entering Dainhar. His voice carried a touch of bitterness as he observed the carnage. ¡°Ronan, if it¡¯s been three days, we might already be toote. Perhaps we should focus on rescuing any potential survivors.¡± ¡°That makes sense, but¡­ I have a feeling they¡¯re still here.¡± Ronan was confident that Neb zier hadn¡¯t left Dainhar yet. The intensified pain in his chest served as evidence. As he contemted his next move, Thunder¡¯s screams suddenly echoed from behind. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Fuck, what happened?¡± It was the loudest cry they had heard from Thunder. Both of them turned their heads simultaneously. A stranger was sprinting into the distance, carrying a Thunder on its back. ¡°Shit, stop!¡± Judging by his behavior, he was a native of Dainhar. Ronan pulled out Lamancha and ran after the stranger. A chase broke out out of nowhere. The stranger was leaping over corpses and changing directions here and there in an attempt to shake off his pursuer. But Ronan tenaciously kept up. ¡°You bastard, stand still!¡± Their distance was gradually closing. In the instant where his sword energy was about to make contact, the stranger suddenly disappeared around the corner of the rocky mountain. Ronan, who turned the corner a beatter, frowned. ¡°What¡­ Where did he go?¡± The stranger and Thunder had vanished inexplicably. Ronan searched his surroundings frantically. Unless they had wings, there was no way they could have vanished so suddenly. Sure enough, in the distance, he noticed a hole in the wall about the height of his lower body. There were no other passages. ¡°He must have hidden in there. You weak bastard.¡± Ronan put his foot into the hole without hesitation. He let out a course as he realized, what he had assumed to be the ground, was nothing there. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± What he expected to be a floor was a very steep, sandy slope. He thrust his sword into the ground to slow his descent. The sand began to split apart, and his speed decreased. ¡°Shit! They built it like this on purpose.¡± Ronan fell for a while beforending on the floor. It was the moment when he spit out sand and was about to turn his back. A loud voice rang out along with the sound of rattling metal. ¡°Stay where you are. Outsider.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan was hesitant for a moment. Whoosh! From the opposite side, a whistling sound was heard. Ronan swung Lamancha and turned around at the same time. Whoosh! Sparks flew as a two-pronged iron arrowhead hit the ground. The cleanly cut arrowhead was made entirely of metal from the tip to the body. Murmurs of astonishment were heard from everywhere. At least thirty people, dressed in a simr fashion to Thunder, had gathered. Over half of them had oddly shaped bows aimed at Ronan. In the background, Thunder¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still terrible at weing guests.¡± Ronan grinned and looked in the direction the arrow hade from. There were about thirty people gathered together who looked simr to Thunder. Half of them were holding strange-looking bows in their hands, aiming them at Ronan. Thunder¡¯s voice was heard from that direction. ¡°Everyone, calm down! Ronan is not a bad person; he¡¯s here to help us!¡± ¡°You stay still. Dreaming Thunder.¡± Others restrained Thunder. Ronan suddenly looked behind the natives and his eyes widened. ck crystals covered the walls and ceiling of the cave. They were the rare stones that everyone would venture into Dainhar for. Chapter 114: Spreading Blood on Sand (5) Chapter 114: Spreading Blood on Sand (5) ck Stones covered the walls and ceiling of the cave. They were the rare stones that everyone would venture into Dainhar for. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the scale he had never seen before. ¡®I could buy any fortress or territory with this much.¡¯ There were enough for him to do it a thousand times and still have plenty to spare. Even taking just one chunk would set him up for life. But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing right now. Out of nowhere, a burly young man emerged among the indigenous people. ¡°Cough, outsider. Why have youe all the way here?¡± He was a head taller than Ronan and had a face that somewhat resembled Thunder, whether intentionally or not. The unique tattoos of the Dainhar indigenous people were engraved on his muscr upper body. In one of his sturdy hands, he held a dagger. Ronan realized that he was the criminal who kidnapped Thunder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Thunder? I came to help.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the liar. You can say that after witnessing that hell¡­ Cough, but I know your true intentions are the ck Stones.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been deceived, haven¡¯t you? Well, it¡¯s not entirely untrue¡­¡± Ronan trailed off. Cough! The coughing man growled softly. ¡°I know you rescued Thunder. As a token of gratitude, you may leave with as many stones as you want. Just don¡¯te back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s typical of the Dainhar monkeys. So arbitrary.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t listen¡­¡± Suddenly, the man grasped the handle of his dagger. Clunk! With the sound of metal clinking, the length of the dagger tripled. He pointed the extended tip of his sword at Ronan and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Quit the theatrics. Even if I just run away, you¡¯ll be the first to die.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wounded. I noticed it when I was chasing you.¡± Ronan said calmly. He had realized that the man¡¯s condition was far from normal during their pursuit. ¡°Kuggh¡­ How dare you¡­¡± The man was caught off guard and gritted his teeth. In fact, Ronan had seen two fist-sized metal objects embedded in his back. Shimmering mana indicated that these wounds likely came from a sh with Neb zier. The foul odor emanating from his wounds signified the severity of his injuries. As Ronan looked around, he chuckled as if he was amazed. ¡°You saved these people with that body? Impressive.¡± ¡°Cough¡­ shut up¡­!¡± Most of the people gathered in the cave were women, children, or the injured. Given the circumstances, it seemed like the man saved not only Thunder but also the rest. Ronan continued. ¡°If you leave that alone, you¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll help you, so just be patient.¡± ¡°Keugh¡­ Don¡¯t meddle in our business. Just leave!¡± ¡°Big Brother! Don¡¯t do this!¡± The man raised his arms. Thunder, who was watching, screamed. Swoosh! At that moment, a shadow slid down the slope Ronan had descended. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man turned his head frantically. The tense indigenous people who had been watching reflexively let go of their protest. ng! Sparks flew into the air as dozens of crossbows were dropped to the ground. ¡°Here theye again!¡± Panic-filled screams erupted. The shadow that struck down five arrows at once rushed towards the man. ¡°That speed¡­¡± He was momentarily stunned. Panicking, the man swung his sword. It was not a bad attack, but the shadow easily dodged it and lunged forward. For a moment, their figures ovepped. Ronan murmured as if sighing. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡± At that moment, the shadow froze in ce. The man, with beads of sweat on his forehead, slowly lowered his gaze. A bluish de was pointed at his neck. Shullifen, without taking a breath, asked, ¡°Ronan, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ugh, I tried to resolve it peacefully, but¡­¡± Ronan spat on the ground. The indigenous people seemed very pitiful, so Ronan tried to resolve it through conversation if possible, but it seemed like that had already failed. The indigenous people, defeated by Shullifen¡¯s vitality, were frozen, unable to even think of resisting. He appearedposed yet unyielding. Given the circumstances, it seemed best to proceed as usual. Ronan sighed again. ¡°Alright, just calm down. Where¡¯s Cita?¡± ¡°Bheew!¡± As soon as he spoke, Cita swooped down and perched on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Ronan turned to the man, surveying the indigenous people. ¡°Alright, everyone, stay still. The moment you guys start messing around, this young man¡¯s head will go flying.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you nning¡­ Aaargh!¡± A terrible scream erupted from the man¡¯s lips. Ronan held the iron chunks that Neb zier had impaled into his back. Blood and pus that had been festering for three days dripped down. ¡°Ugh, disgusting.¡± ¡°Grrraah!¡± Saying that, Ronan pulled out the remaining metal chunks. Shullifen held the man in check, preventing him from causing amotion. Confirming that there were no more metal chunks left in him, Ronan stroked Cita and spoke. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Cita, use your power one more time.¡± ¡°Byaah!¡± Cita responded and flew up. Its four wings spread wide, enveloping the man and the indigenous people in a reddish glow. ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± ¡°The wounds are healing¡­!¡± People who noticed the change couldn¡¯t contain their amazement. The part covered by the glowing light was indeed healing. New skin began to grow over not only bruises and abrasions, but also festering and rotting wounds. It was a miraculous and almost surreal sight. The man who witnessed the miraculous scene stammered. ¡°You, what the hell are you¡­¡±¡± ¡°I told you. We came to help.¡± Ronan patted the man on the back. He felt no pain at all. The ces where he¡¯d had the wounds were now covered with fresh skin. Suddenly, tears welled up in the man¡¯s eyes. He looked around at the healed members of his tribe and spoke. ¡°¡­They are our saviors. Lower your weapons.¡± *** ¡°Bwaeeeh¡­¡± ¡°Great job. You¡¯re better than any human.¡± Afterpleting the treatment, Citanded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. It seemed quite exhausted, likely from tending to so many people at once. Ronan dropped two drops of a potion into Cita¡¯s mouth, who was gasping for breath. ¡°It¡¯s a special brew by Varen. Have some and regain your strength.¡± ¡°Byaaawh!¡± Cita instantly revitalized and took flight again. The effects of the potion were nothing short of amazing. Ronan looked around at the now healed indigenous people and sighed. ¡°Everyone is healed now. No more pain.¡± ¡°Look at this, Roaring Storm, my legs can move!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it, you¡¯ll get hurt again.¡± The indigenous people who had recovered were celebrating. It was a mix of relief and bittersweet joy. The man who had approached Ronan earlier returned to him. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed that everyone is healed. I promise to repay this debt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dreaming Thunder¡¯s elder brother, Roaring Storm. Thank you so much for saving my little brother.¡± ¡°You do look quite simr, so you were brothers. I¡¯m Ronan.¡± Ronan extended a hand, and Roaring Storm shook it. As they exchanged handshakes and pleasantries, Ronan let out a dry chuckle. ¡®As I live, I¡¯m even witnessing a day like this.¡¯ He never imagined the day he would be called a savior by the people of Dainhar. He pulled out his pipe and lit it. ¡°Is this all the survivors?¡± ¡°As far as I know, yes. They scattered, so there might be more, but probably not.¡± Roaring Strom twisted his lips. After being silent for a moment, he pointed at the metal chunks that hade out of his body. ¡°That man in the strange clothes was controlling monsters that could shoot those things. He and the monsters killed them all. The other man didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Monsters?¡± ¡°Yeah. The more ck Stones they swallowed, the stronger they became.¡± Roaring Storm began to describe the events that happened three days ago. As Thunder had said, two followers of Neb zier pushed into Dainhar, however only one of themmitted the massacre. He was followed by three strange monsters that were shooting the metal chunks in all directions. With a defense barrier blocking all attacks from the Dainhar¡¯s warriors, they stood no chance. ¡®That shield is probably the Protection of The Stars¡­ and the monsters. Do I have to deal with monsters again?¡¯ The situation was more serious than expected. The identity of the monsters was unknown, but using the Protection of The Stars meant that it was at least a person at the level of a branch leader. Ronan was also concerned about the man who had done nothing. He exhaled a plume of smoke. ¡°Thanks for letting me know. So, do you know where those bastards went?¡± ¡°Why do you ask? Are you really nning to go after them?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why I came here in the first ce.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Suddenly, Roaring Storm shouted. It took everyone by surprise. Startled, Dreaming Thunder interrupted him. ¡°Calm down, brother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. They are unbeatable opponents. We can¡¯t let our saviors risk their lives.¡± ¡°No, brother. They¡¯re all very strong. They¡¯re warriors almost at the same level as the Chief.¡± ¡°Dreaming Thunder¡­!¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re even stronger. That guy with blue hair can summon a storm just by swinging his sword. And Ronan said he was twice as strong as him.¡± Thunder was urgently trying to persuade his brother. It was amusing to see people who were all on death¡¯s door worrying about the survival of others. Ronan said, scratching his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no matter what you say, I¡¯m going to go find them.¡± ¡°¡­You.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my energy for nothing, just tell me quickly. Does anyone know where they went?¡± Ronan said, looking around at the indigenous people. There was a dense silence in the air,sting for about a minute. Just as the stillness was bing oppressive, Roaring Strom broke the silence. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Everyone simultaneously turned their heads. Even Thunder opened his eyes wide, gazing at him. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°You should have told me sooner. Just tell me the location.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You must apany me. Outsiders can¡¯t reach there on their own.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°They went towards where the heart is¡± For a moment, Thunder¡¯s face stiffened. The indigenous people started to get agitated. A trembling voice came from Thunder¡¯s lips, trying to calm themotion. ¡°¡­Big Brother. Is that true?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t deceive our saviors. I saw it clearly.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be possible. Why there¡­¡± The reaction was unsettling. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s so significant about this ¡®heart¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a sacred ce, a ce we¡¯ve sworn to protect from generation to generation. It¡¯s the reason for our existence.¡± ¡°A sacred ce?¡± ¡°Yes, and all ck Stonese from there.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was a story he had never heard even in his previous life. Roaring Strom, who had been pondering, picked up a dagger lying on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll guide you myself.¡± *** ¡°Be careful. If you fall, it¡¯ll mean the end.¡± ¡°Why would there be a path like this inside a rocky mountain¡­¡± Ronan looked around, his head swiveling. The reason why Roaring Strom outside vehemently insisted that outsiders couldn¡¯t go on their own became apparent. This terrain would not even be considered a path if they weren¡¯t being guided. He moved forward step by step, clinging to the wall like a frog. Beside the narrow path where only one foot could fit, there was a dark precipice. It took a few minutes for the pebble that fell from under his feet to make a ttering sound. ¡°This is the path to the heart. You can go anywhere, but not everyone can.¡± Roaring Storm spoke, navigating the narrow path with the same posture as the other two. Ronan and Shullifen were following Roaring Storm towards the ce called the ¡®heart.¡¯ They entrusted the task of guarding the indigenous people to Cita. Simrly, Shullifen, who maintained a frog-like posture, muttered softly. ¡°¡­Shameful.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.¡± To be clear, that was a lie. They soon encountered an even more difficult terrain than the narrow path. A liquid gathered under the stepping stones, and Ronan cursed under his breath when he saw it bubbling. ¡°Fuck, is thatva?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s red water. It¡¯s hot, so be careful.¡± ¡°It isva, damn it.¡± Only after about two hours did a path where they could walkfortably appeared. The spacious corridor was wide enough for thirty horses to race without any issues. Roaring Storm, who had been silently guiding them, finally opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thanks to you helping and protecting our people, I was able to reach the heart. I used to think all outsiders were inherently bad, but that might not be the case.¡± ¡°Enough with that, dude. When we get to this ¡®heart¡¯ ce, don¡¯t look back and just run. Remember the promise?¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡± Roaring Storm grumbled. Ronan¡¯s request was clear: do not interfere, as they would take care of Neb zier. Roaring Storm, who seemed like he was going to do something crazy, was tied up with a rope. Before long, the corridor came to an end, and they entered a vast open space. Ronan and Shullifen were taken aback. Andscape they had never seen before unfolded before their eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is the heart.¡± It was an area almostparable to the Gran Cappadocia. Although itcked the beautiful ecosystem, other elements overwhelmed the viewers. Unidentifiable lights illuminated the entire space. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered in gleaming white metal. It was a form of architecture they had never seen before, but the outer wall and texture of the strange building they had seen during the mid-term evaluation seemed somewhat simr. ¡°Pirs¡­?¡± As Ronan looked around, his gazended on a massive colonnade. Dozens of hexagonal pirs were evenly spaced throughout the space, extending all the way to the end. The circumference of the pirs that reached the ceiling was as thick as the spire of a Phileon. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this, not even in my dreams¡­¡± Ronan muttered as if he was dazed. It was an utterly surreal scene that didn¡¯t feel like reality. At the center of this unreality was the ck Crystal known as the Mother of All Dainhar Stones. Mana, far beyond what any ordinary vige would possess, radiated from it in all directions. A man stood in front of it, with his back turned to them. Ronan hastily raised one of his arms. ¡°Stop.¡± The group came to a halt. Ronan stared at the man in silence. A mana that zed like fire rose from his stooped shoulders. He was undeniably one of the Neb zier who had intruded. ¡®Why is there only one of them? What kind of power¡­¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. The strength he felt was greater than any believer he had ever seen. It was far superior to even the old man who was riding the Brigiana Wyvern. Ronan was about to ce his hand on the hilt of his de. However, the man turned his head without looking back and spoke. ¡°Wee. It¡¯s my first time meeting you in person.¡± Chapter 115: Spreading Blood on Sand (6) Chapter 115: Spreading Blood on Sand (6) Ronan was about to ce his hand on the hilt of his de. However, the man turned his head without looking back and spoke. ¡°Wee. It¡¯s my first time meeting you in person.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The group froze. His voice was as friendly as greeting a neighbor. Ronan quickly scanned the surroundings, but besides them, there was no one else who seemed like a suitable conversational partner. ¡®Crazy bastard. He noticed us?¡¯ Ronan gritted his teeth. It was an absurd skill. Even without considering the long distance, detecting the presence of a concentration of mana like his was not an easy task. In fact, Ronan and Shullifen¡¯s detection abilities were not working properly due to the mana spewing out from the Dainhar Stones. Ronan took a deep breath and looked back at Raging Storm. ¡°Thanks for guiding us. Now go back quickly.¡± ¡°Well, but¡­¡± ¡°You idiot. You promised to only guide us, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯m going.¡± Raging Storm reluctantly stepped back. It was only after he turned the corner and disappeared did Ronan feel relieved. The man¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°You must be quite loyal to let your colleagues retreat first.¡± ¡°Shut up. Where are the people you captured?¡± ¡°Easy there. At least let¡¯s have a conversation while looking at each other¡¯s faces. With the other person still left as well.¡± Shullifen narrowed his eyes. The element of surprise seemed to have already failed. The boys, after exchanging nces, took a step forward. The man turned around only when they were within five paces. ¡°Nice to meet you. It feels different meeting in person after sensing your aura. I never thought you would be this young.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± Ronan raised his middle finger. It was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance. His beardless face was as simple as a farmer¡¯s, and he was neither tall nor short. He wore the typical white robe of Neb zier, but unlike other followers, a small star was attached to the sleeve. The man, who had been silently observing Ronan, spoke with an intriguing tone. ¡°Surprisingly, you¡¯re not attacking right away.¡± ¡°Becasue I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± ¡°Quite clever. Yes, there may still be some of the people alive¡± Her man smiled. It was a statement close to a threat. Ronan had to exert considerable effort to keep his hand from reaching the hilt of his sword. It was a wickedness that contrasted with his gentle tone. ¡®Disgusting bastard.¡¯ However, Ronan didn¡¯t attack as soon as the distance closed, not just because of the hostages. There simply was no opening to attack. Shullifen¡¯s gaze, who was ready to strike, proved it. Suddenly, the man¡¯s gaze met Shullifen¡¯s and his eyes widened. ¡°Oh my goodness. Aren¡¯t you the Duke of Garcia? I never thought I¡¯d see you in a ce like this.¡± Shullifen didn¡¯t respond. The man greeted Shullifen as if he hade across some unexpected luck. The man turned his gaze back to Ronan and opened his mouth. ¡°I have something to show you. Let¡¯s walk a bit.¡± The man suddenly started walking. Ronan and Shullifen followed behind him. Suddenly, a question arose in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®He knows me.¡¯ The man was aware of Shullifen¡¯s existence, but did not know his identity. Of the three, Ronan was the only one he could identifypletely. It also bothered him that he only saw things based on energy. Ronan, who was walking after the man, growled and asked. ¡°How do you know me?¡± ¡°I did some personal investigation. I¡¯m quite interested in you.¡± ¡°Interested? Are you some kind of pervert?¡± ¡°Not in that sense. You probably know Miss Brighia and Cyril, right? Oh, there was also the bloodshed between Edwon and Aden.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. They were all followers of Neb zier that he had either killed or imprisoned in Rodn. The man continued to speak. ¡°They were all my people. All of them failed in their assigned missions and ended up in an unfortunate situation. At first I thought it was just bad luck, but that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°I noticed amon trace of mana found at the scenes of these incidents. It was a trace that was faint but had such a strong personality that it was impossible to be confused. And that mana was yours.¡± The man continued exining. Essentially, he discovered Ronan¡¯s mana while investigating the reasons for his subordinates¡¯ failures, and that led to further investigation. ¡°You must have already noticed that I came here.¡± ¡°Of course. I knew about your presence even before you entered Dainhar.¡± The man imed that he could detect Ronan¡¯s mana from kilometers away. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop me?¡± ¡°Because there was nothing you could do in the first ce.¡± ¡°Your confidence is through the roof. Are there any other assholes out there chasing after my ass besides you?¡± ¡°Not at all. The branch is not so free as to pay attention to you. I brought this up at a meeting not long ago, but I ended up getting scolded by the Leader.¡± The man quenched his appetite. He exined that investigating Ronan was something of a hobby for him. No matter how Ronan looked at it, he seemed like aplete pervert, but regardless, Ronan breathed an internal sigh of relief. ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ If he could just kill this perverted bastard today, it would significantly reduce his troubles. Of course, he didn¡¯t have the confidence that it would be possible. The man still hadn¡¯t revealed even a trace of weakness. ¡®¡­Even Brighia was his subordinate. What on earth is his identity?¡¯ They continued to walk. The sound of three footsteps echoed. No matter how much Ronan looked at the space covered in white, he couldn¡¯t get used to it. Even dwarves would likely struggle to handle metal with such grace. The source of light shining from the distant high ceiling was mysterious, and the glimmering radiance of the surroundings was not from fire or mana-induced light. Suddenly, the man spoke. ¡°Do you know what this ce is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ancient ruin. It holds a secret that should never be revealed to the world.¡± ¡°A secret?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know the details, but if the Leader speaks of it in that manner, it must be an incredible secret. Our mission is to retrieve the Mana Stone and destroy this ce.¡± Ronan frowned at the unfamiliar words. There was a fishy smell of blooding from somewhere. The man continued. ¡°We brought the natives here to find out more. Since we¡¯re going to destroy everything anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter if we learn the secret of the ruin. I¡¯m quite curious by nature, as you can see.¡± ¡°What bullshit have you been spouting since earlier?¡± ¡°But, they didn¡¯t cooperate at all.¡±¡± At that moment, the man stopped. In front of them, a wide and deep staircase unfolded. The scent of blood became even more intense. Ronan¡¯s face hardened as he looked down the stairs. ¡°This¡­¡± It was a scene reminiscent of a corpse pit on a battlefield. Numerous indigenous people, seemingly hundreds,y dead. The stairs were stained with a flowing crimson, pooling at the bottom. At the end of the transformed staircase, like a low and wide rectangr prism, one structure stood. Complicated metal fittings and ten buttons of different colors lined up in a row on the top surface of the prism. The man sighed as he tilted his head. ¡°Even though we¡¯re all going to be blown away, they didn¡¯t know that we would keep the promise not to touch them.¡± There were no survivors in sight. It seemed that they refused to reveal the secret and were all murdered. Among the corpses were not only women and the elderly but also children who appeared to be under ten. The man, surveying the corpses, smirked. ¡°Well, even though they are from a barbaric tribe, I liked their grit. I really wanted to show you this.¡± ¡°Why does this sick bastard wanna show us this?¡± Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. Almost at the same time, Shullifen¡¯s sword was drawn. Suddenly, attacks flew at the man at an iprehensible speed. His lips, previously curved into a faint smile, parted slightly. ¡°¡­A storm is brewing.¡± Bang! In an instant, Ronan and Shullifen were thrown backward. Ronan collided with one of the hexagonal pirs. ng! Metal tiles flipped, sparking, and the lights in the room momentarily went out beforeing back on. ¡°Ugh!¡± The impact took his breath away. The impact was so great that even if his spine waspletely shattered it wouldn¡¯t be a shock. Blood burst out from deep within his throat. Ronan, sliding down the pir, copsed on the ground. ¡°Keeuuughhh!¡± Ronan, using Lamancha as a support, stood up. As he lifted his head, a copious amount of blood poured out. Ronan gritted his teeth, noticing that his nose was broken just from the impact. ¡°This feels¡­ familiar.¡± It was something of a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Thud! He red at the man after fixing his broken nose. A pair of translucent yet gigantic wings were growing on the man¡¯s back. Wings covered in feathers were something he definitely remembered seeing in the past. The wings gradually faded and disappeared from sight. Ronan chanted his archnemesis¡¯ name as if he was possessed by something. ¡°Ahaiyute.¡± Gradually, the wings, which were bing faint, disappeared from his sight. Ronan soon realized that the texture of the wings was made of a bizarre mana, simr to the Protection of the Stars. The man turned towards Ronan and smiled. ¡°The introduction is overdue. I am Teranil, Bishop of the Southern Diocese of Neb zier.¡± ¡°Bishop¡­ fuck.¡± Ronan spat on the ground. Somehow, it felt damn irritating. Although he didn¡¯t know much about the organization structure of these heretics, it seemed clear that this guy was strong enough to be ranked at least in the top 20. ¡°You bastard¡­ why bother bbering if you were going to do this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the underworld¡­ and I just became convinced.¡± The man who introduced himself as Teranilughed mockingly. Two additional crescent-shaped des, absent before, crossed his body. One from the back of the hand to the elbow, and the other from the thigh to the calf. The fabric where the des passed turned red, a reminder of the wounds left by Ronan and Shullifen just before the storm was fully unleashed. Teranil¡¯s onceposed face stiffened for a moment. ¡°You must die here.¡± ¡°Give it a try.¡± Bang! Ronan kicked the ground and rushed forward. Simultaneously, Shullifen, who had been pinned to a pir in the distance, appeared. ¡°Shoot now! Don¡¯t give him a chance to rest!¡± Ronan shouted. If manipting wind with his wings followed the principles of the Protection of the Stars, continuous activation would be difficult. Shullifen, clutching the hilt with both hands, swung his sword. ¡°Hmph!¡± A purplish-ck brilliance drew a curve. A gigantic crescent-shaped aura shot towards Teranil. The massive aura, with a diameter of at least 5 meters, vibrated with the energy of a storm. ¡°Heh, you even know about that?¡± Teranilughed as if he found it amusing. Indeed, he couldn¡¯t unleash his wings. The distance between him and the aura was about five steps. Thud! Suddenly, a massive shadownded right in front of him. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Kwaaaang! Shullifen¡¯s sword energy collided with the shadow, but instead of a whirlwind, only an explosion urred. At that moment, dozens of metal spikes shaped like arrows shot towards Ronan and Shullifen through the lingering smoke. ¡°Shit¡­!¡± Swoosh! The two hastily raised their swords and deflected the metal spikes. Sparks flew every time a spike was blocked, littering the ground. Ronan realized that these were the same objects that were impaled on the bodies of the natives. Swaaah¡­ Gradually, the smoke dissipated, revealing the appearance of a gigantic hedgehog. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± ¡°Grrr.¡± It was a hedgehog with a muchrger build than most water buffaloes. Its entire body was made of bright red metal, and on its back were thousands of spikes simr to the ones Ronan had dodged. In many ways, it felt more simr to Philleon¡¯s Magic Knight than to a living creature. ¡°Hmm? You blocked all of that?¡± The hedgehog without thorns on its head had a person sitting on top, wearing wide clothing and a veil covering the face. The veil made it impossible to identify the person. A voice emanated from behind the veil. ¡°Ha¡­ Isn¡¯t this a bit much, Bishop Teranil?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Branch Manager Yuria.¡± ¡°You left me with such a boring task, and then you enjoy such a fun event all by yourself.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. Her billowing veil stood between her and her boys. It was undoubtedly the Protection of the Stars. ¡®It¡¯s much bigger.¡¯ The only difference was that it was muchrger than the one used by Brighia and the old man riding the wyvern. Her Protection of the Stars spread out in a hemispherical shape, epassing not only her and her hedgehog but also Terranil. Terranil, who heard herints, smiled kindly. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be angry. You can join the fun now. Are there any more natives left?¡± ¡°I¡¯m parched. I should¡¯ve enjoyed it moderately¡­ Well, if by any chance I find them, my two children will bring them.¡± It seemed like her mission was to capture natives who would reveal the secret. She was conversing about various things with Terranil as if the situation had already been concluded. The tension hadpletely evaporated. It seemed she believed the Protection of the Stars would solve everything. Ronan tightened the grip on his sword. ¡®I have to capture them this time.¡¯ The thought that this was the only opportunity crossed his mind. For a moment, Ronan and Shullifen exchanged nces. Ronan ran out after counting to three and swung his sword. Whoosh! A crescent-shaped sword energy was fired along Lamancha¡¯s path. ¡°Huh?¡± The red aura flew directly towards the woman called Yuria. She turned her head and chuckled. ¡°Right, you guys don¡¯t know about this.¡± ¡°Shullifen!¡± Either way, Ronan shouted. Shullifen, who was waiting, swung his sword. Crack! In that moment, the Protection of the Stars and Ronan¡¯s Aura collided, simultaneously disappearing. Shullifen¡¯s sword, which was flying right behind him, hit the monster¡¯s chest directly. -sh! ¡°What?¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. Teranil tried to shout something, but it was already toote. Kwaahhh! A massive whirlwind engulfed the two figures. Chapter 116: Spreading Blood on Sand (7) Chapter 116: Spreading Blood on Sand (7) A massive whirlwind engulfed the two figures. Yuria¡¯s scream was drowned out by the howling wind. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaargh!¡± ¡°You fucking bastards.¡± Ronan raised his middle finger toward the whirlwind. Fragments, presumably from the hedgehog, shot up along with the whirlwind. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t know the secret of him being able to cut mana. It was a blessing in disguise. Although he couldn¡¯t sever Yuria¡¯s neck with the short range of his sword, Shullifen¡¯s follow-up attacknded perfectly. The storm of the next sword strike would not cease until the two of them werepletely annihted. ¡°Ugh.¡± In the midst of the chaos, Shullifen, who had been quietly catching his breath, staggered as if he was intoxicated. He steadied himself, using his sword for support. ¡°What the¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­No problem.¡± It seemed the shock from Teranil¡¯s st lingered in his body. This was the first time Ronan had seen him in such a weakened state since the midterm evaluation. Ronan, dumbfounded, let out a snort. ¡°I saw you fly to the pir and crash into it, and you say there¡¯s no problem. Stop showing off and focus on this¡­¡± He was just about to take out Varen¡¯s special potion. An eerie ominous feeling passed through him. Ronan rushed forward, grabbing Shullifen¡¯s arm and pulling him away. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. It was the moment they took cover behind a nearby pir. Boom! The whirlwind crumbled, unleashing a burst of wind. ¡°¡­!¡± The fierce wind swept over them. Countless metal shards scattered in all directions. With each piece of shrapnel embedding into pirs, floor, or ceiling, the lighting that illuminated the room flickered perilously. ¡°Yeah, it was going too smoothly.¡± Ronan let out a deep sigh. It was powerful enough to blow away an entire forest or vige. Through the gradually subsiding wind, the voices of Teranil and Yuria could be heard. ¡°Wow¡­ I really thought we were going to die.¡± ¡°In any case, we can¡¯t let our guard down. I think I now understand why the two branch managers fell one by one.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± The surprise attack had failed. Ronan cursed as he saw the two of them alive and well. Their bodies were covered with red-tinted metal fragments. Come to think of it, the giant hedgehog was nowhere to be seen. Yuria muttered irritably. ¡°He was my favorite. How are you going to take responsibility for this?¡± ¡°Crazy bitch¡­¡± Ronan realized that it was probably an armor made by disassembling the hedgehog. Tung! Tung! Discarded metal pieces fell. Teranil pursed her lips and muttered. ¡°Ugh¡­ it hurts. I need healing from the sect.¡± Still, it wasn¡¯tpletely without damage. A battered body appeared where the armor fell. Red blood was dripping from their bodies covered with sh wounds. ¡°Bishop, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not fighting with my eyes anyway.¡± Blood was flowing from both of Teranill¡¯s eyes. It seemed like he was injured while being caught inside the whirlwind. Nevertheless, this was a clear achievement. Ronan, inwardly satisfied, let out a provocativeugh. ¡°So you went blind. What should I do, I feel bad for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m enough to deal with you.¡± ¡°I guess so. But you¡¯re uglier than I thought.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. Under the torn veil, her bare face was revealed. ¡°Ugh, disgusting.¡± Meeting eyes with her, Ronan wrinkled his nose. He now understood why she always wore those bizarre, concealing clothes. Yuria was literally a half-faced beauty. The charming right side of her face coexisted with the grotesque burn on the left. Swollen like a spider¡¯s nest, the burn stretched from her forehead to her smooth thigh. ¡°Next time, wear moreyers. You have to think about the people who might see your ugly face.¡± ¡°¡­I will definitely tear you in half.¡± Yuria muttered lowly. Swoosh! She lowered her sleeves, revealing a long whip that flowed down like a stream. The whip,posed of sharp metal links, resembled a snake made of steel. ¡®Good.¡¯ Ronan was inwardly delighted. It seemed the provocation was sessful. It¡¯s important to shake up one¡¯sposure when facing an equal or stronger opponent. Thud! Thud! At that moment, two enormous shadowsnded in front of her. Like the hedgehog before, these were monsters created through mechanical technology. ¡°Krururur¡­!¡± ¡°Grrrrrrh.¡± The bodies of the monsters, each in the shape of a monkey and a leopard, were covered in dark red blood. Given the circumstances, it was clear that it was blood from the natives. At that moment, Ronan¡¯s eyes grew so big that they almost seemed to pop out. ¡°¡­Raging Storm?¡± ¡°Cough. Ro-Ronan¡­¡± In the giant monkey¡¯s grasp was Raging Storm. Blood was dripping from the cracks of the metal fingers, staining the ground. Raging Storm, now battered and groaning in agony, turned to Ronan. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Ku-kugh¡­ I tried to block them from heading towards the refugees, but¡­¡± Raging Storm spoke intermittently. Ronan realized that he got into such a state trying to lure the monsters away from the refugees. The injuries were so severe that it was a miracle he was still alive.His right leg and left arm were twisted in opposite directions. The once unassuming torso, now dyed a vivid red, had six sharp metal spikes embedded in it. ¡°What? I thought we got them all, but there was one more?¡± Yuria chuckled. In that moment, something snapped within Ronan. He pulled out his sword and lunged forward. Swish! Dozens of red lines were drawn across the monkey¡¯s body. ¡°Guh¡­?¡± The monkey, btedly realizing the change, turned to look at Ronan. Bang! The upper half shattered into dozens of pieces as if it was exploding. The mangled lower half knelt down, copsing like an avnche. Raging Storm, released from the grasp, curled up in front of the stairs. ¡°Ughh!¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at the speed, which far exceeded her expectations. Ronan leaped by stepping on the monkey and lunged at her. In her panic, sheshed out with her whip, but Ronan did not dodge. Swoosh! The whip narrowly missed his left shoulder just by a sheet of paper apart. ¡°You bastard.¡± Yuria desperately pulled back her whip, but Ronan was quicker. At the moment the sharp edge of Ronan¡¯s sword was just a paper-thin distance from Yuria¡¯s neck. ng! Suddenly, Teranil stepped in, blocking Ronan¡¯s path. ¡°Are you not going to get out of the way?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry.¡± Blood was still flowing under his tightly shut eyelids. Teranil, pushing Yuria aside, avoided the attack. For someone who was seemingly blind moving with such incredible agility was unbelievable. He turned toward Yuria, who was dumbfounded, and opened his mouth. ¡°Yuria, please deal with the Grand Duke of Garcia. I have business with this friend.¡± ¡°I cannot do that, Bishop. You heard what he just said to me.¡± ¡°Yuria.¡± For a moment, Teranil¡¯s voice deepened. Yuria hunched her shoulders. With a hint of reluctance, she sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ Whatever.¡± Turning away, Yuria swung her whip towards Shullifen. Shullifen, already charging, deftly evaded the attack. The whip shed with Shullifen¡¯s sword, creating a sharp metallic sound. Teranill looked at Ronan again andughed. ¡°I¡¯ve waited a long time for this. Would you mind giving me some of your time as well?¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± A strange breathing sound escaped from between Ronan¡¯s lips. Five strokes of Mana-infused attacks shot towards Teranil. He dodged two and deflected two, but the remaining one struck home. Squelch! Blood spurted from Teranil¡¯s shoulder as Ronan¡¯s attacknded. ¡°Ugh!¡± Teranil¡¯s face stiffened. Ronan¡¯s assault continued. Teranill, who had narrowly avoided the sh, threw a punch. Swish! The swift strike seemed to miss, but the fist came to a stop just before connecting with Ronan¡¯s stomach. ¡®Are you a dumbass?¡¯ Ronan thought, and just as he was about to counterattack. Bang! A shockwave that shook his internal organs exploded from where the fist had stopped. ¡°Keuuk!¡± His breath caught in his throat. Ronan was sent flying like a person hit by a massive carriage. It was a different kind of shockwave than the wind pressure of those damned wings. ¡°Fuck¡­ damn it!¡± With great effort, Ronan mmed both Ymir and Lamancha into the ground. Thud! Sparks and mes erupted like a storm. Sparks and embers flew as his body was pushed back around 50 meters before finallying to a halt. ¡°¡­Using such damn abilities.¡± ¡°Even though I look like this I used to be a Balkar warrior.¡± For someone who Ronan thought to be a mage, surprisingly turned out to be a martial artist. Glittering mana was blooming like wildfire on Teranill¡¯s shoulders. The vibrating aura was rippling around his hands. Suddenly, images of the Sandworms lying dead on the ground shed before Ronan¡¯s eyes. It was evident they were victims of that ability. Teranill, who had been silent, continued speaking. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. If only you were a bit more careful, it would have been better.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°With a talent like yours, you could¡¯ve easily be a Lycopos¡­ but being an untamable wild beast is truly a sad existence.¡± Ronan frowned at the iprehensible nonsense. In fact, there was even a hint of regret in Teranill¡¯s voice. ¡°Lycopos?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The sharpest swords of the church. I thought we might¡¯ve been able to recruit a promising talent after a long time¡­¡± Only then did Ronan realize that the reason Teranill was dragging him around and saying all kinds of nonsense was to appease him. With a faint murmur, Teranil spoke. ¡°Truly, it¡¯s a shame.¡± Bang! Uttering those cryptic words, Teranil leaped into the air. His acrobatics were reminiscent of a monster rather than a human. With a resounding explosion, he propelled himself upwards, reaching the ceiling. The sight of Teranil rushing forward with his fists was reminiscent of a bird of prey descending on its prey. ¡°Shit!¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. The presence he faced now was iparable to someone like Arondale. He fired his sword energy as if to intercept it, but Teranill evaded the attack by lightly twisting his body. Swish! The stray sword energy passed by Teranill¡¯s ears. ¡°I felt it earlier as well, butpared to the Swordmaster, your sword skills arecking.¡± ¡°This monkey-like bastard¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. It was clear that with his slow sword skills, he couldn¡¯t keep up with Teranil¡¯s speed. He had no chance of sticking around and stabbing or shing like before. The shockwave he had sent out earlier was now pouring down from above. Sensing it would be overwhelming, Ronan hastily rolled his body to the side. Bangg! The ground where he had stood sunk in, echoing a thunderous sound. The metallic floor rippled like waves. ¡®This is really dangerous.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was going to blow up the ruins. The shockwaves spreading like ripples were shaking the underground. Not far away, Yuria¡¯s voice, filled with madness, could be heard. ¡°Handsome gentleman, why can¡¯t you use your strength properly?¡± The lively whip strikes were everywhere. ng! ng! Every sh between the sword and the whip produced fiery sparks. Compared to Yuria, who was leaping around like a madwoman, Shullifen didn¡¯t look great. He seemed to be clearly at a disadvantage, even though it was a one-on-one battle. It was thanks to the Protection of the Stars. The defensive barrier and the pressure from Yuria¡¯s whip were pushing Shullifen back. ¡°Kwahaha! That¡¯s right. Looks like you can¡¯t break through?¡± ¡°Ugh..!.¡± All of Shullifen¡¯s attacks that could have been effective were being blocked by the Protections of the Stars. The undting barrier absorbed both physical strikes and the aura storms. ¡°Kraaaah!¡± To make matters worse, whenever there was an opening, the leopard-like monster would rush in. Whenever it found itself at a disadvantage, it would retreat into the Protection of the Stars, repairing itself before re-emerging. It was remarkable that they could endure even in such a situation. However, it seemed like the bnce wouldn¡¯t hold for much longer. A sense of urgency crept over Ronan, and thoughts of a strategy formed in his mind. ¡®In this situation, something needs to change.¡¯ It was an unprecedented crisis. To turn the overall unfavorable situation around, some different means had to be employed. However, Ronan had no time to focus on Shullifen or to think about anything else. ¡°Where are you looking?¡± Bang! Again, Teranil charged forward, unleashing a shockwave. A shockwave shot in a straight line passed by Ronan¡¯s ears. Ronan immediately counterattacked, but Teranill again dodged the sword by a narrow margin. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Even if other people can¡¯t see it, I know all of your attack patterns.¡± ¡°Perverted bastard¡­¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be able to move like that even when seeing with his eyes. He was fully detecting Ronan¡¯s mana and engaging in battle. Ronan, feeling his breath quicken, twisted his lips. The mana he was using was gradually running out. ¡®This is bad. I can¡¯t capture him with this.¡¯ In order to avoid exhaustion, he needed to utilize Vijra¡¯s core. However, the sparkling mana-infused sword was much slower than the one Ronan was ustomed to handling. The reason he hadn¡¯t used it since earlier was also because of this. Hecked the decisiveness to face the swift Teranill. ¡®I need to buy time until I recover.¡¯ But there was no other way. Ronan switched the power source to Vijra¡¯s core. As energy surged through his body, sparkling mana rose along the de of the sword. Suddenly, Teranill, who had been pursuing Ronan, came to a halt in his tracks. ¡°Hmm?!¡± It was a reaction as if someone had suddenly thrown a human into an unfamiliar ce. Teranill began to look around him as if he were truly blind. Ronan tilted his head at the unexpected strange behavior. Suddenly, a hypothesis shed in my mind. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Teranil was relying not on eyesight but on his mana detection ability to fight Ronan. And the sparkling mana generated when the shock wave was created spread around like a cloud of fog. ¡®Can he not tell the difference?¡­?¡¯ There might be a chance. Ronan switched his power source again. The once white-glowing Lamancha turned red. Teranil¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Aha, there you are.¡± He charged straight towards Ronan. Kwaang! As Teranill rolled his foot, the ground flipped, and sparks shot up. The ensuing shockwave engulfed Ronan. Ronan quickly lowered his sword into a defensive stance, but that didn¡¯t prevent himself from being thrown backward. Kwaang! Blood burst from Ronan¡¯s mouth as he collided with the pir again. ¡°Keuk!¡± It was still a difficult technique to adapt to. Ronan stood up shakily and red at Teranill. Thetter crouched, poised to deliver a finishing blow. Teranill turned his head towards Ronan, a smirk ying on his lips. ¡°Giving up already?¡± Ronan remained silent. He still showed no signs of fatigue, making him truly a strong man worthy of being a bishop. Teranill, as if disappointed, licked his lips. ¡°Then, let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± Teranill disappeared from sight, and simultaneously, Ronan switched his power source. Kwaang! Teranill, flying in a straight line, collided with the pir. Metal tiles flipped, and the machinery inside flew out. ¡°Ah?¡± Teranill tilted his head in confusion. The fist that carried the shockwave showed no traces of blood or shattered organs. Now that he thought about it, Ronan¡¯s presence had mysteriously vanished. It was the same strange phenomenon as before. Suddenly, a chilling shiver crawled up Teranill¡¯s spine. ¡°What¡­!¡± Teranill urgently turned his body. It was the moment he was about to swing the fist carrying the shockwave. Ronan¡¯s presence, that previously disappeared, reappeared. A familiar voice echoed in his ears. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s finish this.¡± Thud! Teranil¡¯s arms fell to the ground. Chapter 117: Spreading Blood on Sand (8) Chapter 117: Spreading Blood on Sand (8) ¡°All right, let¡¯s finish this.¡± Teranill¡¯s arms fell to the ground. Swoosh! Hot arterial blood gushed from the severed limbs. Ronan, who had aimed for his neck, raised an eyebrow. ¡°You managed to dodge it, huh?¡± ¡°Keuk¡­!¡± Teranill¡¯s face turned pale. His intuition based on instinct saved his life. If he hadn¡¯t assumed a defensive stance before the voice reached him, his head would undoubtedly have flown off. However, losing his arms was far from a minor setback. The right arm was severed below the elbow, and the left one extended just below the shoulder, rendering them numb. The bted pain struck his entire body. Teranill¡¯s mouth erupted into a desperate scream. ¡°Kraaaaah!!¡± His eyes, which had been closed, snapped open. Blood flowed down his cheeks. Even if he wanted to wipe his face, it was impossible without his arms. Teranill, having regained control of his breath, gathered mana from his body into his eyeballs. ¡°Huuu¡­ huuuuuaack¡­!¡± The wounds on his corneas gradually began to heal. As soon as he regained his sight, a sword aimed at his neck caught his eye. ¡°Ugh!¡± Teranil hastily bent his waist. Whoosh! Lamancha flew sideways and passed by the top of his head. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s this? Can you see again?¡± ¡°What¡­ what kind of trick did you use?¡± Teranill shouted, stumbling and groping. Due to losing too much blood, his head was spinning. The partially restored vision only showed the contours of Ronan¡¯s figure. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Now, hold on!¡± Ronan responded with a sly smile and swung his sword. The sharp de poured down like a waterfall. Shiiik! Terranil, who narrowly avoided having his ear blown off by just a leaf, bit his lips. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± Losing his arms made it difficult to maintain bnce. Teranill had to dodge Ronan¡¯s attacks even more precariously than before. Despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯tpletely evade the relentless strikes, leaving him with various cuts and scratches all over his body. ¡®This is pathetic. I never thought I¡¯d make such a mistake.¡¯ The tide of the battle hadpletely turned. It was like being turned into prey while chasing a mouse. Teranill bit his lower lip in frustration. He had temporarily refrained from restoring his vision to enjoy the battle with Ronan, and it had backfired horribly. ¡®How the hell did he do that? Making his presence disappearpletely¡­!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand the principle behind it. Even now, Ronan¡¯s mana was repeatedly disappearing and reappearing. Teranill frowned in confusion. ¡®I¡¯m at a disadvantage. I need to retreat.¡¯ Despite the heating off the wounds, his head was chillingly cold. He couldn¡¯t keep going like this indefinitely. No matter how much he regretted it, the severed arms wouldn¡¯te back. Avoiding the situation was the priority. Teranill, seeking an opportunity, gathered his breath and roared. ¡°Get away!¡± His authority was activated. The translucent wings spread wide, unleashing a gust of wind that swept through the entire room. Teranill¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Kuuuugh!¡± ¡°Wh-what the hell?!¡± Unbelievable events unfolded. Ronan did not get blown away. He stood firm, holding the two swords deeply embedded in the ground. That wasn¡¯t all. Unexpectedly, roots of mana sprouted, entwining around Ronan¡¯s body, anchoring him to the ground. The unpleasant-looking root kept growing every time it broke, preventing Ronan from flying away. Eventually, the wind subsided. Teranill¡¯s face contorted in disbelief. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t fall for the same trick three times.¡± With a sly grin, Ronan swung both his swords. Teranill, hastily trying to evade, was a little toote. Splurt! A red line in the shape of a cross appeared above his chest. Following the de¡¯s path, blood spurted, painting Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Keuk!¡± Blood spurted from Teranill¡¯s mouth. The word ¡°death¡± briefly shed through his mind. This wound was not good. The de, tearing through flesh and prating to the organs, was keenly felt. ¡°Bi-bishop?!¡± Yuria, who had been engaged with Shullifen, finally turned her head. Until a moment ago, Teranill was perfectly fine, but now he was bleeding profusely with both arms severed. She screamed in horror. ¡°Y-your arms¡­?! How did this happen?¡± ¡°Yuria! Ugh, retreat¡­ Scroll¡­!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± Ronan, turning the de once it was held firmly, swung it again. Focused on the fight, Teranill seized the opportunity to leap up and kick the ground. Bang! A violent shockwave erupted, covering Ronan. ¡°Uuugh!¡± It was a direct hit. Although he managed to grab the roots, they were torn away in an instant. Thud! Rolling five times, Ronan finally came to a stop after colliding with a pir. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± No matter how many times he experienced it, he still couldn¡¯t get used to it. Ronan spit out his saliva, and crimson clots sttered. In truth, Ronan¡¯s condition was far from good. The shockwave had jolted his body, which was already screaming in pain. Despite grasping the reins for a moment, the damage he received until now had still umted in his body. ¡°Keuk¡­ Stand¡­ Damn it.¡± However, he could not afford to miss. Ronan, groaning, got up and started running. Teranill, in the meantime, had already gone within the range of Yuria¡¯s Protection of the Stars. ¡°Ugh¡­ Come out, you son of a bitch! Are you even a Bishop?¡± Ronan shouted. The distance was too far for the sword energy to reach. Teranill naturally pretended not to hear. Yuria, patting her leopard, spoke. ¡°Shoot him with everything.¡± ¡°Grrrrr¡­¡± Then, the leopard, previously shooting the metal shards at Shullifen, turned to look at Ronan. A loud roar bursted from the leopard¡¯s mouth as it inted its body to its fullest extent. ¡°Graaaaah!¡± Simultaneously, various parts of the leopard¡¯s body split open, and metal shards were sent flying. Clink! ng! Every time Ronan swung his sword, sparks flew fiercely. ¡°Fuck this again¡­¡± The firing interval was so narrow that it was impossible to move forward. Yuria was holding a teleportation scroll. Teranill, leaning on her, red at Ronan and opened his mouth. ¡°From now on¡­ Keuk, you are our target. Lycopos will¡­ Cough¡­ he will chase you¡­ to the ends of the earth.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ stay there¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. If things continued like this, there would be no way out. The distance for the sword energy to reach was too far, and Shullifen¡¯s attacks couldn¡¯t prate the Protection of the Stars. Moreover, Vijra¡¯s core was also running out of energy in the process. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing? Snap out of it!¡± Ronan shouted, turning to Shullifen. After ending his battle against Yuria, he was staring nkly into space as he was possessed by something. His body, which had endured the onught, was covered in variousrge and small wounds. ¡®Why is he like that? Did he get hit in the head?¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. Swoosh! At that moment, the scroll unfolded, and a bright blue portal appeared. Yuria looked at the boys and spoke. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a shame, gentlemen. I¡¯ll definitely kill you next time, so see you then.¡± ¡°This¡­ you bastards¡­!¡± ¡°Hold on a bit, Bishop. Alivrihe will make you a cool prosthetic arm¡­¡± -Baaaaaaaaang!! Yuria was about to guide Teranill into the portal first. Suddenly, a deafening noise, as if the world were about to shatter, echoed from behind. She was so shocked that she flinched back. ¡°Kyaaaah?!¡± Simultaneously, an intense mana wave engulfed the four. The mana flowing through her body at will felt different from any energy she had ever experienced. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan was disgusted. The mana that entered their bodies recklessly felt like pouring all the mana potions in existence down their throats. The air became unbearably dry and suffocating. And it seemed that the others felt the same. The powerful mana was affecting even Yuria and Teranill who were within the range of the Protection of the Stars. ¡°Kuek! Uueeek!¡± ¡°Ughhhh!¡± The two were vomiting, unable to even enter the portal. Only Schlieffen maintained his posture, staring into space as if he was possessed. Feeling the change in his body, Ronan raised his head. ¡®This¡­!¡¯ Gradually, his breathing stabilized. Despite the repulsiveness, he could feel mana replenishing. The two nearly depleted power sources were pulsating rapidly. Ronan turned his head. The dazzling light emanated from the magic stone in the middle of the ruins. An immense amount of mana was gushing out from the magic stone. Whiiiiiing¡­ The distorted background, shaped by mana, was gradually expanding. The dim ceiling lights, weakened by sessive battles, were bing so bright that it was hard to keep one¡¯s eyes open. At that moment, a woman¡¯s voice echoed throughout the space. [Security System activated] [Security System activated] ¡°Security system¡­?¡± The artificially produced voice was chilling. Ronan furrowed his brow, not understanding the unfamiliar words. With a series of unexined events happening since earlier, he couldn¡¯t grasp what was going on. ¡°Uuuh¡­ huh?¡± But right now, that wasn¡¯t what mattered. Yuria and Teranill, recovering from their vomiting, were regaining theirposure. Wiping her mouth, Yuria let out an exmation. ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t it feel like our power is surging somehow? Shall we just kill them now?¡± ¡°No, Yuria. Hurry¡­¡± Teranill hurried Yuria. His injuries were not something that could be healed with mana. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Yuria, pouting, took out another teleportation scroll. The previous portal had disappeared without a trace. Turning to Ronan, who was looking at them, she waved her hand. ¡°Well then, goodbye for real.¡± Just as Yuria began to unfold the scroll, Ronan held Ymir tightly. The two power sources were pulsating as if ready to explode at any moment. ¡®This is myst chance.¡¯ It seemed possible now. Although he had never tried it before, he felt an intuition that it would seed. Suddenly, a golden energy creeped up Ronan¡¯s arm. It was Varen¡¯s aura that amplified his power. ¡°Huuuu¡­¡± Ronan took a deep breath. Whoosh! The moment Yuria¡¯s scroll unfolded and a portal appeared. Ronan swung his arm, aiming the tip of his sword at Teranil. Ymir, imbued with sparkling mana, shot out with its white tail trailing behind. Bang! A bted sonic boom echoed. Teranill was about to step into the portal. Swoosh! Ymir came flying through the air, pierced through the Protection of the Stars and stabbed into his side. ¡°Kuek!¡± ¡°Bishop!¡± Teranill fell with a loud sound, as if he was hit by a flying kick. Ymir, forcefullyunched by Ronan and burdened with the weight of the dagger, made the impact more severe. ¡°N-no. No, this can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± Ymir¡¯s de was embedded into Teranil¡¯s side all the way to the handle. Teranill, determined with superhuman tenacity, began crawling toward the portal. Ronan stomped his right foot on the ground. Whoosh! Roots sprouted from the spot where Ymir was and wrapped around the two. ¡°Wh-what is this?!¡± Yuria eximed in confusion. No matter how she struggled to free her arms and legs, she couldn¡¯t escape easily. The roots, reinforced with an unknown mana, were thicker and more lush. Ronan kept his gaze fixed on them and spoke. ¡°I told you.¡± Suddenly, Ymir, stuck on Teranill¡¯s side, began to emit light. Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. The energy emanating from the dagger was undoubtedly Teranill¡¯s aura. ¡°This¡­ is Bishop¡¯s¡­?¡± Teranill, face turned white as his future became predictable. Ronan, gathering all the remaining mana, muttered lowly. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go.¡± ¡°Aaahhh! Stop!!¡± A bone-chilling scream echoed as Ronan clenched his fist. Baaaaang! Simultaneously, a shockwave erupted within Teranill¡¯s body. ¡°Aaaah!¡± His torn body scattered in all directions. Yuria screamed as her eye was pierced by a bone fragment. The sparkling roots tore apart, and the Protection of the Stars was lifted. Blood and organs radiated on the cold metal floor, creating a red flower. Teranill¡¯s upper body vanished without a trace. ¡°How dare you!!¡± Yuria, possessed by rage, brandished her whip. Twack! Violent mana, reminiscent of a wildfire, surged over her shoulders. Ronan smiled bitterly at her and cursed. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tear it into a thousand pieces!¡± Ronan had no strength left to face such a thing. Just as she was about to leap forward, Shullifen, who had been staring into space all along, pulled out his sword. -Swish. Looking at Yuria, he swung his sword. The shing strike, descending diagonally, cut through the air. Contrary to expectations, the sword did not fly out. There was no sound. Only a cold wind passed by Yuria¡¯s neck. ¡°What?¡± Only btedly realizing Shullifen¡¯s presence, Yuria turned her head. At that moment, the space where the wind had passed by split open and the world she was looking at turned upside down. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± Thud. Yuria¡¯s head fell to the ground. The headless body slowly tilted. That was her end. Chapter 118: Spreading Blood on Sand (9) Chapter 118: Spreading Blood on Sand (9) Thud. Yuria¡¯s head rolled off. Her body, copsing a beatter, convulsed. Finally, blood sprayed from the severed neck. ¡°What the¡­ fuck¡­¡± Ronan muttered in disbelief. Yuria still had her eyes brightly open. The leopard, sensing its master¡¯s death, lunged at Shullifen. ¡°Khuueeeergh!¡± Shullifen swung his sword again. The wind that blew along the de brushed past the leopard¡¯s throat. ng! A white line appeared on the metal-covered neck, and the head fell. ¡°Kruhk?¡± Thud. The stiff body of the leopard toppled sideways. Confirming the silence around him, Shullifen, who had checked that, lowered his sword. Staring nkly into the air, he copsed on one knee. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Damnit, are you okay?¡± Ronan staggered toward Shullifen. It was challenging to control his body, as if he was suffering the effects the day after heavy drinking. Mimicking Teranill¡¯s aura required much more mana than expected. ¡°Huuu¡­¡± Shullifen did not respond. Unstable breath escaped through slightly parted lips. His paleplexion indicated a deteriorating condition. Ronan, noticing Shullifen¡¯s gaze on his sword, raised his eyebrows. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The sword wasn¡¯t visible. Only the handle, stained with blood, was clutched in Shullifen¡¯s hand. At that time, the sword body that had disappeared appeared with the sound of a low wind. -Swaaaah¡­ It was like watching a scene where a bud rapidly grows into a flower. The swirling currents gathered and transformed into a blue de. The mana emanating from the sword now gave apletely different impression than before. ¡®It¡¯s calm. But it has be sharper.¡¯ While the previous mana felt like a wild storm, the current one resembled a gentle breeze blowing over a calm sea. It had the potential to evolve into a hurricane that could sweep the entire ocean at any moment. Ronan chuckled, amazed by the unexpected growth. ¡°Heh.¡± It was a growth rate far beyond expectations. Even as the Rising Star of the Empire, he didn¡¯t anticipate him reaching this level. It was the awakening of the aura. ¡°You monstrous bastard¡­¡± Aura was an individual¡¯s unique mana and the abilities derived from it. Those who diligently refined their aura would experience a sudden and radical improvement in their abilities. While most only saw an increase in the range or power of their existing aura, some underwent absurd transformations. The representative example was Shullifen. Disassembling the sword into the form of wind and wielding it was the true form of Storm Sword that Ronan knew. It was the symbol of Shullifen, the strongest swordsman on the continent. Ronan, who had no interest in others in his past life, genuinely envied the technique. If he had possessed it, he could have effortlessly torn apart the giants flying in the sky like the Winter Witch. ¡®Damn it, my stomach hurts just by looking at it.¡¯ Storm Sword offered countless possibilities. Compacting the wind in one ce could create a fatal blow like just now, or spreading it widely could turn it into a strategic weapon capable of facing an army. Ronan vividly remembered Shullifen¡¯s madness, covering the entire Roman Mountain Range with a storm, like a winter witch. Compared to the power of his past life, it still seemed weak, but once he stepped into the realm of awakening, progress was only a matter of time. Ronan extended a potion to the staggering Shullifen. ¡°Take it. Unlucky bastard.¡± ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing. What happened?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You awakened, damn it.¡± Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed that he didn¡¯t even realize that he had awakened. epting the potion in silence, he bowed his head. ¡°¡­Is that so? This sensation.¡± ¡°Come on. Tell me the secret.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t expect a straightforward exnation, but he didn¡¯t anticipate this level of ambiguity. Laughing lightly, Shullifen added. ¡°¡­I heard the sound of the wind.¡± ¡°The sound of the wind?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was wild but incredibly gentle¡­ the first time since I was eleven. At that moment, I was confident I could beat that woman.¡± At eleven, Shullifen had awakened. He had concentrated all his attention on defeating Yuria, who was ready to strike down the protective barrier when the protection of the stars disappeared. Ronan, raising an eyebrow, urged him to continue. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. It just felt like I could defeat her when I heard that sound. It really worked.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. He didn¡¯t expect a normal exnation, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated this level of vagueness. Grinning, Ronan let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°Well, it worked out. Anyway¡­¡± Ronan extended his hand. Regardless of the exnation, it was a good oue. Shullifen, who had faintly smiled, rose with Ronan¡¯s support. Drinking a potion seemed to have improved hisplexion. ¡°Ronan. I have a question.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How did you break through her defense?¡± Despite numerous attempts, he couldn¡¯t breach the protective barrier, just like in his previous life, when he became the Sword Saint. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan raised his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just happened.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Shullifen nodded slowly. His expression showed a hint of frustration, but he couldn¡¯t answer what he didn¡¯t know. ¡®He must be frustrated.¡¯ In Shullifen¡¯s slightly trembling voice, there was a sense of frustration. Even though he seemed on the verge of copsing, his azure eyes burned with determination. Ronan spoke. ¡°Well, anyway, if you just keep at it, you¡¯ll get there.¡± Alongside dealing with the curses, another tasky ahead¡ªto unlock the mystery of breaking through the Protection of the Stars. If others could also breach it, that would be fantastic, but if not, Ronan had to be strong enough to take on any challenges alone. Ronan stretched, turning his body. ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡± The battle had ended regardless. It was the most intense and perilous fight since his regression. Only after the tension eased did he notice his surroundings. It wasn¡¯t a picturesque scene. Stains of blood and broken iron pieces scattered like mold on what used to be a smoothly crafted ruin. The once majestic Magic Stone had turned into a ruin, as if it had experienced war three times over. ¡°Damn bastards.¡± Whack! Ronan suddenly kicked Yuria¡¯s head. The head flew in a graceful arc andnded near the magic stone of Dainhar. Ronan nced at the stone and spoke. ¡°Why the hell did this shit happen all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Shullifen tilted his head sideways. The enormous Magic Stone, more massive than any farmhouse, still radiated a brilliant light in all directions. The overflowing mana was enough to make one¡¯s head spin. At that moment, someone¡¯s face shed past Ronan¡¯s mind. He stopped in his tracks, cursing under his breath. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°Ronan?¡± Raging Storm was nowhere to be seen. He had forgotten everything in the heat of battle. Ronan rushed to the spot where he had fallen. As he nced down the stairs by chance, his face distorted. The space below the stairs was still filled with the blood and corpses of the indigenous people. Rising proudly among the corpses was the rectangr prism containing the secret of the ruins. Raging Stormy atop that rectangr prism. ¡°Damn it, Storm!¡± Ronan shouted. He descended down the stairs, which seemed to be well over 300 steps, in just three leaps. Thud! Thud! Thud! In an instant, Ronan, who reached Storm¡¯s location, shook his shoulders. ¡°Damn it. Wake up.¡± There was no response. The red fingerprints remained on the ten buttons. Given the circumstances, it seemed evident Storm had manipted them. ¡°Kuh.. Ugh¡­¡± Fortunately, he was still breathing. Ronan poured all the potions he had brought onto Storm¡¯s body. Keuk¡­! While external injuries healed quickly, Storm still didn¡¯t regain consciousness. It seemed like he had lost too much blood. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± For a moment, Ronan saw the face of Sarante shing through his mind. The elderly elf guarding the ruin had turned into a statue, because he was unable to heal his wounds. Ronan couldn¡¯t go through such an ordeal twice. Looking up toward the stairs, he shouted with all his might. ¡°Cita!!!¡± The voice echoed. Exactly three minutes passed. A pitch-ck shadow appeared on the stairs. Cita, spotting Ronan, folded her wings and descended. ¡°Bweeeh¡­¡± ¡°This way, quickly!¡± Ronan shouted, supporting the dying Raging Storm. Citanded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder and immediately cast a healing spell. Swoosh! A red aura enveloped his body. The flowing blood returned to his body, and hisplexion quickly improved. As Ronan straightened out his twisted limbs and pulled out the metal spike that was stuck in him, Strom¡¯splexion quickly began to improve. Eventually, he twitched his fingers and opened his eyes. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°Damn it, are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°The monsters¡­ those weird guys¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all dead for good, thanks to me and him.¡± Ronan said, patting Shullifen on the shoulder. Strom¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan exined what had just happened. The purpose and strength with which Teranil and Yuria came here, until their miserable end. Raging Storm burst intoughter after hearing the story. ¡°Haha¡­ Impressive. You guys are true warriors.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯tugh or your wounds will reopen. Did you do this?¡± Ronan pointed up the stairs with the tip of his chin. Beams of light shot from the magic stone were crossing the air. Raging Storm nodded heavily. ¡°Yes. I broke the rules. I wanted to help you because you looked like you were in danger.¡± ¡°Rules?¡± ¡°Every tribal member knows how to handle this, but no one does. It can only be touched on the Day of the Covenant.¡± Always guarded with one¡¯s life, it should never be touched casually, and manipting it was allowed only on the Day of the Covenant. Storm petted the rectangr prism as he spoke. He had inherited the knowledge of operating the device since his great-great-grandfather¡¯s time, or something like that. ¡°What is the Day of the Covenant?¡± ¡°I do not know either. But it was said that when that dayes, we will naturally understand.¡± ¡°Amazing.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. It was hard to believe that so many people had died because of such vague promises. Raging Storm calmly nodded his head. ¡°I vited the rules, so when I die, I¡¯ll have to swim in red water forever. But I have no regrets.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not guilty, man. The ones who spread such fake promises are the ones who should be thrown into theva.¡± ¡°Thanks for saying that. I think I¡¯m fully recovered now.¡± ¡°Recovered my ass. Just lie down quietly. In case there are any survivors, me and this kid will¡ª¡± Ronan was about to say something when suddenly, the entire space started shaking violently, as if an earthquake had struck. The artificial voice that was heard a while ago echoed again. [Three minutes remaining until Security System activation. Upon system activation, all targets without an identification code will be expelled before beginning the operation.] ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan frowned at the nonsense in anguage he didn¡¯t understand. Too many unfamiliar words once again. ¡°Security system, identification code¡­ What the hell does this all mean?¡± ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡± ¡°It seems like they¡¯ll kick us out or something after roughly 3 minutes¡­ Damn it.¡± Though he didn¡¯t know how or what they would expel, a feeling came over him. The vibrations were getting stronger. The mana emanating from the Magic Stone was bing increasingly difficult to handle, reaching a concentration that was almost unbearable. It was clear that something was about to happen. Ronan stood up, looked back at Shullifen and Cita, and spoke. ¡°Hurry, guys. I think we¡¯re screwed.¡± Three minutes. It was enough time to grab at least one of the Magic Stones, but it was still somewhat disappointing. They had to do what they could. Ronan, pulling out his sword, was about to rush forward when Raging Storm suddenly grabbed his wrist. ¡°Wait. I can¡¯t let my savior go like this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Either way, I¡¯m certain to die and end up in the red water. I¡¯ll try to buy you some time.¡± Chapter 119: Spreading Blood on Sand (10) Chapter 119: Spreading Blood on Sand (10) ¡°Either way, I¡¯m certain to die and end up in the red water. I¡¯ll try to buy you some time.¡± ¡°No way, idiot. It won¡¯t work. And how are you going to do it anyway?¡± ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± Suddenly, Raging Storm began to fiddle with the monument. Despite lookingpletely at random, there was no other choice but to trust it, as they had no idea what it was doing. With each press of the button, a voice echoed. [5 minutes remaining.] [25 minutes¡­] [42 seconds remaining until Security System activation.] ¡°Hey, it decreased even more.¡± ¡°Wait. Impatient people don¡¯t live long.¡± ¡°You know how to talk well.¡± Despite Ronan¡¯s urging, Raging Storm silently continued pressing the buttons. Soon, a different announcement was heard. [60 minutes remaining until Security System activation. Due to frequent changes, additional operations are restricted.] After that, the voice did not return. The shaking within Raging Storm, as if had been thrown, also subsided. Ronan chuckled as if amazed. ¡°Heh. That actually worked.¡± ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t think I can increase it any further.¡± ¡°No, this is impressive enough.¡± Ronan nodded. It might not be very long, but it was much more time than 3 minutes. The three people who received additional healing from Cita stood up from their positions. ¡°Damn, I might actually live now. Thanks.¡± ¡°Beeh!¡± ¡°One of the best things I think I did since I came back was¡­ not throwing you into the river while you were still an egg. I really thought you were a waste of space back then.¡± ¡°Beewh?¡± Ronan gently stroked Cita. Cita with her eyes wide open, tilted her head. Ronan, who came up the stairs, first approached the corpses of Teranil and Yuria. ¡°¡­Is this really that white man?¡± ¡°Hmm. It was a truly spectacr end.¡± ¡°What on earth do you do that makes a corpse look like this¡­ ugh.¡± Seeing Teranil¡¯s body, Raging Storm retched. Even to a warrior of Dainhar, it was a horrific sight. The shockwave that exploded from within him turned his body into the most avant-garde and disgusting vase in the world. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± At that moment, Ronan started rummaging through Teranil¡¯s remains. Raging Storm recoiled in horror. ¡°Just wait. If he was a Bishop, he should have something to carry around¡­ ¡± Because it was already smashed to pieces and the blood was too vigorous, it was difficult to find anything. Ronan could only find something useful after Cita had absorbed all the blood on the scene. ¡°Yeah. This was here.¡± Creek! Ronan tore off a piece of metal from the shredded flesh. It was a hexagonal badge that had been attached to Teranil¡¯s sleeve. Given that only Teranil among the organization members carried it, it seemed to be something symbolizing the Bishop. ¡°What the hell is this made of?¡± Examining the badge, Ronan furrowed his brow. A chillingly dense glittering mana was condensed inside the badge. It seemed like if it were soaked in water, it would produce sparkling urine. ¡®Disgusting.¡¯ Mutteringints, Ronan still took the badge. He had a premonition that it woulde in handy. Aside from the badge, there was nothing worth taking from Teranil. Ronan picked up the dagger that was lying around along with his dismembered vertebrae, which was entangled with a shredded piece of cloth. Despite the chaos, the sword remained wless. ¡°It¡¯s quite useful. Dolon.¡± With Ymir sheathed in its scabbard, Ronan smirked. Compared to Lamancha, its killing power was low, but its versatility was excellent. The ability to invoke aura from the position of the dagger was especially appealing. Looking around, he noticed Shullifen examining Yuria¡¯s whip. Ronan strolled over and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What, you¡¯re into that kind of thing?¡± ¡°I was just looking because it seems to have been made by a fairly skilled craftsman.¡± ¡°I thought you were going to give it to my sister as a gift and ask her to whip your ass. Look!¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Ignoring Shullifen, who¡¯s face had turned blood red, Ronan began to examine the whip. Certainly, the craftsmanship seemed exceptional, from the unusual material to the delicate workmanship. Each of the hundred metal strands woven in a row was finely processed. ¡®Amazing. Even if you tear them off one by one, you can still use them as weapons.¡¯ It was like looking at an art piece rather than a weapon. While fiddling with the handle, suddenly, the whip autonomously shrank, transforming into a luxurious staff suitable for nobles. ¡°¡­Really amazing.¡± Ronan whistled. It was a level of precision that he wouldn¡¯t recognize even if he deliberately examined it. Unless it was a cksmith of Dolon¡¯s level, it seemed impossible to attempt to reproduce it. Even though he didn¡¯t know who made it, it was undoubtedly a cksmith highly regarded on the continent. Suddenly, the words that Yuria had said crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®Was it made by that Alivrihe?¡¯ Yuria said that they¡¯d make Teranil amazing prosthetic hands. And the magic engineering required to make prosthetic limbs, which requires extremely delicate work, was an item that could be called the culmination of all technology. ¡°Tsk.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. The fact that such a skilled craftsman was coborating with those fanatics didn¡¯t sit well with him. He took the whip and slowly turned around. Contrary to expectations, there was no need to rush to collect the magic stone. ¡°If I just take these, I can eat and y around for the rest of my life.¡± The floor was covered with mana stones. They were the mana stones that the monsters controlled by Yuria had consumed. It seemed that Raging Storm¡¯s testimony about them swallowing the mana stones was indeed true. ¡°Interesting. It seems they were powered by mana stones.¡± ¡°Having something this good to eat made them act all crazy.¡± Ronan, who made a makeshift bag out of his outerwear, started collecting the mana stones. Even though he chose only the best ones, the amount was still too much to handle. As long as Sekreet did notmit corruption, he would have more than he could ever need. Ronan even took off Shullifen¡¯s outerwear and wrapped the bag around it. Before leaving, he had asked Cita to absorb all the blood spilled by the natives, making it easier to handle the bodies. Raging Storm, who had been looking at the lined-up bodies, finally spoke. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just bury them well.¡± ¡°Everyone will appreciate it. Thanks to you, warriors can smile even in death.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. Everyone here chose death over revealing their secrets. A silent honor. Ronan, who slightly bowed his head, muttered quietly. ¡°Go to a good ce.¡± Seeing offrades was a damn hard thing to do. Especially if they died honorably. After a brief moment of silence, the three people returned the way they came. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take as long as when they came. As Ronan walked along with Raging Storm, he opened his mouth. ¡°Sorry it turned out like this. I wanted to help find survivors, but I¡¯m running out of time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your intention is more than enough.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a guy named Aselle who¡¯s exceptionally good at restoration work. Should I call himter?¡± ¡°No, we can handle it ourselves. Rocks may be eroded by the wind, but they don¡¯t disappear.¡± Raging Storm replied confidently. Ronan smiled silently, trying hard to appear strong. From the temperament of Yuria and Teranil, it was difficult to expect more survivors. Raging Storm also seemed to be aware of that. Without saying a word, they moved on. When they reached the entrance, a boy who was nervously biting his nails stood in the distance. Ronan poked Raging Storm with his elbow and spoke. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your little brother?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± It was Dreaming Thunder, Raging Storm¡¯s younger brother. Spotting the group, he jumped up from where he was standing. ¡°Brother! Everyone!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ronan waved. Dreaming Thunder stopped in front of Raging Storm, catching his breath. He opened his mouth, gasping for air. ¡°Hehe¡­ I thought you were dead because you didn¡¯te back for so long. Whew, everyone was so worried!¡± ¡°Sorry. If it weren¡¯t for our saviors, I might have really died.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m relieved you didn¡¯t die. Come quickly. Brother, I have something to show you.¡± ¡°Something to show?¡± ¡°It will probably be surprising. Everyone, follow me!¡± Dreaming Thunder, bouncing ahead, led the way. The three followed him in bewilderment. Soon, as they unfolded the view of the cave, everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What is this!¡± ¡°Brother, our tribe didn¡¯t perish. There were still this many survivors.¡± Seemingly around two hundred people had gathered, all with worn out expressions. However, there were no injured individuals in sight. The people who noticed Raging Storm with Ronan and his group shouted in joy. ¡°Look over there, Raging Storm has returned!¡± ¡°The saviors are unharmed too! It¡¯s a miracle¡­¡± In an instant, the gathered indigenous people surrounded them. The trembling voice of Raging Storm flowed through his lips. ¡°Ronan, am I dreaming right now?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± ¡°I hope I don¡¯t wake up, even if it¡¯s just a dream. I sincerely mean it.¡± Raging Storm looked at the faces of the tribesmen one by one. They were people he thought had all died. There were enough individuals to rebuild the tribe. Thunder pointed at Cita andughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. That bird led us to where people were. Following the red path, we found people bleeding.¡± Raging Storm¡¯s eyes widened. It was what had happened while Ronan and Shullifen were engaged in the conflict. It seemed that the rescue operation was progressing as the natives brought back the wounded for Cita to heal. Fluttering above Ronan¡¯s head, Cita seemed to puff up her feathers as if asking how it was. ¡°This¡­ is really¡­ I¡­¡± For a moment, moisture gathered in Raging Storm¡¯s eyes. Holding back his tears, he turned his head. Before long, his broad shoulders began to shake. ¡°Your size doesn¡¯t match your sulky nature.¡± Ronan chuckled. Raging Storm, wiping his eyes roughly with the back of his hand, turned to look at Ronan again. He bent his waist to Ronan. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll never forget this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you be the chiefter, just give me a hand if I ever need it.¡± ¡°I will definitely repay this favor. We will forever be your friends and allies. I will make sure to¡­¡± Raging Storm was about to continue his words when that voice of the woman, which had been silent until now, echoed through the cave. [60 minutes have passed. Security system rebooting. Please be cautious of strong vibrations.] ¡°Huh, has it alreadye to this?¡± Ronan raised his head. Thudududud! Suddenly, the cave began to vibrate like mad. The startled natives eximed in confusion. Raging Storm, wiping away his tears, shouted loudly. ¡°Everyone, calm down! It¡¯s an earthquake that will pass quickly! Gather the women and children at the center!¡± Hismanding voice overflowed with charisma. People who had regained theirposure followed his instructions. It was hard to believe he was the same guy whimpering just a while ago. Dreaming Thunder, Raging Storm¡¯s younger brother, guided the frightened people. ¡°Come this way. Be careful not to fall.¡± ¡°He¡¯s pretty good.¡± Ronanughed. He was just joking about Raging Storm bing the Chief, but now it felt like something he could really look forward to. Once again, the voice of the woman was heard. [Performing a scan prior to the main operation. Subjects without identification codes will be automatically expelled.] Bang! At that moment, a surge of mana erupted from an unknown source, passing through everyone in the cave. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Bright light emitted from the tribal tattoos on the bodies of the natives. Ronan and Shullifen were the only ones unaffected. Was that the identification code? Ronan mumbled. [Three unidentified subjects confirmed. Commencing expulsion.] Whoosh! Suddenly, a blue light appeared, engulfing Ronan and Shullifen. Even the frantically flying Cita was swallowed without resistance. The natives, whose eyes were wide open, let out screams of horror. Thudududud! The vibration continued. *** ¡°Ugh! What the hell?!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Suddenly, everything became bright. Ronan, who hit his butt, let out a curse. Fine sand grains were mixed like dust in the dry wind that blew back his hair. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± Ronan got up slowly. The clear sky stretched above his head, and reddish deserts spread to the horizon. Cita, who was perched on Ronan¡¯s head, managed to pull her head out. ¡°Beeh! Beeewhh!¡± ¡°What a surprise. Is this some kind of spatial magic?¡± Fixing his disheveled clothes, Shullifen spoke up. Cita continued to spit out sand as they found themselves in the midst of the red sand desert. In the distance, the towering silhouette of Dainhar, like a crown, came into view. Judging by its elusive appearance, they had at least two days of travel ahead. Surveying the surroundings, the colossal corpse of a Roc Bird caught their attention. Impaled on the emaciated side of the withered monster was a piece of metal that they had seen many times before. These were the same spikes that Yuria¡¯s monstersunched. Ronan, who recognized that Roc Bird was the one which came with the thunder, muttered quietly. ¡°It feels like being gnawed on by a ghost¡­¡± They had heard the notice that they would be expelled, but experiencing it firsthand left them somewhat numb. Fortunately, the belongings they had brought were scattered nearby. ¡°¡­Well, shall we go back?¡± Ronan was about to turn around when, Thudududud! It was an earthquake on a muchrger scale than the one they had experienced just moments ago. Ronan suddenly caught sight of Dainhar and opened his eyes wide. ¡°Uhh, what is that?¡± Kwagwagwagwa! Dainhar was moving. Rock formations that looked like organic shapes were risingyer byyer. Metal structures emerged, wrapping around Dainhar. Even with a hundred earth mages of Jhordin¡¯s level, they couldn¡¯t create such a spectacle. Suddenly, the artificial voice he heard at Dainhar passed through his mind. ¡°Security system¡­?¡± Only then did Ronan realize why the shape of the rocky mountains was not natural. It was not naturally formed in the first ce. The earthquakested for tens of minutes before finally calming down. Afterpleting its transformation, Dainhar was about three timesrger in size. The cluster of rocky mountains rising with the force of tearing up the sky was reminiscent of a huge fortress. Ronan, who was left dumbfounded, opened his mouth. ¡°Now no one can get in there.¡± ¡°That seems likely. The entire terrain is now covered by a powerful force field.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very powerful force field. Even the Imperial Army might have trouble breaking through.¡± Shullifen nodded. Ronan narrowed his eyes and, upon closer inspection, saw a bluish mana barrier covering the entire terrain of Dainhar. It really looked like a fortress prepared for anything. After a moment of silence, Shullifen spoke. ¡°Anyway, Ronan. Keep your promise.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Instead of answering, Shullifen just looked at Ronan with a subtle silence. It took a while for Ronan to understand his intention, and he chuckled dryly. ¡°You¡¯re not in your right mind.¡± Ronan pulled out a piece of paper from the back pocket of his pants. On the palm-sized paper, a cheerful image of Iril was depicted. Shullifen¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± ¡°Put it in a frame and keep it. Just don¡¯t do anything weird with it.¡± Shullifen epted the drawing with both hands, as if receiving an imperial decree. He stared at the picture in silence for a moment and murmured softly. ¡°¡­I will keep it as an heirloom.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Ronan shook his head. His reaction was about 30,000 times more intense than when he awakened the Storm Sword. The wave patterns engraved on the sand dunes following the wind signaled the end of their adventure. They retraced their steps, and the bloody imprints of the bandits, once vividly marked in the sand, had disappeared without a trace. Chapter 120: Hill of the Four Seasons (1) Chapter 120: Hill of the Four Seasons (1) Havingpleted their mission, Ronan and Shullifen returned straight to Jido. Riding ordinary horses instead of the ghost horses took much longer than when they came to Dainhar. It had already been 7 days, and they had spent all their time on horseback except for sleep and meals. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if mushrooms started growing on their backsides. Ronan, feeling a bit annoyed, poked Cita, who was dozing off in his backpack. ¡°Hey, you, get down now.¡± ¡°Beewh!¡± Cita, who was annoyed by the poking, stuffed her head into the backpack. Judging by her indifferent attitude, it seemed like she was feeling the heat. Despite having left the desert, the southern heat showed no sign of relenting. Thendscape consisted of short grass and barrennd, stretching endlessly. Ronan, whose gaze had turned hazy, nced at Shullifen. ¡°You damn bastard¡­ What kind of steel is a nobleman¡¯s groin made of? Doesn¡¯t it hurt at all?¡± ¡°This is not a problem.¡± He still maintained the dignified posture typical of high nobility. Despite signs of fatigue, his noble demeanor remained untouched. Ronan shook his head as if disgusted. ¡°I¡¯m Jealous. When I was a soldier, I also rode horses a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried that Ms. Iril¡¯s portrait might get damaged. Let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard.¡± Shullifen pulled out the portrait of Iril from his shirt pocket and looked at it every ten minutes or so, lost in thought. Ronan, who couldn¡¯t stand the sight, pulled the reins. In that instant, Ronan sprinted forward like an arrow, overtaking Shullifen. Thwack! Ronan, stretching out his hand like a sh of lightning, snatched the portrait of Iril that Shullifen was looking at. ¡°Hey, you! What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hahaha, precious things have a way of disappearing like the wind!¡± ¡°Stop! If anything happens to the painting, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Ronan quickly advanced as if he were a cavalry in the Imperial Army. Shullifen, lost in thought, chased after him. Before he knew it, the sword in his hand was taking the shape of a storm. ¡°Beewh!¡± Meanwhile, Cita, who had woken up due to themotion, tossed and turned in frustration. The haze in full bloom in the sky heralded the arrival ofte summer. They arrived at Jido on the fifteenth day of their journey. **** The first ce Ronan wanted to visit upon returning to Jido was Separacio, the office of Sekreet. After all, the whole purpose of going to that remote ce, Dainhar, was to seek his favor. Ronan spoke with his eyes widened upon hearing an unbelievable answer. ¡°What? He went on vacation?¡± Since Jhordin was not in the office, Ronan had to inquire with other students or the faculty to find Separacio. Aselle, who was called out from reading a book, spoke hesitantly. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ it¡¯s summer vacation, you know.¡± ¡°Damn it, a person who carries five curses with him suddenly disappears?¡± ¡°H-he said he was going to the North. He mentioned something about discovering a new curse. He said he would probably be back right on the first day of school¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, damn unfortunate.¡± Ronan sighed deeply. This was an unexpected variable. He had nned to resolve everything quickly during the summer vacation before returning. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the house behind Aselle. ¡°By the way, did the moving go well?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Thanks to you.¡± Aselle nodded, and the ce where he and his parents had moved was none other than next door to Ronan. When safety and convenience were considered top priorities, there was no other ce like it. When Ronan was away in Dainhar with Shullifen, the move had taken ce with the help of Marya, Braum, and other club members. Ronan, scratching his head as if embarrassed, continued. ¡°What thanks. I couldn¡¯t help at all¡­ Anyway, is Marya in Jido now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Give her this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Without warning, Ronan plunged his hand into Aselle¡¯s pocket. Startled, Aselle screamed after Ronan removed his hand. ¡°Say hello to your parents for me. I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan. what¡¯s this?¡± Even after Ronan¡¯s hand was gone, there was a thick, foreign sensation in the pocket. Only after Ronan had left did Aselle check what was in his pocket. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Aselle turned pale as he was about to say something, but Ronan had already disappeared from sight. Once Ronan got wind of the news from Aselle, he immediately headed to the market. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to have a lot of money. Well.¡± The purpose was to secure money with the loot taken from Dainhar. Knowing that Marya was in Jido meant that the head of the Caravel was also there, so at least there was no worry about being ripped off. ¡°Come on,e on, get ice!! Freshly frozen solid ice just conjured by a 8th Circle Ice Mage!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you something! Five parasols for only one silver coin!¡± Despite the scorching heat, the lively atmosphere of the market remained unchanged. It was a sight that contrasted sharply with the destendscape they had seen for a month. While Ronan was searching for the top, a familiar woman caught his eye. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. At first, he thought he was mistaken. Her appearance was unrecognizable from her usual self, dressed in loosely fitting clothes. Still, her distinctive tan skin and her assertive figure allowed him to recognize her. The woman was eating ice cream sandwiched between bread in front of a stall. The merchant, seeing her finish both the bread and the ice cream, sped his hands together and opened his mouth. ¡°Excuse me, Sword Saint¡­ Would you care to have a taste?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Royal Guards. I¡¯ll have another, please.¡± The merchant¡¯s face brightened up. The woman paid with a coin and received a new ice cream. Ronan approached her warmly, waving his hand. ¡°Instructor Navirose!¡± ¡°Ronan? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. Your clothes¡­ you¡¯re dressed quite freely.¡± Navirose was wearing a white sleeveless blouse with loose wide pants. Her exposed shoulders attracted the attention of passersby. It was truly a provocative attire that might gain recognition in a century or two. ¡°What does it matter? As long as I¡¯mfortable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. I like that side of you, Instructor.¡± ¡°I was just looking for you. Come here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Navirose, taking a bite of her ice cream, gestured for Ronan toe closer. As he approached with a smile. Swoosh! Like a snake striking for prey, Navirose¡¯s hand flew out and grabbed Ronan¡¯s ear, twisting it. ¡°O! Wh-why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°Why, you ask? Do you think it¡¯s eptable not to greet your teacher before vacation?¡± ¡°Adeshan, Senior Adeshan should¡¯ve told you!¡± ¡°Words only have meaning when spoken directly. It¡¯s a rude gesture.¡± Ronan screamed for her to let go. From the force of the ear tug, it truly seemed hurtful. She paid no mind to the stares or theck thereof from the people around her. ¡°If you want to make amends, go straight to the Gallerion Pavilion now. Adeshan is waiting to show you how she has been dedicated to training every day.¡± ¡°What? Has the senior already returned?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s been eagerly waiting for you to retire, so be kind to her. Got it?¡± ¡°I got it. Ugh, I¡¯m going, so just let go!¡± Ronan quickly nodded his head. Finally, Navirose released her grip on him. Wiping off the ice cream that had fallen on her chest, she spoke. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a relief to see you looking healthy. Your skills have improved visibly. If you had brought a sword, we could have sparred.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I even brought a gift for you, Instructor, but now it¡¯s awkward.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°Here, take it.¡± Ronan handed her something. Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. A ck magic stone that only came from Dainhar was sparkling in her palm. ¡°¡­Where did you get this?¡± ¡°Just take it. Because I might be indebted to you in the future. Well then, I¡¯m off!¡± ¡°Wait, wait¡­!¡± Ronan had already disappeared into the crowd. For a moment she thought about going all out and catching him, but soon decided against it. Laughing to herself, she fiddled with the jewel. ¡°¡­Seriously.¡± **** Ronan returned after selling ten Dainhar magic stones to the head of Carabel, where Marya was. Although he still had over a hundred left at home, as Carabel did not have enough money to pay for them immediately, he had to be content with that amount. It was quite a sight to see the Caravel father and daughter duo¡¯s eyes widening as if they would pop out. ¡°¡­So, these are Dainhar magic stones. And of the highest quality¡­ I suppose it¡¯s meaningless to ask how you got them?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ Since you¡¯re busy, I¡¯ll send the settlement to your ce. Any chance you¡¯d consider leading the Carabel with my daughter in the future?¡± ¡°Dad, please!¡± Marya, blushing furiously, rushed to her father. Onlyter did Ronan realize that it was a proposal for marriage with Marya. After exining where to strike for effective pain and suffering, Ronan changed his direction. A sophisticated staff was clenched in his hand. His destination was the Gallerion Pavilion, the usual site for Navirose¡¯s lessons, located in the first arena. -ng! nn! -Boom! Even before entering the arena, he heard a bustling noise. When he opened the door, he saw a girl fighting with two mechanical knights. Ronan murmured in admiration. ¡°Somehow she looks taller¡­¡± It seemed the rumors about girls growing tall quickly were true. Adeshan was entirely focused on training and hadn¡¯t even noticed Ronan¡¯s arrival. With every movement, her tied-up hair fluttered like a mane. Her sweat-soaked neckline emitted a white glow. Adeshan¡¯s ability to effortlessly dodge the knights¡¯ attacks made her seem like she had five eyes. Unlike Ronan, who relied on innate reflexes and body sight, she predicted the future based on her unique insight. Ronan frowned as he saw the crossbow in Adeshan¡¯s hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ the opponent isn¡¯t good this time.¡± From the bowstring to the bolt it waspletely ck, the crossbow was the new weapon she had received from Dolon. Ronan thought it was a great weapon. If she knew how to shoot properly, it would have a tremendous synergistic effect with Adeshan¡¯s ability to control the opponent¡¯s movements. However, this time, her opponent wasn¡¯t favorable. The shadow mana didn¡¯t work against mechanical knights, which was not a living creature. Bann! At that moment, a knight behind Adeshan swung its sword downwards. Adeshan quickly rolled to the side, avoiding the attack. ng! Sparks flew as the sword shed with the ground. ¡°Creak¡­!¡± Adeshan, who urgently got up, aimed at the knight about to strike. As the knight was still raising the sword, there was a gap. Calmly targeting the head, she pulled the crossbow¡¯s trigger. The bolt shot, hitting the mechanical knight¡¯s head. Baang! A small explosion urred as the knight¡¯s body tilted backward. ¡­Thud! The fallen knight, exhaling smoke through its eye sockets, let out a mechanical voice. [Confirmation of damage exceeding the limit. Function suspended.] ¡°Alright¡­!¡± The knight ceased its movements. Adeshan clenched her fist, celebrating. At that moment, the knight standing in her blind spot swung its sword. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Lost in her victory, she didn¡¯t see iting. The de was already closing in. There was no way to dodge or block at that distance. In the moment Adeshan tightly shut her eyes, ng! A loud metallic sound echoed, and the mechanical knight¡¯s voice was heard. [Function suspended.] ¡°¡­Um?¡± Adeshan cautiously opened her eyes. Thud! The staggering knight copsed. A slender white dagger was lodged in the thin joint connecting the neck and torso. A familiar voice was heard from afar. ¡°Sunbae, long time no see.¡± ¡°Ah, Ronan!¡± Adeshan¡¯s face lit up brightly. Ronan strolled over and pulled out Ymir, which was stuck in the knight. He nced at the fallen knight that Adeshan had defeated and whistled. ¡°nning to shoot? You surprised me.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m still not good enough. I almost got hit just now.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re not empty words, seriously. This isn¡¯t something anyone can do.¡± Ronan gestured towards the knight. The bolt shot by Adeshan was precisely embedded in the knight¡¯s eye socket. It was a narrow gap, barely the width of a finger. Even with precise aiming, hitting in this chaotic battle wasn¡¯t just about effort. ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve gotten so tanned. You look like a little troublemaker.¡± ¡°It was very hot. But still,pared to the people who live there, I might as well be a snowman.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, are you injured anywhere? You really went all the way to Dainhar?¡± Suddenly, Adeshan leaned in close, almost to the point where they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. Peering closely at Ronan¡¯splexion, she withdrew in embarrassment. ¡°Ah¡­! Sorry, I bet I smell of sweat¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Anyway, do you have some time? Did I interrupt you?¡± ¡°No, I was just about to take a break.¡± ¡°Good. Take this.¡± Ronan nodded, extending the staff. It looked sophisticated, as if intended for nobles. Adeshan raised an eyebrow. ¡°It looks very expensive¡­ Why¡¯re you suddenly giving me this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift. It¡¯s a weapon only someone as clever as you could use. Want to grip the handle tightly and see?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Adeshan did just that. Shrrr! Suddenly, seams appeared on the otherwise smooth surface, and the staff extended lengthwise. It resembled a steel serpent, stretching over 2 meters. Adeshan widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°A wh-whip? Is this¡­ a whip?¡± ¡°Just as I expected. How about you swing it hard while shouting, ¡®You dirty pig!¡¯?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­?¡± ¡°It suits you perfectly. Once the word spreads, some might evene to you to deliberately get hit.¡± Adeshan groaned in confusion. Ronan didn¡¯t give her the whip solely based on intelligence. The beauty, with her tall stature and haughty appearance, needed to wield a whip. Especially with long leather boots on. As Adeshan fumbled with the whip, she spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means,¡­ but I¡¯ll use it really well. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Shall we finish training then? I¡¯m feeling a bit worn out too.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. But before that, do you want to go somewhere with me for a bit? It won¡¯t take long since it¡¯s within the campus.¡± ¡°Huh? Where?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. After a brief hesitation, Adeshan spoke up. ¡°¡­Hill of the Four Seasons. I have something to tell you.¡± Chapter 121: Hill of the Four Seasons (2) Chapter 121: Hill of the Four Seasons (2) ¡°¡­Hill of the Four Seasons. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Hill of the Four Seasons?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s within the campus, so it won¡¯t take us long to get there.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. The name wasn¡¯t entirely unfamiliar. There had been a mention of it by Navirose during the Doppelganger incident. What ce was that again? When the answer did note immediately, Adeshan asked in an anxious voice. ¡°Do you¡­ not want to go?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with it. Are we going right now?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, sure. Just a moment¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s expression brightened. Thump! She suddenly dashed into the office, closing the door. It took about three minutes before she reappeared and let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Sorry. Had to quickly wipe off the sweat. Shall we go?¡± Ronan nodded. Besides her hair which was lossened, nothing seemed to have changed. The two exited the arena and headed west of the campus. Walking side by side, Adeshan gestured toward Ronan¡¯s waist. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s that dagger?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better than I expected. What about your senior crossbow? It seemed to be exploding earlier.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because when mana is infused, it automatically enchants the bolt mechanism. I have no idea how that¡¯s even possible.¡± Adeshan eximed in admiration. Simr to Lamancha and Ymir, Dolon had given her crossbow an odd name, Arjuna. Arjuna¡¯s ability was simple yet powerful. While traditionally each bolt had to be enchanted with mana, Arjuna could imprint the desired elemental attribute¡ªfire or ice¡ªonto the arrowhead simply by infusing mana into the crossbow itself. Ronan chuckled, remembering Dolon¡¯s excited face. ¡°He¡¯s quite the visionary.¡± Before they knew it, the time had distinctly turned to evening. The reddish glow emanating from the setting sun bathed the western sky. The campus under the setting sun was burning. ¡°It¡¯s quiet here.¡± ¡°Yeah. I like the usual lively atmosphere, but I think it has its own charm, too.¡± Philleon was quiet during the vacation period. With the absence of students, the sounds of nature resonated louder in the deserted campus. Ronan, who was walking with his hands sped behind his head, spoke up. ¡°Yeah, I suppose so.¡± The serenity wasn¡¯t too bad. Walking westward, they soon reached a hill. It was a ce Ronan hadn¡¯t visited yet due to its vastness. Adeshan halted in her tracks. ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the Hill of the Four Seasons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as big of a deal as I thought.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Apart from four trees standing on the summit, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything particrly remarkable. Smiling mischievously, Adeshan walked ahead. ¡°Hehe, want to climb up?¡± Herughter carried a strange confidence. When Ronan reached the summit, he soon understood why. Looking up at the trees, his eyes widened. ¡°Intecing branches?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Four trees intertwined into one.¡± Four trees of different species and sizes were connected. Cherry, pear, maple, and pine trees. On the sprawling pear tree, vivid purple flowers bloomed profusely. Ronan realized these were trees representing each season, enchanted with some kind of magic. ¡°No matter the season, one tree is always full of color. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called Hill of the Four Seasons.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s quite fascinating.¡± ¡°And the view from here is beautiful too. think Ie here at least once a month.¡± Adeshan pointed below the hill. Following her gaze, Ronan was captivated. The juxtaposition ofte summer¡¯s verdure made the campus appear like a paradise from a fairy tale. Swaaah ¨C The cool wind blew back her bangs. Adeshan, who was quietly watching the sunset, opened her mouth. ¡°¡­I went to my hometown this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You said you were going to see your father, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. My father has gained a bit of weight, but thankfully, he¡¯s healthy. We went together to see my mother and siblings as well.¡± Her voice wasposed. Ronan¡¯s lips twitched slightly. He knew Adeshan¡¯s family had experienced some tragedy. Soldiers who perished due to the Command¡¯s misjudgment. The names of those who inspired a young girl to dream of bing a general were etched in a corner of the memorial honoring fallen warriors. ¡°You know, I used to cry every time.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°In front of the memorial. Whenever I saw my mother and siblings¡¯ names, tears would just flow. But this time, for the first time, I didn¡¯t cry.¡± Suddenly, Adeshan rummaged through her pocket. In her hand emerged a small wooden box. Ignoring Ronan¡¯s puzzled expression, she continued speaking. ¡°I thought about why that happened, and I think it¡¯s because now I have hope.¡± ¡°Hope?¡± ¡°Yes. The hope that maybe I can truly be a general. I used to just tell myself that I would make it happen, but I thought it would remain a vague dream. Now, it feels like it could actually be reality.¡± As she trailed off, Adeshan raised her hand. Instantly, shadowsrge and small seemed to rise from every visible corner. Swaaah! A resounding mor echoed loudly. ¡°If this ability awakened because of you¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The shadows flew towards the Hill of the Four Seasons, numbering easily in the hundreds. Ronan realized they were all birds and raised the corner of his lips. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ ck mana surged around Adeshan¡¯s shoulders. She had long surpassed the level of handling regr mana. The growth rate was simply unbelievable. ¡°¡­You worked hard¡± Instead of responding, Adeshan let out a soft chuckle. The birds that had gathered like mist rotated around the Hill of the Four Seasons. Not a single collision urred; they maintained a precise spacing akin to well-trained soldiers. Snap! Adeshan snapped her finger. Swaaah! The birds, now regaining their senses, scattered in all directions. She recolleted all the ck mana and extended the box in her hand. ¡°Thank you for making my dream possible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift from me. Open it.¡± Ronan opened the box. A small, white spherey on soft silk. Indescribably clear mana swirled within it, causing Ronan¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡°Damn, is this really the Eternal Frostbloom Pearl?¡± ¡°Yes. You recognize it.¡± ¡°How did you even¡­ this is something even the royal family would have a hard time obtaining¡­¡± The Eternal Frostbloom Pearl, a legendary flower known to live for tens of thousands of years. It only bloomed in the pr regions where snow fell all year round, making it incredibly difficult to witness first hand. Like the ice of the same name, this flower, which rarely wilts once it blooms, has the habit of storing all the energy it absorbs in its roots. The roots, which at first have a simr shape to other nts, gradually transform into beautiful spheres like pearls as they contain vitality. Named after the root that umted energy for at least a hundred years, it was naturally valuable. Adeshan chuckled. ¡°I found it with some animals.I can¡¯t tell you how lucky I was that I was able to find one before I had to return to the academy.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Do you know how much this would fetch if you sell it on the market?¡± ¡°I do. Butpared to the favor I received, it¡¯s much cheaper. So, just¡­ don¡¯t say anything and ept it.¡± After saying that, Adeshan firmly grasped Ronan¡¯s hand. If it weren¡¯t for her mastery of shadow mana, this treasure would have been impossible to find. Perhaps the reason she took him here was to give him this. With determination shining in her eyes, it seemed futile to say anything. Silently, Ronan put the box in his pocket. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s grateful for you epting it. Shall we sit down for a while?¡± Ronan nodded. The two sat side by side, leaning against a tree. The chirping of crickets gradually filled the air. Ronan whistled, admiring the still beautiful scenery of the campus. ¡°It would be beautiful here even in winter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s incredibly beautiful. With snow settling on roofs and leaves¡­¡± ¡°No need to exin. Let¡¯se back here at that time, together.¡± ¡°¡­Huh. Sure.¡± Their conversation fell silent for a moment. The deepening sunset draped Philleon. Adeshan was the first to break the silence. ¡°I think I understand what my mother used to say now.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°She loved sunsets. She said the struggle to live was beautiful.¡± It was an unfamiliar sentiment. The world tinged red by the sunset shimmered in her eyes. Ronan shrugged. ¡°The struggle?¡± ¡°My mother, who was a soldier, used to say the sunset was the final battle. Struggling till the sun sets below the mountain before darkness consumes everything. Fighting relentlessly but ultimately sumbing to defeat as night falls.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds profound for her young daughter to understand.¡± ¡°Yeah. But now I get it. The fact of the struggle itself, regardless of victory or defeat¡­ was beautiful.¡± Adeshan trailed off. Suddenly, Ronan felt warmth on his left shoulder and turned his head towards her. Adeshan¡¯s little head was leaning against him. ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°She¡¯s drawing in all the light in the world to stay alive. Like a dying fire seeking out firewood¡­¡± Adeshan murmured softly. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, obscuring her face. Ronan, who was silent for a moment, gently stroked her head. ¡°A struggle¡­ indeed, it looks that way.¡± Ronan¡¯s gaze returned to the sunset. He might not fullyprehend, but there was a sense of understanding. Whatever form it took, the struggle for life was beautiful. Adeshan flinched for a moment before shifting slightly, leaning closer. The weight against his shoulder increased. Through the warmth and pulse, a sense of connection was conveyed. ¡°Yeah.¡± Adeshan lightly nodded. The two stayed in that position for a long time and came down from the hill only after the sun hadpletely set. [TL/L: I think I just got diabetes from how sweet this was :,)] **** There was about a month left of the vacation. Upon returning to the academy, Ronan focused on the work he was unable to do due to his usual academic schedule. He went on trips to distant mountains to collect medicinal herbs alongside the Eternal Frostbloom Pearl, visited the Archipgo Police Department for information on Neb zier¡­ And of course, he didn¡¯t forget to take breaks asionally. ¡°No joke, this bastard did everything on ourst desert trip. If I hadn¡¯t brought him along, I would have been in big trouble.¡± ¡°Really? What happened?¡± ¡°We killed the bastard who tried to steal our stuff with a single strike. That guy was about fifty meters away.¡± ¡°Wow, from that far? How?¡± Iril asked, her eyes sparkling. Ronan invited Shullifen to dinner with his sister. It was a kind of reward for his efforts. Ronan was talking about what happened in Dainhar in a somewhat simplistic manner. ¡°Well, you know how it goes.¡± Shullifen continued slicing his steak methodically and putting it into his mouth, the precise movements making him appear like a perfectly crafted doll. Breaking out of his mesmerized stare at Iril, Shullifen finally spoke. ¡°¡­It was nothing extraordinary. I merely gained a humble realization.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t act all high and mighty. Show me once.¡± Ronan poked Shullifen on his side, pointing to a watermelon ced on a distant table. Normally, Shullifen would fuss about being treated like a clown, but today was different. Ronan whispered to Shullifen. ¡°I think my sister really wants to see it.¡± Shullifen pulled at the hilt of his sword without hesitation. Swish! As a gust of wind passed the watermelon split into eight pieces. The sword body that had disappeared, reappeared. p! p! p! Iril opened her eyes wide and cheered. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°If you desire, anytime. I can show you.¡± Shullifen said, resuming the slicing of his steak. At that moment, a drop of sauce sttered on his cheek. Iril suddenly took out a handkerchief and leaned over. ¡°Oops, it¡¯s stained here!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ehehe, even you seem to have a surprisingly clumsy side.¡±¡± Iril gently wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth. Shullifen seemed frozen in time. The perfect rigidity almost made it seem like he might have died. Ronan, who stuffed fiveyers of his meat into his mouth, shook his head. ¡°Cut the theatrics. Damn it.¡± Anyway, time passed. Sekreet¡¯s return was shortly before the first day of school. As soon as Ronan heard the news, he rushed to Sekreet¡¯s office. His eyes widened at the sight of a girl sitting in the middle of the office, reading a book. ¡°Sekreet¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, Ronan. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­How did this happen?¡± Ronan¡¯s face contorted. To his surprise, seeing Sekreet after only two months, he had astonishingly turned into a girl. Fortunately, apart from a slightly longer hair, he could still recognize her from the boy Sekreet. ¡°Ahaha, this is what happened when I put the curse I found in the north into my body. I never would have thought it was a curse that reversed genders.¡± ¡°Damn it. Can you return to your original state?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out through research. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± As if to reassure him, Sekreet waved her hands. Ronan couldn¡¯t get used to her high piched voice. Come to think of it, worrying about someone who turns into a wrinkled old man at night seem pointless. Ronan let out a deep sigh and spoke up. ¡°You can still use magic in this state, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? Of course. It¡¯s just a change in gender, there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I brought this.¡± ¡°You brought it. What¡­?¡± Ronan took out a ck crystal from his inner pocket. Sekreet¡¯s eyes widened. At the sight of the gem he had brought, he realized that all the stones he had seen so far were nothing more than scraps. Inside the forearm-sized crystal pulsed a deep magic found only in the desert¡¯s specter. ¡°Here. Can you do it now?¡± Ronan asked. Immediately a barrage of questions flooded Sekreet¡¯s mind. Taking a deep breath to calm her mind, she closed the book she was reading. ¡°Of course. Come closer.¡± Chapter 122: Remaining Days (1) Chapter 122: Remaining Days (1) ¡°Come closer. Let¡¯s first see how far the curse has progressed.¡± Ronan did so. Sekreet, with hands like ferns, reached out and touched his chest. The slightly clouded pupils were unsettling. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the seemingly unustomed appearance. ¡®It¡¯s quite astonishing. Does she also turn into a grandmother at night or something?¡¯ She looked like an ordinary girl to anyone. It was a truly fearsome curse to transform an elderly woman into a mischievous child ying in the air. Sekreet, who had been quietly closing her eyes, spoke. ¡°Reveal your form.¡± A nging voice echoed. Simultaneously, Sekreet¡¯s mana spread through Ronan¡¯s body as she touched it. Swaaah! Crimson letters popped out from Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°¡­These damn things.¡± Ronan, seeing the tangible curses, cursed under his breath. It was a sight he hadn¡¯t seen in a while. The letters wriggled as if they were alive, swirling around him. However, something seemed different from the first time he saw it. It felt like the amount of letters had decreased. Sekreet¡¯s eyes twinkled with interest. ¡°Oh, your efforts weren¡¯t in vain. The curse has definitely weakened.¡± ¡°Of course. After all the trouble I¡¯ve been through.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. It was hard to believe that all the hardships he had endured had only taken a little over half a year. Sekreet, who had removed her hand from his chest, took out a piece of chalk. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next step.¡± Sekreet began drawing geometric symbols in various ces in the study. It was a huge magic circle that covered almost the entire floor of the study. Compared tost time, it took much longer in various ways. It was only after a while that she extended her hand, havingpleted the magic circle. ¡°All done. Give me the magic stone.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Ronan handed the Dainhar Magic Stone to her. When Sekreet took the magic stone, she trembled for a moment. The mana wriggling beneath the rough surface was so unbelievably powerful that it was iparable to any catalyst she had ever seen. ¡°¡­Did you really receive this as a gift from the natives of Dainhar?¡± ¡°Well, something like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary because it doesn¡¯t seem like a joke.¡± Sekreet walked to the center of the study and ced the magic stone on the floor. At that moment, light sprayed out along the patterns of the magic circle. Fwaaah! It was a sight reminiscent of mes rising through oil. ¡°This time, I will materialize the curse you must break.¡± ¡°Materialize?¡± ¡°Yes. By interpreting and implementing the curse in a visual form, we gauge its scale. It¡¯s thest step before entering the curse.¡± The moment Sekreet flicked her finger into the air, the shapes of the letters warped and began to gather in one ce. As the materialization progressed, Sekreet¡¯s expression gradually stiffened. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The curse, which had been boiling and melting on its own, finally stopped changing after about ten minutes. Ronan furrowed his brow. A massive lump, about two meters in diameter, was floating in front of him. ¡°It looks absolutely grotesque.¡± The grotesque shape was unpleasant. This is what it would look like if one pulled out the heart or the brain of a demon. The amorphous curse blob continued to wriggle without a definite form. After a while of silence, Sekreet sighed. ¡°¡­My goodness. I never thought it would be this intense.¡± ¡°Sekreet? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ when Ipress it and pour it into your head, the curse begins. From then on, as you know, the body falls into a deep sleep and the mind wanders in the Mental World¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good at all, but¡­ damn it, what can we do? Let¡¯s get rid of it quickly.¡± Ronan sighed as he moved his limbs around. Time in the Mental World flowed differently from reality. Although he thought it was over in an instantst time, seeing that a whole day had passed in reality suggested a simr oue this time. It was a wise decision to deal with it during the rtively ample vacation time. Sekreet, who had been biting her nails, spoke. ¡°Ronan¡­ I know it might sound strange to say this now, but I need to say it.¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡± For a moment, a stillness settled. Ronan, who had been dumbfounded, finally opened his mouth. ¡°Why have you been like this since earlier? Yourplexion isn¡¯t looking good either.¡± ¡°A few decades ago, a friend of mine took his own life. He was an astronomer exploring the skies. He was well-respected and knowledgeable, and there seemed to be no reason for him tomit suicide.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected story. Sekreet¡¯s face, staring at the curse, was as pale as the snowy ins of the north. Cold sweat streamed down her pale cheeks. ¡°However, his disciples testified that he suddenly went mad. We could find the cause in the farewell letter he left behind. There was just one line written in it: [We are dust.]¡± ¡°Dust?¡± ¡°After much deliberation among colleagues, we reached a conclusion. He had suddenly be aware of the vastness of the universe, which he had only perceived as ¡®existing¡¯ until then. It was like he had suddenly realized an unbearable truth, and went mad in the pursuit of an unbearable truth¡­¡± Sekreet, who had been staring at the ceiling for a moment, washed her face with cold water. She looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°Ronan, I think I understand that friend now.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to fail.¡± ¡°To be honest, I do. I realize we¡¯re doing something reckless.¡± Sekreet bowed her head, admitting her mistake. Until now, they had only been formting a method through theory and simplified experiments. The power held by the materialized curse far exceeded Sekreet¡¯s expectations. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Even if we seed, we can¡¯t guarantee how long it¡¯ll take.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t guarantee? How many days are we talking?¡± ¡°Once something gets entangled, it could be a year. Some have wandered in the Mental World for over ten years.¡± ¡°Ten years? That¡¯s insane!¡± Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. If the curse was more potent, it might take longer than their initial estimation. Sekreet spoke up. ¡°Ronan, This is not something I should say as an educator who pursues advancement, but even as you are now, you¡¯re strong enough. If you just continue growing like this it would make you a pivotal figure in the Empire¡¯s history. Is it worth taking such a risk to aplish this?¡± Sekreet¡¯s tone was firm. Despite her delicate appearance, her unique aura of authority remained. Ronan¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡®It¡¯s worth it.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t entirely baseless. With the achievements he had made so far, he had much more potential for growthpared to his past life. As time passed, he was confident that even if only his body grew, he would ughter Ahyute in an instant. ¡®Fuck. If only that bastard wasn¡¯t around, I wouldn¡¯t want to do this either.¡¯ Yet, what Ronan had to achieve was far beyond that level. The number of giants descending from the sky was beyond estimation. Suddenly, the memory of encountering the Omega Doppelganger came to his mind. The sight of his dying body, eroded by the curse, was indescribably hideous. To go even beyond his limits, he needed to rid himself of those tumors within. Ronan nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ then I guess there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Snap! Sekreet sighed and flicked her finger again. As the light of the magic circle faded, the materialized curse scattered like smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to stabilize the process. It might take a few days, so take the time to tidy up your surroundings until then.¡± **** The remaining time passed in a sh. Themencement ceremony was held in the grand square where the vacation ceremony had taken ce. Kratir¡¯s face, reciting a formal speech, looked deeply tanned, as if he had been on vacation somewhere sunny. ¡°I hope you had a meaningful vacation. I hope you stay healthy and energetic in the new semester.. Hmm¡­ Summer is nowing to an end.¡± The higher sky signaled the waning of summer. In these few days, the faces of the students brightened up with the cooler breeze. Ronan headed towards the club building as soon as themencement ceremony ended. The returning students busied themselves around the campus. The once-empty streets regained their hustle and bustle. In his right hand, he carried arge trunk. Ronan, whistling softly, looked up at the new clouds, muttering to himself. ¡°Just three days.¡± It was the time remaining until Sekreet¡¯s ritual was prepared. His mind was cluttered, preventing him from sleeping properly since that day. He had to keep himself busy around the campus. Suddenly, his own words came to mind, and Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°What a joke. ¡®Tidy up your surroundings¡¯? What kind of nonsense is that, ¡®tidying up my surroundings¡¯?¡± It sounded like a farewell message to someone going to die. Of course, during time as a member of the Punishment Squad, he heard such words as a farewell gesture. In a ce where life and death were unpredictable, preparing for the worst was essential. ¡®Well, it¡¯s actually a good thing.¡¯ While it was regrettable that he couldn¡¯t finish his tasks quickly, Ronan resolved to think as positively as possible. He knew better than anyone the misery of those who couldn¡¯t even leave theirst wills. There was no harm in preparing for the worst-case scenario. Lost in these thoughts, Ronan arrived at the club building. Although he was only near, the loud noises from within reached him. Creeeak¡ª The door opened with a harsh creaking sound. Ronan¡¯s expression contorted at the unexpected sight. Marya and Braum were doing push-ups with Aselle and Ophelia on their backs. ¡°Cutie! Did you not eat at all during the vacation? Why are you so light?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I did eat¡­!¡± Marya asked with concern. Aselle, blushing intensely, nodded. Ophelia, with a dry expression, poked Braum¡¯s back with her index finger as she sat on him. ¡°Braum¡­ at this rate, you¡¯ll lose¡­¡± ¡°Huuh! W-wait! There¡¯s still a chance for aeback!¡± With a contemtive look, Braum increased his speed. Witnessing the absurd scene, Ronan chuckled. He ced the trunk he brought onto the table and spoke up. ¡°What are you doing? You idiots.¡± ¡°Oh? Ronan!¡± The two stopped their push-ups. Ronan surveyed the club members¡¯ faces and nodded. Except for Shullifen, everyone else had gathered as he had instructed. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. How have you been?¡± ¡°Even though I saw you yesterday¡­ but oh, I brought the payment for the magic stones.¡± Marya wiped sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and pointed to a corner of the building. About ten luxurious boxes were stacked on top of one another. At that moment, Braum, who had been catching his breath, burst into a heartyugh. ¡°Hahaha, of course! That was unexpected, Ronan, giving such a big gift at the end of vacation!¡± His gaze lingered on the shield leaning against one side of the wall. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, did you receive it today?¡± ¡°It was actually the day before yesterday. The Werewolf cksmith delivered it to me!¡± It was an impressive shield. It looked like it could fully cover a person and probably withstand the mes of a dragon with a little exaggeration. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to thank you for this. Can I really use such a treasure?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. I gave it to you to use it, so of course, you should ept it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ grateful too.¡± Ophelia also bowed slightly. In her hand was a wand that looked as if it had been carved from bones, its pure white contrasting sharply against her grip. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because Ophelia was strong to begin with, but the surging magical power seemed unusual. ¡°It feels like all magic spells¡­ have doubled in strength. I never expected such a ce existed under the academy.¡± ¡°Is it better than what your kind made?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ by a lot. It would be rude topare.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± Ronan nodded. Both Ophelia¡¯s wand and Braum¡¯s shield were crafted by the master craftsmen of Gran Cappadocia. As soon as he heard Sekreet tell him to tidy up his surroundings, he fitted the two people with weapons. ¡°Alright, everyone, gather around. I have an important announcement to make..¡± ¡°An announcement?¡± The members gathered together. Ronan opened the trunk. Click! As soon as the lock was released, contents that no one expected were revealed. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment except Ophelia. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°I borrowed them from Instructor Navirose. Everyone put one on your wrist.¡± Cushioned within the trunk were five ck, slender bracelets. They were magical artifacts used during Navirose¡¯s midterm evaluation. A spatial-type magical artifact that, in the likely event of grave injury or impending death, automatically shifts the wearer¡¯s body to a different space. Ronan continued exining despite the bewildered looks of the members. ¡°I might be absent for a while. It could be just a few days, but it could be as long as several years.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about? It¡¯s the start of the new semester, and you¡¯re suddenly leaving?¡± ¡°Se-several years?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin in detail. Put on your bracelets first.¡± Ronan¡¯s demeanor was more serious than usual. Without understanding the specifics, the members each put on a bracelet. At that moment, Ronan drew his knife. Swish! Right as Lamancha¡¯s de was about to touch Braum¡¯s neck, his form distorted and vanished. ¡°Wh-what is this¡­?¡± ¡°Uh-uhh!¡± Aselle was about to scream, but Braum, who had disappeared with a loud bang, tumbled down the stairs. He waspletely unaware of what had happened and was wandering around. Ronan spoke up. ¡°See? No one dies. I¡¯ve set up a ce to revive in this building, so you can attack me as much as you want.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you doing right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m testing your abilities. If I really have to leave.¡± Finally, after putting on the bracelet, Ronan stood up. The sudden surge of energy blooming on his shoulders made the members flinch back. He seemed like apletely different person. Ronan scanned each of their faces and growled softly. ¡°Come at me.¡± Chapter 123: Remaining Days (2) Chapter 123: Remaining Days (2) ¡°Come out. Grab your weapons.¡± Ronan stepped outside the building, his club members trailing behind, albeit with curious nces. They stood in Nest¡¯s training ground, Ronan took a moment to confirm everyone had their weapons before speaking up. ¡°I¡¯ll exin briefly, so listen up. As you know, I¡¯m under a curse.¡± There was no need to conceal it anymore. Ronan sinctly described his current situation¡ªthe curse limiting his potential growth, the necessity of undergoing a rite to surpass his limitations, and hence, the need to vacate his position. Aselle voiced a concerned question. ¡°H-How about doing the rite after graduation?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be toote by then. We don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take, and if you have potential, it¡¯s best to nurture it from a young age.¡± ¡°Do you think it will take a very long time?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say. That¡¯s why I brought along these advanced tools.¡± Ronan held up his bracelet. He had expected reluctance from Navirose to lend it, but surprisingly, she readily agreed, albeit with the condition of doubling the training time afterpleting the training. ¡°Fight with all your might. That¡¯s the only way you¡¯ll understand the direction for your training.¡± ¡°¡­Today¡¯s summoning was because of that, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. If I return without achievement, I¡¯ll lose everything. By the way, I brought a coach who¡¯ll coach you perfectly.¡± ¡°A coach?¡± ¡°Yeah. Here shees.¡± Ronan gestured toward the back of the training ground. The members turned their heads. A young girl in uniform approached. Documents and a small scroll were tucked at her slender waist. She kindly greeted them as she stood next to Ronan. ¡°Hi. It¡¯s been a while, everyone.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re¡­ Senior Adeshan, fromst time, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Nice to see you, Marya. How¡¯s the top-level work going?¡± Adeshan smiled warmly. Marya¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t expected her to remember the brief encounter, let alone the work she was involved in. ncing around at the members, Adeshan chuckled. ¡°No sign of the Rising Star of the Empire? Did I deliberately not call him?¡± ¡°That bastard will take care of it on his own. He¡¯s already awakened his Aura.¡± Ronan nodded. He wasn¡¯t worried about Shullifen. Frankly, even if he sparred with all of Philleon¡¯s upperssmen, there was a strong chance that that unlucky guy would win. ¡°This senior has sharp eyes. She¡¯ll observe your fights and guide the direction of your training until you gather enough information.¡± ¡°Indeed. For this kind of training, there is no one as talented as her.¡± Braum mumbled slowly. As a student of Navirose¡¯s ss, he was well aware of Adeshan¡¯s abilities. She could oversee nearly thirty people at once and correct their movements. Ronan spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s get started, Sunbae?¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± ng! Adeshan shook the small scroll she held, its clear sound signaling the start of battle. Yet, nobody moved. The hesitant members exchanged nces. ¡°Did it start?¡± Ronan pulled his sword. Swish! A wide horizontal sh passed through the waists of four people. Aselle, Marya, Braum¡ªvanished from sight. Seeing the remaining one, Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who held out. Age isn¡¯t to be underestimated after all.¡± ¡°Gah¡­!¡± Ophelia, the only one who managed to block, bit her lip. Thud! A drop of blood fell from her stomach. His steps were so fast that she wasn¡¯t able topletely block it. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re serious¡­¡± ¡°You should do it properly. Not going to me it on the daytime being unfavorable, right?¡± Ronan kicked the ground again and rushed forward. Ophelia whispered her spell. Keuuugh! A wolf¡¯s maw made of blood surged from the ground, swallowing Ronan whole. ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡± Ophelia clenched her fists. A massive magic circle formed above the wolf¡¯s head. Swoosh! des made of shadows rained down from within the magic circle, akin to a torrential downpour of ck rain. ¡°It hurts¡­ I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± In its original form, it was a technique that would tear everything to shreds without leveling a single trace. Just as Ophelia was convinced of Ronan¡¯s defeat, she turned her body. From behind, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Get treated ande out again. Cita is waiting.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Swoosh! The wolf¡¯s head split in half. A crescent-shaped de flew, covering Ophelia. There was no chance to react. Boom! Struck directly by the de, her form distorted and disappeared. The shadowy des also dispersed like smoke. Ronan spat on the ground, panting. ¡°These kids can¡¯t catch a break. How many times do they need to roll around?¡± -Thud! That moment, apanied by the sound of splintering wood, the club building¡¯s door burst open. The three previously eliminated members revealed themselves. ¡°Hey! What was that all of a sudden? Really attacking for real?!¡± ¡°Jeez, thought I was gonna die!¡± ¡°Ugh. Getting defeated again doesn¡¯t feel good.¡± The eyes of the bewildered members who faced an absurd death were noticeably different. Marya, swinging her greatsword, charged forward. ¡°Not sure what you¡¯re thinking, but I can¡¯t can¡¯t live with just getting hit. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Wa-wait, but what about Ophelia¡ª!¡± Braum alsounched himself using his great shield. Aselle yelled in confusion, but the two didn¡¯t stop. Confirming their entry into the range, Ronan swung his sword nonchntly. Baang! A broad de shot out, simultaneously causing an explosion. ¡°Hahaha! This is really something!¡± Amidst the smoke, Braum¡¯s heartyughter echoed. Not a scratch remained on his shield, which blocked the de. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s really well-made.¡± Ronan muttered to himself. Thud! Marya stepped on Braum¡¯s shoulder and leaped up and swung her greatsword down vertically. ¡°Haahh!¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡± Ronan raised the corners of his mouth. The pressure was substantial. Her greatsword, growing heavier as it was imbued with mana, waspletely tinted in a vibrant blue hue. A head-on confrontation was futile like this. It was a fleeting moment as Ronan was about to twist his shoulder to evade. ¡°Gr-gravity Bind!¡± A frightened voice echoed from afar. Simultaneously, four magic circles appeared in the air. Swish! Transparent chains extended from the circles and wrapped around Ronan¡¯s arms and legs in an instant. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head and chuckled. Aselle was aiming at him with an outstretched hand. Even here, signs of weakness in his legs were evident. ¡°S-Sorry, Ronan¡­! But you said to do it¡­¡± ¡°It seems like there was some emotion involved.¡± It seemed he had studied Vijra rather thoroughly. The magic he used was far superior to Aselle¡¯s usual Invisible Hand. Despite exerting force, Ronan¡¯s body didn¡¯t budge. Feeling oddly proud, he smirked. ¡°You guys worked hard.¡± ¡°Well done! Cutie!¡± Marya cheered. It was the moment when her greatsword, descending down in a blue arc, was about to touch Ronan¡¯s corbone. ¡°Well, shall I put in some effort too?¡± Ronan switched his power source. A golden energy surged up his right arm. It was Varen¡¯s Aura, amplifying his strength. As he swung his arm, the stem that wrapped around his wrist tore off relentlessly. Swish! Ronan clutched Lamancha and cut through the remaining chains. ¡°That¡­ was Gravity Bind!¡± Aselle¡¯s mouth hung open. He didn¡¯t anticipate it would be thwarted so easily. As Ronan dodged and Marya¡¯s greatsword struck the ground, a loud crack resounded. Giant fractures emerged, sending shards of stone flying. ¡°Oh, no¡­!¡± Marya¡¯s expression twisted as the attack missed. Ronan didn¡¯t wait for her to draw her greatsword. Swish. With a swift motion of his sword, Marya¡¯s form distorted and vanished. ¡°Marya!!¡± An excited Braum rushed over, his footsteps thudding. Overenthusiasm was the biggest advantage of this training. In the hand opposite the shield, he held a sharp one-handed sword. A sword and shield, not a badbination. Muttering to himself, Ronan drew the dagger Ymir. Squelch! Braum, frozen mid-action, raised his shield. ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°Blockhead. You¡¯ve to protect the mage first.¡± Braum¡¯s face froze. Just as he hastily turned his head, the dagger had already reached Aselle¡¯s forehead. Before Braum could utter anything, Aselle¡¯s form distorted and disappeared. Thud! Imir flew all the way, embedding itself into the club building¡¯s outer wall. ¡°Don¡¯t lose focus. You¡¯re the vanguard,¡± Ronan¡¯s voice sounded right next to Braum. A shiver ran down Braum¡¯s spine at the sound. Lowering his gaze, he noticed Ronan scratching his head. ¡°Keuhh, ack!¡± Ronan was already within the shield. Swish. Along with the sound of a de slicing through the air, Braum¡¯s form vanished. It took about three minutes for the members to reappear. ¡°Damn it! Let¡¯s try again!¡± ¡°I think we all¡­ need to go together. I never would¡¯ve thought he would be this strong¡­¡± The members reappeared. Their eyes, filled with even more venom than before, pleased Adeshan. She continued to jot down their movements and habits. Watching Marya¡¯s swordsmanship, she couldn¡¯t help but admire. ¡°Amazing¡­ they¡¯ve surpassed standard skills by far.¡± ¡°Seems like it won¡¯t be easy to teach them, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. All four of them exhibit more than just the basics. Not that I¡¯m skilled enough to teach anyway¡­¡± ¡°Have confidence. I haven¡¯t seen anyone more talented in this area than the Sunbae.¡± Ronan tapped Adeshan¡¯s shoulder lightly. She smiled brightly and nodded her head. Marya, who finished her preparations, let out a roar and charged. ¡°Let¡¯s go-!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use blood magic first to¡­ bind his feet¡­¡± All four of them charged together this time. With Ophelia joining in, the attacks were undoubtedly more fierce. Ronan subdued all the members with precisely four shes. Bang! Shortly after the sound of tumbling down the stairs echoed, the club¡¯s door swung open. ¡°Again!¡± Adeshan¡¯s information gathering concluded around the time they died for the fifth time. However, the agitated members didn¡¯t stop attacking until sunset. Marya, experiencing her 27th defeat, red at Ronan and growled. ¡°Ugh¡­ enough of this¡­ gasp, just die at least once!¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ stubborn¡­¡± Thud! Marya, who was supporting herself with her greatsword, copsed. She was the final one eliminated. Around hery Aselle, Braum, and Ophelia, looking almost like lifeless bodies. Ronan never died once. Yet, he was continuously surprised throughout the battles. The members¡¯ skills exceeded his expectations by several folds. ¡®It was really risky a few times.¡¯ He realized he almost died two or three times rashly. That alone indicated how hard he had been working. Reflecting on the dangerous moments, he murmured to the members. ¡°Thanks. You guys are idiots.¡± It seemed safe to leave without worries. **** After hearing Sekreet¡¯s words about it possibly taking a long time, Ronan deliberated a lot. It was because of the variables that could ur in his absence. ¡®It¡¯s not easy.¡¯ The most significant threat was undoubtedly Neb zier. If powerful individuals akin to the branch leader started barging in, there¡¯d be no solution. He was currently the only one capable of bypassing the protection of the stars. ¡®But it¡¯s unlikely that such a big shot will barge into the academy¡¯s core. I¡¯vepletely erased all traces of mana.¡¯ Fortunately, the chance of that happening was slim. There were no clues in the institution that could lead someone to Ronan¡¯s residence. Ronan recalled what Teranil had said. He mentioned tracking Ronan by following the remaining traces of mana on-site. That meant if the evidence was cleared, there would be no way to trace him. ¡®It was good to eliminate both, even if it was risky.¡¯ Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. The first thing he did after killing Teranil and Yuria was to erase all remaining traces at the scene. With Cita and the sensitive Shullifen assisting, the operation was probably concluded perfectly. ¡®I¡¯ve done everything I could.¡¯ There were no more measures to take before leaving. The members¡¯ direction was set, and his sister¡¯s safety was secured. Unless the Advent incident happened earlier than expected, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues. ¡®Well¡­ shall I go for the final supper?¡¯ Ronan opened the door and stepped out. He had been staying at the new house in the institution sincest night. Before embarking on something significant, he wanted to have a final meal with his sister. In Ronan¡¯s left hand, there was Sekreet¡¯s letter confirming that preparations were done. Before he even set foot on the stairs, the delightful aroma from downstairs hit him. It was the trademark smell of Iril¡¯s patented potato stew. ¡°You¡¯re like a big sister.¡± As Ronan descended to the first floor, he raised his head. The kitchen, filled with people, met his gaze. He chuckled at the sight of everyone looking back at him. ¡°¡­Why are there so many people gathered here?¡± Chapter 124: In Search of a Scream (1) Chapter 124: In Search of a Scream (1) ¡°¡­Why are there so many people gathered here?¡± Even though it was early in the morning, the kitchen was filled with familiar faces, which was puzzling since no one had been invited. He was wondering how they all got there since he hadn¡¯t said anything. Iril, upon spotting him, eximed with a cheerful voice. ¡°Oh! Ronan, you¡¯re up!¡± ¡°Sis. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Hehe, I have no idea either. Everyone, except your friends, came one by one?¡± Iril exined that everyone had separatelye at almost the same time. It meant they hadn¡¯te due to someone¡¯s invitation but had genuinely sought Ronan out. Navirose, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s only natural. I heard that my disciple was going on a long training journey.¡± ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s not a training journey but that he has something to do. This is why swordsmen with muscles for brains¡­ Oof!¡± For a moment, Navirose¡¯s elbow disappeared. Thud! A dull sound echoed as Jarodin fell to the ground. Varen Pansir, who had been observing this scene, chuckled kindly. ¡°Haha, you two are still the same. It¡¯s delightful to see.¡± ¡°Varen¡­¡± ¡°I heard it might be a long journey. As Instructor Navirose said, it¡¯s only natural to attend such gatherings.¡± Varen was awkwardly bowing to avoid hitting the ceiling lights. At that moment, the boy who was squirming behind Varen approached Ronan. ¡°Umm, I¡¯mte with my gratitude.¡± ¡°Oh, Valus. How have you been?¡± Valus, a former poacher and Ronan¡¯s fellow member of the Punishment Squad, had almost be unrecognizable due to his overall tidiness. While muttering under his breath, he suddenly started sniffling. ¡°Why are you blubbering when asked you how you¡¯re doing? Pathetic.¡± ¡°This¡­ This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve found meaning. I don¡¯t even know how to express my gratitude¡­¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­ Varen, cut this kid off. What good is he being this fragile?¡± ¡°Hehe, Valus is an excellent assistant. He¡¯s truly been a great help.¡± Varen ced his hand on Valus¡¯ shoulder. Since he began assisting, Varen¡¯s work speed had nearly doubled. Still much better than being dragged into the punitive unit as a poacher. Ronan grinned and patted Valus¡¯ back. ¡°Keep it up. You¡¯re doing great.¡± ¡°Yes. I will definitely¡­!¡± Valus bent his waist in half. The area around the firece was bustling with meal preparations. Iril handed Shullifen tes of food, and spoke. ¡°Shullifen! Could you put these on the table, please? Be careful, they¡¯re hot.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shullifen stiffly epted the tes offered by Iril while wearing an apron before he knew it, aical sight. ¡®A masterpiece. The Raising Star of the Empire carrying tes at themand of amoner woman.¡¯ Ronan thought if he took a picture with Dydican¡¯s device, it would sell for a high price. Marya rolled up her sleeves and lifted the pot containing the stew. ¡°Please hand me the pot, sis. I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Wow, Marya, you¡¯re really strong¡­!¡± Iril¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration. Members of the Elite Adventurer Club, including Aselle and Marya, were helping her set the table as if it were a natural thing. ¡°Thanks foring, Aselle! It¡¯s so nice to have neighbors here too!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! I like it too!¡± Their quick demeanor suggested they arrived much earlier than the professors. They were those overly helpful types who came without being asked. Ronan was about to intervene. ¡°Huh?¡± A familiar girl caught his eye. Her dark purple hair was tousled as if she¡¯d just woken up. Even while levitating the dishes with her telekinesis, her gaze remained fixed on Iril¡¯s face. ¡°I never thought there would be someone prettier than Adeshan Unni in the world¡­¡± It was Elizabeth, the darling of the prominent Acalusia Family. The Dawn Tower medal given to her by Aun Phra was sparkling on herpel. Ronan greeted her warmly. ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡± ¡°Ah, Ronan!¡± Only then did Elizabeth snap out of it, hunching her shoulders. For a moment, as she gazed at Ronan, the memory of her applying the potion to his bare skin came to her mind. ¡°¡­I¡¯m just here following Adeshan Unni! I didn¡¯t know the eldest son of Garcia would be here.¡± ¡°Right, thanks. It couldn¡¯t have been easy waking up at this hour.¡± Ronan chuckled uneasily. Elizabeth, pursing her lips, mumbled in a tiny voice. ¡°¡­I heard the news. Please be careful.¡± Her ears turned red amidst her hair strands. She turned away, resuming to set down the dishes. At that moment, a voice came from right behind Ronan. ¡°There are so many lucky women.¡± ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°And they¡¯re all beauties.¡± Ronan turned his head. Adeshan, wearing an apron, was smiling cheerfully. She spoke without losing her smiling eyes. ¡°Everything¡¯s ready. Let¡¯s eat quickly.¡± Ronan flinched. He was smiling, but it felt more like a forced smile. His voice also seemed strangely subdued, almost as if he were uneasy. ¡°¡­Are you mad by any chance?¡± ¡°No. Why would I be mad?¡± ¡°Well then, that¡¯s fortunate. When I return, let¡¯s go to that hill together.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. After a brief silence, she answered in a softer voice. ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Seeing her rxed expression, there was a sense of relief for some reason. Navirose, who had been silently observing the two, chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve progressed a bit.¡± Once the meal preparations were done, everyone sat around the table. Ronan sat between Iril and Adeshan. Seeing the familiar faces around, it made him realize that he had made the right choice moving here. If it had been in the ce in Nimburten, not everyone could have fit in. In the enormous pot, potato stew bubbled vigorously. Iril eximed, arms wide open. ¡°Hehe, thank you all for gathering like this for my brother. Please, everyone, eat a lot!¡± ¡°We will.¡± Shullifen mechanically started eating the stew, signaling the beginning of the meal. Seeing their pace, it seemed worrying about leftovers wasn¡¯t necessary. The professors took turns leaving a word before starting. ¡°Take care on your journey, Ronan. Don¡¯t forget our agreement to train twice as hard when you return.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t encourage you without a hint of a threat beforehand. If you run into trouble with your mana, I will take immediate action, so please rest assured.¡± ¡°I hope you return soon. We need to n our next club activities. By the way, this stew was really delicious, is it really made with potatoes?¡± Varen, Navirose, and Jarodin offered encouragement and their own advice. Then it was Iril¡¯s turn. She, strangely clearing her throat, looked at Ronan and began speaking. ¡°Ahem, Ronan. I was told that it was a dangerous task, and I thought about it a lot on my own, but I decided not to stop you. Because as the older sister I can¡¯t hold my little brother back.¡± ¡°Sis.¡± ¡°Just promise toe back. That¡¯s all I ask.¡± There was no trace of a smile on Iril¡¯s face. It was a solemn expression, unlike any he¡¯d seen before. Ronan nodded silently. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ thank you.¡± Only then did Iril let out a relieved chuckle. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she kissed Ronan on the cheek. Following suit, the club members, Elizabeth, Valus, and Adeshan, offered their words of encouragement. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here. Achieve what you desire and return.¡± With Adeshan¡¯s words, silence fell. It seemed like offering at least one word of resolve was necessary to enjoy the meal. Ronan, having swallowed the stew he was chewing, spoke up. ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Ronan trailed off. He had a lot he wanted to say, but it slipped his mind. Suddenly, his vision blurred unexpectedly. As he momentarily gazed at the ceiling, he lowered his head again. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Ronan chuckled softly. No matter how much he thought, better words didn¡¯te to mind. Soon, the meal resumed, and as Ronan predicted, Iril¡¯s potato stew vanished entirely. **** ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª After a brief farewell gathering, Ronan immediately set off for Sekereet¡¯s office. The members of the Elite Adventurer Club and Cita saw him off until the entrance of Separacio in Jhordin¡¯s office. Aselle spoke up, his voice quivering. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ you¡¯lle back soon, right?¡± ¡°Would you be able to do that? It will take at least a month.¡± Ronan chuckled. Half of it was a joke, and half was sincere. Having received such a grand farewell, returning after just a day or two would be embarrassing. He tousled Aselle¡¯s hair and looked around at the members and said. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it earlier, but I¡¯m really grateful to everyone. You¡¯re all working hard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re acting like you¡¯re about to die, so please refrain from saying such things!¡± ¡°Make sure to return. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡± ¡°Beewh¡­!¡± Cita yfully pouted and puffed her cheeks against Ronan¡¯s face. Marya¡¯s suffocating hug was the final goodbye. The only one who hadn¡¯t said a word was Shullifen. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°You hopeless bastard. You followed me all the way here and now you¡¯re holding back?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯lle back anyway. I only hope you can return quickly before your body bes dull.¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Ronan chuckled wryly. Suddenly hardening his expression, he stepped closer to Shullifen. He leaned in until their noses nearly touched before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t expect much from you.¡± His eyes, glowing like a sunset, shimmered with intensity. Despite the ferocious energy almost ready to tear apart, Shullifen remained unfazed. After a moment of hesitation, Ronan spoke. ¡°Protect my sister.¡± ¡°I swear.¡± Shullifen nodded heavily. Ronan tapped his shoulder and turned away. Behind him, the club members¡¯ encouragement faded into the dark corridor. ¡°Have youe?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a bitte.¡± As soon as he left the hallway, Sepparachio appeared. The first thing that caught his eyes was the much moreplex magic circle. Geometric patterns not only covered the floor, but also the walls and ceiling. Sekreet, still in the form of a girl, greeted him. ¡°Being loved isn¡¯t such a bad thing.¡± Sekreetughed gleefully. He knew the kind of farewell Ronan had received. Ronan didn¡¯t deny it and simply nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Honesty is a good trait.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re going to put that thing into my head?¡± Ronan pointed to the middle of the study with the tip of his chin. A sinister-looking mass reminiscent of a demon¡¯s heart pulsated in the air. This time, the curse Ronan had to lift had materialized. Sekreet nodded with a perplexed expression. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So, do I just cut through the source of my curse again?¡± ¡°Exactly. Just likest time, it should be recognizable at a nce.¡± Sekreet exined the precautions for the curse-lifting ritual. Despite improvements in the rituals to enhance stability, he emphasized the inherent dangers. ¡°The mana stones you¡¯ve brought are of such good quality that there should be no issues mid-process. Now, it all depends on your actions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always been that way. I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin.¡± Ronan sat cross-legged beneath the mass. Sekreet ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s forehead. Fwoosh¡­! Bright light erupted from the magic circle that enveloped the study. The massive lumppressed and began flowing into Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Gahhh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wait for my return.¡± Ronan gritted his teeth against the eerie sensation of his brain being plunged into icy water. Sekreet¡¯s chanting flowed out like a melodic hymn. He felt his consciousness gradually slipping away. Unable to ovee the rush of waves like a tsunami, Ronan closed his eyes. It was the moment when thest thread of sanity snapped. . . . ¡°Get up! You damn bastard!!¡± An angry shout echoed nearby. Ronan opened his eyes. Wooden buildings nked his vision on both sides. Feathery clouds driftedzily in the narrow, blue sky. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± Ronan realized he was lying down. It seemed he had been in that position for a while, as his back felt stiff. The shadow cast by the dense foliage suggested it might be an alley in any town or city. ¡°No¡­ swords¡­¡± He instinctively reached for his waist, but both of his ck-hilted swords were missing. His hands seemed a bitrger. Had he safely entered the Mental World? While pondering this, a cold liquid sshed across his face. ¡°Phuah!¡± Squish! A foul-smelling mud invaded his eyes and nostrils. Startled by the unexpected attack, Ronan jumped to his feet. With dirt in his eyes, visibility was poor. Suddenly, something hard struck beneath his cheekbone. Crack! As his head jolted roughly, a strong grip seized him by the jaw. A voice filled with rage, simr to earlier, resounded in his ear. ¡°You beggar brat. Can¡¯t you hear me telling you to get lost?! This is our area, go somewhere else!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ fuck¡­¡± Ronan brushed his bangs aside and turned his head. A fat and scraggly boy was shaking his head while holding his cor. Judging by his behavior, there was no room for argument that he was a thug. There was grime clinging to his sagging jawline, and beside him, a scrawny kid chuckled, so slight it could pass for a waif. ¡°Puhhehehe, look at you, all soaked.¡± Both of their faces seemed oddly familiar. Had Ronan seen these guys before? He turned his head again. The one gripping his corughed, as if reveling in his own audacity. ¡°How dare you re at me like that? Do you know who I am¡­Keuk!¡± The moment the thug tried to assert himself, Ronan¡¯s fist jammed into his mouth. Crunch! The broken tooth bounced back with a sensation of smashing a scallop. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± The skinny boy¡¯s face hardened. The pig, with his hands covering his mouth, staggered, crying out. ¡°Wait, just a moment¡­ Ugh!¡± Thud! Ronan immediately kicked the pig in his side, sending him flying to crash against the opposite wall and copse onto the ground. There was no need to use his hands. Ronan, with his hands in his pockets, started stomping on the pig. ¡°You filthy beggar. Do I look like your friend?¡± ¡°S-stop! Spare me!¡± ¡°Even your cries sound like a pig.¡± ¡°P-please¡­! I was wrong! Stop¡­!¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. The pig, unable to withstand the beating, foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness. Only then did Ronan cease his actions. ¡°Well¡­ ain¡¯t my luck just great.¡± As soon as he entered the Mental World he was drenched in mud, then got smacked by a beggar ¨C what an awful start. Ronan pulled down his pants and urinated on the fainted pig. For a moment, he wondered if this was somehow happening in reality, but quickly resigned himself. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m sure Sekreet will take care of this mess.¡¯ With his mind still hazy, he needed to assess the situation. The skinny boy stood frozen, as if he was a statue, watching the spectacle. Having finished his business, Ronan turned to the skinny boy, opening his mouth. ¡°Do you have cigarettes?¡± ¡°Uh, uh-huh!¡± The skinny boy screamed and dashed off. Before long, his figure disappeared from the alleyway. Both ends of the alley emitted bright light. The sound of hooves, people¡¯s bustling voices, reached his ears. ¡°Where should I look¡­¡± Ronan took the coins from the pig¡¯s pocket and moved on. The moment he left the alley, bright sunlight poured down on his head. ¡°¡­This ce.¡± Ronan surveyed the surroundings. The vigendscape felt oddly familiar. The pointed roofs of wooden houses, the moderately spacious roads, even the seemingly expensive-looking carriages ¨C all seemed recognizable. Finally seeding to recall, Ronan muttered softly. ¡°This is¡­ the vige where I served my sentence.¡± Chapter 125: In Search of a Scream (2) Chapter 125: In Search of a Scream (2) ¡°This is the vige where I surrendered myself.¡± It was a scene vividly etched in his memory. This was the vige where, after Ronan had killed a certain individual, he surrendered himself, and was then taken to the Punishment Squad. Ronan slowly surveyed his surroundings. Puddles of water dotted the streets, perhaps from the rain the day before. Ronan squatted by one of the puddles, looking at his appearance. ¡®¡­I could easily be mistaken for a beggar.¡¯ Ronan chuckled, recalling the events that had happened just awhile ago. The clothes draped over his body were tattered, however the holes didn¡¯t even stand out due to them being covered in muddy water. During his days of wandering, this was his usual attire. His face seemed a bit sharper, perhaps a result of the years he spent in the Punishment Squad. He never expected that it would change not only his surroundings but also his body. ¡®Everything seems just like back then. What was the name of this vige again?¡¯ The vige was well-constructed, with bustling streets and plenty of pedestrians. At the end of a road that extended further outside the vige, a castle stood tall. Although it wasughablepared to the imperial pce, it was still a castle nheless. Ronan, seeing the family g hanging on the watchtower, snapped his fingers. ¡®That¡¯s right. This ce was ruled by Baron Dantel, I think.¡¯ Memories flooded back as he recalled going there toplete the enlistment process for the Punishment Squad. There was also a scene of the Baron, who was usually upied with affairs, as came by and went on a rampage, demanding that Ronan be killed with his own hands. ¡®If the recruitment officer hadn¡¯t intervened, I would¡¯ve killed that bastard too. Nostalgia.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips, recalling the past. Since he had also killed the Baron¡¯s son, it wasn¡¯t particrly unusual. ¡°What are you trying to show me this time?¡± Ronan stood up. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself. The slightly humid air carried the savory scent of bread being baked. Perhaps because it was a more powerful curse, the Mental World seemed much more intricately detailed. Just like when he first entered Nimberton, it was challenging to distinguish between reality and this realm. ¡°Hey, what are you doing in the street, you filthy bart?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get beaten until your pants are soiled, go back to where you came from.¡± ¡°Heeik¡­! This is why beggars these days¡­¡± Even the disdainful gazes from passersby toward his beggar-like appearance felt overwhelmingly real. Ronan¡¯s gaze, scanning the surroundings, halted at one particr spot. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Hehe, eat a lot.¡± A little girl in an apron was crouching down. She looked about seven or eight years old. Each time she grinned, it revealed the tooth missing from her front teeth. However, what caught Ronan¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t the missing tooth. ¡°Hmm?¡± A well-built dog was eating bread in front of the girl with its head down. Its elegantly wagging tail hinted at a familiar presence. Ronan chuckled. ¡°Where have I seen that dog before¡­?¡± The slim back seemed oddly familiar. Then the dog, who had finished eating the bread, raised its head. ¡°All done? Good boy.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It couldn¡¯t be helped. With a sharp, wolf-like face and a left ear which was half cut off, the vivid blue eyes, too striking to befit a dog, left no room for doubt. The dog began licking the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Ahaha, it tickles!¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t have imagined meeting like this. He managed to utter a few words after standing dumbfounded for a while. ¡°¡­Cita.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± The dog that was licking the girl turned to look at Ronan. Seeing the dumbfounded look in its eyes, Ronan became absolutely certain that this darn dog was indeed Cita. Cita, Ronan¡¯s originalpanion, who once roamed alongside Ronan for about a year, met his demise at the hands of poachers. In a way, he was one of the main reasons for Ronan¡¯s enlistment in the Punishment Squad. ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± It was a reunion after several decades. He was trying to say something when a loud, woman¡¯s shout came from afar. ¡°Hey! Cami! I have some errands for you to run. What are you doing there?¡± ¡°Ah,ing!¡± The startled girl got up. Across the street, a middle-aged woman, seemingly her mother or employer, stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing the girl. The girl, stroking Cita for onest time, ran towards the boulevard. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll go now. Bye!¡± She skillfully navigated through the bustling street, filled with numerous carts and people. Cita, done with the bread, quietly sat next to Ronan. ¡°¡­How have you been?¡± ¡°Woof.¡± ¡°You little bastard. While your owner was getting beaten by beggars, you¡¯refortably eating bread.¡± ¡°Woof woof.¡± Cita pretended not to hear and scratched her ear with its hind leg. Ronan chuckled. He had momentarily forgotten that this was how this fellow always was. Although they traveled together due to mutual convenience on their journey, they didn¡¯t have a master-servant rtionship. If he wanted, he could have been more of an unassuming travelpanion, always ready to take his own personal actions. Even this shamelessly audacious demeanor seemed adorable in its own way, a reminder of how much he missed the old days. Conveniently, there was a butcher shop nearby. Ronan bought a few sausages with the coins he took from the pig and offered it to Cita. Even though his tasks were already set, there was no harm in enjoying it along the way. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this, so help me out.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Cita barked as if telling Ronan to trust him. Ronan picked up a stick and switched his power source. Thankfully, his abilities remained intact even without a sword. Sparkling mana climbed up the stick. ¡°Find the one that smells like this.¡± ¡°Woof.¡± After allowing Cita to sniff the scent, Ronan changed his steps. He didn¡¯t think tracking like this would work, but it didn¡¯t hurt to try. He just wanted to be with this damn dog. Ronan strolled with Cita through the vige created by the Mental World. After devouring the sausage, Cita pressed its nose to the ground, diligently following the scent. The true perpetrator of the curse had not yet revealed themselves. Ronan twisted his lips as he watched Cita¡¯s back. ¡°By the way¡­ The fact that you¡¯re alive means that event hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡± ¡°Woof?¡± Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s expression darkened. The incident that led to his enlistment in the Punishment Squad had urred in this vige. ¡°Even thinking about it again makes me mad.¡± Though it was a distant past, the memory remained vivid. The sixth day of the crescent moon under the blue pine trees. It happened when Ronan was separated from Cita while they were in this vige. It all started with witnessing a hasty carriage ident. A crowd of about a hundred people gathered along the main street, bustling. A magnificent carriage stood in the middle of the road. A woman who seemed to be a mother clutched a torn sack with blood, crying inconsbly. ¨C Aaaah! Aaaah!! It took Ronan a few seconds to realize that it was a person. The face and body of the child trampled by the horse¡¯s hoof were barely recognizable. Beside ity Cita, pierced with arrows, lifeless. Four men and women were the ones who shot the arrows. They were giggling beside a young man who was kicking the stablehand¡¯s groin,ining about the carriage being dirtied. The disgusting conversation still lingered in Ronan¡¯s ears. ¨C Why did that damn dog suddenly rush in? Could this be the dog owned by that woman? ¨C I don¡¯t know. You owe me the beer since I hit it on the head. No one among the onlookers extended a helping hand. Judging by the elegant attire, the young man seemed to hold a high position. Ronan, cing his hand on the hilt of his sword, slowly approached. One of the archers narrowed his eyes. ¨C Huh? What¡¯s this beggar doing now? He couldn¡¯t recall what happened next. All he remembered was that corpses were scattered around. The sword he held waspletely shattered into pieces. There were no spectators left. The heads of the young man and the archers were rolling at his feet. The bodies of the arrow shooters bore the emblem of the poaching organization, Kaliborro, symbolizing the chaos. ¨C Kaliborro¡­ Ronan began to loathe poachers since that incident. There were about neen armored men¡¯s bodies lying around. Their armor bore the same pattern as the g in the distance, pinned on the castle. They were private soldiers of a noble family. That was when Ronan realized the young man was the son of Baron Dantel. Ronan stomped on the young man¡¯s head, bursting it open, and then picked up Cita¡¯s body. It was the moment he buried Cita in the woods near the vige. Suddenly, several guards appeared. The terrified voices flowed from their mouths as they aimed their spears at Ronan. ¨C D-Don¡¯t move¡­! You monster! Ronan dropped the sword without hesitation. Subdued without resistance, and recognized for his talent, he was spared the death penalty and was sent to the Punishment Squad instead. ¡°Damn it.¡± It had been a while since he recalled that unpleasant story. He wasn¡¯t sure how the Mental World would y out, but if he didn¡¯t take any action, the incident might soon reur. Ronan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s real anyway.¡± If he moved with intention, there was a good chance he could prevent that ident. However, his goal wasn¡¯t to toy with the past. Just like before, all he had to do was wander around and when he found the culprit, eliminate them. As long as Cita stuck around, nibbling on sausages. ¡®I won¡¯t die in reality anyway. The future has already changed.¡¯ After Ronan¡¯s return, the Empire was undergoing significant changes. As Neb zier¡¯s viciousness rose to the surface, the noble world also experiencedrge-scale changes. Nine out of ten ipetent bastards like Baron Dantel were deprived of their rights as lords. idents happen by coincidence, so the girl would not have died. ¡®So, it has nothing to do with me.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Ronan resumed his steps. The vige under the blue sky was remarkably peaceful. The scent of baking bread grew stronger. One step. Two steps. Ronan took exactly ten steps before stopping in his tracks. ¡°Ah, fuck.¡± His foot didn¡¯t move, as if glue was stuck to his soles. Even if it meant feeling dirty, he felt like he had to prevent that ident. The problem was, he vaguely remembered the ce, but he didn¡¯t know what day it was. Then a familiar figure appeared, walking like a skeleton. Ronan¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Ahaha.¡± He was the boy who was in cahoots with the pig that had been beaten by Ronan. Ronan crept closer and put his arm around his shoulders. ¡°Yo.¡± ¡°He-heeik! You, you!¡± The skinny boy¡¯s face turned deathly pale. He struggled hard to break free, but he couldn¡¯t escape Ronan¡¯s grip. Ronan tightened his arm around the boy and growled. ¡°Shut up. If you don¡¯t want to end up like that pig, answer me properly. What day is it today?¡± ¡°Ke-keuh¡­ what is this all this sudden¡­¡± ¡°What day is it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! I-It¡¯s the fifth day of the crescent moon! Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. It was the day the incident urred. ¡®No way.¡¯ The worst scenario shed through his mind. It could have been a simple mistake, but the girl who was giving bread to Cita seemed simr in stature to the woman holding the bloodied sack. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then the reason this brat rushed in was¡­¡¯ Cita mightck manners, but he was one to repay kindness received. Suddenly, Ronan realized the resemnce between the woman who was calling the little girl and the woman who was crying at the ce where the incident had urred. ¡®What shitty luck.¡¯ Ronan thought to himself, and threw all the remaining sausages in front of Cita. ¡°Wait here.¡± ¡°Woof.¡± Cita obediently settled in ce and began eating the sausages. It was a truly miserable development. Ronan immediately turned and started sprinting back to where the ident had urred. ¡°No matter what damned curse it is¡­!¡± Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t too far away. The scenery around him quickly passed by. It was as Ronan turned a corner that screams erupted. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± A massive carriage was hurtling down the street, remarkably faster than the other carriages. The coachman, wearing a deeply pressed hat, was spitting curses at passersby. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± ¡°Fuck¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. No matter what, fate always caught up with people. Along the road, not too far from the carriage¡¯s path, the girl he had seen moments ago was collecting the bread scattered on the ground. ¡°One¡­ Two¡­¡± The distance between the carriage and her narrowed in an instant. The girl, btedly hearing the hoofbeats, turned her head. ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, a looming shadow covered the girl¡¯s face. It was a shadow cast by the running horses. ¡°What¡¯s this kid doing?¡± The coachman spat out insults as if he had found an annoying stone. Clearly, there was no intention to stop. Ronan, who had just reached the main street, shouted with all his might. ¡°Stop, damn it!¡± But his voice was drowned out by the screams of the crowd. It was toote to intervene directly. With all his strength, Ronan picked up a rolling stone from the ground. His arm disappeared from sight. ¡°Huh?¡± Bang! The thrown stone hit the coachman¡¯s head. The coachman fell from the carriage, leaving him unconscious. Kachwak! The sound of bones breaking rang out.. The reins were pulled, altering the carriage¡¯s course. ¡°Neghhhh!¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± The startled horses began to rampage. Though the speed slowed somewhat, it was still too far to rescue the girl. ¡®Could it be that I can¡¯t save her again this time?¡¯ Ronan gritted his teeth. A shadow that had suddenly darted out passed by his side. ¡°Cita?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Rushing like the wind, Cita reached the girl in an instant. Just as the horse¡¯s hooves were about to fall on her head, Cita bit the girl¡¯s neck and threw her toward the roadside. Thud! Cita, hit by the horse, flew far away. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The body of the flying dog tumbled on the ground. The girl, whose life he narrowly saved, rushed toward Cita. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Hnng¡­ hmmg¡­¡± Blood was flowing beneath the whimpering Cita lying on the ground. Something snapped in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°You¡­¡± It was a feeling he hadn¡¯t experienced in a while. Anger reached its peak, feeling like water was boiling in his stomach. At that moment, the carriage came to a stop. An irritated voice came from inside the carriage. ¡°Why did we stop? What¡¯s going on?¡± Creak- A splendid door swung open, and a woman stepped out of the carriage. Surprisingly tall for a woman, she had a disgusted expression upon seeing the blood on the carriage. ¡°Disgusting.¡± Her expression resembled that of someone observing a bug. As Ronan confirmed her face, he froze in ce. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Tch, what¡¯s with that beggar?¡± The woman clicked her tongue as she made eye contact with Ronan. Her straight ck hair reached down to her waist. Her outfit was different, but it was clear she was someone he knew. Ronan¡¯s mouth opened quietly. ¡°¡­Sunbae?¡± Chapter 126: In Search of a Scream (3) Chapter 126: In Search of a Scream (3) ¡°Sunbae?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The figure stepping out of the carriage wasn¡¯t the wretched son of Baron Dantel. Instead, a woman with sweeping long hair shot a disdainful look. ¡°Sunbae? What are you talking about?¡± Adeshan stood there. Yet, beyond the familiar face, she differed in many ways: a luxurious suit that draped her body, an arrogance absent from her usual warmth. Cold disdain lurked in the depths of her eyes. Ronan couldn¡¯t pinpoint where to start addressing this. Ronan, who had been left dumbfounded, finally opened his mouth. ¡°¡­What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hah, a beggar daring to address me so casually.¡± Adeshan chuckled. Then, she strode forward and pped Ronan across the face. p! His face stung with intense pain as it jerked to the side. ¡°Do you truly wish to die?¡± ¡°¡­Huh.¡± Ronan was so stunned that he didn¡¯t even react. A drop of blood trickled from his split lip. Suddenly, a startled cry echoed from inside the carriage. ¡°Sun¡­ Sunbae?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± With morous voices, four more individuals disembarked from the carriage. Ronan recognized them instantly. He chuckled bitterly upon seeing their faces. ¡°This is too much.¡± The neers were members of the Special Adventure Club: Aselle, Marya, Ophelia, and Shullifen, all dressed like some rich thugs. Ronan narrowed his eyes. These were the clothes worn by the poachers he had cut down in his previous life. Aselle asked in a bewildered voice. ¡°Eek! R-Ronan, are you¡­ okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ronan ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. This was beyond a mere curse. It had crossed a line. Aselle, pale-faced, stumbled backward. ¡°Ah! Calm down!¡± ¡°Shut it. You imposters. Why are you mimicking my friends?¡± ¡°Ronan, we¡¯re not imposters.¡± Marya intervened, grabbing Aselle. Despite Adeshan¡¯s p, she remained unyielding. pping her hands sharply, Marya addressed Adeshan. ¡°Sunbae, snap out of it!¡± ¡°Stop with this nonsense! Trying to imitate lowly poachers!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far¡­¡± Ophelia sighed as she observed the situation. Shullifen nodded in agreement. Unlike Adeshan, the other four seemed unchanged in personality. Marya quickly leapt forward and caught Adeshan from behind. ¡°Professor Sekreet warned us. You can¡¯t get too immersed.¡± ¡°Let go, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Cutie, hurry up.¡± Adeshan struggled but couldn¡¯t break free from Marya¡¯s grip. Approaching shakily, Aselle whispered something into her ear, likely some incantation. Suddenly, a short scream burst from Adeshan¡¯s lips. ¡°Ahh!¡± She clutched her head in agony, then slowly looked up. The venom in her eyes had softened. ¡°Wh-where am I¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in Ronan¡¯s Mental World. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Did¡­ did I ck out again?¡± Marya nodded. Adeshan¡¯s eyes wandered around andnded on Ronan. The handprints were still clearly visible on his cheek. Her eyes widened. ¡°Ro-Ronan! Maybe this is good¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s speech and demeanor had reverted to the familiar Adeshan Ronan knew. Trembling, she reached for Ronan¡¯s face with both hands. Her distorted lips barely parted, moistened with emotion. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m truly sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. What happened?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Ronan asked, but she seemed to struggle to express herself. Suddenly, the servant who had fallen from the carriage stirred. ¡°Ugh¡­ W-why am I¡­?¡± His hat, covering his face, had flown off somewhere. Ronan cursed under his breath upon seeing the familiar face. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°Ronan?¡± Braum, facing Ronan, twisted his lips. Blood streamed down his forehead, a direct hit from a rock Ronan had thrown. His ankley in an odd position, an injury from falling off the carriage. Ophelia, standing nearby, approached Braum. ¡°Braum¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I can hold on. I guess I got too immersed.¡± ¡°Be careful. If you get hurt here, you¡¯ll get hurt in reality too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s expression contorted. Grabbing Marya by the shoulders, he asked. ¡°What kind of bullshit is that? If you get hurt here you get hurt in real life too?¡± ¡°¡­Quite literally. But we can fix it when we go back.¡± ¡°These lunatics. What the hell have you done?¡± Growling low, Ronan scanned the members. Spectators cowered at the aura emanating from his shoulders. ¡°If you don¡¯t exin properly¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll exin.¡± At that moment, Adeshan stepped forward. Her downcast appearance was pitiful to witness. Ronan reluctantly nodded, swallowing his rage. ¡°¡­Tell me everything¡± ¡°We came here to help you. Do you know three months have already passed in the outside world?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. You¡¯ve been asleep in Separacio. Professor Sekreet mentioned that time in the Mental World flows differently.¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. He couldn¡¯tprehend. It couldn¡¯t have been three months; it had barely been a few hours since he entered this Mental World. ¡°We thought it was impossible, so we all went to find Professor Sekreet. We asked if there was any way to help. We pestered for days, and finally, she sent us here.¡± ¡°There is no way something like that would be possible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Shullifen nodded reassuringly. The exnation continued. On the fifteenth day after Ronan the Mental World, Sekreet seeded in developing magic that could bring outsiders into the Mental World. Although Sekreet warned it was an iplete magic, the members did not listen. The major caution was the potential identity confusion experienced, like Adeshan or Braum, and the wounds suffered in the Mental World remaining on the physical body in reality. The decision to send multiple people even for a simple mission was due to this concern. If one faltered, others needed to bring them back. Adeshan, who was rummaging through her pockets, held out something. ¡°Still, I¡¯m d we found you quickly. Here, take this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. It was a small, t hexahedron, the size of the palm of his palm, with a red needle spinning inside its ss panel. ¡°Apass to locate the source of the curse. Professor Sekreet created it using magic. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that we came here to deliver this to you.¡± Adeshan exined that by following where the needle pointed, they could find the origin of the curse. Simple yet powerful. Ronan epted thepass with skepticism. Suddenly, the needle that had been spinning nonstop halted. Its sharp, red tip pointed behind Ronan. ¡°What?¡± Ronan turned his head. A girl clutched a dying Cita, weeping. Could it be? Muttering under his breath, Ronan shifted towards them. The rotating needle kept fixating on the girl and the Cita. ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. If Adeshan¡¯s words were true, the implications were clear. Sensing a change in Ronan¡¯s gaze, the girl hugged Cita tighter. ¡°Wh-why are you¡­?¡± Instead of answering, Ronan circled around the girl and Cita. Every time he moved, the tip of the spinning needle continued pointing towards the two. Stopping in his tracks, Ronan noticed a shimmering mana rising from the bodies of the girl and the Cita. The members approached the frozen Ronan. ¡°You need to ept it, Ronan.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s worried¡­ that you won¡¯t be able to wake up like this forever.¡± Aselle spoke with a concerned tone, indicating that everyone had been worried during the unexpectedly prolonged absence. Ronan chewed his lip. Then, Shullifen approached Ronan and held out his sword. ¡°Do what needs to be done.¡± Ronan epted the sword as if he was possessed by something. It was a fairly decent sword with a sharp edge. Shullifen was right. He didn¡¯t feel inclined, but it had to be done. Ronan nced back at the girl and Cita. ¡°¡­Yeah. We need to go back.¡± ¡°Thank you for believing in us.¡± The members¡¯ expressions brightened. Ronan, exhaling lightly, drew his sword. Swish. The semicircr strike passed through the four people except Adeshan. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± There was no resistance. Four heads soared into the air. Ssh! Blood sprayed across Ronan¡¯s face. The severed heads fell to the ground. A scream erupted from the nearby street. Ronan swung the sword again. The sword¡¯s trajectory flew towards Braum. Swish! With a damaged ankle, Braum¡¯s body crumbled as he fell. Adeshan turned pale. ¡°Ro=Ronan. What are you doing right now¡­?¡± The Elite Adventure Club was wiped out. Adeshan, whose legs lost strength, copsed. Ronan, who had been quiet, opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. I thought you would at least spit out some useful information.¡± ¡°Everyone, everyone is dead¡­ why¡­?¡± ¡°Stop it. They¡¯re fakes. If you were nning on deceiving me, you shouldn¡¯t have brought that bastard in the first ce.¡± Ronan lifted the tip of his chin and pointed at Shullifen¡¯s severed head. Adeshan, who was sitting on the ground, spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°That guy might be hopeless, but he¡¯s definitely reliable. I told him to protect my sister, there¡¯s no way he would¡¯vee.¡± If he was someone who would break a promise just because of a brief absence of a few months, Ronan wouldn¡¯t have asked him in the first ce. Ronan slowly approached Adeshan, who had been cornered against the carriage. She looked up at Ronan, a horrified look on her face. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Grabbing her by the throat, Ronan squeezed hard. She struggled with all her might, but Ronan did not loosen his hold on her. He growled, pressing his face against hers until their foreheads touched. ¡°They all promised me. That they¡¯d work hard until I return. They wouldn¡¯t disappoint me.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°How dare you insult my friends?¡± A screeching sound wasing out from between her bloodless lips. Ronan never loosened his grip on her. Adeshan¡¯s body went limp as she struggled. Ronan, who had raised her body, muttered as if spitting on her. ¡°More than anything¡­ My Sunbae isn¡¯t as ugly as you.¡± Ronan closed his eyes, then opened them. The person he had been holding onto had changed. Adeshan was gone, reced by a slick-looking young man, tongue sticking out, lying lifeless. He was the son of Baron Dantel, whom Ronan had in in a past life. ¡°Fools.¡± The severed bodies of the members, whose heads he had seen rolling before, were now reced by those of poachers he had encountered once. Ronan turned his head after throwing away the young man. All the buildings and people had vanished, leaving only a long, wide road stretching into the distance. Suddenly, the now healed Cita and the girl stood before Ronan, looking at him silently. ¡°So, what are you two?¡± Ronan asked. There was no more shimmering mana emanating from their bodies. The girl, smiling cheerfully, gave bow to Ronan. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Cita wagged its tail, barked loudly. Its panting tongue and panting face appeared to be smiling. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s vision blurred. ¡°You stupid mutt.¡± People who should have died did not. It felt like rectifying past mistakes. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Ronan spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t ever appear before my eyes again.¡± There was no response. When Ronan looked again, they had disappeared without a trace. Nothing but the road remained in the empty space. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Ronan sighed, touching his forehead. Despite knowing they were fake, killing people close to him wasn¡¯t easy. At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Quite impressive.¡± An eerie shiver ran down his spine. He hadn¡¯t sensed anyone approaching. Ronan drew his sword, turning his body. A beggar-like figure stood with his hand in his pocket. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You seem to have a keen eye for making the right decisions. You can now move on to the next step.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The beggar¡¯s face transformed into an eerie shadowy figure, resembling the shadow of his father he had seen before. Ronan instinctively realized that the beggar before him was the source of the curse. ¡°You¡¯ve grown quite a bit. The rate of growth for mortals is indeed astonishing.¡± ¡°Die!¡± Ronan reflexively swung his sword, but the beggar effortlessly evaded the light attack by transforming his body. Continuing to attack one after another, Ronan was only met with the beggar effortlessly evading, changing his form at will. ng! Grabbing the sword with his shadow, the beggar spoke. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not the one you should be cutting.¡± ¡°What bullshit is that?¡± ¡°I can offer you the means to escape from here with the power you¡¯ve gained. But before that, there¡¯s something you need to see.¡± It was a string of iprehensible words. Just as Ronan was about to speak, the shadow exploded, engulfing him. Amidst the pitch darkness where nothing was visible, a low, eerie voice echoed. ¡°You will have to decide by the time you get out of here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Unable to move his body despite the chilling sensation licking at his brain, it seemed his physical form was melting into a liquid state. His senses were gradually disappearing. It was the moment when even thest remaining sense of hearing was melting away into the distant darkness. ¡°Knowing right from wrong¡­ it¡¯s like ck and white.¡± The shadow murmured quietly. Ronan¡¯s consciousness, growing distant, finally ceased. Hispletely melted body began to flow somewhere else. **** ¡°Huff! Huff! Ugh!¡± Ronan jolted upright. The lost senses had returned. Feeling disoriented, he quickly scanned his surroundings. ¡°Where am I¡­?¡± It was a simple room. Even Jhordin¡¯s study was better than this. Aside from a bed, desk, and chair made of grayish-white stone, there was no other furniture. Ronan suddenly, noticing that his visibility was much higher, turned his gaze to his hands and feet. Therge palms sticking out of his white sleeves were not his own. ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s happened?¡± Ronan staggered towards the desk. On its worn wooden surfacey several sheets of paper, a feathered pen, and a small pendant. When Ronan picked up the pendant, his eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The roughly carved stone pendant was in a hexagonal shape. It resembled the badge attached to Teranil¡¯s sleeve, the bishop of Neb zier. Suddenly, what Sekreet had said in the past shed through his mind. ¡®Memories of your father.¡¯ He had mentioned that when the curse was cast, memories of his father might have flowed in. Indeed, during the incident in the previous Mental World, Ronan had encountered a Nimbuten created based on his father¡¯s memories. Was this another instance? As Ronan pondered various possibilities, a short knock sounded, and the door opened. A woman in a white robe, with elongated, pointed ears typical of her race, entered while bowing her head. ¡°Are you okay, savior?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I came here after hearing screams. Were you having a nightmare?¡± She was a woman Ronan had never seen before. However, he was familiar with the robe was wearing. Other than the material being a little worn, it was the same as the one worn by Neb zier¡¯s followers. Ronan couldn¡¯t say anything, just standing there dumbfounded. His lips moved involuntarily, and his voice flowed out. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. No matter what he tried to say, his voice wouldn¡¯te out. His body also didn¡¯t move as he wished, as if his soul was trapped inside. ¡°Is that so. That¡¯s a relief.¡± The elven woman raised her head. Her strikingly red pupils, like embedded rubies, adorned the beautiful maiden. Smiling gently, she pointed at the door. ¡°In that case, pleasee. The innocent are waiting for you today as well.¡± Chapter 127: In Search of a Scream (4) Chapter 127: In Search of a Scream (4) ¡°In that case, pleasee. The innocent are waiting for you today as well.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go out first and wait for you¡± The woman turned and went out the door. There was a faint scent of lilies lingering where she had been. Ronan was constantly trying to do something, anything, but the enigmatic Savior, whose body he was restrained inside, never relinquished control. ¡®Damn it, what¡¯s happening?¡¯ It felt as though he was being told to just stand and watch, leaving him feeling queasy. The Savior, who had moved toward the desk, hung a star pendant with seven points around his neck. Mana sparkled within the rugged seven-pointed star like mist. Once again, lips moved involuntarily, murmuring softly. ¡°¡­May the Protection of the Stars be upon us.¡± Adjusting his attire, the Savior opened the door. With a creak, an entirely unexpected scene unfolded before him. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. A small vige reminiscent of Nimberton stood under the blue sky. With every gust of wind, wildflowers scattered and rose repeatedly as if awakening and lying back down. Whatever he had passed through had disappeared entirely, be it doors or buildings. It was a frequent urrence in dreams or imaginary worlds¡ªa sudden change of ce. Ronan, looking around, shook his head in disbelief. ¡®Was there a fire?¡¯ Contrary to the initial impression, the vige wasn¡¯t entirely peaceful. Many of the buildings, mostly constructed from wood, were either copsed or charred. It seemed less like a fire and more like an attack by something spewing mes. Residents wearing scorched clothes were walking around busily. Then Ronan¡¯s gaze settled on something peculiar. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Cattle, horses, monkeys, and more¡ªa variety of creatures, easily a hundred, were carrying wood and stones. Transparent-looking beings, likely spirits made of magic, as indicated by their semi-translucent bodies. The smaller or medium-sized spirits carried materials or repaired destroyed houses. asionally,rger spirits undertook significant tasks like digging upnd or creating mounds of earth to form gardens. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that their actions were aimed at drawing water from a distant river. Ronan, who was looking at the spirits¡¯ civil engineering work,ughed. ¡®That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Since the mana wavelengths emanating from the spirits were identical, it was certain that they were all being controlled by a single entity. Considering that the average Spirit Mage could manage two to three spirits at most, this was truly an incredible skill. The Savior made their way toward the vige center. The woman he had conversed with earlier was surrounded by vigers. The locals dressed in shabby clothes continuously bowed, expressing gratitude. ¡°We thought we¡¯d freeze to death this winter¡­! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Th-Thank you for allowing the river to reach the vige¡­ There¡¯s no need for such¡­¡± ¡°Thisnd is fertile, and many more people will gather here in the future. Afterpleting the reconstruction, we¡¯ll truly bring the river forth.¡± The red-eyed elven woman was controlling the spirits with perfect precision. The mana exuding from the spirits was flowing from her. When the Savior and the woman met gazes, she politely nodded. ¡°Savior.¡± ¡°Your skills have improved again, Elysia. Seems like you¡¯re capable of controlling intermediate-level spirits now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you, Savior. The magic book you personallypiled was very helpful.¡± ¡°Is that so? How does itpare to the first book?¡± ¡°Of course Lerant was a great book, but I believe what you wrote this time surpasses it. By the way, have you decided on a title?¡± The woman took out a book from within her robe. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed as he instantly recognized it. The book, with its cover and pages both ck, were sickeningly familiar. Words that drove a wedge between the lips flowed out again. ¡°Virja.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a great name. I¡¯ll work harder.¡± ¡°Good. Please work a little harder.¡± The woman resumed her concentration on her spirit magic. Ronan, observing from within his widened eyes, was in shock, unable to utter a word. ¡®Fuck, how far back in time is this?¡¯ The fact that this figure known as the Savior had authored Virja was astonishing, but what was more astonishing was the current time frame. Eyrie, the librarian of the Dawn Magic Tower, spected Virja to have been written at least two thousand years ago. It was unbelievable. The scenery he was witnessing right now was from a thousand years earlier. Ronan stood still for a moment, forgetting any resistance. Unperturbed, the Savior moved on. Vigers flocked around them at every step. ¡°Savior, really, thank you. We never imagined you woulde to our vige¡­¡± ¡°Wuuwuuu¡­ A mo-monster burned down the entire vige and devoured all the people.¡± ¡°Rest assured. An exceptional warrior has gone to deal with the monster.¡± The Savior reached out,forting a crying child¡¯s head. They were touring the vige alongside the residents. A peculiar scene caught Ronan¡¯s eye, a giant man was sitting at the corner of the vige. The man¡¯s back, as wide as a stingray, had arge tattoo of the seven-pointed star, the symbol of Neb zier. ¡°Oof¡­! Ah, it hurts!¡± ¡°Just endure a little. Connecting is always the most painful part.¡± A dwarf farmer was lying in front of him, screaming agony. The giant held onto the farmer¡¯s leg, trying hard to put something on it. Ronan realized that the farmer¡¯s right leg was severed below the knee. The giant yelled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m connecting it. Huuah!¡± ¡°Aaaaah!!¡± A long scream echoed. The wife and child, who had been watching, covered their mouths. Eventually, the farmer,ing back to his senses, lifted his head. ¡°Gasp¡­ Wha¡­ What¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°Haha, you did well. Now, try getting up.¡± Below the severed part of his leg, a metal limb had been attached. Sensation returned, and the farmer cautiously rose. As he gingerly ced his foot down, he let out an exuberant gasp. ¡°It¡­ It moves! I can walk!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Of course, you can. This is a prosthetic leg I made, not anyone else!¡± The man burst into heartyughter. Rushing forward with cheers, the farmer embraced his wife and child. It was a heartwarming scene. Approaching the giant, the Savior spoke. ¡°You did well. Your craftsmanship is impressive as always.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± The giant stood up. His height seemed closer to that of a beast than a human, easily towering over 2 meters. With his hand in his pocket, he responded. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the skills you taught me. How do you even know such things?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just have a little more experience than others.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t tell me about your experiences this time either, will you?¡± The Savior silently nodded. The man who had been twitching the corners of his mouth eventually burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, as expected, you¡¯re the strangest mortal I¡¯ve encountered.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from a dragon who makes prosthetics for mortals. Alivriha.¡± ¡®Alivriha¡­?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the man¡¯s name. It was someone he had heard about through Teranil and Yuria not long ago¡ªa master craftsman of prosthetics and artificial limbs. He had thought of meeting this skilled craftsman someday, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen like this. But a dragon? Various questions swirled in his mind when suddenly, a voice came from behind. ¡°Savior. I¡¯ve dealt with the nearby pests as you instructed.¡± Ronan, who btedly sensed the presence, was startled. The presence exuding from the figure was far more intense than Elysia or Alivriha. The Savior turned his head. A man, wearing a white robe up to his nose, stood there. The longsword hanging from his waist was soaked in blood. ¡°There were a lot of them, so I only cut off the head of the one that seemed like the leader and brought it back.¡± The gleaming mana emanated from the sword wrapped in a white aura. Bound tightly to his back was the head of a massive drake. Alivriha patted it in admiration. ¡°Wow, just the head is this huge. It could be called an honorary dragon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite sizable. It¡¯s presumed that this creature is the one which incinerated the surrounding towns and viges.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a single drop of blood on your clothes this time either. As expected, you are truly remarkable.¡± The man in the robe bowed his head. Despite everything else, his not arrogant demeanor was appealing. The Savior spoke up. ¡°Well done. ¡ö¡ö.¡± ¡°Thank you, Savior.¡± ¡°Get some rest. The reconstruction work is almost done¡­¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. He couldn¡¯t make out the word that seemed like the man¡¯s name. As the man was about to turn, there was a sudden brightness. ¡°Hmm?¡± Everyone present turned their heads simultaneously and gasped in unison. From high above, crimson mes cascaded like a waterfall. ¡°What¡­!¡± It was an immensely powerful me, enough to cover the entire sky as if to nket it entirely. Alivriha¡¯s face contorted in confusion. Shrieks erupted from all corners of the vige. ¡°Aaaah! Fire!¡± ¡°Help!¡± The first to react were Elysia¡¯s spirits. They desperately conjured shields, throwing their bodies into the mes but couldn¡¯t withstand even a few seconds before being engulfed and vanishing. Alivriha also shot water created through magic into the sky, but it didn¡¯t seem to assist much in extinguishing the fire. Ronan shouted. ¡®You idiot, do something!¡¯ Despite the imminent crisis, the figure known as the Savior remained nonchnt, just standing there. When the mes were about fifty paces away, the Savior suddenly raised his right armand opened his mouth. ¡°Everyone, please calm down.¡± For a moment, the screams ceased. Simultaneously, mes engulfed the vige. Kawaaah! The relentless surge of mes swept through the vige and nearbynds, then abruptly stopped. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Ronan, who had closed his eyes due to the heat, lifted his head. Nothing had happened. No one had died or been injured, and the vige buildings stood unscathed without a single char mark. The reason became evident in the sky. A purple-hued dome covered the entire area. ¡®The Protection of the Stars¡­!¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. It was a familiar sight, much like Virja. However, it was on a different levelpared to any Protection of the Stars he¡¯d seen before. It was unbelievably thick, with a radius of at least a few kilometers. It resembled Ahaiyute¡¯s barrier to some extent. ¡¾What kind of tick did you use?¡¿ At that moment, a majestic voice echoed from high above. The pping sound heard earlier was gradually drawing closer. Whoooh! Suddenly, the veil of smoke covering the barrier dissipated. Dense shadows loomed over the faces of the people. The gusts of wind, originating from the pping, pushed away the smoke and embers. Soon enough, the culprit spewing mes revealed themselves. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. From head to tail, the length seemed to exceed seventy meters easily. The crimson hue that engulfed its body denied the very essence of the world. It was a Red Dragon, considered the most ferocious among all dragons, descending upon the vige. Alivriha, upon seeing the sight, scratched his head as if he was annoyed. ¡°Damn it, why is that bastard here?¡± ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°Yeah. Garagnes, the Red Dragon. He¡¯s a guy with a dirty temper, but why did hee all the way here¡­¡± Alivriha exined that the dragon was from the Naverdo tribe. Ronan was well aware of the Naverdo tribe. A great dragon, still hailed as the Mother of Fire, the formidable one who had in giants during thest great battle without perishing. The Savior spoke. ¡°Noble dragon, why indulge in such actions?¡± ¡¾Bring me the one who killed my servant.¡¿ ¡°Servant?¡± ¡¾Yes. The life of the servant who served me for centuries has just been extinguished. The culprit is undoubtedly here.¡¿ Upon hearing those words, Ronan looked at the man in the flipped robe. From the situation, it was evident that the Drake he brought was the servant. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Stay put.¡± The man was about to step forward, but the Savior intervened. ¡°I apologize, but that might be a bit difficult.¡± ¡¾What do you mean?¡¿ ¡°It is true that we indeed killed your servant. However, it was because your servant trampled on human territories and preyed on mortals as it pleased. Would you not admit to each other¡¯s mistakes and move on this time?¡± ¡¾Ridiculous. Do you think my servant¡¯s life has the same value as the lives of those insects?¡¿ ¡°It does to me.¡± The Savior responded without any hesitation. A dreadful silence fell. Everyone present froze like statues. The Red Dragon¡¯sughter echoed in the sky. ¡¾So be it. You will all turn to ashes and disappear.¡¿ The dragon¡¯s chest began to swell. The undting mes were preparing to pour down. Simultaneously, the Savior reached for the man¡¯s sword hilt. With a smooth sound, the blood-red de was revealed. ¡°Savior, I¡­¡± The man tried to say something, but the Savior ignored him. Phwang! The Savior¡¯s body, crouching low, shot forward like a spring. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ The distance closed in an instant. Confusion flickered in the dragon¡¯s eyes as they faced the towering figure that rose high enough to meet its gaze. The Savior swung the sword. The elegant sh created a white line across the dragon¡¯s horn. At its zenith, the figure descended once more. Bang! The horn suddenly divided into dozens of pieces and scattered like an explosion. ¡¾Graaah!¡¿ A pained scream erupted from the dragon¡¯s mouth. Everyone below covered their ears at the voice that reverberated through the heavens. Failing to ovee the agony, the dragon regained bnce just before hitting the ground. ¡°Whoa!!¡± ¡°Hey, the dragon¡¯s retreating!¡± The situation concluded in an instant. Cheers erupted as the Saviornded. Most people were caught up watching the dragon fly away, but not Ronan. ¡®My God.¡¯ The sword path drawn by the Savior was floating in his mind. Although he could barely follow it with his eyes, he could clearly see it. The Savior¡¯s swordsmanship closely resembled the swordsmanship of Navirose, he could tell. It was taught to him by a wanderer he had once encountered in the woods. Chapter 128: In Search of a Scream (5) Chapter 128: In Search of a Scream (5) ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The Savior¡¯s swordsmanship resembled Navirose style remarkably. Taught to her by a wanderer she had encountered in the southern jungle. However, there was a vast difference in skill level. Just from that brief sh, it was evident. While the Navirose style was among the finest swordsmanship Ronan had seen,pared to the Savior¡¯s de, it felt like a crude imitation. An inexistent hand began to itch. ¡®¡­Can I follow that?¡¯ Doubt crept in for the first time; he wasn¡¯t sure he could replicate what he saw. Ronan found himself navigating through the maze the sword painted, uncertain. A man in a robe approached. ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± ¡°Retrieve the fragmented horn. It¡¯s a precious material.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Even after their conversation ended, the man didn¡¯t leave. He cautiously spoke up, fingers fidgeting. ¡°¡­I could have killed him.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Did you stop me despite knowing that?¡± ¡°Because you wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill Navarda.¡± The man, who was hit right on the head, fell silent. Had Navarda, angered by the death of its servant,e personally, he would undoubtedly have turned into a handful of ashes. The silent man¡¯s lips parted once more. ¡°¡­If it were the Savior, would it be possible?¡± ¡¾That¡¯s enough.¡¿ Suddenly, the Savior¡¯s voice lowered. It was amanding tone, as if someone else entirely had spoken. In that moment, the emitted authority made the man hunch his shoulders. ¡°¡­Apologies. I spoke out of turn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go and rest.¡± The Savior¡¯s voice returned to its original tone. The man bowed and withdrew. The Savior, adjusting his robe, addressed Alivriha. ¡°Alivriha. Would you oversee the nearby construction for a few months with Elysia and ¡ö¡ö?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, nning to travel somewhere?¡± ¡°It seems I might need to meet Navarda. Even if it was just an injured finger, the fact that I disturbed her n remains true.¡± ¡°Haha, your strategies are excellent. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mind, but it¡¯s safer that way.¡± Alivriha chuckled. He appreciated the Savior¡¯s attitude, respecting the dragon¡¯s ways. Patting his chest, Alivriha asserted confidently. ¡°Leave it to me. By the way, be cautious passing through Central Kaiynax.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Not long ago, a young one turned blue and set air. It¡¯s fertilend, so humans just won¡¯t listen.¡± Alivriha grumbled, the subtle expression on his face making the Savior smirk. ¡°Still, seems like you don¡¯t entirely dislike it.¡± ¡°Haha, caught me? A vigorous youth reminds me of my prime. We¡¯re both ck Dragons, after all.¡± ¡°I should greet them. What¡¯s their name?¡± ¡°Orse. It has four wings, so you¡¯ll recognize it at a nce.¡± At the mention of Orse, Ronan let out a bitterugh. Once again, he felt the grimness of his past. ¡®It¡¯s a sight to behold. An infant dragon.¡¯ The incident of Orse¡¯s departure to the West after being defeated in a decisive battle with the first Emperor has long slipped into legend rather than history. After brief greetings, the Savior turned away. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going.¡± Elysia and the attendants saw him off. It was the moment he left the vige. Pop! Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s vision went dark. ¡®Damn it, what now?¡¯ As if he were blinded even with his eyes wide open. Ronan was about to curse in frustration when suddenly, brightness flooded in, revealing the vige¡¯s scene. But it wasn¡¯t through the Savior¡¯s eyes. The imagery shifted and changed, resembling the broadcasted footage of the intermediate evaluation during Navirose¡¯s time. ¡®What are you trying to show me?¡¯ Ronan tilted his head in confusion. Time in the footage sped unnaturally fast. Sunrise and sunset repeated each time he blinked. People gathered from various ces, just as Elysia mentioned. Spirits drew in river currents, winding through the vige. Gradually, what started as a settlement expanded into a colossalmunity, almost a city. Chieftains became vige heads, vige heads became lords. The seed sown on the day the dragon was ousted grew into a towering tree, casting its shade. It was when gs depicting hexagonal castles fluttered atop the city walls built of bricks. Quietly, the Savior and his entourage left the city. However, their vanishing act as smoke ended in failure. Despite escaping in the dead of night, seeing those who followed, the Savior spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not a great figure you can believe in and follow.¡± ¡°Savior, there¡¯s not a soul in this city unaware of your miracles.¡± ¡°These are your miracles. Offer thanks to your ancestors and seek rest.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t look at the same star, at least permit us to gaze upon your back!¡± Despite the Savior¡¯s protests, people remained stubborn. Eventually, he had to leave with just a farewell. Ronan nodded slowly. ¡®This is how their power increased.¡¯ They roamed the continent for a long time before settling in the distant north. The bewildered natives, who lived in small tribes, shouted in panic. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯vee to help, in this harsh yet resilientnd.¡± The Savior said. The cycle they had witnessed before was repeating itself. A vige, initially a collection of makeshift tents, had transformed over several years into a magnificent fortress. Once they established themselves to a degree, they soon departed the north. By that time, those self-proimed followers had multiplied several times over. The Savior continued to fostermunities and repeat the pattern of leaving. Then, one day, while walking side by side, Alivriha spoke up. ¡°We might need to decide on a name for our organization.¡± They were once again wandering the continent in search of a ce to prosper. The vast blue sky stretched above the deste western ins. The Savior raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do we really need to do that?¡± ¡°Well, everyone seems to want it. It builds a sense of belonging, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard we¡¯re already known as the Neb Congregation in the outside world.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound impressive. Plus, it¡¯s a name given by those who treat us as heretics.¡± Alivriha furrowed his brow. Elysia, walking alongside and dressed in a flipped robe, nodded in agreement, seeming to support Alivriha¡¯s opinion. ¡°I also agree with Alivriha.¡± ¡°Yes, using the term ¡®congregation¡¯ might naturally prompt others to be wary.¡± Turning his head, the contemtive Savior looked back. He noticed the people following him. Ronan frowned at the unimaginable number of heads. ¡®Damn, how many people are there?¡¯ There seemed to be at least thousands. People of all ages, genders, and races gathered, each wearing a pristine white robe, mimicking the Savior¡¯s attire. Their procession across the ins resembled a shepherd leading a flock of sheep. ¡°The name¡­¡± The Savior murmured, eventually speaking as he looked up at the sky. ¡°Neb zier.¡± ¡°Oh, what does that mean?¡± ¡°The Neb Congregation. It¡¯s the oldnguage pronunciation of the name the world calls us.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s basically the same thing in the end.¡± Alivriha chuckled lightly. The Savior, who had paused for a moment, lifted a child following closely behind him onto his shoulders. A gentleughter resonated. ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°As long as the meaning doesn¡¯t get lost, what¡¯s in a name?¡± The sky was clear, the wind refreshing. With each step, the sensation of the grass beneath was quite pleasant. Lost in contemtion while gazing at the horizon, the Savior muttered softly. ¡°I believe people can be better. Even if it¡¯s a foolish race driven by self-destruction instincts¡­¡± With an inexplicable whisper, the footage ended. The vision went dark. For a moment, it seemed pitch ck before light returned. **** ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The hazy sky spread above his forehead. Thud. Thump. Somewhere, the sound of slightly damp logs burning could be heard. Suddenly, a pungent stench pricked his nose. Furrowing his brow, Ronan slowly got up from his position. Whoosh! A fierce gust dampened his forehead. Ronan, realizing his senses had returned, widened his eyes. ¡°This¡­¡± His body was also back. Given the sight level, it was Ronan¡¯s own body, not the Savior¡¯s. Lamancha and Ymir. Two swords were fully intact, hanging from each side of the waist. But there was no room for rejoicing in such a fact. Hell unfolded before his eyes. ¡°Fuck. What happened?¡± He stood on a cliff, providing a higher elevation that allowed a full view of the surroundings. The city was engulfed in mes. There were no survivors within the devastatingly destroyed city walls. The roaring mes swallowed corpses and debris, intensifying the destruction. Rising smoke obscured the stars and the moon. The river curving through the city was tinged crimson, boiling. The heat and swirling embers made it difficult to keep his eyes open. That¡¯s when a familiar voice sounded not far away. ¡°How futile. To leave the ce unguarded and end up like this.¡± Turning his head, he saw the familiar figures. The Savior and his entourage were descending upon the city. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Ronan unconsciously stooped. The Savior¡¯s face was morphing into flickering shadows. Alivriha, who had been observing the carnage, spoke up. ¡°Another war?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man in the flipped robe nodded. His words lingered, while in the distance, the sh of arms still echoed. The cries of killing and dying mingled with the wind. ¡°How many times has this happened? Witnessing destruction.¡± ¡°On a country-by-country basis alone, it has happened more than a hundred times.¡± ¡°And among them, how many of those nations did we contribute to the founding of?¡± ¡°Probably over seven percent.¡± Tuu! Alivriha spat on the ground. Elysia, who had been silently observing the devastation, chewed her lips. Observing the surroundings, Ronan realized this was the vige he had first visited, where he had vanquished the dragon by possessing the Savior¡¯s body. The Savior, who had remained silent, finally spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Go? Where are you referring to?¡± ¡°We need to save the remaining people.¡± ¡°The city¡¯s inhabitants are all dead. Haven¡¯t you noticed?¡± ¡°There are survivors among the invaders, the injured they abandoned.¡± Alivriha and Elysia¡¯s faces hardened. The man who barely managed to take a deep breath spoke. ¡°¡­Rescuing the believers should take priority. You must return to the sanctuary promptly to assess the situation.¡± ¡°There is no superiority or inferiority in mortal lives. Follow me.¡± The Savior moved his feet. However, no one followed. A voice filled with anger came from behind him. ¡°¡­I refuse.¡± The Savior turned his head. The one who spoke was the man in the flipped robe. He continued speaking in a strained voice. ¡°¡­I can no longerprehend this. I have followed the Savior for thousands of years and tried to understand his meaning, but now I am at my limit.¡± ¡°Your limit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t salvation. It¡¯s as foolish as pouring water into a leaky jar. No matter how hard we try, the mortals only continue to plunge themselves into the abyss¡± The man in the flipped robe began recounting events that Ronan hadn¡¯t witnessed during his absence. It was a catalog of mundane human affairs¡ªkilling each other, waging wars for trivial reasons, self-destruction¡­ Yet, within the passionate tone, there was deep-seated resentment. The man, pouring out words, red at the Savior. ¡°The Neb zier needs to be reborn. At least, this is not the correct way of salvation.¡± ¡°Are you guys of the same opinion?¡± The man in the flipped robe continued. He seemed to have reached his limit after following the Savior for thousands of years, seeking understanding. Alivriha and Elysia, who hesitated, averted their gazes. They responded by not moving from their ce. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Savior¡­¡± It seemed as if conversations had urred among the three beforehand. The Savior, gazing at them in silence, nodded his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it can¡¯t be helped. This is where we bid farewell.¡± ¡°¡­Are you really going to leave like this?¡± ¡°Yes. There seems to be no point in saying more. I hope each of you finds your own answers.¡± Without hesitation, the Savior began walking toward the edge of the cliff. It felt excessively hollow to bid farewell topanions who had shared countless ages. The man in the flipped robe shouted desperately. ¡°Savior!¡± ¡°May the Protection of the Stars be with you.¡± However, the Savior didn¡¯t stop or even look back. Then, the figure of the man in the flipped robe disappeared from view. Just as Ronan felt an instinctual dread and was about to say something¡­ ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Thud! A sound echoed, akin to a stone dropping into a swamp. A silence descended upon the cliff as if time had stopped. The Savior slowly lowered his gaze. A gleaming de protruded from his abdomen. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°I understand. I will find the answer.¡± The man who had disappeared appeared behind the Savior. Blood was dripping from the spot where the tip of his sword had stabbed through. He brought his face close to the Savior¡¯s ear and whispered dryly. ¡°So, leave your strength behind.¡± ¡°¡ö¡ö¡­¡± The Savior¡¯s body swayed. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t an ordinary sword. He gazed at the man without any resistance. The man was holding the Savior¡¯s neck with one arm, preventing the sword from being withdrawn. A sparkling energy was being absorbed through the sword¡¯s edge. Ronan, btedly understanding the situation, cursed. ¡°Fuck¡­!¡± From here on, it was an instinctual reaction. Ronan rushed forward with force. Closing the distance in an instant, he swung his sword and shouted. ¡°You bastard! What are you doing!¡± ¡°What?¡± The man in the flipped robe turned his head. The two des were already close to his eyes. Hastily drawing his sword, he raised his arm. ng! A fierce metallic sound reverberated on the cliff. Chapter 129: In Search of a Scream (6) Chapter 129: In Search of a Scream (6) aaang! The fierce ng of metal reverberated across the cliff. The staggering Savior copsed to the ground. The robed figure smirked. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Three des shed, locked in a deadly dance. The Savior¡¯s blood, once on the des, now dripped rhythmically. Ronan gritted his teeth. The man only used his right hand to parry both Lamancha and Ymir. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like someone from around here. Do you not know who we are?¡± Ronan, on the other hand, could only hold on despite using all his strength. None of the adversaries he¡¯d faced beforepared to this. ¡®He¡¯s strong. Incredibly strong.¡¯ It felt like facing a towering tower. But giving in wasn¡¯t an option. Ronan, forcing a smirk, spat out. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking traitor, I know that.¡± ¡°Hmm, did you see it from the start?¡± Despite the daring provocation, the man remained unfazed, only intensifying his force against the sword. Ronan¡¯s heel slid backward. The man let out a light sigh and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you live.¡± ng! In an instant, the man deflected Ronan¡¯s sword and initiated a counterattack. A thrust akin to a shooting star rushed towards Ronan. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the speed of the sword, which far exceeded his expectations. ¡®What the fuck¡­!¡¯ All he could do was follow with his eyes. The white tip of the sword was hurtling straight towards his neck. Blocking or deflecting it was impossible. Swish! Ronan turned his head just as the de grazed his neck. The man¡¯s face contorted. ¡°¡­You dodged it?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. He had no time to be sarcastic. He rotated his body in the direction he turned his head, swinging his sword. The man twisted his waist backward. Swoosh! The arc of his sh passed over the bridge of the man¡¯s nose. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°A wild beast-like sword indeed. Are you truly human?¡± The man stood facing Ronan. As Ronan lunged forward, sparks flew whenever Lamancha¡¯s crimson de touched the man¡¯s body. ¡®It¡¯s out of reach.¡¯ Ronan narrowed his gaze. Even the mana-enhanced strikes were either blocked or deflected. Blood trickled down from the wound on his neck, pooling near his corbone. Tsk! Continuously evading, the man leaped backward. His voice, cold, echoed. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you came from, but¡­ I need to know your identity.¡± Bang! In a split second, the man vanished from sight. Instead, shards of rocks flew from where he stood. Ronan concentrated, inhaling deeply. The man¡¯s form gradually appeared. Before he knew it, the man was rushing in front of him with his sword raised. Thud! Dozens of meteors soared towards him. Realizing they were simr thrusts as before, Ronan cursed. ¡°You fuck¡­!¡± Ronan urgently took a defensive stance. The attacks passed by licking all over my body. Swoosh! Before he could react, two stabs prated his abdomen and left shoulder. ¡°Argh!¡± Dark red blood spurted from Ronan¡¯s mouth. It might have seemed superficial, but it hurt terribly. ng! The tendon snapped, and Lamancha, held in his right hand, dropped. Ronan, who had analyzed the sword path, twisted his lips. ¡®The Savior¡¯s swordsmanship¡­!¡¯ It was recognizable at first nce. It was the same technique that the Savior used. Although it was slightly different, it was safe to say that it was the same. ¡®My true filthiness¡­¡¯ Not only physically, but the gap in their skills was vast. At the moment the man swung his sword again to cut off Ronan¡¯s leg. Swoosh! A huge hand came from out of their sight and grabbed the man. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡¾¡ö¡ö! How dare you!!¡¿ A terrifying voice echoed. Ronan, barely surviving, grabbed onto a nearby rock. The hand covered in pitch-ck scales, was bigger than most barns. Following the wrist, Ronan raised his gaze. A ck dragon sorge that itpletely obscured his vision, was clutching the man. It was Alivriha, in his true form. He roared angrily. ¡¾Why did you do this!¡¿ ¡°Alivriha. You also agreed, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡¾Only to find a different path! How could you do something like this, stabbing the Savior in the back!!¡¿ ¡°I only took the power that would¡¯ve been wasted otherwise.¡± The man replied nonchntly, his tone dry, devoid of emotions beyond watering a nt. Alivriha, erupting in anger again, mmed the man to the ground. ¡¾You bastard!¡¿ Kwaaah!! The ground flipped, and part of the cliff crumbled. Dust clouded the surroundings. Elysia, an elven woman, dashed out from behind Alivriha. ¡°S-Savior!¡± ¡°Keu¡­ ugh¡­¡± Supporting the Savior, Elysia¡¯s eyes welled with tears. He was still breathing, but crimson blood gushed incessantly from where the de had pierced his torso. She said while crying and trying to stop the bleeding from the wound. ¡°P-please, wake up. You¡­ can¡¯t leave.¡± Her usual icy demeanor contrasted starkly. Tears flowed incessantly beneath her crimson eyes. Alivriha, ncing back at her and the Savior, growled. ¡¾We must hurry. The wound caused by that bastard¡¯s sword can¡¯t be healed with ordinary means.¡¿ ¡°Yes, yes¡­!¡± Elysia chanted, her voice trembling. Mana swirled, creating a grand magical circle in the sky. ¡°Go, be the fastest and strongest child¡­!¡± Gradually, a massive magic circle covered the cliff. A vividly glowing eagle, folding its wings, materialized. It was nearly half the size of the massive Alivriha. Ronan, witnessing this grandeur, widened his eyes. ¡®Hyran¡­!¡¯ He had learned about it in Philleon. Hyran, the highest-ranking wind spirit, known as the Prince of Storms. He never imagined there was a Spirit Mage who could actually summon it. Hyran pped its wings andnded before her. Kwaaah! Gusting winds swept away nearby mes and smoke. The Savior was now embraced by a summoned monkey spirit. ¡°Please, Hyran. Transport this person to my abode.¡± Hyran nodded. The monkey spirit carrying the Savior climbed onto its back. Just as Hyran spread its wings again to take flight, a familiar voice echoed from Alivriha¡¯s palm. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ Alivriha urgently turned his head. Swoosh. A red line streaked across his wrist, and simultaneously, a shadow emerged in the sky. Kwaaah! Blood gushed like a fountain along the crimson line. The shadow thatnded on the ground addressed the Savior. ¡°I haven¡¯t transferred all the power yet.¡± ¡¾Kwaaaaah!!¡¿ Alivriha roared in agony. Despite his body recoiling, his left hand still remained in the same position where it had pressed down on the man. ¡°Oh, no¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Elysia eximed, her face turning pale. The man, brushing off the dirt from his shoulder, spoke with regret in his tone. ¡°Still, thankfully you¡¯re a master of prosthetics. You can just make a new hand and reattach it¡± ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ ¡°Hy-Hyran!¡± Elysia shouted frantically. Hyran immediately soared off the cliff. The majestic spirit covered kilometers in a single p. ¡°Hmm.¡± Hyran was turning into a blue dot. Unperturbed, the man swung his sword. Swoosh! Dozens of crescent moons materialized along the de, shooting toward Hyran. ¡°What¡­!¡± Watching, Ronan burst into a bitterugh. Each crescent, easily 9 meters long, was a de. The number, size, and range were unbelievable. As Hyran was crossing the middle of his battlefield, the man, reaching out towards Hyran, suddenly clenched his fist. Baam! An eerie barrier appeared, blocking Hyran. Elysia¡¯s face twisted in shock. ¡°To, to have the Protection of the Stars reach so far¡­!¡± ¡°Paahh?!¡± Hyran, blocked from its course, abruptly halted. One of the trailing crescent des hit its left wing. Swoosh! With a lost wing, Hyran began to plummet. Elysia stretched out her hands and screamed. ¡°No, no!!¡± ¡°Paayyhhhh¡­!¡± The sword energy that flew out immediately cut the monkey in two. The Savior was thrown off. Soon, they vanished into a pit. ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­!¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t intended this.¡± The robed man smirked. Elysia rushed to the cliff¡¯s edge, but the Savior was nowhere in sight. Intensified mes engulfed the battlefield. She turned to the man, furious. ¡°You!!¡± Boom! Dozens of magic circles,rge and small, formed around the man. Massive beasts roared as they leaped out. Judging by the aura, it indicated they were all high-tier spirits or above. The man, calmly assessing the situation, addressed Elysia. ¡°Elysia, don¡¯t waste your mana.¡± ¡°You, you did this to the Savior¡­!¡± The spirits charged aggressively. Simultaneously, the man¡¯s body spun widely. His circr strike passed through the spirits, decimating them. Kwaaaah! The shattered mana surged like a whirlwind. Dozens of high-tier spirits were annihted in a single blow. Desperate, Elysia copsed to the ground. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You know that magic won¡¯t work on me.¡± The man struck Elysia¡¯s neck with the hilt of his de. Thud. Elysia, losing consciousness, copsed helplessly. The man immediately turned towards Alivriha, clenching his fist. Boom! A barrier akin to the one that blocked Hyran enveloped Alivriha. ¡¾Damn it! Release this immediately!¡¿ ¡°Let your head cool off a bit.¡± As Alivriha attempted to use his fire breath, he let out a roar of frustration. However, despite his struggles, not a single crack appeared in the protection of the stars. Having swiftly resolved the situation, the man turned to Ronan. ¡°It¡¯s a little quieter now.¡± ¡°¡­You crazy bastard.¡± Ronan muttered curses, still leaning against the rock, breathing heavily. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ His body wouldn¡¯t move. Alivriha¡¯s words about wounds not healing seemed true. The blood flowing incessantly formed puddles on the ground. The man, who approached closer, stood before Ronan. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Who are you?¡± ¡°Your father.¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡± ¡°Bring it on.¡± Spit! Ronan spat. A lump of blood flew out andnded at the man¡¯s feet. As the man inspected Ronan closely, he raised his eyebrow. ¡°Wait¡­ now that I look at it, you seem a bit simr¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who is your mother?¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit question is that?¡± Ronan frowned. The man came closer and grabbed hold of Ronan¡¯s hair. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Except for the hair color, you really do look alike. Hmm¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± He began to examine Ronan¡¯s face, holding his head close to his face. The distance was so close that their breath reached each other. ¡°This bastard¡­ are you a faggot?¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± However nonsensical it was, it felt disgustingly grimy. Ronan¡¯s grip on Ymir tightened even more. ¡®This might be my only chance.¡¯ His heart raced. His rationality, once drowned in blood, was resurfacing. Dealing with someone seemingly impervious to provocations, he had toe up with a n. ¡®If that¡¯s the way.¡¯ A somewhat decent n shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. No time to hesitate. Turning his gaze past the man¡¯s shoulder, he spoke. ¡°Savior, you¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± The ploy worked. The momentarily startled man quickly turned his head. But there, only a burningndscape. existed. Realizing the trick, the man nced back at Ronan. Ymir, gleaming white, was soaring toward him. ¡°That power¡­¡± The man, seeing the shimmering mana, froze in ce. It was Varen¡¯s Aura, amplifying Ronan¡¯s strength. ¡°¡­You¡¯re surprising me more and more.¡± The man, speaking in a rounded tone, marveled. He felt much stronger than their initial sh. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he raised his sword. The two des were about to meet when Ronan shouted. ¡°Fuck off!!¡± Fwoosh! The remaining mana surged out like a torrent, empowering Ymir¡¯s de with an even brighter light. Kwaaaang! A shockwave erupted from Ymir¡¯s edge. It was Bishop Teranil¡¯s technique. The sh, elerated dozens of times in an instant, deflected the man¡¯s sword. ¡°What¡­!¡± The man¡¯s face stiffened. He tried to do something, but it was already toote. The thrust shot straight across the man¡¯s face, drawing a long line. Kwaaah! Blood gushed as the robe fell away. Overwhelmed by a hollow sensation traveling through his fingertips, Ronan cursed. ¡°Damn it.¡± The ace in the sleeves was a failure. Having tilted his head back, the man straightened his neck. The previously obscured face of the man finally revealed itself. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± A long gash traversed the bridge of the man¡¯s nose. Not too deep, but enough to draw blood. Panic-stricken, the man brought his hand to his face. Seeing blood smudging his fingers, he shouted in anger. ¡°You!¡± The man swung his sword. But in Ronan¡¯s shock-induced state, he couldn¡¯t even evade. His gaze remained fixed on the man¡¯s face. His eyebrows and closely-set pupils emitted a crimson hue akin to a sunset. His jawline was as sharp as a razor. Whoosh¡­ A gust tousled the man¡¯s hair. The snowy-white locks, reminiscent of a snowy in, sparkled in the light. Apart from the hair color, the face was surprisingly simr to his own. Suddenly, a sharp sensation passed through Ronan¡¯s neck. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ The world turned upside down, pain like a sh of lightning struck Ronan. Amidst the chaos, Ronan¡¯s mind was filled with the man¡¯s face. His vision darkened, consciousness slipping away. **** ¡°Ugh.¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The worn-out wooden ceiling felt familiar. Still groggy, it took him a moment to regain his senses. Ronan put his hand around his neck and sighed. ¡°Did I¡­ lose?¡± There were no wounds, but his senses were sharp. As he slowly got up, the humble interior of a farmhouse revealed itself. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize this was his house in his hometown, Nimberton¡¯s. Suddenly, a voice came from behind. ¡°Enjoy your journey?¡± Ronan turned his head. An amorphous shadow sat at the table, seemingly drinking tea, although it was unclear where his mouth was, he was drinking nheless. Ronan trudged over and sat down in front. ¡°What did you show me?¡± ¡°I merely recreated the past.¡± ¡°Did the Savior really die?¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± The shadow shook his head. It seemed uninterested in revealing more. After a long silence, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Is the Leader my father?¡± Chapter 130: In Search of a Scream (7) Chapter 130: In Search of a Scream (7) ¡°Is the Leader of Neb zier my father?¡± ¡°Hoo.¡± The shadow shrugged as if finding it interesting. In truth, it had been a thought lingering in his mind for quite some time, but he had kept it buried deep, almost like a beggarly notion. ¡®I¡¯ve had suspicions ever since I was able to use those bastards¡¯ abilities¡­¡¯ But by now, leaving the possibility open was inevitable. It wasn¡¯t merely the face revealed beneath the robe that bore a striking resemnce to his own. If the hypothesis is correct, it would resolve a number of unanswered questions. Things like the ability to cut mana or how he came to be able to manipte the sparkling mana. The shadow that was sipping tea opened its mouth. ¡°The Leader¡­ it might be, or it might not be.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just speak straight?¡± ¡°I have no obligation to do so. Why are you so sure that man is the Leader?¡± ¡°¡­At least he didn¡¯t seem stupid.¡± Ronan reflected on the memory for a moment and gritted his teeth. It was his first time experiencing such a crushing defeat. He hadn¡¯t been able to make the fight with that mane to fruition until his neck was almost severed. Even Elysia and Alivriha, who were immensely powerful, were helpless against the man. Even before the betrayal, that man¡¯s strength was unusual, but after taking the Savior¡¯s power, it was impossible to even estimate his strength. ¡°He had strength and ambition. Those bastards don¡¯t end up asckeys unless they¡¯re fools.¡± ¡°An interesting deduction.¡± ¡°Fuck, if you don¡¯t want to talk straight, I¡¯ll make you.¡± Ronan spat out curses, rising to his feet. He brushed aside the multitude of questions flooding his mind. Family ties weren¡¯t important right now. Regardless of who that white-haired guy was, if he was the leader of Neb zier, Ronan had to kill him anyway. Those bald-headed fanatics aimed to bring about the destruction of the world. He pointedly spoke while rubbing his forehead. ¡°So, why did you show me all of this?¡± ¡°To give you a chance.¡± ¡°A chance?¡± ¡°Yes, a chance to make a better choice. The caster of this curse hoped you would never fully realize your own power.¡± The shadow muttered iprehensible words, rising from its seat. He spoke while gazing out the window. ¡°Insects are bound to be attracted to flowers with a strong scent¡­ But you¡¯ve already broken three curses and turned Neb zier into a enemy.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°The stronger you be, the more predetermined your fate. Do you still intend to oppose Neb zier?¡± Crack! Suddenly, the shadow¡¯s form expanded widely. The battle between Ronan and the robed man unfolded before his eyes over its expanded form. It took less than five minutes for his head to go flying after their encounter at the cliff. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Ronan frowned, once again feeling the despairing gap in strength. Watching his own head fly off from a third person point of view was not a very pleasant experience. ¡°That man is still alive. As time passed, he has probably gotten even stronger.¡± ¡°Haa.¡± ¡°If you continue to fight against Neb zier, you will meet that person again in the not too distant future. At that time, you won¡¯t have the luck of having a severed head healed.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He felt the hairs all over his body stand up. The shadow continued speaking in a heavy voice. ¡°But it¡¯s not toote. Give up trying to undo the curses now and return to a peaceful life. However, If you really wish for it, I will tell you how to break the curse, but I will not hide the fact that it is a foolish choice.¡± Swoosh¡­ The size of the shadow decreased to its original size, and it spoke. ¡°Now decide. I will respect your choice, but I will not ask you twice.¡± ¡°Dammit, did you go through all this nonsense just to say that?¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. In the end, it was simr to the questions Sekreet had posed before the fight. Choosingfort over perilous challenges, the kind of cowardly decision. Of course, fear was real. Just imagining a reencounter with that man made his hands grow mmy. Maybe, just after those words from the shadow, his head would roll the moment they met. ¡®It fucking sucks.¡¯ But none of that mattered. Once a promise was made, it had to be kept. Ronan, spitting on the ground, answered without hesitation. ¡°Tell me how to break the curse.¡± ¡°Very well. Follow me.¡± Surprisingly, the shadow neither taunted nor asked twice. Leading the way, he strode out through the front door. Ronan followed suit, and as he stepped beyond the threshold, his eyes widened. In the midst of the garden stood a colossal rock. ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the being you must y for the curse to be undone.¡± It was a truly hideous rock. What a rock would look like if a giant had chewed and spit it out and left it in the desert for about a thousand years. ¡°It is the materialization of the core of the curse, sealing your potential so that it cannot be revealed.¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°Yes. Try touching it.¡± Ronan ced his hand on the rock. Indeed, there was a powerful force writhing from deep within the stone. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ But something felt off. There was a distinct mana emanating from the rock itself. With a strange sense of unease, Ronan raised an eyebrow. The shadow spoke up. ¡°As soon as you cut this down, you can return. Of course, it won¡¯t be easy.¡±¡± ¡°The rock¡¯s tough.¡± Ronan gripped the hilt of his de. The crimson-stained Lamancha emerged. Before the shadow could speak, he struck the rock. Crash! A fierce collision echoed. Ronan, seeing the entirely undamaged surface, grimaced. ¡°¡­It¡¯s damn solid.¡± ¡°As I said, it won¡¯t be easy.¡± The hardness exceeded his expectations by far. No matter how many attempts he made, the sharp edge only scratched the surface while the rock remained resilient. ¡°It might take considerable time and training before you can break this nucleus.¡± ¡°Training?¡± ¡°Yes, until you¡¯re capable of splitting this rock.¡± Thund! The shadow unexpectedly flicked its fingers, and the scenery rippled as Nimberton¡¯s image vanished. Ronan nced at the sight of the adventure club area training ground that appeared the moment he blinked. ¡°It¡¯s not even surprising anymore.¡± ¡°Do you not like it? I thought it¡¯d be the most optimal environment for you to train.¡± ¡°¡­Continue then.¡± Ronan Nimberton¡¯s home transformed into the headquarters of the Elite Adventure Club. The unsightly rock protruded on the spacious training ground¡¯s floor. Various training equipment and tools were neatly arranged around the area. Nodding in acknowledgment, the shadow spoke up. ¡°You can manifest whatever you desire here. You may sleep or eat in that building. Your sole focus should be on splitting that rock.¡± ¡°It seems like you want me to sit around, but I don¡¯t have that much time.¡± ¡°Did I not tell you? Ten days here equals merely an hour outside.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was new information. ¡°Only three days have passed outside. Training in here also affects the physical body in the outside world, so it might not be a bad idea.¡± ¡°Your personality seems more affable now. Quite different from when you were tearing me apart.¡± ¡°Respecting your choice is also the caster¡¯s intention. And something like this is also possible.¡± As Ronan surveyed the training ground, the shadow flicked its finger once more. Suddenly, the door to the club building opened and a sharp-looking young man strode out. Ronan frowned at the unexpected appearance of Shullifen. ¡°Fuck, what is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ronan.¡± Even his voice matched perfectly. Approaching a training dummy, Shullifen pulled the hilt of his sword. Swoosh! A sharp gust swept the training ground as thirty heads simultaneously rolled off. Sheathing the sword, Shullifen turned to Ronan. ¡°How about a spar?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. The shadow mentioned it could summon anyone necessary for training. Once again, the club¡¯s door opened. A tall woman appeared. Her truly desirable attire caught Ronan¡¯s eye. Dressed in her Imperial Army uniform, Adeshan strode forward in her high leather boots. ¡°Corporal. How have you been?¡± It was the Adeshan from her days as the General. At her waist was the whip Ronan had given her as a gift. She came up to Ronan and grabbed his face with both hands. ¡°You¡¯ve taken quite the beating.¡± ¡°¡­General.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry alone. I, along with the Raising Star of The Empire, will help you.¡± Her ash-gray eyes were captivating. Despite knowing it was an illusion, a vague sense of nostalgia crept in. Closing his eyes slightly, Ronan grumbled softly. ¡°Get rid of it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Thwack! The sound of flicking fingers resonated. When he opened his eyes, Shullifen and Adeshan were nowhere to be seen. Taking a deep breath, Ronan gazed at the rock. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s tempting.¡± Honestly, it was an offer that there was no reason to refuse. Not only could he get everything he wanted, but he could also summon anyone as a sparring partner. There was no need to exin about the advantage of time passing slower than in the outside world. ¡°Then call me if you need anything. I wille right away.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± However, only under the premise that all of this was not false. ¡°Hmm?¡± The shadow that heard the call stopped in ce. At the same time, Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. A crimson sword strike shot out toward the shadow. ¡°What¡­!¡± The shadow urgently distorted its shape. However, the sh was faster than before and did not give enough time to avoid it. Swoosh! A red line was drawn across the shadow¡¯s body. ¡°Argh!¡± Cut off parts of the shadow scattered on the ground and started to boil like bubbles. The shadow looked up at Ronan and opened its mouth. ¡°Did you notice from the start?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I thought my acting was wless.¡± The shadow muttered as ifmenting. Its body, which had been cut to its core, did not recover. Swoosh¡­ Everything that made up the space began to crumble into dust. The club building, the hideous rock, the dying shadow and even Ronan¡¯s body. Ronan pointed to the rock with the tip of his chin and spoke. ¡°The thing trying to break out from below, it¡¯s a curse.¡± The shadow remained silent. In fact, it had been noticed midway through. What was suppressed under the rock wasn¡¯t something like Ronan¡¯s potential. A much stronger curse seemed ready to explode at any moment. The rock was containing the curse from spreading further. If that rock were destroyed, the pent-up curse would burst out and corrode the entire body. The dissipating shadow spoke up. ¡°How did you figure it out? I¡¯ve ensured the curse couldn¡¯t be sensed.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say¡­¡± Ronan trailed off. Certainly, in the past, he might not have noticed. Various disguising spells wereyered over the curse lurking beneath the rock. However, following his journey through memories, his senses had be much sharper. It felt like the fog obscuring his vision had lifted. Moreover, from the hideous rock, he sensed mana simr to what he had felt from Seniel¡¯s essence. The conglomerate of will that Elf Sarante revered. There was no sense that such a presence hindered his growth. ¡®Seems quite simr in a way.¡¯ Ronan smirked. Considering the surrounding scenery was disappearing, it seemed the objective was achieved. The origin of the curse was, indeed, that very shadow. The diminishing shadow had now reduced to a pitiful sight, barely more than a handful of ash. Consciousness began to fade gradually. In the vanishing world, the voice of the shadow echoed. ¡°As expected¡­ your insight is remarkable.¡± **** ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. His mind felt muddled, as if he had just woken from an extremely long sleep. A thick, icy wall reminiscent of an iceberg blocked his view. ¡°¡­What in the world is this?¡± An unidentified wall encased Ronan¡¯s entire body like a cocoon. Only enough space was avable to move his arms and legs, with no way to see the outside. ¡®Dammit. Am I still inside the Mental World?¡¯ A faint uneasiness brushed through his mind. Though the typical sense of dissonance was absent, he couldn¡¯t afford to becent. Slowly reaching out, Ronan touched the wall. Crack! A substantial fissure appeared, and the wall shattered into pieces. ¡°That was unexpected¡­! Ronan hastily got up. He hadn¡¯t expected it to break so easily. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t sustain any injuries from the fragments. As he surveyed his surroundings, a familiarndscape finally caught his eye. ¡°¡­Separacio.¡± The enclosed study was filled with books. On the floor, the magic circle used when delving into the Mental World remained intact. Suddenly, Ronan noticed his line of sight had significantly risen. The size of his hands and feet didn¡¯t seem much different from when he was inhabiting the Savior¡¯s body. ¡®Shit, how long was I trapped in there for?¡¯ Just as he was about to touch his face with his hands, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a really long time. Ronan.¡± Chapter 131: Unseasonable Winter (1) Chapter 131: Unseasonable Winter (1) ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a while, Ronan.¡± ¡°Sekreet?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The voice was of a child, making it difficult to discern the gender. Had Sekreet been freed from the curse of having transformed into a girl? Ronan immediately nced around, but Sekreet was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve got something going on. Can you take a look at my desk?¡± ¡°Your desk?¡± With all the lights turned off, Separaciowas immersed in darkness. Only the fragments of the crystal Ronan had shattered emitted a faint blue light. Carefully reaching for the crystal, Ronan frowned. ¡®What is this, really?¡¯ The unidentified crystal was incredibly sturdy yet lightweight. Its thickness seemed at least 20cm, seemingly impervious to ordinary impacts. Ronan wondered why this material covered him while he was unconscious. ¡®What happened while I was gone?¡¯ Thankfully, his belongings, including his swords, remained intact. Ronan picked up a suitable fragment and walked away. The sudden increase in height wasn¡¯t easy to adapt to. Before long, he arrived at the desk and a strange object caught his eye. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Looks like you found it. That¡¯s right, we aremunicating through that familiar right now.¡± Inside a spherical ss container floated an eyeball. Its blue iris followed Ronan¡¯s movements. Sekreet¡¯s voice emanated from behind the eyeball. ¡°Since I¡¯ve ended up being away longer than I expected. I arranged for it to detect any movements and alert me as soon as you woke up. Hehe, your voice has be more adult-like.¡± ¡°What the hell happened here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not enough time to exin everything. The familiar will soon disappear since it has served its purpose, so let¡¯s talk after youe out.¡± As if confirming his words, the familiar¡¯s body expanded, seeming ready to burst. Ronan nodded, bringing his face closer. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the exit spell, please write it down somewhere. ¡°Delphirim, Lunajie, Kashpa.¡± You just have to point to the bookshelf with ten missing books and recite it.¡± ¡°Ten missing books. Got it.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯lle find you as soon as I¡¯m done with my work.¡± There was no need to write it down; it was simple. While scanning the desk, Ronan furrowed his brow. Thick, pale dust covered everything. ¡®How long has everything been left like this?¡¯ It seemed like frost had settled overnight. Sekreet¡¯s favorite feather pen was covered in thin spider webs, making it clear that he hadn¡¯t been away for only a day or two. Then Sekreet¡¯s voice began intermittently cutting out. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m truly d that you¡¯re bac¨C you¡­ tall¡­¡± ¡°Sekreet?¡± ¡°¡­See you outside, Ronan¡­ letter¡­¡± The voice ceased altogether. The expanding eyeball finally burst, coating the inside of the ss with green fluid. ¡°Ugh.¡± Disgusted, Ronan stuck out his tongue. Upon another nce, it wasn¡¯t just the desk but the entire study was covered in dust. ¡®This doesn¡¯t look good.¡¯ He was about to move to another shelf when he noticed an unfamiliar drawer. It was something he hadn¡¯t seen before. The half-open lid of the drawery right beside where Ronan had been lying. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± Curiously, Ronan opened the drawer, and papers spilled out. Most were well-sealed envelopes. Ronan randomly picked up one of the envelopes. His eyes widened when he saw the writing on the cover. The graceful, unmistakable handwriting belonged to Adeshan. ¨C To Ronan. Adeshan. [Imperial Year 1051, Red Sparrow Moon, 9th day.] ¡°What is this?¡± Ronan hastily scanned through the envelopes. Besides Adeshan, there were numerous letters from other people. ¨C Wishing you luck. Marya Caravel. ¨C Read this, Ronan. Navirose. ¨C To my beloved brother. Iril. Seeing a letter from his sister, Ronan pursed his lips. The ¡¯ part was crossed out and reced with ¡®ril.¡¯ It seemed she had learned how to write from someone during his absence. ¡°Ugh, this was unnecessary.¡± Suddenly, his nose twitched. He wanted to examine each one, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have time now. A single line written in Adeshan¡¯s letter pierced his pupils like a thorn. [Imperial Year 1051, Red Sparrow Moon, 9th day.] ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. It was the Autumn of 1050 when he entered the Mental World. The fact a letter written one year ago was buried so deep in the pile of envelopes meant that more than a year had passed. Ronan hurriedly gathered the letters, wedging them into his side. Finding the bookshelf missing ten books was easy. ¡°Delphirim, Lunajie, Kashpa.¡± He stood in front of the bookshelf and recited the spell. Thududud¡­! The bookshelf slid back, revealing a long corridor. Without hesitation, he stepped into the darkness. It felt like the air was getting colder with every step Ronan took, his breath producing white puffs each time he exhaled. For a moment, everything seemed pitch ck, but then his vision cleared abruptly. Whoooosh! A strong gust of wind hit Ronan squarely in the face, tossing his hair. Something carried by the wind lodged itself between his eyshes. ¡°Dammit, what¡¯s this?¡± He didn¡¯t know what it was, but it was disturbingly cold. The mysterious substance melted and disappeared as soon as it touched his skin. Ronan, looking at his pure white sleeves, tilted his head. ¡°¡­Snow?¡± The mysterious substance turned out to be a tiny snowke norger than a fingernail. Whoooosh! Another st of cold wind struck Ronan¡¯s face, and as he looked up, a worldpletely dyed white came into his view. Because of the dense snowfall, it was difficult to open his eyes. Ronan soon realized that he was in Philleon¡¯s main square. ¡®Is it winter? But this is a bit extreme.¡¯ It was a snowstorm reminiscent of the ones in the northern regions, with students wrapped in thick coats roaming the square. Wearing fur hats made of leather, it reminded him of the northern residents. ¡®Sister.¡¯ Suddenly, an image of Iril¡¯s smiling face shed through his mind. Many questions arose, but the most urgent was checking on his sister¡¯s well-being. He needed to make sure nothing had happened in the past year. Ronan redirected his steps toward the direction of his house. At that moment, not far away, a sharp scream echoed. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s out again today!¡± Ronan turned his head. Students were abandoning their belongings and fleeing. Amidst the snowstorm, something was stirring. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Ronan squinted his eyes. The cold seemed to converge in one spot. Snow and ice gathered there, forming structures resembling bones and flesh. There were various creatures: giant bears, deer, fish flying in the sky, and more. Pop! Soon, blue light emanated from the eyes of the fully formed ice creatures. A bear made of ice let out a fierce roar. ¡°Kwaaaagh!¡± ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± The students¡¯ screams grew louder. Based on their reactions, it didn¡¯t seem like a practical lesson. Ronan furrowed his brow, feeling a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡®This situation. It feels strangely familiar¡­¡¯ Perhaps because he had just woken up, his mind was still dazed. Strangely harsh winter and creatures made of ice jumping out of snowstorms, he had definitely seen it somewhere before. Whether he could recall it with a bit of thought didn¡¯t matter; there was no time. The attitudes of these creatures weren¡¯t friendly. An ice bear that had been wandering suddenly charged toward the closest student. Monsters in Philleon¡¯s square, what a spectacle. Ronan murmured and set down the chest. As he pulled the hilt of his sword, the ck and white de was revealed. ¡®Shall I loosen up a bit?¡¯ It was a sensation he hadn¡¯t felt in a while. The grooves on the hilt felt distinct. Thwack! Ronan dashed forward, pounding the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± He felt lighter. It wasn¡¯t just a trick of the longer stride; it genuinely felt like he was soaring through the sky. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Kreuk?¡± In an instant, Ronan reached the ice bear. Surprised by his sudden appearance, the bear hesitated. Maintaining his posture, Ronan spun around, wielding the sword. Swish! A wide sh cut through the transparent body. As a bright white line appeared, the bear¡¯s glow faded. Ronan chuckled softly. ¡°Heh.¡± It wasn¡¯t just that his body felt lighter; the attack, done without mana, was unbelievably fast and precise. Thud! A dyed shockwave reverberated. ¡®What happened to my body?¡¯ The bear¡¯s torso, cut in half, fell to the ground. Crumble! The body made of ice shattered into pieces. The attention of the nearby creatures was drawn to Ronan. ¡°Kaaaaaark!¡± ¡°Krek?!¡± Meanwhile, Ronan simply stood dumbfounded, struggling to adjust to the changes in his body. However, that was only for a moment; soon, his heart began to race rapidly. If just using his physical strength resulted in this, he wondered what would happen if he used mana. ¡°This is fun.¡± Ronan grasped Lamancha¡¯s hilt. The previously pale de was now stained red. A distinct, vibrant crimson, akin to blood, flowed across the de¡¯s surface. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Kr-krrrr¡­¡± The corners of Ronan¡¯s mouth rose. The creatures, sensing the impending danger, began to retreat. Just as he was just about to unleash his sword energy, a woman¡¯s voice rang out from beyond the snowstorm. ¡°Stand back!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was a familiar voice. A sound reminiscent of a whistle resonated. Bang! Suddenly, the head of an ice reindeer exploded. Amidst the smoke, a thin bolt was lodged into the reindeer¡¯s head. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Once again, the whistle-like sound echoed, and bolts shot through the snowstorm, striking the heads of other creatures. Bang! Bang! Large and small explosions erupted consecutively. ¡®That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ It was an astonishing level of marksmanship. The bolts seemed to hit only the creatures¡¯ heads, constantly changing direction while circling the area to fire. Crackle! The sound of ice breaking filled the square. In an instant, more than ten creatures were utterly obliterated. The bolts ceased flying. Then, from beyond the blizzard, fresh screams echoed. ¡°Aaaah! Stay away!¡± ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow, he was too distracted by the shooting skills to pay attention to the possibility of other creatures appearing. He dashed toward the direction of the sound. Soon enough, he came across the scene he anticipated. Young boys and girls, still new students at Philleon, were huddled together. Five disgustingly hideous ice wolves were stealthily approaching them. ¡°Krrrrrr¡­¡± ¡°No, don¡¯te close¡­ please¡­¡± The wolves crouched, seemingly about to leap. Just as Ronan was about to unleash his sword energy. Whoosh! A woman appeared amidst the snowstorm, blocking the students. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Ronan hastily sheathed his sword. The woman, taller than most men, wore a long coat. Her narrowed eyes were sharp as a de. She held a pitch-ck crossbow in her left hand. Recognizing the woman, Ronan smirked. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Grrek!¡± At that moment, the leading wolf leaped, its body measuring about 4 meters long. The woman calmly raised her arm and muttered softly. ¡°Stop.¡± The wolves froze instantly. They seemed to turn into actual ice sculptures. The one frozen in mid air fell to the ground on its back. Crackle! Large chunks of shattered fragments slid across the ground. ¡°Grrr.¡± ¡°Grrk.¡± Despite the death of theirpanion, the remaining wolves couldn¡¯t move. Only agonized groans escaped through their transparent fangs. The blue glow in the wolves¡¯ eyes turned into a dull gray. The woman pulled out a staff from her waist. She approached, the staff stretched like a snake swept past the wolves. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± The startled students screamed. Boom! Boom! Boom! Four heads shattered at the same time. The woman let out a sigh of relief when she saw that the wolves was no longer moving. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Swoosh! The staff shortened back to its original form. She turned to the students, speaking gently. ¡°It¡¯s all right now.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you!¡± ¡°Freshmen, right? I should¡¯ve arrived sooner. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her sharp gaze softened. With a warm smile familiar to Ronan, she reassured the freshmen. Eventually, the students, who were repeatedly bowing their heads and thanking her, left. Ronan, who was simply standing there smiling, opened his mouth. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Adeshan turned her head. The long coat that went up to her neck suited her quite well. Despite locking eyes with Ronan, she only blinked repeatedly. Her ck hair, which had grown to her waist, was fluttering like a g. Finally, she parted her lips. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Your skills have improved a lot.¡± Adeshan¡¯s face, which he saw after a long time, looked noticeably mature. Her youthful appearance had almost disappeared, reced by the demeanor of a youngdy. Snowkes were falling on her thickened eyshes. Adeshan didn¡¯t respond. She stood in ce as if rooted to the spot. Her increasingly rapid breathing became audible. Concerned, Ronan spoke up. ¡°How have you been?¡± Only then did Adeshan slowly take her steps. She came right in front of Ronan and stopped once again. Now, their line of sight was almost at the same height. Adeshan slowly lifted her hand and reached for Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Sunbae?¡± It was as if she wanted to confirm if Ronan was even real. Before long, a single tear rolled down her white cheek. Letting go of Ronan¡¯s face, she spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been two years.¡± Chapter 132: Unseasonable Winter (2) Chapter 132: Unseasonable Winter (2) ¡°Two years have passed.¡± Adeshan, who had let go of her hand, stood facing Ronan. Her trembling voice carried a hint of moisture. She buried her face in Ronan¡¯s chest as she quietly took a deep breath. ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°¡­Please just stay like this for a moment.¡± This bold action would have been unimaginable two years ago. Back then, Adeshan was even taller than Ronan, making such a gesture nearly impossible. The hair that hung below her chin smelled like winter flowers. With closed eyes, she listened intently to the sound of his heartbeat. Adeshan spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ve reallye back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been saying that since earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited for so long.¡± Her shoulders, wrapped in a coat, quivered. Ronan wrapped his arms around Adeshan like a hug and patted her on the back. The two maintained that pose for quite a while. Finally, Adeshan lifted her head and smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller.¡± ¡°That surprised me too.¡± ¡°Your hair has grown really long too. Strangely, you didn¡¯t grow any facial hair though.¡± ¡°Hair? Oh.¡± It was only then that Ronan realized something thick was covering the back of his neck. He felt it as his hand reached out¡ªa tangle of hair, reaching at least down to his shoulders. Feeling this unfamiliar sensation for the first time, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ahaha, if it¡¯s ufortable, I¡¯ll cut it for youter.¡± ¡°Damn, thanks. But seriously, what you said just now¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Has it really been two years?¡± A moment of silence lingered. Adeshan cautiously nodded her head. Ronan, struggling with his thoughts, let out a sigh. ¡®Dammit, should I be thankful I got off lightly?¡¯ Having prepared himself beforehand lessened the shock. It was fortunate that he had prepared for various possibilities. After organizing his thoughts, Ronan spoke up. ¡°How have you been? And what about Sis and the others?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been good. They¡¯re all healthy, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Really.¡± Ronan let out a sigh of relief. It was the most reassuring thing he had wanted to hear since returning. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Oh, but Instructor Navirose seemed a bit¡­¡± ¡°What? Did something happen?¡± Ronan arched his eyebrow. The way she trailed off seemed rather suspicious. After a brief hesitation, Adeshan shook her head. ¡°Um¡­ No. I think it would be better for you to hear it from her. Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. But nothing serious or harmful, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, sort of¡­¡± Adeshan pursed her lips. Although she had revealed something rather concerning, it was not the time nor ce to pry further. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Ronan changed the topic. ¡°Right, what about those monsters from earlier?¡± ¡°Ah, they are monsters called Snow Beast. They appear once every three or four days, but we¡¯ve been unlucky.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was the name. Why are they showing up at the school?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± Adeshan seemed about to say something when suddenly, a loud rm echoed around them. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ronan noticed the sound wasing from Adeshan¡¯s wrist. More precisely, from a thin bracelet wrapped around her wrist. Adeshan widened her eyes. ¡°Right, I almost forgot¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a student council alert. We need to have a meeting once the Snow Beast suppression is over.¡± ¡°Student council?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Adeshan seemed restless, indicating it was quite an important matter. Tapping Adeshan¡¯s back reassuringly, he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you¡­ remember theyout of the campus?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suffering from amnesia. I¡¯ll be at Sis¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks. I¡¯lle as soon as it¡¯s over¡­!¡± Turning around, Adeshan disappeared into the snowstorm. Perhaps she had acquired some speed frombat training; her footsteps were nearly inaudible. Ronan picked up the chest he had ced on the ground. Thinking of Adeshan¡¯s face, he murmured softly. ¡°¡­She¡¯s be so pretty.¡± Receiving such an impression from someone other than his sister was a first. Aside from the worn-out shadows under his eyes, there was no significant change from his past life, but this difference was unexpected. The scent of winter flowers still lingered from his chest. Ronan left the campus and headed to Iril¡¯s house. Throughout the journey, snow continued to fall incessantly. Indeed, it didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary winter. Surprisingly, the streets were quite clean. Fire elementals and mechanical knights were constantly engaged in snow-clearing operations. ¡®It¡¯s good to have money. During my days in the Punishment Squat, I had to clear all of this.¡¯ Knock! Knock! Less than ten minutester, Ronan arrived at the door. A delicious smell wafted through the crack of the door, signaling mealtime. Thankfully, a response came from inside. ¡°Yes~ing!¡± Creak! Soon, the door opened, revealing the familiar figure of his sister. Her lustrous silvery hair had grown noticeably fuller. Iril¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ro-Ronan?¡± ¡°Sis.¡± ¡°Y-you, youuu¡­ You¡­!¡± His sister, whom he saw for the first time in a while, was still as beautiful as ever. Iril repeated iprehensible words as if she had forgotten how to speak. Soon, tears gushed out of her, and she rushed towards Ronan. ¡°Waaaaaaaa! You¡¯re back!¡± Perhaps due to his increased height, she fit perfectly into his arms. From her boisterous crying, she seemed just as healthy as Adeshan had described. While patting his crying sister, Ronan spoke. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. I¡¯ve been really g-gooood¡­ Waaah!¡± What Iril was trying to say was interrupted as she burst into tears once more. After shedding tears for about ten more minutes, she was finally able topose herself. ¡°Phew¡­ I must have looked really pitiful as your older sister. But now, it¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. What about Cita?¡± ¡°Oh, wait a little bit, Ronan¡¯s friends took Cita with them. They will probably return soon.¡± Iril exined that Cita had been busy moving around recently. The Elite Adventure Club also seemed to be carrying on some activity while he was away. Iril asked in a worried tone, pinching her brother¡¯s cheeks. ¡°And have you eaten yet? Why do you seem so thin?¡± ¡°Eaten¡­?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t eaten anything for two years. The moment he realized this fact, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll prepare something right away. I¡¯ll be out in the backyard for a bit, so wait in the kitchen!¡± Smiling, Iril headed out through the back door. As Ronan entered the kitchen, his eyes widened. The familiar nuisance was seated at the table, devouring stew. The harmony of dark blue hair and a napkin draped around the neck seemed absurd. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ronan. Has it been two years?¡± Shullifen greeted him casually. His attitude was as if they had only met and parted ways yesterday. Ronan, forgetting what he intended to say, just stared at him. ng. The Raising Star of the Empire ced down his spoon and spoke up. ¡°I was nning to get up as soon as I finished eating.¡± ¡°¡­I guess you were.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me a suspicious look. Judging by Miss Iril¡¯s reaction, I had noticed that you were back. Would it be a sin to interfere with the reunion of you two siblings?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± Ronan sat at the table. The scent of delicious stew wafted from Shullifen¡¯s bowl. Seeing the stew filled with plenty of meat and vegetables, Ronan¡¯s appetite stirred. ¡°Mmm¡­ looks delicious. Sis, you¡¯ve improved. Putting in so many other ingredients.¡± ¡°Miss Iril¡¯s cooking has always been excellent.¡± As Ronan and Shullifen made eye contact, Shullifen pulled his bowl closer, as if guarding his food. Ronan chuckled, seemingly amazed. ¡°I won¡¯t steal it. Idiot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a baseless assumption. I have observed that your physique has changed.¡± Shullifen began to finish his stew. Ronan, reading the relief on his face, shook his head. Despite the change in appearance, Shullifen¡¯s personality hadn¡¯t changed a bit. ¡®When will this guy start showing his true colors?¡¯ The matured Shullifen had be quite a handsome young man. For some reason, he seemed to be more handsome than when Ronan saw him in his previous life. Shullifen, having finally emptied his bowl, opened his mouth. ¡°I believe it was worth the two years invested. The Aura around you itself has changed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not simple either.¡± Ronan raised the corner of his mouth. He could tell without paying much attention. The genius before his eyes had reached a much higher level than when he had seenst. ¡®He must¡¯ve surpassed the initial stages of Awakening. Monstrous bastard.¡¯ The pulsating Core was almost visible to the naked eye. Ronan wondered how many examiners would be able to defeat this bastard in a formal duel. He wanted to draw his sword against him right away, but it wasn¡¯t the right time yet. ¡°Have you been staying here the whole time? To protect my sister?¡± ¡°How could I? The house next to this happened to be vacant, so I bought it. Miss Adeshan and the club members also took turns standing guard.¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Ronan chuckled in amazement. Buying a house just to guard someone. Perhaps because he was the son of a great noble, the scale of things were different. After tapping on the desk for a moment, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Thanks. For keeping your promise.¡± ¡°I simply did what was natural.¡± Shullifen nodded calmly. There was no hint of any formality in his tone. Suddenly, the back door opened, and Iril entered. Her basket was filled with eggs. ¡°Ta-da! I¡¯m back! Wait a bit, I¡¯ll make it right away. Will you eat too, Shullifen?¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re offering, I¡¯ll gratefully ept.¡± ¡°Hehe, okay~¡± Ronan chuckled as if he was astonished. Even the recently emptied bowl was not small, yet he remained consistently the same. Iril began humming while preparing the food. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Squeak! Suddenly, Shullifen stood up and gestured toward him, understanding the signal Ronan stood up as well. Ronan was about a few centimeters taller. He followed Shullifen to the second floor. Shullifen stopped in front of the balcony on the second floor, making Ronan raise an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a pleasant story for Miss Iril to hear.¡± Shullifen turned his gaze out of the window. Snow poured down under the cloudy sky. Though the well-built house didn¡¯t let the cold in, one could tell how freezing it was outside. He unfolded his arms and spoke. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s been happening on the ind?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. It¡¯s currently the Golden Plum Fox Moon, Ronan.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. Shullifen chuckled with a mixed tone. ¡°It¡¯s amusing. Having to wrap yourself in leather clothes when the cherry blossoms are supposed to be in full bloom.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. The Golden Plum Fox Moon was the time when he had just enrolled into the Philleon Academy. He was intoxicated by the spring flowers in full bloom, wielding a ck iron sword. ¡°¡­Does this have something to do with the monsters appearing in the middle of Philleon?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve encountered them. It¡¯s not just Philleon; the entire ind is struggling. These creatures appear wherever it snows.¡± ¡°Fuck. What the hell happened?¡± Ronan frowned. Even as he asked the question, a corner of his brain tingled. He had undoubtedly experienced something simr to this in his past life. ¡°This winter has been going on for a year. Only on this ind.¡± ¡°A year?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It all started with one student.¡± Rattle! Creak! The windows were creaking from the blowing cold wind. After a long silence, Shullifen spoke. ¡°Do you know about the Winter Witch?¡± Chapter 133: Unseasonable Winter (3) Chapter 133: Unseasonable Winter (3) ¡°Do you know about the Winter Witch?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The moment he heard the words ¡®Winter Witch,¡¯ the scattered fragments of memories in his mind instantly connected. The untimely snowstorm and the Snow Beast. A frozen world. It felt like a sneeze that had been on the verge ofing out erupted. Shullifen raised an eyebrow. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t. It happened justst year.¡± Stunned, Ronan stood there speechless. It seemed that during his two-year slumber, he had lost touch with reality. Ronan had already experienced the winter caused by the Winter Witch once. ¡°Is the Winter Witch¡­ by any chance named Evelyn or Evelin?¡± ¡°Evelin Droza. What, did you know about her?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. It was the same person, but something was terribly wrong. It wasn¡¯t yet the time for the Winter Witch to appear. ¡®Too soon.¡¯ In his past life, the Winter Witch appeared during the time when Ronan was still in the Punishment Squad. At least several more years should have passed before her arrival for things to be normal. He couldn¡¯t have been wrong about this time. After his regression, it was one of the most crucial problems he had to solve. Shullifen nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Something happened just three months after Evelin enrolled into Philleon.¡± ¡°Damn it, she enrolledst year?¡± Ronan cursed. If she had enrolledst year, she would¡¯ve been nothing more than a young girl, even if one exaggerated her age. Clearly, things were vastly different from what he remembered. ¡°She did. She was the top neer in the Magic Department. She even defeated Lady Acalusia during the enrollment ceremony. Everything seemed fine until¡­¡± Shullifen paused. Even though he mentioned Elizabeth¡¯s defeat, Ronan showed no particr reaction. She was facing the Winter Witch, after all. She was considered one of the worst criminals since the beginning of the Empire¡¯s history. ¡°Evelin suddenly went berserk one day. She imprisoned three buildings of the Magic Department in ice and fled. It started snowing endlessly from that night onwards.¡± Shullifen exined that after summoning the winter to the Institute, she went into hiding. Although there was a difference in the fact that shemitted a crime while she was a student at Philleon, her actions were simr in some ways to her past life. ¡°What a bitch.¡± Suddenly, memories of the Winter Witch from his past life shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. Despite the short duration, the gravity of the situation was immeasurable. At least the citizens now had the freedom to leave the Institute. ¡®She was a literal disaster.¡¯ At that time, the citizens were trapped within the inds, unable to leave, facing the choice of either starvation or death. The witch¡¯s heinous crimes were beyond vicious. She knew precisely how to wield her powers in the most evil ways. ¡®Why did she do such a thing?¡¯ The motive for her crimes remained unknown. The witch¡¯s sudden madness began with burying the major trade routes of the Empire, including the Romaira Range, under ice. The Empire took immediate action. They mobilized the Imperial Army and invited renowned me mages from the Dawn Magic Tower. However, the witch¡¯s power was beyond imagination. No conventional methods could melt or break the ice, and even if destroyed, it reformed. She turned the Romaira Range into her fortress, sealing the area off. Those stranded by her froze to death in the snow. Fierce Snow Beasts and Frost Spirits rampaged within the blizzard. After about a month, famine struck the once-prosperous Empire. The Winter Witch¡¯s secluded siege continued for over three months. ¡®Things are certainly better now than back then, but¡­¡¯ The Witch at the time died at the hands of Shullifen. After numerous attempts, the young swordsman managed to thrust a wind de into her chest. The decisive battle in the stormy mountains was talked about until the day the giants came down. The Witch, pierced through the heart, exploded into shards of ice. Ronan still remembered the sound of the gigantic millennium snow copsing. ¡®History has changed. But why?¡¯ Even without knowing the reason, it was evident that something strange had urred. A substantial change, indeed. Trying to shake off his memories, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Where is the Witch now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re well aware of that ce. Rodn, the Fortress of Screams.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. This was an unexpected location. If the Witch was in Rodn, it meant she had been captured. ¡°It didn¡¯t take long to secure the Witch¡¯s imprisonment.¡± Indeed, Shullifen exined that they caught the Witch within ten days after she went into seclusion. Ronan raised his brow in response. ¡°Then why is this happening?¡± ¡°The problem arose after her capture. No matter what we tried, we couldn¡¯t break through that shell.¡± ¡°That shell?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ That¡¯s why all the continent¡¯s mages and schrs have gathered at the continent.¡± Shullifen continued exining. When they found the Witch deep within a cave, her body was trapped inside a thick block of ice. ¡°Count powerful individuals were mobilized. The Dawn Mage Tower Lord, Aun Phra, the leader of the Imperial Knights, Sir Garud, and even the Sword Saint Zaifa came looking for her, but they were unable to destroy the thick block of ice surrounding her body.¡± ¡°Thick block of ice¡­?¡± Suddenly, a certain image shed through his mind. It resembled the impression left by the crystal that had enveloped him when he woke up. The crystal, seemingly indestructible, shattered frighteningly when he touched it. ¡®Mine wasn¡¯t ice, but perhaps¡­¡¯ It was an utterly baseless deduction, yet it felt like there might be some connection. Rodothan. Ronan, lost in thought, nced out of the window. Students bundled up in fur coats roamed the campus in the chilling cold. ¡®This is crazy.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. Undoubtedly, this was a problem that needed to be addressed. Spring was supposed to be a season for basking in warm sunlight and the fragrance of flowers. The time to shiver in the cold while wearing a dumb fur hat was reserved for winter. ¡°Thanks for letting me know. There¡¯s all sorts of shit going on.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, it seems it¡¯ll be resolved soon. Navardose had agreed to a deal with the Emperor, so someone from their tribe will likelye to melt the ice.¡± If it was Navardose¡¯s tribe, it meant a Red Dragon. If even the hottest fire onnd couldn¡¯t melt the ice, it was truly a hopeless situation. ¡°Anyway, when you have time, visit Rodn. You have a talent for cutting things that others can¡¯t, so you might be able to break that ice too. That¡¯s what I wanted to discuss.¡± Shullifen concluded the conversation. Thud! Thud! Suddenly, the sound of knocking echoed from downstairs. Ronan and Shullifen exchanged nces as Ronan shrugged. ¡°Must be Sunbae. I called her.¡± Ronan rushed downstairs to open the door. However, the one waiting wasn¡¯t Adeshan. His eyes widened at the familiar faces. ¡°You guys¡­¡± The first thing that caught his attention was Aselle¡¯s fiery red hair. Then came Marya¡¯s erged breasts, then Braum¡¯s messy beard, and finally, Ophelia¡¯s surprisingly unchanged face. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­! You really came back¡­!¡± ¡°Aselle.¡± Aselle spoke with a trembling voice. Despite the two years that had passed, he hadn¡¯t grown much in height. Ronan frowned as he noticed Aselle¡¯s hair, which had overgrown, tied back. His eyshes seemed almost as thick as Adeshan¡¯s, making him appear more like a girl. Marya, standing behind him, slowly approached. ¡°Ha, really. How did you grow so much?¡± Marya chuckled lightly. The rich blonde hair that used to resemble a lion¡¯s mane had transformed into a short bob, revealing a well-built body even under the thick fur coat. As she walked around Ronan and measured his height, she suddenly lowered her head. Beneath the low-hanging hair, her real voice flowed out. ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± Ronan let out a soft sigh. With just that word, one could sense how much she had worried. Ronan reached out and patted Aselle and Marya on the shoulders. Braum and Ophelia also each made ament. ¡°Ahahaha! Ronan, you¡¯ve be a true warrior! Is it really you, the person who did nothing and was locked up?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve be more of an adult¡­¡± Braum¡¯s eyes were also reddened. Ophelia¡¯s pale face carried a somewhat hard-to-spot smile. Whoosh! At that moment, something fluttered in through the crack in the door. Ronan smirked. ¡°Cita.¡± ¡°Bweeehh!¡± Cita, with four wings spread,nded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. The soft feathers tickled his nose. Suddenly, Ronan felt something strange and furrowed his brow. ¡°But, why did you grow so much? Did my sister feed you too well?¡± ¡°Bweeh~¡± ¡°Damn it, you might even eat people.¡± Cita¡¯s size was almost like that of arge dog. It wasn¡¯t a joke; the wingspan was probably close to 3 meters. Surprisingly, there was no noticeable change in weight. Ronan let Cita be until she seemed satisfied. Iril¡¯s voice came from her kitchen, telling him that the meal was ready. Ronan looked at each of them one by one. Hundreds of words he wanted to say were lingering in his throat. He finally opened his mouth. ¡°How have you all been?¡± **** Ronan left the house after finishing five servings of the stew. Having been starved for two years, his sister¡¯s cooking melted on his taste buds. He walked around the campus with the club members. The evening snowfall made everything look serene. It was easier to talk thanks to the snowstorm that had subsided. ¡°Damn, Senior Adeshan is the Student CouncilPresident?¡± ¡°Yes. She was elected by andslidest year. She used to visit our club often, but it¡¯s been hard to see her since then.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. They mentioned something about the student council earlier, but he didn¡¯t realize Adeshan was the president. Marya continued. ¡°I know how it is since I also handle ounting. She really does her job well. It¡¯s amazing to see someone so meticulous in the world.¡± Adeshan was evaluated as an almost perfect Student Council President in every aspect. It seemed like it was only yesterday when she was being ostracized in Navirose¡¯s ss, but she had made remarkable progress. Marya expressed her regret. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If it weren¡¯t for the Winter Witch, she would¡¯ve been able to unleash her strength even further¡­¡± It was true. With the onset of winter caused by the Winter Witch, Pheon Academy was facing unprecedented challenges. Just by looking at the halved number of new students, it was evident. Ronan, while chatting with them, arrived at the main za and bid them farewell. Aselle stuttered. ¡°Uh, see youter, Ronan. You remember the location, right?¡± ¡°Of course, dude.. Who do you think I am, a monkey?¡± He had arranged to meet themter after finishing urgent matters at the new club building. Marya teased. ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised when you see it. You better prepare a change of underwear.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been bragging for two years. I¡¯ll see if it¡¯s anything special when we meetter.¡± He wondered what Kratir had built to make such amotion. Leaving the group, he headed to the Gallerion Hall, the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department. The gray castle, which he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, was covered in pure white snow. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a good chance to say hello.¡± After mumbling to himself, he approached Navirose¡¯s quarters. It was to say hello and ask her for advice on his visit to Rodn. She was disappointed when Ronan didn¡¯t visit her before leaving for vacation, and if he overlooked it this time as well, he might really get dragged out by the ears. Perhaps because it was the weekend, the Gallerion Hall was empty. Shortly after changing direction, a familiar door appeared. The giant double door, reaching the ceiling, had the words ¡°Arena 1¡± engraved inrge letters. Thududu¡­ The door opened with a sound like rolling rocks. Surprisingly, the lights were on. The woman meditating in the center of the arena caught Ronan¡¯s eye. Olive-green uniform on bronze skin. It was Navirose, Ronan¡¯s instructor in the martial arts. ¡°Instructor Navirose.¡± The Great Secret Sword, Ursa, was lying next to her. Ronan greeted her warmly, but there was no response. Only when he got very close did Navirose finally turn her head. ¡®What?¡¯ However, her condition didn¡¯t look very good. Cold sweat was running down her temples. There were dark shadows beneath her closed eyelids. As she finally opened her eyes, she gasped. ¡°Ugh! Huff, huff!¡± She seemed like someone who had just woken up from a nightmare. In a daze, she stared at the floor. It felt like she was burning with resentment against something. Ronan, who was waiting next to her, held out a water pouch. ¡°Dammit, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± Only then did Navirose turn her head. Ronan frowned as he faced her. The atmosphere around her was noticeably different from two years ago. The strong aura still remained, but the characteristicposure had disappeared. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s words that something had happened to Navirose shed in his mind. Navirose took the water pouch and took a gulp of water. ¡°Hah¡­ When did you return?¡± ¡°Today. Instructor, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just my mood. I¡¯m d you came back safely.¡± Navirose spoke calmly. He could see in her eyes that she was making an effort to act calm. She raised a brow as she looked at Ronan up and down. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve be stronger.¡± Ronan neither affirmed nor denied. Nabirose emptied the water pouch in an instant and threw it away. She slowly raised her body and picked up her sword. ¡°¡­Ronan. Take out your sword.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Ronan was taken aback at her sudden request. Her voice was serious, it did not sound like she was joking. Navirose wiped her mouth with her sleeve and unsheathed her sword. ¡°Have a spar with me.¡± Chapter 134: Unseasonable Winter (4) Chapter 134: Unseasonable Winter (4) ¡°Have a spar with me.¡± Navirose pulled on the hilt of her sword. With a clinking sound, the Secret Sword, Urusa, appeared. One of the masterpieces Doron was proud of. The sword forged by mixing ten types of ores, was gleaming with a dark green hue just like her eyes. Ronan stood somewhat dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t quite grasp what was happening all of a sudden. Navirose urged him with an irritated tone. ¡°What are you doing? Draw your weapon.¡± ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¡­¡± Ronan clicked his tongue, drawing his sword. There was something off about Navirose today. Her sensitiveness and entricity was just like a cat pricked by a rose thorn. Ssshwung! Lamancha¡¯s ck de scattered a distinctive shadow. Ymir remained still, firmly lodged at his waist. ¡°Are you not using that dagger?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ronan nodded his head. It seemed futile to dabble in swordy tactics now. Navirose, poised, murmured softly. ¡°Come at me with all your might.¡± Her voice was serious. Whatever the reason, it seemed genuine. Instead of responding, Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. Whoosh! A dizzying crimson rose along the sword¡¯s edge. For some reason, infusing mana into the de felt much easier than before. Navirose arched her eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? You¡¯vee this far.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®this far¡¯?¡± ¡°A core has appeared. Your core.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Come to think of it, the pulsation of his heartbeat felt different than before. It felt like something hotter than blood was stirring inside him. ¡®Is this also an aftermath of undoing the cures¡­?¡¯ Maybe this was why his body felt lighter. They stepped back about thirty paces from each other. Confirming Ronan¡¯s stance, Navirose spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Ronan nodded. Simultaneously, Navirose¡¯s figure vanished from sight. Bang! A green sh sparkled, and a surge of sword energy shot from where she stood. ¡°Shit¡­!¡± Ronan spat a curse. Two crescents flew towards him. Crossing each other, these sword energies seemed to span about 30 meters in length. As he concentrated, Ronan spotted Navirose darting towards him behind the sword energies. In that moment, he realized how much she¡¯d concealed her skill during their training sessions. Her speed was something he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to react to two years ago. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ However, amidst the confusion, his blood boiled. This was the long-awaited battle against the former Sword Saint he had been looking forward to. Thud! Trusting his instincts, Ronan leaped, propelling himself off the ground. ¡®It¡¯s high¡­!¡¯ His lighter body soared higher than expected. The sword energies were suddenly close. Leaping like a swallow, Ronan swung his sword. Swoosh! The des formed a circle as the two sword edges intersected, splitting into four pieces that flew behind Ronan. Bang! The des hitting the wall caused an explosion, scattering traces of mana like sparks. Navirose, who was rushing forward, hastily stopped. Ronan rotated once more, swinging the sword downward. The intensified strike descended above Navirose¡¯s head. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Navirose¡¯s face froze. It resembled her rotating sword yet subtly different. The calm yet sharp de was undoubtedly familiar from somewhere. Though questions arose, there was no time to ponder them now. Gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands, she countered the attack. The two de edges shed in mid-air. Kaaaang! The sh echoed with a mix of metallic and impact sounds. The windows, unable to withstand the shockwave, shattered into pieces. Both surprised by each other¡¯s strength, gritted their teeth. ¡°Aahh!¡± ¡°Keuk!¡± However, no one was pushed back. After a brief struggle of strength, the two struck out their swords again. ng! ng! The lightning-fast swords shed repeatedly. With each de meeting, a jade-green sh burst into the air. Suddenly, a question flickered in Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Something was off. The more they fought, the more a sense of strangeness intensified. However, there was no time to dwell on it. Ronan gripped the handle tighter. Whoosh! The red light pulsating within the sword energy rose to the surface. ¡°I¡¯m going all out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s prevent that.¡± Navirose twisted her lips. Thump! Ronan unleashed a brief maneuver, twirling his right foot. In an instant, roots sprouted, entwining around Navirose. ¡°This is¡­¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan swung his sword towards her, who was bound. Thud! Her foot, which tore away from the roots and flew out and struck Ronan in the abdomen. ¡°Keuuk!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. The impact felt like his insides were turned upside down. Simultaneously, he swung his sword as he bounced off. Boom! A crimson sword energy wasunched towards Navirose. However, it wasn¡¯t the usual crescent shape but an organic form, resembling a waterfall. Achieving the transformation of the sword technique he longed for, Ronan eximed in exasperation. ¡°Damn, nailed it!¡± ¡°Did you manage to do it in the end?¡± Navirose chuckled hollowly. A rush of crimson surged forward. She slightly rotated her sword, defending against the sword energy. Kwang! The liquified energy relentlessly pounded Urusa¡¯s de. Suddenly, a voice came from behind. ¡°As expected.¡± The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Navirose quickly turned her head. Ronan, who had reappeared behind her, was swinging his sword horizontally. A swift strike with a trailing red tail was hurtling toward her. ¡°Tsk¡­!¡± Quickly turning her body, Navirose assumed a defensive posture. However, Ronan¡¯s sh was already right in front of her nose. At this distance, Urysa would be pushed away and it would strike her. Realizing that she was a step toote, she gritted her teeth. ¡°¡­.?¡± However, the collision didn¡¯t ur. Lamancha halted right in front of her. Navirose furrowed her brow. ¡°¡­What are you doing right now?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. As soon as he lowered his sword, Lamancha¡¯s color returned to its original state. Navirose, her expression twisted further, growled softly. ¡°I asked you what you are doing.¡± ¡°Once you¡¯repletely healed, I¡¯llnd my strike.¡± Ronan spoke calmly. Light streamed in through the broken windows. Navirose frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your condition isn¡¯t normal, Instructor. Did you get into an ident or something?¡± An eerie silence fell. After several seconds, Navirose struggled to speak. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not injured.¡± ¡°Damn it, then what the hell happened? Why aren¡¯t you using everything you have? Your movements are sloppy too.¡± Ronan listed the changes he felt in one breath. Navirose¡¯s overall skills had deteriorated. While her aggressive onught remained, that seemed to be the only thing left. He had felt something was odd since he saw her meditating, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this severe. ¡°Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Tell me honestly. What¡¯s the issue?¡± For the first time, he resented Adeshan. Nobody was in good health here. Judging by the degree of deterioration in skill, it was evident the Instructor had suffered a major injury. On her arm, leg, or somewhere. They probably lied to reassure him. After a long silence, Navirose struggled to speak. ¡°¡­I lost to Zaifa.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Exactly. It happened earlier this year. I just couldn¡¯t keep myposure.¡± Navirose sighed. She had challenged Zaifa again for the position of Sword Saint earlier this year, but ended up losing. While she wasn¡¯t injured, the main point was that she lost even though it was a rematch. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Wait, wait, so you¡¯re not hurt at all? Not even on a single spot?¡± ¡°Yeah. Didn¡¯t I say that earlier?¡± Navirose nodded. Her tone suggested she was tired of hearing such questions. Ronan, swallowing the curse that had risen to his throat, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Damn it, you¡¯re scaring people here.¡¯ He felt like he had aged by ten years just from the stress. Adeshan hadn¡¯t lied. Sweeping his bangs aside, he spoke up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m d you¡¯re not hurt. I thought you¡¯d lost an arm or something and got it reced with a prosthetic.¡± ¡°Well, maybe it would have been better that way¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This fight confirmed something for me. I can¡¯t defeat that cat for the rest of my life.¡± She had realized her limitations after thest fight. It was a tremendous shock for Navirose, who had spent her life defeating everyone, except for Zaifa and the gray-haired man. Not only was she unable to disy her true skills to their full potential, she was also unable to bring out her aura properly. Navirose smiled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s like a naive attitude. I¡¯m sorry for showing you such an embarrassing side of me.¡± ¡°Instructor.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. He never imagined someone who seemed unbreakable would end up like this. Observing Ronan quietly, Navirose spoke. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m a little better now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Because, unlike me, another student with more potential has appeared.¡± Ronan lowered his gaze towards her. Navirose¡¯s face seemed noticeably brighter. After sheathing her sword, she lightly tapped Ronan on the chest. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so muchpared to before¡­ What on earth happened in those two years?¡± ¡°I just¡­ did some self-reflection.¡± ¡°Some Awakened their auras, and you¡¯re making me happy in your own way.¡± As she spoke, Navirose seemed genuinely content. It felt like some of the darkness that had shrouded her face had lifted. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be a shameful mentor either.¡± Seeing her able to forget her pain through her student¡¯s achievements confirmed she was indeed a natural mentor. The two exchanged brief conversations about their recent situations. ¡°You met Adeshan beforeing here? But that kid didn¡¯t tell you about my condition?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t. She said I should hear it from you myself.¡± ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s a good kid, even though she¡¯s not my assistant anymore.¡± ¡°I think so too. Uh, Instructor. I have a favor to ask.¡± Navirose tilted her head. Ronan spoke up. Hearing that he wanted to go to Rodn, the expression on her face changed. ¡°Rodn? Are you nning to go see the Winter Witch?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I expected that. As soon as youe back, you¡¯re throwing yourself into the whirlpool.¡± Ronan scratched his head, appearing somewhat irritated. Navirose quickly raised her eyebrows as she yfully rebuked him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll contact the Inquisitor, Karaka.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t do anything reckless. The Sword Festival ising up soon.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think I¡¯d be so foolish?¡± ¡°Whatever. You¡¯ve caused quite a stir, and not in a good way.¡± The two people facing each other giggled at the same time. Navirose picked up the scattered water pouch. After pouring out the remaining water, she spoke. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back.¡± With those words, Navirose turned her back. Ronan noticed her quickened pace, as if she were running away. It was strange for the one feeling embarrassed to be the odd one. Ronan grinned as he watched her disappearing figure. ¡°Me too.¡± **** Even though the sun had set, the sky remained overcast. The wind, resembling ament, irregrly rustled through the air. Whenever the moonlight peeked through the clouds, the umted snow on the ground glowed faintly. Navirose had mentioned that she would receive a reply from Rodn by tomorrow at thetest. After finishing the conversation with her, Ronan immediately left the Gallerion Hall. He was heading towards the new club building. Originally, he nned to visit it a bitter, but Marya made a huge fuss that it had to go today. ¡°It was supposed to be around here¡­¡± Ronan, reaching the north side of the campus, looked around. The garden, once full of flowers and trees, had transformed into a white snowfield. Even after rubbing his eyes and searching, he couldn¡¯t see any building suitable for a club. ¡®Damn it, did they give me the wrong information?¡¯ Ronan took out a cigar and cursed. Due to the continuous snowfall, it was challenging to ignite a fire. At that moment, he heard a familiar voice from not far away. ¡°Ro-Ronan! Over here!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head. A small figure, wrapped in fur clothing, was trembling. The tulip-like red hair in their hands looked even more vivid than thentern. ¡°Were you there?¡± Wiping his wet cigar, Ronan shifted his steps. Aselle waspletely covered in snow, turning into something akin to a snowman. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Are you okay, dude?¡± ¡°I-I thought you¡¯d be lost, so I came out for a bit¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, you idiot.¡± Ronan brushed off the snow from Aselle¡¯s hat. Behind Aselle stood a small building. It appeared modest and unassuming, possibly just a warehouse, but its exterior was entirely covered in white and concealed by the snow-covered roof, making it hard to notice. Ronan frowned. ¡°That old man Katir tricked me.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ you¡¯ll be surprised when you go inside.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose.¡± Muttering, Ronan entered the interior of the building. The moment the door closed, the sound of the wind diminished. A smallntern glowed overhead. The rectangr space was filled with thick piles of firewood. ¡°Amazing. A firewood bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s all an illusion. The stairs appear suddenly, so be careful.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan tilted his head. Aselle lifted his foot without hesitation. Witnessing his legs pass through the firewood, Ronan widened his eyes. Surprisingly, all the firewood was just an intangible illusion. ¡®He put in quite some effort into this.¡¯ It was an advanced technique he had only seen in the library of the Dawn Magic Tower. As they walked through the fake firewood, the stairs leading downwards appeared shortly. They were notably steep and deep stairs. A pleasant smell wafted from somewhere. While descending the stairs, Ronan asked Aselle. ¡°So, why did it have to be today? There are plenty of other days.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± Aselle hesitated, scratching his cheek, avoiding eye contact. It seemed clear that he was hiding something, not even responding when Ronan threatened to tie his hair into pigtails. The moment he finally reached the end of the stairs, the view became clear. Aselle eximed. ¡°I-I brought him!¡± ¡°Ah, finally.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. There was a crowd of people gathered together. It was a familiar and yet nostalgic sight, but right now he was more surprised than d. Ronan let out augh as he saw the new club. ¡°¡­That crazy old man.¡± Chapter 135: Unseasonable Winter (5) Chapter 135: Unseasonable Winter (5) ¡°¡­That crazy old man.¡± It was vast, disgustingly so. That was Ronan¡¯s initial impression. The new club exceeded his expectations by far. A field of stones stretched out before him. The ceiling and walls were made entirely of smooth, t stone, more resembling a runway fornding than a training ground. It seemed like someone had put together five arenas where butterflies and swords had just dueled. Seriously, if the ceiling were a little higher, it could amodate small dragons. ¡°This is crazy.¡± Ronan muttered, pulling out Ymir from his waist. ng! He infused mana, striking the floor, but the de barely made a faint spark and bounced off. ¡°Hah.¡± Ronan chuckled. He hadn¡¯t anticipated his wish for something spacious and sturdy to be so straightforwardly epted. While he gazed around, a boisterous voice echoed. ¡°Haha, I knew you¡¯d be surprised!!¡± Ronan turned toward the source of the sound. Marya was vigorously waving from a corner of the training ground. Behind her stood a wooden building originally used as an observation point. ¡°How on earth did they move that?¡± It was undoubtedly Katir¡¯s doing. In front of the buildingy a long table set for a feast, wafting delicious smells from the dishes. ¡°Hehe, this is easily the most dramatic scene in my over 70 years of teaching.¡±¡± ¡°Your back already?¡± ¡°Oh my, Lord Ronan.¡± Familiar faces gathered around the table. All the club members, and the people who bid farewell to Ronan two years ago, were present. Ronan walked slowly forward. Katir was the first to approach and offer a handshake. ¡°Ronan, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Headmaster.¡± ¡°You¡¯re back after a long time, but the Academy is in such a bad state. It¡¯s quite embarrassing.¡± Katir chuckled wryly. The wrinkles on his face had deepened. Dark circles suggested sleepless nights battling crises. He was undoubtedly the person suffering the most from the Winter Witch incident. Katir, trying to shake off his fatigue, patted Ronan on the shoulder. ¡°Well, does the new club appeal to you?¡± ¡°¡­Is it okay to build something like this under the campus?¡± ¡°Hehe, it was fortunate that we finished construction before the winter set in. Considering what Ronan has aplished, I might consider adding a couple more.¡± Stroking his beard, Katirughed. Though fatigue was evident, it was apassionateughter. He exined the advantages and unique aspects of the new club like durability, well-equipped training facilities, and even secret passages scattered around. Ronan nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You just need to return to third-year right away. I¡¯ve sorted everything out already.¡± ¡°I skipped a lot of things¡­ Do I not have to take any exams or anything like that?¡± ¡°How sly. What meaning does that hold for you now? Just expect to get very busy for the remaining period. You¡¯ll need to catch up on what you¡¯ve missed.¡± Thankfully, he wouldn¡¯t have to call Aselle or Marya seniors. Despite jumping straight to the upper grade, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal considering his enhanced abilities. No bird regrets the time it spent in the egg. Katir nced at the clock and quenched his appetite. ¡°Well, now that I¡¯ve seen your face, I think this old man should go¡­ Sorry we can¡¯t spend more time together.¡± It seemed like there was another urgent matter. Although they parted ways as soon as they met, given his position, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Ronan was bidding him goodbye, he spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll make it easier for you in no time.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ You make it sound ominous. Anyway, have a good time.¡± Whoosh! The space twisted, and Katir¡¯s figure vanished. Ronan, who was looking at the spot where he had disappeared, opened his mouth without turning his head. ¡°Professor Jhordin, should I just say hello and leave?¡± ¡°At least wait until you¡¯ve finished your meal. You¡¯ve grown a lot taller.¡± ¡°Yeah. What else has changed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky just because you have a core now. You haven¡¯t forgotten the mana maniption method I taught you, have you?¡± Nevertheless, regarding mana, there was no arguing. Ronan frowned slightly, looking again at the transformed figure of Jhordin. ¡°¡­Jhordin?¡± The hollowed-out cheeks could probably be used as cups if turned inside out. His wrist, exposed from the sleeve, was reminiscent of a skeleton. Ronan asked with a worried voice. ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s not because of your wife.¡± ¡°Sunya is doing well. She woke up not too long ago.¡± Jhordin gave a faint smile. Sunya was slowly but surely improving. He sighed, exining the situation regarding his wife¡¯s condition. ¡°Just¡­ I¡¯ve been very busy.¡± ¡°Good to hear.¡± ¡°Yeah. Compared to losing my wife again, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He, too, had been dealing with significantly increased responsibilities since the arrival of the winter. There were several individuals who might truly copse from overwork if they didn¡¯t resolve the Winter Witch¡¯s situation promptly. ¡°That monster¡­ No, Navirose, is she feeling better?¡± ¡°Oh, she seems to be. She saw potential in me, believe it or not.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. At least I don¡¯t have to witness that sight anymore. Zaifa, too. But she was very worried about you.¡± He mentioned that Navirose would inquire about Ronan¡¯s well-being at least once a day. Questions like why he wouldn¡¯t wake up, whether she could feed him food or not, what if he woke up but turned into an idiot, and so on¡­ Since her defeat against Zaifa, she imed to have faced double trouble by entertaining drinkingpanions. Sighing deeply, Jhordin tapped Ronan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can assure you that she is the person who cares about you the most. Treat her well.¡± ¡°Got it. Anyway, she seems to be a caring person.¡± ¡°Not exactly, Professor Jhordin. There is also the Student Council President.¡± Suddenly, a graceful youngdy interrupted. Her upturned, cat-like eyes were familiar. With her dark purple hair swept behind her ears, she spoke demurely. ¡°Adeshan Unni wrote letters almost every day. Even families don¡¯t do that, do they?¡± ¡°Quite an effort indeed. It¡¯s fortunate that while serving as her assistant, she didn¡¯t begin to resemble that monster.¡± ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for the Winter Witch, she would¡¯ve definitely written daily without fail¡­¡± Jhordin nodded in agreement. She clenched her fists as if she was angry by listing achievements that were not her own. Ronan, observing her intently, smirked. ¡°Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Ah, long time no see, Ronan.¡± Only then did Elizabeth turn her head. Seeing her after a long while, she had blossomed into a truly beautiful youngdy. Her manners and speech exuded charm, truly the pride of the Acalusia Family. Ronan, inspecting Elizabeth¡¯s face, furrowed his brows. ¡°What is that scar?¡± ¡°Oh, you noticed it instantly¡­¡± Elizabeth widened her eyes. There were blotches resembling red stains spreading around her neck. Having experienced various injuries, Ronan knew it was a scar from frostbite. Elizabeth, with a wry smile, traced her scar. ¡°It¡¯s a scar left by the Witch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not deliberately removing it?¡± ¡°Hehe, you are quick-witted as expected.¡± She suffered a crushing defeat against the Winter Witch during her entrance ceremonyst year. Even the me magic directly imparted to her by Aun Phra ultimately failed to melt the Witch¡¯s ice. ¡°I look at it every time I let my guard down. Surprisingly, it¡¯s quite effective.¡± ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t n on treating it until this winter ends. It would be great if there was a chance to take revenge, but now I can¡¯t even get close¡­¡± Elizabeth chewed her lip. As long as the Winter Witch remained inside her shell, the opportunity for a rematch wouldn¡¯t present itself. While contemting something, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Would you like toe with me this time?¡± ¡°Huh? Go together?¡± ¡°I was originally nning to only take Aselle with me, but I guess one more wouldn¡¯t hurt. So¡­¡± Ronan briefly exined his n. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. Grabbing Ronan¡¯s sleeve with both hands, she spoke. ¡°I want to go. Please take me with you. Please?¡± ¡°Sure. But there¡¯s a condition.¡± ¡°A condition?¡± ¡°Join our club.¡± Ronan wore a stern expression, as if telling her not to even dream of negotiating. She had been a talent he was keeping an eye on for a while, and he couldn¡¯t afford to miss this opportunity. Gazing thoughtfully, Elizabeth grinned. ¡°I¡¯m already a member of your club.¡± ¡°Huh? When did you join?¡± ¡°Not long after you left. Adeshan Unni gave me personal guidance every day, making me so envious. So, impulsively I¡­¡± Elizabeth scratched her cheek. It was an honest reason for joining, simr to something like a single man buying flowers he doesn¡¯t even like to impress the girl at the flower shop. ¡°Well then¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, a deal is a deal, right?¡± The deal ended unexpectedly. Just then, a familiar woman walked out of the club building. She held a roasted turkey that looked freshly taken out of an oven in her hands. ¡°Eri. Could you take this?¡± ¡°Sunbe?¡± ¡°Ah, Ronan, you¡¯re here.¡± Adeshan gave him a warm smile. Elizabeth, who had telekically moved the turkey to the table, clung to her, whining. ¡°Geez, how will you handle such heavy things while managing the Student Council? You didn¡¯t cook this yourself, did you?¡± ¡°Eri, you worry too much. I do it because I enjoy it.¡± Club members bustled around the building, carrying food and drinks. It seemed like there was more than just the dishesid out on the table. Feeling a sudden emptiness, Ronan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Varen isn¡¯t here?¡± It was odd. Varen wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would miss such an asion. Adeshan remembered something she had forgotten and pped her forehead. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, he wanted me to convey this to you. He¡¯s extremely busytely developing new potions.¡± ¡°Potion development?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s trying to create a mass-market version of the Evesting Snowflower Pearl¡­ a cold resistance potion that anyone can drink.¡± Adeshan mentioned that there wasn¡¯t anyone in Jido who didn¡¯t know about The Lion and the Dream Bird Workshop. Varen, who had been steadily conducting research, partnered with Marya¡¯s Caravel Merchant to distribute his special potions throughout the continent. ¡°Indeed. He has made it big.¡± It felt like just yesterday he was tearing at tufts of fur, impressed by the club activities, yet one never knows what the future holds. Ronan rolled up his sleeves and entered the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll help. What can I do?¡± ¡°Oh, you should just rest. You must be tired after waking up today.¡± ¡°Two years give you quite the break.¡± Ronan chuckled. Preparation didn¡¯t take long. The wee party to celebrate his returnsted until dawn. *** He was contacted by Ronn the next morning. Cita, who was now the size of arge dog, delivered the letter. Ronan entered Aselle¡¯s dorm room and woke him up. ¡°Get up, Aselle. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uuuhhh¡­ Where?¡± Aselle, buried in his bed, blinked as he got up. His hair was tied on both sides, a result of Ronan having tied it upst night, and Aselle hadn¡¯t undone it since returning to the dorm. He realized he might not have told the kid. ¡°Ronn.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Aselle froze in ce like a statue. Ronan left the room with a threat that if he wasn¡¯t ready within five minutes, he would make him wear a frilly dress. ¡°This is my first club activity in two years.¡± Ronan slid the pre-written club activity application through Varen¡¯s office door. The outrageously expensive griffin airship served as their mode of transport. He had no idea what Nabirose had said, but there was no particr need for a guide. After enduring hours of pain that felt as if his buttocks would be split horizontally, a huge shadow finally appeared on the horizon of the dawn sea. It was Rodn, the Fortress of Screams, thergest reef in the world. ¡°Damn it, how is this any different from a prisoner transport carriage?¡± Thending was smooth. As they descended from the carriage, a fierce sea wind tousled their hair. Ronan, the first to alight, took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°Yeah, it should be about this much.¡± Ronan¡¯s smirk appeared. The brisk wind carried the warmth of spring. As Aselle followed, a trembling voice escaped his lips. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ Is this really right? Even now¡­¡± ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve brought you here for good reason. Despite her reputation as a witch, she¡¯s a rare sorceress. You might gain some magical inspiration.¡± ¡°Right, Aselle-Nim. Please demonstrate your magic and dignity.¡± Elizabeth, thest to descend, gave a warning. Aselle, ncing around, looked as if he was going to jump into the sea at any moment. Observing the crowded area, Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°So many people¡­¡± All sorts of people roamed the rocky tform serving as a pier. They were all here to try and solve the Winter Witch problem. Below the cliff, the ships they arrived on were docked side by side. There were few small boats, mostly massive cruise ships or warships, some even interlocked their hulls, forming structures. At this point, it was hard to tell if this was a prison or a tourist spot. Ronan furrowed his brow as he saw a ship approaching from a distance. ¡°Who¡¯s on that shy ship?¡± A colossal ship, its hull painted entirely in red, approached, breaking through the waves. A giant four-masted vessel, it seemed capable of carrying all of Rodn¡¯s prisoners and still have room left to spare. They seemed to be heading towards the fortress. Amidst the sea breeze, a familiar voice called out. ¡°Those from Philleon, over here.¡± The three turned their heads simultaneously. A cloaked old man stood, slightly stooped. A menacing beaked mask dangled from his waist. ¡°We¡¯ve received word from Navirose that you might have a way to strip off the witch¡¯s shell.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have to try to know for sure.¡± It was someone familiar. Ronan smiled at the face he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Meeting his eyes, the old man nodded with a smile. ¡°Hmm? Have we met somewhere before?¡± ¡°Two years ago. Interrogator Karaka.¡± ¡°Ah! The boy from back then!¡± Karaka¡¯s eyes twinkled. He extended a handshake to Ronan, a familiar attitude despite the long absence. ¡°You¡¯ve grown impressively; I didn¡¯t recognize you. The vige girls must be left sleepless.¡± ¡°That would be nice. How¡¯s Cyril?¡± ¡°Haha, she¡¯s doing well. With so many fellow fanatics having joined us, she¡¯s not receiving as much attention as before¡­ but she¡¯s still being cared for with great love and affection. I¡¯vepletely cut off her ears and regenerated them more than 20 times.¡± It had been over two years since her capture in Gran Capadokia, and she still seemed to be undergoing torture. Aselle covered his mouth. Karaka pointed towards Rodn¡¯s fortress and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. If you don¡¯t have any outerwear, we¡¯ll provide some for you inside.¡± ¡°Outerwear?¡± ¡°It gets terribly cold near the witch. Follow me.¡± The trio followed Karaka¡¯s lead. Whoosh! As they opened the fortress door, a chilling wind rushed out. It carried a mix of blood-curdling screams and sobs ¡°Aaaah! D-don¡¯t! Please!¡± ¡°C-Cold¡­! Please get it out now!¡± ¡°My legs, my legs¡­!¡± ¡°Exhrating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karaka, muttering, put on the mask hanging from his waist. The cheerful atmosphere around him had changedpletely. He looked back at the group and opened his mouth. ¡°Wee to Rodn.¡± Chapter 136: Come, Spring (1) Chapter 136: Come, Spring (1) ¡°Wee to Rodn.¡± Karaka spoke, shing a creepy smile as he entered the fortress. The group, ncing at each other¡¯s faces, followed him. Thud! As the door closed, the warmth mingled with the sea breeze vanished without a trace. Every breath exhaled formed a frosty mist. Ronan cursed under his breath at the biting cold. ¡°Damn, I thought it¡¯d get better.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll feel better once you put this on.¡± The cab by the door was packed with outerwear worn by guards and interrogators. Karaka, rummaging through, turned to Aselle. ¡°Hmm, wonder if there¡¯s something that¡¯ll fit ady like you.¡± ¡°Oh, no, no, I¡¯m not ady!¡± Aselle protested vehemently. Thankfully, they found suitable clothing. d in fur hats and gloves, the four resumed their steps. ¡°There are fewer people inside than I expected.¡± ¡°ess is restricted, and the cold inside is unbearable. It takes three times longer to warm up when facing the witch. It would be a little better if you had prepared some extra defensive measures, but it seems you haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°I see¡­ But isn¡¯t this too thick?¡± Ronan grumbled irritably as he descended the stairs, finding it hard to even see his feet with the thick clothing. ¡°I assure you, soon you¡¯ll think even this is too thin. Brace yourself.¡± Karaka stated confidently. The Winter Witch was indeed formidable. Many changes urred in Rodn since she was imprisoned in it. ¡°Ensuring prisoners don¡¯t freeze to death is a hassle, but it¡¯s not bad. We¡¯ve developed a lot of new torture¡­ Ahem, interrogation techniques.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± ¡°Simple. Just strip them down and throw them into the prison cell next to the witch. After a few times, even the most resolute prisoner breaks down physically and mentally.¡± Karaka described in detail what it felt like to cut the toes of their frozen hands with scissors. Also the story of a prisoner who had his tongue stuck to the floor and had to be cut out. ¡°We call it ¡®frozen.¡¯ Haha, fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± Karaka chuckled, but no one else joined inughter. Only Ronan, who was used to it by now, responded in a grave voice. ¡°How about keeping the top warm and just taking off the pants and throwing them in? Even if their legs freeze off, you can still get the answers.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You seem to have a knack for interrogation. Have I told you that before?¡± Elizabeth and Aselle stared at them as if they were demons emerging from hell. They ventured deeper into Rodn, listening to the screams of the prisoners. The further they descended, the more the temperature plummeted. People with lips turning blue passed them by. ¡°Damn it¡­! Let¡¯s hurry!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s impossible to break that¡­ cur-cursed witch!¡± Karaka guided them to a massive gate after about thirty minutes of walking. ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the deepest part of Rodn, the Abyss Judica.¡± It felt like they had reached the roots of a cliff. The atmosphere inside was suffocating, perhaps due to being underwater. The dimly lit gate seemed to block the passage even for shapeless specters. ¡°To construct this gate, three years¡¯ worth of Rodn¡¯s budget was used. Over there, you¡¯ll see the names of craftsmen who shed their sweat, blood, and tears for the Empire¡¯s security.¡± Karaka, offering tidbits of information, inserted a key into the gate¡¯s hole. Click! Thunderous sounds apanied the gate¡¯s opening. An unprecedented cold engulfed the four. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Th-This is¡­¡± Aselle screamed. Elizabeth¡¯s face, which usually maintained itsposure, distorted for the first time. Ronan, tightened his fur hat and took a deep breath. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± ¡°Haha, quite something, isn¡¯t it? Thanks to this, all the violent criminals imprisoned in Judica, had to be moved upstairs.¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. As Karaka had said, the coats had be useless. It felt like the icy chill had transformed into a de, tearing through their skin and organs. It was a level of cold simr to the one Ronan had felt when he captured the witch in his previous life. The group proceeded forward along a long corridor. A bluish glow shimmered ahead. A bubbling sound echoed from there. Eventually, a vast space emerged. The group¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t as spacious as anticipated. Around fifteen people stood in groups of three or five. Most seemed ustomed to being here, preparing various defenses against the deadly cold. ¡°Damn, if I knew it¡¯d be this bad, I would¡¯ve brought something too¡­¡± There was a woman wielding a magical device to generate heat and an old man adorned in the hide of an unknown beast. They stared at Ronan¡¯s group, only d in thick attire, as if they were peculiar animals. Karaka pointed behind the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s thedy in question.¡± A massive ice pir stood at the center of Judica. A faint bluish radiance emanated from the ice¡¯s surface. While it had some color, it was primarily transparent, allowing a clear view inside. Elizabeth, eyes, she muttered as she touched the scar on her neck. ¡°Evelin¡­¡± The Winter Witch, Evelin Droza, was huddled within the ice like a fetus. She was a slightly thin, ordinary-looking girl. They couldn¡¯t see her face since it was buried in her knees. Her once flowing hair, now frozen in ce, disyed a chilling white. Her hair was an eerie white, like dead coral, a far cry from the beautiful white hair of Iril. ¡°Damn it¡­ it¡¯s insanely cold. Let¡¯s finish this quickly!¡± At that moment, a knight in splendid armor and what seemed like his squire emerged from the gathering of people. The knight, who was as huge as a bear, wielded a menacing war hammer in his hands, which even resembled a streetmp. He shouted, looking around at the people around him. ¡°I am Baron Bunta, a Knight of the Hmathu Kingdom! I shall save this fallen Empire by shattering this wicked witch¡¯s shell!¡± It was a grandiose deration, as if he was threatening. The servant next to him clenched his fists and shouted. ¡°We can do it, Sir Bunta! You¡¯ll be the hero who saved the Empire!¡± ¡°Of course! Huaaaah!¡± The Knight named Bunta raised his arms above his head. The hammer fell in a huge arc and hit the ice. Kwaaaaang! However, the released force backfired, causing the hammerhead to explode. His face turned as red asva, and he fell back on his butt. ¡°Aaargh! Hand, my hand¡­!¡± The metal armor gloves shattered into pieces. Only the handle of the hammer remained, dropping to the ground. Not even a scratch marred the ice encasing the witch. As Bunta attempted to rise, a scream escaped him. ¡°Ugh! M-my hand, it¡¯s stuck to the floor!¡± ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ll help you get it off!¡± The servant rushed to help, but the hand remained firmly stuck. Eventually, Bunta had to sacrifice a portion of his palm¡¯s skin to free himself, hiding his transformed hand that seemed frozen, as he hurriedly fled Judica. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s not my lucky day. To think that guy like that is a Baron.¡± Ronan chuckled as he observed the distinct handprint left on the floor. It seemed that Bunta, or someone simr, had been in this situation before. Karaka sighed while watching his departure. ¡°These days, most of them are like that. Eager to be a hero.¡± ¡°Should I just go and give it a try?¡± ¡°You have to wait for your turn first. Everyone here hase to crack the shell.¡± Karaka looked around at the people and said. As expected, before the sound of Bunta¡¯s sobbing even disappeared, another person came out and stood in front of the ice. The middle-aged woman was adorned in a robe engraved with the pattern of Manwol Magic Tower. Speaking in a soft, melodic voice, she introduced herself. ¡°I am Mage Uslo, from the Manwol Magic Tower. Let¡¯s begin.¡± It seemed customary to reveal one¡¯s name and affiliation. A low chant flowed from her woman¡¯s mouth. Whoosh! Nine intricate magic circles manifested around the witch. Suddenly, nine massive pirs of rock erupted, echoing a thunderous roar. Kwaaaang! The sound, nine times louder than Bunta¡¯s hammer, reverberated, but as the dust settled, the ice column remained unscathed. She turned around, lips pursed. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d better try the other side.¡± Herposed eptance of failure was not unwee. Following attempts by Bunta and Uslo, others persisted. People exerted various methods to break the ice, all ending in failure. Among the challengers, there were many mages, and even to Ronan, some of the magic they used seemed quite impressive. Whenever that happened, Aselle and Erzebert would admire the magic, their eyes sparkling. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they draw mana circuits like that¡­! As expected, many outstanding talents havee here.¡± ¡°Yeah, umm, seems like it could be applied to other ces as well.¡± Although Ronan had no idea what they were talking about, it certainly seemed like it was having a positive impact. Bringing them along was indeed a good decision. Lost in various thoughts, Ronan noticed no new individuals were stepping forward. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my turn now.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­! You can do it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Aselle clenched both fists, encouraging him. Erzebert also offered sincere support. Stepping forward confidently, Ronan stood before the ice column. The witch remained hunched, still asleep. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips while examining the ice. His vague deductions seemed somewhat urate. The casing surrounding the witch emitted a simr feeling to the crystal covering his body. ¡®¡­It¡¯s slightly different.¡¯ Though not entirely identical if asked directly. It felt simr yet different. Would it be the difference between a shield and a prison? If Ronan¡¯s crystal was made to protect something, this seemed to be made to confine. He lightly tapped it with a finger, but the ice didn¡¯t melt or show any signs of cracking. ¡®I¡¯ve no other choice.¡¯ Now, he had no choice but to break it. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. Swish! The crimson-stained de of Lamancha revealed itself. ¡°I am Ronan from Philleon.¡± He introduced himself, fixing his gaze on the witch. Wasting no time, he took his stance and swung his sword. Kaaaaang! The dyed collision sound echoed. ¡°What a surprise!¡± ¡°Wh-What? When did he swing it?¡± The onlookers were startled, and raised their brows. None had seen his strike. Ronan frowned, feeling his bones crack. ¡°¡­It¡¯s solid.¡± The ice stood firm. Although about thirty percent of the de had prated, it was far from the plete destruction¡¯ he aimed for. Bewildered, the crowd sighed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, isn¡¯t that the de stuck inside the ice?¡± ¡°No way. You must have seen it wrong.¡± Initially not expecting much, they all responded indifferently. However, Ronan wasn¡¯t about to give up. ¡®If I chip away bit by bit, it will eventually break.¡¯ Even massive boulders erode from rainfall. As he prepared for another attempt, something peculiar caught his eye. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Ronan squinted and inspected the ice. On its bluish surface, faint, sharp marks were etched, barely noticeable unless closely observed. ¡®This shape¡­ where have I seen it?¡¯ Ronan tilted his head. While it seemed like it was drawn haphazardly, there was a sense of bnce. It seemed unnatural to be merely coincidental. After a brief pondering, he switched his core. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ From here on, it was a decision purely driven by intuition. Ronan raised his hand and ced it on the ice pir. Then, he let the shimmering mana flow onto the ice¡¯s surface. Swoosh¡­ The shimmering mana streamed like water along the marks, filling them. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re done showing off, move aside. We need to break it before that dragon arrives.¡± Those waiting in line began to grumble. As shimmering mana was invisible to other people¡¯s eyes, it became an inevitable situation. The mana flowing through the marks ceased expanding. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Indeed, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence. The shallow scratch on the ice depicted a familiar drawing. Ronan felt as if voices echoed inside his head. ¨C [Ridiculous. Do you think that the life of my servant and the life of those bugs have the same value?] ¨C They do, at least to me. Scenes that he had seen inside the Mental World shed rapidly in his mind. Ronan still remembered the world he saw through his eyes. He stretched out his hand, as if he was possessed by something, and touched the glowing mark. ¡®What on earth¡­is your intention?¡¯ He had only seen it a few times, but he could never forget it. It was sword marks of the technique the progenitor of Neb zier, by the Savior, had used. The person who leaped up to the sky and cut down a dragon. Chapter 137: Come, Spring (2) Chapter 137: Come, Spring (2) There were at least three ovepping traces etched onto the ice. Though he had only seen it a few times, he could never forget it. It was the swordsmanship of the founder of Neb zier, the Savior. ¡®Why would this be here?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was impossible. He still remembered the Savior falling into the pit, fatally wounded. ¡®No way.¡¯ Ronan began to examine the sword marks more thoroughly. Soon, his brow furrowed slightly. ¡®¡­It¡¯s rough.¡¯ The sword itself matched the Savior¡¯s, but the impression it conveyed was starkly different. It seemed simr on the surface, but the underlying intent differed. He couldn¡¯t believe it was done by the same person. ¡®Swinging a sword with such killing intent is no easy feat.¡¯ There are various types of sword wielders. The Savior he had seen clearly wielded the sword for justice. Only wielding the sword for the sake of protecting or saving something. Such individuals¡¯ sword marks didn¡¯t exude killing intent. Rather, if anything, it seemed apologetic for his actions. Since it was such a rare event, it was vividly etched into his memory. However, the sword marks on ice were theplete opposite. Each stroke oozed a killing intent to ruthlessly kill one¡¯s opponent without fail. Zaifa¡¯s sword would be the closest, but still not to this extent. The list of suspects was quickly narrowed down. In the first ce, there were only two people who knew how to replicate this sword technique. Ronan twisted his lips. The visage of the white-haired, sunset-eyed person resembling himself shed before his eyes. ¡®¡­That bastard.¡¯ The robed figure who betrayed the Savior had a sword just like this. Ronan raised his hand and touched his neck, recalling the sensation of the chilling de cutting across his neck. He couldn¡¯t fathom what was what. The openly disyed swordsmanship seemed like a provocation towards the Savior. What the intent was behind engraving such sword marks remained a mystery, but one thing was certain. ¡®They didn¡¯t break it on purpose.¡¯ The sword marks were narrow but deeply embedded. If they had wanted to, they could have shattered the ice pir and seized the witch without a second thought. ¡®Just what do you want?¡¯ Additional doubts cropped up one after another. However, they weren¡¯t the immediate concern. As Ronan attempted to raise his sword once again, an intense force swept over him from behind. ¡°¡­What?¡± It felt like the hairs on his neck were being pulled out all at once. Ronan slowly turned his head. The dimly lit corridor was steeped in eerie darkness. However, it seemed that he was not the only one who felt that force. People¡¯s murmurs grew louder. ¡°Wh-what was that just now?¡± ¡°Damn it, did a sinister beast break loose?¡± Some even dropped what they were holding. Aselle and Elizabeth stared pale-faced towards the direction of the door. A purplish mana lingered around Elizabeth¡¯s right hand. In a tense tone, she spoke. ¡°¡­Aselle-Nim, did you feel it?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Aselle replied with a trembling voice, his gaze fixed across the corridor. At that moment, a sound echoed from the far end as the door opened. Thududud¡­ An interrogator wearing a bird-beaked mask hurriedly rushed over. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ka-Karaka! It¡¯s¡­ huff, Itargand is here!¡± Breathless, the interrogator who had swiftly made it to the group eximed. Karaka nodded with interest. ¡°Oh, he came earlier than expected. Does he have apanion?¡± ¡°He came alone¡­ huff, saying he didn¡¯t need any help¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fortunate.¡± Karaka nodded. After clearing his throat, he addressed the crowd. ¡°Everyone, it seems we must prepare to pay our respects. The Flowing me, Itargand, has arrived.¡± ¡°Itargand? Was it today?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. The faces of the crowd suddenly stiffened. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°And who¡¯s this Itargand that¡¯s causing this mess?¡± ¡°A member of the Navardos tribe. Dispatched from Adren to resolve this situation. This is surprising. I had thought you came here today to see Itargand.¡± ¡°I overslept my winter nap a bit. But seriously, Navardos tribe, they¡¯re dragons, aren¡¯t they?¡± Suddenly, the image of a huge ship he had seen at the dock shed in Ronan¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t fathom who could have the audacity to ride a ship rivaling the Emperor¡¯s gship, but apparently, this damn dragon was on board. ¡®A dragon I had never heard of in my previous life.¡¯ Ronan scratched his chin, puzzled by the unfamiliar name. He vaguely remembered Shullifen mentioning some deal between the Emperor and Navardos. The murmurs among the people grew louder once again. A resounding noise erupted from the corridor beyond the door. -Kwaaaaaaaang! Everyone present turned their heads simultaneously. Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°Fuck, what now?¡± A bright light seeped in. The heavy door swung wide open with a creak. Hurriedly, the interrogator who had arrived earlier eximed in shock. ¡°Um, I-Itargand-Nim!¡± A young man stood with his hand in his pocket, facing their direction. He was a handsome man with a somewhat androgynous charm, with hair cascading down to his shoulders. His physique was average, but his attire was striking. A coat made entirely of lion leather was draped over an adorned uniform. The icy breeze from the ice pir fluttered the coat. Even in the biting cold where ice spirits would shiver, the young man wasposed. Ronan instinctively sensed that he was Itargand. His presence alone overwhelmed the audience, a quality that couldn¡¯t be learned by just anyone. ¡®He¡¯s just a young man.¡¯ Itargand exuded a youthful appearance. Ronan couldn¡¯t confirm it without seeing his true form, but he seemed yet to fully grow his horns. Of course, being a Red Dragon, his strength needed no exnation. However, it seemed that Navardos looked down on the current Winter Witch incident or the Emperor. Itargand, after scanning the audience, spat out a single sentence, seemingly displeased. ¡°I asked for the ce to be cleared.¡± With a voice that reverberated through the space, Ronan narrowed his eyes. The dry tone exuded the typical dragon¡¯s arrogance and overwhelming authority to an excessive degree. The interrogator replied in a trembling voice. ¡°Th-that, since you arrived sooner than expected¡­ If you just give me a little more time, I¡¯ll clean this up in no time!¡± ¡°Enough. Step aside.¡± Itargand withdrew his hand from his pocket. Casting his gaze upon the crowd, he slightly bent his index finger. Whoosh! The bodies of the nervous crowd rose into the air. ¡°M-my body¡­!¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit is this?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. An invisible force had a grip on him. But unlike Aselle¡¯s invisible hand, this one wasn¡¯t gentle. Its strength control was careless, like a child excitedly grabbing a frog. Those held captive cried out in pain. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Ah, it hurts¡­!¡± Among them were Aselle and Elizabeth. Ronan¡¯s face contorted abruptly. ¡°This little lizard!¡± Ronan swung his sword around and cut off the restraint. Simultaneously, he unleashed two sword energy des toward them. Shing! Two small energy des cut through the telekic force that was binding them. Ronan leaped up, wrapped his arms around the waist of Aselle and Elizabeth and caught them as they fell. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Ronan-Nim¡­!¡± The pair¡¯s eyes widened. It was the moment Ronan silentlynded on the ground. Itargand flicked his finger as if flipping through pages. Bang! The people who were floating in the air, were sent flying and ended up crumpled in a corner of the hallway. ¡°Keughhh!¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± They piled on top of each other like apost heap, squirming, crushing each other. People whose skin was unluckily stuck to the floor let out desperate screams. ¡°Aaargh! Get off, get off me!¡± Itargand¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Satisfied with the cleared space around the witch, he took a step forward. Precisely five strides. ¡°Hey.¡± Something blocked his path. Itargand slowly raised his head. Ronan, meeting his gaze, growled softly. ¡°You think you can act like a king here?¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, but apologize to those kids right now.¡± Ronan pointed at Aselle and Elizabeth. Aselle, shaken and unable to stand steadily, and Elizabeth, who had been using telekinesis to lift the fallen people, tried to intervene. ¡°Ronan-Nim¡­!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Karaka chuckled. Those struggling to get up froze in ce. Itargand, who had been observing Ronan, spoke up. ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re talking to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. A dressed-up fool who only cares about appearances?¡± ¡°I can turn someone like you into ashes with just a breath of mine.¡± It was a highly usible threat. Ronan spat on the ground in response. Kuduck! A faint wrinkle appeared between Itargand¡¯s long-dry eyebrows. ¡°You¡­¡± Energy surged above Itargand¡¯s shoulder. Ronan didn¡¯t back down. Oddly, he didn¡¯t feel like retreating, as if he were defying an imminent oddity. The atmosphere among the audience continued to update the concept of ¡°worst¡± in real-time. ¡°Hehe, you two, please calm down.¡± It wouldn¡¯t have been strange for one of them to breathe fire or or the other to brandish a sword. Just then, Karaka intervened. He put on a friendly smile. ¡°I am Interrogator Karaka. Lord Itargand, allow me to apologize on their behalf¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Itargand furrowed his brow. Crack! Simultaneously, Karaka dropped to one knee, struggling under an unseen force. Ronan reflexively tried to draw his sword, but Karaka raised his hand, halting him. ¡°Karaka.¡± ¡°Please¡­ calm your anger¡­¡± Karaka spoke intermittently. His voice, squeezed between his parted lips, flowed out as if being squeezed out. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we¡­ keep the orders of¡­ Mother of Fire¡­ Lady Navardoz?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Itargand momentarily flinched, clicking his tongue. The suppressing force disappeared. Karaka, still kneeling, started coughing violently. ¡°Ugh¡­ cough¡­!¡± ¡°Dammit, are you okay?¡± Ronan rushed over. Itargand, back to his impassive self, walked past the two. Ronan, supporting Karaka, twisted his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because of me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You were very cool.¡± Karaka let out a subduedugh. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn¡¯t suffered major injuries. Adjusting his fallen mask, he looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I never thought I¡¯d see a human asking a dragon to apologize¡­¡± Ronan responded with a wry smile, choosing not to add that he had dared say such words. If that immature dragon had heard, it would have caused chaos. The most urgent matter now was extracting the witch from the ice. Itargand, standing in front of the ice pir, spoke up. ¡°Take care of the body yourself.¡± Chapter 138: Come, Spring (3) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Chapter 138: Come, Spring (3) ¡°*Take care of the body yourself.¡± ¡°What? Lord Itargand. The goal is to end the winter, it¡¯d be best to try and keep her alive¡­¡± The inquisitor¡¯s face hardened. If they killed the witch rashly and the winter did not end, there would be a much more difficult situation. But Itargand paid no heed to what was being said. ¡°Noisy.¡± Itargand raised his arm and aimed at the Winter Witch. Mana around him began to swirl and gather. People who had risen hastily made a desperate dash towards the corridor. ¡°G-Go quickly!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m going to die! Get away!¡± There were no eloquent pleas. Before Itargand¡¯s palm, a massive magic circle formed. It was the moment thest challenger hurled themselves into the corridor. Kuaaaaah!! Crimson mes erupted like a torrent from the magic circle. The power surpassed all expectations. Screams and cries erupted sporadically. ¡°Ugh!¡± It felt like the chamber was copsing, water bursting forth. The flowing fire was as dazzling as it was devastating. If hell¡¯s rivers or streams flooded, this spectacle might resemble it. ¡°I-I can¡¯t see¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± For a moment, a blinding sh engulfed Judica. People hastily covered their eyes, but the light pierced through their hands. The fire that had hit a dead-end wall began to reverse towards the corridor. ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, erect a barrier!¡± Elizabeth shouted urgently. A translucent barrier rose between the corridor and the open space. Simultaneously, the reversing mes attacked the barrier. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Elizabeth gritted her teeth. The threeyered barrier began to melt away rapidly. The mages, btedly regaining theirposure, consecutively cast spells. ¡°S-Stone Wall!¡± ¡°Mana Barrier!¡± Various defensive magics supplemented Elizabeth¡¯s barrier. However, it was insufficient topletely block the mes. Elizabeth, chewing her lip, closed her eyes tightly. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t want to use this if I could help it¡­¡± It was a voice truly reluctant. Violet energy emanated from her hands, a type of mana unseen in nature. ¡®Aura.¡¯ Ronan raised an eyebrow. Now that he thought about it, it was his first time seeing Elizabeth¡¯s Aura. The violet mana flowed smoothly, oveying the barrier. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°My god, the barrier is being strengthened.¡± People¡¯s eyes widened. The copsing magic began to restore itself. New stones rose in the melted parts of the wall. The gaps in the mana barrier were seamlessly filled. No more mes surged forth. Ronan observed Elizabeth, who was concentrating intensely, andmented, ¡°That¡¯s quite an ability. Pretty good, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tease me. Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t believe supporting a bunch of sheep is my ability.¡± It looked impressive at first nce, but she seemed rather discontented. Well, she was always eager to be the protagonist. Around a minute passed by. People who sensed the diminishing heat sighed. ¡°Is¡­ is it over?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± The situation was hard to assess due to theyers of barriers. Magicians exchanged nces and began to dispel one defensive spell after another. The mes had subsided. It was the moment the thick walls crumbled down. Whoossh! Fierce heat swept through the corridor. ¡°Kyaaa¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, you¡¯ve made quite a mess.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t severe enough to cause burns. In the revealed area, there was no sense of cold. Faint embers were scattered here and there, akin to puddles after rain. The hot and dry air felt like being in a desert. Icicles the size of people that had covered the walls and ceiling had disappeared without a trace. What happened to the witch? Ronan nced around and chuckled wryly. ¡°Ha, what¡­¡± There was not even a trace of melting visible on the blue ice pir. The Winter Witch still slept within the ice, hunched over. Itargand stood motionless, gazing at the unscratched ice column. ¡°It-It didn¡¯t melt?¡± ¡°No way. Even the dragon¡¯s fire¡­¡± People murmured. The temperature plummeted drastically again due to the chill seeping from the ice column. Itargand exhaled lightly. ¡°Quite impressive, for a mere mortal.¡± Itargand raised his arms again. This time, both arms. People, pale with shock, began to cast defensive magic once more. Kuaaaaah!! Once again, a rapid stream of mes poured out. Just hearing the sound was enough to suggest it matched the previous devastating scale. Before long, as the heat subsided, people released the barriers. The scene before them wasn¡¯t much different from before. Amidst the dwindling mes, Itargand¡¯s voice resonated. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± The ice column had melted ever so slightly but still remained intact. Even that tiny bit promptly refroze. Itargand seemed to have overexerted himself as he breathed lightly. Shock and despair grazed the pupils of the onlookers. There wasn¡¯t anyone rejoicing about the chance to be a hero. Not even the mes of a Red Dragon could melt that ice. Ronan muttered under his breath, spitting out. ¡°Son of a bitch. All that boasting for nothing.¡± With that, the people of the ind had a higher chance of living their lives wearing a fur hat until they died. It was a moment when Ronan, with a contemptuous gaze, looked at Itargand. A familiar sensation caught his eye. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ It was very subtle, but unmistakable. Mana sparkled from where the ice had melted. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡®What the hell. Why is that thinging out of there?¡¯ Certainly, it hadn¡¯t been visible until now. The fact that something appeared after the ice melted meant that substance was present in the iceposition. The fragments of memories floating in his mind began to stir. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Only Neb zier could handle sparkling mana. Moreover, engraved on the surface of the ice was the sword mark suspected to belong to the leader. Exquisitely imitated swordsmanship, almost taunting. The witch had already been trapped in the ice when discovered. The outline of the event was gradually bing clear. Bang! Itargand, unable to contain his anger, struck the ice with his fist. ¡°Damn it!¡± But nothing changed. ncing back at the interrogator, he spoke with frustration. ¡°It seems that being in my human form has affected my output. Move the witch outside.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s impossible. The witch is sealed here in Judica, as a precaution. Releasing her requires either removing the ice or gathering the sealing sorcerers.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll burn all of you here!¡± Itargand¡¯s face contorted viciously. His round pupils narrowed to thin diamond shapes. Chack! A pair of massive wings tore through his back. The interrogator screamed. ¡°No, don¡¯t! Rodn will copse!¡± ¡°How dare you order me! I am Itargand, the Flowing me!¡± Itargand roared. The entire space shook as if an earthquake had struck. People froze in ce, unable even to think about fleeing. Quietly observing, Ronan flicked his fingers. ¡®So that¡¯s how it is.¡¯ The puzzle pieces fell into ce. He started walking straight towards the ice column. Aselle, puzzled, asked in a mixed voice, ¡°Ro-Ronan. Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured it all out now.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± ¡°That ice. I think I can break it.¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. Ignoring Itargand, Ronan passed by and stood in front of the ice column. He twisted his lips as he once again caressed the sword marks. ¡®Those bastards got their hands on it first.¡¯ It was strange that the Winter Witch, who would normally appear several yearster, had appeared now. In the past, shemitted crimes in a thoroughly nned and proactive manner. However, the current witch had only brought winter to the ind. Of course, this was also an incredibly evil act, but the way it was done was a little different. The crucial evidence was that when she was discovered, she was already trapped in that ice. ¡®That kid¡¯s also a victim.¡¯ If Ronan¡¯s spection was correct, the witch herself might be unable to escape from that ice. She might have used some means to bring about the winter and then sealed herself inside. Manipting sparkling mana was one thing, but mixing it with other substances wasn¡¯t something just anyone could do, even in Neb zier. ¡®I never would¡¯ve thought it was really a provocation.¡¯ The impression of provocation from the sword marks was also not a misconception. After careful observation, Ronan realized that the sword marks left on the surface were the answer to breaking the ice. If cut exactly along those lines, the ice would undoubtedly shatter. However, there were not many people who could replicate those sword marks. The ice column standing before him was a kind of message. If they wanted to save the ind, they needed to reveal themselves. There was no need to exin who the letter was directed to. ¡®The Savior is alive somewhere.¡¯ With this conclusion, Ronan chuckled wryly. Now that he had found the answer, there was no intention of dragging it out. Swrrk! Drawing his sword, Ronan aimed the de at the ice. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can do it the same way.¡¯ He vaguely remembered, but it was indeed insufficient to reproduce it urately. But now it was different. The roughly drawn pattern on the sword transformed into a detailed image, intertwining with his memories. ¡®All at once.¡¯ With Itargand still causing amotion, no one paid attention to him. It was better that way. Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight. The mana-infused, crimson de slid across the ice as if dancing. In a split second of a faint strike, a second of firing aet from the sword¡¯s tip, a storm-like barrage of strikes within three seconds. Hundreds of strikes, each with a different shape, happened in a moment. ¡°Hmm? Ronan?¡± Only after noticing him btedly, Karaka raised an eyebrow. By the time he blinked, everything had already ended. Ronan, finishing the strikes, sighed. ck! It was the moment when the sheath swallowed Lamancha¡¯s hilt. Crack! A massive crack appeared atop the slick ice column. Sparkling mana burst out like blood. Itargand¡¯s eyes bulged as if they were about to pop. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive. How delightful.¡± Ronan smirked. As the crackpletely covered the surface, the ice column exploded. Kwaaah! Neatly shattered fragments scattered in all directions. The witch, trapped all this time, slumped forward. Chapter 139: Come, Spring (4) Chapter 139: Come, Spring (4) Ice shards scattered in all directions. The trapped witch¡¯s body slumped forward. Ronan gritted his teeth as he caught her in his arms. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s damn freezing.¡± It felt as if he was hugging a block of ice while naked. Even the thick coat couldn¡¯tpletely shield him from the cold emanating from her body. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the witch¡¯s face. ¡®She looks ordinary on the outside.¡¯ Evelin wore a robe simr to what Aselle had on. A yellow badge on the sleeve symbolized her status as a neer to the Philleon Academy¡¯s Magic Department. Whether it was because she hadn¡¯t fully grown up yet, she felt quite different from the witch Ronan had encountered in his previous life. She just seemed like a cute girl, and if it weren¡¯t for the freezing cold emanating from her or her pure white hair, she would¡¯ve been a face that captivated all the male students at Philleon. ¡°Hey, snap out of it.¡± Ronan shook the witch¡¯s shoulders, but there was no response. Her small head dangled weakly, like an essory attached to her body. Suddenly, a foreboding feeling crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­Is she dead?¡¯ Ronan hastily brought his index finger under the witch¡¯s nose. Fortunately, he felt a faint breath, but her condition didn¡¯t seem promising. Her body also appeared pale and lifeless, but thankfully there were no visible injuries. ¡°Damn, I have a lot to ask you.¡± However, seeing as she remained unconscious, it was difficult to say that her condition was good. After muttering a curse, Ronan took off his coat and ced it on the witch. ¡°Ugh¡­ fuck.¡± Thanks to Intargand raising the temperature with his tantrum, things weren¡¯t as dire as they could have been. Otherwise, his ribs might have frozen. While buttoning up the coat, Ronan heard Elizabeth¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Ronan-Nim¡­?¡± Only then did he realize the silence around him. Ronan turned his head. Everyone, including Elizabeth, stood still, as if rooted to the floor. Intargand, too, stared at the scattered ice fragments on the ground, his gaze fixed. Silence lingered for about thirty seconds. Then, the interrogator who had guided him jumped up and shouted. ¡°Uh, uh, the ice is broken!¡± The exaggerated voices echoed in the empty space. Only after that did people start talking, expressing awe at the miracle they had witnessed. ¡°Th-the witch¡¯s shell has been broken!¡± ¡°Unbelievable, did he really cut it with that sword?!¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see it either!¡± They began discussing the miraculous event with various exmations. Perhaps the fear of the witch kept them from approaching too quickly. Elizabeth slowly approached and came to a stop in front of the witch. ¡°¡­Evelin.¡± Elizabethsmoothed the wound on her neck. Judging by the fact that she was constantly chewing her lips, her emotions seemed to beplicated. After taking several deep breaths, she spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. What did you do?¡± ¡°I merely split it with my sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­Even after two years, you¡¯re still the same.¡± Elizabeth sighed as if she was fed up with everything. This was reminiscent of their time at the Dawn Magic Tower. Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from the other side of the corridor. Ronan turned his head, and six people wearing bird masks rushed towards them. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be interrogators like Karaka. ¡°¡­Oh my goodness. The report was true.¡± The interrogators scattered in various directions, each engaging in their tasks. Some picked up ice fragments and put them in boxes, while others scribbled something fervently in notebooks. The interrogator with a mask shaped like an owl approached Ronan. It was an impressive representation of an owl¡¯s head. He looked back and forth between Ronan and the witch before opening his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m Special interrogator Ahza. Are you the one who broke the shell?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded nonchntly. The owl-masked interrogator looked surprised for a moment, before asking another question. ¡°What is your name and affiliation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan from Philleon Academy.¡± ¡°I see. Ronan, you¡¯ve done a great job. We just received a message from the capital.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°They say it has stopped snowing.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t expected the news of the snow stopping toe so soon. As interrogator Ahza exined the uing procedures and the expected rewards, Ronan found himselfughing incredulously. The scale of the reward exceeded his imagination. Ahza expressed his gratitude once again and continued. Once the briefing was over, Ahza mentioned that there might be a contact from the Emperor soon. ¡°You will probably hear from the Imperial Pce soon. You may wait with peace of mind.¡± ¡°¡­Meeting the Emperor?¡± ¡°As the hero who saved the ind from the endless winter, it¡¯s only natural. Excluding everything else, the Emperor may even ask you to share a meal with him..¡± Ronan chuckled, finding it hard to believe. Throughout both his lives, he had never personally seen the Emperor. After conveying all the information, Ahza retrieved a ck rope from his waist. ¡°Well then, may I step aside for a moment? I¡¯ll arrest the Winter Witch.¡± ¡°Oh, just a moment.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to ask her something personally. She needs to regain consciousness first, and it seems like she¡¯s not in a good condition. Can you wait a bit?¡± Ahza¡¯s face stiffened. After staying still for about five seconds, he opened his mouth. ¡°..That¡¯ll be troublesome. Evelin Droza¡¯s status is that of an extreme danger level prisoner. We can¡¯t afford to leave a potential criminal unguarded.¡± ¡°Is there no way?¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± Ahja shook his head. The stern tone conveyed that no matter what, it would be impossible. He wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, but his exnation was vague. Just as Ronan was just wondering how to convince him. Karaka, who had caught up, intervened. ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t be so rigid. Let him have a chat. It¡¯s not like anything major will happen.¡± ¡°Interrogator Karaka¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the hero who saved the Empire, isn¡¯t he? Is there anything wrong withpiling with a simple request?¡± ¡°Uhmmm¡­ Still¡­¡± ¡°If anything happens, I will take responsibility. As a fellow Interrogator, I request this of you.¡± Ahza sighed. The attention of the other Interrogators who were in the midst of gathering information was focused on the two of them. Karaka seemed to be a fairly high-ranking Interrogator. After thinking for a while, Ahza nodded. ¡°¡­Alright. I trust you, Special interrogator Karaka.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Please make it quick. I¡¯ll go first and wait.¡± Ahza shook his head and turned his back. Afterpleting the data collection, the Interrogators left Judica. Karaka, who was looking at the departing Interrogators, winked toward Ronan. ¡®This old man.¡¯ Ronan chuckled without realizing it. Perhaps this was the best Karaka could do for him. Ronan gave him a simr wink and lifted the witch into his arms. ¡°We shouldy her down for now, right?¡± ¡°That sounds good. Just a little further up, there¡¯s an office room we can go to.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go there.¡± Since she was unconscious, there was no choice but to carry her in his arms. Perhaps because she was wrapped in an outeryer, her body felt much warmer than before. Ronan suddenly noticed something unusual and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hmm?¡± Swaaah¡­ the witch¡¯s hair color was changing. The pure white hair was gradually transforming from the roots into a healthy brown shade. Ronan¡¯s forehead creased slightly. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why the sudden change?¡± It felt as if the snow was melting and the soil buried beneath it was being revealed. Was it some kind of curse being lifted? At that moment, Elizabeth¡¯s voice came from not too far away. ¡°Aselle, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his head. He noticed Aselle standing still and Elizabeth pping her hands in front of him. Now that he thought about it, Aselle was nowhere to be seen in the chaos earlier. ¡°Are you okay? Aselle!¡± Despite Elizabeth¡¯s attempts, Aselle didn¡¯t react. His eyes stared nkly into space without focus. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Aselle?¡± **** ¡°¡­Huff!¡± Aselle opened his eyes. It was a bewildering sensation. He felt like he had already been awake. His blurry vision cleared, revealing Elizabeth¡¯s face leaning close to him. ¡°Hyaaa?!¡± Aselle jolted back in shock. Elizabeth didn¡¯t move. Despite her precarious stance, her bnce remained unaffected. ¡°Wh-where is this?¡± Realizing something was wrong, Aselle frantically looked around. It wasn¡¯t just him standing still. Ronan, who wasing towards him with the witch still in his arms, people who were talking to each other with wide eyes, and even Itargand, who was still standing dumbfounded. Everyone stood still. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s happening¡­?¡± It felt like time had stopped. Trying to remember how this had happened proved futile. He distinctly remembered Ronan breaking the ice, but the next scene was a nk. Then, a voice came from behind. [Nice to see you, child.] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. Aselle gasped. The fact that when one is so startled they can¡¯t even scream proved true. His heart felt like it had sunk to his stomach. After taking numerous deep breaths, Aselle slowly turned his head. A woman in a white dress stood right behind him. She raised her hand, smiling warmly. [You¡¯re a very pretty child.] ¡°Kwaaaah!!¡± Aselle let out a scream that had been building up. Thud! Recoiling backward, he stumbled and fell. The woman giggled as if finding his reaction amusing. Aselle opened his mouth, barely holding back the tears that were about to spill out. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± [Who am I? That is an interesting question.] The woman smiled. She was incredibly beautiful. Her waist-length, snow-white hair seemed spun from silk. Except for her bright blue eyes and crimson lips, everything about her was white. Just by looking at her appearance, she seemed to be about the same age as Navirose, but her aura was so strange that it was hard to guess for sure. After a brief pause, the woman spoke again. [I have many names, so you may call me whichever one you like. The cruelest season, the whitend, or¡­] For a moment the woman paused. With a graceful gesture, she walked over and stood next to Evelin. [Or, you may call me the Winter Witch, like everyone else.¡±] ¡°Th-The Winter Witch¡­?¡± Aselle¡¯s face paled. He knew the Winter Witch¡¯s face, so what on earth was she talking about? He pointed to Evelin, nestled in Ronan¡¯s arms. ¡°Th-that girl is the Winter Witch, isn¡¯t she?¡± [Evelin is merely my vessel. A pitiful child. To be held captive by monsters and spend a year in freezing ice¡­] The woman looked at the unconscious Evelin with a mix of pity and affection. She affectionately stroked Evelin¡¯s transitioning brown hair, and continued. [But it wasn¡¯t all in vain. A shimmering star like you has found its way to me. You can¡¯t even bepared to Evelin¡­] ¡°A sh-shimmering star¡­? More than that, what is happening to me¡­?¡± [Ah, it¡¯s nothing special.] The woman stopped stroking Evelin¡¯s hair and approached Aselle. She squatted down and gently held both of Aselle¡¯s cheeks. [It¡¯s truly nothing special..] Her touch was so cold that Aselle wanted to scream, his body wouldn¡¯t budge. Between the gap of her flowing dress, her chest was clearly exposed. As if going in for a kiss, her face pressed close to his, and she softly whispered. [Give me¡­ your body.] ¡°Wha-?¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. It was then that he realized the woman¡¯s hair had wound around his limbs. Despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t move an inch. He tried urgently to cast a spell, but in an instant, the growing hair sealed his mouth shut. ¡°Uh¡­ ugh¡­¡± [It¡¯s alright, my child. It¡¯s alright¡­] The woman whispered sweetly as she gently embraced Aselle. His consciousness started slipping away. Desperately trying to resist, he screamed with all his migh. ¡°R-Ronan!!¡± **** ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes regained focus. He came to his senses and looked around. The face of Elizabeth, who had been pping her hands in front of him, brightened. ¡°What? Are you awake now?¡± Aselle didn¡¯t respond. Moving his limbs, he muttered with a mix of amazement. ¡°Incredible¡­ even old man Lorehon wasn¡¯t like this¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you okay, Aselle?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Is¡­ is everything alright?¡± Aselle btedly nodded his head. Elizabeth tilted her head at the somehow changed atmosphere. It felt like his mannerisms and expression had subtly changed. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± Then Ronan stepped forward. Evelin had been handed over to Karaka. Grabbing Aselle¡¯s cheek, Ronan asked. ¡°Why have you been so quiet? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°You¡­ ¡± Aselle lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Ronan. Smiling faintly, Aselle suddenly embraced Ronan. ¡°My prince¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s gotten into this kid all of a sudden?¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened like stone. Elizabeth covered her mouth with both hands. He grabbed Aselle¡¯s shoulders, shaking him, feeling repulsed. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Huh?¡± ¡°Rude. I believe we can do this much.¡± Aselle puffed out one cheek, disying a girlish behavior. Brushing his hair behind his ear, Aselle muttered softly. ¡°This should be enough for quite an attractive appearance. Your standards are still quite high.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s definitely lost it.¡± Shivers ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. Elizabeth, who had been alternating disdainful nces between the two, spoke up. ¡°This¡­ this beast¡­ how could you do this to Adeshan Unni¡­ and even Aselle-Nim!¡± ¡°Elizabeth. Shut up.¡± Ronan lowered his head. Aselle still maintained his feminine demeanor. It seemed like a part of his brain had frozen due to the cold. He appeared to be in urgent need of physical treatment. As Ronan was about to roll up his sleeves, a voice came from behind. ¡°Stop right there.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head. The red lizard hestling Itargand was ring at him, still with his wings out. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You shattered the ice that not even I could melt. What trickery did you use?¡± ¡°What trickery? If you¡¯ve failed, just quietly go back and lick your wounds.¡± Ronan waved dismissively. Itargand clenched his fist. ¡°No¡­ I cannot ept this.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I challenge you to a duel. Right here, right now.¡± Itargand¡¯s voice lowered. Without warning, his body began to swell. A menacing tail started to grow. Kugugu! His mouth elongated, transforming into a crocodile-like maw. With reddened wings expanding, Ronan cursed in disbelief. ¡°This lizard bastard is insane!¡± ¡°Prove that you¡¯re stronger than me.¡± Even among the Red Dragons, this was extreme. Judica vibrated. People began screaming and fleeing. Interrogators rushed in, desperately trying to stop him. ¡°Lord Itargand, no! You cannot!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Itargand roared. Several interrogators overwhelmed by his force sank to the ground. He was already halfway transformed into a dragon. ¡®He¡¯s going to cause chaos.¡¯ Their current location was deep under the sea. If that immature dragon was to return to his original form, there was a high possibility that the outer walls would copse and everyone inside would drown. At this point, avoiding bloodshed was impossible. Ronan sighed deeply, preparing to draw his sword. Swoosh! Something flew past Ronan and impaled Itargand in the chest. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± It happened so fast that he wasn¡¯t able to see it. Everyone¡¯s faces froze stiff. Itargand, looking down at his chest, coughed up blood. ¡°Cough¡­¡± A tree-sized ice spear was embedded deep in his chest. A chilling aura spread through Itargand¡¯s entire body. It was ice that he had seen many times before. Ronan slowly turned his head. Aselle, reaching out as if aiming for something, caught his eye. ¡°Aselle¡­?¡± [Ah, truly remarkable as expected.] Aselle murmured with a voice mixed with admiration. A crack-like smile appeared on his lips. His red hair was gradually turning white from the roots. Chapter 140: Come, Spring (5) Chapter 140: Come, Spring (5) From root to tip, Aselle¡¯s hair was turning white. A chill akin to frost swirled around his small hands. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± [Ahaha, such an exceptional vessel, it¡¯s a first. A talent that onlyes around once every thousand years.] Aselle chuckled, covering his mouth. There was no hint of remorse in hisughter. The voice of an exhrated woman flowed through his lips. Something was gravely wrong, spiraling out of control. Ronan needed to figure out why this was happening. A few peculiar elements shed through Ronan¡¯s mind in a fleeting moment. Evelin¡¯s hair suddenly returned to brown, and Aselle¡¯s hair was bleached as if to rece her. The eerie shift in attitude, almost hauntingly familiar. It didn¡¯t take long for deduction. ¡®Shit, is it a possession?¡¯ It seemed the Winter Witch was a formless entity like Vijra, wandering without a physical form, seeking hosts. Having never experienced it in his past life, he was entirely unaware. Understanding the situation, Ronan lunged at Aselle. Swoosh! He lifted Aselle up by the cor and growled fiercely. ¡°Why are you in there, Winter Witch?¡± [Oh, getting rough all of a sudden? This isn¡¯t bad either.] Aselle smirked coquettishly. The white creeping into his hair had even begun to tint his eyshes. Ronan¡¯s grip tightened. ¡°Stop this bullshit ande out of this kid¡¯s body.¡± [Have you been deliberately pretending since earlier? It¡¯s a bit sad if you keep feigning ignorance.] ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡± [But howe your face seems to have gotten younger? I¡¯m envious.] Instead of answering, Aselle muttered iprehensible words. It seemed like he was mistaking Ronan for someone else. Even as Aselle¡¯s throat must have been constricting, his expression remained unchanged. Slowly raising his hand, he gently stroked Ronan¡¯s cheek while speaking. [Stop pretending¡­ and call me by name. You know my true name, don¡¯t you?] ¡°You bitch.¡± The tone was affectionate, as if speaking to a lover. A vein bulged on Ronan¡¯s forehead, reaching his limit. At the moment he was about to plunge his fist into Aselle¡¯s sr plexus, a piercing scream echoed from behind. ¡°Arghhh!!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± It was too significant to ignore. Ronan reflexively turned his head. It was Itargand, writhing in agony after being hit directly by the ice spear. Every time his body struck the wall or the floor, Rodn trembled. From the ice spear lodged halfway into his chest, an unceasing cold emanated. It seemed he was unable to even consider pulling it out, likely due to the agony. Aselle furrowed his brow. [Hmm¡­ quite noisy. It¡¯s disturbing our reunion after such a long time.] Raising his arm, Aselle took aim at Itargand. In an instant, the gathered frost formed a massive magical circle in front of him. Ronan, lost in thought, cursed out. ¡°Stop this madness!¡± Ronan hastily pushed Aselle¡¯s arm aside. Simultaneously, an ice spear, simr to the one before, veered off course. Whoosh! The ice spear flew past Itargand¡¯s neck andnded on the wall. Aselle tilted his head. With a swift motion, Itargand deflected five crescent-shaped energy projectiles. [Why are you interfering?] ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? That kid is a member of the Navardose n.¡± [Aha, so he¡¯s of noble bloodline. I¡¯m sure if I kill him, it¡¯ll be a hassle in many ways.] Aselle lowered his arms. Fortunately, there seemed to be at least some reason left. Just as Ronan thought so, Aselle quietly pursed his lips and snapped his fingers. [But, it doesn¡¯t really matter.] ¡°What?¡± Swoosh! The ice spear stuck in the wall became unlogged, then it rotated smoothly in the air, shooting toward Itargand once again. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± Ronan turned his body, swinging his sword. Whoosh! Five crescent shaped sword energies were unleashed as if to intercept the ice spear. Yet, the ice spear deftly manipted its trajectory, ultimately reaching its target. Maniption this refined would be iparable to the witch he had seen in his past life. It pierced Itargand¡¯s side, emerging out through his nk. ¡°Arrrghhh!¡± Itargand gasped for breath. The rampage ceased. Eyes fixed on the ice spear embedded in his side, he copsed to the ground. Chuckling, Aselle muttered. [If webine the power of you and mine, not even the Mother of Fire can be our foe.] ¡°You crazy bitch¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. He hadn¡¯t expected things to escte to this extent. Swinging his sword, heshed out at Aselle¡¯s neck. [Ah!] Luckily, this time, it worked. Aselle emitted a brief groan, losing consciousness. A dreadful silence settled in Judica. Elizabeth, who was left petrified, spoke up. ¡°Wh-what¡­ what on earth just happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Seems like he has been possessed, and his body was taken over.¡± ¡°Po-possessed? By whom¡­?¡± ¡°The Winter Witch, who else?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, Ronan noticed that the many people around weren¡¯t visible. ¡°Where did everyone go?¡± ¡°The herd of sheep all ran away when Itargand started rampaging. Pathetic.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s better that way.¡± In this situation, their presence wouldn¡¯t have helped anyway. Except for Elizabeth, though, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. Karaka, who had been standing in a daze, finally spoke. ¡°This is¡­ quite perplexing.¡± Karaka seemed baffled, gazing at the mess that Judica had be. Evelin Droza still clung to him, her breath heavy. ¡°You¡¯re still here, Karaka.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job to take care of the prisoners. But this¡­¡± There was no soul in his fractured voice. Even an experienced interrogator like him was taken aback. He nced fixedly at Aselle, who had now turned white. Regrettably, there wasn¡¯t enough time to exin how this chaos erupted. Ronan tapped his shoulder and said, ¡°Karaka, please get that kid to safety. Tell everyone to flee or prepare to defend themselves as much as possible. I have a bad feeling about this. Make sure nobodyes here.¡± ¡°What¡­ What are you nning to do, Ronan?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to salvage this situation as much as possible. Now, go.¡± Ronan gestured for him to hurry. After a moment of contemtion, Karaka nodded. Holding Evelin in his arms, he left Judica. Ronan sat the unconscious Aselle against the wall, assessing his condition, then turned to Elizabeth. ¡°You need to help me. Has your telekinesis improved in the past two years?¡± ¡°Well, to some extent¡­ What do you need?¡± ¡°That bastard must not die.¡± Pointing at Itargand, Ronan spoke. The fallen figure was convulsing. Left unchecked, he seemed likely to perish within minutes, gasping for breath. ¡®What a pain in the ass. Of course, it had to happen today¡­¡¯ If Itargand died here, it could lead to discord between Adren, the city of dragons, and the Empire. The radical dragons might even use his death as an excuse to call for war. The friction between the continent¡¯s two most powerful forces was far from pleasant. Especially with only a few years left until the end of the world. Grabbing Elizabeth¡¯s hesitant wrist, Ronan strode purposefully toward Itargand. He was dying in a peculiar form, neither human nor dragon. His wounds werepletely frozen, with no blood flowing. ¡°Good grief, you idiot, won¡¯t you be embarrassed to face your mother like this?¡± ¡°Urgh¡­ Human¡­¡± Ronan sighed deeply. This was the cruelty of the Winter Witch. Injuries inflicted by her ice were incredibly challenging to treat. If the spears weren¡¯t removed, the cold would entirely consume him. Pulling them out now would cause his frozen organs to burst. The emergency potion was avable, but its quantity was inadequate for his size. As Ronan pondered for a solution, a thought flickered in his eyes. ¡®Wait, did I use that?¡¯ There seemed to be a particr item suitable for this situation. Come to think of it, he had no memory of it after receiving it. Rifling through his inner pocket, Ronan pulled something out. ¡°¡­There it is.¡± A small, shimmering white beady on the palm of his hand. It was the Evesting Snowke Pearl, found only at the northernmost tip of the continent. A supreme medicine that has the property of increasing mana and cold resistance, gifted to him by Adeshan two years ago. ¡®What a shame.¡¯ Ronan pursed his lips. Its mary value was secondary; he simply didn¡¯t want to use it on others. But without it, there was no immediate way to rectify the situation. For the greater good. Reminding himself of this, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Listen carefully, Itargand. If I leave you like this, you¡¯ll soon perish.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­¡± ¡°The witch¡¯s ice will freeze your heart. Resistance is futile. Being a dragon won¡¯t help you ward it off. Eventually, your entire body will turn to ice and crumble.¡± Ronan stated matter-of-factly. There was no exaggeration in his description, based on what he had witnessed in a past life. Itargand¡¯s expression contorted. A faint, subdued murmur escaped through his clenched teeth. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to¡­ die.¡± ¡°Good. Then do as I say. This girl who looks like a rich cat is going to pull the ice spear out of your body. Then you must immediately transform into a human. It may hurt so much that you¡¯ll want to die, but it¡¯s the chance for you to live.¡± Saying this, Ronan halved the Evesting Snowke Pearl and pushed one half into Itargand¡¯s mouth. Gulp. Itargand swallowed the pearl. Before long, his frozen wounds began to thaw, and blood started trickling out. Itargand groaned in agony. ¡°Kuek¡­ Arrghhh¡­!¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s getting worse?¡± ¡°The pearl is expelling the cold from his body. Let¡¯s do it quickly.¡± Ronan gestured to Elizabeth. She closed her eyes tightly, manifesting her telekinesis. With a loud crack, the ice spears embedded in Itargand¡¯s body were uprooted, and red blood sprayed like a storm. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Transform!¡± Ronan shouted again at the struggling Itargand. As he roared, his body was engulfed in a peculiar glow. Before long, Itargand turned into a blonde-haired young man and copsed to the floor. ¡°Ugh! Grrr!¡± Hastening over, Ronan supported Itargand. Blood gushed from his four wounds. His body had shrunk so it was worth a try. He administered an emergency potion onto Itargand¡¯s wound. Sizzle! Along with a sound akin to water evaporating, the wounds began to heal. Seeing the bleeding stop, Ronan smirked. ¡°Damn it. Had enough?¡± ¡°Hnn¡­ Huuuh¡­ You¡­ who the hell are you¡­¡± Itargand looked at Ronan. In his eyes, once filled with anger and envy from beyond the brink of death, now there was only fatigue. After staring at Ronan for a while, he dropped his head. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Fine. Stop being noisy and get some rest.¡± Fortunately, he did not die, but passed out from exhaustion. This staved off the possibility of war between the dragons and humans. It was a moment of relief for Ronan. A voice came from behind. [¡­Who are you?] ¡°Shit.¡± It was the witch¡¯s voice. Ronan didn¡¯t notice when she regained consciousness, but that wasn¡¯t the important right now. Ronan hurriedly split the remaining Evesting Pearl in half again. He consumed one half, and shoved the other half into Elizabeth¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ronan-nim?¡± ¡°Swallow it.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Kuek! Kguh!¡± Elizabeth, who had unexpectedly swallowed the pearl, coughed. Ronan turned his head. Aselle, who had regained consciousness, was standing with his back facing them. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. A mirror-like ice wall rose before Aselle. He muttered in disbelief, looking at Ronan reflected in the ice. [You¡¯re not him. Why¡­] There was an unmistakable tone of disappointment in his voice. Finally, it seemed Ronan had realized that he wasn¡¯t the person Aselle was seeking. Ronan shook his head as if he was fed up. ¡°Damn it, you just figured that out now?¡± [This is impossible. You look so much like¡­! What is the name of your father?] ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But let me ask you. Is the person you¡¯re looking for the leader of Neb zier?¡± [Ah¡­ Ahh¡­!] Aselle didn¡¯t respond. His expression, filled with despair, began to whimper, and he started touching his face with both hands. [And this child¡­ is not a girl.] ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you know?¡± [That¡¯s ridiculous. Such a beautiful appearance¡­ and such soft skin¡­!] ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s confusing, to be fair.¡± Ronan nodded. Until he¡¯d seen with his own eyes, even he hadn¡¯t believed that Aselle was a boy. He had heard that the number of male students whose hearts were destroyed after confessing to that dwarf without knowing, was in the double digits. [Everything¡¯s gone wrong¡­ How did I escape from Lorehon¡¯s prison¡­ My n to reunite with that child in a beautiful vessel¡­ All of it¡­] Aselle¡¯s condition was deteriorating rapidly. His rambling seemed more than just shock-induced. Ronan sighed deeply. ¡°¡­Well, you don¡¯t n on answering, do you?¡± As expected, there was no reply. With a normal conversation having be impossible, the inevitable had to be done. Ronan pulled the hilts of both of his swords at the same time. Swoosh! Lamancha¡¯s pure ck de revealed itself. And as Ymir was drawn, it scattered sparkling mana. Ymir was not unsheathed, since Ronan wanted to subdue Aselle without harming him. Ronan growled softly, aiming Lamancha at Aselle. ¡°Now then, get out of my friend¡¯s body. Ignorant hag.¡± Ronan charged, lunging forward. Elizabeth chanted an incantation. A chilling voice emanated from Aselle¡¯s parted lips. [I hate it¡­ everything.] Just as Ymir¡¯s sheath was about to strike him on the head, Aselle raised his head and flicked his fingers. Boom! The walls of Judica exploded and seawater gushed in. Chapter 141: Come, Spring (6) Chapter 141: Come, Spring (6) With a resounding roar, the rock wall exploded. Azure seawater cascaded like a waterfall. Watching the chaotic scene, Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°That crazy bastard¡­!¡± Outside was a deep sea untouched by light. It seemed as if Rodn itself intended to be submerged underwater. As Aselle swiftly levitated in the air, he gestured with his hand towards the tumultuous scene. [I can¡¯t stand the sight of this. Disappear.] Bang! Kwang! Another explosion erupted. Streams of water gushed out from three holes. The seawater rose to calf level within seconds. Elizabeth, now in a contemtive state, canceled the spell she had been preparing. ¡°This is unbelievable¡­!¡± She reached out towards the flooding area. Woong! A violet barrier blocked the flow, halting the flooding. Due to the unexpected pressure, Elizabeth bit her lip. ¡°Ugh¡­ can¡¯t hold on for much longer!¡± Due to the pressure, the holes were gradually widening. Root-like cracks spread across the entire wall. She looked at Ronan with a meaningful gaze and spoke. ¡°Ronan-nim¡­¡± It was a gaze filled with unmistakable meaning. Ronan nodded his head. Unable to unleash his swordsmanship, he had to go and suppress it directly. Bang! Strengthening his legs with mana, Ronan leaped towards Aselle. Aselle, with a disdainful expression, pointed at Ronan with his index finger. [Resisting in vain.] ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan¡¯s body went flying and came to a halt in mid-air. An invisible hand gripped him. Aselle, who was looking down at Ronan, opened his mouth. [You really do resemble him. Even though that child never gave me a single nce despite my alluring charms¡­ to think that that child would leave behind descendants.] ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± [I cannot forgive it. How dare¡­] Aselle began mumbling something with a sinking voice. Ronan sneered. It was bad enough that the guy was talking about seduction, but not revealing his identity made it even more disgusting. [¡­My thoughts have changed.] ¡°What?¡± [I will spare you if you guide me to that child. If the bloodline continues, there must be a connection.] ¡°You crazy bastard. If I knew, I would have gone looking for him a long time ago.¡± Ronanughed bitterly. Even if he tried to extract information, he couldn¡¯t say what he wanted to say. Raising his arms shakily, he raised his middle finger. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Ronan spat out. Aselle remained silent, and clenched his fists in silence, the squeezing force intensified. A cold aura spread around Aselle¡¯s body like a halo. ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. It was a magic he had seen many times in his previous life. Swaah¡­ The cold gathered, forming a shape. Seven huge ice swords appeared in the air. Aselle extended his index finger again and pointed at Ronan. [What a pity.] Swoosh! The Seven huge swords were fired at Ronan. Each one of them were so long and huge that one could believe they were pirs of a temple. Ronan took a deep breath. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t end it peacefully. Aselle.¡± At the moment the swords closed the distance. Boom! Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight, as roaring sounds echoed and the seven swords exploded in mid-air. [What¡­!] Before he realized, Ronan was already gripping Lamancha in his hand. Aselle¡¯s face, who had not even seen him swing his sword, was contorted in bewilderment. Shattered fragments of ice started to fall. Whoosh! Ronan swung his sword again and cut off the telekic force restraining him. His freed body began to fall. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, calmly switching his power source. ¡®Managing mana has be easier. Is this an effect of undoing the curses?¡¯ Lamancha¡¯s de was stained white. Ronan, who had gathered mana, activated Terranil¡¯s Aura. Quaaang! A massive shockwave erupted beneath Ronan¡¯s feet. Startled, Elizabeth hunched her shoulders. ¡°Kyaah!¡± The space vibrated. Ronan¡¯s falling body rose upward. Startled, Aselle tried to increase his altitude, but Ronan was already right in front of him. Bang! Ronan¡¯s fist struck, deeply embedded in Aselle¡¯s stomach. [Huek!] Saliva burst from Aselle¡¯s open mouth. The sound of ribs breaking deep within echoed. Aselle¡¯s waist bent like a shrimp. [How dare you¡­!] Gasping for breath, Aselle raised his arm as if to push Ronan away. Once again, the cold gathered, creating dozens of ice thorns. Ronan quickly calcted the trajectory. Five from the left, seven from the right, twelve from below. Havingpleted his calctions, Ronan mercilessly swung his hand through the air. Crescent-shaped sword auras, twenty-four in total, manifested along the path of the ck sword and shot towards the ice thorns. With a nging sound, the sword auras collided with the ice thorns, creating twenty-four ice flowers in the air. [This can¡¯t be¡­!] Not a single sword aura missed its mark. The sound of shattering filled the air. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened even further. Ronan extended his arm swiftly, grabbing Aselle by the throat. [Ugh!] ¡°I won¡¯t let you go unless youe out.¡± As Ronan tightened his grip, Aselle¡¯s face turned deathly pale. His breath hitched, concentration shattered, and the levitation force releasing, he began to plummet. [Are you¡­ intending to kill this child¡­!] ¡°Not a bad idea. When aunt hears out about what this brat did to me, she¡¯ll want this bastard dead too.¡± [You¡­!] The wind roared in his ears. Ronan persisted in not releasing his grip. Aselle¡¯s vision started to blur gradually. Ronan seemed determined to strangle him, even if it meant breaking the vessel. Aselle, frantically shaking his head, suddenly dropped it backward. Momentster, as he lifted his head, he gasped and screamed in horror. ¡°Huyaaack! Ronan?!¡± ¡°¡­Aselle?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was Aselle¡¯s voice that he knew. The once white eyshes were now tinted red again. As Aselle choked, he began to vomit vehemently. ¡°P-please, believe me¡­! I-It wasn¡¯t my intention to hug you like that, or¡­ say such strange things! Uwaaaah! My body moved on its own¡­¡± ¡°You idiot, is that what¡¯s important right now? What happened?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. That woman suddenly hugged me, and then¡­¡± With each word Aselle uttered, tears streamed down and hit Ronan¡¯s cheek. For a moment, his grip loosened. As Aselle began retching, his head fell backward. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Aselle?¡± [Thank you¡­] ¡°You¡­!¡± The voice changed again. Ronan immediately exerted force, but Aselle was quicker in casting a spell. An unseen palm struck Ronan. Kwang! He flew in a straight line and crashed into the wall. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Ronan-nim!¡± Crash! Ronan tumbled down the wall. Elizabeth hastily reached out, using telekinesis to pull him. At that moment, an explosion urred on a different wall. Kwaah! Alongside the deafening roar, seawater gushed over her head. ¡°Th-this¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t evade it. Reflexively, Elizabeth raised her left arm above her head. A hemispherical shield enveloped her, Ronan, and Itargand. It was a brief moment when the water touched the shield. Realizing her mistake, Elizabeth took a sharp breath. ¡°¡­Huff!¡± She had forgotten about the shields she had previously put up. Distracted, the already precarious shields shattered into pieces. The expanding crack widened, causing an entire section of the wall to copse. ¡°No, no!¡± Elizabeth screamed. Kwaah! The confined water surged like a tsunami. The sea engulfed the three of them in an instant. By the time the water level had risen about halfway up the space, Aselle, levitating again, muttered solemnly. [Frozen Field.] A bluish chill spread beneath his feet. Kwaang! The sea water, which had been churning as if it were alive, suddenly froze. The sound of water ceased, leaving silence in its wake. Ronan and hispanions, trapped on the ground, couldn¡¯t escape. Only the freezing cold rising above the frozen whirlpool signified any movement. As Aselle gazed down at the solid ice, he murmured while clutching his throat. [¡­After all, blood cannot be deceived.] It was absurd. Even though he was supposedly a descendant of that child, Aselle did not expect him to be a swordsman with that level of skill. He almost fainted and lost consciousness. [Ro¡­!] Then a boy¡¯s cry resonated in his mind. It was the voice of the body¡¯s original owner. Aselle shook his head from side to side. [Stop resisting, child. Your body belongs to me already¡­ and your mentality is far too weakpared to your talent.] Though the Winter Witch found out that the body was that of a man, she contemteding out right away. But her thoughts changed swiftly. It seemed that finding a vessel with such talent would be impossible elsewhere. It might be more reasonable to remain in control of the body but change the gender, akin to a curse that affected his possession. The boy¡¯s voice resounded once more. [Give it¡­ back¡­!] Despite having his body taken over, the boy¡¯s consciousness continued to resist endlessly. Perhaps breaking his spirit to seize control of his mind first would be necessary. Suddenly, a sly smirk crossed Aselle¡¯s lips. [Yes, show me what you can do.] Aselle lifted his head. Concentrating deeply, he thrust his fist. Kwaaaang! An unseen fist struck the ceiling, causing an explosion. The entire Rodn shook, screams echoing from various ces. ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Th-the floor! What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°M-my leg is stuck¡­! Help!¡± Before long, the dust cleared, revealing a gaping hole in the ceiling. Simultaneously, a bright re cascaded down over Aselle¡¯s head. As he looked up at the hole, a wry smile appeared. In the distance, a single blue dot twinkled. [See that?] It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize it was the sky. It had pierced through from the very bottom to the summit of Rodn in one fell swoop. A scream resounded in Aselle¡¯s mind. [No, no!] [You might want to practice being resolute. Let¡¯s get some fresh air.] Aselle¡¯s body rose along the beam of light. The seals were long shattered. The side of the long hole revealed the sheer face of the prison. Rodn, undergoing unprecedented destruction, was in utter chaos. Peopley wounded, bloodied, fortunate enough to escape and stirring up chaos among the prisoners were the guards trying to subdue them. Desperate screams echoed incessantly. Some yelled something upon seeing Aselle, but nothing changed. As Aselle continued to rise, his view expanded. [Ah, refreshing air¡­ it¡¯s been a while indeed.] Inhaling deeply, Aselle chuckled. Dawn was spreading before him, sunlight shimmering on the scales. The brisk sea breeze tousled his salt-stained hair. Below his feet loomed Lodn with a hole in its head. The coastline carved from the cliffs and anchored ships came into view. From outside, those watching shouted, pointing at Aselle. ¡°Someone has emerged!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that? Has something gone wrong?¡± ¡°What was that explosion just now?¡± Their sluggish movements looked like ants. Suddenly, a crack-like smile crossed Aselle¡¯s lips. Surveying the people, he spoke. [If I kill them all, will your heart break?] [St-stop it¡­!] [Seems like it might.] Aselle extended his hand toward a certain merchant ship. Itargand,rger and more resplendent than an emperor¡¯s gship. As he clenched his fist, Kwaah! A massive ice spear, almost 20 meters in diameter, pierced through the ship. [No!] A scream resonated in Aselle¡¯s mind. The spear, conjured from frozen seawater, continued to grow, lifting the ship onto the water. Finally, unable to bear its weight, the ship split in half, creating a deluge that engulfed the people. ¡°Aaargh! H-help!¡± ¡°L-lord Itargand¡¯s ship¡­!¡± The coastline turned into a disaster zone. People who were tossed about by the overturned water scattered. The freezing cold emanating from the spear froze the surface of the water. Targeting another ship, Aselle spoke. [Shall we try a bit more?] [P-please. Please stop, will you?!] Despite the desperate plea, Aselle raised his hand again. It was the moment he tried to use magic once more. Kwaah! Suddenly, an explosion resounded from behind. [What?] Aselle swiftly turned his head. Under the dust rising like volcanic eruptions, apletely destroyed fortress came into view. He found that the hole he had made had expanded to about three times its size. [What in the¡­] It was impossible to discern what had happened. Then, a thick shadow loomed over Aselle. Only then could he hear the pping of wings amid the sea breeze. A familiar voice reached him. [Hey,dy.] He slowly raised his gaze. A colossal red dragon was pping its wings with its back to the sun. Horrific scars marked its side and chest. [Itargand¡­?] It was undoubtedly him. mes flickered between the slightly parted teeth. Atop the dragon¡¯s head were two people who should have perished, shattered by ice. ¡°I almost died for real. And you want to run away?¡± They, still clinging to Itargand¡¯s horns, red at Aselle. Faced with an unreal scene, Aselle¡¯s face turned deathly pale. [H-how¡­!] ¡°Fire.¡± Ronan spoke. Simultaneously, Itargand¡¯s mouth opened. The fire held back within poured out like a torrent. A crimson ze engulfed Aselle¡¯s vision. [Just this much!] Aselle raised his hand. Shaaaak! The ice spear that had risen from the sea shot toward Itargand. Although the fire melted the ice at a rapid rate, because of its size, it did not disappear. The moment the ice spear, flying through the mes, was about to hit Itargand. Shoosh! The ice spear split in half, revealing Ronan¡¯s figure. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened as if about to pop out. [What¡­!] In his right hand was the crimson Lamanchar, and in the left, the Ymir lodged in its sheath. Aselle reflexively summoned a shield, but Ronan effortlessly tore through it with a light swing of Lamancha. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Come out, you bitch.¡± The distance between them closedpletely. Thud! Ymir, tracing a curve, struck Aselle¡¯s nape. His eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness. Chapter 142: Come, Spring (7) Chapter 142: Come, Spring (7) The sky was clear. The brisk air, unusual for the season, lingered along the shoreline. Ronan, deeply inhaling from his pipe, surveyed his surroundings. ¡®What a marvelous sight.¡¯ The frozen sea was thawing, scattered ice floes bobbing on the water. Cracks erupted, towering ice spires copsing into the sea with a loud crash. Contrasting the chilly air, the sunlight was warm. It was just a matter of waiting for the air to warm enough to bloom flowers. Smiling, Ronan muttered as he let out a puff of smoke. ¡°Looks like spring.¡± It had been about an hour since the unprecedented prison break had been quelled. The witch¡¯s ice began ominously melting as soon as Aselle lost consciousness. Turning away after puffing his pipe, Ronan saw thepletely ravaged upper part of Rodn Fortress, resembling a volcanic eruption. It was the coborative work of Aselle and Itargand. Fixing that would likely require dozens of skilled earth mages, maybe even stonemasons or carpenters. Numerous people were frantically bustling around the dock carved out of the reef. ¡°There, move this!¡± ¡°Yes. Master Ahja, all the prisoners on the third floor have been subdued. There don¡¯t seem to be any escapees yet.¡± ¡°Heheh, guess I won¡¯t need to wear that stupid fur coat anymore.¡± Despite the chaos they¡¯d endured, people seemed overall invigorated. The horrors of the year-long winter summoned by the witch felt all too real. However, if one were to ask if everything was resolved, it wasn¡¯t. The biggest problem still lingered. Ronan, pondering while rubbing his chin, was interrupted by Elizabeth draped in a nket. ¡°Ronan-nim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Herplexion had notably improved, evidently recovering from the ordeal. Her hair, once soaked and resembling seaweed, had dried outpletely. Extending a nket simr to hers, she spoke. ¡°I survived because of you. I¡¯m always indebted to you.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°Not at all. What exactly did you go through for the past two years?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s voice trembled. She couldn¡¯t fathom how she¡¯d survived beneath the witch¡¯s ice in the deepest recesses of Rodn. Being saved from drowning due to the barrier she had put up was one thing, but the real problem came after. When the witch froze the seawater, they were trapped in an airless, lightless ice prison. The cold they felt then was indescribable. Without consuming the Eternal Snow Pearl, they surely wouldn¡¯t havested more than a few minutes. Escaping that hell was solely thanks to Ronan. Remembering the moment of escape, Elizabeth flinched. ¨C Move. With just that word, Ronan swung his sword. The scene of the sword¡¯s energy breaking the ice would remain unforgettable. Afterward, they managed to escape riding on top of Itargand, who hade to his senses. Although she had thought that he¡¯d grown considerably stronger over thest two years, he was in an entirely different league. Ronan, who was reminiscing about what he had experienced in the Mental World, opened his mouth. ¡°Just roamed around here and there.¡± ¡°Are you going to avoid it this time too?¡± ¡°Exining it all here would take a while. But hey, we¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. And Aselle?¡± Ronan¡¯s brow twitched momentarily. Silently, he nodded toward where Aselley unconscious, pointing with his chin. ¡°Same as before.¡± They had discreetly moved Aselle away, to keep the fact that he had been possessed by the witch hidden from the others. Elizabeth, seeing his still snowy white hair, grimaced. ¡°His hair color¡­ hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°Yeah. How do we really get that old hag out of him¡­¡± Ronan ran his hand through his hair, exhaling heavily. Knocking him out was fine for now, but the issuey in what followed. He had no clue how to separate the witch¡¯s soul. Consulting with Elizabeth, Itargand, and a few seemingly skilled mages yielded no concrete answers. ¡®I¡¯d rather resolve this before it esctes.¡¯ Of course, once news of Rodn¡¯s situation spread, there might be those who knew the solution. However, Aselle¡¯s life was poised to be tumultuous for quite a while. Considering the time left, it seemed wiser to swiftly resolve it before that. Amid his contemtion, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Oh, there you are.¡± ¡°Karaka?¡± Ronan turned his head. Karaka approached, bearing the consequences, alongside a bird masked guard. The two stood before Ronan. It seemed they had gauged the situation to some extent. Here theye. Ronan took a deep breath and opened his mouth. ¡°How many died?¡± ¡°Seven. All tried to escape and were intercepted by the interrogators. I feel sorry for them, but it was a pitiful end.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes. I was surprised too.¡± Karaka shook his head. Ronan breathed a sigh of relief. Considering Aselle¡¯s telekic punch piercing through Rodn, having so few casualties felt like a miracle. ¡°Of course, your warning was of great help, but having this few casualties, it feels like it was heaven¡¯s intervention. We were incredibly lucky.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a real relief.¡± ¡°However, there are nearly a thousand injured and the material damage is incalcble. Surely, this day will go down as the worst since the Fortress of Screams was established. Heheheh.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Karaka chuckled while stroking his beard. He also mentioned that most of Rodn¡¯s underground had been flooded by seawater. Ronan, looking at Aselle with a troubled gaze, spoke up. ¡°Will they hold this kid ountable too?¡± ¡°Well, if we can¡¯t separate the witch¡¯s soul from his body, the likelihood of that happening is significant.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Ronan pursed his lips. This was the biggest reason why they had to somehow extract the Winter Witch from Aselle. Having been manipted against his will, now he might also face severe punishment. Having lost his body, if he returned to Rodn as a criminal, it would be too tragic. As Ronan pondered, feeling disheartened, Karaka spoke again. ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t seem entirely hopeless.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Instead of answering directly, Karaka signaled to the guard beside him. The guard removed the mask, revealing a young girl¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The girl seemed familiar, with delicate features that exuded beauty and healthy brown hair. Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Evelin?¡± ¡°Hello, Senior Elizabeth. I¡¯ve caused you all a lot of trouble.¡± The girl awkwardly bowed while greeting. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened too. It was Evelin Droza, who had been a vessel for the Winter Witch. Herplexion had improved significantly since being extracted from the ice, making it difficult to recognize her for a moment. ¡°She woke up a little while ago, I thought it might get noisy, so I had her disguised herself. She knows a way to extract the Winter Witch from your friend¡¯s body.¡± Karaka remarked. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened, and he grabbed onto both of her shoulders. ¡°Is that true? You know how to extract the Winter Witch?¡± ¡°Yes. It may take some time, but I can do it. My¡­ shoulder.¡± Evelin¡¯s eyes trembled as if she was in pain. Only then did Ronan realize that he was exerting too much force and let go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re the one who got me out of that ice, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never forget your kindness. Thank you.¡± Evelin bowed deeply, and Ronan waved his hand. She seemed like a pretty nice girl with good manners. Or was it that the atmosphere around her was good? Despite her history as a vessel for the witch, it was hard to believe she¡¯d been involved in such crimes in the future. ¡®There was a reason the witch chose her as a vessel. She¡¯s strong.¡¯ Her skills as a mage also seemed remarkable. Although Ronan felt sorry for Elizabeth, it seemed possible that she hadn¡¯t lost to the witch during the entrance ceremony but rather to Evelin¡¯s own abilities. The time when the witch possessed Evelin, the people who imprisoned her¡ªRonan had several questions to ask when Evelin woke up, but now wasn¡¯t the time. He inquired about the method. ¡°So, what¡¯s the method?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll be the vessel again and ept the witch. Since I¡¯ve been a vessel once, it should be much easier.¡± Evelin had some proficiency in soul-altering magic, thanks to her father, a former dark mage. Though it felt dubious, the potential was there. However, a thought crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait. Won¡¯t that old woman rampage again? What if she takes over your mind and you be the Winter Witch again?¡± ¡°Yeah. So, as soon as I¡¯ve transferred her soul, you need to seal me. A powerful seal that I¡¯ll never be able to break free from. That will solve everything.¡± Evelin said with a subtle smile on her face. Both Ronan and Elizabeth froze. Ronan firmly shook his head. ¡°No, that won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°Damn it, if I said it won¡¯t work, it won¡¯t work. You¡¯re suggesting something that makes no sense.¡± Despite his advice-worthy expression and tone, he couldn¡¯t fathom what she was saying. He couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch her take on the sins to save Aselle in such a way. ¡°Is there no other way?¡± ¡°Well¡­ perhaps. It won¡¯t be easy to find a vessel that can handle the witch¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it be an object instead of a person?¡± ¡°In theory, it¡¯s possible. But I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s an object strong enough to seal the witch.¡± Evelin sighed. She acknowledged that while the method of separating the vessel might be simr, the Winter Witch¡¯s immense power was the issue. While transferring to a mediocre vessel could lead to it breaking or the witch being released immediately, causing more casualties. The term ¡®vessel¡¯ struck a chord in Ronan¡¯s mind suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Evelin¡¯s eyebrows rose. Ronan sat down in front of Aselle and started rummaging through every nook and cranny of his robe. Elizabeth was bewildered. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± ¡°Wait. He carried it even to the bathroom¡­¡± He definitely remembered seeing Aselle carry it even after returning from the Mental World. Soon, Ronan¡¯s face lit up. His hand emerged from deep within the robe. ¡°Found it.¡± In Ronan¡¯s hands, he held a pitch-ck book. The two women¡¯s eyes widened. It was none other than the Vijra of Destruction, an unprecedentedly forbidden book. Ronan said as he handed the Vijra to Evelin. ¡°It would be possible with this, don¡¯t you think?¡± The book that once contained an evil spirit and had brought ruin to countless nations. It was rumored to have the souls of countless mages sealed within each page. There was nothing more fitting to seal the witch than this. Evelin marveled as she looked at Vijra. ¡°I think this¡­ might be possible¡­!¡± Chapter 143: Come, Spring (8) Chapter 143: Come, Spring (8) Evelin, who was flipping through the pages of Virja, couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Her eyes sparkled with fascination. ¡°This seems possible¡­! Elizabeth, can you help me?¡± ¡°Help you?¡± ¡°Yes. To sessfully transfer the soul, I need to make some preparations.¡± Evelin mentioned that a significant amount of mana was necessary to separate the witch¡¯s soul. It seemed like it would require not only Elizabeth but possibly other mages as well. As she exined further, hesitatingly, she said. ¡°Umm¡­ I know we should avoid escting things, but¡­ Could we get that person over there?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°There¡­ The one standing by the cliff.¡± Her gaze lingered on a young man. He stood gazing at the sea, wearing a fur coat dampened by the water. Evelin couldn¡¯t help but express her admiration again. ¡°I can feel the powerful mana from all the way here¡­ Are they a High Elf? No, it¡¯s beyond that¡­¡± Indeed, an immense amount of mana wafted off the young man¡¯s shoulders. Ronan narrowed his eyes. Evelin¡¯s assumption aside, the question remained, why was he still here? Despite Ronan¡¯s warning to return immediately due to the potential of his wounds worsening. Ronan took determined steps. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll bring him.¡± The young man had vacant eyes as he gazed at the sea. The ship he came in jutted above the water¡¯s surface. Ronan stood alongside the young man. ¡°You¡¯re still here. Itartagand.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Not ¡®you,¡¯ but Ronan. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I was lost in thought.¡± Itartagand spoke without turning his gaze. He didn¡¯t exude his usual arrogance, but his absent-mindedness didn¡¯t bode well. Ronan chuckled. ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ I might be¡­ weak.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Ronan chuckled reflexively. It wasn¡¯t amusement but rather disbelief. To hear such self-critical words through a dragon¡¯s mouth was quite something. The impact from his time at Rodrn seemed quite substantial. ¡°Why do you think that way?¡± ¡°My powers failed to melt that ice. Without your help, I might not have been able to defeat the witch either. No, I might have died in that chilling underground.¡± ¡°Quite rational of you.¡± ¡°My mother always praised me for being strong. But that was a tant lie. The mes I spewed at mying-of-age ceremony were just a joke¡­¡± Itartagand sighed deeply. His self-esteem seemed to have hit rock bottom, almost as if he had dug into the cer. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Do you want to be stronger?¡± ¡°Yes. But I don¡¯t know how.¡± ¡°Shall I teach you?¡± For the first time, Itartagand turned his head. From the initial shes to the pursuit of strength in a while already being strong, there was a certain resemnce to Shullifen. Unfortunate but not undesirable. Itartagand asked. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Nothing much. You just have to work hard like a human.¡± ¡°Like a human¡­? How would I do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you help me first. Follow me.¡± Ronan turned and walked away. Itartagand, with a perplexed expression, followed suit. Evelin, who btedly discovered Itartagand¡¯s dragon identity, had a pale face of disbelief. **** The preparation didn¡¯t take long. Itartagand¡¯s immense mana made additional assistance unnecessary. The ritual took ce at the fortress¡¯s rear. The sound of crashing waves echoed from the cliff¡¯s edge. Evelin, surveying the surroundings, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t know such a ce existed.¡± ¡°We barely found it. It¡¯s the perfect ce to practice ck magic.¡± Evelin chuckled. The cramped and secluded area meant only the five present would know of it. On the uneven ground, she had drawn magical circles in chalk. Two ovepping circles formed the structure, with Aselle and Vijra positioned at the centers. Evelin knelt at the ovepping point. Elizabeth and Itartagand stood silently, ready to transfer mana to her. Ronan¡¯s role was to keep watch. Evelin, after a few deep breaths, began. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin.¡± The other three nodded. Evelin¡¯s lips parted. A melodic chant flowed like water. Elizabeth and Itartagand¡¯s bodies became immobilized. Suddenly, Aselle¡¯s body floated above the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, that startled me.¡± Ronan frowned. Aselle hovered about a meter above the ground, writhing violently. ¡°Aaargh! Ah, aah¡­!¡± ¡°Shit, is this alright?¡± Ronan asked, feeling queasy. It seemed like a patient suffering from convulsions. His hair changed color intermittently, shifting from white to red and back. ¡°He¡¯s fighting for control.¡± ¡°Control?¡± ¡°Yes. As the witch¡¯s soul gets transferred into Vijra, Aselle¡¯s personality is starting to resurface. It¡¯s a positive sign.¡± Evelin replied with closed eyes. Elizabeth and Itartagand¡¯s mana was rapidly being absorbed by her. ¡°Now I need to concentrate a bit. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, absolutely no interruptions¡­¡± Just then, a voice was heard from behind. ¡°You seem to be having fun. What¡¯s the good asion?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head towards the direction of the voice. There was nothing there. The voice came from the front again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but stopping would be wise.¡± ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± Ronan lowered his gaze and tilted his head. A little boy was sitting cross-legged, resting his chin on his knees. At most, the boy seemed around ten years old. No trace of hostility was felt, yet his sudden appearance was baffling. Instead of answering Ronan¡¯s question, the boy spoke sullenly. ¡°That¡¯s a spell destroying souls.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The two supplying mana might suffer mental damage as well. The child who became the host is quite impressive. Despite being pressed by a dragon¡¯s mana, it¡¯s still resisting. It¡¯s like seeing my childhood.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The situation wasn¡¯t entirelyprehensible, but his intuition spoke volumes. At least the boy wasn¡¯t lying. As he raised his head, Aselle continued to thrash about in mid-air. Ronan, after a brief hesitation, swiftly grabbed Aselle floating in the air. ¡°Damn it, stop right now!¡± ¡°Kwaaagh?!¡± Evelin screamed, copsing to the ground. The two who were supplying her with mana also opened their eyes, breathing heavily as they surveyed their surroundings. ¡°Wh-What just happened?¡± ¡°Did I¡­ faint?¡± The reaction was far from what would be expected from someone whose mana supply was suddenly cut off. Ronan red at Evelin, whose usually gentle face now contorted fiercely. ¡°What the hell are you doing? We were almost done!¡± ¡°You fucking bitch, what were you trying to do to my friends?¡± Ronan, having brought Aselle down to the ground, grasped the hilt of his sword. He aimed Lamancha at Evelin¡¯s throat, growling menacingly. The boy watching their actions remarked with an intriguing tone. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the intuition. Usually, I¡¯d have my head squeezed for talking nonsense.¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re¡­¡± Evelin, btedly noticing the boy¡¯s presence, froze in ce. Her reaction was akin to what one might expect when a mouse turns a corner and faces a cat. The boy, alternating his gaze between her and Aselle, rose to his feet. ¡°Beings who have lived as spirits for a long time can divide their souls and ce them into vessels. That girl there is proof of that. It¡¯d be a waste topletely discard and rece her.¡± ¡°Yes, but why are you here? How?¡± ¡°You chose a vessel that was too good to pass up. To a point where I couldn¡¯t ignore it.¡± p! Suddenly, the boy pped his hands. Swaa¡­ White mist-like substance slowly flowed from Aselle and Evelin¡¯s noses and mouths. Aselle emitted a muchrger quantity of mist. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan and Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Evelin, who had expelled all the mist, copsed to the ground like a discarded doll. Aselle, lying with his eyes rolled back, screamed and rose to his feet. ¡°Kyaaah! Get, get away!¡± ¡°Aselle?!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Aselle¡¯s previously whitened hair was rapidly changing color. While leaning against the wall, struggling for breath, he raised his head. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­? Elizabeth?¡± ¡°Are you okay, dude?¡± Looking around, Aselle raised his hand and examined it. Moisture welled up in his eyes upon confirming that his hands and feet were moving ording to his will. ¡°Guys, I¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s save the joy of reunion for a bitter.¡± Aselle was about to say something, but the boy who had cut in gestured to the mist at the tip of his chin. The mist emanating from both of them was slowly congealing into a specific form. Ronan narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Finally, the mist stopped transforming. It was a beautiful woman. d in a fluttering dress, her body was translucent like a spirit. Instinctively, Ronan sensed she was the Winter Witch. The woman opened her eyes and gasped in horror. [Where¡­ where am I?] ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Had a good vacation?¡± [Wait. I can¡¯t go back yet. I haven¡¯t achieved anything yet¡­] ¡°I was a bit dyed due to some business. Let¡¯s go back.¡± p! The boy pped again. The witch¡¯s form turned back into mist and dispersed. With another p, the mist was sucked into the pendant he held and vanished. [Aaahhh¡­!] A faint scream flew off with the sea breeze. The witch¡¯s presence disappeared from the world. The four of them gazed at the boy, bewildered. Intargand was the first to speak. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Me? Well¡­ kind of.¡± ¡°Perhaps even more than Mother¡­¡± Intargand¡¯s voice sounded rough. The boy grinned as if contemting something and chuckled. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an overstatement. I¡¯m stillckingpared to Lady Navardose.¡± For a moment, a shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. It wasn¡¯t a mere guess but a calcted conclusion. Comparing himself and the Mother of mes on the same scale? Ronan wiped away the cold sweat forming in his hands and spoke up. ¡°You. What¡¯s your true identity¡­?¡± ¡°Just a moment. Let me finish what I have to do first.¡± Saying so, the boy touched the ground. Pahh! A sound resembling an exhtion emanated from him, apanied by a wave of mana spreading across the entirety of Rodn. Kugugugung! A thunderous noise echoed above them. Elizabeth, lifting her head, eximed in shock. ¡°Oh, goodness!¡± The Fortress of Screams was being restored. The copsed ceiling was self-assembling, and new growths were sprouting all over the reef that had copsed due to the ice. ¡°This is unbelievable.¡± Even Ronan couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment. A grand Earth Mage would require at least three people to aplish what this boy was doing alone. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Kugugugu! The entire Lodn began to vibrate with a deafening sound that was iparable to anything before, as if the world itself was being lifted. Aselle, who had been in a state of panic, pointed towards the cliffs. ¡°I-it¡¯s rising!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan frowned. Rushing to the edge, his eyes widened. Indeed, Rodn was levitating. With the melting sea and scattered ships, the ice spikes left by the witch were swiftly moving away. The boy spoke. ¡°I heard that the lower parts arepletely submerged. In that case, isn¡¯t this better? The prisoners can¡¯t escape either.¡± No one responded. Rodn stopped ascending after about ten minutes. The air became clearer, aiding their breathing. ¡°This is¡­ truly¡­¡± A herd-like mass of clouds flowed before them. With the increased altitude, they could see farther. In the far horizon, something resembling a small chimney was emerging. It was the Dawn Tower that wasn¡¯t visible before. The boy, who had been admiring the surroundings, lightly touched his chin. ¡°Oh, the timing for transporting prisoners by boat seems problematic. I¡¯ll take care of it, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± All four now gazed at the boy with reverent eyes. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It was about time they started noticing. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Great Mage?¡± ¡°Ohh? You have a good sense, as expected¡± There weren¡¯t many beings in the world who could casually do such things. The boy widened his eyes in amusement. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it? I heard that the Winter Witch picked a vessel that was too good to pass up. So, I went to admire the vessel, among other things.¡± ¡°If¡­ if you¡¯re a Great Mage¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s voice sounded as if he would faint any moment. Elizabeth was frozen in ce, as if cursed. The boy, stretching after getting up, turned to the group and spoke. ¡°Nice to meet you all. I¡¯m Lorehon, the Tower Master of the Dawn Magic Tower.¡± Chapter 144: Come, Spring (9) Chapter 144: Come, Spring (9) ¡°Nice to meet you all. I¡¯m Lorehon, the Tower Master of the *Twilight Magic Tower.¡± Lorehon chuckled softly. For an introduction from a legendary Great Mage, it was remarkably modest. Elizabeth began to hup, Aselle and Itargand froze in ce. Ronan remained calm, silently observing him. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t believe I get to see this guy here.¡¯ Despite hisposed expression, Ronan felt his heart pound as if it would burst from his skin. To see Lorehon at such proximity was quite something. Lorehon. Like many other famous figures, Lorehon had numerous names. Bards and fellow mages referred to him with grandiose titles like the Lamp that Illuminates Ignorance, Creator of Light, or Master of the Five Prime Elements, illuminating his name with extravagant praise. However, most people simply preferred to call him the ¡®Great Mage.¡¯ As the only living mage of this era to reach the Ninth Circle, there was no mistaking him for anyone else. Ronan was familiar with him too. He recalled glimpses, a couple of times at a distance. Once, witnessing him bringing rain to a drought-stricken vige during his wandering days, and another time, glimpsing him at the Imperial Army general meeting before the final showdown. ¡®That was thest time.¡¯ Ronan grimaced as memories flooded back. Lorehon had been involved in the sealing of one of the two giants that descended with Ahaiyute. Specifically, news had surfaced that Lorehon had used his own soul as a medium, sealing it away eternally. Echoes of screams and awe sporadically echoed from beyond the fortress. ¡°Wh-What¡­! Is Rodn really floating in the air?!¡± ¡°What in the world¡­!¡± It was an ability that warranted the description of being omnipotent. It was hard to believe that such a powerful mage had vanished without defeating even a single giant, regardless of whether that entity was stronger than Ahaiyute. The gravity of the impending apocalypse felt more real than ever. ¡®But¡­ what¡¯s with his appearance?¡¯ Ronan raised an eyebrow. While the boy before him appeared to be Lorehon, there was a considerable discrepancy from the image he remembered. After a moment of silence, Elizabeth, who had finally stopped huping, spoke up. ¡°Lo-Lorehon¡­ Is that¡­ the one I know?¡± ¡°Hmm, probably so. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just¡­ the image I have in mind is a bit different¡­¡± Elizabeth stumbled over her words, nervously scratching around her chin. Ronan was equally curious about the discrepancy. Lorehon seemed to understand and nodded. ¡°Ah, I see. So what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± Snap! Lorehon flicked his fingers in the air, and suddenly, he began to grow taller. Wrinkles etched into his once smooth skin, and frost dusted his formerly pitch-ck hair. In an instant, Lorehon, surpassing Elizabeth, stopped almost level with Ronan. Fortunately, his clothes expanded with his body. Wiping the beard that flowed down to his chest, he spoke. ¡°Why not this appearance, I suppose?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± Elizabeth, momentarily stunned, nodded her head. It was a sight Ronan was familiar with. Suddenly, memories of the old man jokingly brushing his beard and bantering with punitive unitrades shed back. ¡°Haha, a favored appearance for public asions. Quite fitting for the grand title of Great Mage. Let¡¯s see this beard.¡± Lorehon grabbed the midsection of the beard, yfully shaking it. It seemed like he deliberately adjusted his mannerisms to resemble the old man. Ronan, feeling a sudden unease, chuckled. ¡°Hmm? Seems a bit different from the usual Polymorph.¡± ¡°Oh, you even recognized that?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t exin it in detail, but it seems more natural¡­¡± ¡°You have a keen eye. Yes, at some point, I gained the ability to manipte the flow of time within my body. But I don¡¯t like this appearance; it hurts my knees, so I¡¯ll return.¡± With another flick of his fingers, he transformed back into a child. Lorehon exined that he could freely manipte the aging process of his body. Ronanughed at the seemingly whimsical ability. ¡°Heh.¡± An overwhelming ability that surpassed even Sekreet, someone cursed to age arbitrarily. Astonished, Aselle, who had been quite intimidated, widened his eyes. ¡°¡­Y-You can manipte time?¡± ¡°Yes. Only for myself, of course.¡± ¡°H-How is that possible? It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Haha, a born wizard with curiosity. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Um¡­! I-It¡¯s¡­ Aselle!¡± Finally, Aselle bowed halfway, oveing curiosity with a hint of fear. Lorehon began scrutinizing Aselle up and down. ¡°Right, Aselle. Ijinne¡­ why do you think the Winter Witch coveted you?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t quite make out what I¡¯m seeing now. I hadn¡¯t expected to encounter someone with potential surpassing that child Kratir for the next few centuries¡­¡± His gaze and tone turned solemn. Aselle, clueless about the situation, fidgeted with his hands. Lorehon didn¡¯t continue, creating a peculiar silence for a while. Unable to bear it, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Um, sorry to interrupt, but what about her?¡± Ronan pointed at Evelin. Leaning against the wall, she seemed like a wax figure, eyes unfocused and vacant, only breathing steadily. Approaching with concern, Lorehon touched her forehead. After concentrating for a moment, he nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Beingbined with the highest-ranking spirit for a year must have been quite a shock. She¡¯s already an exceptional mage, so if she focuses on recovery, she¡¯ll soon improve.¡± ¡°¡­Highest-ranking spirit?¡± ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t know. Ijinne, the Winter Witch, was originally a spirit. And a very high-ranking one at that. There¡¯s almost no information left due to the passage of time, but¡­¡± Lorehon exined that the Winter Witch was a high ranked spiritparable to Hyran and Edelbach. The group¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®So that¡¯s why she was so damn strong. Damn it.¡¯ She seemed excessively powerful. Never would¡¯ve they thought that she would bepared to Hyran, the Prince of Wind. Having seen Hyran firsthand in the Mental World, Ronan was well aware of his majesty. Lorehon continued speaking. ¡°If the bond with Aselle had progressed further, things wouldn¡¯t have ended as smoothly as they did now. It¡¯s fortunate.¡± ¡°What on earth is the rtionship between you two?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Our perspectives differ, so it¡¯s vague to exin. I see myself as a guardian protecting Ijinne¡¯s honor, but she views me as a wicked prisoner.¡± Lorehon fiddled with the pendant containing the absorbed Winter Witch¡¯s essence. Inside the transparent dodecahedron, a blizzard swirled within a nail-sized range. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°A guardian?¡± ¡°Yes. A guardian that prevents incidents like today. She haspletely lost her dignity since she fell in love.¡± Lorehon exined that it was his role to help the witch regain her status as a great spirit. Her corruption began after bing obsessed with someone. The ethereal witch tried to possess bodies of magically gifted women to entice him but often failed. And the person who had seduced the great spirit, he must¡¯ve been extremely captivating. Ronan thought to himself. ¡°Right, by any chance, do you know who she¡¯s in love with?¡± ¡°No. She didn¡¯t speak much. Apart from asional remarks about how white hair and crimson eyes are exquisite¡­ Speaking of which, your eyes are also crimson?¡± Lorehon raised an eyebrow. Ronan didn¡¯t respond. He knew of only two individuals with simr descriptions, one was his sister, Iril, and the other was the traitor bastard who stabbed the Savior from behind. ¡®Is it really that bastard?¡¯ For a moment, he considered if the witch¡¯s love might be that individual. But if that were the case, it raised another question. The witch referred to the ones who imprisoned her in ice as ¡®strange assants¡¯. If her love were the robed figure, she would surely have known about Neb zier. ¡®This is gettingplicated.¡¯ Ronan furrowed his brow. Moreover, she must¡¯ve seen the robed figure carving his sword marks into the ice, but she didn¡¯t say anything about it. At that moment, Lorehon seemed to sense something and turned his head backward. ¡°Well, it seems I should start heading back. I¡¯ve been away for too long.¡± It seemed urgent. Given their approximate location, even if a day were extended to 72 hours, it¡¯d be hard to find much leisure. Lorehon looked at them one by one, before speaking. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re all students from the Philleon Academy, aren¡¯t you? How¡¯s that child, Kratir, doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been overwhelmingly busy. Hopefully, it should improve from now on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worrying that they need to be able to manipte time before their lifespan ends.¡± Lorehon chuckled bitterly. He mentioned that among his disciples, Kratir was the only one still alive. Lorehon exchanged pleasantries with each one, finally shaking hands with Asel. ¡°Aselle, do you perhaps have any interest in exploring the truth with me?¡± ¡°Um¡­ me?¡± ¡°The world still hides many secrets. From a macro perspective, we¡¯re all blind travelers. If you ever have thoughts about it, please visit the Twilight Tower after graduating.¡± After finishing speaking, Lorehon smiled. It felt like an incredibly significant proposition had just slipped by. Aselle was left speechless, unable to find the words. ¡°W-What does that mean¡­ Lorehon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t neglect your studies at Philleon. There¡¯s no better ce for learning. Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± p! Lorehon pped his hands, and suddenly, a strong gust swept through. His body disappeared like dispersing mist, carried away by the wind. ¡°What a dramatic exit.¡± Ronan chuckled in amazement. Everything that had happened moments ago felt like a dream. He wondered if Lorehon¡¯s existence itself was a dream. However, the floatingndmass where they stood and the hovering Rodn reassured them that this was no dream. Ronan, who was quietly looking at the horizon, gently lifted Evelin on his back. With the witch captured and Aselle recovered, there was no more to do. ¡°Well then, shall we start heading back?¡± Without exchanging farewells, the group returned to Philleon. Itartgand gave them a ride. Aselle, seeing the dragon¡¯s true form for the first time, gasped in astonishment. ¡°S-So huge¡­!¡± ¡°Just seeing him you¡¯re surprised. You¡¯d faint if you saw Navardose.¡± He said that, but in truth, Ronan couldn¡¯t quiteprehend it either. It was indeed something to experience. Riding atop the Red Dragon. If his past self had been told this, he would have never believed it. Itartgand spoke. ¡°When you arrive, keep your promise, Ronan. Teach me how to be stronger.¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s get going.¡± The flightsted for about two hours. The sunlight pouring down from above was warm. The dense clouds that had covered the sky had long vanished. Ronan muttered softly. ¡°It¡¯s spring.¡± In the distance, an ind was visible. Patches of fresh green spread like watercolor across the newly revivednd. The melting snow revealed the color of the earth. Chapter 145: Lingering Fragrance of Winter Chapter 145: Lingering Fragrance of Winter It was early in the morning when Evelin Droza opened her eyes. The ceiling she looked up at seemed unfamiliar. It felt like she had slept for a very long time. ¡°Where am I¡­?¡± She slowly raised her upper body. The nket covering her emitted a warm scent. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a glow across the room. The room was tidy, with plush beds lined up. It was a vaguely familiar scene. It was undoubtedly the infirmary of Philleon Academy. ¡®Why am I¡­ here?¡¯ Evelin furrowed her brow. Memories were sporadically fragmented. Meeting apletely white woman in the snowstorm, embracing her, those were the recollections that came to mind, but what happened afterward was not clear. At that moment, a familiar voice spoke right beside her. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­.Senior Elizabeth?¡± Evelin turned her head, her eyes widening. The girl clenched her fist, looking down at her. The clear imprint of the wound she had received was visible in the middle of her pure white neck. Elizabeth spoke. ¡°Hmph, now you¡¯re calling me Senior. You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve done, do you?¡± ¡°¡­What happened? Did I¡­ make a mistake?¡± ¡°You did. A big one. First of all, thank this person. He is your benefactor.¡± Elizabeth gestured, and behind her stood a young man. With both hands in his pockets, he stood tall, with striking features ¨C tall stature, dark hair, and eyes that shimmered like crimson. Despite a fierce appearance, he was remarkably handsome. He spoke nonchntly. ¡°Hey, you feeling any pain?¡± ¡°Yes? Uh, no.¡± Evelin quickly nodded. That¡¯s a relief. She then turned, btedly remembering Elizabeth words, and muttered. ¡°Uh, um¡­ thank you¡­!¡± But the young man had already left the room. She couldn¡¯t figure out what on earth was going on. However, it seemed clear that something big had happened. Elizabeth sighed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just the way he is.¡± ¡°Wh-what exactly happened¡­?¡± ¡°I came to exin that. Here, take this.¡± Suddenly, she noticed the warmth spreading through her perennially cold hands and feet. The chill that had resided in the center of her heart was dissipating. Seated on a makeshift chair, Elizabeth extended a mug towards her. ¡°Y-You intend to tell me directly? No, there¡¯s no need¡­¡± ¡°Stop being noisy. Since you need to rest for stability, just listen quietly. Won¡¯t ept it?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll take it. Sorry¡­¡± Evelin epted the cup. Inside the mug, steam rose from the hot lemon tea. ¡°So, you¡¯re the being known as the Winter Witch¡­¡± After clearing her throat, Elizabeth began recounting the events of the past year. Watching from the doorway, Ronan spoke up. ¡°We might not be needed, right? If Senior goes in, I doubt she¡¯ll be able to focus.¡± ¡°Yeah. Eli is truly kind.¡± Adeshan nodded in agreement. Instead of a long, thick leather coat, she was wearing the uniform of the Martial Arts Department. As soon as she heard that Evelin had woken up, she rushed over immediately without evenbing her hair. Ronan bowed his head toward her. ¡°The funny part is how you seem eager to deny it. Just being straightforward would suffice.¡± Whether it was helping Shullifen¡¯s younger sister before or simply being inherently kind, he was naturally good-hearted. Why be embarrassed about that? Adeshan, ncing back at Ronan, shed a smile. ¡°Yep. Just like someone I know.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone like that.¡± Despite Ronan¡¯s repeated inquiries, she didn¡¯t reveal more. In any case, it was fortunate that Evelin had regained consciousness. The two relieved individuals moved away. Adeshan asked a question. ¡°So, what are you going to do today? It¡¯s still morning.¡± ¡°For now¡­ I want to rest a bit more. I¡¯ve been through days and nights of torment, so I¡¯m really tired.¡± Ronan grimaced as if he were tired just hearing about it. For the past few days, he had been visiting various ces and receiving praise. Despite the detailed testimony from Interrogator Karaka, it still took a long time for everything to be resolved. Afterpleting the pilgrimage and returning to Philleon, it didn¡¯t end there. People from all walks of life came to express their gratitude, and they received an overwhelming number of gifts. The face of the merchants who had been babbling about erecting a statue of the hero who ended the endless winter stuck in his mind. Ronan said. ¡°At least it¡¯s resolved. It¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yeah, truly.¡± Evelin and Aselle were found not guilty. This wasrgely thanks to the defense provided by the Great Mage Lorehon. Of course, he had a lot of responsibility, and it would be difficult if the talent he wanted to recruit as a disciple turned out to be a criminal. Given the magnitude of the crimesmitted, he had expected the exnation to take much longer. However, it was a fortunate turn of events. ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard you also received an invitation to the Imperial Pce. When are you nning to go?¡± ¡°Ah, they say any time is fine as long as I contact them three days in advance.¡± ¡°I see. Just let me know approximately when. I¡¯ll adjust the time ordingly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re adjusting the time?¡± ¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t just go in your usual attire when you¡¯re meeting His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Adeshan offered to make a dress for the asion. Even though Ronan insisted it wasn¡¯t necessary, Adeshan remained firm in her stance. As they exited the Gallerion Hall, a bted arrival of spring caught the attention of the duo. The air still carried a slight chill around them, with the faint chirping of birds echoing in the hazy light. Fresh grass, newly bloomed leaves, and spring flowers exuded a refreshing scent all around. Ronan, yawningzily, was about to head back to the dorms when Adeshan grabbed his sleeve, speaking up. ¡°Ronan, could you spare me a bit of your time?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ hmm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t exin it in detail¡­ let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll tell you. It snowed yesterday.¡± ¡°Snow? Isn¡¯t it already fully spring?¡± ¡°I thought so too, but it briefly snowed yesterday at dawn. We need to go before sunrise.¡± Ronan, with a tired expression, followed her. Her firm grip on his sleeve indicated it was probably something quite important. What could it be this time? Led by Adeshan, Ronan walked towards the west of the campus. It was early enough that there were hardly any students wandering about. Well, this time of day might be suitable for hanging out with the student council president. Thinking various thoughts, they soon reached their destination. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he looked up the familiar hill. ¡°The Hill of Four Seasons?¡± It was the hill he had climbed with Adeshan before entering the Mental World. Memories of them leaning against each other, watching the sunset for a long time, shed back. Four trees were gathered in one spot. ¡°Looks like it did snow for real. Strange.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s climb up.¡± Adeshan¡¯s words were true. Perhaps due tox maintenance, the hill and its surroundings werepletely covered in white snow. Adeshan firmly grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand, leading him up. As they neared the top, cherry blossoms in full bloom came into view. Come to think of it, she had said that at least one of the three blooms every season. They soon reached the summit. As Ronan turned his head in the direction indicated by Adeshan¡¯s finger, he froze in ce. In an instant, all the random thoughts in his head vanished. With a confident smile, Adeshan spoke. ¡°Remember what I said? About it being beautiful in winter?¡± ¡°Well, technically, it¡¯s spring¡­¡± ¡°But it snowed. Today is still winter.¡± Ronan slowly nodded. It suddenly struck him that they had promised toe up here together when winter arrived. He couldn¡¯t deny it. It was a beautiful sight. The cherry trees, in full bloom btedly, clustered on the east side of the campus. White snowkes gently rested on the delicate pink petals. The pale sun slowly rose in the distance. Whoosh¡­! Suddenly, a spring breeze swept through the trees. Countless petals fluttered in the wind, dancing alongside the snow, soaring towards the two figures. ¡°Waaah¡­!¡± It felt as if a million butterflies had taken flight simultaneously. When the wind changed direction toward the hill, the petals continued to soar towards them. Ronan, mesmerized by the spectacle, heard Adeshan¡¯sughter beside him. ¡°Ahaha, Ronan, look at this.¡± He turned to see her, bncing her chin to prevent the cherry blossom perched on her nose from falling. A few petals had already stuck to her ck hair like stars in the night sky. Looking at Adeshan, who gazed at him with a smile, Ronan remarked. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Hehe, right?¡± It seemed like a day he would never forget. They descended from the hill only after the sun hadpletely risen. As they walked down the hill, Ronan spoke up. ¡°By the way, thank you for the Evesting Snow Pearl. It was thanks to it that I managed to survive. Senior, you¡¯re the hero who saved the world.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Hero?¡± ¡°Yes, if it weren¡¯t for that, there might have been a war with the dragons.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean¡­ but anyway, I¡¯m d it helped.¡± Adeshan chuckled. Their hands were still held together. There wasn¡¯t any particr reason besides wanting it that way. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaah!¡± The incident urred the next afternoon. A shrill scream echoed through the corridors of Navardose Hall. Recognizing it as Aselle¡¯s voice, Ronan rushed straight into his room. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­! What do I do? Am I turning into a monster?¡± Aselle, in pajamas, stood in front of a full-length mirror, gasping for breath. He had his hands covering his forehead, seemingly trying to hide something. Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°What nonsense is this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°L-look at this¡­!¡± Aselle slowly moved his hands. Part of his forehead was dyed white, forming a bridge. It was so white that it perfectly matched the color of a witch¡¯s hair. Ronan¡¯s forehead creased deeply. ¡°What is this? It¡¯s seriously creepy.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I woke up, and it was there.¡± Aselle, with a tremor in his voice, exined that he usually looked at himself in the mirror after waking up and found this on his head. Ronan started inspecting his hair. ¡°Is this a side effect from being possessed by the witch? Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Ronan grabbed the hair Aselle was fiddling with and gave it a strong tug. Pop! The clump of white hair was pulled out. Aselle clutched the spot where the hair was pulled, wincing. ¡°Ow, that hurts¡­!¡± ¡°Look at this.¡± The white hair quickly grew back into the empty spot. Pop! Pop! No matter how many times Ronan pulled, the result was the same. He chuckled dryly. ¡°This is ridiculous. I feel like it would fetch a good price. Shall we pull out enough to fill a pouch?¡± ¡°Nooo! Please don¡¯t!¡± Aselle waved his hands frantically, and at the same time, something cold and sharp grazed Ronan¡¯s cheek. Thud! It sounded like a knife piercing wood. Ronan turned his head slowly. ¡°This is¡­¡± His eyes widened. A sharp ice spike was embedded deep in the wood. Aselle rushed towards him, panting. ¡°Oh no! R-Ronan, are you okay?¡± ¡°You little¡­!¡± Though a drop of blood trickled down from the spot where he was grazed, that wasn¡¯t his concern at the moment. The ice emitted a cold white aura. The stone wall was slowly transforming into ice. It resembled the ice manipted by the Winter Witch. Ronan asked. ¡°Can you control ice now?¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Speak up straight. This is a clear attempted murder. You don¡¯t want to be ¡®stripped and chased down the hallway¡¯, do you?¡± ¡°Heeik! No, it¡¯s not like that! Actually, it wasn¡¯t long after I returned¡­¡± Aselle hesitated as he continued to exin. He discovered his new power the morning after returning from Rodolran. Wondering if any power remained, he tried, and indeed, ice manifested. ¡°So, was it you who made it snow yesterday?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ I was so scared¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡± Aselle hesitated in his exnation. Sometimes, mages acquired new attributester in life, but this felt different. It was more simr to Ronan, when he had absorbed the power from Vijra by chance, creating his own core. Aside from that, yesterday¡¯s appearance of that spectacle was all thanks to him. Ronanughed and lightly flicked Aselle¡¯s nose with his finger. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ thank you¡­ but why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, something enjoyable happened.¡± Ronan smiled. The attempted murder was just a joke, and he didn¡¯t feel bad at all. He was actually quite delighted, almost enough to throw avish party. Being a guy already dealing with maic powers,bining it with the Winter Witch¡¯s abilities could be an incredibly powerful force. -Knock, knock. Suddenly, a knocking sound came from behind. Ronan turned his head. He wondered who on earth was knocking on the open door, but there stood a familiar face. Ronan met eyes with Shullifen, who spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s quite noisy here. What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing his serious expression, he must have been bothered by the sudden scream. Ronan gestured for him to take a look. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s something good. Go and finish what you were doing.¡± This matter could be conveyed to the club when they gathered, and it wouldn¡¯t be toote. Shullifen slowly nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯te because of the noise, Ronan. I happened to stop by while searching for you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I need you toe with me right away.¡± His voice was solemn. He was always like that, but today felt different. It seemed a bit tense, to say the least. Ronan tilted his head curiously. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Instructor Navirose has summoned you. It¡¯s about the Festival of Swords.¡± Chapter 146: Candidate Chapter 146: Candidate ¡°Instructor Navirose has summoned you. She has something to say regarding the Festival of Swords¡± ¡°The Festival of Swords?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had heard of it a few times before¡ªan assembly or ceremony where exceptional swordsmen from across the continent gathered. There were even rumors that the legendary Holy Sword was hidden somewhere in Parzan, where the ceremony was held. Come to think of it, when he returned from the Mental World and met up with Navirose, she mentioned that the Festival of Swords was approaching soon. Ronan was about to follow Shullifen out. However, Aselle grabbed his sleeve, stopping him. ¡°Just a moment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aselle hesitated, lips twitching as if he was restless. Ronan turned to Shullifen and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up soon. You go ahead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be toote. It¡¯s in Arena 1.¡± Shullifen left the room. Ronan spoke after the sound of footsteps hadpletely faded. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I think I need to show you this.¡± Rummaging through his belongings, Aselle pulled out a ck book.. It was ¡°The Vijra of Destruction,¡± a forbidden book, written by the Savior. As he flipped through the pages, he reached thest one and unfolded it. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°After returning from Rodn, it changed like this. Or more precisely, a page was added.¡± Aselle stammered, and he seemed uneasy. It looked as if the paper was directly cut out from ice. Thest new page waspletely stained white. An eerie cold air was escaping from the page, which was clearly made of different materials. As Ronan took a closer look, he saw small letters engraved on it. Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s written here? Frozen¡­ Field?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spell and the technique for using ice magic. It¡¯s written in great detail. When I think I have learned everything, the content automatically changes to the next level¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really understand either. Why did this happen?¡± Aselle continued, stumbling over his words. It seemed like the book spontaneously progressed to the next level of knowledge as soon as Aselle felt he had mastered the current one. Among the information, there were even spells and techniques that were unknown in academic circles, and Aselle was able to manipte ice at such a fast pace thanks to the book. Ronan frowned. ¡°It feels unpleasant.¡± It wasn¡¯t just about usefulness; the fact that an inanimate book was behaving like a sentient being was unsettling. As Ronan was scrutinizing thest page, a familiar voice was heard. [Nice to see you.] ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°Shit, what is this?¡± Aselle jumped in surprise. Ronan instinctively snatched the book and threw it. Thud! As Aselle backtracked rapidly, he stopped as his head hit the wall. After catching his breath, he spoke in a teary voice. ¡°Wh-What was that just now? Huh?!¡± ¡°¡­It was definitely that b*tch¡¯s voice.¡± It was the voice of the Winter Witch. At that moment, Ronan was looking around with his hand on the hilt of his sword. [Aya¡­ but isn¡¯t it a little too much to throw me away?] The witch¡¯s voice was heard again! Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. Vajra was lying open on the floor. He slowly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± [That¡¯s right, child. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.] ¡°What the hell, what¡¯s happening?¡± The witch¡¯s voice came from the book, or more precisely, from thest white page that had turned even paler. The witch, who wasughing softly, continued her words. [I was able to dramatically retain my soul. Ah, it was really dangerous.] ¡°You retained your soul?¡± [Yes. Because the ritual had progressed to a certain extent, I could leave a part of my soul in this book. That¡¯s why I can converse with you. It¡¯s not to the extent of that child, but this vessel is quite remarkable as well.] The witch exined that she owes her existence to the ritual she performed in Rodn. She added that apart from destroying the souls of Evelin and Aselle, one of her purposes was to fragment her own soul and ce it within Vijra. Her confidence was astounding, to the point of being outrageous. In a fit of anger, Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. ¡°You damn b*tch.¡± Picking up Vijra, he unfolded thest page and pointed the tip of the de at the pure white paper. The moment Ronan raised his arms. [Now, wait a moment! What are you trying to do right now? Stop!] F*ck stopping. How would I know you¡¯re not going to pull off another stunt?¡± The witch shouted in a perplexed voice. Ronan exined that he would cut out thest chapter separately, put it in an envelope, and send it to the Twilight Tower where Lorhon resided. The originally white paper became even paler. [I-I truly have no intention of doing that this time! If I had been nning to do something, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything to you in the first ce. Wouldn¡¯t I?] ¡°Then why are you suspiciously acting like a mentor? Huh?¡± [I merely wish to teach this child, like that old man Lorehon! All I can do in my current state¡­ is just that.] ¡°Exin.¡± Ronan sheathed his sword. The witch, barely having survived, continued. [¡­I have passed through many vessels. I¡¯ve danced in the eyes of over three digits of mortals. I remember all their names.] ¡°Quite a boast.¡± [However, even though I escaped, I was never able to use my abilities to their fullest extent.] The witch exined that Aselle gaining the ability to manipte ice was an unprecedented event. There had been asions where she resided in a person¡¯s body for over a decade, yet even she, the witch, frighteningly lost her power upon leaving the body. Just looking at Evelin was evidence. While she could manipte ice, it wasn¡¯t the witch¡¯s, but the original ice wielded by Evelin, the Frost Mage. [That child is special. It¡¯s the first time since my existence that I¡¯ve felt the urge to teach someone.] ¡°You¡¯re not nning to use education as an excuse to increase your power, are you? To find that man who resembles me.¡± [Ahaha¡­ That child won¡¯t even bother meeting me. Besides, it¡¯s impossible to increase my strength in this state.] The witch sighed. She indicated that apart from her fingernails, Lorehon had taken away every part of her body. As Ronan said, she wanted to regain her strength, but her soul had been ripped away, leaving no room for growth. [With this feeble soul, I can¡¯t do anything. Speaking or projecting words on paper is the limit. Just barely surviving is all I can manage.] It was a deration of having no remaining power to pull off deceitful acts. Judging by the mana sensed from thest page, it seemed like the truth. After a moment of silence, the witch spoke again. [Just let me teach that child. If I break my promise or attempt to deceive, feel free to do as you please with me.] There was a sense of resignation in her tone, which felt genuine. Ronan¡¯s lips twisted in various ways. While it required the premise that all of the witch¡¯s words were true, it was honestly quite an enticing offer. Who in the world would receive one-on-one education from a high-ranking spirit akin to Hyrian? However, it was a matter that couldn¡¯t be easily entertained. Ronan nudged Aselle¡¯s shoulder as he let out a sigh. ¡°Aselle, it¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°Uh, huh¡­?¡± ¡°Do you trust the words of this monster? You¡¯ve experienced having your body taken away once, you should know.¡± ¡°Tg-That¡¯s¡­¡± Aselle stumbled over his words. Even now, he still felt the shivers down his spine. The frozen time, the embrace of the woman, and the destructive movements of his own body. As he stared fixedly at Vijra, he spoke. ¡°¡­It is true that it has been weakened. At least it doesn¡¯t have enough power left to influence me. That¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Does that mean?¡± ¡°¡­I want to learn.¡± With closed eyes, Aselle nodded. He needed to be stronger to prevent such incidents from happening again. Ronan chuckled and sheathed his sword. The voice of the witch echoed. [That is indeed the right decision. Beautiful child.] **** In the end, Aselle chose to be the witch¡¯s apprentice. Ronan left the room feeling relieved only after witnessing the witch and Aselle proceeding with the Mana Oath, a lesser version of the Blood Oath. ¡®He¡¯s ing bolder. About time.¡¯ Ronan chuckled to himself as he walked down the corridor. As Aselle¡¯s eager gaze faded from his mind, he ruminated on how that guy, who struggled to even kill a goblin properly, had grown so much. Lost in various thoughts, he suddenly arrived at Arena 1. Shullifen and Navirose were already there, engaged in a conversation. No other students were in sight. Locking eyes with Navirose, Ronan grinned. ¡°The hero who ended the endless winter has arrived. Thank you for sparing time for a humble teacher.¡± ¡°Damn it, stop making fun of me.¡± Navirose chuckled. Fortunately, herplexion seemed much betterpared to thest time. It seemed the emotional scars from losing to Zaifa had healed to some extent. ¡°It was a joke. Was there something urgent?¡± ¡°Yeah, a friend had to make a life-changing decision.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, nothing can be done. Stand next to Shullifen.¡± Ronan did as instructed. Navirose¡¯s expression grew serious. Alternating her gaze between the two, she spoke. ¡°Yesterday, I received a message from the Holy City of Parzan. They said the Festival of Swords will take ce in mid-next month. You¡¯re probably familiar with it, but it¡¯s a prestigious event where only those of a certain skill level can participate.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. It seemed like she called only the two of them separately for a reason. Shullifen raised his hand and asked. ¡°It seems to have been brought forward from the original schedule. Any reason for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know. The elders in Parzan decide on the dates. But it¡¯s a fact that this is an unusual case. Usually, they strictly adhere to the schedule.¡± Navirose shook her head. Judging by her expression of puzzlement, it seemed like she found it equally strange. ¡°I believe one of you should go, representing all the grades.¡± ¡°¡­One?¡± ¡°Yes. Only one teacher and one student from Philleon Academy can attend. Only the stronger of the two of you can apany me to Parzan.¡± As soon as they heard those words, Ronan and Schlieffen looked at each other at the same time. A moment of silent acknowledgment passed between them. They both wore an air of detachment that suggested no intention to back down. ¡°No intention to yield, right?¡± ¡°Thought you knew I don¡¯t joke.¡± Ronan chuckled softly. The serene atmosphere transformed abruptly into something fierce. Shullifen, gazing at him silently, muttered lowly. ¡°Can¡¯t be helped.¡± For an instant, a palpable tension seemed to rise from Shullifen¡¯s shoulders. It echoed the solemnity he¡¯d shown when vowing to uphold their oath almost two years ago. It seemed he felt a considerable weight about the uing event of the Festival of Swords. ¡®Is it that important of an event?¡¯ Ronan raised an eyebrow. Frankly, he held no particr feelings about the Festival of Swords. It was information unheard of even in his previous life¡ªa celebration whose primary significance, the Holy Sword, was quite literally a fantastical and elusive existence. But if you were to ask whether he intended to step back, that wasn¡¯t the case either. Ronan¡¯s attention was directed towards the gathering of the strongest swordsmen from various regions. Considering the possibility of free sparring, it seemed it would aid in honing his skills, and perhaps, he could find a reliable ally. That¡¯s when Navirose spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll decide who will go three days before we depart for Parzan based on the oue of a duel.¡± Ronan and Shullifen nodded. Up to this point, it was as expected. Unexpectedly, Navirose uttered something entirely unanticipated. ¡°But there¡¯s a condition. You are prohibited from sparring among yourselves for the remainder of the month.¡± Chapter 147: Intensive Training (1) Chapter 147: Intensive Training (1) ¡°But there¡¯s a condition. You are prohibited from sparring among yourselves for the remainder of the month.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Ronan tilted his head at the unexpected statement. Shullifen seemed equally puzzled, hesitating in response. Navirose spoke up. ¡°We need to determine the better one between you two. You two have very simr skills. While training through sparring as usual is good, this time, try a different approach.¡± ¡°Different how?¡± ¡°Yeah. Try to devise a method to significantly surpass your opponent over the next month.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± It finally clicked for Ronan as he raised an eyebrow. It was indeed a fresh suggestion. Navirose, having cleared her throat, began to convey her intent outright. ¡°Most people can¡¯t match their ambition with their abilities and end up frustrated. It¡¯s a foreign concept to those like you, blessed with such potential.¡± ¡°That applies to the instructor as well, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Enough chatter. I hope this opportunity allows you to feel the desperation and determination of ordinary individuals. Doing whatever it takes to be stronger¡­¡± Navirose raised the corner of her mouth, her creepy smile akin to that of a scientist observing an intriguing experiment. Though part of him felt like screaming, spit on the ground while dering that he¡¯s not a puppet for them, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He didn¡¯t want to lose to Shullifen, even if it meant sacrificing a lot. Ronan raised his hand to ask a question. ¡°But what if by ¡®whatever it takes,¡¯ we end up doing something extreme? Like drinking the blood of a newborn to improve our strength.¡± ¡°If you were those kinds, I wouldn¡¯t have tomand it. I would¡¯ve killed you myself. Don¡¯t disgrace your good nature.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s face turned red. It was a statement reminiscent of what he¡¯d said to Elizabeth just the other day. Navirose smiled as if finding his reaction adorable. ¡°You both are strong. Your abilities are more than sufficient. Honestly, I can confidently say that 70% of the swordsmen won¡¯t even stand a chance against either of you.¡± ¡°Even in an officially recognized setting, there are that many ipetent brats?¡± ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not just a gathering of amateurs. The world is vast, and talent is abundant. Among the remaining 30%, there might be a swordsman strong enough to pose a challenge to you¡­¡± Navirose trailed off. With averted eyes, she nced back at the two. ¡°¡­There might even be the next potential candidate to push that old cat aside.¡± There was a hint of sorrow in her beautiful gaze. She seemed not entirely recovered from the despair of realizing she couldn¡¯t surpass Zaifa. ¡®Well, those wounds aren¡¯t going to heal so easily.¡¯ Her wavering gaze seemed to speak volumes. Navirose spoke again after a brief silence. ¡°Dismissed now. You don¡¯t need to attend sses for the remainder of the month.¡± The announcement was over. Ronan and Shullifen left the arena and headed towards the training grounds. The sunset streamed through the spires along the streets. Shullifen, who had been walking silently, spoke up. ¡°I have no intention of losing to you.¡± ¡°Who says that?¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ll give it your all, Ronan. Because I certainly will.¡± Ronan turned his head as Shullifen was already staring at him. Though serious in most matters, today he seemed even more solemn. It felt burdensome. Ronan turned his gaze forward again. ¡°Why are you so fixated? Trying to find the Holy Sword?¡± ¡°Finding the Holy Sword is indeed one of Garcia¡¯s long-cherished wishes.¡± ¡°Is it really¡­ What even is that Holy Sword? No one¡¯s seen it, do you even believe it really exists?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that it exists. We just don¡¯t know the power it holds.¡± Shullifen firmly believed in the existence of the Holy Sword. At this point, Ronan was starting to wonder what kind of sword it was. It would be great if it was a sword that could cut through the Protection of the Stars. Then, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if this guy fought instead of him. Ronan asked again. ¡°But the reason I¡¯m giving it my all has nothing to do with that.¡± ¡°Then why go all out like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose to you. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re honest.¡± Ronan chuckled. That was the aspect he appreciated most about this guy. Even if he had risen to great heights, he never settled. His gaze, tinted with an azure hue, was always aimed upwards. ¡°But what about in Philleon? You might end up being a bit finger-licker.¡± Ronan chuckled. Shullifen didn¡¯t respond but smiled lightly. It was around the halfway point when Shullifen suddenly changed direction. ¡°I have something else to attend to, so I¡¯ll take a different route. I wish you good luck.¡± ¡°Put in your best effort for the next month.¡± Shullifen departed, leaving Ronan to walk alone toward the dormitories connected by the path. His elongated shadow matched his steps. ¡°Damn it.¡± He pretended to be calm, but as soon as he was alone, various thoughts besieged him. Navirose¡¯s proposal made a lot of sense. Maybe because of the influence of curses, the animosity had lessened, or perhaps hatred had worn away with time, but he couldn¡¯t deny that his hostility had diminishedpared to before. ¡®That guy is most likely stronger than me now.¡¯ Ronan pursed his lips. At this point, Shullifen might indeed be stronger than himself. No, the probability of Shullifen being stronger was much higher. Despite the growth from shedding one of the curse tumors and physical advancement, bridging a two-year gap wasn¡¯t something that could be easily aplished. ¡®I¡¯m not the type to hope for a miracle.¡¯ Predicting the growth of that unlucky genius over the past two years wasn¡¯t too difficult. Undoubtedly, this time too, he had obsessively dedicated himself to training. Because that bastard was Shullifen. Upon reflection, the advantage in this match overwhelmingly favored Shullifen. Being the eldest son of the Garcia Family meant he had a position where everything he desired was within reach. He had every luxury, every support, to engage in focused training. ¡®I have to surpass him without fail.¡¯ On the other hand, Ronan¡¯s circumstances weren¡¯t as leisurely. To achieve significant progress in a month and outshine Shullifen, he¡¯d have to save time even for eating and going to the restroom. Amid nning meticulously, a voice suddenly echoed above. ¡°Ronan.¡± It was a familiar voice. Ronan looked up. At a distance of about ten strides in the sky, a handsome young man gazed down at him against the setting sun. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. Red, enormous wings sprouted from the young man¡¯s back at regr intervals. The tinum-blond hair fluttered due to the sporadic wind. It was ridiculous but magnificent. The attention of passing students focused entirely on the young man. ¡°Is that¡­ magic?¡± ¡°Did we have someone like that among the freshmen?¡± ¡°He¡¯s incredibly handsome.¡± The surroundings became increasingly noisy, yet the young man remainedposed. Understanding the lineage of the Dragon n would require a longer time. Ronan sighed, rubbing his forehead. ¡°¡­Come down first.¡± ¡°Do not speak to me in amanding tone.¡±¡± ¡°For crying out loud¡­ could you pleasee down?¡± The young man nodded as Ronan insisted. Descending, his wings folded, disappearing into his body, eliciting gasps from all around. It was almost as if he was summoning the entire student body. ¡°Itargand. Within the academy, try to walk as much as possible. Unless you want ¡®Dragon¡¯ written across your forehead.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, if you want to get stronger, you should learn and work like a human. Effort doesn¡¯t matter, but if your identity gets exposed, it might hinder your learning significantly.¡± Itargand tilted his head. It felt overwhelming to have to exin such things step by step. He had to endure it. Taking a deep breath, Ronan spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re a Dragon. Think of it the other way around. If I polymorphed into a Dragon and went to your city, but was discovered to be human, how would you feel?¡± ¡°Fair enough. I understand.¡± Fortunately, Itargand was intelligent. He immediately grasped that if his Dragon identity got exposed, students might either ridicule him or scream and run away. Itargand said. ¡°Ipleted the enrollment procedures as you suggested. Can this really help me be stronger?¡± ¡°Naturally. There¡¯s no way it won¡¯t.¡± Ronan confidently reassured him. He had coerced Itargand into enrolling at the Philleon Academy. It was to fulfill the promise of teaching him how to be stronger. Although Kratir was taken aback, he somehow epted his enrollment. Ronan passionately convinced him by showing how a lion walking on two legs could teach students, so why couldn¡¯t a Dragon attend sses? Thanks to that, Itargand ended up attending the Philleon Academy for a year. He was the first Dragon freshman since the school¡¯s founding. ¡°Human beings here seem to be quitepetent, just as you said.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s where the continent¡¯s top talents gather.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow your suggestion. I don¡¯t know what I can achieve in such a short time, but¡­¡± Itargand hesitated, as if notprehending. For him, a year¡¯s time was almost equivalent to a few days for humans. Ronan¡¯s proposed method was to learn and strive. It was so straightforward that if a human heard it, they might even feel a murderous impulse. However, effort and learning were rtively rare concepts among the Dragon race, who were essentiallypleted beings. In a way, it was simr to what Navirose had mentioned earlier about the ¡®privileged ss.¡¯ The physical talent was already unquestionably excellent. A Red Dragon, and a direct descendant of Navarodoje¡ªit was almost expected. Ronan believed that with the right mindset, Itargand could far surpass other Dragons. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s meet again in a month.¡± ¡°A month? Why?¡± ¡°The man named Kratir said that he needed to have discussions with the professors, so he asked me to take a short break ande back. It¡¯s good timing; I needed to visit my mother.¡± Itargand said matter-of-factly. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It felt like he had discovered the final piece of the meticulously nned training regimen. ¡°So¡­ it means you have time for a month, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Itargand nodded. A smirk crept up Ronan¡¯s mouth. A Dragon, rapid growth rate, and a sparring partner who can rece Shullifen. After exchanging a few words, they walked side by side toward the club training grounds. That day, Itargand didn¡¯t return to the Dragon city of Adren. **** And so, a month passed. Wounded and wielding his sword, Ronan shouted. ¡°Faster!¡± ¡°Kraaaah!¡± Swoosh! The tip of Ronan¡¯s sword lightly grazed Itargand¡¯s chest as it passed. Chapter 148: Intensive Training (2) Chapter 148: Intensive Training (2) A month had passed. Even in the early hours of dawn, the training grounds of the Elite Adventure Club were aze with intensity. Ronan, covered in wounds, brandished his sword and shouted. ¡°Faster!¡± ¡°Raaaah!¡± Swoosh! Ronan¡¯s de narrowly grazed Itargand¡¯s chest, eliciting a spurt of crimson blood along the wound. Itargand¡¯s body resembled a battered mess much like Ronan¡¯s. Fury narrowed Itargand¡¯s pupils as he yelled. ¡°You damned human!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ The most important thing in hand-to-handbat is judgment¡­ predict your opponent¡¯s action and react ordingly.¡± ¡°Die!¡± Itargand aimed at Ronan, extending his arm. A bracelet wrapped around his wrist shimmered. A crimson-colored ze erupted like an exploding inferno from a magic circle drawn before his hand. Kwaaaah! The crimson torrent swallowed Ronan¡¯s form. Adeshan, watching the duel with sunsses on, brought her hands to her mouth. ¡°Itargand, you must learn to control your anger. There are still many openings in your movements!¡± ¡°Shut up, wench. Don¡¯t meddle in my affairs!¡± Itargand snarled, mes flickering around his lips. At that moment, the torrent of mes split in half. Itargand¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Damn it¡­! I fell for it.¡± ¡°This guy. I warned you not to be so reckless with him, didn¡¯t I?¡± Ronan¡¯s voice came from up ahead, but Itargand couldn¡¯t see him. The crescent-shaped de, slicing through the fire, had reached just before his eyes. ¡°Grrr!¡± Itargand halted his magic hastily, swiftly withdrawing backward. He knew better than anyone he couldn¡¯t defend against that de. Swoosh! The de grazed his shoulder and simultaneously, wings spread from Itargand¡¯s back. The odds were nearly against him in this duel. He was just about to take off. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Thud! Ronan, charging forward, struck the ground with his right foot. Bright light emanated from beneath Itargand¡¯s foot. He looked down hastily. ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s this?¡± Glittering roots firmly bound his legs. A white-glowing dagger was lodged about three steps away. It was Ymir, a dagger capable of replicating others¡¯ Aura. Itargand gritted his teeth. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°What a waste. If you had flown, you wouldn¡¯t have known.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice echoed from just in front. Itargand urgently turned his head. Ronan had already closed the distance to within one step. The de of Lamancha was about to touch his neck. Whoosh! Itargand¡¯s form distorted and vanished from sight. ¡°He¡¯s getting stronger the more time passes.¡± Ronan confirmed victory, exhaling heavily. His arm was also covered with a ck bracelet. It was the space-type magic tool that he had used while training with the club members before entering the Mental World, to detect fatal wounds and move the user to safety. Ronan said, turning to Adeshan. ¡°Haa¡­ what¡¯s my record with this?¡± ¡°133 wins out of 152 fights. Itargand¡¯s win rate is slowly increasing.¡± ¡°A dragon is a dragon after all. Looks like I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Ronanughed. While catching his breath, he took off his jacket and threw it away. After sparring for an hour, sweat was pouring down from every inch of his body. Adeshan took a deep breath. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s hot. What¡¯s up, Sunbae?¡± ¡°¡­No, your body seems much better.¡± Adeshan turned her head, casting a fleeting nce at Ronan. It seemed impolite to dismiss this level of improvement. His well-trained physique resembled a sculpture chiseled by a master. His already broad shoulders squared off perfectly with his neck, and prominent veins bulged three-dimensionally on his thickened forearms. Was he starting to resemble his days as a Punishment Squad member? Ronan grinned slyly. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t really notice.¡± ¡°I definitely think it has improved. Thanks to your training methods.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you and that dragon. Did you have anything to point out this time?¡± Ronan asked. Adeshan, who had been quiet for a moment, spoke up. ¡°Well¡­ most of your fundamental skills and tactics are already on track. Just focus a bit on the newly discovered swordsmanship. Try easing off a bit on the power for the fifth thrust, on the left shoulder?¡± ¡°Ah, like this?¡± Ronan immediately cast the Saviour¡¯s Swordsmanship 2nd Form. Seven thrusts like meteors pierced through the air before returning to the scabbard. Crack! A dyed sonic boom echoed. Ronan felt a much smoother movement than before, chuckling softly. ¡°You¡¯re a genius, Sunbae. How do you even see this?¡± ¡°Hehe, I just have a slightly better eye than others.¡± Adeshan chuckled. She had willingly epted the request to be a coach and was watching over Ronan and Itargand every morning, despite her busy role as the student council president. As if something had urred to her, she pped her hands and offered a water bottle to Ronan. ¡°By the way, you should drink this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ damn. Do I really have to?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told you that you have to drink it consistently for it to be effective.¡± The liquid in the bottle wasn¡¯t water. Judging by Adeshan¡¯s tightly sealed lips,promise seemed impossible. It reminded him of his older sister, who used to insist on forcing supposedly beneficial teas on him. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan reluctantly took the bottle and gulped down the liquid inside. As soon as the slightly bitter liquid passed down the esophagus, it turned into formless energy and spread throughout his body. Energy increased quickly and the wounds all over his body began to heal. It was a potion received from the Dancing Mule Workshop as a reward for the restoring spring. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s bitter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely working though, right? The mana flowing through your body has significantly increased.¡± ¡°With how tasteless this is, it better have some effect.¡± Just then, a furious roar thundered through the ce. Ronan and Adeshan simultaneously turned their heads. Bang! The club building¡¯s door burst open. ¡°Damn it!¡± It was the designated respawn point. Itargand, covered in wounds, walked out resolutely. Looking around, he shouted at Ronan. ¡°You scoundrel! What trick have you pulled this time?¡± ¡°Scoundrel is a bit harsh. It¡¯s clearly a human strategy to use the given tools to catch someone off guard.¡± ¡°This time, I¡¯ll reveal your deceitful scheme once and for all! Come on!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day today. We have to head to ss soon.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it!¡± The mention of ss reluctantly made Itargand back off. Ronan had ingrained the sanctity of ss time, no intrusions allowed, through persuasion. Having taken the same potion as Ronan, he briskly left the training grounds. The echoing sound of footsteps ascending the stairs reverberated. Ronan, watching his departure, spoke up. ¡°He¡¯ll still show up for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was predictable. Adeshan nodded, now familiar with such behavior from Itargand, a virtue in his own right. Ronan¡¯s training regimen was simple: fight a lot, eat well, maintain the right posture. The rewards he received for defeating the witch was enough for him to eat for the rest of his life.The gifts from the upper echelons of merchants and Alchemists Guilds were numerous potions and elixirs. Ronan sessfully reduced their quantity by half, through immense effort. Every inhtion carried a herbal scent. Adeshan significantly aided in attaining the correct posture. Her enhanced senses,pared to two years ago, greatly assisted Ronan. The sparring partners rotated between club members and Itargand. Each session provided a learning opportunity as everyone¡¯s skills improved significantly. Particrly, Aselle had grown immensely stronger, now posing a serious challenge. He seemed to be absorbing the teachings of the Winter Witch quite well. ¡®Still, a dragon is the best.¡¯ However, the ultimate sparring partner remained Itargand. He was sturdy by nature, had a desire to grow stronger, and, above all, rapidly absorbed knowledge. ¡°That guy. Has he surpassed the Sword Expert rank already?¡± ¡°Yeah. He fired a sword energy the first day he held the hilt of a sword.¡± Ronan chuckled. Provoking Itargand at the sunset street a month ago had indeed been an excellent choice. Hand-to-handbat, magic, swordsmanship¡ªthis arrogant Red Dragon was absorbing knowledge one after another, bing Ronan¡¯s rival in skill, approaching Shullifen¡¯s level. Yet, both sides benefitted¡ªRonan from the Dragon¡¯s resilience, Itargand from humanbat techniques. Ronan thought of Shullifen¡¯s face. ¡°I wonder how he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Probably fine. He¡¯s the Little Duke of Garcia, after all.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t even visit our ce?¡± ¡°No, not that I know of.¡± ¡°He must be undergoing some extraordinary training, not even showing his face.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had never seen Shullifen in the past month. Even though he tried to inquire, he only vaguely heard a rumor that he had exined the situation to Katir and left Philleon. ¡°I¡¯m worried but also excited. It¡¯s already tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯se so quickly.¡± Ronan widened his eyes. He had been so busy that he almost forgot the decisive day tomorrow. Adeshan added. ¡°How about taking a good rest today? Training is good, but it¡¯s better to adjust your condition the day before. You¡¯ve been pushing yourself constantly.¡± ¡°Um¡­ that makes sense, I guess?¡± Ronan nodded. It was a reasonable argument. After all, pushing too hard the day before would only result in injustice if he fell ill. Donning his training garb again, he turned to Adeshan. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Come on, take a guess. You¡¯re good at these things.¡± ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know. Both of you are prodigies who will leave a mark in their time. But¡­¡± Adeshan suddenly turned around. She reached out, gently stroking Ronan¡¯s head, causing him to freeze. Adeshan, staring directly into Ronan¡¯s eyes, spoke. ¡°I hope you win.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. He felt tongue-tied, incapable of speaking. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s face turned as red as an apple. It seemed she realized btedly that she had done something quite embarrassing. ¡°Uh, I, I¡¯ll see you¡­!¡± She hurriedly covered her face with both hands and left the training grounds. Ronan chuckled wryly. His heart raced, not just from the intense sparring with Itargand. ¡°¡­Heh.¡± He stood there for a while before returning to the dormitory. The final day passed in a sh. Finally, it was tomorrow. Frankly, whether it was a swordpetition or something else wasn¡¯t particrly important. ¡®Oh, now that I think about it, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m facing off against that brat after the favor.¡¯ That bastard¡¯s words had left an indelible mark on Ronan¡¯s determination not to lose even if he died. His heart was pounding rapidly. ¡°Wait for it, you unlucky bastard.¡± His chest was racing, and sleep was nowhere to be found. It took swinging his sword in different directions a thousand times over before he could finally fall asleep. The bted exhaustion guided him into a deep slumber. The news that half of the Dawn Brigade, tracking Neb zier, had met its demise, arrived the next morning. Chapter 149: Audience (1) Chapter 149: Audience (1) The white mountain mist flowed along the ridgeline. The morning air was damp, and a spring rain trickled through the trees, drumming softly. The sky seemed brighter than when Ronan had left Philleon. The mist rising from the damp soil carried a thick, earthy scent. Ronan, surveying the surroundings, muttered curses under his breath. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Any remnants of drowsiness vanished entirely. Memories from a few hours ago briefly resurfaced as Ronan recalled hearing the news in the predawn darkness. He was getting a good night¡¯s sleep for the decisive battle with Shullifen. Suddenly, the door of the dormitory burst open, and a familiar voice echoed into the room. ¨C Ronan. Get up. ¨C ¡­Instructor? Ronan raised his head. Navirose stood at the doorway. Gazing through half-awake eyes, he noticed her attire, she was dressed inbat gear. There was no apology for interrupting his sleep or barging in unannounced. In that moment, Ronan realized the gravity of the situation. Shaking off sleep hastily, he spoke up. ¨C What¡¯s going on? ¨C Intelligence arrived that the Dawn Brigade has been decimated. I thought you might be interested, so I came to inform you. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The Dawn Brigade was part of the Imperial army¡¯s specialized forces dedicated to Neb zier, the group led by Zaifa. ¨C Just a moment. Within minutes, Ronan was ready to depart. Luckily, the scene wasn¡¯t too far from the campus. A drizzle continued, painting the still-dark correctional facility with a somber hue. The two mounted their steeds¡­ * * * ¡°It¡¯s dreadful.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Navirose, who had been scanning the scene, clicked her tongue. Ronan¡¯s consciousness returned to the present. He nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed.¡± He tried to breathe only through his mouth, dreading the dizziness that woulde from inhaling the metallic-blood scent in the air. Corpses surrounded them. Bodies, some still retaining color, exuded crimson blood. Nearly ny-something figures filled the spaces between the trees, all belonging to the Dawn Brigade. About seventy percent were human, the remaining thirty percent were burly creatures- the beastmen. Fortunately, their bodies were rtively intact, no dismemberment or signs of cannibalism. Identification wouldn¡¯t be an issue, thanks to this. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Ronan gritted his teeth. The grim reality that he should be relieved by such facts was bitterly ironic. He muttered under his breath. ¡°It seems you won¡¯t need to exert any effort.¡± ¡°Bweeh¡­¡± Cita, who was crouching over Ronan¡¯s head, shook her head. Ronan had brought Cita along in case there were any survivors, but it turned out to be pointless. The only survivors were those who were not at the scene. First, they needed to ascertain the circumstances. Navirose seemed to share the sentiment, signaling to a soldier who was issuing orders to approach. ¡°Hey, hold on. I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The soldier cocked his head, wearing a lieutenant¡¯s raincoat. He recognized Navirose and gasped. ¡°¡­Wha!¡± He hurried over, adorned with insignias marking him as a lieutenant. He saluted Navirose upon recognizing her. ¡°Oh, Miss Navirose, you¡¯re here?. If you had informed us, we would havee to receive you!¡± ¡°Enough of that. I¡¯d like to hear an exnation of the situation.¡± ¡°Yes, of course! I¡¯ll tell you as much as I know¡­ But we also discovered the scene after everything had been done, so we don¡¯t have much information.¡± The lieutenant stumbled through his words. His ashenplexion betrayed immense tension. Navirose¡¯s influence became apparent once more. ¡°About two hours ago, soldiers conducting reconnaissance found them. It¡¯s presumed they were ambushed while assembling during a night operation or meeting.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Seems like some members of Zaifa¡¯s unit were involved. Where¡¯s that cat? Was it caught up in this mess?¡± ¡°The¡­ cat? Oh, the Sword Saint was active in another ce when the incident urred. He left a message that he¡¯ll look for the culprits and departed a little while ago.¡± Navirose frowned at the mention of the Sword Saint. The startled lieutenant shrunk back. He didn¡¯t seem adept at military matters. Ronan removed the mist-covered veil from his head. Washing his face with the cold rainwater helped clear his mind. He turned to Navirose. ¡°I¡¯ll do my own investigation.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Cita, see if there are any survivors in the air.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Cita spread her four wings and took flight. They needed clues. As Ronan stepped forward slowly, the damp earth squelched, blood trickling with each step. ¡®Did you just decide to leave now? Why did something like this suddenly happen?¡¯ The glimmering mana remnants scattered around hinted at the involvement of Neb zier. However, the suddenness of this drastic action remained a mystery. After about twenty steps, a familiar face among the corpses caught his eye. ¡®That bear¡­¡¯ The oversized figure, twice the size of an adult male, belonged to the Wearbear, who had apanied Aselle during their encounter with Zaifa¡¯s unit. ¡®So, it¡¯s true that Zaifa¡¯s unit was also caught up in this mess.¡¯ Ronan pursed his lips. He couldn¡¯t fathom how furious that tiger, who treated his fellow beastmen with such horror, might be. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on Wearbear¡¯s neck. A long sh wound ran across the middle of his neck. Considering that his neck bone was cut in a single sh, he probably died without feeling any pain. Ronan narrowed his eyes, feeling a strange sense of deja vu. ¡®This¡­¡¯ A chillingly precise cut marked the neck, severing even the spinal cord. Even a peasant whose livelihood involved ughtering cattle might show more emotion while cutting a cow¡¯s throat. Whoever did this, wherever they lived, it was clear they were someone who had neverughed or cried their entire life. ¡®F*ck, what¡¯s that guy up to?¡¯ Ronan quickly began examining other corpses. In most cases, each body had only one wound. As he examined the forty-third body, Ronan frowned. All the wounds felt eerily simr. It was almost unbelievable that one person could have killed this many. ¡®One person killed all these people alone? No way¡­ there¡¯s a subtle difference.¡¯ But upon closer inspection, there was an extremely minute difference. Shocking, but not significantly different from one person to another. Yet, there was something even more shocking. The basic form of the wounds felt too familiar. As Ronan scrutinized, bringing his face close enough for the hair to prickle his cornea, he chuckled dryly. It didn¡¯t take long for him to discern the nature of the odd feeling. ¡°Ha.¡± There was no mistake. It was a sword technique based on the Savior¡¯s swordsmanship. However, it felt different from the Savior or the robed figure¡¯s swordsmanship. More concise andcking emotion. Rather, it reminded him more of Navirose¡¯s style. ¡®Something significant is clearly unfolding.¡¯ He did his best to find additional clues but found nothing apart from the sparkling mana residue. After the search, he and the soldiers moved the bodies. ¡°Your face looks familiar¡­ are you Ronan, the one who ended the endless winter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me. Could you pick up the head over there?¡± ¡°Nice meeting you!¡± ¡°Please, just pick up the head.¡± A gust of wind swept from the mountainside, clearing the damp forest. By noon, the body retrieval was over. Ronan lit his pipe and said. ¡°In the end, we found nothing.¡± ¡°Put out your cigarette.¡± ¡°Could you just look once? How can you bear to see this?¡± Ronan rebelled against Navirose for the first time. She didn¡¯t say anything more, perhaps because she understood it to some extent. Navirose, inspecting the bloodstains with her hands in her pockets, took Ronan¡¯s pipe and put it in her mouth. ¡°Uh, instructor?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ damn it.¡± After taking a few puffs, she exhaled the smoke, and the white vapor dispersed into the air. After inhaling and exhaling about three times, she handed the pipe back. ¡°Hartaway county in the north. You¡¯re still young, but you¡¯re doing something this good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my only luxury. I don¡¯t have much else to spend money on.¡± ¡°You did well. Theck of results is more frustrating than anything.¡± Navirose clicked her tongue. The clouds were clearing, revealing the blue sky. The remaining bloodstains on the slope still emanated a strong smell of blood. Ronan turned to Cita and said. ¡°Cita.¡± ¡°Bwaa!¡± Cita spread her four wings. The blood that had seeped into the ground was absorbed into her body in droplets. Her absorption ability seemed to have increased significantlypared to two years ago. ¡°¡­Pyaah?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Suddenly, Cita tilted her head. A crimson magic circle appeared before her, emitting a red trail that traced the bloodstains ¨C a magic Ronan had seen in Gran Cappadocia. It was clearly a magic that traced the blood trails and tracked down survivors. Their eyes met. Cita took off, and Ronan chased after her. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ll be right back!¡± ¡°Ronan?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t look back and ran. Twigs and leaves brushed against him. His pace wasn¡¯t long, and soon, Cita halted in front of a massive tree. A distressing sob emanated from underneath the aged tree. The crimson trail was severed in front of the tree. It seemed like there were survivors below. Rolling up his sleeves, Ronan pushed against the tree. ¡°Hmph!¡± It was heavy. Ronan had to switch his power source and use Varen¡¯s Aura. As the golden aura surged up his arm, his muscles expanded. Everything was fine, the problem was, his strength had increased too much. Crash! As the tree flew away, Ronan¡¯s body leaned forward. ¡°Whoa?!¡± His eyes widened. Beneath the fallen tree, there was a massive pit. Ronan, rolling down, came to a stop, bumping into something soft and moist. The smell of beastmen and the metallic tang of blood were mixed together. Ronan raised his head and frowned. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ aah¡­ aah¡­¡± A Werelion was crouched down, trembling. Since it had no mane, it was a lioness. Groans wereing from her mouth. ¡°Bweeh!¡± Citanded on Ronan¡¯s head. Ronan, recognizing the Werelion, raised an eyebrow. She was clearly Nemea, who served as a lieutenant in Zaifa¡¯s unit. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ ah¡­¡± She seemed unaware of Ronan¡¯s presence. It was the first time Ronan had seen a Werelion so terrified. Her once glossy fur was now soaked and ragged, almost like a mop with a mix of blood and rainwater. ¡°Damn, this isn¡¯t the time for this. Come on.¡± Frantically rummaging through his pocket, Ronan pulled out a ss bottle. It was a special potion from Varen carried for emergencies. Ifbined with Cita¡¯s healing abilities, it could handle most serious injuries. As Ronan cautiously approached, the lieutenant sensed his presence and looked up. Their eyes met. Suddenly, the lieutenant¡¯s entire body bristled, and she recoiled. ¡°Your, your eyes¡­!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Aaaahhh! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± The lieutenant let out a roar. Ronan tried to calm her, but it was in vain. Retreating to a dead-end, she began wing at the wall. Sounds of people approaching from above could be heard. Chapter 150: Audience (2) Chapter 150: Audience (2) ¡°It¡¯s surprising that there was a survivor. But why did they end up like that?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Ronan lifted his head in response to Navirose¡¯s question. Five members of the Imperial Army were carrying the lieutenant, moving her onto a transport carriage. It was distressing to see her unconscious, her state utterly pitiful. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. She was a great soldier.¡± ¡°Did you know her?¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw her a few times when she was in the Imperial Knights. What on earth did she witness¡­¡± Navirose trailed off. Indeed, Nemea was originally an elite member of the Imperial Knights. The lieutenant couldn¡¯t seem to regain consciousness. While five others restrained her, she was in a state of hysteria, only ceasing her convulsions after receiving five doses of a sedative. Navirose, who had snatched Ronan¡¯s pipe again, summoned the major from earlier. ¡°Hey, Major.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Miss Navirose!¡± ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take for Lieutenant Nemea to regain her senses?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not entirely sure. Judging from her condition upon discovery, it¡¯s expected to take quite some time. Even for a Werelion, she should be unconscious for at least two days¡­¡± The major shook his head with uncertainty. Suddenly, Nemea¡¯s actions shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. She was clearly afraid to make eye contact with him. This was a significant clue. There were only three people, including myself, who had scarlet eyes, and could create such precise shes. ¡®Was it that bastard¡¯s doing? But the swordsmanship seems too sloppy for it to be him.¡¯ The more he pondered, the more his doubts grew. There was no fitting suspect. The robbed figurecked the skills, and it feltpletely different from that of the Savior. ¡®¡­At least, where¡¯s the one we rescued?¡¯ The details would surface once the lieutenant regained her senses. Surprisingly, there were no severe injuries, so once she regained stability, she could likely provide sufficient testimony. Ronan gently stroked Cita¡¯s head. ¡°You did well, Cita.¡± ¡°Pya~¡± For now, Ronan decided to be content with saving at least one person. After confirming that the situation was over, Navirose opened her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s head back. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°You too, instructor.¡± ¡°A lot will change because of today¡¯s incident¡­¡± Navirose murmured softly. Ronan agreed. The fact that a newly established unit, under the Emperor¡¯smand, had suffered such devastation in a ce so close to the capital was by no means an issue to be easily overlooked. Especially since the Sword Saint, who is said to be the strongest of all time, was involved. The sky hadpletely cleared by now. Despite the grim events, the bright sun was shining down upon the two. They rode back along the path they had taken. They arrived at Philleon, just as they reached the gate, they noticed a majestic carriage parked in front. ¡°What¡¯s that now?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. The students were buzzing around, admiring the carriage. An old man, dressed in fine attire, stood tall at the front, seemingly waiting for someone. Well, they couldn¡¯t pass through there. Ronan was about to turn the horse¡¯s head when he suddenly made eye contact with the old man. Raising his hand, the old man spoke. ¡°Ah, you there. Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The old man approached slowly. His goat-like beard was quite impressive. He scrutinized Ronan¡¯s face as he spoke up. ¡°Master Ronan, correct?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Ah, good. You muste with me right away.¡± The old man said in a firm tone. Ronan tilted his head. Unless he was suffering from dementia, he had no recollection of making an appointment with this old man. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, as you can see, I¡¯m not in the best shape right now.¡± ¡°You must stille. I will provide you with a change of clothes.¡± Ronan chuckled. It was so absurd that he wasn¡¯t even angry. Just by looking at his clothes covered in blood and mud, one could tell that he was in no condition to be invited by anyone. Ronan, unable to bear it any longer, rolled his eyes and said. ¡°What¡¯s with all this fancy bullshit, telling me to go with you as you wish? Did the Emperor invite me or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± For a moment, Ronan¡¯s brain froze. What was this old man saying? The Emperor? The old man bowed deeply. ¡°I apologize if my attitude seemed rude. Nevertheless, I urge you toe with me. His Majesty has urgently invited you.¡± He added that they would provide a change of clothes. Ronan nced at Navirose. She merely shrugged, seeming to say, ¡®How would I know?¡¯ ¡°It seems like I won¡¯t be able to spar today after all.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, looks like it.¡± ¡°Well then, have a safe trip.¡± Ronan dismounted from his horse and got on to the carriage. Instead, Nabirose took the reins and entered the inner part of the campus. The students watched the carriage with Ronan on it until it turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. **** Unexpectedly, Ronan boarded the carriage and headed straight for the imperial pce. The fact that the pce guards didn¡¯t make any objections meant that thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like a group of murderers exploiting the Emperor¡¯s summons. It was Ronan¡¯s first time at the imperial pce. Even in his previous life, he¡¯d only seen it from afar and had never set foot inside. He hadn¡¯t imagined he would ever step foot inside in this lifetime either. Considered the grandest and most beautiful building in the ind, the heart of the millennial Empire. Ronan had yearned to witness its majestic and noble presence, but his attire, a ridiculous outfit that had consumed all his time and energy to don, prevented that desire. ¡°Damn, is this right? I can¡¯t even breathe in this.¡± ¡°I apologize. Your physique turned out to be better than anticipated¡­¡± ¡°And why is it so shy? I¡¯m not some wild parrot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a formal attire that was crafted some time ago¡­ I¡¯d appreciate your understanding.¡± Frowning deeply, Ronan adjusted his cor. The clothes the old man had provided were among the most dreadful garments he had ever worn. Aside from constricting him like a silk python, the outfit was adorned with ostentatious decorations that seemed visible from a hundred meters away. If there had been one more decoration, Ronan would have plucked all of the old man¡¯s beard to affix them to his forehead. He remembered once trying on a potato sack with holes ripped through it, and even that seemed more practical inparison. The old man remarked. ¡°Ah, the sword, you can leave it with me.¡± ¡°You damn¡­ can¡¯t even take my sword?¡± ¡°Please understand, since you are about to meet His Majesty. I¡¯ll keep it safe.¡± To meet the Emperor, he had to entrust anything resembling a weapon. In hindsight, it was an obvious requirement, but it still felt ambiguous. The moment Ronan reluctantly turned in his swords was the peak of his exasperation. Krrrrggh! The carriage came to a halt. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The coachman opened the door. Instead of the grand castle or beautiful gardens, there was a tunnel-like space for carriages outside. Frustrated for not getting to see the pce at all, Ronan muttered curses. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°This way.¡± **** Goat-like beard brazenly guided Ronan. The ce they entered after being guided by him was a spacious area that seemed like a reception room. In the ornate room, furniture and decorations for rxation were ced in appropriate spots. On the opposite wall, there was another grand door, probably leading to an audience chamber. The old man spoke. ¡°Please restfortably. His Majesty will summon you shortly.¡± ¡°Disappear.¡± The old man retreated like the wind. Ronan brushed his bangs aside and took a deep breath. It had been a chaotic day. In truth, he felt as if he might be deep in slumber, doubting whether this was all just a dream. He wasn¡¯t alone in the reception room. Three people had arrived before him. Unlike Ronan, they were dressed elegantly, each taking their leisure. Ronan froze in his ce as his gazended on one of them. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A well-dressed Werelion sat on the couch, reading a book. If his eyes didn¡¯t deceive him, it was unmistakably someone he knew. Ronan managed topose himself and approached. He tapped the Werelion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Varen.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The Werelion turned his head. His eyes widened as they met Ronan¡¯s. Varen closed the book and rose slowly. ¡°¡­Ronan? Is it really you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Oh, how long has it been?¡± It had been two years since theyst met. Varen opened his arms and embraced him. There was a scent of gentlemanly cologne rather than the overpowering scent of a beast. After wiping his eyes with a handkerchief, Varen spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown a lot. How have you been?¡± ¡°Ah, alright, in my own way. Where has the professor been?¡± ¡°Ah, I was in Patar in the south. I just finished up and returned yesterday.¡± ¡°South? Finished up?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had met Varen after the holidays. He had heard that Varen had left Philleon for some reason, but he suddenly went to the south? Varen continued. ¡°We couldn¡¯t grow medicinal herbs due to the winter¡¯s severity. You, my friend, are a true hero for me.¡± Varen grabbed Ronan¡¯s hands and bowed repeatedly. He mentioned how Ronan¡¯s efforts had saved the herbs from dying during the winter, brought on by a witch. Ronan nodded in understanding. He couldn¡¯t let all those herbs die, especially when there was a business involved. He asked. ¡°So, what¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°We received summons from His Majesty. There are a few others besides us. In my case, I was recognized for my contribution to distributing free potions to people shivering in the cold.¡± All the people gathered in the reception room were those who had stood up during the ind¡¯s winter crisis. The middle-aged noble who had grown his beard allowed logging in his forest to secure firewood, while the elegantly dresseddy sold her jewels to distribute food and clothing among citizens. In short, everyone was being honored. The only thing Ronan was curious about was why they called him so suddenly after previously telling him toe at a convenient time. Besides the ridiculous attire, there wasn¡¯t much toin about. Passing the time with lingering joy from the reunion with Varen was neutralizing the anger umted since morning. ¡°Well, let¡¯s sit for now. So, when I was in the south, I encountered this Warelioness¡­¡± Ronan was about to continue when¡ªBang! The door to the reception room was forcefully opened. Everyone turned their heads. A dark and massive shadow loomed, with each step blood mixed with water dripped down. The old man who had guided Ronan hurriedly followed, shouting. ¡°Ah, Sword Saint! You can¡¯t! Please dress properly!¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± The shadow growled lowly. The old man stiffened in his ce. Everyone in the reception room did the same. Ronan¡¯s mouth slowly fell open. ¡°Zaifa.¡± ¡°¡­You?¡± Zaifa turned her head. As she faced Ronan, she halted. Ronan¡¯s sight on Zaifa, who he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, was anything but pleasing. Her entire body was soaked, and her pants were so blood soaked that it seemed as if they were originally red. Ronan had heard she had gone to apprehend the culprit who killed hrerades in the morning, but it seemed she hadn¡¯t achieved any significant results. Just by looking at her, Ronan could feel the rage seething within Zaifa. Thud! Zaifa, who had been staring at Ronan for a while, pped the ground with her tail. ¡°Ronan.¡± Suddenly, she started walking decisively toward Ronan. Overwhelmed by the force, the crowd stepped back. From above, Zaifa¡¯s red eyes were glinting fiercely. It seemed far too intense for just a conversation. With no real defense in mind, Ronan kept his hands in his pockets, staring at Zaifa. Suddenly, the words of Zaifa in the past shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®No way.¡¯ She had mentioned sensing the Neb zier. Even though she couldn¡¯t see the shimmering mana, she could feel it. And at that moment, a heart made of sparkling mana was pulsating in Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡®Am I done for?¡¯ A sudden shiver ran down his spine. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even have his swords. Zaifa¡¯s index finger was almost as thick as Ronan¡¯s wrist. Their distance had almost closed. ¡°Hehe, Sword Saint. Do you have any business with my student?¡± Unexpectedly, Varen blocked Zaifa¡¯s path. With a rueful smile, he spoke. Zaifa frowned. ¡°Step aside,patriot.¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± ¡°Why are you interrupting? We¡¯re old friends. Just want to have a chat.¡± ¡°You should calm down first. Your body¡¯s on the brink of copse.¡± Varen looked serious. Though Zaifa growled softly, he didn¡¯t back down. Varen¡¯s dark fur bristled sharply. While Zaifa wasrger overall, Varen didn¡¯t flinch. The pressure emanating from both beasts filled the space. Veins bulged on Zaifa¡¯s muscr arms. ¡°You¡­¡± She was about to say something when¡ªSqueak¡­ Suddenly, the door on the opposite side swung open, and a gorgeously dressed woman walked in with elegant steps. A momentary silence fell. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gazed at her. The woman spoke. ¡°Everyone, pleasee in. His Majesty is ready.¡± Chapter 151: Audience (3) Chapter 151: Audience (3) ¡°Please, everyone,e in.¡± The woman spoke. Her voice was soft but carried an underlying strength. People, frozen by the standoff between the two beasts, began to move, one by one, stepping forward. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sword Saint.¡± Varen spoke, staring straight at Zaifa. Despite facing Varen¡¯s unwavering gaze, there was no hint of retreat in Zaifa¡¯s demeanor. Zaifa licked her lips once, nced at Ronan, and spoke. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll see youter, then.¡± ¡°I can roughly guess what you¡¯re thinking, but it¡¯s definitely a misunderstanding.¡± Zaifa remained silent. With a rough swish of her tail, she turned away. Water still dripped from Zaifa¡¯s tail as she vanished into the chamber. Ronan let out an amazed chuckle. ¡®Is she going in that state?¡¯ Even meeting a local friend seemed like it¡¯d warrant dressing more decently than that. Varen stood firm in the same stance as before. The moment Zaifa disappeared inside the room, Varen let out a sigh as if he¡¯d narrowly escaped death. ¡°Whoa¡­ I thought I was going to die¡­!¡± ¡°What? Were you scared?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Those eyes were something else¡­ huhuhu, I almost fainted.¡± Varen¡¯s hands were trembling as if he had narrowly escaped death. It was a simr reaction to when he read the club activity report. Ronan smirked. ¡°For someone saying that, you were quite confidently facing her.¡± ¡°Well¡­ protecting a student is a teacher¡¯s duty. Can¡¯t just avoid what needs to be done.¡± ¡°You were awesome. Thanks.¡± Ronan patted Varen¡¯s back. In many ways, he was a better warelion than a human. Varen, calming his emotions with a deep breath, continued. ¡°What exactly happened between the Sword Saint and you? I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s rough-tempered, but that reaction isn¡¯t something she usually shows when she¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Really.¡± Ronan said calmly. There wasn¡¯t enough time to exin the details. Varen looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded in agreement. ¡°If you say so, then it must be true. I hope the misunderstanding clears.¡± Soon, only Ronan and Varen were left in the reception room. The woman in charge of guiding them spoke again. ¡°Please, hurry and enter.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Sorry.¡± Varen straightened his clothes, while Ronan adjusted his crooked tie. Both entered the room. A long and wide corridor appeared before them. A red carpet wasid out like a path. People who had entered before were walking ahead. borate frames adorned the walls on both sides of the corridor. Every frame held a precisely detailed portrait. While diverse in age and gender, they all bore some resemnce in facial features¡ªsharp noses or dark, intense eyes. Most of the faces Ronan remembered seeing in history ss at Philleon. He shrugged. ¡°These must be past Emperors.¡± ¡°Yes. Rulers of the Millennium Empire. It¡¯s truly admirable how the lineage remained unbroken for almost a thousand years.¡± Ronan nodded. Even though he knew this fact, it was still remarkable. The current Emperor was Valon 44th. Considering the Empire¡¯s duration and the Emperor¡¯s reign, it wasn¡¯t arge number. ¡°Some of them notably lived long. The most famous bloodthirsty emperor lived for almost 200 years¡­¡± While walking down the corridor, Varen briefly exined about the past emperors. It was a tumultuous listing of history¡ªone assassinated just three days after ession, while another bloodthirsty emperor ruled for nearly a century. The portraits were arranged in a way that the closer they got to the throne, the more people from the past appeared. The corridor ended with the face of the dignified first Emperor. The same imposing door they entered through stood in front of them. When the ck-d imperial guards opened it, a vast space akin to an arena unfolded before them. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh?¡± The people who had entered earlier were lined up, facing away from the door, hands sped behind their backs, heads bowed deeply, as if intentionally avoiding seeing something. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they going in?¡± Ronan asked, but no one answered. Gradually, Varen, who had been holding his breath, also bowed his head. Why were they all acting weird? As Ronan maneuvered to see beyond them, he quickly grasped the situation. ¡°Zaifa?¡± Zaifa was kneeling in the center of the chamber, surrounded by a red haze. Muffled groans of pain escaped her lips as he struggled, her fur standing on end. ¡°Keuuuk¡­¡± A sharply featured man stood in front of Zaifa with him back to her, appearing to be in his early middle age, with about half of his hair already graying, possibly from enduring much hardship. He wore a crimson robe, symbolizing the Valon Empire. Decorated extravagantly, among all the clothes Ronan had seen, this seemed the most expensive. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gazended on the throne. The seat where the ruler of the empire should be sitting was vacant. Ronan pursed his lips. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to deduce the man¡¯s identity. ¡®Emperor.¡¯ Valon 44th stood before them. It was the first time Ronan saw him in person. His stern features closely resembled the 7th bloodthirsty Emperor, remarkably so. An indescribable aura shimmered in his dark, intense eyes. Next to the emperor, a woman stood with her back straight, hands firmly ced on her hips. Her thick lips and a staturerger than most men were quite impressive. Her shoulders, flexed with her muscles, were wide enough to rival Ronan¡¯s. d entirely in ck armor, she seemingly belonged to the Emperor¡¯s personal guards, the Golden Army. She aimed a sharp spear directly at Zaifa. A crimson mist flowed from the tip of the spear. The Emperor, observing Zaifa silently, spoke up. ¡°Guard Captain, raise the output.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The woman nodded. The mist engulfing Zaifa grew denser. Suddenly, a faint sound of something snapping echoed from within her mouth. ¡°Urghhh¡­!¡± The sound was too forcefully anguished. A few drops of blood trickled from her lower jaw. The Emperor continued without altering his expression. ¡°Zaifa, I didn¡¯t want to issue punishment to you. The reason I summoned you to the imperial pce today in the first ce was to praise you for your aplishments.¡± ¡°Do you know about what happened this morning?¡± ¡°Of course. A tragic incident indeed.¡± It seemed to be a reference to the massacre by the Dawn Brigade. Zaifa¡¯s body began to tremble as if ready to explode and wreak havoc. A voice mixed with fury escaped through clenched fangs. ¡°Then why¡­ waste time with such¡­!¡± ¡°This is not just ¡®such¡¯ an issue, Zaifa. It¡¯s about maintaining order and decorum. That¡¯s also why you were abruptly called to the pce today. Because it seemed you¡¯d be busy ahead. And while I may not understand your agony¡­¡± Suddenly, the Emperor moved forward. He started patting Zaifa¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s not a valid reason to behave recklessly. How dare you step into the throne room with feet covered in blood and mud¡­¡± ¡°Urghh¡­!¡± ¡°We are not equals, remember that, Zaifa.¡± It was a gesture as gentle as petting a domestic cat. More blood drops fell from Zaifa¡¯s mouth, seemingly not due to pain this time. With his hand on Zaifa¡¯s head, the Emperor spoke again. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll overlook today¡¯s rudeness because of your contribution during the winter.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll issue a new order soon, so wait for further instructions.¡± The Emperor withdrew his hand. As the Guard Captain lowered her sword, the crimson mist disappeared. Zaifa slowly rose to her feet. A fierceness different from her encounter with Varen surged over her shoulders. However, the Emperor¡¯s face showed no hint of agitation. Silently bowing, Zaifa left the chamber. People, including Ronan, watched, breathless, the whole scene unfold. ¡®What the fuck did I witness?¡¯ Ronan chuckled wryly. Zaipa couldn¡¯t do anything. Despite the blood pact between her and the Emperor, Ronan didn¡¯t expect such a clear hierarchical rtionship. As the Emperor watched Zaifa¡¯s footprints, he turned his head. ¡°I apologize. You witnessed an unseemly sight of Heroes of Winter.¡± The Emperor forced an awkward smile. The atmosphere between him and Zaifa¡¯s earlier confrontation hadpletely changed. ¡°Please keep today¡¯s events confidential. Not for just me or the Sword Saint¡¯s sake, but for our dignity.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The first to respond was Varen. He showed his respect by kneeling on one knee with his hands sped together. A bright smile graced the Emperor¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lord Varen. I¡¯ve heard about your achievements.¡± ¡°I¡¯m unworthy of such praises.¡± ¡°Raise your head. It¡¯s important for both of us to uphold proper manners¡­¡± Saying this, the Emperor gestured to the Guard Captain. The woman who had left the chamber returned shortly with dozens of guards and attendants. The attendants swiftly cleaned the chamber, which Zaifa had dirtied. The Golden Army, moving in unison, lined up on the left and right sides of the carpet connected to the throne, forming a wall. The chaotic ambiance transformed into solemnity in an instant. People lined up, facing the throne. There were nine people in total, but the carpet was so wide that there was no shortage of space. The Emperor took his seat on the throne, his dignified voice resonating through the chamber. ¡°Greetings. I am Valon 44th, the current Emperor of the Valon Empire.¡± **** Formalities concluded swiftly. The Emperor started acknowledging the gathered individuals, bestowing honors one by one. As he nced at a man with a stylishly grown mustache, he spoke. ¡°Yes, Lord Noldren. You¡¯ve made significant contributions by mobilizing soldiers to eradicate the Snow Beasts guing various territories. Hence, I appoint you as Viscount Niles.¡± ¡°Th-thank you, Your Majesty¡­!¡± ¡°I hope that you will continue to fulfill your duties as a nobleman.¡± Upon hearing the title of Viscount, Ronan chuckled. Out of the nine people, seven had ascended in rank or had be nobles despite beingmoners. ¡®Being the Emperor definitelyes with grandeur.¡¯ In every aspect, the people he met here were different. Actions that seemed insignificant had an impact across the entire empire. The Emperor turned his gaze to Varen and spoke. ¡°Varen Panacir. You used herbs grown personally to create potions and medicines, distributing them free to suffering citizens. Practically, I consider you the biggest hero of this crisis, alongside Lord Ronan.¡± ¡°I only did what needed to be done.¡± ¡°Your values are bing increasingly rare. Wouldn¡¯t this be the perfect time to be a noble? You¡¯re more than qualified.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the honor is overwhelming, but¡­ I still prefer teaching students. I n to return to teaching once the herb cultivation stabilizes.¡± Varen replied, politely declining. The Emperor raised his eyebrows, seeming disappointed. ¡°Hmm¡­ then let me support you by providingnd andbor for herb cultivation. I¡¯ll grant you thirty percent of the Brinhills ins as your estate.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ept objections. Cultivate it to your best ability.¡± Once the Emperor went that far, there was no way to refuse. Varen pursed his lips and nodded. Ronan had to restrain the urge to rise and cheer. The Brinhills ins were among the most fertilends in the imperial territory. Just sowing seeds there guaranteed a bountiful harvest, and imagining how Varen¡¯s herb business would flourish in such a ce wasn¡¯t difficult. The Emperor¡¯s gaze shifted back to Ronan. ¡°Yes¡­ you¡¯re the hero of the rumors. Lord Ronan, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded, sensing the atmosphere beginning to buzz. Even in the unwavering eyes of the Guard Captain, there was a spark of interest. ¡°I heard you shattered the unbreakable ice. In fact, you were the one who exterminated the Witch of Winter. I heard from Lorehon that you would be younger than expected, but I never imagined you would be this young.¡± ¡°Should I take that as apliment?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Yes, Guard Captain.¡± Suddenly, the Emperor turned to the Guard Captain. She respectfully inclined her waist. ¡°Yourmand, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Lead the honored guests to the banquet hall. Ensure no one but Lord Ronan and I remain in the chamber.¡± ¡°As youmand.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. Varen, too, looked at him with a bewildered expression. The Guard Captain, striding purposefully, addressed the people. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Please refrain from further conversation.¡± People exited like a swift current. Only Ronan and the Emperor were left in the now-empty throne chamber. Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed in the vacuous space. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. His mind was filled with the dilemma of whether to ept if the Emperor proposed bing a noble. While having the privileges of nobility was appealing, it could also tether his future actions and bring obligations. After a deep, deep contemtion, he was finally reaching a conclusion, but now everything had turned into a mess. Confirming no one was around, the Emperor stood up. ¡°I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°Yes. I want you to be the Dawn of the Empire.¡± Chapter 152: Audience (4) Chapter 152: Audience (4) ¡°I want you to be the Dawn of the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­Dawn?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the mention of the word ¡®dawn.¡¯ It was his favorite time of the day, yet something about the word didn¡¯t sit right. Despite attempting to think positively, all he could recall was the recent tragedy at Dawn Brigade in the early hours today. ¡®Is this guy really trying to enlist me?¡¯ A shiver ran down his spine. While literally any other assignment would be better than Punishment Squad, now was not the time to contemte such matters. The Emperor nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, you must be aware. The organization that has been causing quite a stir in recent years.¡± ¡°Neb zier.¡± ¡°The darkness that is eating away at the empire. I heard reports of your presence at the scene this morning. Is that true?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. The smell of metallic blood seemed to linger with every breath he took. The rainwater streaming down the slope had a murky reddish hue. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A regrettable incident. Though it was merely reported in writing, I can understand Zaifa¡¯s wrath. Losing nearly half of your subordinates is a significant blow.¡± The Emperor clicked his tongue. He exined that all the victims would be posthumously honored with two ranks up and that substantialpensation would be given to their families. He also added that they would promptly form a pursuit team to apprehend the perpetrators of the massacre. Judging by how the victims were treated, he seemed like a decent person. No wonder with people like him at the helm, the country could endure for centuries. The Emperor spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°The real concern lies ahead. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that today¡¯s incident is merely the star.¡± ¡°The start?¡± ¡°Yes. Today¡¯s incident was no ordinary urrence. As you know, the Bimani Mountain where this massacre urred is a mere five-hour ride from the pce. It¡¯s essentially a deration of war.¡± A hint of gravity flowed from the Emperor¡¯s words. Ronan nodded in agreement. Clearly, this incident was different from the actions of Neb zier, who had been operating secretly in the background so far. ¡®Is the cult leader changing his strategy?¡¯ Unless he went insane, he wouldn¡¯t engage in an all-out war with the Empire. The Protection of Stars used by the members of the cult was so inadequate that it could not even bepared to that of the winged thugs. Ronan spected that if the Empire decided to oppress them, the cult would never be their opponent. No matter what anyone says, the Imperial Army was the strongest army unprecedented in the history of the continent, especially with the formidable allies like Navardose and Lorehorn, who could even subdue the giants. However, what worried Ronan was the potential shift in the cult¡¯s atrocities, bing ¡®vaguely¡¯ bolder. If more aggressive attacks or plots followed this massacre, it would be easier to trace them, but the Empire¡¯s losses would also be much more severe than before. With only a few years until the giants descended, escting the damages here would be problematic. Clearly, this situation called for action. The Emperor spoke again. ¡°I urgently summoned you all for this reason. I feel like I can not afford any further dy.¡± ¡°I understand. It was an incident of significant magnitude.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Only then did Ronan realize the reason why the Emperor had gathered them. It seemed they were on the brink of a national emergency. Ronan took advantage of the momentary silence to speak up. ¡°So¡­ what exactly does it mean to be the ¡®Dawn¡¯?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s ate introduction. I¡¯ve been observing you for a while now. Even before the Winter Witch incident erupted.¡± The Emperor made a significant statement and reached for his waist. He drew a longsword from its sheath. The ornate sheath bore the Empire¡¯s name inscribed in an ancientnguage. ¡°I¡¯ve known about your thwarting of the cult¡¯s schemes for the past two years. The Gran Cappadocia, the attack on the dormitory of the Philleon Academy¡­ you even defended the Roman Mountains with Zaifa.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the nature of your connection to Neb zier. I won¡¯t ask. What¡¯s important is that you¡¯ve repeatedly thwarted them and saved countless civilians.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t expected the Emperor to know everything so precisely. He thought the reports he received were vague and general, having worked alongside various colleagues each time. ¡°From the first time I received the report, I¡¯ve been observing you. At the time, you were too young for me to make such a proposal, but now that you¡¯ve grown up so remarkably, I believe there¡¯s no need to hesitate any longer.¡± The Emperor held the hilt and sheath of the sword with both hands and extended it toward Ronan. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°The Sword of Valon. Originally, it was something that¡¯s only awarded to soldiers promoted to the rank of General. It symbolizes my authority.¡± The mention of the rank of General brought a surprise to Ronan. He suddenly recalled a simr sword from a past life, held by Adeshan. He wondered why she carried it when she had no intention of using it, but it turned out to be a symbolic sword. Regardless, this situation was somewhat awkward. Ultimately, it felt like being told to eat leftovers, but he¡¯d rather not be a noble. After a brief yet profound deliberation, Ronan spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Your Majesty, but I don¡¯t have any intention of bing a soldier yet. I¡¯m far from qualified for such an immense responsibility¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t have any ns to enlist you as a soldier, either.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan tilted his head in confusion. This seemed like a strange conversation. Seeing his expression, the Emperor chuckled. ¡°Haha, I see how that could¡¯ve been misconstrued. Don¡¯t worry. The Sword of Valon is simply a token to prove your eligibility to wield my authority.¡± ¡°It seems to have a different role altogether.¡± ¡°Indeed. I believe it might be an extremely appealing offer to you. The ¡®Dawn¡¯ that I mentioned refers to a covert operative tasked with countering Neb zier, who is emerging as a new darkness in the Empire.¡± ¡°A covert¡­ operative?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was an unusual position that made his mouth water just by hearing it. As if reading Ronan¡¯s mind, the Emperor began to exin the mission of the Dawn. ¡°Indeed. You will now stand for the name of both the Empire and me, confronting that wicked lot. During operations, if you encounter Neb zier or any individuals or groups associated with them, you¡¯ll have the authority to make independent judgments and take action.¡± ¡°Does that mean you are granting me the right to legitimately deal with suspicious individuals?¡± ¡°Clearly. That¡¯s another way to put it. If the target is affiliated with Neb zier or in league with them, you needn¡¯t worry about status or rank. You¡¯re free to handle it as you see fit.¡± It was a radical, almost shocking proposal. While Ronan had dealt with Neb zier without hesitation until now, the significance of being able to act legitimately was immense. It was essentially an assurance of handling the most bothersome aftermath on his terms. But the shock didn¡¯t end there. After exining the mission, the Emperor delved into privileges. ¡°Firstly, you¡¯ll hold the rank of an Imperial Army General, and receive the same treatment as a noble of Baron rank. You can recruit soldiers, utilize the Empire¡¯s military facilities, and if necessary for the mission, officially mobilize the Imperial Army.¡± ¡°¡­Is it okay for you to grant me such powers?¡± Ronan chuckled involuntarily. From his perspective, it was a reward far more valuable than a Baron title. He¡¯d gain ess to quality information from the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, and if the task proved too strenuous alone, he could request support. The Emperor nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been sensing this since earlier. You seem unaware of just how remarkable your achievements have been.¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot of contributions, so do not worry. The only person who contributed to the extermination of Neb zier in a simr way to you is the current Sword Saint, Zaifa.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. It seemed Zaifa had captured quite a few. Except for the precarious rtionship and vtile temper with the Emperor, that tiger was actually a rather decent fellow. ¡°Your position will be ssified. In fact, this incident ispletely unknown to anyone except for me and a few people who are involved. You will have to be very careful about maintaining confidentiality and establishing contacts.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. Oh, Your Majesty, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to request.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have capable soldiers before fully embarking on the mission. I¡¯ll cover their pay, but I want skilled individuals.¡± Ronan spoke. The Emperor, noticing a much more serious expression on his face than before, grinned slightly. ¡°Well, naturally, I can arrange that for you¡­ Are you, by any chance, seekingrades?¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty. There¡¯s someone I must protect by the rules. I n to make them her escort.¡± Ronan briefly recounted Iril¡¯s story. For him, her safety was as important as preventing the destruction of the world. The Emperor smiled softly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll ensure trustworthy individuals for you. We¡¯ll take care of the mercenaries¡¯ pay, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be grateful. While it may have been an enticing proposal, the position may prove excessively burdensome for you to handle alone. Entrusting the responsibilities and rights of the Dawn Brigade solely to you.¡± The Emperor¡¯s tone hinted at some concerned apprehension. Ronan firmly nodded. He genuinely appreciated this reward. All the rewards he had received so far were considered worthless, almost as bad as dung. This position, however, was outstanding. The Emperor suddenly widened his eyes, as if something had just urred to him. ¡°Oh, but I forgot to ask the most important thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ronan, will you ept my offer?¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes for a moment. He wondered if this old man might have dementia. Bute to think of it, he hadn¡¯t explicitly answered whether he¡¯d ept the offer. Ronan smirked. The answer had already been decided, but it didn¡¯t matter. Sometimes, these formal procedures were necessary. Facing the Emperor, Ronan kneeled on one knee. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± The Emperor chuckled softly. Suddenly, his face turned serious. Between his parted lips, a solemn voice flowed. ¡°I, standing here now, represent the Empire. The thousand years of history etched in the sky, the grace of those living on thisnd¡ªall have led to this glorious moment.¡± Straightening his attire, the Emperor grasped the hilt of the sword. With a soft sliding sound akin to marbles rolling on ice, the Sword of Valon was drawn out. ¡°Everyone present in this ce will someday perish. Mortals born of the earth shall return to the earth. But by acknowledging our limitations, we seek to ascend to higher realms.¡± Carved on the gleaming de were inscriptions akin to those engraved on the scabbard. Slowly lifting the sword, the Emperor ced it on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Embracing the wisdom of our ancestors that one alone cannot aplish great deeds, I intend to make you the Sword of the Empire.¡± Ronan remained silent, only bowing his head. To the scrappy nobody who roamed battlefields like a lone mushroom, this was an overwhelmingly fresh shock. Lifting the sword again, the Emperor ced it on Ronan¡¯s opposite shoulder this time. ¡°Ronan. Will you swear your loyalty and be a sharp sword for the Empire and me? Will you be the dawn for those moaning in the darkness?¡± No cheering crowd filled the room. There were no knights in armor standing in formation. In the emptied audience chamber, only the Emperor and Ronan remained. It was the most austere title award ceremony in the world. Yet, it didn¡¯t feel diforting orcking. Sensing something boiling within his chest, Ronan finally spoke up. ¡°I swear.¡± Chapter 153: Audience (5) Chapter 153: Audience (5) ¡°I swear.¡± Strangely, the voice echoed loudly. The single vow reverberated in the grand hall. After a moment of silence, the Emperor removed the sword from Ronan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­Raise your head.¡± Ronan obeyed. The Emperor was looking down at himself with a solemn expression. Ronan¡¯s own reflection in the pitch-ck eyes bore a simrly solemn expression. ¡°You are now the Sword and a new Dawn of the Empire. As you wield power, you must always be wary of sumbing to evil. Shadows only emerge in the presence of light.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Now, rise and ept the sword.¡± Ronan stood up. The venerable Emperor offered the Sword of Valon. With effort to maintain dignity, Ronan epted the sword with both hands. ¡®It feels¡­ light. I can¡¯t use this in realbat.¡¯ It was his first impression as the Dawn of the Empire. Despite any joy, itcked a sense of reality. Time would resolve these issues, but it seemed more time was needed to grow ustomed. With that, the ceremony concluded. The grandeur that filled the air was gradually dissipating. The Emperor, observing Ronan quietly, chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re quite stiff. Now that the ceremony¡¯s over, carry on as usual.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Good to hear. Since a covert operative can¡¯t wander with that sword, use this instead.¡± Rummaging through his pouch, the Emperor retrieved a round metal te. It shimmered like a subdued sun and was asrge as a woman¡¯s palm. It was as thick as three gold coins stacked. Etched on both sides was an eagle spreading its wings wide. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± It was unfamiliar, different from insignias worn by soldiers or pce guards. The Emperor handed it to Ronan. ¡°The Dawn Emblem. It¡¯s an ancient artifact, indeed.¡± Exining that despite having to face different adversaries, the Dawn, as a covert operative, existed since ancient times, he mentioned that even this emblem was crafted during the Bloodshed era. Ronan chuckled in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievably light.¡± It was hard to believe holding it. If cut to the same size as Lamancha, it might resemble it. The Emperor nodded proudly. ¡°Because it¡¯s made of Blood Mithril.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Ronan nodded in understanding. If it was Blood Mithril, that would make sense. Though an entirely different metal from Mithril, it earned its name due to its rarity and strength. ¡®I never expected to see it in physical form.¡¯ Hard and lightweight, it was treated like a mythical metal, yet was genuinely hard toe by. Rumor had it that only the Valon Royal Family could acquire and handle Blood Mithril, but its authenticity remained uncertain. A meaningful grin crossed the Emperor¡¯s lips. ¡°Even when you don¡¯t have money, it¡¯s perfect as a source of financial support. No matter how little, you¡¯ll be able to obtain enough wealth that the next three generations of your family will not have to lift a finger.¡± ¡°Can I really sell it?¡± ¡°Of course, only if you¡¯re willing tomit a major crime in the Empire and seek asylum in another country. If caught, you¡¯d rot in an underground prison for life.¡± Ronan found himself inadvertently chuckling. The man indeed had a sense of humor. Ronan tucked the Dawn Emblem into his pocket. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡± ¡°Only take it out when absolutely necessary. It could cause unsuspecting officers to faint if they suddenly see it.¡± Ronan nodded. The seriousness in the Emperor¡¯s voice indicated that the regr army knew of its existence, unlike Ronan, who might have been ignorant as a Punishment Squad soldier. The Emperor¡¯s expression turned solemn again. ¡°Shall I assign your first mission?¡± ¡°That bastard¡­ no, I¡¯ll do anything rted to Neb zier.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice resonated heavily. At this moment, he felt capable of anything. There were academy obligations, but those could be handled through club activities. Varen or the imperial pce would sort it out. The Emperor¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Would you mind attending the Festival of Swords held tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ah, the Festival of Swords¡­ Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was an unexpected request. The Emperor asked. ¡°Hm? Why the surprise?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ nothing. Please continue.¡± ¡°As you know, most of Neb zier¡¯s atrocities ur in ces where arge number could be affected. The Festival of Swords, gathering swordsmen from across the continent, is a probable target. I¡¯d like you to keep an eye on the event.¡± ¡°So, am I attending as part of the Royal Family?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by ¡®part of¡¯?¡± The Emperor furrowed his brow. Ronan¡¯s words seemed iprehensible. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a set number of participants for each organization?¡± ¡°¡­The limit is for observers, but anyone can go to Parzan. Has there been a change in rules without my knowledge?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan stiffened. There was little chance that the youthful and bright Emperor was misinformed. For a moment, a fleeting image of Navirose shed through his mind, smiling mischievously. ¡®She deceived me¡­!¡¯ The realization came in an instant. Something seemed off. If the ultimate purpose of the ritual was to find the Holy Sword existing somewhere in the sacred ce, it would¡¯ve been far more efficient to gather everyone first and then filter them out, rather than limiting the participants based on rmendations. Navirose had likely intended to take both of them from the start. Was Shullifen unaware of this n? Dammit, this is why men must be cautious around women with big hearts. Ronan¡¯s expression twisted in a myriad of ways. The Emperor, with a mix of confusion in his voice, spoke. ¡°For a swordsman like you, passing the ritual should be manageable, but if you¡¯re not inclined¡­¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m really excited about it. So, your suggestion is to go to the Festival of Swords and apprehend any suspicious individuals, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me. I was nning on going there tomorrow anyway.¡± Nevertheless, Ronan wasn¡¯t particrly angry or upset. He nced at his now thicker wrist andposed himself. Regardless of Navirose¡¯s intentions, in just a month, he had undergone a remarkable transformation. However, there was something he needed to do before fully diving into the mission. It was crucial. Ronan faced the Emperor directly and spoke up. ¡°But, Your Majesty, I have one question.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Am I not suspicious to you?¡± The Emperor¡¯s gaze momentarily shifted. Ronan met his gaze with an impassive expression. He knew. It would have been more convenient not to bring it up. The truth was, it should have been mentioned before bing the Dawn. But even if it was bted, it was a point that needed to be addressed. He couldn¡¯t feel uneasy while undertaking a duty that wouldst for at least a few years. ¡®Considering the course of events so far, it¡¯d be understandable to be cautious.¡¯ At least, if he were the Emperor, that would be the case. Ronan was a figure who could be considered a walking storm, getting involved with Neb zier and various incidents wherever he went. Since his early years. Though all the oues were positive, making him appear exceptionally talented, a bit of thought revealed there was no one as suspicious as him. The momentarily taken aback Emperor spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful. Not a great quality for the Sword, but an exceptional quality for the Dawn.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. An awkward silence settled. The Emperor, suddenly turning his head, looked toward the throne. ¡°¡­Once you sit there, things that aren¡¯t usually visible be apparent.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°In particr, it reveals a person¡¯s inner self. Dealing with various individuals as an Emperor, even a brief conversation allows you to understand them naturally, to know what kind of person they are. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Ronan followed his gaze. The backrest of the eerily long chair had changed where the buttocks rested. It was a seat permitted only to the one ruling the Empire. The Emperor must have greeted countless people from that seat even before Ronan was born. People with their own intentions, good or bad,ing to him. It made sense, now that he thought about it. The Emperor spoke up. ¡°You despise Neb zier, more than anyone. Am I wrong?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was an indisputable deduction. He nodded slightly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°The fire within you has no other purpose but to consume Neb zier. You¡¯re simply waiting for the opportunity to burn them down. I won¡¯t deceive you by manipting that blind hatred.¡± The Emperor began scrutinizing Ronan from top to bottom. Perhaps due to hearing about inner motivations, his gaze felt like it pierced right through his being. ¡°But if you ask whether I recruited you solely for that reason, it¡¯s not the case. As I mentioned before, you should realize your own greatness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Regardless of the intentions, you¡¯ve been doing good. You¡¯ve fought against evil and saved the innocent. That¡¯s a known fact, and it¡¯s enough. Your background or the reasons for your intense hatred towards Neb zier are not of importance.¡± Each syble he uttered was imbued with might. Despite the substantial height difference, Ronan felt overwhelmed. Was this the majesty of a ruler? The Emperor, who had just looked down to his chin, met Ronan¡¯s eyes again and continued. ¡°I am the Emperor of Valon. My eyes aren¡¯t yet blinded to the point where I can not distinguish between light and shadow.¡± With that statement, the conversation came to an end. Ronan nodded slowly. The clear response felt pathetic, realizing he had asked an unnecessary question. The Emperor, smiling again, tapped Ronan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Well then, now that we¡¯re done talking, let¡¯s move along.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°We should at least congratte the heroes who brought forth spring, don¡¯t you think? You, the main character, weren¡¯t nning on leaving, right?¡± The Emperor mentioned that this banquet might be thest celebration of the year. Suddenly, memories of jesting about what drinks and snacks would be served at the imperial pce during his time as a member of the Punishment Squad resurfaced. They used to joke about how instead of excrement, they might serve gold. It was a good opportunity to check. Ronan chuckled softly. ¡°Sounds good.¡± They headed out of the throne room toward the venue of the banquet hall. Faint sounds of people chatting and the clinking of sses could be heard from the other end of the long corridor. It seemed like people were enjoying themselves to some extent. Chapter 154: Toward the Holy Land (1) Chapter 154: Toward the Holy Land (1) ¡°Well¡­ not bad.¡± Ronan returned to Philleon in thete night. A crescent moon hung in the clear night sky. The cool breeze brought a pleasant feeling of intoxication. The banquet was enjoyable. Contrary to the expectations of his militaryrades, there were no fried fairy or drinks made with dragon tears. However, the table was adorned with equally exquisite dishes. ¡®Dawn.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted to his waist. The Sword of Valon, now his new possession, rested there. Still, the reality of it hadn¡¯t fully sunk in. A clumsy swordsman, who had rolled around as a target for arrows in his past life, had now be a secret agent of the empire. If this were a novel, it would undoubtedly be criticized forcking believability at this point. ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯ However, Ronan was well aware that this was indeed reality. Since he had be part of it, there was no room for half-hearted thoughts. He nned to fully exploit the rights and privileges he had gained. Even though hehe was of humble origin, having spent seven years in the military, he believed he could make good use of what he had. ¡®¡­It bothers me, though.¡¯ However, there was something that continued to trouble him, and that was the current Sword Saint, Zaifa. Despite seemingly pouring alcohol into disguise, she didn¡¯t seem particrly intoxicated, likely due to concerns about the tiger. Zaifa never appeared at the banquet. Aside from the humiliation she faced in front of the Emperor, Ronan sensed that there might be a deep misunderstanding about her. ¡®Although I¡¯m not one to meddle in the affairs of others¡­¡¯ The glimmering eyes of Zaifa still lingered in his mind. Lieutenant Nemea, the only survivor, remained unconscious. It was crucial for her to regain consciousness to uncover the truth behind the incident. Ronan was about to enter the Navardose Hall when this thought crossed his mind. ¡°You¡¯rete, Ronan.¡± ¡°Damn it, you startled me.¡± A voice echoed in the darkness. Ronan turned his head. Shullifen was leaning against the entrance of the dormitory, waiting. Ronan, lost in thought, didn¡¯t even notice his presence. ¡°I roughly know about what happened so far. Quite a lot has happened.¡± ¡°Where were you that you¡¯re just crawling back now?¡± ¡°Around noon today. I went to the Garcia Estate. When I arrived, I stopped by Miss Iril¡¯s house. She insisted on treating me to an unexpectedly unrequested meal. Always be aware that you are a lucky guy.¡± Shullifen spoke seriously, but the devilishly handsome face still shone brightly in the moonlight. After then, Shullifen continued to talk at length about how he hadmissioned a spring outfit from his exclusive tailor and gave it as a gift to his sister, portraying himself like a true angel. Ronan, nodding absentmindedly, happened to nce at Shullifen¡¯s chest. ¡®This guy¡¯s acting all infatuated too.¡¯ Ronan smirked. Surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t much change in Shullifen¡¯s physique, but it was evident that he had undergone substantial training for about a month. His core¡¯s energy had increased by almost 20%pared to thest time Ronan saw him. However, what mattered now wasn¡¯t that. Ronan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°But seriously, crazy bastard. Were you waiting here the whole time?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ your body has been further disciplined there. Mana has be much purer. Indeed, you are my only worthy adversary.¡± Shullifen turned the conversation around, but he didn¡¯t deny that he had been waiting. Nevertheless, he was a crazy bastard. He turned away from the wall and continued speaking. ¡°We should move if we¡¯re going to spar. We have to depart for Parzan in a few hours.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Shullifen¡¯s expression was incredibly serious. Today was the departure date, but given that they hadn¡¯t settled things yet, it was understandable. Based on Shullifen¡¯s reactions, it seemed he was unaware of the truth behind the Festival of Swords. Ronan, letting out a sigh, swept his bangs backward. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll take this, but we don¡¯t have to fight.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means that that woman deceived us. Damn, you know, pretty faces and good figures aren¡¯t everything.¡± Ronan delivered the information he obtained from the Emperor. Anyone could apply for participation, and those who could be plucked from within were then selected. Navirose had deceived them. ¡°¡­¡± Though it was quite shocking information, Shullifen showed no sign of emotion during the conversation. After finishing the exnation, Ronan yawned. Being busy since the morning was catching up with him, and fatigue was crashing over him like waves. ¡°Ugh¡­ maybe she¡¯ll tell the truth in the morning. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Just as he was about to enter the dormitory, Shullifen, with a swift movement, blocked the door with his sword. Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t sparred yet. Where do you think you¡¯re going without fighting? Follow me.¡± ¡°No, did you hear a word I said? We don¡¯t have to fight.¡± ¡°I knew about the participation conditions a long time ago. However, Instructor Navirose said she would take only one person, the one who wins in the duel. I¡¯m sure I heard it that way.¡± He waspletely sober now. Ignorance was bliss, and this blissful ignorance seemed nonexistent in him. Ronan, using aining tone, expressed his exhaustion. ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely a trick. Honestly, who is she to pick one out of you and me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Come on, bro, I¡¯m tired. Do whatever you want in the morning. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Sparring with you has been one of my main objectives. Are you perhaps afraid that you might lose?¡± ¡°What?¡± A vein pulsed on Ronan¡¯s forehead. I couldn¡¯t believe the words I just heard. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and finally spoke. ¡°Say that again.¡± ¡°I asked if you¡¯re afraid of losing. Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for you to withdraw so pathetically. Your body may have grown, but it seems like your heart has shrunk.¡± ¡°Haa.¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. It turned out that the guy wasn¡¯t just skilled with a sword; he was also adept at provoking with words. His skills were unsettling. ¡°This little punk.¡± Smirking, Ronan pulled the hilt of his sword. Throughout his two lives, he never let such words slide without a response. Swoosh! Lamancha¡¯s de emerged from its scabbard, casting a dark glow. Ronan aimed the tip of the sword at Shullifen¡¯s throat and growled. ¡°Come at me.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re back. Let¡¯s change the location first.¡± ¡°You better be prepared. If I win, I¡¯ll neatly cut out the back part of your pants and bring it to my sister.¡± The two of them walked side by side. Ronan had initially hoped to resolve things amicably, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t going to work. The effects of hangovers and fatigue had long worn off. * * * The dawn broke, and the sky gradually lightened. The chirping of birds could be heard under the still pale sky. It was still early, and there were no students roaming the school grounds. ¡°Where on earth did they go?¡± Navirose sighed as she strolled through the school grounds. She was wearing a neat uniform, and her back was adorned with the secret sword, Ursa. The carriage bound for the Holy Land, Parzan, was waiting at the main gate, but the two guys she was supposed to travel with were nowhere in sight. ¡®Surely I heard both of them arrived yesterday.¡¯ She had circled the school grounds, checking the dormitory and the first training ground, but their whereabouts remained unknown. They had to leave soon to arrive at a reasonable time, creating a bit of a dilemma. ¡®Ah.¡¯ At that moment, an image of a certain ce shed in her mind. The ce where they had a weing party for Ronan after he had returned from his voyage. Navirose headed north of the campus. Soon, the warehouse connected to the special adventure club came into view. Ignoring the hallucinogenic firewood, she descended the stairs. As she did, a vast training ground, reminiscent of a racetrack, unfolded before her eyes. Navirose was frozen in ce. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± The training ground was literally a battlefield. des, big and small, cluttered the floor, walls, and even the high ceiling. It looked as if a storm in the shape of sword des had swept through, scattering everything. There were also broken training equipment, such as scarecrows and mechanical knights, scattered everywhere. It seemed more like they were swept away and destroyed rather than intentionally cut. The feeling was overwhelming. The building made of wood seemed to be split vertically into two halves. It looked dangerously unstable, as if it could copse at the slightest touch. Navirose chuckled wryly. ¡°He must have fought for his life.¡± There was no room for excuses, it was undoubtedly Ronan and Shullifen¡¯s sword marks. She ventured further into the training ground. Before long, she could see the two figures sprawled in the middle of the battlefield. Navirose approached the fallen pair. Ronan and Shullifen were lying as if they were drunk dogs. The scene wasical ¨C Ronan had a grip on his pants, while Shullifen had a sword tightly clenched in his hand. Bloodstains were scattered around them. Fortunately, it seemed like they had copsed from exhaustion rather than being killed. Navirose, holding her forehead, spoke. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Instructor?!¡± ¡°Ughh!¡± The two scrambled to their feet. Under the torn clothing, their exposed skin was covered in wounds. It seemed they had engaged in a fierce battle without properly applying any healing salves. Navirose spoke again. ¡°What on earth did you two dost night?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± At Ronan¡¯s response, Navirose sighed again. Both of them had fallen in battle, yet it was more like a clumsy brawl. She pointed towards the exit. ¡°Get ready within ten minutes. Both of you areing with me.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®yes, ma¡¯am¡¯? My words make sense, idiot.¡± Thwack! Ronan smacked the back of Shullifen¡¯s head. Despite that, Shullifen meekly epted the hit. Ronan, avoiding eye contact, spoke. ¡°Uh¡­ Instructor. Were you nning to take both of us from the beginning?¡± ¡°No. I genuinely intended to take only the one who won. That way, the motivation would be clear.¡± Navirose stated firmly. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened, and Shullifen, who had been rubbing his head, turned to look at him. Ronan finally spoke, avoiding eye contact. ¡°Uh¡­ then why take both of us now?¡± ¡°Because it was obvious neither of you would win. I can see you both put in a lot of effort.¡± Both of them were expected to progress significantly, but Navirose hadn¡¯t anticipated such a remarkable improvement. A smile crept onto her face. ¡®I can expect something extraordinary from this Festival of Swords.¡¯ In many ways, they were unprecedented disciples. It was unclear what would happen, but it seemed they were bound to create a tremendousmotion. She turned on her heels, cheerfully walking away. Exactly ten minutester, a carriage rattled away, carrying the three of them. Their destination: the Holy Land, Parzan, where the Festival of Swords was set to unfold. Chapter 155: Toward the Holy Land (2) Chapter 155: Toward the Holy Land (2) Parzan, the Holy Land, where the Festival of Swords would be held, was situated in the central part of the continent. The journey took a whole five days due to certain points where one had to walk on foot. It wasn¡¯t a strict rule, but rather a consequence of the challenging terrain surrounding Parzan, forcing travelers to proceed on foot. Ronan and Shullifen, two days into their journey, were experiencing the hardship firsthand. Ronan spoke up. ¡°By the way, Instructor, I¡¯m curious about something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I mean, is there a specific reason for choosing a path like this? Not because it¡¯s difficult or scary, I¡¯m genuinely curious.¡± The sky was clear without a single cloud. The three were walking along a narrow path, and the strong wind made it difficult to keep their eyes open. Without any horses or carriages, and the path so narrow that they had to move in a single file, carrying backpacks heavier than most kids their age. Up to this point, it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but the real problem was being in the midst of rugged rocky mountains. Ronan, looking down at his feet, muttered a curse. ¡°Fuck.¡± About 10 meters below, white mist lingered like a sea. The sky was clear to the point of being painful, yet it was unclear why there was mist only below. What was certain was that taking even a single wrong step could lead straight to the afterlife. The mist covered the view below, making it impossible to determine the exact altitude, but judging by the sound after dropping a pebble, it wasn¡¯t a height where a body could be preserved. Navirose answered. ¡°This is considered the best path.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You seem skeptical. Even now, it¡¯s not toote to change direction towards the northwest entrance. Climbing a cliff for three days wouldn¡¯t be a bad experience.¡± ¡°Did I mention that you look even more beautiful today?¡± ¡°Even terrain like this is one of the factors that filter out the weak. Enough talking, just follow.¡± Eventually, Ronan fell silent and continued walking. It seemed like thinking positively would be better for mental health. Yeah, it¡¯s just a bit of a challenging path. Where are the monsters or bandits? Ronan was rationalizing. From high above, a deafening roar, tearing through the eardrums, echoed. ¡°Pweeyooooott!¡± It was a familiar sound. Soon, a huge shadow appeared over the heads of the three people. As they looked up, three small dots in the distance were seemling getting bigger and bigger at a rapid pace. Ronan, who had identified them despite the distance, frowned. ¡°Ah, fuck.¡± Three huge griffons were descending with their wings folded. It seemed like Ronan¡¯s group had been marked as prey. The speed was not lenient; it seemed like they would reach here in about five seconds. Ronan, cing his hand on the hilt of his sword, sighed, looking at Shullifen. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shullifen muttered. Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. Infused with mana, the crimson de of Lamancha revealed itself. The griffons were already close enough where Ronan could make out the scars on their beaks. The huge front ws that could kill even orcs in an instant were shining in the sunlight. ¡°Pweoooh!¡± ¡°What a waste. They¡¯d sell for a lot, if I caught one and sold it.¡± The distance got narrower. It was the moment when the wind pressure from their wing ps tousled Ronan¡¯s hair. Lamancha drew a crescent-shaped beam of darkness that shot towards the griffons in a fan shape. ¡°Kueok¡­!¡± Blood spurted. Internal organs tumbled down through the torn gaps in the skin. Sunlight seeped through the holes in the wings. The griffons, now like shredded beehives, plummeted into the fog below. Shullifen, sounding intrigued,mented. ¡°I thought about it during the spar the other day, but it¡¯s quite a useful technique.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useful.¡± Ronan nodded in agreement, shaking his head after releasing the technique. It was a skill that had be usable only after extensive training. Indeed, the technique manifested from a real core was more powerful than the fake core created by Vijra. Of course, it still needed further refinement due to its limited capacity. At that time, a griffon flew up from afar, tearing through the mist. ¡°Creuk! Cheaaak!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Despite being in a battered state, it seemed to have dodged a fatal blow by moving. He clicked his tongue, realizing he had missed the opportunity. ¡°Shit, I missed.¡± The distance was too far for his sword energy to reach. The wind was blowing so strong that it seemed like Shullifen¡¯s Storm Sword would miss as well. Nothing to be done about it. Ronan, resigned, was about to give up when the griffon, staggering through the air, stopped pping its wings. ¡°Kruuk¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Not only the wings but also the legs seemed immobilized, as if struck by some paralysis-inducing arrow. However, just for a moment, the plummeting griffon began to ascend again, pping its wings. What just happened? Ronan wondered in confusion. Suddenly, Navirose, who had been walking ahead, swung her sword aggressively. Swish! The crescent-shaped de, slicing through the air, hit the griffon. ¡°Kreaaak!¡± Amazing range and uracy. The severed half of the body descended into the mist. Ronan turned to Navirose. ¡°Instructor?¡± ¡°Heuu¡­ heuu¡­¡± Navirose was breathing heavily, as if she had just returned from an all-out sprint. Ronan frowned as he observed her restless shoulders. He recalled seeing her in such a state once before. ¡°¡­Instructor?¡± Ronan called out to her again. Navirose turned her head btedly. ¡°Huff¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The moment their eyes met, a chilling shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. He almost dropped the scabbard as his arm stiffened. Navirose¡¯s pupils were narrowed vertically, reminiscent of snake eyes. Seeing Ronan¡¯s confusion, Navirose seemed to snap out of it, murmuring as she covered her eyes with her palm. ¡°¡­Griffons need to be dealt with decisively because they can call for reinforcements. If even one is spared and goes back alive, it could cause trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± Navirose removed her hand from her eyes. Her jade-green irises were back to their normal round shape. Ronan cautiously spoke. ¡°¡­Are you perhaps not fully recovered yet?¡± It was evident. Navirose had undoubtedly attempted to use her Aura to its full extent just now. The transformation of her pupils into snake-like slits was proof of that. Seeing Ronan¡¯s concern, Navirose turned away. ¡°Let¡¯s move. We still have a long way to go.¡± Thud¡­! The sound of the griffons crashing echoed btedly from beneath the rocky mountains. Ronan didn¡¯t say anything more. Shullifen was silent as well. The only sounds breaking the stillness were the flowing mist and the howling wind. * * * ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°¡­So, the reason the Instructor is not performing well is probably due to unpleasant memories from the past. It¡¯s likely that psychological factors are ying a significant role. It¡¯s a simple analogy, so let¡¯s just overlook the fact that the Instructor is a woman, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s vulgar.¡± Shullifen shook his head. Ronan furrowed his brows. Although the exnation was made more easy to understand, the attitude didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡°Seriously, it could happen to you too at any time. It¡¯s a more serious issue than you think.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve vaguely noticed that the Instructor hasn¡¯t been able to use her Aura since losing to Zaifa earlier this year. I didn¡¯t expect it to persist until now, though.¡± They were discussing Navirose¡¯s condition. Despite seeming fully recovered, it was apparent that something was still amiss. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°It must have been quite a shock. Someone who has never lost a battle in their life, losing twice to the same opponent.¡± Ronan threw the twigs he had gathered into the bonfire. With the rhythmic sound of crackling, sparks danced in the air. Tonight marked the third night of their journey, and the campsite was within the nameless woods. The sky overflowed with a cluster of stars, twinkling with a brilliance that surpassed the usual view from the Institute. asionally, a thin meteor streaked across, trailing its tail. Theck of artificial light on the ground made the celestial disy even more vivid. ¡°I feel sorry about the Instructor¡¯s current condition. However, I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s anything we can do to help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Whenever I try to initiate a conversation, she always changes the topic like a ghost¡­¡± Ronan ignited his pipe. Even after the incident, Navirose treated both of them no differently than before. However, when it came to topics like her Aura or her current condition, she maintained a consistent attitude of thorough avoidance. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he observed the surroundings, breaking the silence. ¡°By the way, where did thatdy go? It has been a while since she left , hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She mentioned that she¡¯d take a little breather ande back.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Ronan exhaled smoke from his pipe. Navirose¡¯s sleeping bag and belongings were still where they were left. After thinking about something for a moment, he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back. We should arrive in Parzan the day after tomorrow, then we won¡¯t have time to talk again. I need to find a way to get her to open up, even if it means giving her alcohol. So, stay well.¡± Ronan left these words behind and turned away. It was an issue that needed to be addressed, even if it would be ufortable. Fortunately, the soil revealed Navirose¡¯s footprints clearly. ¡®She went into the forest.¡¯ He followed the footprints. Perhaps due to the naturally high altitude, the forest wasn¡¯t as dense. Unfamiliar night songs echoed through the scattered trees. ¡®How far has this woman gone?¡¯ The footprints persisted for a long time. However, no matter how far he followed, Navirose¡¯s figure remained elusive. As irritation began to build, Ronan came to a halt in realization. ¡®This smell¡­¡¯ Ronan sniffed the air. It was a scent he hadn¡¯t experienced before. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, mingling subtly with the fragrance of wildflowers. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that it was the smell of water. ¡®Is there a spring or something nearby?¡¯ Ronan turned towards the direction of the sound of water. Coincidentally, Navirose¡¯s footprints also led in that direction. How long did he walk for? Ronan followed the trail of Navirose¡¯s footprints, which led him to a beautifulke surrounded by trees. Overwhelmed by the scenery, Ronan stopped in his tracks. ¡°¡­This is killing me.¡± Two full moons were hanging in the sky. One was shining high in the sky, and the other cast its gentle glow on the rippling surface of the water. Fireflies flickered in the air, creating a mesmerizing dance. It was a breathtaking sight. Ronan admired the two moons with his hands in his pockets, soaking in the beauty of nature. The umted fatigue from their arduous journey seemed to dissipate. He began to walk slowly along thekeshore. ¡®She must be nearby. She wouldn¡¯t have just passed by here.¡¯ Ronan felt certain that Navirose would be here; after all, she was someone who appreciated romance. Then, somewhere in the distance, the sound of sshing water echoed. -Ssh. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan stopped in his tracks. The noise was too loud to be a fish. Perhaps some wild animal hade to the water¡¯s edge. Come to think of it, what kind of animals lived around here? Ronan turned his head absentmindedly. ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Ronan froze. A woman was bathing not far away. Her naked figure, illuminated between the two moons, resembled a masterpiece crafted from marble. Moonlight flowing over her bronze skin was exquisite. Wet, ash-gray hair hung down to her waist, clinging to her form. The curves of her body formed a perfect hourss shape. The foolish moon and theke were no longer visible. Ronan, forgetting to conceal himself, stared at her nakedness. ¡®I¡¯m d I was born. If only I were born in the South, I might have been happier.¡¯ He was in the midst of being captivated by the enchanting scene. Swoosh! Suddenly, Navirose¡¯s right arm, concealed beneath the water, revealed itself. In her dripping hand, she tightly held the hilt of her long sword. ¡°Huh?¡± It wasn¡¯t clear why she went into the bath with her sword. Ronan was about to react when Navirose, without turning her head, swung her sword. Simultaneously creating a wide trajectory towards the direction Ronan stood, a massive de soared. Swoosh! Cutting through the night air, the crescent moon-shaped attack widened Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Shit!¡± Regaining his senses btedly, Ronan swiftly moved his body to the side. The crescent-shaped strike passed over his head, sweeping through the forest. Baaang! Dozens of trees copsed simultaneously. Only then did Navirose, who had just turned her head, growled with wide-open eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ don¡¯t you usually say something before attacking?¡± Ronan, who barely escaped with his life by rolling to the side, lifted his head. Despite her left hand being free, she seemed unbothered about covering herself. Navirose, locking eyes with Ronan, lowered the sword. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°Sorry, Instructor. It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°I just followed the sound of water, and¡­¡± Ronan was about to say something when, unexpectedly, his gaze fell on Navirose¡¯s abdomen. From the corbone to below the navel, there was a long scar. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Of course, the scar wasn¡¯t unusual in itself, but the pattern seemed strange. Fiverge, evenly spaced gashes formed what looked like a deliberate design, and it didn¡¯t seem like the result of a sword fight. Most importantly, it didn¡¯t seem to be very old. Ronan, who was well-versed in wounds from his time on the battlefield, could tell that it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few months old. He raised his brows. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that scar?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°w marks? No way, did Zaifa¡­¡± A puzzle was quicklying together in Ronan¡¯s mind. Navirose, as if suddenly feeling embarrassed, raised her left hand to cover the wound. More precisely, the scar. Ronan, forgetting the fact that she was undressed, approached thekeside slowly. ¡°¡­Caught you.¡± A self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared on Navirose¡¯s lips. With a sigh that seemed to signify resignation, she swept her hair back. ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chapter 156: Toward the Holy Land (3) Chapter 156: Toward the Holy Land (3) Navirose walked towards the water¡¯s edge, still seemingly unconcerned about covering herself. She reached out and said. ¡°Could you bring my clothes from over there?¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Navirose¡¯s clothes were lying in a corner of theke. Everything from her outerwear to her underwear were scattered on the ground, representing her carefree personality. Ronan, feeling his conscience sting, turned away as he handed her the clothes. A mischievous voice came from behind him. ¡°How amusing. You¡¯ve already enjoyed enough.¡± ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t intentional. I didn¡¯t know you would be bathing there.¡± ¡°You can be happy since you¡¯re the only man who has seen me in such a state. Come to think of it, even from the girl, Adeshan is the only one. That child is quite¡­¡± Navirose began recounting the story of the time she and Adeshan visited a bathhouse. It was a genuinely intriguing topic, but the situation wasn¡¯t ideal. Ronan interrupted her. ¡°So, what happened exactly?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s walk for a bit first.¡± Navirose, now fully clothed, stepped forward with herrge sword strapped to her back. Water dripped from her ubed hair. The two walked slowly along thekeside. The chirping of crickets grew louder with each rustle of the grass in the wind. She began speaking. ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is correct. These are wounds I received during the battle with Zaifa earlier this year.¡± ¡°Still, no visible injuries¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I lied out of pride.¡± Navirose chuckled, lifting her shirt to reveal the scar. Even upon a second look, the injuries appeared severe. ¡°The oue of the battle was determined by these wounds. I thought I had won enough when Zaifa¡¯s weapon broke mid-fight. However, that damn cat had been hiding its true strength. Its ws, flying at me like ten swords, were more than I could handle.¡± ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t that considered cheating?¡± ¡°There was nothing to be done, her skill was genuine. And I couldn¡¯t confront her about the unfair advantage while welding the famous sword made by Master Dolon.¡± Navirose began narrating the events of her duel with Zaifa. While the sword battle itself could be considered her victory, once Zaifa unsheathed her ws, the tide turned against her. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but I really didn¡¯t think I could win. In truth, her sword shattered because it couldn¡¯t handle her power. I can¡¯t im victory in the sword battle either. These wounds affected not only my body but tore into my very soul.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you healed that day?¡± Ronan recalled the sparring session they had after his return from the Mental Word. After the duel, Navirose seemed genuinely cheerful, seemingly having shaken off her injuries. ¡°I thought so too. In fact, I felt surprisingly better after I lost to you.¡± ¡°Technically, you didn¡¯t lose. The instructor wasn¡¯t in a normal state.¡± ¡°A defeat is a defeat. It was a satisfying defeat. Anyway, the conclusion is, I thought I hadpletely recovered, but that wasn¡¯t true. The despair I felt that day killed the serpent living in my heart.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way the serpent is really dead¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I lost the ability to manifest my Aura.¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. The words ¡°unable to manifest my Aura¡± weighed heavily on his chest. Suddenly, something deep within him surged. ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t get it. Did even your core get damaged?¡± ¡°The core isn¡¯t easily damaged by physical harm. The wounds also did not reach my heart.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± Ronan trailed off, unable toprehend. With a bitter smile and a hint of sorrow, Navirose spoke. ¡°Ronan, do you know how the types of Aura are ssified?¡± ¡°Why bring that up all of a sudden¡­ can you stop changing the topic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that. Just answer. Have you ever thought about the irrational criteria used to distinguish them? Some create gentle breezes, while others unleash storms that sweep entire kingdoms away. Have you ever pondered these unreasonable standards?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the unexpected topic. He knew that the ssification of Aura, the unique mana, based on certain criteria was still an unresolved issue. He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s spective, but I believe an individual¡¯s ego is the criterion. The consciousness or concepts that make up an individual.¡± ¡°Ego?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was born in the dense wilderness of the South. A wandering adventurer found me abandoned in a ce teeming with wild beasts. I have never even seen the faces of my parents.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden revtion. Despite being somewhat close, this was the first time he heard about Navirose¡¯s personal life. She continued. ¡°Being a young girl in a region engulfed in war wasn¡¯t easy. For an orphan like me, left without anyone to turn to, it was even worse.¡± ¡°Instructor.¡± ¡°I did whatever it took to survive. All I had was my body, but fortunately I had a talent for martial arts, so I didn¡¯t have to descend to being a prostitute. While the other orphans my age were being embraced by soldiers as they received their wages, I survived by exchanging the lives of those I killed for money.¡± Navirose¡¯s life had been harsh. When Ronan wasining to Iril about getting tired of potato stew from his past life, Navirose was surviving by struggling on the battlefield, collecting the ears of enemies as proof to exchange for money. ¡°At that time, I sought strength more than anything. My mind was filled only with overpowering opponents and not underestimating them. It was around that time that I manifested Aura.¡± ¡°Back then, I was chasing a notorious wanted criminal. I had sliced his Achilles tendon beforehand, so all I had to do was follow the trail of blood. After hours of crossing the wilderness, a serpent caught my eye.¡± ¡°A serpent? The one I know?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was a giant venomous serpent. With beautiful azure scales, it held three monkeys frozen in fear before it. Instead of fleeing or facing it, it seemed the monkeys had lost all will in the face of terror. The serpent eventually began swallowing them one by one. It was more like picking up something dropped than a fight. I stood there, forgetting about the wanted criminal I was chasing, and watched the monkeys being consumed by the serpent¡¯s jaws.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°That was precisely the ideal I was pursuing. A dominant force that overwhelmed its opponents without even having to exert any effort. Thanks to that serpent, I realized my path. At that moment of realization, an arrow flew in from outside my field of vision and struck my arm.¡± Swoosh! Suddenly, Navirose raised her hand, pretending as if an arrow had struck her arm. Startled, Ronan stepped back. ¡°Damn, you scared me.¡± ¡°Your expression looked so serious. Seeing this side of you, you¡¯re quite cute.¡± ¡°Please stop it. So, what was that arrow for?¡± ¡°The guy I was chasing brought hispanions. At that time, I was already a renowned bounty hunter. When I came to my senses, I realized I was already surrounded. The arrowhead was coated with poison.¡± Ronan made a gesture, indicating he was listening attentively every two seconds. Seeing her sweat, it seemed telling stories wasn¡¯t her usual skill. With arrows raining down and the encirclement tightening, consciousness became hazy. Navirose, who had been teasing Ronan by describing the urgency of the time, suddenly stopped in ce. ¡°And at that moment, my Aura manifested.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°It was truly a miracle. The same venomous serpent I had seen earlier emerged, casting darkness all around. After that, everything unfolded as you might expect.¡± Navirose collected the heads of paralyzed criminals, describing how she harvested them like crops, a sensation akin to reaping necks as one would harvest crops, a feeling she couldn¡¯t forget even now. ¡°What I wanted to say¡­ The driving force that attracted everything ultimately stemmed from a desire to overwhelm all my enemies, to be stronger.¡± ¡°So, the reason why the Instructor can no longer control her Aura is because¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because that determination was broken when I suffered consecutive defeats against Zaifa. At least, that¡¯s what I think.¡± Navirose let out a bitter smile once again. As she gently touched her scar, she spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°Although the arrow has been removed, the hole remains.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t say anything. Even if he wanted to suggest a solution, he couldn¡¯t think of one. It was aplex type of trauma, much more challenging than openly dealing with depression. In such cases, oveing it somehow was the only solution. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. When I¡¯m with you, I end up saying all kinds of things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you say that. Do you want this?¡± Ronan nced at the cigarette pipe in his pocket. Navirose chuckled. ¡°It seems like you seem to have forgotten your role as a student. Why do you continue to think it¡¯s a good thing?¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°Well, anyway¡­¡± Without saying a word, Navirose took the pipe and put it to her lips. Ronan, with a smooth motion, lit it for her with a match. ¡°Haaaa¡­.¡± She inhaled deeply and let out a white puff while gazing at theke. The white smoke scattered over the two moons like clouds. It was perfect, even on second nce. Ronan, who had been observing her profile, chuckled. ¡°You started smoking at a young age, right? Probably since the time on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Yeah, how did you know?¡± ¡°I did too.¡± Navirose raised an eyebrow. The question about when he had been to a battlefield followed, but Ronan responded withughter. He was admiring theke with his hands sped behind his head. ¡°By the way, now that I think about it, there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The swordsmanship you used during our sparring. Who did you learn it from?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Contextually, it seemed she was talking about the Savior¡¯s swordsmanship. He asked back, scratching his head. ¡°Uh¡­ why do you ask?¡± ¡°It was too simr to the swordsmanship of the person who handed me my first defeat.¡± ¡°First defeat? It wasn¡¯t Zaifa?¡± ¡°Before that, there was another. Someone who greatly influenced the establishment of my swordsmanship. Even Zaifa would be reduced to nothing more than a mere cat in front of that person¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. A swordsman capable of reducing Zaifa to a mere cat. The only people he knew with such skill were the Savior and the traitor bastard. ¡°Did that person have white hair, by any chance?¡± ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± ¡°And the face? Do you remember the face? The color of the eyes, anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, so I don¡¯t remember the details well. Ah, I don¡¯t know if I mentioned this before¡­¡± Navirose trailed off. Turning her body, she began to gently stroke Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Somehow, you gave a simr feeling as that person. I¡¯ve been thinking that since the time you turned Kardan into a bald man for Adeshan. It¡¯s been almost three years already.¡± ¡°Simr feeling ? What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°Should I call it an exuding energy? It can¡¯t be described in words¡­¡± Navirose closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Unable to articte where the resemncey, it was frustrating not to be able to express herself. Meanwhile, her palms were touching Ronan¡¯s cheek. She felt strange thinking that those hands had been scrubbing and washing her body just a moment ago. Just as Ronan was about to say something. A loud scream rang out from somewhere in the distance. ¡°Aaargh! Save me! Someone help!¡± ¡°What the hell.¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. The birds that had just awakened flew away in unison. Navirose, with an indifferent tone, spoke. ¡°Probably rookie hunters.¡± ¡°Rookie hunters?¡± ¡°Yeah. If they¡¯vee this far, it¡¯s about time for them to show up. They¡¯re the ones who rob and kill rookie swordsmen whoe here hoping to be the owner of the Holy Sword.¡± Chapter 157: Toward the Holy Land (4) Chapter 157: Toward the Holy Land (4) ¡°Probably rookie hunters. It¡¯s one of the sieves that filters out participants of the Festival of Swords.¡± Navirose sighed. Her dry voice carried only a hint of emotion, akin to saying, ¡®The neighbor¡¯s dog had a big bone today.¡¯ Ronan raised his shoulders. ¡°Seems like it happens quite often, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. It works as a self-purging effect, just leave it be. Usually, they just rob them of their belongings and leave without killing them, but if you want to help, you can go.¡± Ronan shook his head. Even he had no intention of helping idiots who couldn¡¯t even defend themselves. They should havee prepared if they were weak. The scream echoed again. ¡°Argh, please not the sword! I already emptied all my belongings!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll give you everything, just spare my life! Ugh! The shield that my great-grandfather passed down to me!!¡± It was the same kind of scream each time. The voices of those robbing them were not even audible, considering how loud the screams were. Observing the generally high-pitched tone, he still seemed like a kid. Ronan¡¯s eyes twitched every time a scream echoed. Navirose tapped his cheek with her index finger. ¡°Just go ande back. Don¡¯t say anything more.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Ronan pulled away from Navirose¡¯s hand. He tried to appear as stern as possible as he turned on his heel. It was the moment he took his first step. ¡°Huueeek! That¡¯s my father¡¯s heirloom¡­! Noo!¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan stopped in his tracks. The voice was incredibly loud. ¡°As I said before, don¡¯t be ashamed of your kind nature.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s noisy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back first. Do as you please.¡± Navirose turned away, leaving those words. She raised her arm as if saying goodbye. ¡°Thanks for today. I feel a bit better now that I¡¯ve talked to you about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay..¡± ¡°Apart from my gratitude, this kid, he¡¯s still quite young.¡± Between Navirose¡¯s index and middle fingers, a cigarette butt with fingerprints was stuck. Soon, her figure disappeared beyond the trees. Ronan, who had just been patted on the cheek, forced a bitter smile. ¡®I hope she recovers soon.¡¯ It was unlikely that such a wound would heal with just this. As the saying goes, even if the arrow is pulled out, the hole will still remain. The serpent inside her would probably remain dead. Ronan decided to think positively. Serpents are resilient creatures. When the weather warms up, it might get up and reveal its fangs. ¡°Now then¡­¡± After regaining his slightly depressed mood, Ronan turned his head. Since then, there had been no more screams. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated. His senses, including sight and hearing, began to expand gradually. ¡®It¡¯s not that far.¡¯ At most, it was a few hundred meters away. Ronan, pointing in the right direction, ran out towards theke. Bang! With his legs enhanced by mana, the ground sshed with dirt and fallen leaves. ¡®Let¡¯s see what kind of guys they are.¡¯ It was unforgivable to bother someone for no reason. Cries of trees and mountain birds passed quickly by. He soon saw the flickering light between the trees. ¡®Damn, am I toote?¡¯ Ronan frowned. The scene was already a mess. Camping equipment and misceneous items were scattered on the ground. The still burning firewood intact indicated that the assault happened right after they lit the fire. A few grumbling voices could be heard. ¡°You took everything we need, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was quite a harvest.¡± ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s finally quiet after he got pped around a bit.¡± Ronan turned his gaze. A few steps away from the campfire, three hulking figures stood like statues. Judging from their robust skeletons and the cores embedded in their weapons, they didn¡¯t seem to be ordinary bandits. ¡®Rookie hunters.¡¯ They were holding enormous weapons, matching their size. Two had double-handed hammers, and one had a greatsword, all of which didn¡¯t look likemon items. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh¡­¡± Amidst the hulking figures, there was a frail-looking boy sprawled, whimpering. As Ronan had anticipated, it was a kid who hadn¡¯t even grown a beard yet. Looking at his swollen face and ragged clothes, it was evident that he had already received a good beating. Blood from his broken nose formed a small puddle on the ground. Lifting his head with a wince, he pleaded with the hulking figures. ¡°Ugh¡­ Wh-what did I do wrong¡­? Please, stop¡­¡± ¡°What did you do wrong? You¡¯re one of the participants, that¡¯s what.¡± ¡°Think of it as a good experience and go home. We¡¯ll use your belongings well.¡± Therge man wielding the greatsword raised his foot. The foot that had momentarily hung in the air descended directly onto the sandwich thaty in front of the boy. With a crunch, the bread shattered, and the condiments and vegetables scattered in all directions. The boy, wide-eyed, let out a loud scream. ¡°Argaaaah! Th-that was made by my mother!¡± Birds took flight again. It was genuinely a disgustingly loud voice. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s noisy. Big brother, should we just kill this one?¡± ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± The two with hammers grumbled as if they were fed up. Ronan had wondered why the three of them looked so simr, but they turned out to be brothers. The one remaining, caressing the hilt of the greatsword, nodded. ¡°Yeah. This¡¯ll be my first kill.¡± ¡°Oh, no! Spare me!¡± ¡°me that loud voice for your death!¡± The hulking figure with the greatsword raised his weapon, intending to bring it down vertically. The boy, covering his face with both arms, let out a scream. Just as the massive de was about to split the top of his head. ng!! A sharp metallic sound reverberated, and simultaneously, the greatsword stopped. The boy slowly opened his eyes to see that he was still alive. ¡°Heuk¡­ heuuk¡­! Wh-who are you¡­?¡± ¡°Your brothers are sure good at being thieves.¡± A figure unseen before stood behind him. In his strong hand, a thin sword resembling dragonfly wings was gripped. The menacing, ck and ominous greatsword, touching the thin de of the sword, was lowered in submission. The man holding the greatsword widened his eyes at the sudden appearance of the uninvited guest. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. Anyway, let me ask you one thing.¡± The hulking figure growled threateningly. Whether he spoke or not, Ronan interrupted. ¡°Is it true that this is your first kill? If so, I¡¯m willing to let you go if you surrender one arm each.¡± ¡°Is this guypletely insane?¡± The hulking figure snorted. However, his gaze was directed toward Lamancha in Ronan¡¯s hand. The ck de of the sword did not simply block the sword strike, but prated into the greatsword. It was an extraordinary sword. Moreover, the boy in front of him was blocking the attack with only one arm. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move. ¡®Damn it, where did this monstere from?¡¯ Cold sweat ran down the man¡¯s temples. He quickly exchanged nces with his brothers. Their expressions indicated that they understood the gravity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, the hulking figure looked at Ronan. ¡°Hey, seems like he¡¯s your friend, so I¡¯ll stop here. Don¡¯t you think the Festival of Swords maintains its reputation because rookie hunters like us that weed out the idiots?¡± ¡°Getting polite all of a sudden. Why, did your balls shrink once you grasped the situation?¡± ¡°Rather than that, let¡¯s not spill unnecessary blood. What I mean is¡­ Hyaah!!¡± It was just for a moment. As Ronan spoke, the hulking figure suddenly roared. The greatsword, detached from the Lamancha, flew towards Ronan. ¡°Shtup!¡± ¡°You cocky bastard, die!¡± The other two bulky figures also rushed in simultaneously. A mana-infused de and a hammer head came flying with a bluish glow. Ronan sighed lightly. ¡°This is why pride is such a frightening thing¡­¡± In an instant, Lamancha disappeared from sight. Swish! A sound like a whistle echoed faintly. Red lines appeared on both arms of the hulking figures simultaneously. The moment Lamancha, having executed an exciting sh, returned to its original position. Shwaaah! Six arms simultaneously soared into the air. The eyes of the hulking figures widened. ¡°Huh?¡± They couldn¡¯t immediately grasp what had happened. The sensation under their shoulders was gone. Thud. The arm that had been rotating in the air fell to the ground. From a clean-cut cross-section, blood gushed out. The arms, still full of strength, continued to tightly grip their weapons. ¡°My arm.¡± The man holding the greatsword muttered quietly. Suddenly, a pain as if being stabbed surged through the three of them. ¡°Heuk! Heuaaah!¡± Pained screams erupted from the mouths of the hulking figures. Almost simultaneously, as if they were brothers screaming in agony. The three of them screamed in agony, struggling and writhing for a while, before fleeing into the forest. Discarding not only the stolen items from the boy but also their own belongings. Ronan watched their retreating figures and sighed. ¡°Damn idiots. It could¡¯ve ended with just one each.¡± Six paths made of blood stretched toward the direction they escaped. Nevertheless, those who knew how to handle mana wouldn¡¯t die easily, but they probably wouldn¡¯t swing a sword for the rest of their lives. Ronan turned to the boy. Covered in the blood of the thieves, he looked at Ronan with a vacant expression. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Ronan flicked his fingers. Only then did the boye to his senses and staggered to his feet. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°Th-thank you so much¡­! Really¡­! Thank you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. How old are you?¡± ¡°Oh, I turned fifteen this year!¡± ¡°Why did a kid who hasn¡¯t even grown hair down theree here? Do you want to die that badly?¡± Ronan growled lowly. He was angrier at the boy¡¯s recklessness than having his hands stained with blood. Is it because Ronan had seen so many people who died even though they wanted to live? He simply could not tolerate people who acted as if they had two lives. The boy, who cowered as if frightened, opened his mouth. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really had toe all the way to Parzan, no matter what.¡± ¡°So why? Are you also here to find the Holy Sword or something?¡± ¡°Oh, no! I don¡¯t want that at all. I just came¡­ to deliver something to one of the participants.¡± ¡°To deliver something?¡± Ronan frowned at the unexpected answer. The boy nodded quickly. Each time his bangs fluttered up and down, drops of blood flew. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not lying. What kind of idiot woulde to Parzan for that reason?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. There¡¯s a person who¡¯s usually hard to find, so¡­ Look!¡± Suddenly, the boy staggered and moved. He picked up a bag lying on the ground. The bag was almost as thick and long as the boy, and it seemed incredible that he hade here carrying it. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the item I need to deliver.¡± The boy skillfully began to untie the bag. When the thick fabric was removed, a luxurious box appeared. The boy who was caressing the outside of the box sighed in relief. ¡°Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t taken from me¡­ really¡­¡± Judging by the voice with traces of moisture, it seemed to be an item of significant importance. The boy cautiously opened the lid. Phaaaah¡ª a bright light emitted from it. Inside the box, adorned with silk finishing,y a longsword radiating a white glow. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ronan raised an intrigued eyebrow. Even without an exnation, it was evident. This was truly an exceptional sword. Its quality was trustworthy, perhaps even surpassing what Doron could create at the moment. ¡°¡­It¡¯s definitely worth shouting so loudly for. So, who are you delivering this to?¡± Ronan asked. The boy, who was smiling as he looked at the sword, finally opened his mouth with a moist voice. ¡°It¡¯s for the Sword Saint Zaifa.¡± Chapter 158: The Festival of Swords (1) Chapter 158: The Festival of Swords (1) ¡°It¡¯s for the Sword Saint Zafiz.¡± ¡°Huh? Zaifa?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The unexpected visitor left him perplexed. Simultaneously, he felt like he knew why the boy had crawled all the way to the Festival of Swords. ¡®If it¡¯s for Zaifa, it makes sense.¡¯ Zaifa was known to roam the continent under the Emperor¡¯s orders. The only thing that¡¯d guarantee her staying in one pce for a certain period of time would be the Festival of Swords. The boy nodded. ¡°Yes, my master wanted to present it to Miss Zaifa with great reverence. He hopes Miss Zaifa will use it during this Festival of Swords, so¡­¡± It seemed the person he referred to as his master had a deep connection with Zaifa. Considering Zaifa¡¯s reputation as the greatest swordmaster in history, it would be strange if there weren¡¯t admirers. Ronan suddenly recalled Zaifa¡¯s usual sword, the Crescent Moon de, and tapped his chin with his finger. ¡°I see¡­ But isn¡¯t it too small for Zaifa?¡± Although it was a reasonablyrge longsword, it was still based on human standards. After two years without seeing each other, Ronan felt Zafia had grown even more. He worried that when Zaifa wielded it, it might look like a toy. The boy chuckled meaningfully and nodded. ¡°Hehe¡­ it might seem that way, but that¡¯s not the case. This sword has a special ability.¡± ¡°An ability? Does it sing when you touch it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go into details. My master told me to only show it directly to Miss Zaifa after meeting her.¡± The boy stated firmly. Ronan had thought he was just a shy brat, but surprisingly he had a sharp side too. Ronan decided not to press further. He wasn¡¯t particrly curious. ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit annoyed by the swollen face. Observing the exposed flesh through torn clothes and the flowing blood, Ronan sighed and took out a potion bottle from his pouch. ¡°Alright, then show me the wounds.¡± ¡°Wh-What? Is that a potion?! It¡¯s okay! I really¡­¡± ¡°I have a habit where I hit people who make me say the same thing three times. Until they wet themselves.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­!¡± The boy sealed his lips. Ronan, with an indifferent expression, started applying the potion with his fingers. Varen¡¯s special potion quickly healed the wounds. While examining the wound on his shoulder, Ronan noticed something. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ He realized that the boy¡¯s injuries were superficial. There were no broken bones, and nothing seemed internally damaged. Considering the size of the rookie hunters, he had received very minor injuries. ¡°For someone who got beaten by those bulky bastards, your injuries are very minimal. I guess you¡¯ve been beaten a lot?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ yes. I managed to take the hits with some skill. My master is a rough person by nature, you see.¡± ¡°But to even beat up a brat like you, that¡¯s quite a ruthless master. It¡¯s done.¡± Ronan finished the treatment by rubbing the potion on the boy¡¯s cheek. As the bruising faded and the swelling subsided, a rather smooth face emerged. His appearance, delicate like a girl, was quite distinct from that of a typical swordsman. ¡®Gray hair and brown eyes, what an interestingbination.¡¯ His gray-white hair resembled snow dusted with ash. The boy, now free of wounds and pain, widened his eyes in amazement. As if experiencing a miracle, he began to touch his face. ¡°Th-this is incredible¡­ It doesn¡¯t hurt at all now.¡± ¡°Awesome, right? The person who made that potion is no ordinary individual.¡± ¡°Th-thank you. I¡¯m truly grateful. This kindness¡­¡± ¡°Enough. Just finish your delivery.¡± Ronan waved his hand as if he was annoyed.It wasn¡¯t something I had hoped for in the first ce. The boy, bowing respectfully, quickly started gathering his belongings. Observing this, Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Yes! If I walk diligently from now on, I should arrive by tomorrow evening. I need to finish my duties quickly and return.¡± ¡°You can join us if you want. I can ensure your safety.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, but I¡¯ll gratefully ept your kind intentions. I don¡¯t want to bother you anymore. I will never forget this.¡± The boy once again expressed his gratitude, bowing his head. Though a bit uneasy, Ronan couldn¡¯t forcibly detain someone who insisted on leaving. Scratching his head, Ronan asked. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Darman. What about that¡­?¡± ¡°Ronan. When you meet Zaifa, send my regards. Tell him ¡®let¡¯s have a drink and clear up any misunderstandings¡¯.¡± ¡°Misunderstandings¡­ with Miss Zaifa?¡± Darman¡¯s face stiffened. It wasn¡¯t a story he wanted to boast about. Ronan gestured for him to go quickly. ¡°There¡¯s something like that. If it¡¯s burdensome, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll definitely convey your message. I will not forget today¡¯s grace. Ronan.¡± ¡°Go.¡± After saying that, Darman turned around. He walked backwards three steps and bowed to Ronan. Ronan turned around only to see Darman disappear behind the trees. He suddenly noticed that all the junk that had been lying around had disappeared. Even pieces of the torn sleeping bag and the crushed sandwich were missing. Apart from the dying campfire, there was no trace of Darman left. ¡®What a fascinating guy.¡¯ Only the blood stains and the six armsying on the ground confirmed that what happened moments ago was no dream. Coming all the way to Parzan to deliver something, he was a kid that gave off an odd impression in many ways. Ronan covered the campfire with soil. Psssh! While gazing at the starry sky, a rustling sound came from behind. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan, gripping the hilt of his sword, turned his head. The approaching aura felt peculiar. Was it an animal? Just as Lamancha was pulled out of its sheath, a familiar face emerged from between the ovepping trees. ¡°What?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Shullifen, meeting Ronan¡¯s gaze, stopped in his tracks. He was also holding the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at any moment. ¡°Ronan. Were you here all this time?¡± ¡°I want to ask the same thing. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came here after hearing screams. It seems the situation was resolved a long time ago.¡± Shullifen nced around and nodded as if he understood the situation. Ronan frowned. ¡°A long time ago?¡± It had been too short of time to be called a long time ago. Shullifen released his grip on the sword hilt. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t sense any traces of the one who screamed. Did they not leave a long time ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but it really hasn¡¯t been that long?¡± Ronan concentrated, expanding his senses. About a hundred meters ahead, he sensed the presence of three individuals. They were the rookie hunters he had dealt with. Whether it was from severe bleeding or not, one of them gradually extinguished like a candle. Darman¡¯s presence, on the other hand, was nowhere to be felt. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It seems one of the owners of those arms is dead. I still can¡¯t sense the energy of anyone other than them¡­¡± Shullifen couldn¡¯t detect Darman. The fact that Shullifen, whose senses were much more acute than Ronan, couldn¡¯t detect Darman meant that Darman was already quite a distant away. Despite appearing incapable inbat, was he exceptionally fast on his feet? Ronan chuckled at the absurd situation. ¡°Damn, I feel like I was haunted by a ghost.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the way. What about Instructor Navirose?¡± ¡°She returned a little while ago. She praised you, saying you¡¯re a guy with much more guts than she expected. What happened?¡± ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s a story that might actually kill you.¡± Ronan grinned wickedly. Even considering his two lifetimes, it was one of the most bizarre nights of his life. Two moons, the naked body of an Instructor, and a mysterious delivery person on a quest to find Zaifa. Ronan and Shullifen walked together. Though the way back was long, it wasn¡¯t boring as there was a lot to talk about. Between scattered branches, starlight sparkled as if it were pouring through the sparse leaves. **** It was two dayster when Ronan and his group arrived at their destination. As they emerged from the dense forest, a short grassy field covered in dew appeared. Navirose, who had scanned the surroundings, encouraged the two. ¡°Everyone has worked hard. You¡¯ve arrived precisely on time.¡± The air was fresh. The dawn, ripening into morning, still held a dark blue hue. Ronan raised the corner of his mouth as he saw the twinkling lights beyond the field. ¡°Atst.¡± It was Dran Parzan, one of the four viges existing in Parzan. It was also a ce where every swordsman who wanted to participate in the Festival of Swords had to stop by. Ronan¡¯s gaze shifted to the back of the vige. ¡°Is there a shrine at the top?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a ce only those who have passed the ritual can go. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen it, and it feels refreshing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculously high.¡± Ronan chuckled. Behind Dran Parzan, a giant mountain rose. With a gentle slope, the mountain seemed like a cornerstone supporting the sky. Perhaps due to the high altitude, Dran Parzan¡¯s appearance was bluish, as if it were draped in a blue veil. The head of the mountain was stained pure white with perpetual snow. ¡®Come to think of it, those guys¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan realized that numerous people were crossing the field. At least fifty were visible to the eye. As if bound by a promise, they were all moving towards Dran Parzan. Some carried torches, others used the fading stars as makeshiftnterns. Though their appearances varied, they all shared one thing inmon ¨C each had a sword at their side. ¡°Shall we go too?¡± It was a solemn procession, much like pilgrims. After exchanging a few words of encouragement, the three set off in the direction the others were heading. When they arrived at the vige, the surroundings were already brightened. People who appeared to be guides were directing the participants. Suddenly, the guide who crossed paths with Navirose gasped. ¡°Thank you for your efforts ining here. If you n to participate in the Festival of Swords, please proceed to the za immediately.¡± By the time they reached the vige, the surroundings were already bright. People who appeared to be guides were instructing the participants.. ¡°Thank you for your efforts ining¡­ Ugh! Miss Navirose?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m pretty sure it was around four years ago.¡± ¡°Thank you for remembering me. It¡¯s an honor. I guided you back then too. Let me escort you to the Supervisory Committee headquarters.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. I came as a participant this time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The guide¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan and Shullifen were equally puzzled. Navirose turned around from the guide who seemed like he wanted to say something and walked away. Ronan, who was dazed, quickly caught up with her. ¡°What? Even someone the Instructor can participate?¡± ¡°As long as one doesn¡¯t make a mistake that vites the regtions, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Is there aw that says people like me can¡¯t search for the Holy Sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s unexpected. There is sparring between participants during the filtering process, right?¡± ¡°Probably, since it¡¯s a consciousness-based ritual.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for the person who¡¯ll have to face the Instructor. That¡¯s too much¡± Ronan shook his head. He had no idea what kind of test it would be, but this was no different than a massacre. Following the instructions of the guide, they headed towards the za. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­¡± People were crowded together in a ce simr in size to Philleon¡¯s za. Looking around, Ronan chuckled at the sight. There were a lot more people gathered than expected. ¡°Is this everyone that made it through the filtering process?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s an unusuallyrge number. They even moved the event date forward. What happened?¡± Navirose also seemed puzzled. Moreover, people continued to gather. Ronan turned to the two and spoke. ¡°It seems like it¡¯ll take a bit before it starts. I¡¯ll go take a look around ande back. I¡¯m getting sore from trying to stay still.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Navirose muttered. Ronan, stretching, moved his feet. Their auras were so powerful that there was no need to worry about losing each other. About five minutes had passed as he wandered around. Then, an unfamiliar voice came from behind. ¡°Who might this be, isn¡¯t it the hero who brought spring back to the continent?¡± Chapter 159: The Festival of Swords (2) Chapter 159: The Festival of Swords (2) ¡°Who might this be, the hero who brought spring back to the Empire?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his head. A neatly dressed young man stood behind him, a stark contrast to Ronan¡¯s ragged appearance after having navigated a challenging path for several days. While he seemed like the son of a noble family, Ronan couldn¡¯t recall his face no matter how hard he remembered. The young man, standing confidently with his clothes impably arranged, extended his hand for a handshake. ¡°Nice to meet you. You¡¯re Onan, right?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Instead of shaking hands, Ronan furrowed his brow. Ronan¡¯s first impression of him was not very good. It wasn¡¯t just the fact that his face looked like rotten pasta or the disrespect of getting his name wrong on the first meeting, Ronan doubted that this young man hade this far just to participate in the Festival of Swords. ¡®How did this weak bastard make it all the way here?¡® For one, he seemed too weak. The amount of mana emanating from his core indicated, at best, was at the beginning level of Sword Expert. His shy rapier hanging at his waist appeared more suitable for ceremony thanbat. Surveying the surroundings, Ronan realized how this idiot was able toe all the way here with a gaunt face. Two fully armored knights were standing a few steps away. ¡®Ah.¡¯ The pattern engraved on the armor matched the embroidery on the young man¡¯s attire. He seemed like a knight affiliated with a noble family. Why would someone go to such lengths toe here? Observing Ronan¡¯s reaction, the young man awkwardly chuckled. ¡°Ha¡­ haha. This is a bit embarrassing. I am Almas Ranijak de Pashadone, the eldest son of the Pashadone family. It seems the rumors about you being from amoner background were indeed true.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way. It¡¯s just surprising that you don¡¯t recognize our family crest. I suppose it¡¯s possible formoners.¡± The guy, Almas or whatever, straightened his neck proudly. Ronan smirked. It had been a while since he encountered someone of this kind. When there was a difference in status, it was a habit to put the other person down. He felt the urge to grab the guy by the hair and give him a few ps, but for now, he decided to hear what he had to say. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°So, what do you want?¡± ¡°Cooperate with me. We will ensure you can step on the sacred grounds.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°This is our third time participating. Although we¡¯ve never quite reached the sacred grounds, we¡¯vee close each time.¡± Ronan found himself bewildered by the sudden turn of events. The young man unexpectedly brought his face close, making Ronan ufortable enough to consider pping right there. The guy whispered as if sharing a secret. ¡°From what I heard, there¡¯s something unusual about this festival. It seems to be true that the elders of Parzan had strange dreams. With the extraordinary number of participants this time, the elimination trials are bound to be quite challenging.¡± ¡°Strange dreams? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hehe, it seems your information iscking. That¡¯s alright, it happens.¡± The sarcasm made Ronan want to pull out his nose and shove it in his mouth, but he realized that extracting information might be more beneficial. He remained silent, merely nodding his head as the young man continued. ¡°The information was leaked by a servant of the elders, and it is said that he had a dream of a pure white meteor crashing into the sacred ce. In the ce where the meteor fell, a radiant sword was stuck. Isn¡¯t it intriguing?¡± ¡°Damn, did all these people gather just because of some old fools¡¯ delusions?¡± ¡°You might think so, but what if all seven elders had the same dream?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was definitely not normal for seven people to have the same dream. ¡°What do you think? I think it¡¯s not a bad suggestion for you, Onan. It seems like this is your first time participating, joining forces with me would be a wise decision.¡± ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± ¡°Why are you being so defensive? Everyone is aware of your achievements, such as defeating the Winter Witch and earning the respect of the Great Mage Lorehon. Flowing Fire Itargand and the Inquisitors of Lodn merely helped.¡± The young man let out a sinisterugh. Ronan¡¯s jaw tightened. Although not entirely false, he didn¡¯t appreciate someone belittling those who had faced hardships. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. Just go bother someone else. Shullifen is also participating, go talk to him.¡± ¡°Whypare yourself to a dying star? Don¡¯t be like that and consider it some more, it¡¯s a good proposal.¡± Bringing his face closer, the young man said. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What does that mean? That bastard is a dying star?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth, isn¡¯t it? He was praised as a prodigy when he was young, buttely, he has failed to achieve any significant aplishments. Shullifen Synevan is merely a failure piggybacking on Garcia¡¯s prestige.¡± The young man suddenly started chewing out Shullifen. Ronan let out a bitterugh. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to make eye contact with Shullifen in person. ¡®Since I took away all the tasks that he was supposed to do, this kind of situation is happening.¡¯ It seemed that since he had been quietly focusing on training alone it led to such evaluations. Upon reflection, the reason Shullifen had been out of the spotlight wasrgely due to Ronan¡¯s regression. As Ronan had achieved the majority of aplishments instead, including the Winter Witch. ¡®Why am I so irritated?''¡± He suddenly felt a surge of irritation. In any case, this idiot had no right to bad mouth Shullifen. Even though that bastard was a bit unlucky, he was still a decent fellow. Ronan took a deep breath and brushed away his bangs. ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Indeed. Then shall we go quickly? There isn¡¯t much time remaining.¡± The young man urged. He already seemed to regard Ronan as one of his knights. Ronan nodded his head slowly. ¡°¡­Fine, let¡¯s go. But do you have any skills?¡± ¡°Haha, I may not be as skilled as Onan, but I do have some confidence in my swordsmanship, especially with the Rapier.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Ronan naturally ced his hand on his waist. The knights still did not take their eyes off the young man. Ronan ced his index finger on the hilt of his sword and gathered mana. ¡®I already wanted to test how much faster it has be, this is a good opportunity.¡¯ He could feel the sleeping Lamancha inside the scabbard turning red. He had to deceive not only the knights but also the dozen or so onlookers. Those who had gathered were aware of Ronan, who had be somewhat famous. ¡°Onan?¡± The moment the young man called Ronan again, his hand disappeared from sight. In an imperceptible speed, the drawn strike passed around the young man¡¯s body like a breeze. Dozens of straight lines were intricately carved over his upper and lower clothing. -Swoosh! ¡°Ah?¡± The young man, sensing something unusual, raised an eyebrow. Simultaneously, his clothes exploded and scattered. The wind that blew in scattered the shredded fabric far into the distance. The clothes transformed into butterflies, fluttering away like a dreamy spectacle. ¡°Heuack?!¡± The now exposed young man let out a scream. Unlike the nakedness of Navirose he had seen earlier, there was nothing good about the young man¡¯s appearance. It was a far cry from the sight of her. The female swordsman who had been observing their conversation up close covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°Aaack! It¡¯s a pervert!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a beast came to the sacred Festival of Swords! Guards!¡± Following the intense reactions, exmations erupted from various ces.Ronan shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. It was a feeling he hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaah!¡± The embarrassed young man sank to the ground, and the eyes of the escort knights grew so big that they almost seemed to pop out. ¡°What on earth?!¡± ¡°Young master!¡± Without going through Ronan, they rushed directly towards the young man. It seemed they had not noticed anything. The strike did not touch the skin, precisely cutting only down to the undergarments. ¡®Indeed, there¡¯s nothing like this for honing the Swift Sword. It¡¯s still useful.¡¯ It was a satisfying result. If only he had pronounced his name correctly, he might have been lenient, but it¡¯s a pity. Now he felt somewhat better. Ronan, leaving themotion behind, was about to take a step when something caught his foot. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan lowered his gaze. A shy dagger was sparkling. As he picked it up, he noticed the engraved emblem of the Pashadone family, the same as the young man. ¡®Seems like a secondary weapon.¡¯ It seemed to have rolled all the way here with the fallen pants and coat. Ronan looked around. All eyes were on the young man screaming. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ It looked quite expensive with jeweled decorations. Considering the wasted time, it was a fairly decentpensation. Grinning, Ronan bent down and picked up his dagger and put it in his inner pocket. Of course, no one noticed¡­ ¡°Thief.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± ¡­Suddenly, a voice came from right behind. Ronan let out a curse, his eyes closed. Creaking like a rusty pump, he turned his head, but there was no one. ¡°Huh?¡± More urately, there was no one paying attention to him. He tilted his head in confusion when the same voice was heard again. ¡°This way.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did Ronan realize that the voice came from below. When he looked down, a white head caught my eye. A small girl was crouching at his feet. ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°I saw it all.¡± The cascading white hair, overflowing to the point of spilling, gave an impression of abundance. The girl slowly stood up. Even fully upright, the top of her head barely reached Ronan¡¯s chest. Looking up, she opened her mouth. ¡°You did it. You also took off that boy¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°Huh? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°Stop pretending. It was precisely 23 times.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The number of times you swung your sword.¡± The girl replied dryly. A shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. He couldn¡¯t have imagined being read so urately. Ronan was dumbfounded, his mind went nk. While struggling to find words, the girl suddenly raised her hand and lightly tapped Ronan¡¯s buttocks. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re handsome, so I¡¯ll let it slide.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your face fits my taste.¡± Ronan stared at the girl, still dumbfounded. Looking at her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like she was joking. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous watery light. ¡®Who is this girl?¡¯ The girl was now openly touching Ronan¡¯s buttocks. Her gestures seemed like she had done it more than once, and her wet and sticky palms only made it worse. Grabbing her hand to stop her, Ronan spoke. ¡°Stop touching me, please. So, are you saying you won¡¯t say anything?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Thank yo¡­ I told you to stop touching me.¡± The fern-like hand was creeping up the back of Ronan¡¯s thigh again. Ronan intervened once more, stopping her. The girl mumbled, pouting out her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s not worn out, but it¡¯s a bit flimsy.¡± ¡°This yellow brat. Doing things that my fellow squad members used to do.¡± Although she looked cute, her actions were no different from those of intoxicated members of the Punishment Squad. The girl firmly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a brat. I¡¯m ady.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Ronan chuckled. It felt like he was looking at Aselle, who dered himself manly. ¡°Lady? Even if I overestimate a lot, you¡¯re probably around thirteen or fourteen at most¡± ¡°I¡¯m older than you. And I¡¯m also a participant.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look. Sword.¡± Saying so, the girl tied her hair back, and a longsword hidden within her hair was revealed. A longsword that seemed to be almost the same height as her. Examining the condition of the scabbard, it was a very old sword. However, the sword was hidden in the sheath, making it challenging to determine its true quality. When the girl rxed her grip, the longsword disappeared into her hair again. Ronan asked as if he was astounded by her. ¡°Can a little brat like you participate in the Festival of Swords?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a brat; I¡¯m ady. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Are you sulking?¡± The girl didn¡¯t answer and she turned away. Her bobbing head spun back a stepter. ¡°Ady doesn¡¯t sulk about things like this. It will start soon, so you should go back quickly.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°See you again.¡± She waved her hand at Ronan, who was dumbfounded. Ronan called out to the girl again, but she disappeared into the crowd without even looking back. ¡°¡­What the hell.¡± Ronan, staring at the spot where the girl vanished, muttered softly. It seemed like he was encountering many strange kids these days. The moment the girl guessed the number of times he swung the sword shed in his mind. 23 times. To urately count something that others didn¡¯t even notice. A bted thrill ran through his limbs. ¡®¡­This is getting interesting.¡¯ Meeting the first participant who turned out to be an idiot that got on his nerves made him almost disappointed in the festival itself, but now, that emptiness was being filled with a sense of anticipation. Ronan headed back to the za he had left. Chapter 160: The Festival of Swords (3) Chapter 160: The Festival of Swords (3) Ronan made his way back to the square he had departed from. Only now did he realize that among the participants, there were quite a few people looking at him. There were those who nced as they passed by, and others who openly stared at him. Each gaze carried its own emotions: admiration, awe, jealousy¡­ Perhaps it was because he had defeated the Winter Witch, as that idiot from before had mentioned. It wasn¡¯t entirely unpleasant, but it felt a bit overwhelming. Ronan raised his middle finger toward a man who was ring at him as if he was the enemy of his parents. ¡°What are you looking at, you hairy bastard.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The man recoiled, lowering his eyes. Come to think of it, there was no sign of Darman, the guy who was supposed to deliver the goods. Of course, with so many people around, it wasn¡¯t hard to lose sight of someone. Ronan soon arrived at the square. Navirose and Shullifen were still standing in the same spot, engaged in casual conversation. They were really heavy-legged people. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Right on time. I heard screamsing from the direction you went. What happened?¡± ¡°Some crazy bastard suddenly started taking off his clothes on the street. Down to his underwear.¡± ¡°What a spectacle.¡± Navirose raised an eyebrow as if finding it amusing. Shullifen, who had been silently listening, murmured slowly. Suddenly, the words of that guy, Pashadone or whatever his name was, came to mind. Ronan tapped his shoulder and spoke. ¡°You need to work harder. I feel like I¡¯ve taken too much from you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something like that. After we return to Phileon, you and I¡­¡± ¡°May I have your attention, please?¡± Ronan was about to continue speaking, but he was interrupted by a loud voice. His slightly hoarse voice echoed through the square. People gathered in the square turned their heads. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yes, everyone, thank you for gathering here.¡± An elderly man with wrinkled skin stood on the tform in front. He looked pitiful, supporting himself with a staff that doubled as a longsword. Each step seemedborious. Navirose raised her brows in interest. ¡°Ho-ho¡­ It seems there¡¯s something going on. The fact that this old man came out in person.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Allogin. One of the seven elders who manage the Holy Land of Parzan. He once even reached the position of a Sword Master.¡± ¡°What the fuck, a Sword Master?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was a background that far exceeded his expectations. Now, even if he were to be shot and killed by an arrow, it would probably be considered a natural death. Allogin began to speak. ¡°I appreciate you alling despite the event being postponed. From what I¡¯ve heard, a simr number of participants gathered in Aran Parzan across the mountain. Undoubtedly, it is thergest number of participants in nearly a century. The reason we gathered you all like this is¡­¡± He had a bold yetmanding voice, a voice that effortlessly captured the attention of hardened warriors who had lived rough lives wielding swords. Breaking the silence, Allogin spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t deny the rumors circting among the people. The elders, including myself, all had the same dream. A dream where the long-sought Holy Sword revealed itself before us. No detailed exnation was given, but we all could discern that it was the Holy Sword.¡± Allogin spoke of a peculiar dream ¨C a falling meteor with a long tail, illuminating the Holy Land, and a single sword partially buried in the ground. It matched exactly with the information the young man gave. The crowd began to stir with excitement. Thud! Allogin struck the tform with the end of his sword, capturing their attention once again. ¡°It was a magnificent dream. However, upon waking, we realized a painful truth. None of us could touch the Holy Sword. Most of us only watched as the Holy Sword radiated its brilliance, and those who approached to touch it woke up from their dreams. It wasn¡¯t difficult to understand the meaning of it. Among us elders, none had the qualifications to wield the Holy Sword.¡± There was a bitter tone in Allogin¡¯s voice as he spoke. Ronan thought it was entirely understandable. Even if one had grown old and their body worn out, their heart would still burn like a me if they had lived a proper life. Tack! Allogin struck the tform again. The guides, dressed in matching attire, arranged themselves in front of the tform. Some heldrge signs with numbers from 1 to 4 written on them. Allogin continued. ¡°Now, we will begin the first test. Please follow the guide assigned to your number.¡± Guides who did not hold signs walked through the crowd, distributing folded notes. Each piece of paper had numbers from 1 to 4 written on them. Ronan and hispanions unfolded their notes simultaneously. **** ¡°What¡¯s your name? Do you belong to any group?¡± ¡°Ronan. I¡¯m from Philleon Academy.¡± Ronan answered the question calmly. The guide confirmed that the bead they held showed no reaction and then shed a friendly smile. ¡°Haha, I actually knew that. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know the hero who saved the continent from winter. It¡¯s just a formality. Please don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Ronan walked past the guide and entered the room. A space reminiscent of the first arena of Philleon Academy was spread out. The people who hade in earlier were gathered in groups of threes and fives, chatting and talking. There were a few who looked weak, but most exuded a spirit that couldn¡¯t be ignored, perhaps because they had lived on swordsmanship. Ronan¡¯s gaze wandered, and he noticed a young man standing alone, arms crossed. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Are you finally here?¡± Shullifen turned his head. Ronan walked over and leaned next to him. He could feel the gazes of the people focused on him. Ronan said with a chuckle. ¡°I guess they¡¯ll ask the instructor too, right? What¡¯s your name and affiliation.¡± ¡°Probably. I heard there are no exceptions.¡± ¡°What a farce. Among people who eat swords for a living, is there anyone who wouldn¡¯t know her?¡± It was a funny situation, and Shullifen nodded in agreement. Both Ronan and he drew notes with the number 4, but Navirose¡¯s note had the number 1 written on it. The guides holding signs led them to different locations. Due to therge number of participants, they divided them to conduct the test more efficiently. Before entering the testing venue, the guides meticulously verified the identities of the participants. All questioning took ce in front of a magical device that could detect if the person was lying. If the magical device reacted even slightly, the person was immediately expelled. That was the bead the guides were holding. Ronan grumbled under his breath. ¡°Why do they scrutinize so thoroughly? I don¡¯t understand why they go through all this trouble.¡± ¡°Perhaps to prevent those banned from entering.¡± ¡°Huh? Are there such bastards?¡± ¡°Yeah, just take a look at the previous generation Sword Master right before Instructor Naviroze.¡± Shullifen stated in a calm tone. Hearing this unfamiliar story, Ronan raised an eyebrow. Allogin had never made an effort to learn about the previous generations of Sword Masters. Shullifen shrugged. ¡°The Ferocious Sword, Croden. Haven¡¯t you heard of him?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°Well, it could be because the Empire is not pleased with his very presence. Although he is strong, he is notorious for his cruelty. He became notorious for massacring all participants, except himself, during the Festival of Swords because he wasn¡¯t chosen by the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a real crazy bastard.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. Just hearing that guy¡¯s story made it clear why they conducted such thorough inspections. Shullifen continued. ¡°It was after defeating him that Navirose gained significant fame. He has been in the position of the Sword Master for nearly 40 years at that point. By knocking him down from his position, he was reduced to a mere criminal who had to pay the full price of his crimes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. So is he dead now? That Croden guy or something.¡± ¡°Most likely. Thest ount of him was witnessing him jumping off a cliff while being chased by the Imperial Knights. Even if he were still alive, he¡¯d probably be an old man on the brink of death.¡± Shullifen mentioned several others who were also banned from the Festival of Swords. Ronan nodded, finding the stories fascinating. Indeed, the world was vast, and there were many crazies out there. More participants continued to arrive. Even though they were divided into four groups, there were easily over a hundred people. Ronan wondered how many people had gathered in the other vige called Aran Farzan that served as a gathering ce just like this one. He was about to take out his sword for cleaning when a familiar voice echoed nearby. ¡°Oh, handsome butt.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his gaze in the direction of the sound. The white-haired girl he had seen earlier was standing right beside him. A worn-out scabbard stuck out from her lion-like hair. ¡°You¡­!¡± His eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t sensed her approaching. The girl nodded contentedly. ¡°As expected, a good-looking guy has good-looking friends. I like it.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ really a participant?¡± ¡°I told you so. I don¡¯t lie.¡± Her tone was as if she was asking why he was bothering to ask such a question. Shullifen, looking down at the girl, asked. ¡°Who is this child?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s the weird pervert I met earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. I was about to give you information about the first test.¡± The girl pursed her lips. Hearing about the first test, both Ronan and Shullifen raised their eyebrows. Ronan spoke. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my first time here. But honestly, the first test is nothing special. It¡¯s just a simple test to eliminate fools who don¡¯t deserve to wield a sword. At most, it¡¯d be splitting a really hard stone.¡± The girl gestured towards various locations in the arena, indicating where the rocks were ced. Her confident tone suggested certainty. ¡°¡­Is that true?¡± The two turned their gaze in the direction the girl pointed. Walking towards them was a slightly better-dressed guy than the other guides. He attracted attention by pping his hands. p! All eyes focused on the guy. ¡°Thank you all foring. Now, without further ado, let me exin the first test.¡± He seemed to sense the weariness of waiting and quickly moved on with the narrative. After ncing at the gathered participants, he began to speak. ¡°There are precisely one hundred people gathered here. You all possess at least one weapon each, so there should be over a hundred weapons in total. Please reduce the number of these weapons to ten.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The the means or methods do not matter. ording to the noble tradition of the Festival of Swords, bloodshed will not be prohibited. Whatever means you use, as long as there are ten or fewer weapons remaining in the end.¡± It waspletely different from what the girl had said. Far from being easy, it was evident that there would be a significant amount of bloodshed in the test. Both Ronan and Shullifen red at the girl. Avoiding their gaze, she mumbled softly. ¡°¡­Sometimes, there are exceptions.¡± Chapter 161: The Festival of Swords (4) Chapter 161: The Festival of Swords (4) ¡°¡­Sometimes there are exceptions.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look away.¡± ¡°Cough, cough! It seems like the elders of Parzan are in a hurry. I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re starting with such an intense test from the beginning.¡± Suddenly, the girl began to cough dryly. Judging by her perfectly fineplexion, it seemed like a crafty trick to avoid further questioning. Setting that aside, the rules were quite unique. Eliminating participants based on the number of weapons instead of the number of people. It seemed to be the reason why they were required to take out all their weapons during the identity check. The guide continued exining. ¡°Reducing the number of weapons is simple. Either destroy them yourself and render them unusable, or put them in the furnaces we¡¯ve prepared. The ones with weapons until the end will be considered the final possessor¡¯s.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was yet another shocking rule. Given that these were individuals who made it to the Festival of Swords, they likely possessed decent weapons. Allowing them to legally plunder weapons seemed absurd. Confusion like wildfire spread among the participants. ¡°Damn it, get out of the way!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at my sword like that, you hounds!¡± It was ruthless, but it seemed like a brilliant strategy. It was apparent that they aimed to select only the truly exceptional individuals. Now, participants would¡¯ve to fight with all their might to protect their weapons. While most participants were scared and distanced themselves, there were also groups of two or three sticking together. They probably coordinated in advance. Seeing them letting this slide, there seemed to be a lenient aspect to the regtions. ¡°Hey, brother, I have a question.¡± At that moment, a man with both arms covered in tattoos raised his hand. His face was as ferocious as the axe hanging on both sides of his waist. The guide nodded. ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± ¡°I heard that bloodshed won¡¯t be prevented during this event, but this is my first time participating, and I¡¯m curious about the limits¡­ You know?¡± The man trailed off, ncing around. His wandering eyes seemed to be yearning for something. Those who made eye contact with him shrunk their shoulders. The sound of several participants chatting tickled Ronan¡¯s ears. ¡°Oh my goodness. It¡¯s the Skull Collector¡± ¡°Damn it, of all people, why do I end up in the same group as that crazy bastard¡­¡± Seeing an interesting nickname attached to him, it seemed like he was quite a notorious figure. Sporadic information revealed that he was known for beheading people to make drinking cups or that he was a ruthless former rogue. The slow-sliding gaze of the man was still fixed on the self-proimeddy who was still putting on airs. A sinister smile adorned his face. ¡°Can I kill her?¡± ¡°If it bes an unavoidable situation, yes. However, attacking an opponent that has surrendered is strictly prohibited.¡± ¡°Hehe, I like that.¡± In reality, it was almost as if there were no rules. The man chuckled with a shrug, and suddenly, the space around him was empty. Btedly, the girl, who met the man¡¯s eyes, furrowed her brows. ¡°What are you looking at? Ugly thing.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± With an amused smile, the man turned his attention back to the front. Thedy, who had been repeatedly calling the man a ugly thing, finally rxed her expression after looking alternately at Ronan and Shullifen. The guide addressed the participants again. ¡°Does anyone else have any more questions?¡± Perhaps due to the mention of death, the tone now carried a heavier weight. A weak-looking young man raised his hand. A sword that looked too good for the armor he was wearing was rattling around his waist. ¡°I-I want to surrender. Is it possible now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible at the moment. Only participants who self-destroy their weapons can surrender. I hope you will not approach the Festival of Swords with a light attitude.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± The implication was clear ¨C unless one was willing to shed blood or abandon their weapon in the process, they had to fight until the end. The young man¡¯s face twisted with despair, and his thin legs trembled like a newborn deer. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a good sword, kid.¡± ¡°Do you think you can make it to the furnace?¡± Ronan noticed that several participants were ring at him with sinister eyes. Perhaps surrendering wouldn¡¯t be an easy option either. Shullifen furrowed his brows as if he was displeased. ¡°Disgusting.¡± With the young man¡¯s question, silence fell again. The guide, once again, pped his hands to capture attention and announced loudly. ¡°No more questions, it seems. The test will end when there are ten weapons remaining. We¡¯ve cast identification magic on the weapons you submitted during the identity check, so don¡¯t worry about that. Participants without a weapon at the end will be eliminated.¡± With the final announcement, the guide gestured. Rows of referees dressed in identical uniforms enclosed the arena like a circle. Crossbows were held in their hands at regr intervals, tools to suppress those who vited the rules. ¡°Everyone get out of the way!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better be careful not to fall in. We won¡¯t even be able to pick out your bones.¡± Following that, a gate on one side of the arena opened, revealing a wheeled cauldron. Gloved referees pushed the cauldron forward. Inside the massive cauldron, molten iron bubbled vigorously. The referees positioned the cauldron in the center of the arena and stepped back. ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin.¡± The gate closed, and fifteen referees simultaneously blew their horns. Boooooo! A loud sound echoed throughout the arena. The first to break the silence was the young man who had inquired about surrendering. ¡°Aaargh! Please, no! I¡¯m going to surrender!¡± He screamed, rushing towards the cauldron. Simultaneously, other participants who had been watching him closely rushed out. ¡°Stand right there, coward bastard!¡± ¡°Give me your sword!¡± Various types of weapons appread. Judging by the manic voices of the pursuers, it seemed they wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just taking the sword. In fact, the moment they heard that murder was allowed, it was something expected. After all, people who crave the taste of blood could be found anywhere. ¡°Ahaha, kid, if you weren¡¯t prepared for this, you shouldn¡¯t havee!¡± At that moment, one of the pursuers leaped, kicking the ground. Perhaps by strengthening her leg strength with mana, the height she jumped was ridiculously high. In the hand of the lightly armored woman, a curved dagger sparkled like a w. Swish! With a dazzling spin, she descended towards the young man. It resembled a predator swooping down on its prey. The distance between the young man and her was less than 3 meters. Suddenly, a chilling breeze passed by her. -Shirk! ¡°Huh?¡± The woman, sensing something odd, tilted her head. A thin line appeared above the curved dagger. At the moment when her dagger was about to tear through the young man¡¯s back. Snap! Along the line, the curved dagger split in half, springing up and digging into her right eye. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Thud! Losing bnce, the woman fell headfirst to the ground. The sound of a broken neck softly echoed. The woman¡¯s body went limp as she twitched. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± The pursuers quickly stopped in their tracks. Standing amidst them was a young man, silently holding up his sword. Shullifen, with the sword raised in silence, spoke. ¡°Leave the ones surrendering alone.¡± ¡°Rising Star of the Empire¡­!¡± The calm yet heavy voice evoked an image of a calm sea before a storm. An aura infused with a tempest swirled around Shullifen¡¯s azure sword. Overwhelmed by the momentum, the pursuers stepped back. ¡°Unlucky bunch.¡± ¡°Urazil, what kind of luck did we end up with¡­!¡± He wasn¡¯t an opponent they could handle. It was a mystery why they had forgotten about his existence. At that moment, the young man who had been running without looking back finally threw his sword into the cauldron. ng! The molten iron swallowed the sword without leaving a trace. The young man copsed, his legs giving way, and cried out desperately. ¡°Aaargh! I-I surrender! I surrender!¡± ¡°Participant number 34 has surrendered. Please exit.¡± It seemed like they assigned new numbers even to those they didn¡¯t know. The side gate at the corner of the arena opened. The young man left, sobbing, with both hands raised above his head. Referees with crossbows prevented others from attacking him. One of the pursuers, who had been watching Shullifen all along, sneered. ¡°Hey, how about we stop this and team up? If it¡¯s you, you¡¯re already confirmed to pass. We¡¯ll bring guys with good weapons, and you¡­ ugh!¡± Shullifen swung his sword without a word. Simultaneously, a gust of wind blew, and the weapons the pursuers held shattered into pieces. Broken spears, longswords, and maces fell to the ground. The faces of the pursuers turned pale. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Will you continue?¡± Shullifen asked. Now they had to steal weapons from others if they wanted to continue fighting. The pursuers hesitated, then slowly raised both hands. Watching the whole scene from start to finish, Ronan chuckled. ¡°What a mess.¡± He was indeed a noble. Such individuals probably foster fantasies about nobility in the minds of themon folk. The overwhelmed pursuers quietly exited through the side gate. The girl, who had been standing next to Ronan, widened her eyes in amazement and spoke. ¡°Hoo¡­ your handsome friend is quite good too.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an alright guy. What, you don¡¯t know who that bastard is?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have much interest in the affairs of the world.¡± The girl shook her head from side to side. It sounded like the kind of talk you¡¯d expect from old folks who¡¯ve experienced everything in life. Grumbling, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°By the way, that¡¯s my technique, he just copied it. Unlucky bastard.¡± It was a technique Ronan had shown a few times during their travels through Dainhar, but it seemed like he had learned it entirely. This is why Ronan didn¡¯t like the genius types. Suddenly feeling a subtle sensation, Ronan nced down. The girl, stretching out her hand, was grabbing his butt. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s troubling. This side seems more solid, though.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get your hands off me?¡± ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s tempting.¡± The girl clicked her tongue and lowered her hand. Somehow, it felt like he couldn¡¯t let down his guard even a little. Shullifen stood in front of the cauldron and did not move, as if determined to protect the right to surrender. With his sword sheathed, he indicated that he had no intention of attacking unless attacked first. Only then did the participants who were staring at him slowly began to move. There were no more participants who surrendered. One by one, the standoff structure copsed into a chaotic skirmish. Chapter 162: The Festival of Swords (5) Chapter 162: The Festival of Swords (5) There were no more participants who surrendered. One by one, the standoff structure copsed into a chaotic skirmish. ¡°Come at me, more!¡± ¡°You despicable bastards! Do you think this sacred Festival of Swords is a ce for plunder?¡± ¡°Noisy! Hey, you look good with that polearm!¡± People rushed towards each other. Those who were a little smarter or weaker fought with their backs to the wall, while those who were stronger or dumber, boldly charged into the open, swinging their swords and spears. Shouts, screams, and the ng of metal echoed throughout the arena. Colorful des cut through the air, leaving trails of vivid hues. asionally, stters of blood cooled the heated atmosphere. ¡®Maybe because it¡¯s the first test, but most of them are fighting half-heartedly.¡¯ Severed wrists dropped to the ground. It was unclear whether the mistake was aiming for the weapon or intentionally targeting the wrist. Ronan watched them intently, chin resting on his hand. There were no participants rushing at him, perhaps due to his reputation of having defeated the Winter Witch. Despite casualties urring everywhere, Ronan, unlike Shullifen, did not feel a sense of duty to rescue anyone. ¡®They came here willingly, so why¡¯d I help? It¡¯s better for me if the numbers decrease.¡¯ The remaining individuals were driven by desires, putting them above their own lives. There was no hierarchy; it was all about pursuing desires, whether it be fighting for someone else¡¯s weapon or striving to be the owner of the Holy Sword. In fact, the woman who tried to plunge her dagger into the young man¡¯s back was not wrong. It would be challenging without a strong determination to wield a weapon. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. He said, looking down at the girl. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you running away?¡± ¡°Why would I run away?¡± ¡°What if I break your sword? Looks like that¡¯s the only one you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I can easily tell that much at a nce. You¡¯re a good guy.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Ronan let out a wry smile. It seemed quite ridiculous. Even though it was embarrassing, he felt like he had to show this little pervert an example. As he was about to put his hand on the hilt of his sword, a loud voice echoed nearby. ¡°Kahaha! Miss,e here!¡± ¡°What?¡± Both of them turned their heads. The Skull Collector or something like that was rushing towards the girl with fierce determination, wielding two axes that emitted a sinister gleam. ¡®He¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Ronan raised his brows. Judging from his level of aura, he seemed like quite a capable fighter. The well-ground axes were drenched in blood, as if they had already killed several people. The girl made eye contact with him and twisted her mouth in disgust. ¡°Ew. You¡¯re still ugly.¡± ¡°Show some respect, miss. Come and talk to me.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Are you one of those types who believes that if you¡¯re good on the inside, it¡¯s okay to be ugly on the outside?¡± ¡°It depends on the situation.¡± Ronan shook his head. Despite the narrowing distance between them, the girl didn¡¯t show a hint of tension. Instead, she seemed to be wasting precious time discussing the man¡¯s unattractive appearance through a superficial, appearance-oriented argument, rather than preparing to flee or fight. ¡°Of course, inner beauty matters. If you want to serve ady like me, of course you have to have a kind heart. However, the first impression is always about the face, no matter what anyone says. It¡¯s even better if they have long legs and firm buttocks like you and your friend¡­¡± ¡°For the first time in a while, I¡¯ll have to wet my axe with young blood!¡± ¡°Agh! It¡¯s noisy.¡± The skeleton hunter roared again. The girl, with a disgusted expression, reached behind her. She grabbed the hilt of her sword, protruding through her hair, pulling it out with a metallic rumble, revealing a long sword. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at thepletely unexpected sight. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty useful.¡± The girl swung her sword around, to see if it was fine, and smiled triumphantly. Ronan, who was dumbfounded, spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that too old?¡± It was definitely a good looking sword. About five hundred years ago. The condition of the longsword was truly miserable. Not only was the weather out sparse, it was rusty, like autumn leaves. Did she pick it up from a dumpster somewhere? The girl, seeing Ronan¡¯s expression, firmly shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. What matters is the one wielding it, not the sword.¡± ¡°I do like that saying, though.¡± ¡°Enough. Watch carefully.¡± With those words, the girl rushed forward. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Her movements were so graceful that it was almost unbelievable for a human. The face of the Skull Collector contorted in bewilderment. ¡°What the¡­?!¡± Indeed, the Skull Collector was skilled. Just being able to visually detect the girl¡¯s movements gave him the qualification to make such a statement. Suddenly, Ronan recalled the fact that she was the only one in the crowd who had noticed his Swift Sword technique. ¡®Was she really that skilled?¡¯ Thud! In an instant, the girl, who had reached right in front of the Skull Collector, leaped back into ce. It was like a rabbit leaping through the air, carried by the wind. The startled Skull Collector hastily crossed his axes, assuming a defensive stance. ¡°Waaah! Get away!¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± The girl¡¯s body spun in mid-air, her abundant white hair swirling around her. The sword, rotating around her axis, was so wless that it could rival the skills of the Savior. Unconsciously, Ronan found himself cheering, his fist clenched in excitement. Yes, the truth was, that sword might just look shabby, but it could be an extraordinary masterpiece! The sword, gracefully slicing through the air, approached the axe at the perfect moment. ng! The girl¡¯s longsword shattered into pieces as if it were a fragile ss. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ what?¡± Thud. Hundreds of shattered pieces of the swords scattered on the ground. The girlnded right after. She stared nkly at the hilt of her sword held in her hand. The enraged Skull Collector btedly regained hisposure and swung his axe fiercely. ¡°Is this damn brat ying around? Die!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The axe descended vertically. The girl, btedly turning her body, but the de of the axe had already reached the top of her head. Just as she closed her eyes in resignation. Swoosh! The man¡¯s head was separated from his body from the neck. ¡°¡­Ah?¡± The Skull Collector¡¯s mouth gaped open, but no sound came out. Ronan, who had leaped forward during the moment of crisis, kicked him to the side.Thud! The headless body bounced around violently. His severed head formed a graceful arc as it fell into the boiling cauldron. Plop! The head, submerged in bubbling molten metal, did not resurface. Ronan, whonded smoothly, looked down at the girl and spoke. ¡°Fuck, what was all that about the one wielding it?¡± ¡°I believed in your kindness.¡± The girl casually brushed her hair aside. There was no sign of fear or remorse in her demeanor. Ronan sighed as if he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°Heh, this is really getting out of hand. Now, what are you going to do without a weapon?¡± ¡°Kraaaaah! Die!¡± Ronan was about to say something when suddenly participants from all directions rushed towards him, shouting in unison. Perplexed, Ronan pulled the girl towards him. ¡°What the fuck, what happened all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t breathe.¡± The girl, with her neck pinched by the cor, struggled to breathe. Something was off. Even those who were fighting each other just moments ago turned away and charged towards them. The eyes of the participants who rushed toward the two with their weapons raised were all drifting. ¡®This seems intentional.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes glowed fiercely. No matter how much mental energy the chaotic battlefield had consumed, the fact that skilled fighters suddenly acted this way was suspicious. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Soon, Ronan noticed a suspicious current of mana moving around the arena. The reddish current was weaving through the participants like a stream. It was not a type of mana found in nature. A man who had been cowering in a corner suddenly ingested the strange mana. Exactly three secondster. ¡°Kraaaaagh!¡± The man, now standing, charged towards Ronan. His eyes, like the others,cked focus. Ronan, who had finallye to a conclusion, grabbed the hilt of his sword. ¡®Aura. Or is it the effect of the weapon? But why me?¡¯ It being the ability of one of the participants was clearly evident. The fact that he was being targeted was also apparent. However, in the chaotic arena, it was impossible to pinpoint the caster. Ronan scratched his head, and sighed. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± In this situation, fighting was the only option. Meanwhile, the strange mana continued to increase the number of frenzied participants. The girl tilted her head back and asked Ronan., ¡°So many. Can you do something like your friends?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do? Kill them all?¡± Rather than answering, Ronan lowered his stance. It was a posture he took when using a slightly more significant technique. On the positive side, it was fortunate that he had the opportunity to test the technique he wanted to try in such a situation. ¡®But I¡¯m not sure if this will work.¡¯ However, even for Ronan, it was a difficult technique. A slight mistake could result in about twenty participants either getting killed or turning into idiots. Although Ronan didn¡¯t know it, the purpose of refining the precision of the technique through actualbat was to make it work in one go. The frenzied participants had approached within ten paces. Ronan muttered as he looked at them, ¡°All of you are eliminated. You idiots.¡± Ronan concentrated. The mana manifested from the core dyed Lamancha a deep red. The girl and the surrounding participants frowned at the vivid crimson light, almost stinging their eyes. Just as the participant running at the forefront approached within five paces, ¡®Now.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight. A red crescent moon was drawn across the entire arena. The manifested sword energy scattered like a storm. It was the ability of Lamancha to liquefy sword energy. However, there was a subtle difference from what Ronan usually used. The sword energy was only flying towards the weapons they were carrying. Exactly twenty-four crimson droplets passed through the crowd as if narrowly brushing past them. Shullifen, who was watching him in front of the cauldron,ughed. ¡°Have you gotten that far?¡± The nonchnt remark didn¡¯t even bother pointing fingers at the participants. As Lamancha, drawn with a crescent moon, returned to its ce, the sword energy and flying sparks collided roughly. Boom! Thud! Small explosions urred in session, and metal fragments scattered in all directions. The sight of steel flowers blooming elicited admiration from the judges. The girl, who was still quietly clinging to Ronan, covered her mouth with one hand. ¡°Wow.¡± At the same time, blood-curdling screams erupted from everywhere. The reason was the shards of metal getting lodged in the participants¡¯ bodies. ¡°Ahhhh! Ahhh!¡± ¡°My face! My face!¡± Seeing their dramatic reactions, it seemed that the madness that had been ingrained in their bodies had disappeared. Indeed, shock therapy was the only effective way to bring them back to their senses. Almost simultaneously, participants copsed, writhing on the ground. Ronan, confirming the sess of the technique, chuckled. ¡°Now then¡­¡± But his eyes soon narrowed. The one who had done such a thing needed to be found and taught a lesson. The moment Ronan took a step to start searching, the sound of trumpets echoed once again from the spectator stands surrounding the arena. The announcer who had announced the rules jumped into the arena and shouted, ¡°Everyone, stop! There are only ten weapons remaining now. We will conclude the first test!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan came to a halt in his tracks. Only now did the battlefield, reminiscent of a war zone,e into his eyes. There were only seven people, including him, standing on two legs. Chapter 163: The Festival of Swords (6) Chapter 163: The Festival of Swords (6) The first test hade to an end. It was only after the test that the gruesome scene reminiscent of a battlefield became apparent. The fallen and the wounded were scattered in all directions, and the sounds of those still conscious groaning in pain echoed throughout the arena. ¡°Ugh¡­ My arm¡­¡± ¡°Fuck you, you all deserve divine punishment! Throwing my family¡¯s treasured sword into molten metal¡­¡± ¡°Ahh! It hurts! Save me!¡± Suddenly, the gates opened, and themittee members entered. They moved around the chaotic arena, assisting the casualties or carrying them on stretchers. Only seven individuals, including Ronan, were standing on both legs. The guide who had jumped into the arena walked forward with great strides. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work. We need to confirm the sessful candidates, so please take out all the weapons you have.¡± The guide began checking for weapons, moving around the arena. A satisfied smile appeared on the guide¡¯s face as they confirmed the intact state of Shullifen¡¯s sword. ¡°I witnessed your efforts to protect the surrendering opponents. While status and position lose their significance in Parzan, one cannot help but show respect for your nobility.¡± ¡°It was just the right thing to do.¡± ¡°You have passed. Rising Star of the Empire.¡± After a polite bow, the guide turned and walked away. Ronan suddenly noticed that one of the men standing was trembling violently. ¡°¡­Shit!¡± Hurriedly, he bent down to pick up a broadsword with a broken end thaty at his feet. Just as the man was about to grab the hilt. Thud! A catapult shot from the spectator stands hit right in front of the man¡¯s toe. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°I told you not to move.¡± The man gasped, clutching his buttocks. If he had moved a little more, his legs would have been paralyzed. The guide spoke in a stern voice. ¡°Anyway, picking it up now would be useless. The ten weapons have already been determined. Only the ones emitting light are recognized as intact weapons.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± ¡°The rest are considered damaged and won¡¯t be included in the assessment. We¡¯ll take care of the cleanup, so just leave them as they are.¡± The man, wiping his face with his palm, spat out a curse. It seemed that despite managing to survive until the end, he failed to retrieve a weapon. The examiner who rushed over promptly picked up the broadsword the man had tried to grab. Ronan raised an eyebrow in response. ¡°Light?¡± He took out Lamancha and Ymi, examining them briefly. Indeed, a subtle blue glow, not visible under normal circumstances, flowed through the two des. It seemed to be part of the identification spell. ¡°Ugh, useless!¡± At that moment, another participant threw a mace they were holding. The iron club, with its dented iron head, was not emitting any light. Unfortunate disqualification. Now, only five participants remained. ¡®Someone among those two must have caused the chaos.¡¯ Excluding the girl and Shullifen, there were only two suspects left. Among them, one of them was the bastard who had made the participant go crazy and attack Ronan. One was a woman in full armor and the other was an old man holding a long spear. Judging from the aura they were giving off, it seemed like both of them had gone through their fair share of battles. ¡®Strange. There should be at least some trace of their intentions.¡¯ However, something was off. Ronan squinted his eyes while observing the two. From them, he felt no mana that could drive the participants into madness. There was not even a confusing aura. It was as if ghosts were ying a tune. Then the guide who had examined weapons in front of Ronan spoke. ¡°Participant number 44.¡± ¡°Ah, here.¡± Ronan pulled out the glowing Lamancha and Ymi and presented them. Both weapons maintained a perfect condition without a single scratch. The guide, wearing a satisfied smile, nodded approvingly. ¡°I have a family in the Empire, so I¡¯m aware of your reputation. I¡¯ve heard about your remarkable swordsmanship, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this impressive.¡± ¡°It was nothing special.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be modest. Your skill was exceptional. Especially thatst move, breaking twenty-four weapons without hurting anyone, that was the most outstanding technique I¡¯ve ever seen in the 10 years I¡¯ve been working at Parzan¡­. How did you manage that?¡± It was the story of Ronan¡¯s spray of sword energy. It was his first sess, so he had nothing to say. Ronan responded with a shrug, a somewhat awkward answer. The guide, who was thrilled as if he were seeing the sea for the first time in his life, patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I hope you achieve what you want at the top of Parzan. You have passed.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°May the Holy Sword bless you. Well then, next¡­¡± The guide, who gave Ronan a passing grade, looked down. The white-haired girl was still clinging to Ronan¡¯s side. ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, a scene yed in Ronan¡¯s mind. The moment when the girl¡¯s longsword collided with the axe, and the sword shattered into pieces. Yes, this kid had no weapon. Desperately trying to get her down, Ronan was about to say something. ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± ¡°Participant number 72. Possession of weapon confirmed. You have passed.¡± The guide acknowledged the girl¡¯s sess and moved away. The girl expressed her trouble by waving her hand slightly. Ronan¡¯s forehead narrowed suddenly. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was an unimaginable situation. The fossilized longsword, shattered into pieces as it collided with the axe, still echoed in his ears. That longsword should have been so thoroughly destroyed that even Dolon¡¯s grandfather wouldn¡¯t be able to repair it. ¡®Am I suffering from dementia?¡¯ Ronan, in the midst of worrying about his own mental state, noticed the girl fidgeting with something. In her fern-like hands, he recognized a dagger that seemed familiar, adorned with gemstones, more suitable for disy thanbat. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Ronan lightly grabbed the girl¡¯s head. She was yfully twirling the dagger, and her response was nonchnt. ¡°I found it.¡± ¡°Yeah, but where?¡± ¡°Inside your pocket.¡± The girl replied shamelessly. There was not a hint of guilt in her calm voice. Ronan, intrigued, reached into his pocket. Indeed, the dagger that should have been there was now missing. The girl exined, ¡°Please understand. I wanted to climb higher.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I got interested in this stupid event. I¡¯ve always stopped halfway, but this time, I wanted to reach the summit. Well, not the event, but I think it¡¯s more urate to say I got interested in you and your friends¡­¡± Suddenly, the girl leaned her head on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Though he couldn¡¯t quite grasp what she was saying, Ronan didn¡¯t press her for more information. After all, he had picked up the dagger as a supplementary item, and inwardly, he hoped the girl would pass. ¡®If she has the right weapons, she could be quite strong.¡¯ Ronan remembered the girl¡¯s fighting style. Although he couldn¡¯t thoroughly confirm due to the wind caused by the shattering des, her movements and stance were remarkable, cing her among the best he had seen among the contestants. At that time, the guide who was checking the weapons raised his hand and shouted. ¡°Is anyone still carrying additional weapons?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening all of a sudden?¡± Ronan tilted his head. The bewildered tone suggested that something unexpected had urred. Themittee members were busily searching for something. ¡°Weird. I can¡¯t seem to find one. Why only nine?¡± The guide exined that one weapon was missing, and, curious, they searched even inside cauldrons, but only molten iron was found. At that moment, a gruff voice from a corner of the arena drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Here¡­ it is.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move¡­ Could someone¡­?¡± People turned their heads simultaneously. The voice came from a pile of yet-to-be-attended casualties. Soon, a middle-aged man wearing a hood revealed himself. Themittee members¡¯ eyes widened as they approached. ¡°Oh my god, have you been here this whole time?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ thank you. I couldn¡¯t move my body.¡± The hooded man shuffled. His condition did not look very good as his entire body was covered in blood and wounds. He seemed to bepletely exhausted and was lying still, staring at the sky. The guide approached him with long strides and stood in front of him. ¡°Participant number 3. Are you okay? If you¡¯re not feeling well, you can withdraw.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll get better if I rest a bit.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. Do you happen to have any intact weapons with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, an intact weapon? Ah, right¡­ I have one.¡± Abruptly, the man reached under his waist. When he withdrew his hand, a short, exotic-looking sword was clutched in his grasp. A blue glow, guaranteeing its integrity, enveloped the de. ¡°¡­Confirmed. You have passed.¡± ¡°Haha, thanks. Now, can someone move me? I can move my arms somewhat, but I can¡¯t get up.¡± The man chuckled self-deprecatingly. Themittee members carried him away with the other casualties. As he was being escorted, the man, whose eyes met Ronan¡¯s,ughed mysteriously. As he was being carried away, in the midst of it, the man whose gaze met with Ronan chuckled. Laughing after such a defeat. Ronan, impressed by the positive aspect, was about to offer a handshake or something when¡ª ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The familiar mana appeared, slowly emanating from the man¡¯s chest. It was the eerie aura that turned participants into madmen. The one who had been silentlyughing suddenly spoke. ¡°It seems you have something to say, but my condition isn¡¯t great right now¡­ See youter, young friend.¡± With those words, the man lost consciousness. As his bloodied hand dangled below, the mana that had been emanating from his chest vanished. The examiners escorting the man urged their steps. Watching their backs, Ronan muttered in disbelief. ¡°What the hell is up with that bastard¡­?¡± **** The second test was scheduled for the evening two dayster. Until then, participants could rest or freely train. Those who passed the first test moved to a checkpoint on the mountain. Passing each test brought them closer to the summit and the sacred ce. Fortunately, the road to the first checkpoint was well-paved, allowing them to ascend easily despite their tired bodies. The altitude made the air chilly, and wispy cloudszily drifted across the sky as the sun began to set. The guide leading them turned to address the sessful candidates. ¡°Only six of you passed. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen so few survive. You must have fought fiercely.¡± As he spoke, a white frost rose with each breath. Following closely behind, Ronan muttered with a puzzled expression. ¡°Well, yeah. Are we the group with the lowest pass rate?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ not necessarily. I heard there¡¯s an even smaller group that passed in Aran Parzan, across the mountains.¡± ¡°Smaller than six? How many are in that group?¡± ¡°Just one. Passed alone.¡± Chapter 164: The Festival of Swords (7) Chapter 164: The Festival of Swords (7) ¡°Passed alone?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was quite a shocking piece of news. Considering he thought that six people were very few. Chuckling, he asked the guide. ¡°Damn, what on earth did they do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details well. But the friend who delivered this news looked pale. It seems like something unusual happened.¡± The guide hesitated, and despite Ronan¡¯s repeated inquiries, he could only repeat that he didn¡¯t know. Although Ronan felt like he was intentionally hiding something, there was no reason to pursue it any further. Not long after, the resting point for the qualifiers for the next two days came into view. It looked like they had selected only important buildings from the vige and set up a space. Ronan, Shullifen, and the girl headed towards the restaurant, as if they had made an appointment. Due to not eating anything all day, Ronan felt like his stomach was sticking to his back. The restaurant, like other buildings in the resting point, was built with logs. ording to the guide, they could have wild boar barbecue and beer as they pleased, making it an ideal. As they opened the door and entered, warmth and the smell of delicious food wafted in. The spacious building already had about twenty people dining, creating a lively atmosphere. Observing the surroundings, Ronan¡¯s gaze stopped when he recognized a familiar face. ¡°Oh my.¡± Ronan chuckled. Navirose was sitting at the table, waiting for the food to arrive. Despite the spacious table for six and a good position with good lighting, there was no one around her. Only Ursa, the giant sword, standing almost 2 meters tall, was leaning against the side, guarding the adjacent seat. It seemed obvious why no one approached. Ronan, after taking a moment to observe, called out to her with a raised fist. ¡°Instructor Navirose!¡± ¡°¡­Did you arrive just now?¡± Navirose raised her head. Naturally, she seemed to have no injuries anywhere. Due to not eating all day, she also looked a bit haggard. The girl, seeing her, opened her mouth in admiration. ¡°Wow, big.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Navirose tilted her head, expressing surprise at the unexpected remark she heard while looking at herself. Dismissing Ronan¡¯s grip on her clothes, the girl rushed towards Navirose, lifted up her arms and said. ¡°Hug me.¡± ¡°Wait, who are you exactly¡­?¡± Although Navirose showed a bewildered expression, the girl remained carefree. Like a rabbit, she hopped onto Navirose¡¯sp. Looking at the shocking scene, Ronan clenched his fist. ¡°Well, this is unexpected¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s soft.¡± The girl snuggled her face into Navirose¡¯s chest, as if she were a cat. Despite the seemingly childish antics, the action had a deeper meaning. Navirose, who had been taken aback, turned her gaze to Ronan. ¡°Ronan, who is this child?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a pervert in a child¡¯s body. We need to get rid of her quickly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Ronan¡¯s temples pulsated with irritation. He despised this annoying girl, and he despised himself even more for genuinely getting jealous of her. ¡®Fuck. I¡¯m jealous.¡¯ He was even more envious because he knew which of God¡¯s greatest creation was hiding under that shirt. Whether it was the girl¡¯s innocent antics or because such things were familiar to women, Navirose didn¡¯t show any particr reaction. Instead, she began to gently stroke the girl¡¯s head as if finding her cute. ¡®What a shitty life. I should¡¯ve been born a woman.¡¯ Navirose, after hearing Ronan¡¯s response, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. You two seem quite close.¡± ¡°Well¡­ She¡¯s a participant like me¡­¡± Ronan scratched his head. Come to think of it, since they met, he realized they hadn¡¯t called each other by name even once. Ronan poked the girl¡¯s back as she buried her face in Navirose¡¯s chest in relish. ¡°Hey, now that I think about it, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Tsk, what is it?¡± The girl turned her head. Her voice had a strangely irritated tone, as if she found the situation entertaining and wondered why he was interrupting. After a moment of silence, she spoke. ¡°Lynn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s short. Nost name?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll think I¡¯m cuteter, so wait a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Crazy bitch.¡± Ronan shook his head. She had been a consistent bitch since they first met. Anyway, Lynn was quite an exotic name. Considering her peculiar appearance, could she be from outside the Empire? While Navirose continued to pet Lynn, she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve encountered an interesting child.¡± ¡°Well, you could see it that way. But you don¡¯t seem very surprised.¡± ¡°There are many geniuses in the world.¡± Navirose, having been a seasoned warrior since childhood, had seen her fair share of battlefields. Smiling at Ronan and Shullifen alternately, she spoke. ¡°Anyway, for a first test, it was quite rough, but you did well. However, considering it¡¯s you two, it¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult. By the way, what¡¯s going on? You look upset.¡± Ronan asked with concern. He had sensed a peculiar discontent on Navirose¡¯s face since a while back. After exhaling lightly, she spoke. ¡°Well¡­ There were no bold participants. I at least expected one to challenge me.¡± ¡°¡­Who in their right mind would challenge you to a fight¡± It seemed like she needed some self-awareness. The first test probably went as expected; most would have run away screaming at the mere sight of her. ¡°This part makes me miss the past. Every step I took, there were constant challenges for duels. The sword shes they used to initiate still resonate in my ears.¡± ¡°Yeah, now that you mention it, I heard that participants can challenge each other to a duel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that the first test is over, it¡¯s allowed. If there¡¯s someone you don¡¯t like, go and run amok. It¡¯s one of the few ces where you can legallymit murder.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­¡± It was an interesting piece of information. They hade all the way here to find capable allies, and assessing their skills through duels seemed like the natural step. Ronan scanned the inside of the restaurant with a sly smile. Some people he made eye contact with cowered as if struck by lightning. ¡°Not me. Please, not me,¡± is probably what they were thinking. Ronan, in the midst of searching for potential talents, heard a familiar voice from behind. ¡°Hey, can I have a moment?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan turned his head and froze in ce. He almost drew his sword and cut the man¡¯s throat right then and there. The man who had flipped his hood and caused chaos during the final moments of the first test was standing there. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah, we greeted each other a few hours ago. I¡¯m fine now, so you can rest assured.¡± The man chuckled slyly. It was astonishing how quickly he had recovered from being unconscious just a few hours ago. But that wasn¡¯t the important part. The reddish aura was still emanating from his shoulders. Ronan growled lowly. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Why are you standing like that? Let¡¯s talk outside. The sun is about to set.¡± The man gestured towards the door, appearing shameless as if he knew nothing. Ronan let out a dryugh. ¡°This bastard¡­¡± A surge of energy, almost involuntarily, spread in all directions. The lively atmosphere in the restaurant fell into silence. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan turned to Navirose and said, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be back in a moment. It¡¯s legal to kill someone, right?¡± ¡°Only if the duel is agreed upon.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Thud! The man and Ronan left the restaurant. It took about three minutes for the people, who had been stunned, to start talking or eating again. Lynn, who had been silently watching the door, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm?¡± **** Ronan followed the hooded man. With his hand ready on the hilt, he could draw his sword at any moment to sever the man¡¯s throat. After walking for about five minutes, the man moved towards the back of a building that seemed like a residence. A steep cliff jutted out towards the setting sun in the west. ¡°I saw this ce earlier. It¡¯s fantastic. The man standing at the edge of the cliff pointed westward as he spoke. Even though they hadn¡¯t reached the top yet, the surrounding scenery became much more visible. The zing sunset was setting the world on fire. ¡°It¡¯s fantastic.¡± It was a statement hard to deny, but Ronan, feeling uneasy, didn¡¯t affirm it. Instead, gripping the hilt of his sword, he asked. ¡°What¡¯s your business with me?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about that. Got lost in the view for a moment¡­¡± The man chuckled wryly. Ronan was contemting pushing him off if he dyed for just one more moment. He would be able to disguise it as a neutral ident by tossing Ymir under his feet, triggering a shockwave to create a rockslide.. Just pushing him wouldn¡¯t matter much. The man, exhaling deeply, looked at Ronan and said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be blunt. My name is Russell Krona. That incident of mass hysteria you experienced at the end of the first test was my doing.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I have the ability to manipte the minds of those weaker than me, causing them to lose their senses with my Aura. I¡¯m thankful that no one died or was seriously injured. I genuinely apologize for the bewildering experience.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The man who introduced himself as Russell Krona admitted that he was responsible for the chaos where dozens of participants went crazy and flew into the air. Judging by his eyes and tone, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. This waspletely unexpected. Ronan thought he had been called to silence him. Ronan, who had been dumbfounded, finally opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Why did you do it?¡± ¡°I wanted to confirm your abilities.¡± ¡°Confirm my abilities? For what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m recruitingpanions to kill a demon.¡± Russell¡¯s face was serious. To Ronan, who didn¡¯t understand the words, he furrowed his brow. ¡°A demon? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Exactly as it sounds. Do you know about the fact that in Aran Parzan beyond the mountains, there was only one sessful candidate?¡± When they arrived at the resting spot, the guide had also mentioned this as well. Ronan nodded. Russell¡¯s face became even more serious. ¡°Then the exnation will be quick. Do you also know what that sole sessful candidate did?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me about that.¡± ¡°He probably knew but didn¡¯t tell you. It was truly horrific. One of themittee members with authority told me this.¡± Russell¡¯s voice was trembling. As he asionally nced at the sunset, his figure seemed like someone trying to wash away fear with sunlight. He touched his own wrist gently and continued. ¡°That demon cut off the wrists of everyone except himself. Without giving other participants a chance to surrender.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face contorted. The content was so shocking that he thought he must have misheard. Russell continued. ¡°I originally came to Parzan pursuing that demon. If it continues like this, all participants will be in danger.¡± Chapter 165: The Festival of Swords (8) Chapter 165: The Festival of Swords (8) ¡°I originally came to Parzan to pursue that demon. If it continues like this, all participants will be in danger.¡± Russell¡¯s expression was serious. Ronan stared at him with a nk expression. Due to the continuous flow of unfamiliar information, Ronan¡¯s mind was in disarray. After scanning Ronan up and down, Russell nodded. ¡°You passed. Honestly, you exceeded expectations. If there were a few more talents like you, we might be able to stop him.¡± ¡°¡­Passed?¡± ¡°Yeah. From what I saw earlier, the Imperial Star and Lady Navirose were also present. If you are acquainted with them, please persuade them. We need to save people.¡± Russell¡¯s attitude seemed almost like a superior¡¯s. It was infuriating the way he dragged people out and rambled in an unknownnguage as if he owned the ce. Ronan let out a sarcasticugh. ¡®This won¡¯t work. This bastard.¡¯ Almost everything about him was annoying, but the most frustrating part was his insistence on saving people. Regardless of the credibility of the information, it seemed like his habits needed to be corrected first. Ronan spat on the ground and shifted his steps towards Russell. ¡°You son of a bitch, this is ridiculous.¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. He aimed the de at Russell and took deliberate steps forward. In the moment of confusion, Russell, trying to draw his sword, was suddenly struck low. ¡°If you want to fight, go ahead. I¡¯ll cut your head off right now and here.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Russell, overwhelmed by the momentum, released his grip on the sword. As Ronan advanced with each step, Russell had to retreat. Eventually, they reached the edge of the cliff. Russell, with nowhere left to retreat, stumbled and asked in confusion. ¡°Wh-why are you doing this?¡± ¡°You keep bbering on and on. Demon? Participants in danger? Fine, let¡¯s assume everything you said is true.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± It happened in an instant. Ronan extended his arm, gripping Russell¡¯s throat. As he slowly lifted his arm, Russell¡¯s legs left the ground. Ronan took two more steps forward. Russell, realizing he had nowhere else to go, stumbled and asked, gasping for breath. ¡°Ugh! W-wait¡­!¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit too much to use saving people as an excuse after doing such things? You, bastard, do you know how many people were almost screwed because of your actions in the arena?¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re grateful that no one died or got injured? You¡¯re just trying to move on carelessly.¡± Ronan snarled as he stared into Russell¡¯s face. Even if Russell¡¯s words were true, his actions were hard to justify. If Ronan had made even a slight mistake, a significant number of the twenty-four participants would have either died or been crippled. The guy who imed he had to save people was indulging in such actions just to test his skills. Such contradictions were infuriating. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything! Just let me go for now¡­¡± Russell struggled with all his might, but Ronan¡¯s strong arm did not yield. It felt like an iron snake wrapped around his neck. Smirking, Ronan spoke. ¡°Oh, sure. You want me to let go?¡± ¡°Gah¡­¡± Ronan released the pressure from his hand. Russell¡¯s body dropped downward. Ronan¡¯s figure quickly receded. For a moment, the word ¡°death¡± shed before Russell¡¯s eyes. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± The wind roared in his ears. Russell, with his eyes tightly shut, let out a scream. Suddenly, the sensation of something wrapping around his body stopped the descent. ¡°What¡­?¡± Slowly opening his eyes, Russell gasped for breath. Something like shimmering roots was supporting his body. The roots, growing along the wall, extended all the way up the cliff where Ronan was. Just as Ronan flicked his finger, the roots wriggled, lifting Russell up onto the cliff. Ronan¡¯s gaze moved away, distancing quickly. ¡°Haah¡­ Hahah¡­!¡± ¡°Have youe to your senses now?¡± Russell¡¯s face, who had just been on the brink of death, had turned as white as a sheet of paper. Ronan squatted down in front of him. His face, bathed in the setting sun, was stained crimson red like a demon from hell. Russell quickly nodded his head. He instinctively knew there would be no second chance for him. ¡°Ugh¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake. It was my revenge that blinded me, and I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A proper motive shoulde first.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hide the fact that I was trying to use you for my personal motivations. It was my mistake for endangering many lives just to see your true abilities¡­ I will definitely take responsibility for their safety.¡± Russell began to confess his mistakes, prostrating himself as if apologizing to the ground. Fear was indeed the best confession. Trembling, Russell raised his head. ¡°But everything I told you about the demon threatening all the participants is true! The warning is real!¡± ¡°Ah, dammit. Surprised me.¡± The sincerity in Russell¡¯s trembling voice was evident. Even the tears flowing down his cheeks testified to it. It seemed like the time was right for a more constructive conversation. Ronan, still holding his sword, spoke. ¡°Alright, calm down. Let¡¯s talk. Who is that demon, and why do you hate him so much?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯ll be quicker for you to see it yourself. Look at this.¡± Suddenly, Russell untied his hood. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It exined why he didn¡¯t take off the hood even in such a situation. Russell spoke with a tone full of regret. ¡°Bear with the sight. I can¡¯t take it off for a long time anyway, as the wounds worsen.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± Ronan twisted his lips. It was a gruesome wound. One corner of his head had been shaved off at an angle. Beneath his dark red, dying scalp, a pure white skull was exposed. Ronan noticed that some characters were written on the inside of the hood. He vaguely remembered seeing them in the magic books Aselle often read. Probably, the characters were to prevent the worsening of the wounds while wearing the hood. At that moment, Ronan¡¯s narrow eyes narrowed even further. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ The sliced section through which the de passed felt oddly familiar, though Ronan couldn¡¯t quite remember where he had seen it before. At that moment, a bitter voice flowed from Russell¡¯s open mouth. ¡°It¡¯s the wound I got from that demon. It¡¯s been over three years, but it still lingers, tormenting me. On the day I received this wound, I lost my mercenary group, which was like family to me.¡± ¡°Mercenary group? You were from a mercenary background?¡± ¡°Yes. We were known as the Blue Arch Mercenary Corps¡­ We had quite a reputation in the Dharan Kingdom and its vicinity. It¡¯s an old story now.¡± Russell calmly continued his exnation. The Blue Arch led by him was a mercenary group that specialized in exploring uncharted ruins and dungeons. Their demise at the hands of the demon was a tale not yet known to the world. ¡°I still vividly remember that day. It was a white forest, where even the grass, trees, and even the soil had a pale white hue. That ursed ruin was in the midst of the forest, with its mouth wide open.¡± ¡°Did you encounter him there?¡± ¡°Yes. It happened not long after entering the ruin. We were walking through a smooth metallic-covered corridor. Since none of us had seen such a structure, everyone was marveling at it.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. A corridor covered in metal¡ª it reminded him of the heart of Dainhar in the desert. Russell took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Suddenly, a young man approached us from the end of the corridor. He waspletely naked, not wearing a single piece of clothing, and his appearance was horrifying. The skin on his entire body, including his face, was almost torn off, and judging by his limping, it seemed like one of his legs was broken. Amidst all this, he held a sword. We ran towards him to ask if he was okay¡­ and that was the end of it.¡± Russell briefly exined the situation at that time. The disappearance of the young man from their sight, followed by the limbs of hisrades soaring into the air. There was no time for screams. While describing the scene of the scattered bodies, Russell bit his lips. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight. It was a one-sided massacre. It took less than three minutes for the entire mercenary group to be annihted. Everyone except me died.¡± ¡°How did you get out of there alive?¡± ¡°That¡­ ah.¡± Suddenly, Russell clutched his head as if in pain. It seemed to be the darkest part of the nightmare at that time. After nervously moving his lips several times, he forcefully lowered his head. ¡°¡­ He didn¡¯t kill all myrades. For some reason, about half of them were left alive. I used my Aura on them and while my friends were buying time I escaped from the ruin.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Ronan¡¯s brows narrowed. It was a more gruesome story than he initially thought. Ronan felt like he now understood why he was so blindly obsessed with killing that demon. ¡°Since that day, I have dedicated my life to chasing down that demon. I encountered him again about a year ago, and surprisingly, his skin and leg that had been damaged were perfectly fine.¡± ¡°The leg?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was impossible to recover, really.¡± After that, Russell began listing the atrocitiesmitted by the demon. Each one was horrifying in its own way. Acting like a wanderer, he would visit secluded viges and massacre the residents before dawn as if it were a hobby. As Ronan listened to the story, a sense of disgust washed over him. To habituallymit murders, even among bastards, marked a dangerously perilous type. ¡°Thest time I saw him was on the road to Parzan, hunting monsters. He took down a Mountain Ogre with a single strike. He became unbelievably stronger than when he threw me into hell.¡± ¡°¡­How were you nning to capture him?¡± ¡°I n to ambush him the night before the final test. To take thest test leading to the Holy Land, you have to join the sessful candidates from Aran Parzan. A talented individual like you wouldn¡¯t fail the test, and I¡®m confident enough to make it there myself.¡± Russell mentioned that the final test of the Festival of Swords was fixed. The candidates from the two towns, Gran Parzan and Aran Parzan, would face each other in a duel. Ronan nodded; it indeed sounded like the right time. ¡°Anyway¡­ my story ends here. I apologize for causing you so much trouble.¡± After finishing his story, Russell sighed. He carefully wrapped the two hooded garments with engraved magic around his head again. Suddenly, Ronan stopped him. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°Take off the hood again. Do you have any other wounds?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°He gave you those wounds. Is it only on your head?¡± Russell tilted his head. Ronan¡¯s eyes remained fixated on his head. Thinking about it again, it was definitely a sword mark he had seen before. ¡°There is, but¡­¡± ¡°Show me.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was firm. Russell, without knowing what was going on, took off his upper garment. His well-trained body was covered in dozens of scars, remnants of the storms from years of mercenary life. ¡°Here, on the back¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, just wait.¡± Ronan interrupted Russell, who was about to reveal the demon¡¯s inflicted scars. Even without exnation, it was apparent. Such emotionless sword marks were rare. Soon, Ronan confirmed the scar that extended from the left shoulder de to the waist. Running his index finger over the scar, he frowned. ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s going on?¡± Russell asked in a bewildered tone, but Ronan didn¡¯t respond. Ronan remembered where he had seen these sword marks before. In a forest where drizzling rain fell, mingling with blood. A lone Werelion was hiding in a hole, shivering. The memory from not long ago, where he discovered the corpses of Dawn Brigade members, came to his mind. Undoubtedly, it was one of the three types of sword marks. Ronan, recalling the words of the terrified lieutenant, spoke up. ¡°Hey, mister.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°What did that demon look like?¡± ¡°Look¡­? Well¡­ his face was rather ordinary¡­¡± Russell let out a sigh. Summarizing this proved to be a challenge. Suddenly, the characteristics of the demon¡¯s skin from before it returned to normal shed in his mind. Russell¡¯s lips parted. ¡°¡­He had white hair, and his eyes were a peculiar reddish-yellow color. I remember it since it was an unusual colorbination. Come to think of it, the color of his eyes was simr to yours.¡± Chapter 166: The Festival of Swords (9) Chapter 166: The Festival of Swords (9) As the sun set, a quiet dusk settled. The twilight hues flowed along the darkening horizon. After concluding his conversation with Russell, Ronan returned to the restaurant. His mind was tangled in various thoughts. Upon opening the door, a wave of warmth, the sizzling aroma of grilled meat, and the admiration of the people greeted him. ¡°How many servings is that, exactly?¡± ¡°Impressive. Just the three of them.¡± ¡°The Young Master hardly ate anything¡­¡± Ronan, who was looking around to see if a fight might have broken out, chuckled. All eyes were focused on the table where Ronan¡¯s party was seated. Navirose, Lynn, and Shullifen sat facing each other. At that moment, the owner, with an apron tied around him, ced beer mugs made of cow horn and arge bowl in front of the three. The tter,rger than an ordinary tray, was piled high with sulent roasted boar. ncing at Navirose, he spoke. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re really enjoying it. Here¡¯s some beer and roasted boar.¡± ¡°Thanks. I think I¡¯m good at this point¡­ Lynn, can you eat more?¡± ¡°Yeah. I want more.¡± At Navirose¡¯s suggestion, Lynn nodded. Their closeness was evident in their conversation. The owner, ncing at Navirose, spoke again. With a somewhat awkward business smile, he headed back to the kitchen, and onlookers erupted in cheers again. It was worrisome to specte how many dishes they had consumed to garner such a reaction. Just as the owner disappeared into the kitchen, Navirose, who was wiping Lynn¡¯s mouth with a napkin, made eye contact with Ronan. ¡°Ronan, you¡¯rete.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it just happened.¡± ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ve ordered for you too.¡± Navirose pointed to the chair across from her. Ronan, perchedfortably, swiftly downed the beer in front of him. The swaying empty mug finally came to a stop after a while. Thud! He roughly set down the drained ss. ¡°Puha¡­ It¡¯s quite good. Here.¡± ¡°Originally, Parzan¡¯s beer is famous for its excellent taste. Some evene to participate in the Festival of Swords just to drink it. Bold move to follow smoking with drinking, though.¡± ¡°Not a Filion, so what¡¯s the harm?¡± Ronan chuckled. Despite a warning not to drink and even a sword pointed at his throat, he intended to drink today. He called the owner and ordered more beer. Navirose, scanning Ronan up and down, spoke up. ¡°Seeing as there were no blood stains, you finished it with the hilt, hmm?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The guy who told you to follow him. His capability seemedcking for his size, just as expected.¡± It was Russell¡¯s story. Although the atmosphere was hostile at the time, it seemed evident that he was certain about the killing, using the pretext of the duel. Lyn, nibbling on meat, sparkled her eyes with interest. Ronan shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I just said it since your expression was so dark. Do I have to exin such things to you?¡± Navirose smirked. Seeing her making jokes, even ones she usually didn¡¯t, it seemed like she was in a good mood. Only now did Ronan notice her slightly uplifted expression. He shrugged. ¡°How much did you drink, exactly?¡± ¡°A bit. My beloved disciples are achieving excellent results even in the Festival of Swords, so as their master, I should celebrate. Ahaha¡­ I¡¯m d to have met you all.¡± Ronan and Shullifen¡¯s faces stiffened. If their ears weren¡¯t broken; she had just referred to them as ¡®beloved¡¯ disciples. It seemed more than just an ordinary amount had been consumed. Ronan, unable to contain himself,ughed. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Cute boys.¡± Navirose, leaning forward, affectionately patted the heads of the two. It was quite a departure from her usual demeanor. After a while, she asked if they had any concerns a couple of times, but Ronan evaded the questions with subtle maneuvers. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was appropriate to talk about this. Especially when it involved her. Observing Ronan carefully, Lynn tugged at Navirose¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± ¡°Ah, right. If you leave the restaurant and turn right¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared because it¡¯s dark. Pleasee with me.¡± Lynn said shamelessly. It wasn¡¯t a statement befitting a self-proimeddy. Navirose, gazing at Lynn for a moment, nodded. She stood up, giving a pat on the heads of her two disciples. ¡°Take your time eating. I¡¯lle back after getting some fresh air.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just adopt her? If you two just walk around side by side, people might even believe you¡¯re a mother and daughter.¡± As naturally as if they were a mother and daughter, Navirose and Lynn were holding hands. Thud! Navirose punched Ronan in the head and headed out the restaurant, ncing back at Ronan before the door closed, she blinked one eye. Ronanughed as if he were amazed. ¡°Just a bit¡­ huh.¡± It was obvious that he deliberately avoided the seat. As the spectacle disappeared, the attention of the drinkers naturally dispersed. With the table now empty, only Ronan and Shullifen remained. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat more?¡± ¡°I finished my meal about an hour ago.¡± ¡°Did you intentionally wait for me? Truly the behavior of a noble.¡± ¡°If you want, I can also leave my seat. Do you need some time alone to think?¡± ¡°¡­No, sit down. I guess I can tell you.¡± Ronan shook his head. There was no one else to talk to but this kid. He conveyed the story he heard from Russell to Shullifen. The unsettling figureing from the other side of the mountain, the high possibility of him being one of those who massacred the Dawn Brigade, and even the tale of the white-haired swordsman that Navirose had encountered once. Shullifen, who had been listening attentively, shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s indeed something that could shake up the Instructor if she heard about it.¡± ¡°Yeah. We shouldn¡¯t stir up trouble for no reason.¡± The demon¡¯s description that Russell provided matched the one who betrayed the Savior, someone likely to be Ronan¡¯s biological father. The resemnce in appearance was striking. It could be a mere coincidence, but white hair and red eyes were notmon features. Of course, it might not be the robed figure himself. The way he wielded his sword and the exceptional skills hinted at a formidable opponent, but his swordsmanship was different from Ronan¡¯s. However, the lingering thought that there might be a significant connection remained. ¡®What is going to happen?¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. At the moment, there was unfortunately no legitimate reason to apprehend the demon. Aside from the fact that the shimmering mana found at the scene of the massacre was visible only to Ronan¡¯s eyes, it could also have been a trace left by another aplice. Even the atrocious act of cutting off the wrists did not vite any regtions. ¡®Just crossing over would be a mess if that person isn¡¯t the culprit.¡¯ The most significant issue was that this ce was Parzan, where the Festival of Swords took ce. Sneaking through was virtually impossible from the start. To reach Aran Parzan, one had to cross the sacred ce located at the summit, which, apart from being an invible area, was guarded directly by the elders overseeing the Festival of Swords. Each one of them was a formidable swordsman, at least of Swordmaster level, making it a challenging task even for a skilled individual to pass unnoticed. ¡®I have to catch him, no matter what.¡¯ Of course, if he showed the Dawn Crest it would likely resolve things, but Ronan felt it was not the right time yet. He sincerely didn¡¯t want to miss the chance to apprehend the culprit. Instead of impulsively revealing himself, he needed to confront the enemy in a definite location. Shullifen expressed his sentiments. ¡°Confirmation should be the priority.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ronan nodded. A fortunate aspect was that the path narrowed as they ascended the mountain. Coming to the Festival of Swords suggested a high probability of someone seeking the Holy Sword. As the goal drew nearer, giving up became increasingly difficult. Finally reaching a conclusion, Ronan sighed. ¡°Damn it, whatever it takes, I¡¯m going to go up there. I just feel sorry for the people on the other side.¡± ¡°It seems so. Have you finished your meal?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I will spar with you. Shouldn¡¯t we do our best during the remaining time?¡± Shullifen rose, and as Ronan looked at him with a smirk, he chuckled. In retrospect, this guy¡¯s consideration was always like this. ¡°Customer, the beer¡¯s her¡­ Oh?!¡± Ronan snatched the beer the owner was carrying. His mood felt lighter than before. ¡°You know there¡¯s no one to me even if you die, right?¡± Chuckling, Ronan followed Shullifen. Not long after, a rumble echoed from the middle of the mountain. Exactly one hourter, they were banned from sparring for the day on charges of destroying the terrain. **** The screening test consisted of a total of four stages. With a break of two to three days between each test, the entire process took approximately a week. Ronan and his group smoothly passed the second test. It was a capture the g battle within designated zones, and perhaps due to the elimination of the stupid participants in the first test, thepetition was much more spirited. Most of those remaining were skilled individuals, often referred to as experts. In fact, Ronan identified a few individuals he¡¯d consider recruiting as alliester. ¡°Ronan, after this festival is over,e to our kingdom. I¡¯ll make sure you get whatever you want.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you join our family? It¡¯s an opportunity for you to break down the predetermined wall of status from birth¡­ Huh? Are we more prestigious than the Acalusia family? Well, not really, but¡­¡± An interesting point was that many of them desired Ronan. On the night after the second test, about twenty participants sessively sought Ronan out. While their tones and presented conditions varied, the essence of their conversations was quite simr: be part of me or us. Among the skilled individuals ascending from Gran Parzan, three names stood out: Ronan, Shullifen, and Navirose. The other two already had firm affiliations and positions, making it impossible to recruit them. On the other hand, Ronan, renowned as a hero who helped bring back spring to the empire, was still a student. To be precise, he was a secret agent directly under the royal family, but there was no way such information could be known to those who came to Parzan for the purpose of recruiting. Moreover, Ronan¡¯s skills, which were confirmed through the two tests, far exceeded the rumors that were thought to be exaggerated, so they all tried to lure Ronan with sweet offers. But the answer that came back was always the same. ¡°Talk to me at the summit. Then I¡¯ll consider it seriously.¡± In short, it was a clear message to demonstrate one¡¯s abilities. No matter how favorable the conditions were, Ronan remained unyielding. People, understanding the impossibility ofpromise, left with determination. Some grumbled about his stubbornness, but they were not the ones Ronan engaged in conversation with. ¡®Too many offers don¡¯t make them good. The ones who make it up to the summit are the real deal.¡¯ Interestingly, Ronan kept an eye on those participants who didn¡¯t approach him. There was a possibility that the truly skilled individuals remained silent. Suddenly, Ronan thought of Darman, the sword delivery boy. ¡®Did he go to Aran Parzan?¡¯ The boy and Zaifa, who were exceptionally fast, were still not in sight. If Zaifa participated in the Festival of Swords, there was still time to meet, and Ronan wondered if the delivery went smoothly. Regardless, he would find out in a few days. Shrugging off people¡¯s attempts to engage with him, Ronan, as always, immersed himself in training. The location was atop the giant, moonlit rocks. The training involved meditation and mana maniption to unravel the curse entwined in his veins. Ronan, standing tall with a straight posture, closed his eyes. ¡®Come to think of it, I still need to break that damn curse.¡¯ Although he felt much better since returning from the Mental World, he still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that his strength was being limited. Amidst his meditation, Ronan was contemting this when he heard Lynn¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°You¡¯re working hard.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Ronan spoke with his eyes closed. A cool night breeze reced Lynn¡¯s response. Somehow, she managed to acquire a new sword and smoothly passed the second test, although her performance didn¡¯t stand out enough to attract attention. Lynn spoke up. ¡°Why did youe here?¡± ¡°The big-breasted sister you like asked me to go to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s vulgar.¡± ¡°What do you have to say? And get your hand off my butt.¡± Lynn clicked her tongue and slowly lowered her arms. She always lingered around whenever Ronan was training, like a child looking for someone to y with. ¡°So, you¡¯re not interested in the Holy Sword?¡± ¡°The Holy Sword?¡± ¡°Yeah. Most peoplee here searching for the Holy Sword.¡± From the sound of her footsteps, Ronan could tell that she was circling around the rock. As Ronan pondered the term ¡°Holy Sword,¡± he blurted out. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in fairy tales. It¡¯s probably a story made up by those old elders bastards or money-crazed people like Marya. If people stoping, they¡¯ll all starve to death.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Marya?¡± ¡°Someone. She¡¯s strong and has big breasts.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like to meet her.¡± Lynn said with an intrigued voice. The two engaged in a deep discussion about the body part called the breast for almost thirty minutes. Ronan burst outughing when he heard her say that she tried to put her hand inside Navirose¡¯s shirt but got scolded. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re totally a pervert. If you were a guy, your head would have gone flying on the spot¡± ¡°Yeah. I was scared because she got angry.¡± ¡°Crazy. Hey, how about joining our academy after the Festival of Swords ends? Your age and skill are just right.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It will be interesting. I¡¯ll introduce you to Marya and the other friends I mentioned earlier. They¡¯ll like you if you just fix that damn habit.¡± The night breeze, now stronger, flipped Ronan¡¯s bangs. The air was cold, probably due to the high altitude. Suddenly, Ronan realized that this was his first business in Parzan since he arrived. Lynn, who had been silent, spoke up. ¡°¡­Are you teasing me right now?¡± ¡°Choosing my words carefully. Well¡­ you could see it that way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± It was a firm rejection, akin to a sword. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed for a moment. He was about to continue the conversation when¡­ ¡°Alright, then there¡¯s nothing I can do¡­¡± ¡°Say it again, not here, but at the summit.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you know why? Maybe my mind will change then.¡± It was a phrase he often used with others. Ronan opened his eyes atst. On the t rock, there was no one but himself. Quickly scanning the surroundings, he noticed Lynn¡¯s figure already running off in the distance. Her brisk footsteps somehow seemed more cheerful than usual. ¡°Weirdo.¡± Ronan raised his head to gaze at the night sky. Several hours had passed, and soon, the third test would begin with the break of dawn. It was the final gateway to confirm the identity of the demon. Chapter 167: The Festival of Swords (10) Chapter 167: The Festival of Swords (10) Morning had arrived. As announced by the organizers, the third testmenced around the break of dawn. Participants, just awakening from their slumber, gathered at the assembly point, rubbing their eyes. With each breath or word they uttered, white puffs of smoke dissipated into the cold air. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold. How cold can it possibly get in the sacred grounds?¡± ¡°It feels like full-on winter here.¡± The second checkpoint was located halfway up the mountain. As the altitude increased, the concept of seasons gradually faded away. The guides, now d in thick leather attire, bustled about, carrying various items. Most of them were enormous boxes containing an abundance of ingredients such as meat and vegetables. ¡°Is it for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°It seems like too much for just that.¡± Those who witnessed the peculiar scene were taken aback. It seemed like a fervent effort to set up a new restaurant, involving various equipment. At that moment, a woman in slightly better outerwear stepped forward. She seemed to be in charge of overseeing this test. pping her hands to draw attention, she began to speak. ¡°Good morning, everyone. It¡¯s already the third test. The participant with the highest performance today will be awarded a priority selection voucher for the final test.¡± ¡°A priority selection voucher?¡± ¡°Yes. As you may know, the final test involves sparring with participants from Gran Parzan. Originally, opponents are randomly assigned, but with a priority selection voucher, you can choose your opponent for the duel.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was an unexpected gain. It seemed like a means to boost enthusiasm, much like acquiring the sword from the first test. Ronan and Russell exchanged nces almost simultaneously. Since they were at a distance, theymunicated through facial expressions. ¨C You¡­ is this¡­! ¨C Lucky you. Looks like we won¡¯t have to resort to any surprise tricks. ¨C Well, are you confident? ¨C Let¡¯s give it a try, at least. Ronan nodded in agreement. It was a fortunate turn of events. It appeared that aiming for the selection voucher was not exclusive to them, judging by the fiery gazes of other participants. ¡°Essentially, it¡¯s a ticket to the sacred grounds.¡± ¡°Hehehe, this is great.¡± Upon reflection, it was a natural reaction. By selecting someone who appeared reasonably weaker than oneself, victory could be easily secured. The guide pped his hands again to silence the crowd and added. ¡°Furthermore, in this test, there will be no division into groups or camps. There won¡¯t be any participants dueling with swords among themselves. It might be an unfamiliar challenge, but we wish you all good health.¡± Once again, people started to murmur. This test seemed to be different from the two conducted earlier. The guide turned back after delivering those words. Participants followed, engaging in various conversations. ¡°¡­Well, it turned out well, didn¡¯t it? We managed to grasp the situation among ourselves.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Exactly.¡± The majority of participants showed a positive response to the new direction of the test. Despite beingpetitors, spending days together, oveing life and death situations, naturally led to a bond forming among them. Eventually, the consensus emerged that the real important thing was the final test against Aran Parzan, and the third test was merely a nominal scarecrow test. It didn¡¯t take long for them to realize that it was indeed a misconception. **** ¡°Take this!¡± ¡°Chwiek!¡± A fully-armored knight swung his sword. The broadsword traced a perfect arc as the head of the orc soared into the air. The surrounding orcs,rger and more ferocious than the average, hesitated and retreated. ¡°Chwiik! Chwiik!¡± He was facing ck Orcs, known for their strength. Soon, the ferocious orcs roared and charged. The knight skillfully handled his shield and sword, deflecting attacks from all directions. The cheers of the audience, filled with participants, echoed in the arena. ¡°Stay strong! Fox Knight!¡± ¡°Show them the power of beastmen!¡± The atmosphere in the arena was intensely heated. On the ground, four ck Orcs and a giant wolfy scattered, bleeding. The monsters¡¯ count hinted that it was the highest score among the participants so far. At that moment, the knight stumbled over a pebble, losing bnce. ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°Chwieet!¡± He quickly corrected his stance, but the orcs did not miss the opportunity. A club flew from the side, striking the knight¡¯s head. Kwang! The dull metallic sound resonated. His dented helmet was knocked off. ¡°Keuk!¡± The head of a red fox revealed itself. True to the alias Fox Knight, he was a handsome Wearfox. Swiftly regaining bnce, Fox Knight swung his sword. With a sharp sound, the de pierced deep into the chest of the orc that had attacked him. The orc, its heart pierced, died instantly. Just then, a massive shadow loomed over the two. A spectator shouted in rm. ¡°Fox Knight! Watch out!¡± Fox Knight raised his head. Standing in front of him was a Twin-Headed Ogre, a wall-like figure. One of the ogre¡¯s heads blinked, and the other raised its arm, clutching a club made from the trunk of a beautiful oak tree. ¡°Kwaaargh!¡± ¡°Damn it, my sword¡­¡± Fox Knight immediately tried to pull his body away, but the sword stuck in the orc didn¡¯te out. A club fell over his head. Realizing that it was toote, Fox Knight urgently raised his shield. The mana-reinforced shield emitted a bright light. ¡°Come on! This monstro¡­¡± Fox Knight couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Band! The club pressed the shield directly onto the ground. The sound of metal, bone, and flesh squelching echoed. When the Twin-Headed Ogre lifted the club, Fox Knight and the orc were now a red, sticky blot on the ground. ¡°Kwaaaargh!!¡± The two heads erupted into a triumphant roar. With each swing of the enraged ogre¡¯s club, parts of the battered Werefox were scattered like confetti. Participants baptized in a shower of gore recoiled in horror. Ronan, removing bits of intestines stuck to his head, furrowed his brow. ¡°Ugh. I could¡¯ve used that as a carpet.¡± ¡°That was a reckless decision.¡± Shullifen shook his head from side to side. While both acknowledged the unfortunate oue, there was little sympathy. It was the consequence of underestimating one¡¯s own abilities. ¡°With that skill level, he should have faced either the ogre or the orc. Greed got the best of him.¡± ¡°Even if he chose the ogre, picking the two-headed one wasn¡¯t a wise move. By the way, where did they find that thing?¡± Ronan chuckled as he watched the monsters. The third test took ce in an arena carved into the mountain, dwarfing the previous two test arena in size. The test involved capturing monsters sourced from various regions of the continent. From weak goblins to powerful monsters like Manticores and Ogres, a diverse array was prepared. Participants had toe forward one by one, selecting the number and type of monsters they wanted to face. They could choose from one to a hundred, and their score depended on the difficulty and number of creatures defeated. Only the top 20 participants would pass, so the more dangerous monsters they defeated, the higher their chances of sess. ¡°Come to think of it, do they not attack each other? The ogre seems quiet.¡± ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re under some spell. This test seems to be meticulously crafted in various aspects.¡± Shullifen muttered in amazement. Even the Heir of Garcia, who grew up enjoying all kinds of luxury, was impressed enough to express it verbally. The monsters that had devoured Fox Knight entered the cage on their own. It seemed apparent where all that food had gone. As soon as the cage was closed, themittee members came out and cleared up the corpse. The sight of them scraping bone fragments off the bloody mess was unsettling. The supervisor, confirming the cleanup, let out a faint sigh. ¡°¡­Once again, another warrior has been defeated. This test is one that ims many lives. Please, assess your skills carefully and make the right choices.¡± The supervisor gave a brief salute. Indeed, out of the six who had participated so far, three had lost their lives. Looking around at the standby participants, he continued. ¡°Now, the next order¡­ number 44.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Ronan stood up. He was the first among his group. Nonchntly, Navirose remarked. ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± ¡°Surely, you don¡¯t think I would.¡± Ronan waved his hand as if to dismiss the concern, and then descended into the arena. The space was vast when seen up close, easily surpassing twice the size of the training ground of a top-tier adventure guild. Suddenly, a translucent illusion appeared in front of Ronan. The supervisor spoke. ¡°Well, please specify the monster and the number.¡± Various monsters paraded in front of him. With a hundred to choose from, it seemed like he could create a zoo. Ronan shook his head, as if there was nothing for him to see. Looking up at the supervisor, he dered, ¡°All of them.¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m picking all one hundred. In order from the most dangerous.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice echoed confidently. Navirose¡¯s eyebrows furrowed noticeably. The spectators in the stands started to buzz. ¡°You.¡± Lynn rose from her seat. Even she, who was usuallyposed, couldn¡¯t hide her bewilderment. Ronan turned to the group with a smirk, showing the V sign. The bewildered supervisor asked with a perplexed tone. ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded without a hint of hesitation. He had nned for this moment from the beginning of the test. It wasn¡¯t just to secure the priority selection voucher. He had a wry smile on his face. ¡®I guess I¡¯m quite the bastard too.¡¯ His heart was pounding rapidly. Ever since Russell provided information about the demon, Ronan had been feeling this way whenever a battle with a formidable opponent was anticipated. It was a chronic condition that red up in Ronan. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. This seemed to improve his state somewhat. Suddenly, the face of the Betrayer, someone eerily simr to him, crossed his mind. ¡®Am I carrying that bastard¡¯s blood after all?¡¯ The thought urred to him that it might be a hereditary condition. Despite having lived two lives, he hadn¡¯t found the right name for the emotions attached to this feeling. Was it a fighting spirit? Anticipation? Or perhaps an extreme thrill due to heightened tension? In truth, whatever it was didn¡¯t matter. There was only one way to extinguish the fire. ¡°Haa¡­ I understand. Please prepare a hundred monsters.¡± The supervisor, releasing a deep sigh, gestured for the judges to get busy. Shortly after, our gate began to open fully. The defensive barrier that doubled as a door vanished. The grinding sound of gears, resonating like the growl of a primeval beast, felt ominously powerful. Hundreds of pairs of eyes glinted in the darkness. ¡°Did he lose his mind?¡± ¡°Ronan! You agreed to join our knights! Stop this foolishness!¡± ¡°Good. I didn¡¯t want to see his ugly face anyway.¡± The audience remained restless. Amidst the shock, ridicule, and indifference, a eulogy for the fallen warrior echoed in our ears. The inexplicable excitement continued to burn in Ronan¡¯s heart. Blood was needed. Blood to quench the fire. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the test for participant number 44.¡± With the supervisor¡¯s announcement, the gate openedpletely. The double doors, previously held by the defensive barrier, disappeared. A hundred monsters poured out like a tidal wave. Ronan, lifting the corner of his mouth in a smirk, eyed the creatures and muttered. ¡°You all better cool me down a bit.¡± The roars of a hundred creatures drowned out the noise from the audience. Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. Chapter 168: The Festival of Swords (11) Chapter 168: The Festival of Swords (11) ¡°You all better cool me down a bit.¡± A tide of monsters was rushing in. Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword and waited for the monsters to approach within range as he gathered mana into his sword. The still immature core was building up energy, ready to explode. ¡®As big as possible.¡¯ In any battle, especially in arge-scale encounter, gaining control of the initiative was crucial. It made no difference whether the opponents were humans or monsters. As the vanguard of monsters approached within about twenty steps, Ronan rotated his body horizontally, unleashing a wide sword strike. Along the de of Lamancha, a single crimson crescent shot out. The audience gasped as they witnessed the diameter of the sword energy reaching an impressive 2 meters. ¡°What¡¯s the point of using such a small thing like that!¡± ¡°Disappointing. Was he only strong in one-on-one fights?¡± In the face of the oing horde of monsters, Ronan¡¯s sword energy seemed audacious and reckless. At most, it was expected to deal with two or three approaching head-on. Even the Giant Boar and ck Orcs at the front, instead of dodging, charged more aggressively. Ronan smirked at their approach. ¡°Dumbass.¡± Suddenly, the crescent shape of the sword energy changed. The de fragmented into hundreds of pieces, dispersing in a fan-shaped pattern. Each piecepressed mana to an extreme level, creating a lethal shrapnel. The sound of impacts echoed as the dispersed sword fragments pierced through the monsters¡¯ bodies. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°Kwaik!¡± A horde of Orcs and Boars writhed on the ground. Those unfortunate enough to be hit in the head or heart met their demise right on the spot. Although the surface area was small, it had strong prating power, causing fatal injuries at the point of contact. The red droplets from the pierced creatures¡¯ bodies, a mix of blood, muscle, and organs, spread widely, causing devastating damage to even the monsters on the sides. The onlookers expressed awe and admiration. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°To use sword energy like that!¡± It was the first time they had ever seen sword energy used in such a way. Ronan¡¯s action proved effective, reducing the number of monsters by at least 30% in just one shot. The momentum of the approaching horde slowed down significantly. Ronan, satisfied with the oue, wore a content smile. Aside from the significant mana consumption, it proved to be quite effective. ¡°Not bad at all.¡± With this, it was proven that enemies within thirty paces could be dealt with using his sword energy. This was the result of Ronan¡¯s efforts to catch up with geniuses like Navirose and Shullifen, despite being suppressed by a curse. Shooting the same sword energy once again, Ronan absentmindedly bit his lower lip. ¡®But it still isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ However, what Ronan ultimately needed to face was a giant soaring in the sky. To pull down the bald-headed ones wielding spears and javelins above the clouds, he needed a much longer range. As Ronan concentrated once again, about tounch his third crescent moon, a Troll from the distant snowy wastnd soared through the air. ¡°Gwaaack!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± A massive creature, seemingly around 3 meters tall, appeared. Judging by its iling limbs, it was still alive. Reacting instinctively, Ronan swung his sword. The sword energy that shot out like a projectile split the Troll¡¯s waist in two. Blood exploded, showering over Ronan. As his vision cleared, a Twin-Headed Ogre roaring in the distance caught his eye. ¡°Kwaaak!¡± ¡°Gaaaaah!¡± Anyone could tell that it was that bastard who had thrown it. The one who turned the Fox Knight into a Fox Carpet. It seemed to have sustained some injuries from the sword energy. Sensing the nearly depleted mana in the core, Ronan sighed. ¡°Just my luck.¡± Now that things had turned out like this, he had to engage in melee. Of course, he had anticipated it, so there was no concern. Come to think of it, this was already his third time dealing with the Twin-Headed Ogre. Ronan curled his body. Bang! Strengthening his legs with the remaining mana, he leapt off the ground. The action happened so quickly that the Ogre lost sight of Ronan. At that moment, when the two heads were searching for the missing opponent. A small shadow cast over the Ogre¡¯s face. ¡°Kuek?¡± ¡°Gwok!¡± The two heads lifted. Ronan, who had reached the top of his leap, was descending in a circle. Feeling an instinctive danger, the Ogre hastily raised its club in a defensive posture. However, it was futile. Lamancha, splitting the oak club like tofu, dug in between the two heads. ¡°Kugk?¡± Swoosh! The crimson-stained de sliced through the Ogre¡¯s hide vertically. As Ronannded on the ground, a gash opened up, and fresh blood spurted out. Andslide of entrails poured out like a torrent, covering the floor. It was good that the most troublesome one was disposed of in one go, but there was no time for self-congrattion. Ronan swiftly rolled his body to the side. Thud! Three spears, appearing to be around 2 meters long, flew and impaled the ground where he had just been. They were the javelins thrown by the Lizardmen positioned in the rear. Locking eyes with them, Ronan spat on the ground, chuckling. ¡°Reptile bastards.¡± ¡°Krikrik¡± The Lizardmen, mouths agape, were making a clicking sound. Their apparent relief due to the distance was quite unsettling. Ronan silently drew his dagger, Ymir. Still, within the gaping jaws of the remaining Ogre, he threw it. The sound of the de prating something faintly echoed. In a matter of seconds, a thunderous roar erupted. ¡°Kwaaaah!¡± The attention of both the audience and monsters shifted towards them. Simultaneously, a gigantic Manticore let out a roar, leaping forward. In the right eye of the lion, whose tangled mane resembled bushes, a glinting dagger was deeply embedded. Seeing this, Ronan smirked. ¡°It¡¯s time for the leader to step forward. Just ying around, thinking you¡¯re the strongest, won¡¯t help.¡± It was the most powerful creature among those that could be picked in this test. The Manticore, struck by a bolt of lightning, began its frenzied rampage. The monster lion swung its ws and stinger-tipped tail recklessly, unleashing indiscriminate attacks in all directions. The Lizardmen who had thrown the spears at Ronan screamed as they attempted to flee, only to be impaled by the stinger. The sturdy bodies were quickly consumed by the venom, turning ck in a matter of seconds. Ronan, along with the Manticore, ughtered the monsters. Each swing of the sword sent blood of various colors sttering across his face. He severed the arm of the Gnoll and crushed the Goblin¡¯s skeleton attempting to stab him in the back with a kick. He skillfully evaded or deflected all the ws, fangs, and wicked spikesing from every direction. Not a single one touched Ronan. Eventually, some of the monsters grew tired and tried to flee. However, Ronan had no intention of letting the defeated enemies escape. Boom! With a swift movement, roots grew beneath his right foot, and as he rolled forward, the sparkling roots corrected the path of the fleeing monsters. ¡°Keuk! Be-beast!¡± ¡°Eeeek! Spare me!¡± Monsters resembling human children begged for their lives, crying out, but Ronan¡¯s sword had already passed through, splitting the air. Ronan, stepping on the fallen heads of the monsters, let out a low chuckle. The dizzying scent of blood pierced through his nostrils, reaching his brain. The sporadic screams of the dying monsters echoed. Ronan enjoyed this sensation. At least, during the intoxication of blood, he could shut out everything else. ¡°Kwaaaaah!¡± At that moment, a Manticore spotted Ronan and roared, spreading its wings. Unlike the one Varen had brought in the Beasts Festival, this one¡¯s flying ability was not limited. Ronan muttered and switched his core. And the moment the flying Manticore reached the top of the arena, he activated the Aura copied from Terranil. Ymir, resonating with the core, emitted a bright white light. Kwaang! The powerful shockwave, centered around the sword, shattered the Manticore¡¯s head into pieces. Swoosh¡­ Blood and brain matter showered the entire arena. It was iparable to the troll previously. The Manticore, with half its head blown off, crashed down with a loud noise. A thunderous cheer erupted from the spectator seats. ¡°Waaaaah!¡± ¡°Kill them all!¡± Now, no one cared about Ronan¡¯s safety or actions. Primal excitement and ecstasy engulfed the arena. Overwhelming might, a carnage that transcendedmon sense, plunged the crowd into madness. The lips of the supervisor parted slightly. ¡°¡­Is he really human?¡± Like a me dancing in a pile of straw. Ronan was still carrying out the massacre. The sight of him wading through the red rain and swinging his sword gave the impression of him being diligent. It didn¡¯t take long for all one hundred to be wiped out. After confirming that the surroundings had quietened down, Ronan lowered his sword. ¡°Haa.¡± His narrowed field of view began to expand again. Covered in blood from head to toe, he resembled someone emerging from a river of blood in hell. Ronan roughly wiped the blood off his face with his palm. As he raised his head, he noticed the group of Shullifen, Navirose, and Lynn with simr expressions. Without saying a word, he extended his index and middle fingers, signaling them to gather. The cheers from the arena were louder than when the Manticore¡¯s head exploded. **** The third test finally concluded in thete night,sting longer than anticipated. The dy was due to Aran Parzan¡¯s side having to bring in monsters to ensure that the remaining participants could undergo the test. Like others, the supervisor, lost in the bloodbath, was unaware of the shortage of monsters until just before the next round was set to begin. Shullifen, who took the test after two more participants, also chose a hundred monsters, but there were no monsters left. He had to be content with chopping up 56 monsters with wind. Therefore, the priority selection voucher naturally went to Ronan. When they returned to the base, only twenty sessful participants were left. Among them were familiar faces such as Navirose, Lynn, and Russell. They headed to the restaurant as if they had made a promise. Those who had raised their sses for a toast gathered around Ronan. ¡°You¡¯re truly amazing! I knew you were strong, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this strong. It seems iming to have defeated the Winter Witch wasn¡¯t just bragging!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even tell who the monster was. What exactly is your identity?¡± ¡°There is a banquet at my family¡¯s castle next week. I haven¡¯t found a partner yet, so how about dancing with me? You won¡¯t refuse, will you?¡± They all expressed admiration and favor in their own ways. The nobles proposing recruitment offered even better conditions than before the third trial ended. Ronan responded with a subtle smile for most replies. It was a refusal in a way, but the main reason was simply that he was damn tired. ¡®Damn it, it can¡¯t go on like this.¡¯ Although the excitement in his chest hadn¡¯t faded, his body couldn¡¯t bear the fatigue. He was about to say good night to the people when the door of the restaurant opened, and the owner, who had left a while ago, came in hesitantly. He looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°Um, Sir Ronan¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan turned his head. The owner¡¯s face, which had always been red from roasting wild boars, was now pale like snow. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Outside¡­ um¡­ a guest hase to see you.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. They said they had some business with you, so they insisted that youe out alone¡­¡± The owner¡¯s voice was trembling. He seemed like someone who had unexpectedly encountered a ghost while strolling through the forest. ¡°What the hell, who is it?¡± ¡°Well, um, you should go and see for yourself¡­ I definitely conveyed the message!¡± With a shout, the owner ran away and hid in the kitchen. Ronan frowned at the unexpected situation. ¡°What¡¯s going on here¡­¡± Since a guest hade to see him, he couldn¡¯t ignore them. Leaving a brief message that he would be back, he left the restaurant. The people who were drunk dly saw him off. Whoosh! A chilling wind blew as he opened the door. Other than the snowfield, the Milky Way, and the breathtaking scenery under the mountains, there was nothing else to see. ¡°What the, no one¡¯s here.¡± Ronan muttered in irritation. The owner, no matter howrge his tavern was, wasn¡¯t the type to y such mischievous pranks. Just as he was about to express his annoyance, a familiar voice echoed from behind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± For a moment, his heart sank. The voice was low and deep, like a mountain. Ronan turned around slowly. A giant shadow was perched on the roof of the restaurant. Its tail, flowing down from under the eaves, swayed like a fishing line. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to deduce the identity of the shadow. Ronan, holding his breath, spoke. ¡°Zaifa.¡± ¡°Looking at your face, it seems you¡¯ve been doing well. I¡¯m a bitte due to some matters.¡± Zaifa, who had been silently gazing at the sky, leaped down. Despite her massive size, there was no sound as shended. Approaching with great strides she stopped right in front of Ronan. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. It was impossible to read the emotions in that low and deep voice. The bright red eyes shining from above looked like ominous signs announcing disaster. Zaifa, looking down at Ronan in silence, finally opened her mouth. ¡°Follow me.¡± Chapter 169: The Festival of Swords (12) Chapter 169: The Festival of Swords (12) ¡°Follow me.¡± The low voice was solemn. However, the atmosphere was somewhat different from when Ronan had seen her at the pce. At least, the intense vitality that burned like a dark sun was not present. Ronan hesitated whether to follow or refuse. Suddenly, within the restaurant, the voice of Navirose echoed. ¡°Ronan! Where are you going? Did I teach you to let your teacher drink alone?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Ronan sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Judging by the way her tongue was tangled, she seemed quite drunk. Well, considering the remarkable performance of the two disciples in the test, she probably felt quite pleased. Before the test, she had sternly warned not to do anything reckless, but now that Ronan had sessfully defeated a hundred monsters, she seemed to be thrilled and excited. Zaifa, hearing the voice, perked up her ears. ¡°This voice¡­ Did that snakee along too?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­Annoying. Hold on tightly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan tilted his head in confusion. Before he could react, Zaifa, who suddenly reached out, lifted Ronan onto her shoulders. There was no time to protest. Bang! She crouched down, leaping towards the night sky. ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± The night sky poured down. The fearsome leg strength was still intact. As Zaifa jumped, the stars alternately moved farther and closer. When shended after leaping, Ronan, who had jumped down from her shoulders, muttered curses. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°This is my temporary residence. I can¡¯t stand noisy things.¡± ¡°Temporary residence?¡± When his upset stomach settled down, the surrounding scenery came into view. It was a spacious cave, not deep but high enough for Zaifa to stand tall. Outside the entrance, he could see the starry sky, the setting moon, and the eastern ins in the distance. Positioned on the cliff, it was almost impossible to enter unless one had wings. Zaifa nodded. ¡°Yeah. When Ie to Parzan, I stay and eat my meals here. If you go up to the Holy Land, there are too many annoying things.¡± ¡°¡­It seems quite useful.¡± Ronan, who was looking around the residence, raised his eyebrows. It looked simple, but it had everything it needed. A fewrge campfires were zing vigorously not far from the entrance. Severalrge stakes with meat skewered into them were ced around the campfire. ¡°What kind of meat is this?¡± ¡°Elk. Want some?¡± ¡°Later.¡± Inside the cave were about half a dozen wooden boxes, whose contents were unknown. On both sides of the walls, makeshift beds made with nails sticking out seemed more like traps for catching animals like yaks. Next to them, a frighteninglyrge and slightly tilted crescent sword, which only Zaifa could wield, was hanging. Even upon closer inspection, it was more like a construction material than a weapon. Judging by the subtle changes in its appearance, it seemed like it had been rebuilt after being destroyed by Navirose. Zaifa walked forward and sat down on the box. Ronan questioned, crossing his arms. ¡°So, what do you want to ask?¡± ¡°Did you kill my subordinates?¡± Zaifa asked calmly. It was a tone as indifferent as asking if he had watered her nts yesterday. For a moment, Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. It was an expected question, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so straightforward. The vertically narrowed pupils stared at him. After a moment of silence, Ronan spoke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re speaking nonsense that doesn¡¯t even make sense.¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess so. It¡¯s nonsense.¡± Nonsense. Zaifa, who repeated this word, closed her mouth. In the awkward silence, the sound of the wind echoed loudly. Ronan was about to say something when an indescribable eerie energy surged through his spine. ¡®Danger.¡¯ Ronan pulled the hilts of his two swords with a movement that was almost instinctive. At the same time, a sharp metallic sound echoed beneath the night sky. Kaaaang! Locking eyes with Zaifa, Ronan raised one corner of his mouth. ¡°I knew it woulde to this.¡± He had anticipated it from the moment he sat within reach of the Unwoldo. The de of the Unwoldo, with its serrated edges, was wedged between the crossed Lamancha and Ymir. Ronan gritted his teeth as he still felt the immense power. If he eased up even a bit, his forehead would have split in half. Watching him, Zaifa spoke with a hint of interest. ¡°You¡¯ve really improved. Did you switch to a dual sword style?¡± ¡°I switch whenever I feel like it. Wanna see?¡± Ronan spat on the ground. Zaifa, adjusting her posture without a word, thrust out Unwoldo. The speed was unbelievably fast, considering its size and weight. With each sh of the three des, a storm-like tempest erupted in the air. Irregr metallic sounds echoed in the cave. They werepeting with twenty strokes or so. Suddenly, Zaifa sheathed the Unwoldo. Ronan, in the midst of swinging his sword diagonally, hurriedly stopped his movements. The tip of Lamancha stopped precisely in front of Zaifa¡¯s throat. ¡°What the hell are you doing right now?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. If he had been a littlete, he would have truly lost. Zaifa, who was looking him up and down, nodded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not you, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I had my doubts since the pce. I don¡¯t know what happened, but there was a somewhat simr aura to those fanatics around you.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. As expected, she had noticed. Zaifa, leaning Unwoldo against the wall again, brought two remaining boxes from the corner and ced them near the campfire. ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°Are you going to swing your sword again after all this?¡± ¡°Your suspicion has just been cleared. Even though it¡¯s simr, the essence is different. Your sword doesn¡¯t carry the peculiar stench of those guys immersed in fanaticism. And the way you wield your sword ispletely different from the sword marks left on the bodies of my subordinates.¡± ¡°How is it different?¡± ¡°That was a massacre only an emotionless executioner couldmit. It¡¯s fundamentally different from your sword, which is filled with emotions¡± Zaifa muttered, sending shivers down Ronan¡¯s spine. Without being able to see the shimmering mana, to make such an urate deduction, it could only be described as remarkable intuition. ¡°I should have rified the misunderstanding back at the pce. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you know it¡¯s not the case. What about your lieutenant?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t woken up yet. ording to the army doctor, it¡¯s highly likely that psychological factors were involved. She seems to have closed her mind due to a severe shock.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. The sight of the lioness still crouching in the hole, terrified, was still vivid in his eyes. Even after a month, the fact that she hadn¡¯t recovered yet meant that the emotional wounds were deeper than expected. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± ¡°Still, since her body ispletely healed, she¡¯lle to her senses soon. Are you not going to sit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush me.¡± Finally lowering his sword, Ronan sat on the box. The warmth from the campfire wasforting. Zaifa, using only her fingertips, opened another wooden box. Inside were about six well-packaged bottles of liquor. She took out two bottles and handed one to Ronan. Thebel on the elegant paper bore a finely sketched snowke. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is this perhaps Millennium Snowflower liquor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the liquor from my hometown. I¡¯ll bring you backter, so let¡¯s talk for now.¡± With that response, Zaifa took a gulp of the alcohol. Perhaps because she was so big, but after she swung her neck back a few times, the bottle waspletely empty. Without any dy, she immediately opened the next bottle. No matter how wealthy one was, acquiring such an item wouldn¡¯t be easy. It was indeed a generous expenditure befitting a Sword Saint. ¡°Talk¡­ shall we do that?¡± Ronan murmured quietly. Like Zaifa, he took a sip of the alcohol and exhaled sharply. He felt his body warming up, and a sense of energy returning. Perhaps this was the secret to her strength. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Ronan looked at Zaifa. ¡°Puha¡­ this is amazing. So, what kept you sote?¡± ¡°I came here to kill some pests. But in the end, I couldn¡¯t find any clues.¡± ¡°Pests? Neb zier?¡± ¡°Yeah. I must¡¯ve taken down at least a hundred.¡± Zaifa exined that she had traveled across the continent since leaving the pce, hunting down the culprits behind the murders of her subordinates. The most likely suspect, Neb zier, faced the wrath of the Sword Saint, resulting in theplete annihtion of the small branch near the institution. Ronan chuckled. ¡°You did all that alone? Weren¡¯t there any odd defensive measures?¡± ¡°asionally. There were those who handled imprable defenses. However, they allcked endurance, so it wasn¡¯t much of a problem.¡± Ronan let out a bitterugh. Zaifa borated on the strategy for dealing with those who used the Protection of the Stars. In summary, all she did was attack and dodge repeatedly until the protection faded, and then strike during that vulnerable moment, which was possible because it wasn¡¯t a permanent shield like the bald ones. ¡®Monstrous bastard.¡¯ Still, it was an impressive achievement. Considering the fact that Sarante was ultimately defeated. It was evident that Zaifa¡¯s capabilities were truly extraordinary. Ronan wondered why such a person hadn¡¯t appeared during the final decisive battle. ¡®No matter how I look at it, it doesn¡¯t seem like she was killed by someone.¡¯ His thoughts wereplicated. The unexined disappearances of so many individuals, including Navirose, Katir, left too many unanswered questions. Swallowing his saliva, Ronan took another sip of the alcohol. There was no immediate solution to the current dilemma. At that moment, Zaifa, who was rummaging through her pockets, held out something to Ronan. ¡°Oh, do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The small, glittering metal was intricately crafted in a hexagonal shape. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he recognized the familiar shape. It was undoubtedly the item worn by Bishop Terranil in the desert ruins of Dainhar. ¡°¡­Where did you get this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I obtained during an ambush on a procession. The leader left it behind along with his arms. Something was being transported in that carriage, but unfortunately I missed it.¡± Zaifa clicked her tongue. It happened in the southwest of the continent. She exined that she had ambushed them in a forest where the grass and trees were all white, and defeated them, but she missed the leader and the carriage. Ronan brushed his bangs aside upon hearing the description of the white forest. Although the location and details were different from what Russell had mentioned, the distinctive features were remarkably simr. ¡°Where is that ce?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s in the forest that appears after crossing the Itasian Mountain Range to the northwest. Only a specific section stands out as being unusually white.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t find any ruins or anything there?¡± ¡°Ruins¡­? It¡¯s a shame, but at that time, I was in a frenzy of rage, and I couldn¡¯t conduct a thorough investigation. If you¡¯re interested, go check it out. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Zaifa gestured with a smile. Ronan, somewhat dismissive, tucked the badge into his pocket. He felt that they were getting closer to the truth. They discussed various topics, including the recent events of the past two years. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t overly serious, thanks to the strong alcohol. ¡°Oh, by the way, someone who ims to be your teacher often visits my lieutenant. An unpleasant fellow.¡± ¡°Teacher? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Varen?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one who blocked me at the pce.¡± ¡°Heh, well, it¡¯s time for that lion to get married too, considering his age.¡± Ronan chuckled. Zaifa also let out a joyfulugh. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on Unwoldo, leaning against the wall. The face of Darman, who was delivering the sword, shed before his eyes. ¡°Come to think of it, haven¡¯t you received it yet?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I mean.¡± Ronan trailed off. The words Darman had spoken came to mind. He had imed that the sword he was delivering was a gift for Zaifa from his master. ¡®Surprise gifts always feel the best.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to spoil it. Avoiding eye contact, Ronan rambled on. ¡°No. You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± ¡°nd.¡± ¡°By the way, why did youe here? It doesn¡¯t seem like you came as a participant, like Instructor Navirose.¡± ¡°The Imperial Sword Saint has an obligation to participate in the final test and the ceremony held at the Holy Land. It¡¯s my duty to reward the rookie who wins the final test and to provide guidance on the direction they should take as a swordsman. It¡¯s annoying, but I¡¯m somewhat looking forward to it this time. There are quite a few promising participants, including you and the Rising Star of the Empire.¡± Of course, the snake was annoying. Zaifa mumbled and took a sip of her drink. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was a rule he had no idea about. Could it be that the winner of the final test would get the chance to face off against the Sword Saint? Thoughts about Russell, the demon, Neb zier, and the uing events rushed through his mind. Slowly, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Zaifa.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What if I find him? The one who killed your subordinates.¡± For a moment, Zaifa¡¯s gaze changed. After a brief silence, she downed the second bottle of alcohol in one go. The expensive liquor, enough to buy a house, vanishedpletely after just three sips. ng! Zaifa tossed the empty bottle to the ground. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The tone of her growling voice carried a hint of life again. Ronan, reaching into his inner pocket, fiddled with the Dawn que. The blend of the snow and the swirling wind outside the cave was audible. Chapter 170: The Festival of Swords (13) Chapter 170: The Festival of Swords (13) The day had dawned. As always, the sky over Parzan was adorned with a clear, azure hue. The strong winds that had blown throughout the night had finally subsided Participants wasted no time after finishing their morning meal. The final checkpoint was situated not far from the summit, requiring a considerable climb to reach. Once again, at the forefront of the procession were the swift-footed Ronan and Navirose. Ronan gazed towards the summit where the sacred site was located, opening his mouth. ¡°This mountain climb is finallying to an end.¡± ¡°The Holy Land is still ahead. Though, considering the distance from thest checkpoint, it¡¯s practically within arm¡¯s reach once we topple over.¡± ¡°True, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°By the way, you came in quitetest night. Anything happen?¡± Navirose asked. Caught off guard by the direct question, Ronan tried to maintain a nonchnt expression. After spending the night indulging in alcohol with Zaifa, he had only returned to the checkpoint in the early morning. Ronan, racking his brain, casually changed the subject. ¡°Uh¡­ I went to get some fresh air. Someone asked me to teach them how to wield a sword, so I showed them a few things.¡± ¡°I see. Did you enjoy your time with that cat, Zaifa?¡± ¡°Well, it was alright¡­ I guess. Oops.¡± Ronan took a sharp breath. Navirose continued walking with an indifferent expression. Ronan, swallowing hard, spoke. ¡°¡­Did you know?¡± ¡°It would be strange if I didn¡¯t. How many times do you think I¡¯ve sparred with that cat?¡± ¡°Sorry. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t like it if I mentioned it.¡± Ronan scratched his head, looking somewhat uneasy. It was uncertain whether being observant was a trait of a swordsman or if a perceptive person became a swordsman. After a brief silence, Navirose spoke again. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯d get along. Just remember that what I said earlier is something to keep in mind.¡± ¡°What did you say? Oh, about Zaifa being dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes. Just remember that it¡¯s not merely because I dislike that rogue. Also, consider who unleashed the night of fangs. Hatred is like a gue, easily contagious.¡± ¡°Hatred?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at the ominous words. Navirose, still maintaining a stoic expression, continued walking. Though she said it was fine verbally, it seemed she was not entirelyfortable with the fact that Ronan had gotten on with Zaifa. He pondered how to resolve the situation. From behind, a familiar voice reached them. ¡°Hey.¡± Simultaneously, someone¡¯s palm gently caressed Ronan¡¯s back. The touch seemed to be more sinister as time passed. Ronan turned his head with a disdainful expression. To no one¡¯s surprise, it was Lynn, her hand on his buttocks. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take your hand off?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask yesterday. Do you like me that much?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden nonsense?¡± ¡°I know everything. You were trying to impress me, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re weird. You single-handedly defeated a hundred monsters in the exam yesterday.¡± Lynn yfully jabbed his side with her elbow. Ronan chuckled. It seemed true that when something was too absurd, people tend tough. ¡°Did you eat something weird?¡± ¡°Hehe. It might have been old-fashioned, but it wasn¡¯t bad. I¡¯ll consider your proposal positively.¡± Lynn shed a mischievous smile. It looked like she had eaten something strange for breakfast. As she walked ahead, patting Ronan¡¯s buttocks, Shullifen passed by like a breeze, muttering. ¡°Poor Student Council President.¡± ¡°Fuck, why are you saying that too?¡± They arrived at the final checkpoint in the afternoon. Although the checkpoints they had passed were simr in scale, this one had the best facilities. Several people were already milling around. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the sight. ¡°It seems like they arrived first.¡± He spoke very little, and there were nopanions apanying him. Walking around with a stiff expression, he exuded an air of solitude that did not go unnoticed by those around him. Observers started to murmur about the noticeable difference. ¡°Why is the atmosphere over there like that?¡± ¡°I heard there¡¯s a terrifying guy there; is it because of that bastard?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone take away his sword? He looks like he mightmit murder any moment.¡± Certainly, something seemed off. Ronan shook his head as if he sympathized. Now that he thought about it, the presumed demon hadn¡¯t appeared yet. It would be good to at least see his face before the sparring begins. Ronan, who was looking around, grabbed a man walking nearby and asked. ¡°Hey, do you know where that terrifying guy is? The one with the pure white hair.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you looking for that bastard? I don¡¯t know!¡± The man waved his arm as if to dismiss Ronan. Frowning at the unexpected and nervous reaction, Ronan suddenly became aware that the other participants from Aran Parzan were giving him hostile looks. ¡°What are you all staring at?¡± Even if one were to drop their pants and urinate right there, they probably wouldn¡¯t look at them with such hostility. Russell, who saw it, muttered to himself in response. ¡°I think it¡¯d be worth a try at this level¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Russell¡¯s gaze swiftly scanned the participants from Gran Parzan. There was something suspicious about his tone. Ronan inquired. ¡°What¡¯s worth trying?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Ah, it seemed like the spirit of those participants over there was dampened, so it seems we can smoothly pass the final test without much trouble. It¡¯s like winning without even fighting.¡± Russell chuckled and replied. His smile seemed awkward for some reason. Ronan warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. It will all be over by tomorrow anyway.¡± ¡°Is there really an ¡®over¡¯? Come on, let¡¯s go unpack our things.¡± Russell, shouldering his backpack once again, took the lead and walked ahead. The hesitant participants followed him one by one. Ronan felt uneasy but moved forward. Everything would be over by tomorrow, as he had said. **** It was evening. The anticipation that participants from Aran Parzan and those from other regions would not be able to mingle well proved to be pleasantly wrong. A woman, sitting across from Ronan and chatting, widened her eyes in admiration. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the one who defeated a hundred monsters in the third test. We were wondering why so many monsters were taken from our side. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°It was nothing much. Who defeated the most on your side?¡± She was one of the participants from Aran Parzan. Conversations naturally flowed among participants from both sides in various ces of the restaurant. Ronan, having finished training a bitter anding separately, didn¡¯t see hispanions around. The most significant contribution to improving the atmosphere was undoubtedly the fermented barley beverage. As people mingled and casually drank a beer or two, conversations naturally unfolded. Although there were multiple lodgings, there was only one restaurant. The fact that participants had to eat together and the demon, the one who lived on dew alone, didn¡¯t show up at the restaurant, were both significant helps. The woman, who had been hesitating, spoke up. ¡°¡­ As you know, that demon. It was thest round, and he ughtered all the remaining 97 monsters.¡± She twisted her lips as if disgusted. It seemed to be a quite standardized nickname, judging by the way she mentioned the demon. She gulped down her beer as if trying to wash away unpleasant memories. ¡°What did he do to make so many people talk about it? You look quite strong too.¡± Ronan pointed to the ne she was wearing. It was a silver pendant shaped like a me, the symbol of the me Knights, one of the ten most powerful groups in the Empire. It was one of the few knight orders Ronan had known since his previous life, and just being part of it already proved her skills. The woman, ying with her ne, smiled wryly. ¡°Ahaha¡­ I thought the same, but the difference was on a different level. You should have seen it for yourself.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°As soon as he arrived, he has been holed up in the lodging. Always like that. It¡¯s rather fortunate.¡± She then detailed the demon¡¯s actions during the three tests. In the first test, he cut off the wrists of all the other participants, and in the second, a g battle, not only the opposing team but also allies who got in the way were killed under the pretense of an ident. Thanks to using a training sword in a clever manner, he avoided any penalties. In the third test, as she just mentioned, he ughtered 97 monsters, and the carnage was so horrifying that it was unbearable to watch. Indeed, his actions were consistent with Russell¡¯s description of a demon. The woman, downing another gulp of beer, continued. ¡°Puha¡­ One clear fact is that he¡¯s associated with the Ferocious de Croden.¡± ¡°Croden? That guy who used to be the Sword Saint?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª At the unexpected remark, Ronan raised an eyebrow. He distinctly remembered discussing Shullifen and Croden during the first test. A scoundrel who killed all other participants just because he didn¡¯t receive the Holy Sword. A culprit with a meticulously crafted identity that made the process of confirming the participants background painstakingly thorough. The woman nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, everyone who remembers him is pretty certain. Either a disciple or a hidden child. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to resemble him so closely. Even his monstrous skills seem convincingly fitting.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so simr?¡± ¡°Everything. The way he wields a sword, his brutality, and his appetite for eating only raw meat¡­ the only thing that makes him different is his quiet personality.¡± With a voice dripping with anger, the woman unraveled the tale entwined with the torrential sword. Ronan chuckled throughout the story, not because it was amusing, but because the viiny was so audacious. He was infamous for burning down an entire rural vige for falsely using him of harboring demons, or kidnapping women he fancied. His peculiar taste for consuming only raw flesh was also well-known, and there were even rumors that he engaged in cannibalism. At this point, Ronan began to understand why Navirose was so revered for bringing down Croden from his position as the Sword Saint. The woman finished her exnation and pped her hands, saying: ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard that Navirose participated. Is that true? And by the way, you mentioned you¡¯re from the Philleon Academy, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. We came up together.¡± ¡°Kyaa! What kind of person is she in real life? We can meet her tomorrow, right? I¡¯ve never had the chance to see her in person, being entrusted to the knights since I was young. Thanks to her, I¡¯ve been inspired to wield a sword¡­¡± The woman¡¯s initially gloomy expression brightened in an instant. It seemed she admired Navirose greatly. Amid her enthusiastic praises, someone shouted from a corner of the restaurant. ¡°Riley, stop it ande here! We were in the middle of a meeting!¡± ¡°Ah, okay!¡± The woman got up from her seat. She shed a smile at Ronan and spoke with a regretful tone. ¡°Sorry. I should go now; it seems I have things to attend to.¡± ¡°It was a pleasure.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ me too. I hope we can meet at the Holy Land.¡± She turned her back, and Ronan turned his head in the direction she walked. In a secluded corner, five men and women were whispering to each other. They all seemed to be participants from Aran Parzan, except for one. Ronan squinted his eyes in surprise. ¡®When did that bastard be so friendly?¡¯ Russell was gesturing and actively talking to a group of five men and women. Riley, as the woman was called, sat down between the group. Ronan clicked his tongue as if pitying them. What was the point of nning a conspiracy now? He quietly finished his remaining drink and returned to the lodging. He was contemting how to deal with the sulking Navirose, and it seemed like he had a stroke of luck. If he told her that he had found a devoted fan of hers, she would definitely feel better. After a quick wash, Ronany down on the bed. The exhaustion from the long hike hit him as soon as he closed his eyes. **** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The chill in his body indicated he had kicked off the nket in his sleep. He sighed as he sat up. ¡°¡­Too early to be awake.¡± The window revealed a dark blue night sky, suggesting that dawn was approaching. His roommate, Shullifen, was peacefully asleep in his bed. Ronan quietly walked out of the room. He intended to smoke a cigarette and gather his thoughts. As he opened the door, a sudden chill filled the air. Fumbling through his pockets, Ronan muttered in frustration. ¡°Shit¡± He realized his pipe was missing. The memory of Navirose taking his pipe shed in his mind. Back then, he let it slide due to the atmosphere, but now he felt the injustice. Ronan muttered while kicking a small stone, but was soon relieved of his anger when he remembered the scene of him seeing Navirose¡¯s naked body. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a big loss.¡± With both hands in his pockets, Ronan made no move to leave. Since he was already awake, taking a walk or going back inside wouldn¡¯t hurt. Inhaling deeply, the pre-dawn air swept through his lungs. Ronan murmured quietly as he wandered through the silent streets. ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey.¡± Finally, today was the day. Once this test was over, he would step onto the Holy Land. The secret about the demon would also be revealed in a few hours. Ronan wandered around aimlessly, recalling the conversation with Zaifa the night before yesterday. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Ronan sniffed. A peculiar scent, mixed with the breeze, reached his nostrils. Turning his head in the direction of the wind, he frowned. ¡°¡­The smell of blood.¡± There was no mistaking it. It was the unmistakable scent of fresh blood. Ronan quickened his pace. The feeling of something going wrong stabbed at his guts. ¡®What the hell is happening again?¡¯ As his steps became faster, Ronan eventually started running. His footsteps echoed through the silent streets, shattering the silence. The scent of blood grew stronger. ¡°Ah¡­ fuck.¡± Finallying to a stop, Ronan looked up. A log cabin serving as a food storage facility stood alone. The scent of blood wafted from within. Ronan hoped they were just processing freshly caught wild animals. Taking a deep breath, Ronan pushed open the wooden door. The door utched creaked open with a squeaky sound. The umted stench of blood enveloped Ronan like a mist. Rows of hanging hooks, shelves stacked with ingredients up to the ceiling, and a side door leading to a meat storage area came into view. As Ronan was about to take his next step, something touched his foot. He lowered his gaze, and his face stiffened. A head, covered with an overturned hood, was rolling on the ground. ¡°Russell.¡± Ronan instinctively spoke. It was undoubtedly Russell. Next to the severed headless bodyy a corpse strewn about like trash. His heart started beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode. The face was extremely distorted, it seemed like he had suffered terribly before he died. Both hands were missing from his body lying in a pool of blood. Russell was not the only corpse. A total of six corpses were lying around the warehouse, with cleanly severed heads and wrists. Among them was Riley, the female knight he had conversed with the previous night. A sharp dagger had pierced her mouth and exited through the back of her head. ¡°What the¡­ hell is this¡­¡± The sword marks left on the cut surface were eerily familiar. Squeak ¨C At that moment, the side door inside the warehouse opened and a young man walked out. His lips were constantly gurgling as if he were chewing on something. His white hair was stained red. Recognizing the young man was not difficult. ¡°Hmm?¡± The young man btedly noticed Ronan and turned his head. Their eyes met. Swallowing what he was chewing, he spoke with an annoyed tone. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°This fucking bastard¡­¡± Whether there was any shimmering mana present or not did not matter. A surge of anger, almost instinctive, propelled Ronan¡¯s body to move. The demon¡¯s eyes widened as Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword. The sound of metal shing between swords shattered the silence of the dawn. Chapter 171: The Festival of Swords (14) Chapter 171: The Festival of Swords (14) Ronan pulled the sword hilt. For a moment, the demon¡¯s hand blurred. A harsh metallic sound shattered the dawn¡¯s silence. ¡°This¡­!¡± Ronan clenched his teeth as he confirmed his sh was blocked. The demon¡¯s sword was much faster than anticipated. However, it seemed the demon was equally surprised. Ronan, steadying himself, swiftly swung his sword as if determined to finish the job. Unfazed, Ronan countered without hesitation. ng! The assant¡¯s attack, faster than anyone could perceive, shed in mid-air. In the dimly lit grain warehouse, mes erupted one after another. The collision sound echoed, always a beatte and irregrly spreading. They paused after about twenty exchanges. The des, now locked in a fierce standoff, growled like territorial beasts. The demon, staring at Ronan, finally spoke. ¡°Fast.¡± ¡°You bastard, what did you do?¡± Ronan retorted fiercely. In the demon¡¯s hand, a sleek single-edged sword was gripped tightly. The sword had a long and gracefully curved design, perfect for swift shes. Seeing that the de was undamaged after colliding with Lamacha, it was evidently a well-crafted sword. Waiting for a response that didn¡¯te, Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. ¡°I¡¯m asking. What have you done?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The tense bnce began to crumble as the demon started exerting more force, but it couldn¡¯t match Ronan¡¯s strength. Stepping back, the demon muttered in admiration. ¡°¡­You have quite the skill. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re an aplice to these bugs.¡± ¡°Aplice?¡± ¡°Yeah. There seems to be a misunderstanding, so how about putting the sword away first.¡± His tone was surprisingly calm, enough to surprise Ronan. With the anger that had clouded his vision now clearing, he focused on the guy¡¯s face. Contrary to expectations, he was an ordinary-looking young man. Wet, disheveled hair had a slightly dull whiteness, and his eyes had a reddish-yellow tint. ¡®Betrayer? No, it¡¯s different.¡¯ Ronan couldn¡¯t sense any shimmering mana on him. Apart from the simrity in hair and eye color, the guy¡¯s face didn¡¯t resemble the robe-wearing man. Yet, a few perplexing features, difficult to notice in their apparent normality, confused Ronan. Theck of any discernible emotion in his expression and attitude was particrly notable. His monotone voice added an eerie touch. In the slow blinking of eyes that showed no hint of emotion, Russell mentioned a past incident where the guy had apparently undergone a skin-changing process, and its side effects seemed evident. Overall, he felt distinctly non-human. The demon lowered his sword slowly. Ronan, without letting down his guard, pointed the de at the guy¡¯s throat. ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°All the corpses lying around here were people who tried to kill me. They expected me toe here to eat raw meat and ambushed me at the same time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can tell just by looking at outfits of these bugs. They were so unsure of winning with their swords that they brought all sorts of junk with them.¡± The demon imed to be the victim, asserting that killing them was an act of self-defense. He added that the torturous acts, such as wrist-cutting, were attempts to find out who was behind it. Ronan surveyed the corpses, and indeed, all six of them were perfectly armed with armor and weapons. Prohibited scrolls and auxiliary weapons were also casually visible, indicating they hade prepared for a full-fledged confrontation. ¡°¡­Really?¡± Every detail seemed to support the demon¡¯s im. It was a moment of brief bewilderment for Ronan. Suddenly, the demon, lowering his posture, swiftly moved backward. ¡°You son of a¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Unfamiliar mana, likely Aura, was coiling around the demon¡¯s sword, gathering rapidly. Instinctively sensing danger, Ronan swung his sword. Simultaneously, the crouched figure shot forward like an arrow. It was an unavoidable distance. Ronan, quickly assessing the situation, struck the assant in a preemptive attack. As the two swords collided again, the mana coiled around the de erupted in a blinding explosion. Boom! Ronan¡¯s body was thrown, smashing through the warehouse wall. ¡°Ugh!¡± If he hadn¡¯t parried, it would have been a devastating blow, potentially tearing his limbs apart. In mid-air, Ronan drove his sword into the ground. ng! A long de mark engraved itself on the floor as his body came to a stop. ¡®Fuck, I let my guard down.¡¯ It was a clear oversight. Despite the intense pain in his back, there was no time to dwell on it. Ronan raised his head, taking in the scene of exploded bodies and a section of the warehouse wall blown away by the st. As the wind carried away the smoke, the demon, standing still, emerged. With an impressed tone, he muttered. ¡°¡­Impressive.¡± Droplets of blood fell beneath the demon¡¯s feet. A long wound cut diagonally across his chest, a trace left by Lamacha just before the explosion. Ronan, observing a rtively shallow wound, spat out a curse. If it had gone a bit deeper, it could have pierced his heart. ¡°Unlucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dangerous. Regardless of if you¡¯re an aplice or not, I have to kill you.¡± The demon spoke. Ronan, spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth, got up. It seemed the demon had no intention of backing down. Slowly lifting his sword, the demon adjusted his stance. An ominous Aura, reminiscent of the one left by Lamacha, emanated as he focused. ¡®He¡¯s nning to end it in one go.¡¯ Outside, it was still dark. Perhaps his sense of smell had adapted, as he no longer felt the scent of blood. Somewhere, the sound of a door being opened or closed by the wind echoed. The figures of the two vanished from view. It was the moment they closed the distance, intending to sh at the midpoint. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°What the hell?!¡± Ronan and the demon came to a simultaneous halt, almost stumbling due to the abrupt stop. As their gazes lowered, they noticed a de, poised as if to touch, hovering near their throats. An elderly man, with a somewhat jagged appearance, held a sword in each hand, aiming at Ronan and the demon. ¡°You are¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was undoubtedly the old man, Allogin, whom he had seen in Gran Parzan. Navirose had introduced him as a former Sword Saint and one of the elders overseeing the Festival of Swords. Allogin, alternating his gaze between Ronan, the corpses, and the demon, spoke up. ¡°Exin, Nodrek. What mischief have you been up to again?¡± ¡°I was merely the target of an assassination attempt during my meal. I can provide enough evidence.¡± ¡°An attempted assassination¡­ so, are you iming that the 44th participant here is the assassin?¡± ¡°No. Only the corpses scattered around are the assassins. I thought this one was an aplice so I needed to eliminate him.¡± The demon said, pointing the tip of his sword at Ronan. It seemed like Nodrek was his real name. ¡°You said earlier that you thought I wasn¡¯t an aplice.¡± ¡°It was merely to catch you off guard. However, I am now confident that you¡¯re not an aplice. Your intentions differ from these trash.¡± Nodrek¡¯s gaze shifted towards the scattered corpses. It was almostughable how absurdly inept they seemed. Wasn¡¯t he the same individual he dered was dangerous and needed to be killed just moments ago? Allogin, with a wry smile, turned to Ronan. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Within the wrinkled eyelids, the still-shining pupils retained their brilliance. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan shook his head. ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°So be it. For now,e with me. Regardless of the circumstances, the two of you need to be interrogated.¡± Allogin turned and walked away. The demon followed suit, maintaining a respectful distance. Suddenly, Ronan realized that it wasn¡¯t just Allogin who had arrived at that moment. Whether on the warehouse roof, around the alley corners, or behind the trees, several elderly figures, unseen until now, were strategically ced, seemingly observing them. ¡®Elders.¡¯ A chilling shiver crawled up Ronan¡¯s spine. He hadn¡¯t sensed their presence at all until they approached. Even in the midst of battle, their ability to remain unnoticed was remarkable. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell upon the severed head rolling on the ground. Russell, caught in the explosion, had lost the lower part of his face. In the end, despite being part of the mercenary group, he had met his demise at the hands of the demon. He had warned him against such foolish actions. Ronan, his lips tightly pressed, gently closed Russell¡¯s still vacant eyes. ¡°Stupid bastard.¡± Riley¡¯s lifeless bodyy scattered in pieces, with no intact head to close the eyes on. Ronan, briefly mourning, followed Allogin. The elders continued their watch until the two disappeared from their sight. Soon after, administrators who had rushed over began clearing away the corpses. When the participants, awakened by themotion, arrived at the scene, the traces of the tragedy had vanished without a trace. **** ¡°You look tired. Did anything happen?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Morning had arrived. In response to Lynn¡¯s question, Ronan waved his hand. They were heading towards the location where the final test would take ce. Ronan had returned to base just in time for breakfast. Dealing with inquiries from the Parzan side took longer than expected. As the events had unfolded so covertly, except for Ronan and Nodrek, other participants were unaware of what had transpired in the early morning. Ronan, who showed no resistance even when patted on his buttocks, responded with a gesture of exhaustion to Lynn¡¯s questioning gaze. ¡°Hmm. Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡± In conclusion, the demon, Nodrek, was recognized as acting in self-defense. The evidence that he was ambushed by other participants was too clear. Through the investigation of the deceased, including Russell, it was revealed that all of them harbored intense grudges against Nodrek. Some had lost family members, others lost friends. Particrly for Reily, the female knight who had participated in the previous test with him, her lover had his wrist shed by Nodrek in the first test. However, their personal grievances were not taken into consideration. The reason was simple¡ªNodrek had never openly vited the rules ormitted a crime since participating in the Festival of Swords. The assassination attempt had ultimately failed, and those who had attempted it had be infamous criminals. It was a tragic oue, but there was no sympathy, as their methods were far from righteous. It was just a miserable situation. ¡°Woah, this is the final gateway to the Holy Land¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m thrilled.¡± Those who had finally arrived at their destination marveled at the spectacle. The arena where the final test would be held was more beautiful than any building they had seen in Parzan. The oval-shaped arena adorned with white marble and jewels resembled a jewel box offered to the gods. As they reached the arena, the participants split into their respective factions and lined up. The number of participants had visibly decreased due to the recent tragedy. Amidst the grumbling of participants wondering about the reduced numbers, a familiar old man appeared before them. ¡°I sincerely salute all of you foring this far. As you already know, the final test will be a one-on-one duel between participants from Aran Parzan and Gran Parzan. I, Allogin, and Sword Saint Zaifa will oversee this sacred duel.¡± The supervisor in charge was Elder Allogin. The severe demeanor he had shown the previous night had disappeared, and he appeared again as a benevolent old man. Standing next to him was the weary-looking Weartiger, who seemed to find the whole situation bothersome. ncing over the participants, she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m Zaifa.¡± The participants erupted in cheers. Although her greeting was far from polite, most of the participants were in awe as if they had met a god from their revered religion. After all, the Sword Saint of the Empire was an idol for everyone who wielded a sword. ¡°Are you okay, Instructor?¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± Navirose nced back, taking a deep breath, desperately suppressing her emotions. With blood vessels pulsating at her temples, it seemed she was enduring considerable heat. Allogin continued his exnation. ¡°The opponents for the duel will be randomly selected. Only the participant who obtained the priority nomination in the third test can designate their opponent. The one who incapacitates the opponent within the designated time wins.¡± Due to a reduction in the number of participants from Aran Parzan, possibly due to the recent tragedy, Allogin added that four participants from Gran Parzan received a bye. The draw was promptly conducted, and Lynn, along with two others, ended up not having to fight and proceeded directly to the Holy Land. Lynn threw the winning lot at Ronan. ¡°Ta-da.¡± ¡°Worked out well.¡± ¡°See youter. Ask me again at the Holy Land; I¡¯ll really think about it then.¡± Ronan responded with a sly smile. Lynn lightly smacked his buttocks and ascended to the spectator seats. Soon, with the majestic sound of horns, the final test began. The first and second matches were determined in order of those who had obtained the right to choose. ¡°Now, participant number 1, Nodrek. Please choose your opponent.¡± Allogin spoke. For a moment, a silence fell over the arena. Rumors about the demon had already spread widely among the participants. People either bowed their heads or avoided eye contact to steer clear of him. ¡®He¡¯ll probably choose me.¡¯ Ronan calmly prepared himself to fight. He was half-certain that Nodrek would choose him, especially considering he had dered the intention to kill him earlier. Judging by his words, it was hard to imagine any other purpose for this test than legitimate homicide. ¡°I choose you.¡± As expected, Nodrek¡¯s response was swift. He stretched out his hand as soon as Allogin finished speaking. However, the person he chose waspletely unexpected. Ronan frowned when he saw that Nordrek¡¯s index finger was pointing directly at Navirose. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Navirose. You¡¯ll be my opponent.¡± Nodrek spoke. His voice remained dry, but his tone was rough, as if he had transformed into someone else. Everyone in the arena was stunned. Even Zaifa perked her ears as if finding it intriguing. The bewildered murmurs quickly spread among the participants. ¡°Oh, my goodness.¡± ¡°Did he lose his mind? No matter how confident you are in your skills, that¡¯s just¡­¡± Despite being chosen, Navirose showed no particr reaction. Calmly ascending to the arena, she looked at Nodrek and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Better than anyone else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know you. There were rumors that you are a disciple of the Ferocious Sword Croden. Are you trying to settle the score with your master¡¯s enemy?¡± ¡°Disciple.¡± Nodrek grinned slyly. The horn announcing the battle roared to signal the beginning. In an instant, Nodrek¡¯s figure disappeared from view. Ronan, who was watching, widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, he missed the movement. It was a speed far beyond what it was when they fought earlier. Navirose swung her sword forward simultaneously with the collision. Quaaaang! An explosion urred with a deafening sound, and her body was thrown into the air. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The power of the explosion was significantly stronger. Navirose, bncing herself mid-air andnded on the ground. The rising smoke from the explosion obscured the view. She wiped her nosebleed with her sleeve and muttered softly. ¡°You were alive, Ferocious Sword.¡± Chapter 172: The Festival of Swords (15) Chapter 172: The Festival of Swords (15) ¡°You were alive, Ferocious Sword.¡± Navirose wiped away her nosebleed. Hernding was close to the spectator seats, unintentionally allowing her voice to be heard. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait. Ferocious Sword? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Exactly as it sounds. I definitely made sure to render him unable to wield a sword ever again, I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Navirose replied without turning her head. She imed that this guy called Nodrek was the Ferocious Sword himself. Amidst the thick rising smoke, a yellowish glow created by Nodrek¡¯s Aura flickered. Shullifen, who was shocked, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Impossible. Is there any possibility that he is a disciple or a descendant?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t live in vain to the point of confusing such a thing¡­ Hmmm, here hees again.¡± Navirose clicked her tongue. Simultaneously, within the dense smoke, a yellow sh created by Nodrek¡¯s charge tore through. For most spectators, his charge seemed like a gust of wind. Unperturbed, Navirose distanced herself. Gathering mana, she swung the sword horizontally, and a deep green crescent moon shot towards Nodrek. It was almost 100 meters in diameter, covering the entire arena. Cheers erupted from the audience. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± ¡°As expected, a master swordsman!¡± There was nowhere to escape. Nodrek, who was charging, came to a sudden halt in his tracks. In the moment when the flying sword energy was about to tear him apart, Nodrek nted his sword into the ground, using it as a support to leap. A bang! The explosion from the tip of the sword added momentum to his body. The flying sword energy passed under Nodrek, hitting the opposite side of the arena and causing an explosion. ¡°Your momentum has decreased significantly, youngdy.¡± His tone was far from theposed and rational demeanor he had before. There was not even a trace of it. Instantly, Nodrek, who had reached Navirose, unleashed a sword strike. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he swung it vertically. Navirose, moving like flowing water, intercepted his sword with a smooth motion. ng! A roar reminiscent of a beast reverberated, shaking the entire arena. ¡°Thank you for saying that. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been called a youngdy.¡± Navirose sneered. The two continued exchanging sword strikes without taking a step back, creating a storm of fierce mana with each sh. Yellow and green ¨C the collision of the two des intertwined, producing a violent storm of mana. Thunder made of steel roared sessively. In the midst of their intense battle, Navirose spoke up. ¡°Croden. How are you still alive?¡± ¡°I owe my life to a peculiar group. Miracles do seem to exist. They healed me when I was dying on the coast.¡± Even as they divided blows, they casually engaged in conversation. The calm expressions on their faces made it seem like old friends chatting. Nodrek exined that an enigmatic group had brought him back to life. Navirose raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fascinating. A peculiar group, you say?¡± ¡°Yeah. They even attached the leg that was severed by you. Hard to believe it¡¯s prosthetic, huh?¡± ¡°Oh, really? It was prosthetic?¡± Navirose raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. Nodrek¡¯s artificial leg moved so naturally that it was indistinguishable from a real one. It far surpassed the technological prowess of the Empire. He continued speaking. ¡°But they couldn¡¯t restore the nerves torn away with the skin. Look at my face, now incapable ofughing or crying. I had to sacrifice so many bugs unwillingly.¡± ¡°Sacrifice bugs? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The leg and skin weren¡¯t given for free. I had tomit a lot of unintentional killings. It seems changing my hair and eyes to a stupid color wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Nodrek chuckled. Of course, with his unchanging expression and tone, it sounded more like the rustling of wind thanughter. He exined that he had killed countless humans for the sake of sourcing materials. The moment Ronan heard those words, he could imagine what had happened to Russell¡¯srades who were taken away alive. Navirose¡¯s brow furrowed unexpectedly. ¡°If you¡¯ve managed to cling to life, you should¡¯ve lived quietly. Why return to the Festival of Swords? Could it be that you still haven¡¯t let go of your attachment to the Holy Sword?¡± ¡°Well, besides the Holy Sword, there are other reasons. I can¡¯t go into details¡­¡± Suddenly, Nodrek tightened his grip on the hilt. The radiance wrapped around the sword intensified, and its speed increased. With a resounding sh, a lightning-like strike hit the de of the Grand Sword. The previously tense bnce crumbled, and Navirose¡¯s body was thrown backward. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Navirose flew all the way to the end of the arena, colliding with the wall. Kwaang! Along with the impact reminiscent of being struck by a siege weapon, part of the spectator seats copsed. Shullifen, witnessing her spitting blood, rose from his seat. Nodrek¡¯s amplified voice echoed clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate people, you bitch. Why don¡¯t you summon your snake?¡± Nodrek aimed the tip of his sword at Navirose. The mana that had spread around him like mist twisted, forming ten spiral pirs. Astonished gasps erupted from various parts of the spectator seats. These pirs, each reaching a size of 10 meters, were conglomerates condensed from the Ferocious Sword¡¯s Aura. Navirose, struggling, regained herposure as she twisted her body and steadied herself. A pained groan escaped her lips. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you intending to maintain your pride until the end? Well, if that¡¯s the case, think about who will clean up your torn-apart corpse.¡± Nodrek growled. The spiral pirs, previously standing vertically, leaned forward, aiming at her. rmed, Supervisor Allogin quickly spoke up. ¡°This is dangerous. Sword Saint, we should stop the duel.¡± ¡°No. Wait.¡± Zaifa shook her head. Allogin¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°The match is already decided. Moreover, if that person is truly the Ferocious Sword, Croden, it¡¯s not an ordinary matter. We should immediately halt the duel and secure Croden!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to wait. That snake will handle it on her own.¡± ¡°What does that mean¡­!¡± Though Allogin protested, Zaifa remained silent. She turned her head slightly to look at Ronan. A subtle exchange of nces passed between the two. Not yet. Not yet. At that moment, the spiral pirs were simultaneouslyunched. For safety, the wizards who were on standby created a defensive barrier between the spectator seats and the arena. A reddish glow covered the arena, apanied by a thunderous noise as if the world were turning upside down. The specially treated stone floor flipped like sand, creating a tumultuous scene. The defense barrier,posed of fiveyers, repeatedly shattered and regenerated. Kwaang! Several participants, unable to withstand the mental shock, vomited blood and copsed. ¡°Instructor.¡± Shullifen tightened his grip on the hilt. It was an explosion so intense that it would not only excavate bones but wouldn¡¯t leave a trace of flesh. Under normal circumstances, entering now was out of the question, but Navirose¡¯s current state was far from normal. Shullifen, biting his lower lip, debated whether he should intrude even at this moment. From below, a familiar voice reached him. ¡°You¡¯re quite kind. Indeed, good-looking guys tend to have good hearts.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. The princess will be fine.¡± Shullifen lowered his head. Lynn, who had approached unnoticed, was standing by his side. It took him quite a while to invest enough time to realize that the word ¡°princess¡± referred to Navirose. Ronan also interjected. ¡°That¡¯s right, dude. Trust her a bit.¡± ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± Shullifen shifted his gaze. Ronan, with his fists clenched, casually observed the explosion engulfing the arena. There was no tension apparent in his nonchnt expression. If anything, he seemed like someone waiting for something. ¡°Just the day before yesterday, Zaifa mentioned that it was the first time she had unsheathed her ws since leaving the North.¡± ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°Instructor, she¡¯s almost the only person that meticulous tiger would acknowledge. Out of curiosity, I asked her about her experience as the Sword Saint, and she replied like this: ¡®I may be violent, but my skills are worse than when I was fifteen. I was just lucky enough tost for 40 years.''¡± Ronan recounted the conversation he had with Zaifa while drinking with her early in the morning. After downing about ten bottles of Millennium Snowflower liquor, Zaifa, whose intoxication had risen, threw off her shirt, revealing the scars on her chest. On muscles that seemed to have expanded like ck obsidian, there remained a sword wound almost the length of Ronan¡¯s height. Among countless scars, there was one that stood out, undoubtedly a wound inflicted by Navirose¡¯s sword. Unlike Navirose, Zaifa treated those scars as her ownmemorative marks. Perhaps due to her long life, her mental resilience was exceptional. She then confidently dered that she could defeat someone like the Ferocious Sword using only one hand. While Ronan regarded both Zaifa and Navirose as geniuses beyond standard measures, he also considered the Ferocious Sword as a highly skilled individual. ¡°I tried facing him this morning, so I know. Whether he¡¯s Nodrek or the Ferocious Sword, he¡¯s undeniably strong. Probably stronger than both you and me right now.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Why would someone with a sharper intuition than me act like that? Take a closer look.¡± Suddenly, Ronan, who was shoulder to shoulder with Shullifen, gestured towards where Navirose had been. Shullifen, staring intently at that spot, widened his eyes. Ronan, with a raised corner of his mouth, threw out a single phrase. ¡°With that level, he can¡¯t beat the Instructor.¡± It was a statement of confidence. The explosion ceased shortly after. The smoke covering half of the arena looked like a solid wall. Since no one in the spectator seats spoke up, everyone could hear Nodrek¡¯s muttered words. ¡°¡­I should have enjoyed myself a bit before killing you. You were in your prime, after all.¡± Nodrek savored the moment. The absence of pitch in the sound made it even more chilling. He, with his gaze fixed on the wall of smoke, muttered to himself. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have taken the baptism. It was useless anyway.¡± Nodrek was in a contemtive mood, reflecting on the events of the past few decades. Suddenly, within the smoke, a green crescent moon floated towards him. It looked feeble, as if it might extinguish at any moment. Its size,pared to Navirose¡¯s previous attack, was ridiculously small. ¡°What¡¯s this? Still alive?¡± Nodrek chuckled, embodying the futile resistance of a dying being. As he casually shrugged, the feeble crescent passed by as if to mock. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if at least your face and torso are intact.¡± If only the limbs were severed, it would have been perfectly fine. Nodrek, having turned his de once, took a step forward for the final confirmation. Whoosh! Suddenly, the wall of smoke exploded, and a green radiance scattered. Massive sword energies revealed themselves. ¡°What in the¡­!¡± Bewildered, Nodrek swung his sword. It was an unreal spectacle. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal¡ªswords from every direction seemed like a divine to capture prey. Finding a gap amidst the sword¡¯s rampage was almost impossible. Eventually, a sword,pletely unavoidable, passed by Nodrek¡¯s cheek. ¡°Ugh!¡± With a thud, Nodrek¡¯s right ear fell to the ground. Blood gushed out like a fountain, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. With clenched teeth, Nodrek lunged forward. Rather than fleeing with his back turned, it was better to face it head-on and find an opening. In a dramatic moment of breaking through the of swords, Navirose appeared behind the wide-ranging sword energies. The aftermath of the explosion caused her attire to tear in ces, but there seemed to be no serious injuries. Bulging muscles on her arms and legs, sharp gaze¡ªshe was ready to swing the sword, and she coldly uttered. ¡°I thought for a moment. Considering what my disciple¡¯s said, you might not be Croden.¡± ¡°You damn bitch!¡± Nodrek instinctively thrust his sword. Navirose¡¯s imposing figure disappeared from view. des that soared aiming for each other crossed paths. Boom! In the fiery aftermath, a fist-sized hole appeared in Navirose¡¯s hair. Simultaneously, a red line manifested above Nodrek¡¯s chest. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°But it turned out to be right.¡± Blood gushed from Nodrek¡¯s nose and mouth. Navirose, turning her body, kicked his abdomen with great force. Kwaaang! Nodrek, propelled in a straight line, crashed into the opposite side of the arena. A cobweb-like crack emerged, centered around him. His body, sliding against the wall, copsed onto the ground. ¡°Still, it¡¯s trash that deserved to be cut down.¡± Navirose wiped the blood from her sword. Nodrek remained motionless. An oppressive silence enveloped the arena. Allogin, regainingposure with some effort, finally spoke. ¡°¡­The test is over.¡± Chapter 173: The Festival of Swords (16) Chapter 173: The Festival of Swords (16) ¡°The test is over.¡± Allogin chanted. Navirose finally sheathed her sword. Despite the determination of the winner, the arena still remained silent. The lingering smoke escaped through the venttion openings in the walls and ceiling. -p, p, p. Then, somewhere, the sound of apuse echoed. It marked the beginning. The sound of palms meeting palms spread like wildfire. Soon, the entire arena erupted into chaos. Those who had been holding back their words now poured out their thoughts. ¡°Amazing. Truly amazing¡­!¡± ¡°Even without using Aura, to think she could be at that level¡­ I honestly thought she had regressed after stepping back from the frontlines.¡± ¡°By the way, was that really the Ferocious Sword? How did he get in?¡± Some participants raised their hands and apuded enthusiastically. Navirose responded indifferently to the cheers without showing much reaction. It was a sight of her crowning glory, but some people couldn¡¯t bring themselves to look directly at her. Most were participants, including Shullifen, who still retained their integrity. Due to the explosion, Navirose had unintentionally lost a significant portion of her clothes, inadvertently disying her physical superiority. The problemy in the fact that she was entirely indifferent to it. Ronan, who couldn¡¯t help but see, threw his outer coat and shouted. ¡°Damn it, cover yourself. Why¡¯s a grown woman like this?¡± ¡°Stop making a fuss.¡± Navirose grinned as she picked up the coat. When she put it on, small sighs of relief escaped from various ces. The substantial difference in their physique allowed the coat to cover up to her thighs. Nodrek, still lying motionless, had a growing pool of crimson beneath his abdomen. The judges with medical equipment rushed to him. Watching this, Allogin spoke up. ¡°¡­I was convinced at the end. I never thought it could really be the Ferocious Sword.¡± ¡°Hard to believe that trash reigning as the Sword Saint for 40 years. Disappointing.¡± The crowd continued buzzing with discussions as the aftermath of the intense battle unfolded. ¡°I must say, both you and the Sword Saint seem unusually strong. Nevertheless, suppressing everything without revealing your true capabilities is impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fitting result.¡± ¡°But¡­ if appearance is the only thing that changed, how did he manage to bypass our surveincework?¡± Allogin¡¯s wrinkles deepened. He couldn¡¯tprehend how the disguised Ferocious Sword managed to enter the final test. Despite investing a considerable amount in magical tools for interrogation to prevent such incidents, this situation had urred. At least during his tenure as a senior member, no participant had managed to slip through Parzan¡¯s surveincework. As he was contemting, a voice of a girl came from behind. ¡°Probably a memory sealing spell.¡± Both Zaifa and Allogin turned simultaneously. There sat a petite girl, seemingly one of the participants, squatting beside Zaifa. Recognizing the abundance of white hair, Allogin realized that she was one of the contestants. ¡°You definitely got a byepass¡­¡± ¡°Hello. Greetings to the tiger.¡± Lynn greeted without turning her head. She was fully focused on trying to catch Zaifa¡¯s tail, which was moving around. Zaifa, cing her tail on Lynn¡¯s forehead, spoke. ¡°Memory sealing? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Exactly as it sounds. It temporarily locks away memories of who you are, leaving only the purpose behind. This way, even if you answer questions about yourself differently from reality, it won¡¯t be considered a lie. It allows you to pass through most psychological detection spells. Perhaps the magic was designed to release the seal the moment he saw our princess.¡± ¡°¡­Princess?¡± Zaifa and Allogin furrowed their brows simultaneously. Their gazes turned towards Navirose, whose face was covered in blood. Lynn exined that this was the only method for someone to reach this far while concealing the true identity of the Ferocious Sword. By sealing the primal instincts and distinctive temperament, leaving only the cunning and rational aspects, the Ferocious Sword could perfectly mimic the participant Nodrek. The preconception that the Ferocious Sword couldn¡¯t be the actual person facilitated his smooth infiltration. Allogin nodded in understanding. ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, people have changed since meeting Lady Navirose. How do you avoid being affected by that?¡± ¡°Just general knowledge. It naturally umtes when you¡¯ve lived for a long time. There was someone who did the same thing a very long time ago.¡± ¡°A very long time ago?¡± Allogin frowned upon hearing the im of long life. The girl in front of him appeared to be in her early teens at most. Finally catching Zaifa¡¯s tail, Lynn mumbled softly. ¡°It was a pity. You too.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Zaifa¡¯s ear twitched. It was so small that she was the only one who heard the whisper, but Zaifa didn¡¯t bother asking what it meant. Lynn, who had been thoroughly ying with Zaifa¡¯s tail, turned around and walked towards where Ronan was. Allogin watched her retreating figure and stroked his beard. ¡°What a strange girl¡­ Well, with investigation, something wille up. Let¡¯s start preparing for the next test¡­¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Allogin asked. Zaifa didn¡¯t answer directly but looked in the direction her instincts pointed. Nodrek,pletely injured, was being carried out on a stretcher. Between his slightly parted lips, his fangs were visible. ¡°There¡¯s a disgusting smelling from him.¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± Allogin¡¯s words trailed off. Suddenly, Nodrek, who had been lying down, raised his upper body. From the oozing wound, sticky coagted blood burst forth. The supervisors escorting him panicked and shouted. ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s awake¡­!¡± ¡°Quick, lie back down. Your injury is too severe!¡± Nodrek remained silent. His body felt as cold as if it had been immersed in icy water and then pulled out. The sensation in the tips of his fingers and toes was fading. Realizing that time was running out, he clenched his teeth. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± ¡°Lie down quickly. For now, you need to survive¡­¡± The medical team was about toy him down. In an instant, Nodrek¡¯s hand disappeared from view, and the heads of the medical team escorting him simultaneously exploded. Boom! The sound of skulls shattering resonated, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey, look there! The medical staff!¡± ¡°What, he¡¯s alive?¡± Turning her gaze a moment toote, Navirose widened her eyes. Nodrek, who had drawn a sword unnoticed, was slowly walking towards her. Witnessing the headless corpses, Navirose spoke with an enraged tone. ¡°This piece of trash.¡± Due to the iplete dismemberment for interrogation, Navirose charged at Nodrek without hesitation. In that moment, an immense amount of mana erupted over Nodrek¡¯s shoulders. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Within the surging mana, shes of white sparkled at rapid intervals. It was the shimmering symbol of Neb zier. ¡°Atst.¡± Exchanging nces with Zaifa, Ronan rose from his seat. Navirose swiftly reached Nodrek, who hade into view. Drawing her sword, her body rotated significantly. A mana-made tail extended along with the ck de. The emerald-colored grand sword seemed capable of slicing through entire mountain ranges or ciers. At the moment the sword was about to reach Nodrek, a deafening sh echoed. Something blocked the grand sword, sending a metallic sound that tore through eardrums. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± ¡°I admit it¡­ it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I should have used it sooner¡­¡± Nodrek murmured, spitting blood. The grand sword, Urusa, remained suspended in the air. A strange, undting barrier surrounded Nodrek like an oil belt. Swiftly readjusting her stance, Navirose unleashed another sword strike, but the unidentified shield deflected it effortlessly. It was the Protection of the Stars, one of the Giant¡¯s abilities. The spectators in the stands began to grow restless. ¡°What is that?!¡± ¡°A shield? Is it a magical barrier?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s different. I heard it from my rtive in the Dawn Unit. That¡¯s undoubtedly the Neb zier¡¯s¡­¡± Suddenly, Navirose noticed that blood wasn¡¯t flowing from his wounds. The once severe injuries, tearing through internal organs, had inexplicably turned into shallow scratches. Nodrek, running his fingers through his whitening hair, spoke. ¡°I tried to face you with my own strength as much as possible. But sometimes, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Ferocious Sword.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all die together.¡± His pallor returnedpletely, and the wounds that were once deep gashes now appeared as mere scratches. Clutching the hilt with both hands, Nodrek struck the ground with his sword. Crack! A white light burst through the cracks in the ground. Sensing imminent danger, Navirose quickly distanced herself. ¡®I¡¯m going to be hit. Not just me, but everyone.¡¯ Navirose took a deep breath. It wasn¡¯t an attack she could block or evade. In the sh warning of the impending explosion, she felt a simr force, like the surrounding barrier. This explosion would undoubtedly obliterate the entire arena without a trace. With her mind overwhelmed by the impending catastrophe, she had been about to rush forward to minimize the damage. A familiar young man intercepted her,nding in front of her. ¡°Stop. It¡¯s this bastard.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. In the hands of the robust youth, there was an entire new scabbard, from hilt to de, filled with the aura of the Neb zier. Ronan, ring at Nodrek, spoke. ¡°Now you¡¯ve revealed your true colors. This should be visible to everyone.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Get out of the way right now!¡± Veins bulged on Navirose¡¯s neck. Ronan remained silent. At that moment, a sh emanated from Nodrek¡¯s sword, painting the arena white. A detonation different from anything seen before was about to erupt, centered around him. Navirose shouted. ¡°Ronan!!¡± ¡°Trust your disciple a bit.¡± Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt. A rich crimson tint dyed Lamancha. He swung the sword in a wide arc, attempting Navirose¡¯s signature spinning de technique, unseen for a while. A ck line appeared on the white canvas that covered the field of vision. Ronan stopped when hepleted the rotation. Shwaaaak! The mana, pulsating as if it would burst, lost its form and dispersed. Nodrek, who had been at the epicenter, revealed his form, his eyes bulging. ¡°What is this, it¡¯s ridiculous¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ridiculous if it works.¡± Ronan spat on the ground. Since the essence of Aura was ultimately mana, it was a feasible action. He immediately rotated once more, manifesting the sword energy. The red crescent moon, propelled in a straight line, collided with the Protection of the Stars. Ka-ching! The peculiar barrier shattered into pieces, as if it were made of ss. Navirose was astonished. ¡°Ronan, you¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± Ronan smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. Nodrek, having lost even the Protection of the Stars, staggered in confusion. At that moment, a gigantic shadow leaped from the tform. Silentlynding in front of Nodrek, the shadow spoke. ¡°I am Zaifa Turgen, the Vanguard Commander of the Dawn Unit.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°I have a question, Nodrek. No, Ferocious Sword Corden.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nodrek raised his eyebrow. Her head was so high up that one had to tilt their head to look at her. In her hand, capable of grasping a watermelon like an apple, was a sword reminiscent of a pir. Navirose frowned. ¡°Why did that cat suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Wait, instructor. It¡¯s her turn now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Navirose made a face indicating she did not understand what was happening. Zaifa, who was observing Nodrek quietly, spoke up. ¡°It happened on the 11th day ofst month. Did you kill my subordinates?¡± ¡°How should I know? Get lost, kid!¡± Instead of answering Zaifa¡¯s question, Nodrek snarled fiercely. As his arm blurred and disappeared, a red line was drawn across Zaifa¡¯s chest. Ssh! The red line of blood sttered over the ck pattern. Ronan and Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Zaifa?!¡± ¡°Damn it, that ignorant tiger.¡± Ronan was disgusted. The new wound intersected precisely with the scar left by Navirose. It was visibly a deep wound, but Zaifa didn¡¯t show a hint of pain. Instead, Nodrek, whounched the surprise attack, was bewildered. ¡°What kind of body¡­¡± It felt more like cutting through rock than flesh. Perplexed, Nodrek swung his sword again. Ching! Zaifa raised his sword lightly, blocking the attack. Nodrek¡¯s expression brightened. With just one exchange, he realized that his opponent was not easy. His frozen mouth trembled. ¡°Ha, you didn¡¯t be a Sword Saint for nothing. This turned out to be interesting, so I¡¯ll deal with you first. If you knew what kind of power I¡¯ve received, you wouldn¡¯t act up.¡± Nodrek, grumbling, was gathering his Aura when Zaifa suddenly pulled his arm back. Unexpectedly, Zaifa, who clenched her fist, swung down her sword. Nodrek hurriedly raised his sword to defend, but the sword continued its path, falling onto his head. The sound of a heavy thud. The divided body of Nodrek spread out on both sides. Organs spilled out, making a squelching noise. ¡°Ugh.¡± Nost words came. From the forehead to the jaw, the split body sprawled out on both sides. A thick stter of entrails spilled onto the ground. ¡°¡­!¡± Silence descended on the bustling arena. Zaifa, after lightly running her fingers over the wound on her chest, where fresh blood adorned the ck robe, clenched her fist again. With blood still vibrant on her cheekbones, she turned her body slowly, facing Ronan. ¡°¡­You were right. The culprit was clear.¡± Chapter 174: The Festival of Swords (17) Chapter 174: The Festival of Swords (17) ¡°¡­You were right. The culprit is clear.¡± Zaifa spoke. The bisected body of Nodrek was convulsing at her feet. Ronan frowned as he looked at the wound on her chest. ¡°Damn it, did you really have to confirm it like that? Hurry up and get treated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a scratch.¡± Zaifa shook her head. It was an ignorant verification method. Of course, there was no better way to determine who the sword marks belonged to, but it was certainly a rash method. Red blood was seeping out over the coarse fur. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. ¡°¡­A single strike.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I ended this bug¡¯s life in a single strike. If I estimate the time it took, it was probably less than a second. Do you know what that means?¡± A murky sadness flickered beyond her red eyes. Zaifa, who had been rummaging through her pockets, pulled something out. Dozens of t insignias made of metal were threaded onto a long, thin leather strap. Ronan and Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. They were recognition tags issued to imperial soldiers. ¡°If I had been with my subordinates just for a second longer, all of this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± The sound of grinding metal was poignant. Ronan was about to say something but stopped himself. Allowing the attack to happen, even though he could have easily prevented it, was his own way of mourning and atonement. Ronan gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± ¡°There were aplices. At least two more.¡± ¡°Yeah. People who can handle a sword better than this guy.¡± ¡°We need to catch them all before summeres. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate,e find me.¡± Ronan nodded his head. They were going to catch them as soon as possible anyway. Zaifa, putting away the recognition tags, turned to Navirose. ¡°You¡¯ve be sharper. It seems like your Aura still has not manifested¡­¡± ¡°How did you know that¡­!¡± ¡°I can tell just by looking at you. In respect, let me give you a piece of advice.¡± Navirose didn¡¯t respond, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Zaifa spoke with a more serious tone. ¡°Life is about walking through storms. People naturally end up with countless scars, some of which never fade and remain as permanent reminders. I imagine the fact that you lost to me repeatedly has be such a scar for you.¡± ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t erase scars. They are, quite literally, scars. However, how you choose to deal with them is entirely up to you.¡± Suddenly, Zaifa pointed to her chest. Beneath her tattered clothes, a long scar was etched. It was the mark left by Navirose¡¯s de. She extended her hand for a handshake to Navirose. ¡°I¡¯ve never once felt ashamed of this scar.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Navirose looked up at Zaifa, her gaze intense. Perhaps because the tiger spoke so impressively, she seemed like a granddaughter standing in front of her grandmother, despite usually appearing mature. After hesitating for a moment, Navirose sped Zaifa¡¯s hand. It was a historic moment. After a light handshake, Zaifa turned away. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for the third challenge. Farewell, Ronan.¡± With those words, Zaifa leaped away, making almost no sound uponnding or takeoff. With a single leap, she reached the pedestal where she had been standing. Ronan, still watching Zaifa converse with Allogin, spoke up. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem particrly dangerous, does she?¡± ¡°¡­The atmosphere has changed a lot. Ultimately, does all hatred fade away with time?¡± ¡°Hatred¡­ What exactly happened with Zaifa in the past?¡± Ronan asked, a long-standing curiosity. What could have happened to Zaifa in the past that made her issue such warnings? Navirose, who had been staring at Ronan, turned her head calmly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her yourself. Aren¡¯t you close enough to drink together? Come to think of it, we¡¯ve never had a drink together.¡± ¡°Ah, why is an adult so upset about something like that? So childish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± With that, she walked briskly out of the arena, leaving Ronan behind. Only then did the officials, who had been watching cautiously, rush over to start clearing away Nodrek¡¯s remains. The symmetrically dissected corpse was not a pleasant sight to linger on. Ronan watched as they swept the entrails into a bucket, hands in his pockets. Allogin, overseeing the process, tilted his head. ¡°Hmm¡­ Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn anyway. Besides, I have the right to choose.¡± ¡°True, but¡­ why don¡¯t you rest a bit? You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s better to finish quickly and then rest. I¡¯ll make my choice now.¡± Ronan pointed towards the participants from Aran Parzan. It wasn¡¯t so much a deliberate choice as it was simply pointing at someone. The man he happened to point at let out a sigh. He was a knight wearing full armor, looking somewhat formidable. Ronan flicked his finger dismissively, as if annoyed. ¡°Come down.¡± ¡°Hmph! How dare this scoundrel¡­!¡± The knight grumbled, exhaling heavily, as he descended into the arena. It took precisely 3 minutes and 12 seconds for him to surrender, screaming for mercy like a child. ¡°Ugh! I-I was wrong! Please, have mercy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being such a scoundrel. No matter how much I learn, some things never change.¡± The man threw down his main weapon, ance, and fled. Ronan sheathed his sword upon hearing Allogin¡¯s deration of victory. The final test proceeded smoothly, like water flowing. Half failed, half passed. Aside from the divided body of Nodrek, there were no casualties. Shullifen grinned triumphantly, having taken exactly 44 seconds to emerge victorious. ¡°Hehe¡­ what a shame, Ronan.¡± ¡°Ugh. Are all talented people like that?¡± Ronan grimaced as if he were fed up. It seemed strange that he had manifested Storm Sword right from the start; perhaps it was all for this moment. He was deeply worried about the future of Garcia. After tallying up the scores so far, Ronan and Shullifen were tied for first ce. Ronan relinquished his right to be mentored by Zaifa to Shullifen. After all, he had just fought to exhaustion in the cave the other day. Zaifa, who had also fought against him, patted his shoulders and spoke. ¡°Hmm, you possess the most outstanding Aura I¡¯ve seen. You show potential to surpass even me.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sword Saint.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any specific advice, so just keep striving. I¡¯m curious to see which of you two will be the next Sword Saint.¡± Zaifa smiled satisfactorily as she alternated her gaze between Ronan and Shullifen. Her exposed fangs sparkled white. Despite being in the midst of mncholy, she seemed genuinely pleased. ¡°Well then, with this, the final testes to an end. A farewell to both the victors and the vanquished. Parzan will never forget the blood and steel you¡¯ve shed.¡± The test didn¡¯t end untilte at night. Allogin, descending from the pedestal, shook hands with each participant. The test did not end untilte at night. Allogin came down from the podium and shook hands with everyone. Those who passed returned to the base, while those who failed descended down the mountain. As they left the arena, they could see the Milky Way stretching across the sky from one end to the other. Ronan moved forward, realizing afresh that this long journey wasing to an end. **** After dinner, Ronan returned to his lodgings. Shullifen, who had returned first, was busy cleaning his sword. ¡®Damn bastard. Just look at how his facial expression has changed.¡¯ Although the time he actually wielded his sword was short, so much had happened that Ronan felt mentally exhausted. He sighed as hey down on the bed. ¡°Haa¡­ Finally, tomorrow is the day. I wonder if those in Philleon are all doing well?¡± ¡°Nothing will happen. I¡¯m just worried about Miss Iril.¡± ¡°Even with so many guards around? Just be honest and say that you miss her.¡± Shullifen didn¡¯t respond. His flushed ears looked somewhat amusing. In truth, Ronan wouldn¡¯t have been so reassured if he hadn¡¯t received a promise of protection from the Emperor. He recalled the conversation he had with Allogin in the dining hall. The autopsy results confirmed that Nodrek was indeed Croden, the infamous Ferocious Sword. Ronan sighed as his thoughts became tangled. ¡®Alright, he was healed because they could use him. But what was the purpose behind using a memory-sealing technique? And why did his hair and eyes change color like that?¡¯ Although the urgent fire had been extinguished, many questions remained. Nodrek had a significantly different feeling from Neb zier Ronan had encountered so far. He was still a despicable jerk, but there was something particrly irritating about him. He felt an alienation on a fundamental level. ¡®He really resembles him. I could feel it.¡¯ He thought the alienation might have something to do with Nodrek¡¯s hair and eye color. It was clear he was involved with the betrayer bastard, but it wasn¡¯t clear exactly how. Ronan raised himself up and questioned Shullifen. ¡°That Ferocious Sword bastard, why do you think he came here?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it to seek revenge on Instructor Navirose?¡± ¡°Nah. It felt like he had some ulterior motive. These guys are assholes with principles, making them even more despicable¡­ Ah, damn it.¡± Ronan wiped his face with his palm. Today, he just couldn¡¯t seem to get his thoughts straight, and he felt like he needed some sleep. As he rummaged under the bed, he pulled out a bottle of liquor. Shullifen, recognizing thebel on the bottle, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Millenium Snowflower liquor. It¡¯s quite rare. Where did you get that?¡± ¡°I secretly brought one with me when I was drinking with Zaifa.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Shullifen narrowed his eyes. Without a word, Ronan uncorked the bottle. Since there were no cups, he drank straight from the bottle. The liquid going down his throat was sweet. After taking a few sips, Ronan offered the bottle to Shullifen. ¡°Do you want some?¡± ¡°Of course, thanks.¡± ¡°Yeah, alright. I thought so¡­ Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He had expected a refusal, so it was an unexpected response. Taking the bottle offered by Ronan, Shullifen boldly tilted his head back and drank the liquor. Watching him gulp down the strong drink, Ronan eximed in shock, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s quite potent!¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s better that way.¡± ¡°Do you have something troubling you? Like, did you blurt out some nonsense about proposing to my sister after returning or something?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s to calm my excitement since earlier¡­ It¡¯s not over just because I received praise from the Sword Saint.¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. So, he was drinking to calm his inted ego after receiving praise from Zaifa. Ronan had seen many people drink to forget their troubles, but this was a novel reason. Snatching the bottle back, Ronan shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re insane. You¡¯re probably the only one who drinks for a reason like that.¡± ¡°We must always¡­ strive our best to¡­ survive. So we can¡­ protect the weak¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, just drink moderately. Your tone when you mumble reminds me of Elizabeth.¡± Suddenly, memories of Elizabeth, drunk on the airship heading to the Dawn Magic Tower, came to mind. What trials had he endured to stop her from using fire magic inside the wooden ship? Ronan was about to say something when Shullifen, who had been silently mumbling, spoke up. ¡°¡­Ronan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I miss Miss Iril.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan¡¯s face contorted. Shullifen lowered his head deeply and began praising Iril, his vocabry seeming enough to fill a book. Ronan couldn¡¯t stand being with this drunkard, so he was about to gulp down the alcohol to pass out. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and it opened. A woman dressed as a guide appeared. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Participant 44? Ah, there you are. I¡¯m d.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Please ept this. I came to deliver this.¡± The woman cautiously extended a letter envelope. The envelope was quite luxurious, with a magical seal engraved on it that would ignite if anyone other than the intended recipient attempted to open it. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who sent this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Mr. Russell, who was murdered by the Ferocious Sword this morning. We found it while cleaning up the lodging, and it was addressed to you.¡± ¡°¡­Russell?¡± The woman nodded, then left the room. She seemed quite busy, perhaps due to the recent events involving the Ferocious Sword. Ronan scratched his head and tore open the letter envelope. Unlike the envelope, the letter inside was made of ordinary paper. Small letters filled one side of the paper. ¡°What did you write that made you put so much effort into it?¡± Ronan slowly began reading the letter. The beginning and middle were what he had expected. ¡°Apologies for my rudeness.¡± ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°I truly trust you, but I want to make sure to finish things off firmly¡­¡± The letter detailed a n to ambush the Ferocious Sword, concocted with the participants of Aran Parzan. A n that ended in a miserable failure, leaving everyone torn to pieces. Ronan clicked his tongue as he read. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± If he had just stayed still, no one would have had to die. The taste of the alcohol suddenly seemed to diminish. Even though he had read up to that point, there was still about half of the content left. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he read the middle andter parts of the letter. The location and internal structure of the ruins where he had encountered the Ferocious Sword, along with information he had gathered while tracking the Ferocious Sword, were all written there. ¡°This stupid old man¡­¡± Ronan let out a deep sigh. Among the information were also the locations of ces presumed to be bases of the Neb zier. It was incredibly valuable information. It seemed that deploying Imperial troops here would likely be his first mission as the Dawn. The moment on the cliff where Ronan had threatened him shed before his eyes. Even the female knight Riley, who sat across from him drinking, came to mind. Folding the letter neatly, Ronan muttered as he grabbed the bottle. ¡°Rest well.¡± Ronan downed the liquor. With its robust vor, the scent of the Millennium Snowflower filled his mouth. The end of the journey was imminent. Tomorrow, he would finally set foot in the Holy Land. Chapter 175: The Festival of Swords (18) Chapter 175: The Festival of Swords (18) Thest day of thepetition dawned. Participants, after sufficient rest, began their ascent up the mountain in the afternoon. Allogin exined that the final checkpoint and Holy Land were not too far apart, and it would take about an hour to reach them. There were twenty individuals who remained until the end, including Ronan and his group. Perhaps because they had ovee various hardships to reach this point, their gaze seemed different. Ronan, looking around at them, let out a whistle. ¡°It seems like those who were meant to be eliminated have been eliminated. Some of them appear stronger than us.¡± ¡°They¡¯re talents gathered from across the continent.¡± Shullifen nodded in agreement. Even without engaging inbat, it was evident. Surely, each of them had been recognized as skilled warriors in their own right. Suddenly, Ronan recalled the events ofst night and nudged his side with his elbow. ¡°Right. Are you feeling alright in the head?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden question?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the character. BabblIng all that nonsensest night and now acting all innocent?¡± Ronan chuckled as if he was amused. Shullifen, intoxicated with just one drink, continued to praise Iril even after falling asleep. Constantly rambling without a moment¡¯s rest, he was undoubtedly a lunatic. Although it helped alleviate some of Ronan¡¯s unease stemming from Russell and Riley¡¯s deaths. ¡°Do you even remember what you said? Anyway, I guess that¡¯s why you¡¯re still alive this morning without a noose around your neck.¡± ¡°I remember everything. And I feel no shame inying out the facts.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it seems I can only be honest with the help of alcohol. Ick courage.¡± Ronan shook his head. The conviction in his voice made him realize that perhaps the real danger wasn¡¯t the Ferocious Sword, but this guy himself. They continued their ascent, exchanging various conversations. Meanwhile, Lynn walked hand in hand with Navirose, following about thirty steps behind them. With a troubled expression, she muttered to herself. ¡°Um. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Which butt do you think is better? Your their teacher, so you should know.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Navirose was certain she must have misheard due to the sound of the wind. What did being their teacher have anything to do with knowing their butts? Yet, no matter how many times she asked again, the response remained the same. ¡°The one with the fiercer face is more to my taste, but as for the backside, it¡¯s quite lumpy. If the charm lies in being as solid as a rock on that side, then for the teacher¡¯s side¡­¡± Suddenly, Lynn began to critique the two disciples¡¯ buttocks. Her expression was so serious that even a cattle farmer choosing a cow for ughter wouldn¡¯t match her level of intensity. Although it was nonsense in terms of nutritional value, listening to it somehow sparked an unexpected interest, which made Navirose, who had struggled to restrain her curiosity, turn her head sideways. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know about that kind of thing.¡± ¡°We need to decide by today, it¡¯s a big deal. Should I just choose for you?¡± Lynn said so, lifting her head. She started to let out a sigh again as she stared fixedly at Navirose¡¯s chest. It was evident that she was deeply troubled by something, but what it was remained unclear. Of course, there was no particr desire to know, either. ¡°You know, Navirose.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I, can I really go to your academy?¡± Navirose raised an eyebrow. Come to think of it, she remembered her bragging a few days ago about being rmended to enroll in the academy by Ronan. She gently stroked Lynn¡¯s head. ¡°Of course. Philleon is always open to talented individuals.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then, I really should go.¡± ¡°But you should refrain from harassing Ronan there too much.¡± Navirose quipped. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since Navirose had seen her face. A girl who used to be bullied, rising to the position of the Student Council President, she must be doing well. Lynn grinned. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Someone has strong feelings for him. But her fault is that she is very timid.¡± ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be prettier anyway.¡± Lynn swept her abundant white hair behind her ears. Navirose chuckled softly. It was a confident gesture that didn¡¯t quite match her petite appearance. In some ways, it was enviable. At that moment, Allogin, leading the procession from the front, came to a halt in his tracks. He turned to the people and spoke. ¡°You all have worked hard. This is the summit of Parzan.¡± Ronan and Shullifen, following closely behind, also stopped in their tracks. There seemed to be no further to ascend. Before themy andscape they had never seen before. Ronan, surveying the surroundings, muttered as if entranced by something. ¡°¡­A crater?¡± The sunken terrain, as if it had been scooped out with a spoon, hinted at the fact that Parzan had once spewed fire from this ce. The crater, which appeared to be about 3 km in diameter, was entirely covered with ice. The sun, tilting, cast its rays onto the perpetual snow, creating an illusion as if the sanctuary itself was glowing. Allogin nodded with a gentle smile. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a crater where light gathers. Somewhere around here lies the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°A crater where light gathers¡­¡± Ronan nodded. It was a fitting nickname indeed. On the outskirts of the crater stood a building presumed to be where the elders resided. It had a rather grandiose feel, and it felt as if it had been picked from one of Philleon¡¯s main buildings. Allogin guided the group there. It was both to unload their belongings and to take a short rest. The building wasn¡¯t as spacious as expected. In many ways, it was a structure reminiscent of a temple, with a high ceiling and several huge pirs. Since most of the elders were quite old, one might have expected there to be plenty of staff helping them, but they seemed to be quite self-sufficient among themselves. The participants were given time to rest and wash up. As they wandered around inside, the elders approached them with greetings. ¡°Wee. You who have passed even the final trial. We have been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Oh, hello. Thank you.¡± Ronan bowed his head in greeting. Apart from being old, there was an aura emanating from the elder that was out of the ordinary. Perhaps due to a sacred ceremony, all the elders were dressed in the same attire. At that moment, arge old woman stopped in front of Ronan. ¡°Aha, you¡¯re the 44th participant. Your name is quite renowned even among us elders.¡± ¡°In a good way?¡± ¡°Ahaha. I quite like you. That¡¯s all that matters, isn¡¯t it?¡± The old woman evaded the question with a heartyugh. With her robust physique and heartyughter, she resembled a warrior from the north. Introducing herself as the owner of the Silver Sword, she patted Ronan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I hope one of you find the Holy Sword. Indeed, it¡¯s time for it to appear.¡± ¡°You speak as if someone had found it before. Wasn¡¯t it simply a legend?¡± ¡°The Holy Sword indeed exists. While the world may dismiss it as a legend or fairy tale, us elders know it to be a definite part of history. And the first owner of the Holy Sword is someone you know very well.¡± ¡°Someone I know?¡± Ronan tilted his head at the iprehensible words. The old woman, with a meaningful smile, spoke up. ¡°Have you ever wondered how a mere human defeated the Dragon King Orsay?¡± ¡°Orsay¡­ Could it be the First Emperor of the Empire?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was a story he had never heard before. To think that the reason the First Emperor could defeat the ck Dragon Orsay was because of the Holy Sword. The old woman who was reciting the beginning of the story interrupted. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ll tell you more once the ceremony is over. Anyway, aren¡¯t you hungry? You should eat something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I already ate.¡± ¡°No, no. You can¡¯t properly wield a sword if you¡¯re this thin. Kids these days¡­ are they intentionally trying to lose weight?¡± The old woman clicked her tongue. Thin. It was the first time Ronan had heard such a remark from anyone, excluding Iril. Of course, he wasn¡¯t really thin, it was just her personal standard. The thickness of the old woman¡¯s arms, who looked to be in her seventies, was not much different from Ronan¡¯s. She shouted. ¡°Hey! Darman!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At the familiar name, Ronan raised an eyebrow. Soon, a boy came running from the other side of the building. His speed was such that traces of his movement were visible. He stopped in front of the old woman. ¡°Madame Olga, did you call for me?¡± ¡°Yes. Please guide this child to the dining hall. And any other hungry participants as well.¡± ¡°Of course. If you need anything, let me know, as I might be descending down the mountain tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright. You¡¯re so kind. I need to prepare for the ceremony now, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After patting the boy¡¯s head once, the old woman turned away. Ronan was staring at the familiar boy. Frail appearance. Gray hair and brown eyes. He was indeed the guy Ronan knew. He was the sword delivery boy who carried Zaifa¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­Darman?¡± ¡°Huh?! Ronan?¡± Darman¡¯s eyes widened as he btedly noticed Ronan¡¯s presence. It was a reaction not much different from when they first met in the forest. ¡°Why are you here? And what about the sword meant for Zaifa?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ Well, that¡¯s a bit of aplicated story.¡± Darman scratched his head awkwardly. The strange story began. He managed to arrive in Parzan somehow, but even after wandering around for days, he couldn¡¯t find Zaifa. As a result, he ran out of food and money, so he took on odd jobs shuttling between checkpoints and the Holy Land. Originally, he had nned to only work until he found Zaifa, but he couldn¡¯t find her until the end of thepetition. Surprisingly, he found that the job suited him, and people liked him for his straightforward approach, so he ended up working longer than expected. After finishing his story, Darman looked quite proud of himself. ¡°I¡¯m pretty fast, you know. Everyone likes it because goods they order arrive quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re damn fast. Things got a bit twisted, but I¡¯m d it worked out somehow.¡± ¡°Hehe, thanks to you for saving me that day. Is Zaifa noting today either?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯ll be here soon. She said she¡¯d participate in the ceremony.¡± Ronan exined that the tiger had her own amodation because she found meeting people bothersome. Darman¡¯s face froze in shock. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see her. No wonder¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. You can give it to her today.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I guess I should do that. Shall we go to the dining hall for now?¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s also amemoration.¡± Ronan followed Darman to the dining hall. The food, which had just been cooked by the old woman herself, boasted an equally atrocious taste one after another. ¡°Damn. Why the hell is there a fish head stuck in the pie? Is that old hag suffering from dementia?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Madame Olga¡¯s cooking is a bit unique.¡± After cursing under his breath, Ronan¡¯s mood settled after eating the egg dish Darman made improvisationally. He recounted the story that had unfolded on the way here to Darman during the meal. ¡°Th-the Ferocious Sword, Croden? He came here?!¡± ¡°Yeah. Zaifa split him in half in one strike.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Darman listened to Ronan¡¯s story with various expressions, mostly intense and colorful, making it quite enjoyable to tell. After about an hour, it was announced that the ceremony was about to begin, so they should prepare to leave. Darman waved his hand as he escorted Ronan out. ¡°I hope you find the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll tell Zaifa to stop by here, so be ready too.¡± Ronan also waved his hand lightly. Everyone except Darman left the building. In the empty building, a cheerful humming echoed. **** The ceremony took ce in the center of the Holy Land. The inside of the crater was considered sacred ground, and except for the elders, the guardians, and the participants who had passed the final test, it was impossible for anyone else to step foot inside. People gathered around the center of the sacred ground where starlight pooled. Seven elders surrounded them in a circle, each focusing their minds with their weapons drawn, amidst swirling mana that made one¡¯s head spin. Zaifa, who had returned after finishing her business, stood with her arms folded. The crimson hue of the setting sun was slowly appearing in the sky, which was so close that it felt like he could touch it if he extended his arms. Ronan muttered in a slightly loud voice, more to himself than anyone else, ¡°What exactly is this ceremony?¡± ¡°Even if you ask that, I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Navirose spoke, looking straight ahead. She was still wearing Ronan¡¯s coat. She had been wearing it for quite some time, so it was probably smelly, but it was surprising that she was wearing it so well. Ronan spoke. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so secretive, just tell me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. It would diminish the impact.¡± ¡°To the point of being moved?¡± ¡°Those experiencing it for the first time will certainly feel that way. It¡¯s a sight they¡¯ve probably never seen before.¡± Navirose¡¯s voice was firm. The way she spoke made it clear that there was definitely something there. A cold breeze, as if directly from the sky, blew strongly. Suddenly, Alorgin raised his sword. ¡°We shallmence the ceremony.¡± A blue glow shimmered along the de of his longsword. The other elders also raised their weapons. Without waiting for the participants to react, they each nted their weapons into the ground. Paaah~! A fierce burst of light spread out like a whirlwind enveloping the sacred ground. ¡°What the hell, what¡¯s happening all of a sudden?!¡± Ronan instinctively closed his eyes. It was an unavoidable brightness. Other participants showed almost identical reactions. Even through their covered faces, the intense light pierced through their hands. In the midst of the radiance, Lynn¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°This¡­ is¡­ the final¡­ test.¡± But the wind was too strong to discern exactly what she was saying. After about three minutes, the light finally subsided. Ronan, confirming that the surrounding mana had returned to normal, raised his head. ¡°This¡­¡± And then he lost his words. Navirose¡¯s words were as unprecedented as the scene he had just witnessed. The crater, once filled only with white snow, had transformed into a garden full of blooming flowers. However, those flowers were not ordinary nts familiar to people. Various types of weapons protruded from the ground with their heads buried, standing upside down. The appearance of the weapons, reflecting a brilliance under the sun¡¯s rays, resembled flowers made of steel. Chapter 176: The Festival of Swords (19) Chapter 176: The Festival of Swords (19) A garden of steel stretched out before them. Weapons sprouted from the ground, casting a chilly light. The entire crater seemed filled with them, with enough to number in the tens of thousands, at least. It was just as Navirose had described. Inexperienced participants began to murmur in confusion, unable to contain their astonishment. ¡°Wh-what is all this? Are we supposed to find the Holy Sword here?¡± ¡°Is this magic¡­?¡± ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve been possessed by ghosts. But seriously, there¡¯s something off about these weapons, isn¡¯t there?¡± Ronan was equally bewildered. Despite living two lives, he had never witnessed such a sight. After a while of fidgeting, he asked Allogin. ¡°What kind of magic is this?¡± ¡°Um¡­ just wait a moment. It seems I never quite get used to it, even after all these years.¡± Fatigue was evident on Allogin¡¯s face. The other elders and even Zaifa were in a simr state. They all looked worse for wear, as if they hadn¡¯t slept for three days straight. Allogin took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°¡­Sorry about that. Calling forth the Sword Spirits is no small feat. It requires all seven elders to perform rituals and stay at the Holy Land.¡± ¡°Sword Spirits?¡± Ronan cocked his head. It was a new term for him. Judging from the context, it seemed to be rted to the rumored weapons possessed by spirits, asionally whispered about. Weapons that could fly to you out of nowhere and stab your enemies, for example. Allogin exined further. ¡°Yes. Simply put, Sword Spirits are souls imbued within weapons.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ like those weapons that move and talk on their own? Is it rted to that?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean Ego Weapons. Yes, indeed. When Sword Spirits be exceptionally strong, such artifacts are born. What you¡¯re seeing before you are the Sword Spirits of the weapons dedicated to Parzan. They¡¯re manifestations of the Sword Spirits, beings akin to ghosts, dreaming without departing from the world, even after losing their physical forms.¡± Upon hearing the term ¡®ghosts¡¯, Ronan frowned. Allogin exined that all the de tips standing before them were ethereal. No wonder the atmosphere felt even more eerie, with the wind blowing chillier than before. ¡°What¡¯s the principle behind this¡­? Frankly, it feels rather unsettling.¡± ¡°The exact nature isn¡¯t fully understood. We elders specte that it stems from the bond and attachment with the owner. But experiencing it firsthand would be quicker than exining. Want to give it a try?¡± Allogin pointed at the longsword standing before Ronan. Ronan hesitantly gripped the hilt. ¡°¡­!¡± In that moment, sensations akin to electric shocks surged through his mind as scenes shed before his eyes. A man charging through a battlefield, a sword piercing through enemy armor, screams and shing of metal reverberating from all sides. It was like watching someone¡¯s entire life unfold before him. ¡°What the hell?¡± Startled, Ronan flung the sword away. As the vision abruptly ended, his vision returned to normal. Though only a few seconds had passed in reality, it felt like an eternity had gone by. It was a sensation simr to what he had experienced in the Mental World. Swaaah! The wavering sword copsed, dissipating into wisps of gas. Allogin chuckled, stroking his beard. ¡°That¡¯s the Sword Spirit, the dreams harbored by these weapons. They reminisce about the days they shared blood with their owners. Now, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. So, the ritual¡­?¡± ¡°You guessed it right.¡± Ronan was about to say something, but Allogin and the other elders lowered their weapons simultaneously. Allogin addressed the participants. ¡°You all just need to wander around this Holy Land and pick up any weapon you suspect to be the Holy Sword. If it¡¯s not the Holy Sword, it will soon turn to vapor and disappear, so there¡¯s no need to worry about confusion. You¡¯re free to try as many times as you want, but be careful, every time you touch one of them, the memories of the sword wille flooding in, so choose wisely.¡± Allogin exined that the ritual would continue until the sunpletely set today. Judging from the color of the sky, they had roughly two to three hours left. He also emphasized the importance of caution when choosing a weapon. One of the participants raised their hand to ask a question. ¡°What does the influx of memories have to do with how many times we draw?¡± ¡°Once you grip it, you¡¯ll know right away. Bearing the weight of a single historyes with surprisingly immense fatigue. There have been several participants who, by rashly touching the swords, ended up with their own identities damaged, so please handle with care.¡± Indeed, Ronan felt a fatigue akin to having just sprinted outside. It was fortunate he let go promptly; otherwise, he would have suffered unnecessarily until fully drawn out. Furthermore, Allogin added that among these, one is undoubtedly the Holy Sword, so there was no need to worry. Finally, Ronan understood why the participants were so meticulously filtered out. This ritual was a kind of ordeal. It was a dangerous act that could quickly drive one mad or render them invalid if their body and mind weren¡¯t considerably trained. The faces of the participants, who had passed the final exam and were now released, were stiffening. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin. May someone awaken the slumbering Holy Sword.¡± Allogin said. The participants, each with their own determination, scattered. With the elders and the Sword Saint also participating, there were a total of twenty-eight people wandering the Holy Land. Before long, startled gasps began to echo from various ces. **** ¡°¡­Damn it! I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± A man in armor cursed as he copsed. He had failed to draw the spear stuck before him. Even disregarding the heaviness that befell his body, the memories of the de tips swirling in his mind made it impossible to attempt again. It felt as though his sense of self blurred with each illusion. ¡°You¡¯re the vice-captain of the Holy Lance Knights, aren¡¯t you¡­ How many have you drawn?¡± Another participant, stumbling over, sat down beside him. The deepening shadows seemed to reflect their shared plight. ¡°Seven. I¡¯ve reached my limit.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve drawn quite a lot¡­ I¡¯ve barely managed five.¡± ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m not sure if there really is a Holy Sword. Could it all be an borate scam?¡± ¡°I briefly entertained that thought too. But for that to be the case¡­ these people are working too hard.¡± The participant with deep shadows beneath his eyes pointed somewhere. The man who had been lying down lifted only his head to look in that direction. The elders in robes were bustling among the de tips. They were drawing a weapon roughly every three minutes. Their movements resembled farmers harvesting crops. The shapes disintegrated, and the emerging vapor mingled with the wind, disappearing. The man lying back down chuckled as if mocking himself. ¡°¡­Monsters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re upying the positions of elders. Besides them, there are others who are exceptionally skilled at drawing. It seems we arecking in our training. The Rising Star of the Empire and the Master of All Affairs have already drawn double digits.¡± ¡°Haa, you have a point¡­ By the way, what about that young man?¡± The man lying down asked. Since the ritual began, he hadn¡¯t been visible. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Why, the friend who blocked the technique of the Ferocious Sword. We even drank together¡­ but he¡¯s nowhere to be seen today.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± The two shrugged. He was undoubtedly one of the most promising participants, but no matter how much they looked around, they couldn¡¯t find him. But that was to be expected. Ronan had abandoned the search for the Holy Sword within ten minutes of the ritual starting and had stretched out his legs on the western outskirts of the crater. The sun, now significantly reddened, bathed his face. Sitting with his back to the Holy Land, he gazed at the scenery below the mountain. He let out a small sigh. ¡°It¡¯s breathtaking.¡± The western part of the continenty before him. A rugged horizon enclosed everything. With no higher mountains in sight, it felt like sitting on the roof of the world. Far in the distance, he could see the Romanian Mountains spanning across the homnd of Nimbarton and the Isles. He had been able to climb up thanks to finding a fortunate path up the slope. Unsure if it fell within the boundaries of the Holy Land, Ronan had stuck his sword, Lamancha, into the ground on his right. It served as an excuse in case the elders questioned what he was doing there. Stretchingfortably, he muttered under his breath. ¡°The Holy Sword is bullshit.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan was genuinely startled as he hadn¡¯t sensed anyone approaching. He cleared his throat and turned his head. Lynn stood there, her lush white hair fluttering in the breeze. ¡°Geez, you scared me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for the Holy Sword?¡± Lynn smirked. Her characteristic poker face and dry tone were subtly annoying. Ronan turned his head back to look below the mountain. ¡°Mind your own business. If I were the chosen one, I would have found it long ago.¡± ¡°Your attitude is terrible. Even if you seed in life, you won¡¯t be able to call yourself a gentleman.¡± ¡°I have no interest in listening.¡± Ronan waved his hand dismissively. He had no interest in searching for the Holy Sword in the first ce, so he nned to waste time and then leave. Looking at Ronan¡¯s back, Lynn approached him at a slow pace. Then, naturally, she sat down on Ronan¡¯sp. ¡°I¡¯m baffled by you.¡± Ronan chuckled. This was another unexpected turn of events. Ronan lowered his gaze to see her casually resting the back of her head against his chest. ¡°Your behavior is quite unbing of ady.¡± ¡°The meaning of life lies in doing what you want.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s heavy, so get down,dy.¡± Lynn didn¡¯t budge. Ronan sighed as if he had expected this, then gently grabbed Lynn¡¯s hips and lowered her to his side. It wasn¡¯t heavy at all, but he was bothered by the fact that she always ended up staining his pants with blood. She stuck her tongue out slightly, as if pouting. ¡°You¡¯re mean.¡± ¡°Noisy. If you were looking for the Holy Sword, why did youe here?¡± ¡°Because of my heart.¡± Ronan chuckled incredulously. Lynn said she hadn¡¯t touched a single one, and Ronan replied that it was the same for him. Sitting side by side, the two of them watched the sunset in silence. The day wasing to an end. The setting sun contrasted with the pale full moon, creating a surreal scene. Clouds scattered like torn wool seemed to ripen like autumn leaves. Lynn took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°I guess you like sunsets.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe. I used to dislike them, but now they¡¯re not so bad.¡± Ronan nodded. For him, the sunset wasn¡¯t just a simple natural phenomenon. It was thest scenery he saw before his death. Lynn asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just¡­ someone I know once gave a unique exnation that I liked. They said it was the final struggle of the dying sun.¡± ¡°Final struggle? Interesting.¡± ¡°Yeah. They said the sun burns red because it¡¯s struggling to stay alive, like searching for firewood to keep the mes going. I don¡¯t know why, but I liked that exnation.¡± It was a conversation shared on the Hill of the Four Seasons with Adeshan. It was a memory ofte summer youth that he hadn¡¯t experienced in his previous life. It was hard to believe that it had already been two years. Ronan joyfully exined what had happened at the time. Lynn, seeing his determined eyes soften slightly, chuckled. ¡°Hmm. So that¡¯s the person Navirose was talking about. It won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Never mind. I guess it¡¯s better than some guy who flirts around. But there¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. A very, very important question.¡± She suddenly turned her head and faced Ronan. Her eyes, as white as her hair, felt transparent beyond rity. She had always seemed mysterious to him. But why did she want to ask such an important question, even using ¡°very, very¡± twice? Lynn spoke up. ¡°The Holy Sword. Would you like to have it?¡± Chapter 177: The Festival of Swords (20) Chapter 177: The Festival of Swords (20) ¡°The Holy Sword. Would you like to have it?¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Ronan frowned. It was as if she was holding the Holy Sword right now. Her expression was so serious that it didn¡¯t seem like she was joking at all. ¡°¡­Do you know where it is?¡± ¡°Yes. I do.¡± Lynn nodded firmly. Her clear eyes were full of certainty. Ronan raised his hand and lightly flicked her cheek with his index finger. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you take it out?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I thought you¡¯d be so excited that you¡¯d take off all your clothes right away, but your reaction is not as good as I expected. What do you think of the Holy Sword?¡± Lynn said, her thinning eyes indicating that she seemed a little angry. Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? After a brief moment of hesitation, Ronan spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a good sword.¡± ¡°¡­Is that all?¡± ¡°Yeah. With a name like that, it must be sturdy.¡± His tone was firm. Even after waiting for a while, no further description came out. Lynn¡¯s face began to stiffen gradually. At some point, she turned her head away, pouting. ¡°Dummy.¡± ¡°Why are you pouting all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too much. It¡¯s still the sword that defeated the ck Dragon.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true or not. If the First Emperor yed a decisive role in defeating Orsay, more people should know about it. But it was the first time I heard it since I came here.¡± Ronan said. If it weren¡¯t for the elderly grandmother who couldn¡¯t cook, he would have lived his whole life without knowing this anecdote. Lynn replied in a pouting tone. ¡°¡­That couldn¡¯t be helped. The Holy Sword asked not to be recorded in history.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°But Balon broke that promise. While he respected the Holy Sword¡¯s wishes and didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it, he did tell his close aides about it. Naturally, the secret wasn¡¯t kept, and the disappointed Holy Sword came here to Parzan. There wasn¡¯t anyone to wield it, but its sanctity remained intact. So, the pool of light gathering in Parzan became the tomb where the spirits of swords gather.¡± Words flowed like water through her small lips. It felt like an extraordinary secret that shouldn¡¯t be heard had brushed past his ears. Ronan looked at her with wide eyes. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± ¡°I just know. And maybe you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right?¡± ¡°About it being just a sturdy sword. In fact, it wasn¡¯t the power of the Holy Sword that defeated Orsay.¡± Lynn said calmly. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar words. ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The Holy Sword simply awakened the power Balon possessed. Among mortals living fleeting lives, there are asionally those with potential that even overwhelm immortal beings. Balon was one of them.¡± ¡°Potential?¡± ¡°Yeah. Orsay, who was considered one of the five strongest dragons in history, had to retreat injured in front of that power. Balon was the rightful person to establish the Empire.¡± Lynn introduced the story of Balon¡¯s fight against Orsay in a matter-of-fact manner. It was as if the First Emperor was just a friend of hers. Of course, being the one who first created the Imperial Army, he was sometimes referred to with more derogatory terms among his fellow members at the Punishment Squad, but hearing it like this felt alienating. It was like seeing someone call their parents by their first names. Lynn nudged Ronan¡¯s shoulder with her head as she spoke. ¡°In the end, what matters most is not the sword but the one wielding it. And you know that well. Of course, I didn¡¯t make the decision based solely on that.¡± ¡°Based on?¡± Lynn didn¡¯t respond. She stood up, ceasing headbutting against Ronan. Ronan noticed that her hair was faintly glowing. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± ¡°Answer my question first. There¡¯s not much time left.¡± The setting sun cast its glow upon the two of them. There was no scent carried in the gentle breeze. The struggle of the sun, striving for life, felt even more intense today. ¡°Surely¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s gaze at Lynn widened. She had been a peculiar girl since their first meeting. Suddenly, a hypothesis shed through his mind like lightning. As Ronan tried to formte his response, a booming voice came from the direction of the Holy Land. ¡°Darman! What do you think this ce is? Get out!¡± ¡°Heeik! Ha, just take a look. If I can¡¯t deliver it this time, I don¡¯t think I can ever deliver¡­¡± Both of them turned their heads simultaneously. In the distance, a familiar boy was walking towards the Holy Land, carefully stepping on the ground to avoid touching the sword, which looked quiteical. A long, slender box was strapped to his back. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Darman?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar behavior. He couldn¡¯t understand why he was acting like this all of a sudden when he could have waited untilter. It had been clearly stated that only the elders, the Sword Saint, and the final qualifiers could enter this area. Contrary to that, the elderly woman who introduced herself as the owner of the Silver Sword was yelling at Darman. She asked him. ¡°What do you have to deliver?¡± ¡°This is a gift from my master for Lady Zaifa. As Madam Olga knows, I came to Parzan for this. Really, could you just spare a moment to take a look?¡± Darman was almost crying. He pleaded tearfully, citing the days of struggle he had endured over the past fortnight to meet Zaifa. Seeing his weakened state, the elders nced at each other in turn. It was then that Zaifa, who was dutifully drawing the swords from the ground, interjected. ¡°Bring it here.¡± ¡°Th-The Sword Saint¡­!¡± The elders¡¯ eyes widened in astonishment. Since Zaifa herself had spoken thus, there was no choice. Darman¡¯s face lit up brightly. ¡°Th-Thank you!¡± Darman, who had rushed over eagerly, stood before Zaifa. The solemn tiger halted its selection of the sword spirits, wearing an expression of worldly annoyance. Her eyes seemed bloodshot from exhaustion. ¡°I-I¡¯ll show it to you right now. So, um¡­ here!¡± Darman fumbled to open the box as if he were on fire. A single white longsword came into view. The elders, who had been watching, all eximed in admiration. ¡°Th-That¡­?!¡± ¡°H-How is it? It¡¯s a really well-made sword.¡± Darman carefully withdrew the sword and offered it to Zaifa. The elders¡¯ gaze was fixed on the sword Darman had drawn. Though it had been over two months, it was still vivid. All seven of them knew that sword. ¡°Surely¡­ it¡¯s like it¡¯se out of the dream¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Without a doubt, that¡¯s the sword.¡± Two months ago, all the elders had the same dream. A single star fell to the Holy Land, and there was a dream of a sword glowing white stuck there. They believed it to be a sign of the Holy Sword¡¯s appearance, so they hastened the Festival of Swords. One of the short elders stuttered and spoke. ¡°Th-The Holy Sword?¡± ¡°¡­Does it look like that in your eyes too?¡± Allogin nodded his head. The sword gripped in Darman¡¯s hand bore an astonishing resemnce to the Holy Sword seen in their dreams. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it was identical. The graceful de, the cruciform guard, and even the faint white shimmer flowing along the de. It was a moment of confusion for everyone. Zaifa, who had maintained silence throughout, spoke up. ¡°So. You¡¯re giving me that sword?¡± ¡°Yes, y-yes¡­ It¡¯s a gift from my master. He has expressed his wish for you to receive it.¡± ¡°Master, huh? I¡¯m not sure who you¡¯re referring to.¡± Zaifa seemed to be the only one without any particr thoughts. She was only pondering who the sender of the gift might be, tapping the ground with her tail. ¡°You¡­ might not know. But the person who made it has admired you for a long time. He put a lot of effort into making it, hoping you would use it.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s indeed a well-made sword.¡± Zaifa nodded. Even with the sharp eyes of a beastman, there was nothing to fault about the superb sword. It was somewhat understandable why someone would go to such lengths to deliver it. Darman raised his head slightly, looking at Zaifa, and asked cautiously, ¡°S-So, will you ept it?¡± ¡°No. I refuse.¡± ¡°What?¡± Darman¡¯s face hardened. Zaifa¡¯s turned back was as firm as a veil. Dumbfounded, Darman eximed, ¡°Lady Zaifa! Is it because the sword is too small? If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t worry. It has a special function for such situations. If you look here¡­¡± ¡°I cannot ept a sword from someone I do not know. Just convey my gratitude.¡± Darman desperately tried to grab Zaifa, but the solemn tiger only moved further inside the Holy Land. Though he tried to chase after, the other elders stopped him with their gazes. Darman, wearing a crestfallen expression, lowered his head deeply. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, Darman. You should return, let¡¯s talk after the ceremony is over. And as for that sword¡­¡± Several elders were approaching to console him. In an instant, Darman¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. Ronan¡¯s eyes, watching the situation from above, widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Wait a minute, that bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm?!¡± Sensing the threat, Zaifa reflexively turned and swung her sword. Swish! The massive de passed through the spot where Darman had been standing, but there was no one there anymore. Then, behind Zaifa, Darman revealed himself. ¡°You¡­¡± Zaifa turned her head. Darman silently rotated the sword he held in his grasp. The once pristine de now had crimson blood smeared on it. Ronan dashed out with force. Thud¡­ Zaifa¡¯s sword split in half and fell to the ground. ¡°No.¡± Lyn murmured. Simultaneously, a fountain of blood erupted from Zaifa¡¯s chest. St! Whether it was due to herrge size or being stabbed in a vital spot, an immense amount of blood gushed out. Two nearby elders rushed forward in shock. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°Darman! What are you doing?!¡± Their reactions were astonishingly fast, befitting their roles as elders. One of them was the olddy who introduced herself as the owner of the Silver Sword. In her hands was a massive two-handed axe that made Marya¡¯s Great Sword look insignificant. Once again, Darman¡¯s form blurred and vanished. The three rushing individuals passed each other in a frenzy. There was no sound of shing metal. As Darmannded on the ground, the heads of the two elders soared sky-high simultaneously. St! The blood spurting from their decapitated bodies once again stained the Holy Land. ¡°¡­!¡± For a moment, the world fell into silence. Zaifa¡¯s staggering body slowly leaned over. Even the wind that had been blowing suddenly ceased, so only the muffled sound of elders¡¯ bodies and heads hitting the ground could be heard in the Holy Land. ¡°It¡¯s no use. If you reject someone else¡¯s sincerity so recklessly¡­¡± Darman chuckled coldly. Zaifa knelt down on one knee and copsed. Her ashen fur was gradually turning white. It was like watching ash being blown away. Darman rotated the sword again to shake off the blood and turned his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± An Aura, very familiar to Ronan, was spreading out from Darman. The brown eyes, like fallen leaves, were gradually turning red. Finally, he fixed his gaze on Ronan and spoke. ¡°Brother.¡± Chapter 178: The Festival of Swords (21) Chapter 178: The Festival of Swords (21) ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, little brother?¡± Darman¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ronan. His brown eyes were now tinged with a deep crimson. His flowing white hair looked like a bush of white paint in the wind. Darman¡¯s expression hadpletely changed, and sparkling mana was spreading out over his shoulders. It was a clear indication of what was implied. The Ferocious Sword wasn¡¯t the end. Ronan¡¯s face contorted sharply at the mention of ¡®little brother.¡¯ ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I was grateful to you in the forest. Because of the memory seal being stronger than expected, I was almost in real trouble. Thanks to you, I didn¡¯t even get a scratch.¡± Darman stroked his cheek with the hand that didn¡¯t hold a sword. It was a ce where, normally, he would have been beaten by the rookie hunters, leaving scars. Remembering the moments of applying potions to his wounds, Ronan narrowed his brow. ¡°You¡­¡± He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, forgetting to even be angry. He couldn¡¯tprehend what was being said. Even if the changing hair and eye color could be attributed to a new method of Neb zier, suddenly being called a little brother? Darman, who wasughing while looking at Ronan, continued speaking. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to have such a good little brother.¡± At that moment, veins appeared on Ronan¡¯s temples. As he was getting his head straight, he felt like he was being toyed. In any case, this matter could be resolved by cutting off all of his limbs and then finding out his real identity. Ronan¡¯s thigh, imbued with mana, swelled as if it were about to burst. ¡°Who the hell is your little brother, you bastard!¡± Boom! Ronan, who had paused for a moment, rushed forward again, pounding the ground as he did. Dirt and snow sprayed harshly from where he stood. With a rxed smile, Darman raised his sword. ng! A thunderous sound echoed through the volcanic crater,pletely different from the sound of mere sword shes. Darman muttered with admiration in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re overflowing with power. Have you not touched the Spirit Swords?¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth from the shock that reverberated through his bones. He realized that something was wrong as soon as their des shed. Unlike when facing the Ferocious Sword in the warehouse, Darman was not pushed back even though he put all his strength into it from the beginning. The two des, shing and intersecting, were fluctuating with a momentum as if they were devouring each other. He spoke with a casual expression. ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset that my attitude suddenly changed. Until I met the Neb zier, it was really the Darman you knew.¡± Darman chuckled. In his sneeringughter, there was no trace of his old weak side. Suddenly remembering the events a few days ago, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡®¡­Did this bastard alsoe here with his memories sealed?¡¯ At some point, Lynn had exined this to him. The Ferocious Sword had also transformed into apletely different person upon meeting Navirose. Darman must have used the same method to break through Parzan¡¯s security measures. Taking a deep breath, Ronan spoke. ¡°¡­Is killing Zaifa your goal?¡± ¡°That was the main goal. I got lucky. If it wasn¡¯t for the ritual to find the Holy Sword, it would have been quite troublesome.¡± Darman exined that he was able to cut down Zaifa at just the right time. Ronan bit his lower lip. As he said, if Zaifa and the elders were in a normal state, they would never have been defeated so easily. Darman, scrutinizing Ronan¡¯s face at that moment, spoke with a hint of interest. ¡°But¡­ you really resemble him. Blood can¡¯t be deceived, huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°To the point where I could almost confuse you with the Leader from his younger days. Except for the color of your hair, of course.¡± ¡°Leader, what kind of bullshit¡­¡± Ronan was about to say something. Suddenly, Darman¡¯s figure began to change, growingrger, and his face began to transform. His round eyes narrowed fiercely, and the remaining baby fat on his face rapidly decreased. After a while, his face, which had stopped changing, looked very simr to someone Ronan knew. With a corner of his mouth raised, Darman spoke. ¡°Now, do you believe that we¡¯re brothers, little brother?¡± **** ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Tyr, the vice-captain of the Holy Lance Knights, was engulfed in unprecedented chaos. Like getting hit by a lightning strike out of the blue. Just as he was giving up on finding the Holy Sword and lying down, a boy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and killed two elders and brought Zaifa down. The boy of unknown identity was fiercely shing swords with participant number 44, Ronan. The sound of metal shing echoed continuously as their swords collided. Their fight was so fast and intense that other participants couldn¡¯t even dare to intervene. Although some elders were chasing after them, it seemed difficult to catch them. ¡°Lady Zaifa¡­¡± Tyr¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to Zaifa. She, having been stabbed deep in the chest, was kneeling with one knee, struggling to breathe. Blood continued to flow from the wound on her chest. The puddle of blood under her feet was rapidly expanding. Tyr, who couldn¡¯t ept the surreal situation, was just breathing heavily when, amidst his gasps, a familiar voice was heard from behind. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Tyr turned his head. A man with deep shadows around his eyes, with a woman by his side holding a well-bnced mace, was standing there. Tyr recognized the woman and raised his brows. It was Elena, a renowned mercenary from the eastern part of the continent. ¡°Elena? This person¡­?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a colleague from Aran Parzan. It seemed like it would be difficult for the two of us to move Zaifa together, but it seems to have worked out well.¡± ¡°Wait, you mean you¡¯re going to carry her¡­¡± The man with deep-set eyes nodded his head. He exined that he hade to the mountain to rescue Zaifa. ¡°With the amount of blood loss, if it were a human, they would¡¯ve died from hemorrhage already, but since the Sword Saint is a Weretiger, it seems she¡¯s managing somehow. Follow me.¡± ¡°Oh, wait a moment!¡± The man and Elena began running towards Zaifa. Tyr followed them in surprise. Although they were quite a distance away, all three of them were skilled warriors, so the distance was quickly closed. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Sword Saint. Please bear with it for a little longer.¡± Zaifa was growling, clutching her chest. It was the typical appearance of a wounded beast. The man with deep-set eyes took out a potion from his arms. Suddenly, a shadownded blocking their path. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s amazing. I never thought I would be able to resolve it all at once like this.¡± Tyr¡¯s eyes widened. The identity of the shadow was a woman he had never seen before. The woman, with her hair cut short like a man, had pure white hair and crimson eyes like Darman. The man with deep-set eyes tilted his head. ¡°Hmm? She isn¡¯t someone I know¡­¡± At that moment, the woman¡¯s hand blurred and disappeared from their sight. A red line appeared across the man¡¯s neck, and then his head fell to the ground. Both Tyr and Elena¡¯s faces hardened abruptly. ¡°What¡­!¡± Neither of them realized what had happened. The woman now held two daggers in her hands. She licked the blood off her de, stained with the blood of the man, grinning mischievously. ¡°Hmm. Human blood does taste better than animal blood after all.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to realize that she was the enemy. Tyr and Elena both rushed forward simultaneously. The woman, casually licking the blood off her de, didn¡¯t move until they were within striking distance. Elena, who reached her first, swung her mace sideways. With mana imbued in the blow, it was a skill that elevated her reputation along with her reticence to do what needed to be done. But the woman easily dodged the attack by anchoring her legs and leaning her upper body back. Elena, who had been silent all along, opened her mouth for the first time. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t wasted your energy searching for the Holy Sword, there might have been a chance. What a shame.¡± The smirking woman swung her dagger. Swoosh! A small arc was drawn over Elena¡¯s chest, and blood spurted out from her chest and mouth. ¡°Keuk.¡± ¡°Eeek, time to bury you.¡± The woman deftly leaped backward, avoiding any sshing blood. Elena, whose heart had been shed, copsed to the ground. Tyr, seeing her now forever silent, stumbled back in horror. The woman, licking the blood off her dagger, looked at him and said. ¡°It¡¯s fine to eat or drink it, but I don¡¯t want it to get on my body. Just like honey, you know.¡± ¡°Wh-what on earth are you¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you. We¡¯re Lycopos. My name is Aziego.¡± ¡°Lyco¡­ pos?¡± The woman named Aziego responded casually. Tyr stuttered at the word he had never heard before. Aziego chuckled and threw the dagger she had just been licking. ¡°Look. I told you you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Keuk!¡± The dagger flew in a straight line towards Tyr¡¯s head. Predicting the tragic future, he let out a cry of desperation. At the moment the sharp de was about to pierce Tyr¡¯s forehead, ng! Something fast and sharp parried the dagger. It was the long and wide de of a longsword. Tyr¡¯s eyes widened as they focused on the back of a woman who had appeared before him. ¡°Na-Navirose!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Navirose deflected the dagger and swung her sword horizontally. As Aziego hastily twisted her shoulder, the dagger narrowly missed her face. Aziego looked back at Navirose and spoke with an intrigued tone. ¡°¡­You¡¯re still lively, huh?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Navirose retorted sharply. Despite interacting with dozens of Spirit Swords during the ritual, her eyes still gleamed with vitality. Aziego smirked. ¡°Well, I suppose Crodan must have taken a hit. He wasn¡¯t supposed to send that bastard alone in the first ce.¡± ¡°What is your identity?¡± ¡°We¡¯re Lycopors, members of Neb zier. If you want to hear more than that, try your best.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Aziego leaped gracefully, rotating her body swiftly to attack. The two daggers moved fiercely like the stings of bees. ng! With each sh, sparks flew in the air. ¡°As expected, you are strong.¡± ¡°Noisy¡­¡± Nabirose, engaged inbat, frowned. While Nabirose had the upper hand in wielding the sword, Aziego¡¯s movements were so swift and unpredictable thatnding a decisive blow was difficult. She leaped over obstacles, stood on tiptoes, and sometimesunched secret venomous darts from her shoes to attack Nabirose. Then, at one moment, as she leaped, shended on a rocky outcrop, lost her bnce, and fell backward. ¡°Whoa.¡± Nabirose did not miss the opportunity. The Grand Sword gleamed as it descended towards Aziego¡¯s head. The moment the de was about to split the woman¡¯s skull in half. ng! A loud metallic sound echoed. Aziego heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew, that was close.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Nabirose¡¯s face stiffened. The de of the Grand Sword stopped just a finger¡¯s breadth away from her eyes. A shimmering curtain like a haze was blocking her sword. It was clearly the same technique used by the Ferocious Sword. Just like before, no matter how much force she exerted, the barrier did not break. Aziego, who was twirling her dagger yfully, spoke up. ¡°Shall we get serious now?¡± Her expression turned cold. A murderous aura,pletely different from before, spread across her shoulders. With both hands gripping the sword handle tightly, Nabirose exerted force. **** ¡°Damn it!¡± ng! The hilt of his sword slipped from Ronan¡¯s hand. Lamancha, flying in a circle,nded into the ground. Darman spoke with augh mixed with mockery. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, little brother? Your movements seem noticeably sluggish.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­!¡± Darman¡¯s attacks continued relentlessly, leaving no room to pick up his sword. Ronan immediately drew his dagger, Ymir, and took a defensive stance. ng! When the sword fell, it struck Ymir¡¯s de, striking Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Are you shocked to learn that you have a brother?¡± The shock reverberated from his wrist to his knee. Immediately after Darman¡¯s face changed, Ronan continued to be pushed back. He simply could not concentrate on the battle. ¡®Is this really happening?¡¯ Darman¡¯s face was eerily simr to his, albeit slightly less handsome. It was enough to pass as twins without dispute. That alone was bad enough, but there was another factor that shook Ronan¡¯s heart. He knew the person who could be the original version of both him and Darman. ¡®He was talking about the Leader. Definitely.¡¯ Darman had mentioned that he resembled the Leader to the point of it being indistinguishable. That one statement was trying the sickening hypothesis he had buried deep in his heart. The secret of his birth that he had been denying. ¡®So it¡¯s true that the bastard is¡­¡¯ Ronan¡¯s head spun. Even though he focused all his nerves on dealing with the situation, it wasn¡¯t enough. He tried to regain hisposure and focus on the battle. ng! Ymir, continuously receiving Darman¡¯s sword strikes, shattered into pieces. ¡°What the hell¡­!¡± ¡°What a shame. The ck sword was quite useful.¡± Darman spun his sword around and thrust forward. It was a distance where Ronan couldn¡¯t avoid or block it. Sensing death approaching, Ronan took a deep breath. It was the moment when the white de was about to pierce Ronan¡¯s throat, something grabbed Ronan¡¯s back and blocked the sword¡¯s path. Thud! A strangely soft sound echoed. Darman¡¯s sword, which pierced through something, stopped. ¡°What is this now?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. His shoulders were trembling. A trembling voice came out from his dumbfounded mouth. ¡°¡­Lynn?¡± The white de was growing through Lynn¡¯s back. Red blood was spreading over her clothes. Lynn, who was pierced by the sword, turned her head. Although she seemed to be saying something with her small mouth, her voice was noting out. ¡°Wow, I wonder where you suddenly came from.¡± Darman furrowed his brows. Time seemed to stop for Ronan. Lynn¡¯s face was quickly turning pale. The blood flowing between her small lips contrasted even more vividly against her snow-white hair. ¡°You.¡± Ronan instinctively reached out and pulled out Lamancha stuck in the ground. As Darman swung his sword, Lynn¡¯s body rolled to the ground. She was so light that no sound came out. Ronan lunged toward Darman, clutching the hilt of his sword with both hands. ¡°Was she at least your lover?¡± Darman sneered. As he casually lifted his sword, he took a defensive stance. Ronan swung with all his might, but his anger-driven attack was easily blocked. ¡°You still have a lot to learn, little brother. I have to do my job now, so let¡¯s finish this.¡± Darman smirked. But this time, it wasn¡¯t the end. ng! As the sound of metal echoed, a storm of mana erupted from Lamancha, which had turned red hot. Darman¡¯s face froze. Sensing danger, he hastily moved his body. ¡°Ugh!¡± But he failed topletely avoid it. As the cyclone-like surge of wind moved through him, something tore through his body like lightning. Crunch! His left side and right ribs were torn out as if bitten by a shark. Darman¡¯s face twisted with rage. ¡°How dare you!¡± Suddenly,sparkling mana surged over Darman¡¯s shoulder. It was at a scale that far surpassed that of Terranil, who served as Bishop. But that didn¡¯t matter to Ronan now. He immediately corrected his posture and rushed toward Darman without a word. ¡°You¡­ beast¡­!¡± Darman raised his right arm. As a pair of giant wings spread over his shoulder, a fierce wind struck Ronan. It was one of the abilities of the Giants, the Gale. ng! Ronan, swept away by the fierce wind, was thrown far away. ¡°Keuk!¡± It was like apressed hurricane. As Ronan flew straight, he collided with the outer wall of the crater. The impact felt as if his entire spine had been shattered, and blood burst out from his mouth. Trying to pull himself up again, he tried to breathe. Boom! With another leap, Darman rushed towards him and drove a kick into Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­¡± No scream came out. Another small crater formed around Ronan. ng! As the outer wall, unable to withstand the impact, copsed, Ronan fell down the mountain. Watching him, Darman muttered quietly. ¡°Phew¡­ just cool your head there.¡± He wiped the blood off his sword and turned around. The wounds on his shoulder and side were deep. He had almost fallen victim to them. Darman took an emergency potion from his pocket and began pouring it into his body. As he looked around the Holy Land, he raised his brows. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Clearly, he couldn¡¯t see the body of the girl he had just stabbed to death. Chapter 179: Aura (1) Chapter 179: Aura (1) ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. It was dark all around. No matter how much he blinked, he couldn¡¯t see anything in front of him, leading him to briefly wonder if he had gone blind. What dispelled the thoughts were thin, crimson rays of light crossing through the darkness. Ronan soon realized that it was the setting sun seeping through the cracks in the rocks. ¡®Did I fall?¡¯ He had no memory after being hit by Darman¡¯s kick. There was no smell, perhaps due to the blood pooling behind his nose. Each breath he took brought a mixture of saliva, blood, and gastric fluid trickling down his chin. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± Ronan cursed under his breath. It didn¡¯t take long to adjust to the darkness. Looking around, he saw the rocks surrounding him. It felt like being trapped in a stone tomb. Fortunately, some of the rocks seemed to serve as support, creating a space. ¡°Keuuuk¡­¡± Suddenly, excruciating pain wracked Ronan¡¯s entire body, as if squeezing him like a rag. It felt like fragmented bones were piercing his organs. This was really dangerous. Ronan, who was rummaging through his pouch while lying down, let out a ruefulugh. ¡°This is a mess¡­¡± In his hand, emerging from the pouch, were only the scars of shattered vials. The special potions from Varen that he always carried werepletely destroyed, turned into ss shards. Ronan, who was well versed in desperate situations,, couldn¡¯t help but think this was a bit severe. ¡®I can¡¯t continue like this. I need to recover first.¡¯ Ronan quickly made a decision and closed his eyes. In order to do anything, he needed to at least improve his physical condition a little. He concentrated his mind and began to circte the mana gathered in his heart throughout his body. It was an emergency treatment method he had learned back in Philleon. ¡®This is bad. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡¯ Ronan bit his lower lip. While it was the best judgment given the current situation, self-recovery would take time, and his healing power was insufficient to recover from serious injuries. Moreover, various distracting thoughts cluttered his mind, hindering his concentration. ¡°Lynn¡­¡± Thinking of Lynn¡¯s sacrifice, he twisted his lips. She had been stabbed with a sword in his ce. Lynn¡¯s body, rolling on the ground, looked excessively slender. He needed to get out of here quickly, even if it was to avenge her. However, at that moment, memories of his fight with Darman surfaced, disturbing his concentration. It was a clear defeat. Ronan had to admit that the bastard iming to be his brother was a step above him. Of course, he had to consider the distraction caused by the family issues, but still. ¡®He was strong and intelligent. The most despicablebination.¡¯ The scene of Zaifa being struck by the sword still lingered in his mind, as did the heads of the elders soaring through the air. It was clear that Darman was aiming for the moment when they would be weakened by the ritual. However, even considering everything, it was something that couldn¡¯t be done with just ordinary skills. It was puzzling where such a powerful opponent suddenly emerged from. Ronan had never thought he¡¯d ever encounter such a strong person, aside from the people he saw in the Mental Realm. Then, Darman¡¯s words during the battle crossed his mind. -When things settle down, I¡¯ll give you another chance. Join Lycopos. Ronan frowned. At the time, he responded with a sarcastic remark, but it was clearly a word he had heard somewhere before. After searching through his memory, he finally seeded in recalling the source of the word. ¡®It was definitely in the desert at that time¡­¡¯ The location was the heart of Dainhar. The speaker was Bishop Teranlil. After suffering significant injuries from Ronan, he had threatened that Lycopos woulde after him. Did he say it was the sharpest sword of Neb zier? Ronan spected that it was a special group where assassins or the strongest warriors from Neb zier were gathered. Suddenly, Ronan noticed that the wounds from Darman¡¯s sword were the same as those left on the corpses of the massacred Dawn Brigade members. ¡°¡­That bastard was an aplice too.¡± Finally, it made sense why so many elite soldiers had been wiped out so helplessly. With the presence of such a figure alongside the Ferocious Sword, it was inevitable for them to lose. Confirming that his body had recovered minimally, Ronan raised his upper body. ¡°Keuuk!¡± He had to grit his teeth against the overwhelming pain. Every movement produced sounds akin to branches snapping. After managing to sit up, Ronan cursed. ¡°Fuck¡­ This is too sharp.¡± Now it was time to move on to the next step. He should be able to escape by cutting through this size of rock. Fortunately, he felt the hilt of a sword in his right hand. Despite the chaos of the fall, he hadn¡¯t let go of his sword. Ronan¡¯s face contorted sharply as he nced down. ¡°Damn it.¡± Lamancha was destroyed. The de of the sword was broken, missing about half of its length. It was only now that Ronan remembered how he had blocked Darman¡¯s kick with the de of Lamancha. Thanks to that, his life was saved. He quickly tried to feed the sword the blood that flowed from his body, but while cracks formed and healed, the missing part didn¡¯t regenerate. ¡®Will I find it again?¡¯ This was just too much. While he could reattach the missing part if he found it, there was no time for that now. After a brief deliberation, Ronan made a decision and switched cores. Shimmering mana began to flow over his shoulders. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s try this.¡± Activating Teranlil¡¯s Aura, the shockwave, would enable him to escape. Of course, there was the risk of triggering andslide or having rocks fall on his head, but now wasn¡¯t the time to consider each possibility. The moment he was about to manifest the Aura, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°Foolish.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s body tensed. Almost reflexively, he turned his head. A familiar face came into view. Lynn was squatting beside him, staring at him intently. ¡°¡­Lynn?¡± Lynn waved her hand as if in response. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Her abundant white hair flowed down to the floor. ¡°You¡¯re badly injured. Must be painful¡­¡± Lynn was attempting to offerfort, albeit in a detached manner. Ronan reached out and pulled her into his arms. The pain in his body was forgotten for an instant. Lynn, who had been taken aback by the sudden action, chuckled softly. ¡°Bold move. A bit faster would be nice.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pulling away, Ronan grabbed Lynn¡¯s shoulders. No matter how he examined her, Lynn seemed fine. He had thought she was dead back then. Lynn pouted her at his words. ¡°As if. Do I look okay?¡± She stretched out her index finger and poked Ronan¡¯s forehead. Only then did Ronan notice that Lynn¡¯s chest was dyed red. There was a gaping hole where Darman¡¯s sword had pierced through, with the other side clearly visible, an injury so severe it seemed surreal. Alternating between the wound and Lynn¡¯s face, Ronan spoke up. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity my beautifully constructed body had to end up like this. But I have no regrets.¡± Lynn shook her head. Ronan furrowed his brow at the iprehensible words. A constructed body? Suddenly, she spoke again. ¡°But, you haven¡¯t answered my question yet.¡± ¡°Question?¡± ¡°Yeah. I asked if you wanted it.¡± At that moment, Ronan noticed that Lynn¡¯s body seemed slightly translucent. Her hair was faintly glowing, giving the impression of a spirit. In a fleeting moment, Ronan recalled the conversation he had with Lynn just before Darman started his attack. They had talked about the Holy Sword. Remembering the hypothesis he had formted back then, Ronan narrowed his gaze. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. See for yourself and decide.¡± Suddenly, Lynn extended her hand as if offering a handshake. Ronan, as if mesmerized, took her fern-like hand. In an instant, waves of illusion surged through his mind. It was the same sensation as when he wielded the Sword Spirit summoned in the Holy Land. ¡®What¡­!¡¯ In the middle of the wilderness, a ck Dragon was roaring. Its two pairs of wings, just like Cita, were massive enough to cover the entire field of view. Its neck, curved like a swan, towered higher than the imperial walls. It wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce the identity of the dragon. While Ronan had only seen it in pictures and fairy tales, encountering it in reality was a first. Unknowingly, Ronan murmured the name of the sinister creature. ¡°Orsay.¡± For over a thousand years, it had reigned over the continent from the center. Countless soldiers were rushing towards Orsay. A man wielding a pure white sword, mounted on a horse, was leading them. The banners interspersed throughout the army depicted a falcon, the symbol of the Balon Empire. As the dragon spread its four wings and spewed forth mes towards them, a situation where thousands would turn into ashes in an instant loomed. In the moment the torrent of mes was about to engulf the soldiers, the man at the forefront swung his sword heavily. Kwaaaah! The mes parted to reveal a path leading to Orsay. The dragon roared thunderously. [Does mere mortals dare challenge me!] ¡°Yaaaah!¡± Instead of answering, the man let out a fierce shout. Orsay spewed fire again, but that too was cut by the pure white sword. Ronan, suddenly seeing the man¡¯s face, froze. The young man facing the dragon bore a striking resemnce to Balon the 44th, whom he had an audience with not long ago. ¡°That man¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Balon.¡± From somewhere, Lynn¡¯s voice could be heard. As Orsay and Balon shed, the location changed. It was the Holy Land of Parzan, a ce Ronan knew well. Beneath the dazzling night sky filled with stars, a single sword was thrust into the ground. It was reminiscent of the pure white sword held by Balon. ¡°It was where I fled after I was disappointed in Balon. I think it was a good decision.¡± With Lynn¡¯s words, time quickly passed. The sun and moon rose and set thousands of times. Eventually, on the outskirts of the crater where the light was dimming, buildings where the elders lived were erected. Souls of swords, reminiscing their masters, grew next to the white sword one after another. How many times had the seasons changed like this? Suddenly, the shape of the white sword shimmered and transformed into that of a girl. Her white and voluminous hair resembled the color of the sword. The girl, who pulled out a sword from around her at random and put it on her back, turned her head. It was a familiar face. Suddenly, she squatted down, looking at Ronan, and spoke. ¡°Thief.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The surroundings had changed into a familiar vige. In Ronan¡¯s hand, standing in the middle of Gran Parzan, was a magnificent dagger. Facing Lynn, he spoke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a shame. I wanted to visit the academy you mentioned.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you go now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but I wanted to experience it as a human. Eating, drinking, touching directly.¡± ¡°Quite the impertinent bart.¡± Ronan chuckled. Lynn retorted that she was not a bart but ady. Meanwhile, her body was bing increasingly blurry. Sensing that time was running out, Ronan spoke up. ¡°The Holy Sword. I¡¯ll take it. Since I don¡¯t like the term ¡®take,¡¯ let¡¯s say we¡¯re partners.¡± ¡°Excellent choice.¡± ¡°Damn, now I have some hope. Then, will I be as strong as Balon?¡± ¡°It depends on your potential. If you don¡¯t have the foundation, there might not be much change.¡± Lynn exined that all she could do was to bring out the wielder¡¯s potential. With a concerned tone, she scanned Ronan up and down and said. ¡°And your physical condition is terrible right now. You need sufficient rest and treatment. Awakening dormant powers prematurely could backfire.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite remarkable. Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± Lynn cocked her head. Her round eyes seemed to say that she had never seen someone like him before. Ronan, spitting out the blood that had umted in his mouth, replied gruffly. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be scared? It¡¯s damn terrifying.¡± ¡°Then why do you act like that? Earlier, you already knew that the boy named Darman was stronger than you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ronan staggered to his feet. It wasn¡¯t a lie; Right now, he felt like he might even lose in a fight against Aselle. Despite knowing he might lose to Darman, he still faced him head-on. There was no particr reason. Ronan took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°Just¡­ because I had to.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Lynn chuckled. It was a somewhat approving expression. As her body gradually blurred, she emitted a bright light. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan raised his hand to shield his eyes. The light soon began to fade. When he opened his eyes again, Lynn¡¯s figure had disappeared without a trace. ¡°Lynn?¡± There was no response. However, Ronan realized that his body was no longer in pain. The wounds that covered his entire body had disappeared as if washed away. With his right hand, he looked down and took a deep breath. ¡°This is¡­¡± Lamancha had beenpletely restored. The missing part, which had been broken and lost, was now filled in with a gleaming white de, reminiscent of Lynn¡¯s hair. It was as if the light had grown from the shadows. A familiar voice echoed silently in Ronan¡¯s mind. [Indeed, I have an eye for people.] Ronan silently gripped the hilt of the sword. Strength was returning to his limbs. His heartbeat felt as fast as it did on the day he faced Ahaiyute. A brilliant burst of light seeped through the cracks in the rocks that had covered him. Chapter 180: Aura (2) Chapter 180: Aura (2) It had been about thirty minutes since the attack of Lycopos. The intensifying sunset was setting the Holy Land aze with its vibrant hues. The crater, dyed in crimson, was personally exining why it was called the ¡°puddle where light gathers.¡± However, despite such a beautiful scenery, the situation was dire. The scarlet contributing to staining the volcanic crater was not just from the sunset. Stains of crimson, formed by blood sprinkled over the snow, remained scattered throughout the Holy Land. Bodiesy among the dense grove of Sword Spirits. Darman spoke. ¡°I will spare the lives of those who convert, even now. Deactivate your shield and discard your weapons.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°If you ept our persuasion, not only will we spare you, but we will also promise much better treatment than you are receiving now. You¡¯ll even have a chance to be saved on the impending Day of Salvation. Both you and the Sword Saint are worthy of receiving wings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re better at wagging your tongue than your sword.¡± Navirose growled. Despite being battered and bruised, her gaze fixed on Darman without a hint of backing down. A translucent shield shimmered between the two of them. The dome-shaped shield epassed not only Navirose but also all the remaining survivors. It was the Aura of Allogin, one of the Elders. Three Elders and fourteen participants stood in a defensive formation along the inner edge of the dome. ¡°Why not just kill them? That bitch did this to me.¡± *Ajie leaned next to Darman, grumbling irritably. Her left elbow was neatly severed. It was the handiwork of Navirose, taking advantage of a gap where the Protection of the Stars didn¡¯t cover. Darman turned his head sideways. [*¡±Ajie¡± will be changed to ¡°Ajie¡±] ¡°Endure it. Alivrihe can create limbs anyways.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I¡¯m pissed.¡± Ajie threw a dagger. ng! The de struck the shield, bouncing off harmlessly. Darman nced over Navirose¡¯s shoulder, opening his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s futile resistance. You must know that old man doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± Instead of replying, Navirose furrowed her brows. It was frustrating, but it wasn¡¯t a false statement. On the rock towering at the center of the dome, Zaifa and Allogin leaned against each other. Zaifa stirred as if she was having a nightmare. Blood oozed from Allogin¡¯s crimson-stained abdomen, a wound inflicted by Darman. ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine, Navirose. Please hold on a little longer.¡± ¡°Refrain from speaking. Your wound will worsen.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ An Aura I never used in my life¡­ woulde in handy like this¡­ Kuek, this is how it will help¡­¡± Allogin chuckled weakly. Each exhtion seemed to carry the precariousughter of a soul about to depart. His Aura was a powerful shield erected using his own or surrounding mana. For someone like Allogin, who had lived a rough life simr to Navirose and Zaifa, this ability was a source of shame and ridicule. How many times had he been told to hide behind the shield and take cover like a weakling? However, now that ability was bing a lifeline for himself and innocent bystanders, life truly had its unexpected turns. ¡°It¡¯s good in its own way¡­ Kugh.¡± ¡°Allogin¡­¡± Navirose gritted her teeth. Although she and other participants were providing mana, Allogin¡¯s time was running out. Once the shield copsed, most of the participants would likely be ughtered on the spot. Furthermore, there was uncertainty about any hope to cling to. The Elders, including Allogin, had mentioned that those who sensed the disturbance at the Holy Land woulde to help, but seeing the thick smoke rising from below the mountain, she was halfway resigned. Tragedy had likely already struck below as well. However, there was another issue that shook her heart the most. ¡®Ronan.¡¯ Thinking of her disciple¡¯s face, Navirose twisted her lips. Ronan had disappeared after the deafening roar seemed to engulf the world. It seemed like he had fallen below due to the copse of part of the crater, but there was no chance to go and rescue him. Navirose turned sharply as Shullifen sent a message. [I will go.] [Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Shullifen.] [I can do it. After ensuring Ronan¡¯s safety, I will return.] [Even if you had two lives, I wouldn¡¯t allow it.] Navirose firmly expressed her refusal. It was beyond bravery, into recklessness. If only Darman and Ajie were here, she might have attempted something, but unfortunately, the situation was not favorable. A man observing them from beyond the shield spoke with an angry voice. ¡°Young Master of Garcia, pay attention. Don¡¯t pull such stunts when we¡¯re in the middle of battle.¡± He wore a mask devoid of facial features. Sharp and deep shes crossed the man¡¯s left vicle to his right nk. It was a wound inflicted by Shullifen¡¯s Storm de. He was one of the fifteen assants who had taken advantage of the fierce battle. Six men and women wearing identical masks were wandering around the shield. Likely members Neb izer. While not as skilled as Darman or Ajie, they knew how to fight systematically, and quite a number of participants had lost their lives to their swords. Darman spoke. ¡°How many people died at the hands of the Young Master?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a toll. We must take these three with us, along with the Sword Saint.¡± Darman chuckled dryly, observing Shullifen¡¯s impressive disy wielding his Storm de. An ability hard to believe for someone of his age. It would be no exaggeration to say that he was undoubtedly one of the most promising youths on the continent, along with his younger brother. Thud. He raised his hand and tapped on the shield as if knocking on a door. Indeed, it was incredibly strong, perhaps because it was a shield created with the Sword Saint¡¯s Aura. Darman, seeing the survivors¡¯ eyes burning with spirit, licked his lips. ¡°Very well. Negotiations are off.¡± It was a change of ns. It seemed that they would kill everyone except for a very small minority. Darman extended his hand and aimed at the shield. Participants who sensed the danger took defensive positions. His mouth opened. ¡°There will be a tempest.¡± At that moment, a pair of translucent wings spread behind Darman. Shwaahh! A powerful wind, enough to sweep away houses, struck the shield directly. Despite being injured, Allogin spat out blood from his mouth as he disyed his fighting spirit. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Allogin!¡± The shield flickered like a dying candle. Then, Darman signaled with his eyes. He, Ajie, and the other assants drew their swords and began attacking the shield. Sounds reminiscent of a mine echoed at a rapid pace. Cracks like cobwebs spread across the dome. Navirose gritted her teeth. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°Kill them all once the shield breaks. Except for the three I mentioned earlier.¡± Darman gave a grim order. The faces of the participants turned pale. It was no longer difficult to anticipate the imminent ughter that would ur in a few seconds. Then, as Ajie was humming and twirling her dagger, she suddenly tilted her head. ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Over there, to the east. Who¡¯sing?¡± Darman turned his gaze to where she was looking. Indeed, someone was standing there. A young man leaned against the wall of the crater Darman had demolished, slowly walking towards them. Seeing the familiar contours, Darman raised an eyebrow. ¡°Already climbing up? Not bad.¡± ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± Navirose¡¯s eyes widened. Bathed in the sunset, Ronan, approaching in the setting sun, resembled a sculpture made of gold. In his right hand, something resembling what he usually wielded appeared, but it gave off apletely different impression. Holding her breath, Navirose shouted loudly. ¡°You idiot¡­ Run away right now!!¡± Of course, what mattered most now wasn¡¯t the sword in his hand. If he managed to survive, he should have fled or hidden, note all the way here. Even his clothes looked ragged. Darman, raising an eyebrow, ordered the masked figures. ¡°Excellent. Bring my little brother here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then, half of the assants who were pounding on the shield turned their bodies towards Ronan. The sight of them running in perfect synchronization seemed almost as if they shared the same brain. In an instant, a man who had reached Ronan shouted as he raised his sword. ¡°Resisting will only make you suffer!¡± At the same time, the women on either side drew their ropes and daggers simultaneously, their movements systematic as if performing a group dance. Ronan, who had been observing them quietly, raised his sword. In an instant, his arm disappeared from view. A white line was messily drawn over the bodies of the assants. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± The man, feeling an unfamiliar sensation, blinked his eyes in confusion. Thud! As the white line spread apart, their bodies disintegrated into dozens of pieces. The ground was sttered with blood and organs, and chunks of flesh were scattered in uniform sizes. ¡°What?¡± Darman and Ajie¡¯s eyes widened. The assants who had been attacking the shield stopped their movements. A moment of silence descended upon the Holy Land. Tyr, who had been struggling inside the shield, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­What did that young man just do?¡± Navirose heard but didn¡¯t respond. Although it was just for a moment, she missed Ronan¡¯s actions. He was slowly approaching, crushing the viinous bodies underfoot. With each step, the sound of organs and flesh squelching spread like a wave. Despite having ughtered three people, his expression remained calm. Suddenly, a sensation of unease crawled up her spine. Was that really the disciple she knew? As Ajie stared at Ronan, seemingly fascinated, she made an interesting remark. ¡°Hmm¡­ Feels like the atmosphere has changed a lot. Am I the only one feeling that way?¡± ¡°Something seems different indeed. Perhaps he gained some hidden power like in a fairy tale.¡± ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Ajie smiled mischievously and began walking towards Ronan, ignoring Darman¡¯s warning. She had glimpsed Ronan¡¯s movements earlier, and they were undoubtedly slower than hers. She also had confidence in avoiding his sword, and if worse came to worst, she could use the Protection of the Stars or some other ability to escape. ¡°Hey cutie. I¡¯m your big sister.¡± Ajie waved her hand yfully, her short white hair fluttering in the wind. Hearing the word ¡°sister,¡± Ronan tilted his head. ¡°¡­Big sister?¡± ¡°Yeah. If Darman is your older brother, then I¡¯m your older sister.¡± Ajie giggled. Despite her yful demeanor, it was only superficial. Through the slit between her crescent-shaped eyes, she scrutinized Ronan¡¯s vulnerable points meticulously. ¡®Honestly, he doesn¡¯t seem like anything special. When ites to speed, Darman is definitely superior.¡¯ Indeed, the mana emanating from his body was even less than average. As she prepared to leap forward, a sudden sh of light erupted from Ronan¡¯s sword. ¡°Huh?!¡± A crimson sh engulfed her. The light was so intense that Ajie instinctively closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them, she froze in ce. Despite being fifty steps away just moments ago, Ronan was now standing right in front of her. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± Ajie¡¯s eyes widened. There was only about half a step of distance left between Ronan and herself. Despite boasting exceptional eyesight, Ajie had failed to detect Ronan leaping or rushing towards her. She couldn¡¯tprehend what had happened. As if staring at an insect, Ronan uttered a single sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a sister like you.¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t the most important thing at the moment. Ajie, hastily assuming her fighting stance, gripped her dagger. However, Ronan¡¯s sword was already flying towards her. ¡®No.¡¯ Although Ajie, with her keen eyesight, could vaguely see the path of Ronan¡¯s sword, it didn¡¯t mean much as her body couldn¡¯t keep up with his speed. Despite her best efforts, it was futile. The sword smoothly glided through her right arm and right thigh simultaneously. Then, it rose like a swallowtail butterfly, slicing through her left thigh as well. She didn¡¯t even have time to activate the Protection of the Stars. She felt the sensation of skin, muscle, and bone being severed. Ajie¡¯s face contorted in agony. A crimson line appeared where Ronan¡¯s sword had passed. In the midst of her attempt to cry out¡­ ¡°Wai¨C!¡± Swoosh! The severed limbs flew into the air. The body, with only the torso and head remaining, copsed to the ground. The dyed pain tore through Ajie¡¯s body. Her agonized screams echoed through the Holy Land. ¡°Kyaaaaahh! Araaaggh!¡± It was a chilling scream that made everyone in the Holy Land recoil. Ronan, without a word, kicked her face aside forcefully. Thud! A sound that should note from a human face rang out, simultaneously, six white teeth sprang out. Ajie, who had slumped to the ground, went limp. ¡°Tsk.¡± Ronan kicked her away as if she were trash and continued walking. Darman, with a mixture of admiration and astonishment in his voice, muttered. ¡°This is amazing. What on earth happened at the bottom of the mountain?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. His silent and resolute demeanor exuded a sense of madness. Darman, raising an eyebrow in a witty provocation, attempted to say something, but in an instant, Ronan¡¯s figure blurred and vanished from sight. ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Reacting reflexively, Darman swung his sword, but at the same time, a fierce metallic sound resounded right in front of him. ng! Despite exerting all his strength, he was pushed backward. ¡°Keuuk!¡± ¡°You managed to block it?¡± Ronan remarked dryly. His strength and speed were iparable to before. He continued to wield his sword, and contrary to earlier, Darman found himself being pushed back relentlessly. ng! ng! Sparks flew as the harsh metallic sounds reverberated. Darman¡¯s lips twisted. ¡®This is getting dangerous.¡¯ Cold sweat dripped down his temples. Whatever Ronan had done, he hadpletely transformed. Darman felt an overwhelming feeling, simr to the one he felt when he received his sword from the Leader during the initiation ceremony of Lycopos. ¡®I need to assess the situation first.¡¯ Muttering to himself, Darman activated his power. Once again, a pair of wings unfolded behind him. Shwaaaah! A powerful gust of wind erupted, enveloping Ronan, and at the same time, Darman¡¯s body flew backwards. He spat out in an exasperated voice. ¡°Ha, can you withstand even this?¡± However, Ronan didn¡¯t get pushed back. He stood firm with his sword plunged into the ground, resisting the gale. But it didn¡¯t matter. The objective was to create distance, and that had been achieved. At that moment, Lamancha¡¯s de emitted a brilliant light once again. ¡°Huh?!¡± It was a crimson sh reminiscent of a sunset. A cluster of light stretched out like a hand and wrapped around Darman. For a moment, Darman felt a powerful force pulling him from behind. A voice echoed in his ears. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Older brother bastard.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Darman¡¯s eyes widened as he realized Ronan was standing right in front of him. Without a chance to react, Lamancha¡¯s sword flew in and pierced through his chest. Chapter 181: Aura (3) Chapter 181: Aura (3) [It¡¯s much more impressive than I anticipated. How do you feel?] ¡°¡­It feels like I¡¯ve returned to the past.¡± [The past?] Lynn asked with a puzzled voice. Instead of answering, Ronan clenched his fist. It seemed like his entire body transformed into a sword. ¡°¡­Well, something like that.¡± It wasn¡¯t clear if this was the hidden potential Lynn had spoken of. It simply felt very simr to when he had fought the final battle with Ahaiyute in the past. A sensation akin to those times when he never backed down, even when burdened with curses. Looking back, the reason Ronan had acted then wasn¡¯t a sense of duty to save the world or a desire for revenge. It was just something that had to be done because letting fanatics destroy the world was not an option. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. As the stack of rocks that had been sliced by his sword copsed, the sunset poured over his face. The power he had never fully wielded before spread through his veins like fire. **** Swoosh! Lamancha pierced through Darman¡¯s chest. A white de emerged from his back. Darman, now skewered, coughed up blood. As Ronan pushed the sword forward and lifted it up, Darman¡¯s feet left the ground. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°How does it feel? Does it hurt too?¡± Ronan muttered lowly. It was payback for what Darman had done to Lynn. Blood dripped down on his face, but Ronan paid no mind as he twisted the de. Swoosh. As the de tore through flesh, a pained scream escaped Darman¡¯s lips. Gasping for breath, Darman red at Ronan. ¡°T-this¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s face was so calm it bordered on indifference. In his eyes, the same color as the setting sun, there was no hint of any emotion. He stared into Darman¡¯s eyes and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dying a nice death. I have a lot to ask you.¡± Darman felt a chill run down his spine. This was apletely different person from the hot-blooded young man he had faced just moments ago. Ronan exuded a presence typical of an executioner performing his duty or a soldier, but there was something more to it, something primal. ¡®I cannot win.¡¯ Darman gritted his teeth. He had to acknowledge the reality that victory was out of reach now. It wasn¡¯t simply that Ronan¡¯s skills had suddenly improved. If he had just fallen behind in skill, there might have been ways to turn the situation around. After all, in the realm of skilled swordsmen, victory or defeat often hinged on a moment¡¯spse or confusion. It was the same principle that allowed Darman to defeat the monster known as Zaifa. What truly frustrated him was Ronan¡¯sposed demeanor. There seemed to be no openings at all. Trained through countless battles, Darman could predict with rtive ease the future where Ronan would extract all the information he needed before tearing him apart. ¡®I don¡¯t know why, but my strength is being suppressed.¡¯ Furthermore, the problem didn¡¯t stop there. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t manipte mana. It felt like the sword piercing his chest was draining his entire body of strength. ¡®If there was even the slightest opening¡­¡¯ It was truly the end as it stood. Darman¡¯s head grew hot with urgency. Even strategic retreat or a secret weapon were impossible in this state. He had to create an opening, even if it was just for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. ¡°I guess¡­ begging for mercy won¡¯t work, will it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying the obvious.¡± ¡°Then¡­ as a parting gift to the afterlife, let me tell you something good.¡± With every word Darman spoke, the stench of blood filled the air. Dry voice flowed from his lips as he struggled to catch his breath. ¡°You and I, hgh¡­ we are not actually brothers.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°But why do you think we seem alike, hmm?¡± It took a moment for the meaning of the words to sink in. Ronan¡¯s gaze flickered ever so slightly. At that moment, Darman clenched the sword piercing his chest with both hands. The de dug deep into his palm, but he paid it no mind. ¡°Graaah!¡± Darman forcefully pulled the sword to the left. Simultaneously, the sword, which had been at the center of his body, exited his side. The de, now even sharper, sliced through Darman¡¯s flesh and bone as if it were butter. Squish! A gap opened as blood and entrails spilled out. Darman, copsed on the ground, hastily rolled his body. Thud! Ronan¡¯s footnded where his head had been. As Darman¡¯s body separated from the sword, a surge of energy returned. Quickly getting up, he struck the ground with his back to Ronan. The bloodstained soil surged like waves. With a swift movement, Darman distanced himself from Ronan and shouted triumphantly. ¡°Cough, haah¡­ I did it!¡± ¡°Disgusting.¡± Ronan frowned. Watching Darman drip out his innards and flee wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. With much of Ronan¡¯s strength depleted, he remained in ce and swung his sword. A crimson crescent flew toward Darman. ¡°Just a little¡­ Just a little more!¡± The sound emanating from Darman¡¯s mouth sounded like a chant, flowing rapidly. Darman attempted to dodge by swiftly moving his feet. Normally, he would have easily avoided it, but unfortunately, Ronan¡¯s sword technique was far from ordinary. The crescent reached Darman¡¯s vicinity and exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions. The twisted fragments of metal engulfed him. ¡°Kraaaaah!¡± Boom! Struck by the storm of sword energy, Darman was sent flying as if hit by a siege engine. The thunderous explosion echoed in the crater. Ronan approached the fallen Darman slowly. Despite writhing like a ragdoll, Darman¡¯s right leg was no longer attached. Even in his worm-like crawl, he was babbling iprehensible words. ¡°Y-you,e forth¡­ but I am¡­¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense and just stay quiet.¡± Crack! Ronan¡¯s footnded on Darman¡¯s back. Intestines spilled out from the torn side, causing Darman to bepletely immobilized. Despite Darman¡¯s futile struggles, Ronan swung his sword without mercy. A crimson line was drawn over Darman¡¯s already ruined arm and leg. In an instant, the deed was done as Ronan returned to his position. The remaining three limbs detached from Darman¡¯s body. A blood-curdling scream erupted along with three streams of blood and the sound of bones snapping. Ronan, pressing down on his neck, spoke up. ¡°What do you mean by that? We¡¯re not brothers?¡± ¡°Keuk, h-hehe¡­ I wonder. Even I realized it today, after seeing you¡­ At first, I thought you were just a forgotten seed scattered by the Leader¡­ But there¡¯s something fundamentally different¡­¡± Darman spoke intermittently. A lifelessughter lingered at the corners of his mouth. It wasn¡¯t a situation tough about, but perhaps losing too much blood had affected his mind. Ronan applied more pressure, questioning. ¡°Fundamentally different?¡± ¡°Keuk¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ but I can tell you one thing.¡± Ronan shook his head. Simultaneously, Darman¡¯s teeth mped down forcefully. Snap! Energy erupted around him, creating shockwaves. Ronan, propelled by the invisible force,nded about fifty steps away. ¡°You son of a bitch, speaking bullshit again.¡± Ronan spat out curses as he lifted his head. Darman¡¯s body was wrapped in a bright aura. The dazzling mana spreading throughout the Holy Land was blinding. ¡®This might get dangerous.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. The buff from Lynn was fading. Every breath sent a tingling sensation through his bones. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what trick Darman was pulling, but it was time to end this. Ronan¡¯s thighs swelled up fiercely enhanced with mana. Bang! His sword, which had leapt off the ground, was about to touch the aura. A strange voice echoed. [Toote. Half bastard.] ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. In his low voice, there was a distinct sense of determination, like the flow of a river. Suddenly, a fist burst out of the aura and struck Ronan. Boom! He was sent flying, soaring even beyond the outskirts of the crater before crashing into a rocky ledge. ¡°Keuuk!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. It felt like hundreds of metal beads were rattling in his head. Despite defending with his sword, the impact was overwhelming. As hended on the ground, the voice from earlier echoed again. [I never imagined. Surely, I never thought I would be able to use this power. I praise you for pushing me so far.] ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan lifted his head and stopped in his tracks. The aura dispersed in the wind, revealing Darman standing at its center, now with arms and legs regrown. However, the problem was that that wasn¡¯t the only thing that had changed. Darman¡¯s physique had doubled in size overall. His skin had turned into a pristine white like snow. Behind his broadened shoulders were a pair of wings reminiscent of birds in flight. It was a very familiar sight. While not matching the original in size or grandeur, it was apparent that Darman had drawn power from some entity. Frozen in ce, Ronan muttered as if he was possessed. ¡°Ahaiyute.¡± [To know the name of God. Indeed, you are something else.] Darman said. It felt like encountering a long-lost friend. A voice filled with astonishment erupted from the direction where the survivors had gathered. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°Wh-what is that thing?¡± Their faces twisted in fear. Those who had were about to join Ronan after disposing of the nuisances froze in ce. Without panicking, Navirose and Shullifen wielded their swords. Boom! A jade-green crescent and a wind de flew simultaneously toward Darman. Boom! An explosion engulfed his form, even overturning the ground. Navirose bit down on her lower lip. ¡°Damn it.¡± She instinctively realized her attacks were futile. Once the explosion subsided, Darman appeared unharmed. The spherical barrier surrounding his body emitted a powerful energy that distorted the surrounding space. At a nce, it was iparable to the powers wielded by the Ferocious Sword or Ajie. [The strength of mortals is useless. Don¡¯t you think so?] ¡°Run away!¡± Navirose shouted. But Darman¡¯s target wasn¡¯t them. As he raised his arm, light began to gather around his whitened fist. Before long, a long spear made of light materialized in Darman¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. It was a familiar technique. Darman, propelled by the gusts, hurled the spear at Ronan. [Disappear.] It felt like a lightning bolt striking down in a straight line. A massive explosion, almost impossible to capture in an instant, engulfed Ronan¡¯s position. A pir of light, about 30 meters in diameter, shot up into the sky. Several participants who had lost their footing slumped down. ¡°Ronan!¡± Shullifen shouted. There seemed to be no chance of survival from the explosion. As the light faded, apletely destroyed crater was revealed. [Should have at least left the corpse behind.] Darman muttered quietly. Thick smoke rose from the spot where the pir of light had soared. While pping his wings in the air, Darman looked down at the spot where Ronan had been. Suddenly, a crimson light, simr to what he had seen earlier, burst out from the smoke. [Hmm?!] Darman raised his hand to shield his face. Even though he had epted a portion of divinity, he couldn¡¯t directly look at it. Once again, the sensation of being pulled by an unknown force enveloped his entire body. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inside the smoke he had been observing. [What¡­?] Darman¡¯s brow furrowed. It was a moment of confusion as he frantically looked around. A fierce energy struck him in the back of the head. Darman quickly turned his head and gasped for breath. Ronan, readying his sword, was right in front of him. [What the hell is this¡­!] Ronan looked remarkably unscathed. Darman¡¯s face contorted sharply in something beyond surprise. Ronan, gazing into his eyes, uttered an iprehensible sentence. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve defeated the original before.¡± Darman hurriedly stretched out his hand, but Ronan¡¯s sword was already upon him. Thebined power of the Holy Sword and Lamancha drew a smooth arc. A white line was drawn across Darman¡¯s neck. [Kwack!] ¡°You¡¯re quite dramatic. At least that bastard wasn¡¯t screaming.¡± Ronan remarked. At the same time, blue blood gushed from where the sword passed. Sensing that the neck wasn¡¯t severed in one stroke, he clicked his tongue. Darman, clutching his swaying neck, took flight. [Kraaaak!] Blue blood poured out like rain. As Darman¡¯s wings spread, a gust of wind blew away the smoke. Amidst the survivors, screams erupted once again. Ronan, who was looking up at him, gripped the hilt of his sword. ¡°I¡¯m tired of looking up at you.¡± The blood sttering on his face felt cold. Suddenly, Navirose¡¯s exnation about Aura came to mind. She had said that the Aura was a reflection of one¡¯s ego and desires, which seemed to make sense. Though not entirely clear, there were a few guesses. The helplessness of just watching Ahaiyute soar through the sky. The fixation on the distance the sword could reach. A story rted to Noelle, who once spoke shoulder to shoulder with Adeshan. Perhaps the final reasoning behind the appearance of his abilities was the desire to not die, to draw upon all the light in the world. Even thinking back, it sounded usible. Ronan¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Get down here, Darman.¡± This was the end. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. Lamancha¡¯s de was once again tinged with the color of the setting sun. The fleeting sh of light enveloped Darman as he tried to flee, pping his wings desperately. In an instant, the distorted space and the sunset-like re brought Darman right before Ronan¡¯s eyes. [You bastard¡­!] Though Darman seemed to be shouting something, Ronan did not care. For an instant, Ronan¡¯s arm blurred and vanished. The graceful de swept over Darman¡¯s body. Finally, as the strike ceased, Ronan wiped the blood from his sword. Bang! Darman¡¯s body, torn into seven pieces, copsed as if it had exploded. Chapter 182: Sunset Chapter 182: Sunset The body, now in seven pieces, copsed. Blue blood poured out like an explosion, covering Ronan. Darman¡¯s head, rolling down, touched Ronan¡¯s foot. From his still-breathing mouth came a strained voice. [You¡­ bastard.] ¡°Your resilience ismendable.¡± Ronan remarked, arching an eyebrow. Despite having been beheaded, his ability to speak seemed better than the original. Darman, ring at Ronan with trembling eyes, let out a sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve lost.¡± His grandiose voice had returned to its original state. His once paper-white skin was gradually returning to an apricot hue. The sky-blue blood was slowly turning red, giving the impression that something inherent in Darman was escaping. Something like a soul or life force. With a heavy step, Ronan ced one foot on Darman¡¯s neck. ¡°How much time do you have left?¡± ¡°At most, three minutes.¡± ¡°Then tell me this before you go. Why suddenly say that we¡¯re not brothers?¡± Though there were heaps of questions he wanted to ask, the one about their shared origin was the most pressing. He didn¡¯t expect much. There was no reason for Darman, on the verge of death, to answer Ronan¡¯s questions. Yet, without hesitation, he spoke. ¡°Do you need an exnation¡­? It¡¯s just as it sounds.¡± ¡°Then why do you and I look so alike?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ now that you mention it, it is intriguing. I believed, without a doubt, that you were also the direct offspring of the Leader like me¡­¡± Darman trailed off. His gaze was gradually fading. Ronan could instinctively sense that his time was running out. ¡°All I know is that you¡¯re not the Leader¡¯s child¡­ I¡¯ve never had a younger brother like you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very fortunate. It¡¯s probably the truth.¡± ¡°Rest assured. Although I¡¯ve lived a life adorned with lies¡­ I want to end it with honesty at least this once¡­¡± Darman sighed as if resigned. Since he was going to die anyway, he seemed determined to truly reveal everything. Ronan pressed his foot harder against his neck. ¡°You speak well. Then while you¡¯re at it, tell me why you came here. Your true purpose.¡± ¡°That¡­ won¡¯t be difficult.¡± Oh. Was he really going to tell? Ronan waited with an expression full of anticipation. Suddenly, a faint murderous intent emanated from somewhere in the corner of his vision. Ronan turned his head. Light particles were gathering in Darman¡¯s severed hand, which was rolling on the ground. Realizing the situation, he cursed. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± ¡°Enjoy the fleeting moments of your life.¡± Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. Darman¡¯s hand clenched into a fist. Boom! An explosion erupted as a pir of light shot up into the sky. Ronan leaped away simultaneously with the explosion. Though smaller in scale than before, it was still powerful enough to cause the already weakened rocks to copse. It was the moment of his descent. The crack where Ronan and Darman were gradually widened and copsed. As the light subsided, the wind blew away the smoke. Ronan, walking to the edge of the crater, looked down. Darman¡¯s flesh, which had been torn beyond recognition, was falling down the mountain along with the rubble. He muttered under his breath. ¡°F***ing bastard.¡± For a moment, he thought he had regained his senses. It was indeed so. He could once again realize that expelling these bastards as soon as possible was the way to save the world. He no longer felt the mana sparkling around him. As the task waspleted, his body began to feel increasingly heavy. Suddenly, a voice came from behind. ¡°Ronan! Are you okay?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ is everyone alive?¡± Ronan turned his head. The survivors, including Navirose and Shullifen, were gathered, looking up at him. Except for Zaifa and Allogin, who were leaning against the rocks, everyone seemed well. Ronan pointed at them with his finger and asked, ¡°What about those two?¡± ¡°They¡¯re both alive. We found potions in the belongings of the deceased participants. If we hurry and move them to the infirmary, they should be fine.¡± Indeed, Zaifa¡¯s shoulders were seen rising and falling slightly. Ronan sighed with relief. Shullifen, who had been staring at him intently, spoke up. ¡°So, you finally manifested your Aura. Remarkable achievement.¡± ¡°You bastard¡­ is that really important right now?¡± Ronan chuckled. Shullifen¡¯s blood-covered eyes remained consistently dark blue. There were quite a few people among the injured wearing bandages made from torn uniforms. Despite feeling both repulsed and proud, Ronan couldn¡¯t bring himself to punish them. Suddenly, Ajie, who had copsed like a turtle, caught his eye. Whether her wounds had been cauterized or something else, there was no bleeding from the clean-cut edges. Ronan gestured toward her with his chin. ¡°Is she alive?¡± ¡°Yeah. Though it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯llst long.¡± ¡°Try your best to save her. She has a lot of valuable information to extract¡­¡± ¡°Will do. Yourplexion hasn¡¯t been very good since a while ago, are you okay?¡± Navirose asked with concern. Ronan responded with a thumbs-up gesture, pretending to be fine. Of course, he wasn¡¯t fine at all. She brushed her hair back in relief and continued. ¡°Thank goodness. What on earth was that just now?¡± ¡°Those bastards deserved to have their graves pissed on¡­ Yeah, everyone must have seen them.¡± Ronan looked around. Over ten people stood around, looking dazed. It seemed like no one had missed seeing Darman transformed into a giant. ¡°Aha.¡± Ronan chuckled. Now he had a justification to not be called a madman even if he spoke the truth about the future. He had a feeling that many things would change from now on. ¡®Balon would probably be pleased. Or maybe he¡¯ll start foaming at the mouth and copse.¡¯ Ronan chuckled at the thought of the Emperor¡¯s reaction. In an unexpected turn of events, he hadpleted his first mission as the Dawn of the Empire. For his first mission, the oue didn¡¯t seem too bad. He also had the guidance he received from Russell. Navirose gestured to him. ¡°But how long do you n on staying there? Come down slowly.¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ the view is very beautiful¡­¡± Instead of descending, Ronan slowly lifted his head. In fact, they were at the summit of Parzan. Thendscape of Parzan, including the Holy Land,y before him. The cool wind tousled his bangs. The sunset at its peak was beautiful. The sun had already disappeared beyond the western horizon. Violet hues mixed with red-tinged clouds, melting into the sky. Thousands of swords were lit, reflecting the light. The sound of the wind passing through the des sounded like a requiem for those who had fallen in this battle. Faces of those he had briefly known shed before him. Russell, Riley, Fox Knight, Madame Olga. And¡­ Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the sword clenched in his hand. The ck-and-white de, like the others, reflected the color of the sky. Ronan, turning the de in the sunset, spoke. ¡°Well done.¡± There was no response, but he could feel Lynn nodding. Ronan looked back at the sunset and smiled wryly. Thud. His body slowly slumped backward. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Ronan¡­!¡± Eyelids quickly closed. A sensation of sinking into deep water enveloped his entire body. In the darkness, Navirose and Shullifen were shouting something. He wanted to tell them toe closer since he couldn¡¯t hear well, but no sound came out. **** ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the white ceiling. Somehow, theforting white finish seemed familiar from somewhere. ¡°This ce¡­¡± He slowly raised his upper body. Rows of beds and various medical equipment came into view. Ivory-colored curtains fluttered through the partially open window, letting in the breeze. It was undoubtedly the infirmary at the Gallerion Pavilion in Philleon. ¡°Shit. How long have I been asleep?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It took a whole week just to travel to Parzan, and he couldn¡¯t grasp how long he had been asleep. The breeze tickling his nostrils carried the scent of acacia. There was a warmth in the air that he hadn¡¯t felt in Parzan. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Suddenly feeling something heavy on his thighs, Ronan lowered his head. Contrasting with the white nket, dark hair caught his eye. A familiar woman was lying face down, using her arm as a pillow. ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ just a moment¡­¡± It was Adeshan. Ronan lightly tapped her cheek with his index finger, and she blinked, slowly waking up. Adeshan¡¯s face, just waking up, looked quite haggard. Her skin was pale, and dark circles under her eyes made her look like someone who hadn¡¯t slept for days. Silently, Ronan reached out and removed the strand of hair stuck to her mouth. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as she blinked, still half-awake. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Did you stay up all night?¡± ¡°Y-you finally woke up! Are you okay? You didn¡¯t have any injuries, but you wouldn¡¯t wake up, so I was so worried¡­¡± Adeshan hurriedly exined what had happened during Ronan¡¯s unconsciousness. Today marked the ninth day since Ronan returned to Philleon unconscious from Parzan. She, Elizabeth, and their friends from the Elite Adventure Club had taken turns visiting him, and as if to prove it, there were piles of letters and what looked like nourishing food stacked on the bedside table. ¡°Ah, jeez. I¡¯ve been lying there for so long.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯m really d that you¡¯re safe. Ah, right. What did you just¡­¡± Adeshan suddenly stopped herself mid-sentence and the corner of her mouth. The corners of her mouth were moist. Realizing that what she had seen wasn¡¯t a dream, she blinked her eyes wide open. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! So, this is¡­¡± Her face turned noticeably pale. She frantically gestured and tried desperately to exin why liquid was flowing from her mouth. Watching her, Ronan chuckled. Slowly reaching out, he pulled Adeshan into an embrace without a word. ¡°R-Ronan?¡± Adeshan took a sharp breath. Since there were only two of them in the infirmary, even without paying attention, she could hear the intensified sound of her heartbeat. Ronan spoke. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wh-What do you mean, thank you¡­? F-First, this¡­¡± ¡°In many ways. Thanks to you, my Aura has finally manifested.¡± Adeshan, flustered, squirmed, but Ronan didn¡¯t let her go. He spoke to her about how his Aura blossomed on the summit of Parzan just as he held her. The scent of snow and mountain flowers emanated from Adeshan¡¯s hair, which maintained its ck color even in the light. She stopped resisting at some point and buried her face in Ronan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­That¡¯s good.¡± The two of them stayed like that for a while. The warmth radiating from their bodies through their clothes wasforting. As Ronan felt at ease again, he started to doze off. From somewhere, a low and raspy voice was heard. ¡°Oh, are you awake?¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± It was a familiar voice. Startled, Adeshan quickly pulled away. Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. Zaifa, leaning against the wall of the infirmary, stood there. ¡°¡­Zaifa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see, hmm. Reminds me of my younger days.¡± It was undoubtedly Zaifa. Confirming that Ronan had awakened, she smiled, baring her fangs. Thick bandages were tightly wrapped around Zaifa¡¯s chest which seemed like they could even stop an elephant from bleeding. Seeing her munching on a melon as if it were an apple, Ronan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s quite embarrassing, but it¡¯s true. For the first time, I understand how that snake must¡¯ve felt.¡± Zaifa sighed. She exined that she had fully recovered within a day of being transferred to the infirmary. Ronan remembered seeing her shedding so much blood that it seemed like her heart had been cut in half, but anyway, she was an impressive figure. Zaifa continued. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re safe too. We have a lot to discuss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Disturbing someone who has just woken up is a bit rude, so let¡¯s leave that forter. But still, have a little chat with this guest.¡± ¡°Guest?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Zaifa silently gestured for someone outside the room to enter through the partially open door. Creak! The door swung fully open, and another figure cautiously entered. She was a beautiful Werelioness with cream-colored fur. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re¡­!¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± The Werelioness bowed her head slightly. She was Lieutenant Nemea, the sole survivor of the Dawn Brigade massacre. Zaifa patted her on the shoulder and said. ¡°Yeah. My subordinate has something to say. It¡¯s about what happened that day rted to the incident.¡± Chapter 183: Walking Around the Campus Chapter 183: Walking Around the Campus ¡°My subordinate has something to say. It¡¯s about what happened that day.¡± Zaifa tapped the Lieutenant¡¯s shoulder. Ronan noticed Adeshan¡¯s quickened breath. Ronan, btedly recalling her trauma, whispered. ¡°Should we talk about itter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Adeshan shook her head. She faced the two people like someone confronting their fear. Lieutenant Nemea approached and bowed her head. With heer imposing stature, she seemed like a towering wall in front of them. ¡°I should express this first. I apologize.¡± It was a courteous demeanor that didn¡¯t match her size. It was an apology for the rudeness she had shown when she encountered Ronan during the massacre. Ronan replied. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No. I was too rude at that time. Even in such a situation, I should have maintained myposure¡­ It was my fault for being inexperienced.¡± Nemea spoke with her head bowed. As expected, the reason she had been startled by Ronan was that the attackers¡¯ eye color matched Ronan¡¯s. Ronan¡¯s spection was spot on. The identities of the attackers were Darman, Ajie, and the Ferocious Sword Croden. Nemea exined that herrades died sttering blood whenever the scarlet eyes shed. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. Having experienced the annihtion of a squad himself, he knew how devastating it must have been for the Lieutenant. Ronan, who had been silently listening, waved his hands. ¡°It¡¯s really okay, so lift your head. Even if it were me, I would have lost my mind.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Only then did Nemea raise her head. Even after experiencing such an ordeal, the fact that she thought to apologize to others showed that she was indeed different, even though she was a former member of the Imperial Knights. Ronan, who had been observing her, spoke up. ¡°Is there any other business?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Since you also seem to be in difort, I¡¯ll make it brief. I happened to overhear the conversation of the attackers that day.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°It was muffled by the rain, but I heard it clearly. Most of it was chatter, but asionally, I caught snippets that sounded out of the ordinary.¡± As she was a Warelion with exceptional hearing, it was possible. Nemea said they mentioned a specific location. Although she couldn¡¯t ascertain if it was Neb zier¡¯s next destination, it was still valuable information. Nemea said she would document what she heard and send it to Ronan soon. Since, Ajie, the only spared in Parzan was escorted to Rodn, she also added that she wouldpile any extracted gleaned from her there. After finishing speaking, she bowed her head once again. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll visit again soon. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The two beastmen left the room. Zaifa left behind a bottle of aged Perennial Snowflower liquor on the bed side table as a get-well gift. It seemed like being in the Philleon Academy was quite pleasant. Like a tiger going mad. Somehow, Ronan had a feeling he would be seeing Zaifawa often in the future. Adeshan, who had been beside him, sighed suddenly. Ronan asked with concern. ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m much better now.¡± Adeshan regted her breathing. She didn¡¯t look away from Zaifa until the end. It was impressive how she maintained herposure throughout. After all, no matter what anyone said, Zaifa was the one who had caused her family¡¯s downfall. Ronan, who got along with everyone without any reservations, often forgot that Zaifa was the leader of the Great Alliance of Northern Beasts, who had unleashed the Night of the Fangs. Ronan held her hand until Adeshan¡¯s breathing steadied again. Soon, she regained herposurepletely and chuckled softly. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m really okay now. Your hands seem to have gotten bigger though.¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± ¡°By the way, you mentioned you developed your Aura, what is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s a bit difficult to demonstrate here. I¡¯ll show you outside.¡± Ronan said, looking at the mboyant Lamancha leaning against the wall. It seemed too shy for indoor use. Adeshan added. ¡°Right. Your club members all went out for club activities. They should be back by tomorrow. Elizabeth went to the Dawn Magic Tower for training.¡± Even without Ronan, the Special Adventure Club was still running smoothly. Their current activity was visiting (raiding) the griffin¡¯s nest, which had caused casualties. It wasn¡¯t as intense as when Ronan was there, but to ordinary students, it was still enough craziness. ¡°It¡¯s nice that everyone is busy.¡± Ronan nodded with a satisfied smile. Just then, the door of the infirmary swung open, and familiar faces entered one after another. Shullifen, Navirose, and Iril. Ronan¡¯s eyes met with his sister¡¯s, who pped her hands and eximed. ¡°My little brother, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°Do you know how worried I was? Huh?¡± Iril rushed over to Ronan and pulled him into a tight hug. Tear marks were already visible on her cheeks. It seemed he had caused more worry again. After stroking her brother¡¯s face for a while, Iril turned to Shullifen and spoke. ¡°Thank you so much, Sir Shullifen, for saving my brother.¡± ¡°I just did what needed to be done.¡± Shullifen replied like a broken machine. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the iprehensible words. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®saved¡¯? What happened?¡± ¡°Shullifen was the one who carried you all the way to Gran Parzan. You¡¯re fine now, but your condition at the time was quite serious. You were running a high fever due to typical mana overload.¡± Navirose spoke in ce of Shullifen, who seemed to be suffering from dementia. Thanks to Lynn¡¯s power, Ronan, who had already drawn out his potential, had fallen into a kind ofa, but thanks to Shullifen carrying him over in an hour, quick emergency measures were possible. Ronan looked at Shullifen with a genuinely surprised expression. ¡°I owe you one. Thanks.¡± ¡°You were heavy.¡± Shullifen muttered dismissively. His gaze remained fixed on Iril. Ronan chuckled at his consistent demeanor. Navirose looked at the transformed Lamancha and spoke up. ¡°Is that the Holy Sword now?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Amazing. I thought it was only a fairy tale.¡± She expressed pure admiration upon hearing Ronan¡¯s words. Navirose conveyed the news that all survivors from that day, including Allogin, were safe. They talked for quite a while about the events in Parzan. As the conversation seemed to be winding down, Adeshan grabbed Navirose¡¯s sleeve as she was about to leave the room. ¡°Um, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you since earlier¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ Ronan¡¯s coat? Why is the instructor¡­?¡± Adeshan trailed off, and a sense of unease could be felt on her face as she awkwardly smiled. Navirose raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ah, you mean this?¡± Ronan had given it to Navirose because her clothes were torn during her fight with Croden. Just as she was about to dismiss it casually, she suddenly stopped. A mischievous smile appeared on Navirose¡¯s lips as she nced between Ronan and Adeshan. ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s nothing, really. I just put it on because I felt embarrassed being half-naked.¡± ¡°Huh? H-Half-naked? What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. This guy was aplete beast that day. His energy reminded me of my youth.¡± While it was true, a somewhat distorted exnation flowed from Navirose¡¯s lips. Adeshan covered her mouth with both hands. She looked at Ronan with breaths that were nowhere near as calm as when she faced Zaifa. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, hold on a second. There¡¯s a limit even to omitting the subject.¡± Ronan chuckled. Adeshan¡¯s eyes were already starting to moisten. Navirose, who had been chuckling, tapped her on the shoulder and spoke. ¡°Just kidding, just kidding. Well, I¡¯ll be off then. The entrance ceremony ising up soon, so don¡¯t overexert yourself and rest well.¡± With those words, Navirose left the infirmary, still wearing the coat. Then, Ronan noticed the head of a pipe protruding from the outer pocket of the coat. Right. He had to get that back too. Ronan was about to get up. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Sunbe?¡± ¡°You should rest.¡± Adeshan grabbed his wrist. Perhaps it was because she had been wielding a crossbow and whip, but her grip was surprisingly strong. Ronan even gestured, appealing to her sense of injustice. ¡°You don¡¯t seriously believe that kind of talk, do you? She said it herself, it was a joke.¡± ¡°Yeah. But I think I need an exnation. A bit more detailed.¡± Her suddenlyposed attitude was eerie. Her eyes, which had been wavering with indecision, were now chillingly calm. It felt like even if he resisted, she might resort to mind control. In the end, Ronan returned to his seat. It wasn¡¯t until three hourster that he was allowed to get up from his seat. He had to exin everything that had happened in the Holy City of Parzan from the beginning. After being discharged, Ronan returned straight to the dormitory. Despite being away for nearly a month, his room remained immactely clean, thanks to his exclusive maid, Lucy. Ronan greeted her warmly as she yed with Cita. ¡°Long time no see, Lucy.¡± ¡°Oh my, Ronan-sama! You still look tired. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I still have a lot to do. Take this.¡± After handing Lucy a tip close to her monthly sry, Ronan ushered her out of the room. Despite her protests that she couldn¡¯t ept such arge amount, he firmly ignored them. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve written anything, my handwriting¡¯s a mess.¡± The first thing he did was summarize the events in Parzan and report them to the Emperor. Cita, acting as the messenger, delivered the report to the imperial pce and returned in just five minutes. Once her task was done, Citapensated for his absence over the past month by fiercely rubbing her face against Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Byaa! Bwaaah!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I missed you too.¡± Ronan gently stroked Cita, who was now the size of arge dog. Somehow, it seemed like she had grown so much that she could almost carry people and fly. The response was very quick. Less than an hour after Cita returned, there was a tapping on the dormitory window with a bird¡¯s beak, carrying the imperial decree. -Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. ¡°You¡¯re so impatient. Hold on, will you?¡± Ronan checked the letter tied to the bird¡¯s ankle. It confirmed receipt of the report and advised him to rest as the results of the meeting would be forting soon. The Emperor¡¯s handwritten note expressed gratitude and recognition for his efforts. Whoosh! After reading all the orders, the magically enchanted paper spontaneously burst into mes and disappeared. Rubbing his chin, Ronan muttered under his breath. ¡°What will you do now? Neb zier.¡± It was difficult to predict the many changes that would ur in the future. Just considering the people who survived in Parzan at that time, there were many influential figures from various walks of life on the continent. They were expected to share the horrifying events they experienced in Parzan with their acquaintances. ¡®They¡¯ll truly be an enemy of the world now.¡¯ Ronan, who had fought against Lycopos, was convinced. He believed he still had a chance to win. Though they were undoubtedly strong, they were insufficient to break the absolute power of a nation. He could understand why they hadn¡¯tunched a full-scale attack. ¡®There must have been a reason why the strong ones were eliminated one by one.¡¯ When there was a chance of victory, they needed topletely break the momentum. Killing all the giants would be good, but it would be even better if the disaster of their arrival didn¡¯t happen at all. After finishing his most urgent tasks, Ronan left his room. His destination was Katir¡¯s office. ¡®I should inform him on this asion.¡¯ Katir would have undoubtedly heard the news, but directly speaking about it would provide more urate information. Philleon, where he returned after a month, was incredibly peaceful. The students who regained spring were not wearing thick coats. The flower beds were blooming with various colors of flowers. The chaos and tragedy that had urred in Parzan felt like a dream of one night. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the sword swaying at his waist. Lamancha, imbued with Lynn¡¯s essence, still maintained its peculiar form. About 70% of the sword¡¯s de had turned into a snowy white color, resembling pieces of wood that had been glued together. Ronan, staring at the de intently, spoke. ¡°Lynn.¡± Despite waiting for a long time, there was no response. Ronan suppressed a wry smile. Lynn hadn¡¯t spoken since leaving Parzan. It seemed that the blow of losing her physical body to Darman was bigger than expected. It was impossible to know if she would never speak again. However, it was clear that Lynn existed within the sword. As if to prove it, the scabbard of Lynn¡¯s sword subtly tapped Ronan¡¯s buttocks every time he took a step. ¡®¡­So that¡¯s why she was so obsessed with butts.¡¯ It seemed like he knew why she had been fond of touching others¡¯ buttocks so much. Chuckling, Ronan strolled through the academy campus. He decided to remain faithful to what he could do with the sword. Who knows, if he fed it plenty of blood, she might regain her strength and start speaking again. ¡®She¡¯s going to fight with Sunbe quite a lot.¡¯ Ronan imagined the moment when Lynn would regain her body. If she continued her usual behavior of harassing him, it was obvious that Adesan¡¯s eyes would widen in surprise. Ronan chuckled as he envisioned the chaos that would ensue. ¡®It¡¯s going to be interesting.¡¯ As he strolled along, lost in various thoughts, he suddenly found himself standing in front of the principal¡¯s office. Just as he was about to knock, the closed door opened on its own, and Katir¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± It was a voice devoid of energy. Ronan nodded and entered the room. Katir was standing in front of his desk, covering his face with both hands. ¡°Long time no see, Ronan¡­ I¡¯m truly d, but please forgive this old man who can not wee you properly.¡± ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Instead of answering, Katir sighed deeply. When he removed his hands, his face revealed an indescribable concern. Suddenly, Ronan noticed a piece of paper clenched in Katir¡¯s hand. It was a finely crafted crimson paper, much more luxurious than what was used to deliver the Emperor¡¯s decrees. As Katir reread the letter, he staggered. He barely avoided falling by grabbing onto the desk. Ronan frowned at this unexpected behavior in front of someone. ¡°Damn it, what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just can¡¯t keep calm. You must also know. Among the students enrolling this year, the Red Dragon Itargand is there.¡± ¡°I know. So what?¡± Ronan raised his brow. Since he was the one who brought him, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know. Katir, after putting down the paper, wiped his face. ¡°His¡­ mother ising to visit.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He must have misheard. Or maybe this old man had finally sumbed to a brain disorder. However, he quickly proved that his mind was still intact by clearly articting the impending matter. ¡°In other words, it means Navardose ising in person.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan cursed. He immediately understood Katir¡¯s attitude. Navardose, the Mother of Fire. During the incident of the giants¡¯ arrival in his previous life, she was the only Red Dragon who defeated the giants without dying. Chapter 184: Reflecting on the Daily Life Chapter 184: Reflecting on the Daily Life After hearing the shocking news, Ronan stood still for a few seconds. Navardose attending the parents¡¯ day at the academy. It was a phrase he wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily recalled even if he had to live his life over ten times. ¡°¡­When exactly is the entrance ceremony?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a week from now.¡± ¡°This is messed up¡­ Does His Majesty know?¡± ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t know yet. And¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should report this to His Majesty, considering the way this letter came.¡± Katir sighed, touching his forehead. He handed the letter from Navardose to Ronan, wearing an expression as if he were showing his own internal organs. On the crimson paper, there was a simple sentence written in cursive. [Coming. Six dayster.] ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan cursed again. This didn¡¯t seem like a joke letter written to a twenty-year-old friend. The problem was, there was no one who could say anything about her unteral notice. Navardose¡¯s visits were not ordinary events. Whenever she asionally visited the Empire, regardless of the reason, that day became a temporary public holiday. Merchants closed their shops, and citizens waited indoors for a while, showing respect for the Mother of Fire. ¡®She is probably the closest creature to God. If God exists.¡¯ Understanding Katir¡¯s bewildering feelings about such a behemoth traveling to Philleon just to attend her son¡¯s entrance ceremony, Ronan suddenly recalled memories from a past life, and he bit his lower lip. Although he had never seen Navardose in person, he knew that her status, widely known among the people, was by no means exaggerated. When she burned Duaru, one of the three giants, to death, the mes she emitted could be seen from thousands of kilometers away. ¡®I woke up thinking it was morning, but it looks like I¡¯m still dreaming.¡¯ The pir of fire soaring through the sky momentarily abolished the concept of night in the world. Imperial messengers dispatched to the City of Dragons witnessed the dead giant turned into mere charcoal, Navardose who copsed from exhaustion, and the corpses of countless dragons. However, unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t just one giant. Nirvana and Ahaiyute were still alive, and Navardose, depleted of her strength, couldn¡¯t participate in the following battle. As a result, humanity not only lost the Great Mage Lorehon but also the loss of three-tenth of the continent. And in the end, it was destroyedpletely. Katir, who had been groaning, spoke up. ¡°Well¡­ for now, I¡¯ll try to figure this out somehow. Nothing will change just by worrying. I think I should seek advice from my master.¡± ¡°Your master¡­ you mean Lord Lorehon?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not something I can decide rashly. Come to think of it, I received a letter a while ago asking about your well-being. He seemed especially interested in Aselle.¡± Katir¡¯s face looked slightly better than before. He seemed to have gathered his thoughts to some extent. As he snapped his fingers, the space above the entertainment table flipped, and tea cups and snacks appeared. ¡°Sorry for the dy. Well, let¡¯s catch up on everything that has happened.¡± ¡°My story isn¡¯t exactly cheerful either. Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°What could be more serious than the Mother of Fire visiting next week? It¡¯s okay, go ahead.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He realized it wasn¡¯t entirely incorrect. He began recounting what he had experienced in Parzan in a matter-of-fact tone. **** The meeting with Kratir took about an hour. Since Ronan deliberately avoided bringing up stories rted to the end of the world, there was no throwing of teacups and screaming. It wasn¡¯t that he was particrly worried about the old man¡¯s mental health. He just wanted to pick the right moment to talk about it. After spending a rtively pleasant time, Ronan headed straight to the club area. The cloudless sky was beautiful. As he thought about Navardose¡¯s visit, Ronan shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s a good opportunity.¡¯ Initially, he had been anxious, but now it seemed like he could use it as an opportunity. He had been thinking of visiting her before time ran out anyway, so it was rather fortunate that she wasing to him instead. ¡®I should take advantage of this opportunity. Who knows what might happen in the future.¡¯ From the outset, convincing Navardose was one of Ronan¡¯s goals after his regression. The value of a dragon with a record of burning giants was undeniable. Perhaps he could even learn a way to disrupt the Protection of the Stars. The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t think of a way to engage her in a conversation. There was no reason for that haughty dragon to converse with him. ¡®Should I draw attention to myself by pissing on the ground during the entrance ceremony? I¡¯ve heard her temperament is foul, but what if I provoke her by babbling nonsense?¡¯ Lost in such thoughts, Ronan found himself at the warehouse connected to the club before he knew it. Suddenly, there was a burst of loud cheers. ¡°Congrattions on your discharge!¡± ¡°Oh, my goodness, what a surprise!¡± The noise was deafening, echoing in the underground. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Members of the elite adventure club, including Aselle and Marya, were gathered in the vast training ground in the background. ¡°You guys¡­¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan. Are you fully recovered now?¡± Aselle asked, stuttering. His hair, now longer, cascaded over his shoulders. A white streak which appeared when the Winter Witch had possessed his body still gleamed in one corner of his bangs. It had been a month since theyst met. Everyone seemed healthy,ughing and smiling. Marya, who had leaped up to Ronan, clung to his neck. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°Are you really okay? You slept for so long. Really long.¡± ¡°I was fine until now, but you made it painful again.¡± She still had incredible strength. Ronan¡¯s face turned a faint shade of blue as he struggled in her grip. Realizing her mistake btedly, she let go. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve been having trouble controlling my strengthtely. Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. By the way, weren¡¯t you guys supposed to be doing club activities? I distinctly remember hearing something about Griffons and whatnot.¡± ¡°Well, it ended earlier than expected. You¡¯d be surprised how strong our cutie has gotten.¡± Marya pulled Aselle into a tight hug from behind. Aselle¡¯s face was now the same color as his hair, blending seamlessly. Judging by his shy reactions, it seemed like their rtionship hadn¡¯t progressed much. Braum, standing behind them, let out a heartyugh. ¡°Hahaha! It feels like it¡¯s been ages since west met, and it¡¯s only been a month. How was the Festival of Swords?¡± ¡°Eh, it was alright. I¡¯ll tell you more about it next time; the atmosphere might get awkward if I go into detail now. Are you handling the shield better now?¡± ¡°Haha, what are you talking about? So far, no one from the graduating ss has been able to pierce my Brahms!¡± Braum pounded on therge shield strapped to his back. It was the shield Ronan had fitted for him in Gran Cappadocia. Seeing how he even named it, it seemed like he cherished it quite a bit. Ronan¡¯s mouth quirked up at his confident demeanor. ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­!¡± Ronan drew his sword. Braum¡¯s hand moved reflexively as he took a sharp breath. aang! Sparks flew from the air as the sound of metal shed resounded. ¡°Ho.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­! Did you see that? I blocked it!¡± Ronan eximed, his mouth forming a slight ¡®o¡¯ in admiration. The white de was stopped in its tracks against the shield. Even though it was just a light swing, he hadn¡¯t imagined it would be blocked. ¡°Not bad, Braum.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a fearsome quick sword. I never thought the day woulde when I would block Ronan¡¯s sword. I¡¯m d!¡± Braum chuckled heartily, bending over withughter. As pleasing as it was to see him genuinely happy, it was regrettable that he needed to be informed of the truth. Ronan, scratching his head awkwardly, spoke up. ¡°Uh, sorry.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Hm? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Next time, instead of going to another cksmith, try asking Doron directly. With your level of skill, he¡¯ll definitely make it for you.¡± Braum cocked his head at the unfamiliar name. At that moment, a white line was drawn vertically over hisrge shield. ng! The shield split neatly into two halves and fell to the ground. ¡°Aahhh! Brahms!¡± ¡°It¡¯s sharper than I thought¡­ I should be more careful.¡± Ronan murmured, looking at the edge of Lamancha¡¯s de. It had always boasted exceptional cutting power, but it had be even more formidable since beingbined with the Holy Sword. ¡°Whoa-oh! How could myrade have to go through this? I¡­ I¡­¡± Braum¡¯s cry filled the training ground. He was kneeling, clutching the shattered shield. With tears streaming down his face, it looked as though someone might mistake him for mourning a deceased lover. Suddenly, a shadow loomed under his feet, stretching out long. It was a phenomenon seen somewhere before. Soon enough, a girl with silver hair broke through the shadow, tearing it apart to reveal her figure. ¡°Braum¡­ it¡¯s too noisy.¡± ¡°Ugh! S-Sorry. Did I wake you?¡± ¡°Yeah. Because of you.¡± It was Ophelia, the only vampire in Philleon. Ronan was wondering where she had been, but she had apparently been sleeping inside the club building. She gently caressed Braum¡¯s neck. Her white fingers twirled around the area where his carotid artery passed. Braum, who had stopped his banter and frozen like a mouse in front of a snake, turned his head towards Ronan as Ophelia waved and greeted him. ¡°Hi, Ronan¡­ You¡¯ve gotten stronger since west met. What¡¯s your secret?¡± ¡°Just go through a lot of shitty stuff. But hey, about that stone¡­¡± Ronan pointed his index finger at Ophelia. A white, smooth stone was lodged against her side. It was a stone that seemed very familiar. Marya widened her eyes and eximed, ¡°Ahh! I was wondering where that went!¡± As Aselle turned his head, his face turned pale. Only the three of them, including Ronan, knew the true origin of the stone. Ophelia stroked the stone gently and said. ¡°These days¡­ it¡¯s a stone I use as a pillow. It¡¯s pretty¡­ and I can feel its magic, so I like it.¡± ¡°A¡­ pillow?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. It urred to him that Ophelia probably didn¡¯t know the unfortunate story behind the stone originally being an old elf. Though she could¡¯ve easily suffered from nightmares, it seemed like she hadn¡¯t experienced anything like that yet. But should he just see it as a simple punishment? While pondering deeply, Ronan stopped Marya from taking the stone back. ¡°Why are you stopping me? That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I know what it is. But wouldn¡¯t it make you happy if you became a pretty girl¡¯s pillow? Come to think of it, they¡¯re about the same age.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re insane.¡± Marya looked at him with a disdainful gaze. Nevertheless, Ronan didn¡¯t back down. No matter how he thought about it, for Saranate, who had turned into a stone, this was its own happy ending. ¡°Come to think of it, where did that lizard kid go?¡± ¡°Lizard? Oh, Itargand went back to Adren to prepare for the entrance ceremony. He said he¡¯de back on the day before or on the day of the entrance ceremony.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. Judging by the casual response, it seemed like they didn¡¯t know who else wasing along. Anyway, it was good to see everyone¡¯s faces after such a long time. Suddenly, Ronan btedly realized that he had missed these boys and girls in front of him. He had felt this way during his Punishment Squad days as well; humans indeed seemed like creatures who couldn¡¯t live alone. Ronan spoke up. ¡°Anyway, as long as everyone¡¯s been doing well, that¡¯s what matters. It¡¯s been a while, but can you fill me in on how the academy¡¯s been running?¡± ¡°Of course. But there¡¯s something we need to do first. Your body ispletely healed now, right?¡± Marya asked. Ronan shrugged at the ambiguous question. ¡°Something to do? Well, yeah, I guess¡­¡± ¡°Then spar with us. Seriously.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Sparring proposals always came from his side, so being urged first was a first for him. ¡°What¡¯s suddenly got into you?¡± ¡°I realized that you haven¡¯t sparred with us since you lifted the curse. Everyone has also been working hard, you know.¡± Marya¡¯s tone was serious. Ronan looked around at the other members. They all wore determined expressions as they stared at him. Different emotions could be read in their eyes of different colors: tension, fear, the determination to win¡­ Ronan chuckled and nodded. ¡°Well, if you want.¡± He thought they picked a good time. Ronan tapped the hilt of his sword. A warm glow seeped out through the gaps in the sheath, responding like a greeting. Despite his weary mind, sometimes, things like this were alright. Chapter 185: Mother of Fire (1) Chapter 185: Mother of Fire (1) It didn¡¯t take long for the sparring to end. Ronan, after confirming that there were no more members attacking him, smiled in satisfaction. ¡°You all did well. Now, you could jump into almost any battlefield ande out alive.¡± It was sincere praise. Over the unprecedented two years, the skills of the club members had improved to an astonishing degree. It was a golden result born from talent, effort, and excellent guidance. Of course, Ronan had never been dered dead, but that was to be expected, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it. ¡°You all have really improved a lot.¡± Ronan added another remark. Click. The sound of sword and scabbard meeting was pleasant to hear. The fusion of Lynn and Lamancha had created a short pommel, making the sword even more stable to wield. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable¡­ Ugh, I thought we could win this time¡­¡± ¡°Agh¡­ from Brahms to Hynd¡­ ¡± ¡°Ugh! Uwaaa!¡± After sparring, all members were inplete disrepair. Marya and Braum were lying with their arms outstretched, Aselle, almost depleted of mana, was leaning against the wall and vomiting. Ophelia, the only one to surrender before it got ugly, was sitting in a chair with an exhausted expression on her face, drinking a liquid she imed was wine. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will lose even if you fight Balzac now.¡± ¡°Exactly. After all the trouble I¡¯ve been through.¡± Ronan chuckled. Balzac was also a name he4 hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. The younger brother of the Shadow Duke who adored Ophelia. He had taken the Blood Essence and given it to Jarodin, but he wondered if both of them were doing well. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disheartened. Look at what you¡¯ve done.¡± Ronan gestured with his chin towards the mess that had be the training ground. It looked like a massive beast had rampaged through it in a drunken stupor. Everywhere Marya¡¯s greatsword had struck was apanied by huge rifts. Compared to the sword marks Ronan and Shullifen had left behind, it was on a level that would never yield. Braum also disyed tremendous resilience. Although he was wearing a temporary shield called Hynd, if this were a battlefield and the enemy wasn¡¯t Ronan but an unspecified group of enemies, he would have saved the lives of all the members. ¡°Ughhh¡­ You¡¯re too much. Where did thate from even when I told you to stop¡­¡± ¡¾It¡¯s okay, kid. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re weak, it¡¯s that devil that¡¯s weird.¡¿ Aselle muttered as he wiped his mouth. The voice of the Winter Witch came from the Vijra in his pocket. Suddenly, Ronan, who had be feverish, drew his sword. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Phwaaaah¡­! A crimson light emanated from the sword and wrapped around Aselle¡¯s body. The distance between them narrowed. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale as he closed his eyes and opened them to see Ronan¡¯s approaching figure. ¡°Aack! P-Please spare me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, bro.¡± Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s head with both hands and turned it towards the training ground. Ice spikesrger than ordinary buildings were growing all over the ce. The slowly flowing coldness was lowering the temperature of the entire training ground. It was the same ice as the one wielded by the Winter Witch. ¡°You don¡¯t even change your expression when you¡¯re attacking me like that with a hundred times more power, huh? I¡¯m too much? Apologize to me and other mages, brat. Say you¡¯re sorry for being born a genius.¡± ¡¾If you really want to get technical, his expression did change.¡¿ ¡°Madame, please be quiet. Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s for real.¡± Ignoring the Winter Witch, Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s cheeks on both sides. His soft cheeks stretched out. ¡°Hey, hey! I was born like this!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between the telekinesis you¡¯ve been using since you were stealing goblin panties and my Aura? Huh? I can pull too, you know.¡± Aselle protested, but Ronan didn¡¯t let him go easily. As he twisted Aselle¡¯s cheeks in different directions, his screams grew louder. ¡°Aaargh! Let go!¡± ¡°This kid doesn¡¯t have any shame. Should I just tear him apart like this?¡± Of course, even as he thought that, Ronan¡¯s lips curled up as if caught on his ears. Indeed, he was a talent that had received an offer from Lorehon. If this kid could break through the Protection of the Stars, he could have him fight the giants right away. Ronan smiled bitterly as he suddenly remembered the faces of the powerful individuals who had disappeared in his past life. ¡®That is the most important thing.¡¯ He had to find a way to subvert it somehow. Or be strong enough to tear apart all those giants on his own. Ronan, removing his hand from Aselle¡¯s cheek, turned his back. To catch up with the progress he missed while participating in the Festival of Swords, he felt he needed to practice in advance. ¡°I have some good news for you hardworking people. It¡¯s something only the principal and I know, but I¡¯ll tell you specially.¡± ¡°Good¡­ news?¡± ¡°Yeah. Navardose will attend the entrance ceremony in six days. As a parent observer. If she burns me to death for bullying her son, pass on my ashes to my sister.¡± Silence descended. It took a little time to ept the calm tone as if telling what he ate yesterday. ng! Ophelia¡¯s wine ss fell from her hand. Marya, who had barely regained herposure, spoke up. ¡°¡­Who¡¯sing?¡± ¡°The Red Dragon Navardose. It probably won¡¯t make much of a difference now that you know, but just keep it in mind. I¡¯m off.¡± With those words, Ronan left the club area. By the time he had almost climbed the stairs, screams could be heard from behind. And it didn¡¯t seem like someone screaming out of excitement. **** Time passed quickly. Thanks to dys in receiving letters from Lieutenant Nemea, Ronan was able to focus on academy life after a long time. As he attended sses again for the first time in a while, he felt that there was nothing easier than studying. Ronan, stroking Cita and reading a herbalism textbook, murmured. ¡°I just want to keep living like this¡­¡± If it weren¡¯t for those damn giants, he would have actually done just that. He would have graduated from the academy, gotten a decent job, married someone he loved, and lived a decent life, raising a couple of children who resembled each other. He couldn¡¯t understand those people who didn¡¯t like this kind of peaceful life. If they yearned for a rough life, they could just go on a three-day visit to the southern battlefield, where the civil war was raging. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the calendar. ¡®Finally, it¡¯s tomorrow.¡¯ Above the date 13th, a rough drawing of a fire was crudely sketched. The entrance ceremony. And it was the day Navardose wasing. After consulting with Lorehon, Katir eventually decided to inform the Emperor of Navardose¡¯s visit. However, it was agreed to keep it as discreet as possible to the citizens since it was purely a personal matter. ¡®Though I wonder if it¡¯ll be kept hidden.¡¯ Of course, that would be possible if Navardose came disguised with polymorph. Known as thergest dragon of all, if she traveled in her true form, there would be no chance. Ronan was in the midst of organizing his notes. Suddenly, all the hairs on his body stood on end. ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡°Bwaaaaaah!¡± His instincts were screaming. Cita, who had woken up, growled while looking out the window. At that moment, something translucent and thin rushed rapidly from outside the window into his field of vision. Even if it was a reflexive action, Ronan drew his sword and swung it. Swish! The wave that was about to engulf him tore apart and passed beyond him. ¡°What, what the hell was that?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure of the details, but judging by the way it was cutting through his sword, it seemed like some kind of magic. Suddenly, Ronan realized that he couldn¡¯t hear Cita¡¯s growling. Lowering his head, he shouted in confusion. ¡°Cita? Hey, snap out of it!¡± Cita remained frozen in the same position as when she was growling. Her eyes weren¡¯t blinking, and her breathing had stopped, as if she had turned into stone. Only the very, very slow beating sound of her heart and the warmth of her body were the only signs that Cita was not dead. Suddenly, Ronan noticed that all the sounds from inside and outside the dormitory had stopped. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Ronan hurriedly opened the window and stuck his head out. The students who were wandering around the campus were all frozen like Cita. Even the trees remained still, as if the wind had stopped blowing. His head was spinning in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening all of a sudden. Then, from a distance, footsteps were heard. Squinting his eyes and focusing, he saw someone walking in the middle of the central square. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. ¡®That bastard.¡¯ Instinctively, Ronan realized that it was the mage who cast this spell. To cast such magic over the entire Philleon area, he must be a mageparable to Katir or even more powerful, but that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Wait.¡± Ronan jumped straight out of the window. The sound of his shoe soles hitting the cobblestone echoed in the silence. His mana-enhanced thighs swelled up. He had aimed for the central square and was closing the distance by 10 meters with each step. Suddenly, the world turned pitch ck. ¡°What?¡± All the hairs on his body stood on end once again. The moonlight that illuminated the roads disappeared in an instant. Ronan, who stopped urgently, looked up. Where the celestial bodies should have shone in the night sky, there was only absolute darkness. ¡®Am I dreaming right now?¡¯ Darkness shrouded everywhere his gaze reached. Even as he turned his head as if doing gymnastics, it was the same. Ronan was about tounch his sword at what he thought was the new spell cast by the intruder when suddenly the darkness dissipated, and the moonlight, which had been obscured, poured down on his face. At the same time, Ronan, who saw the edge of the darkness, held his breath. ¡°That¡­!¡± It was the outline of a pair of wings. Resembling a bat, the wings covered more than half of Philleon. As he followed the wings and shifted his gaze to the right, this time he saw the tail. The tail, still being drawn from the back of the night sky, looked like a whip to punish divine beings. He was staring at the outline of the shadow when suddenly, with a snap, the shape of darkness disappeared, revealing the vast night sky. ¡°What the fuck.¡± Ronan cursed. It was literally something that happened in the blink of an eye. No matter how much he looked around, he couldn¡¯t find the figure that had just been flying in the sky. ¡®I¡¯m definitely dreaming.¡¯ Even after the disappearance of that something, Ronan remained in ce. Too much had happened all at once, and his head wasn¡¯t working well. How much time had passed? From the direction of the central square he was heading to, he began to hear the conversation between a man and a woman. ¡°The entrance ceremony is tomorrow, so why did youe today?¡± ¡°You ask me such a question when you know how mortals will treat me? It¡¯s going to be ufortable enough not being able to drink properly, but I need to talk to my son before that.¡± It was so quiet around that he could hear it without even focusing his ears. Ronan frowned. The woman¡¯s voice was unfamiliar, but the man¡¯s voice was familiar. He hid his presence and moved as discreetly as possible. Intargand, polymorphed into a human form, and a woman wearing a turned-over robe were engaged in a conversation. The woman, raising her arm, gently touched Intargand¡¯s cheek. ¡°By the way, this is quite impressive, Ir. Have you thought about learning from humans?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it just happened to turn out that way.¡± The arrogant Intargand was faltering. The woman¡¯s face illuminated by the moonlight was indescribably beautiful. Her hair flowing beneath the hood was of a fiery crimson color. Standing on her toes, the woman who had been caressing Intargand¡¯s head, leaned in with her lips. ¡°That¡¯s great of you. Come here.¡± ¡°Uh, Mother, it would be troublesome to act like this in front of the mortals¡­¡± ¡°They can¡¯t see or hear anything, what does it matter? Now,e on.¡± From her actions, it seemed like she was trying to kiss him on his cheek. Intargand frantically waved his arms, expressing his refusal. For a moment, the woman¡¯s face stiffened as if shocked. ¡°Ir, you¡­¡± ¡°Mother¡­ it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Intargand tried to console her with an apologetic expression. However, the woman had already turned her head away as if she had been hurt enough. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s too much. How long has it been since you left their, and now you¡¯re treating your mother like this? Ah¡­ Sob¡­¡± ¡°I-I was wrong, Mother. Please don¡¯t cry. Okay?¡± Ronan watched the scene unfold while holding his breath. It wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce the identity of the woman. Who else would Intargand refer to as mother? But it was just too surreal to believe that this was reality. It was different from what he had imagined. Taking a deep breath, Ronan slowly began to step backward. ¡®Let¡¯s just go back quietly.¡¯ He decided to pretend he hadn¡¯t seen anything. Judging from the conversation, the magic that seemed to have stopped time was not used with malicious intent, so it would probably be undone soon. Yes, he should just go back and get some sleep. As he was in the midst of stepping backward¡­ ¡°Oh, how tragic. Is this how I raised you?¡± As she turned her head sobbing, her eyes met Ronan¡¯s by chance. In an instant, Ronan¡¯s heart sank to his stomach. He quickly made a decision with superhuman speed and stopped moving. He might¡¯ve looked like taxidermy or a statue to anyone watching, but the woman had already seen Ronan move. ¡°¡­You. You aren¡¯t affected by the spell?¡± ¡°What?! Mother, what¡¯s wrong¡­!¡± Intargand eximed in astonishment upon hearing the woman¡¯s words. Ronan desperately tried to convince them that he was a statue until then. The woman approached Ronan slowly and stopped in front of him. A voicepletely different from before emerged from her parted lips. ¡¾Hello, there.¡¿ ¡°¡­Hello. Lady Navardose.¡± Ronan opened his tightly shut eyes and spoke. Realizing that her magic didn¡¯t work on Ronan, Navardose¡¯s face turned fierce. Intargand¡¯s shocked cry rang out in silence. Chapter 186: Mother of Fire (2) Chapter 186: Mother of Fire (2) ¡°¡­Hello. Lady Navardose.¡± ¡°R-Ronan?! What are you doing here?¡± Itargand eximed almost in a scream. When Ronan opened his eyes slightly, he saw Navardose¡¯s face, still stiff. In her glowing pupils, it seemed like mes could burst out at any moment. ¡¾You.¡¿ ¡°Um, well¡­ I mean¡­ just finish what you were doing. It¡¯s nice to see.¡± Cold sweat dripped down his temples. Among the worst things one could experience in life, this situation fell within the top five. ¡°Well, you see¡­ since I don¡¯t have parents, so¡­ I¡¯ve always longed for a rtionship like the one between the two of you¡­ uh, I do have a sister, but haha¡­ having a mother is better, right?¡± Ronan stammered, desperately avoiding her gaze. As expected, there was no response. Navardose frowned, scrutinizing him up and down. ¡¾You. How are you moving?¡¿ ¡°Um¡­ I have a somewhat unusual constitution.¡± ¡¾Constitution?¡¿ Ronan forced an awkward smile. He couldn¡¯t decide whether to tell the truth or not. If he rashly said that he knew how to cut magic, he would be ssified as a dangerous element and turned into ashes, as tragic as it could get. Suddenly, Navardose¡¯s eyes glimmered faintly. ¡¾Do you not know who I am?¡¿ ¡°Keuk!¡± An invisible force strangled Ronan¡¯s throat. His body slowly floated in the air. It was strong enough to make Aselle¡¯s telekinesis power seem like child¡¯s y. ¡°Navar¡­ dose¡­!¡± ¡¾I did not ask you to y around with words.¡¿ This was really not fun. The energy emanating from Navardose¡¯s shoulders distorted the surrounding space. The entire central square seemed to be covered in a haze. ¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯ Ronan gritted his teeth. It was a perplexing situation. Even now, he could reach for his sword with his right hand. If he decided, he could break free from the telekinesis with a single strike. However, it was as clear as daylight that doing so would lead to certain death. ¡¾I¡¯ll ask again. How did you escape my magic?¡¿ Navardose spoke. The constriction grew stronger. He had to make a decision before the blood supply to his brain was cut off. Ronan was about to say something when Itargand, who had been shocked and silent, eximed. ¡°L-let him go, Mother! This is the human I mentioned!¡± ¡¾This human? Could it be¡­¡¿ ¡°Yes. He¡¯s the one who saved me and advised me to attend Philleon. This is Ronan!¡± ¡¾Kugh¡­!¡¿ Navardose¡¯s eyes widened. The pressure strangling Ronan disappeared. Falling to the ground, he coughed dryly. ¡°Gah¡­! Kuek! Dammit¡­!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay? To think I would do this to the one who saved my son¡­!¡± Navardose paced anxiously. The aura that had covered the central square vanished in an instant. Ronan, rubbing his throat, stood up. ¡°Phew¡­ yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Th-Thank goodness¡­. Truly, thank goodness.¡± The intimidating voice that seemed to crush the soul had returned to its warm tone. She tapped her son¡¯s forearm lightly. ¡°You should have told me earlier. It could¡¯ve been really bad.¡± ¡°Ugh, you acted too suddenly, Mother¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Phew, no. I did act rashly. I¡¯m sorry for ming you, Ir.¡± Navardose admitted her mistake, lowering her head. The nickname ¡®Ir¡¯ that had been bothering Ronan since earlier seemed like a term of endearment for her son. Having regained herposure, Navardose turned to Ronan and spoke. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need for introductions. Call me by whatever name you prefer. I apologize once again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ronan. It¡¯s really okay, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Alright, nice to meet you, Ronan.¡± Navardose smiled. Seeing her like this, she seemed like just a pretty noblewoman. Suddenly, Ronan wondered how many mortals in the world had witnessed her in such a manner. ¡®I really almost bit the dust.¡¯ Despite being resolved, it was truly a dangerous situation. Ronan breathed a silent sigh of relief. He had a gut feeling that he shouldn¡¯t act recklessly. Ronan knew well that with just a little effort, Navardose could separate his bones and flesh. He looked around at the students who were frozen and decided to speak up. ¡°Um, what happened to these people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I simply slowed down time within a certain range. Once the magic wears off, they¡¯ll continue as if nothing happened.¡± Navardose exined that there would be no harm to their health, and added that Ronan was the only one currently moving in Philleon. Once again, a chill ran down his spine. This meant that even the 8th Circle Mage, Katir, was affected by this absurd magic. Navardose spoke up. ¡°I should thank you first. Ir is myst child. When I heard that he was almost taken by the corrupt frost spirit, I thought my world wasing to an end. I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be modest. Without you, many would have lost their lives. It¡¯s fortunate that the kingdom of cia did not have to be destroyed.¡± Ronan swallowed hard. Navardose¡¯s tone was sincere and devoid of exaggeration. cia was the name of the Frost Spirit King. Throughout history, only a handful of individuals could be counted who had made contracts with him, and there were a considerable number of worshippers who considered them a deity. Navardose treated dealing with cia as casually as pressing a button. He understood why the Savior feltpelled to apologize to her. ¡°Ir talked a lot about you. He said he learned a lot about the world. I want to show my gratitude as much as possible for saving my son¡¯s life. It took me a long time to shed my arrogance as a dragon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re humble. That too is a virtue we haven¡¯t quite mastered.¡± Navardose chuckled. She was truly happy about the change in her son¡¯s values. In many ways, she was apletely different person from what Rona had expected. Frankly, he had anticipated that when Itargand retired after losing to the Winter Witch, he would be humiliated and hung over the firece. Isn¡¯t something like that moremon? ¡°An ipetent bastard like you is not a part of our tribe!¡± Such a development. Navardose was in the middle of praising Ronan. Suddenly, a red light seeped out from inside her hood. Startled, she furrowed her brows. ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s about time to go back, it seems. The attacks are getting stronger as time goes by.¡± ¡°The attacks?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re a nuisance. Because of them, I can¡¯t even manage Adren properly¡­¡± Navardose, making an iprehensible sentence, took off her hood. Along with her red hair, a pair of horns were revealed. They hadn¡¯t been visible when she was wearing her robe, it seemed like some kind of illusion magic. The horns, gracefully curved towards the sky, were flickering slowly with a sinister red reminiscent of poisonous mushrooms. Sighing as if annoyed, she looked at Ronan and spoke. ¡°So, tell me what you want.¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Yeah. You should be rewarded for saving my son. Did you think I would just let it go?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This, too, was unexpected, much like her personality. He thought simply sparing his life would be the reward, but to receive something extra was unexpected. After a moment of contemtion, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Then¡­ could you spare me some of your timeter? For a day.¡± ¡°My time? There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do¡­ but will that be enough?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ronan nodded. He had not intended to ask for anything in the first ce. Just earning Navardose¡¯s favor was already an immense reward. ¡°¡­Interesting choice. Most mortals usually want something tangible. You are indeed different.¡± ¡°I have something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make time for it soon. Hmm, by the way¡­¡± Suddenly, Navardose¡¯s eyes narrowed. She pierced Ronan¡¯s face with her gaze and released a sigh. Perplexed, Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°You¡­ have seen me somewhere before?¡± ¡°¡­Me seeing Lady Navardose?¡± Both of them simultaneously tilted their heads. This was truly an iprehensible statement. Ronan searched his memories for any instance where he might have coincidentallye across her while she was polymorphed, but the chances were extremely slim. Navardose¡¯s aura was not something that could be mistaken. She waved her hand first. ¡°No. Let¡¯s talk about it next time. Please keep today¡¯s incident a secret.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t speak even if my tongue is pulled out.¡± ¡°Thank you. Ir, see you tomorrow.¡± Navardose lifted up to her tiptoes. With a light sound as her skin touched his, Itargand¡¯s face turned red. ¡°M-Mother¡­!¡± ¡°Enjoy the immaturity of youth, my son.¡± With a kiss on her reluctant son¡¯s cheek, Navardose turned away. Contrary to the expectation that she would return to her original form and leave, she disappeared using spatial magic. Swooosh¡­ The space around Navardose blurred, and then her figure vanished. Before long, the mana that had been swelling in the air disappeared, and time, which had been suspended, began to flow at its original speed. ¡°Aha, let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°Hmm? Hasn¡¯t the moon¡¯s position changed a bit?¡± A chilly night breeze brushed past their cheeks. The students who had been frozen resumed their activities without any sign of awareness of being affected by magic. As Navardose had said, no one even noticed they were under a spell. At that moment, a shadow flew through the darkness andnded on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. It was Cita. ¡°Bwaaaah!¡± Cita spread her four wings and started fluttering around. Suddenly, Navardose¡¯s presence disappeared, and Cita seemed puzzled. Seeing her behave like a new recruit on her first guard duty made Ronanugh. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all over now.¡± ¡°Bwaah¡­?¡± Ronan gently stroked Cita. Cita opened her eyes, which had been closed thinly, and nuzzled her face against Ronan¡¯s palm. He looked back at Itargand and said. ¡°Shall we start heading back, Ir?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Come on. Ir, to be honest, you¡¯re too imposing.¡± ¡°I told you not to call me that. And if you ever reveal what you saw today to anyone else¡­ I¡¯ll roast you alive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re scary, Ir. You can breathe fire, but please don¡¯t just kiss me.¡± ¡°You rascal!!¡± Unable to bear it any longer, Itargand exploded in a roar. Even if the outcry came out through human vocal cords, a dragon was still a dragon. The students¡¯ attention was drawn to the scream of a magnitude that made windows shake. ¡°Araaghh!¡± ¡°What, what was that?!¡± His ears seemed to turn red with embarrassment. Ronan, who had just been chuckling, left the central square with Itargand, exchanging yful banter. The glow of moonlight cascading down covered the courtyard warmly. **** The morning of the entrance ceremony dawned bright. Sunlight filtered through the curtains. Ronan had overslept more than usual, perhaps due to the events of the previous night. ¡°Ugh¡­ it still doesn¡¯t feel real¡­¡± Ronan muttered as he stretched his face. The sight of the Mother of Fire apologizing in embarrassment or smiling warmly seemed like nothing more than a dream. A very unrealistic dream at that. ¡®I wonder what I should wear today.¡¯ By now, an announcement would have been made that Navardose was visiting Philleon. In many ways, it was going to be the greatest entrance ceremony ever. Ronan muttered to himself as he got up. Knock! Knock! The sound of knocking echoed through the room. ¡°Ronan, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Ah, Lucy¡­e in.¡± ¡°Could you please open the door? I can¡¯t use my hands¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s quite heavy.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan opened the door. Lucy, dressed in maid attire, held a luxurious-looking box in her hands. He raised an eyebrow as he received the box from her. ¡°This is quite hefty. What is it?¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I survived. I¡¯m not sure either. It came from a ce called Parzan?¡± ¡°Parzan?¡± ¡°Yes. I have to clean the courtyard, so I¡¯lle backter. Have a good day.¡± Lucy bowed politely and left. Thebel on the box prominently disyed the name Allogin. He had supposedly been in much worse condition than Zaifa, but it seemed like he had somehow survived. ¡°The old man¡¯s tough as nails.¡± Ronan chuckled. He had been worried, but it was a relief. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t quite figure out what was inside the box. ¡°Why would they wrap it up so tightly?¡± The surface of the box was enchanted with a sealing spell simr to what was on the Emperor¡¯s decree. Perplexed, Ronan opened the box. His eyes widened as he saw its contents. ¡°Ah, fuck.¡± Chapter 187: Mother of Fire (3) Chapter 187: Mother of Fire (3) ¡°Ah, dammit.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked inside the box. Inside the silk-lined interiory ck and semi-transparent shards of metal, remnants of Lamancha that had been shattered during the fight with Darman. ¡°Well, they managed to find it,¡± Ronan murmured with a mixture of admiration in his voice. Honestly, he had thought they would never find it amidst the massive copse. The sight of Parzan officials still working tirelessly like mules was aforting thought, even if he couldn¡¯t see them. Carefully, he wrapped the shards in the silk spread on the floor. It was a bit disappointing, but it was a good oue. The shell of Cita was a precious material that couldn¡¯t be reced. Surely, there would be opportunities for recycling. ¡®Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to visit a different cksmith this time, instead of Doron. But¡­¡¯ Ronan raised an eyebrow. The box was unreasonably heavy for its contents. The cause became apparent as soon as he removed thepartment containing Lamancha¡¯s fragments; another space revealed itself beneath. ¡°Why did they send so much?¡± White metal shards were piled up haphazardly. Each piece seemed quite hefty, giving off a starkly contrasting impressionpared to Lamancha. It was undoubtedly the wreckage of Ymir, destroyed in the battle against Darman. ¡®I can¡¯t use this.¡¯ Ronan chuckled as he examined the shards. Though he had received them as a favor, even to his untrained eye, their condition seemed far from favorable. Unlike Lamancha, which could potentially be restored into a weapon, it seemed like everything here needed to be melted down and repurposed entirely. One fortunate aspect was that the hilt seemed intact. Ronan untied the bandages wrapped around it. Material made from ripped pages of Virja. Perhaps the power resonating with his second core stemmed from here. Reflecting on the word ¡°resonance,¡± Ronan flicked his fingers. ¡®It might be useful after all.¡¯ If his thoughts yed out as he envisioned, there could be decent recycling potential. The power Ymir possessed was ultimately a type of shared sense. Ronan promptly drafted a production request to be sent to Gran Cappadocia. It was intended for individuals like Iril and Lucy, innocent and good-hearted. He didn¡¯t know when he would leave Philleon again, so it was prudent to hurry the production process. When Ronan removed thepartment containing Ymir¡¯s shards, the floor was revealed. A piece of parchment was spread out like a mat. ¡®What¡¯s this now?¡¯ Ronan picked up the parchment. ¨C To the owner of the Holy Sword. Participant 44. Allogin¡¯s letter was concise. In just a few lines, he expressed gratitude for saving himself and Parzan, along with a brief update. It was straightforward, making it easy to read without any unnecessary formalities. As Ronan had anticipated, the elders took the recent attack very seriously. Information about Neb zier and their special organization, Lycopos, was ryed to every continent. It was mentioned that the sword Darman used and the bodies of his followers were collected and undergoing analysis. Ronan nodded satisfactorily. ¡®I hope something usefules out of the analysis.¡¯ The letter concluded with a promise that he¡¯de visit the Holy Sword once the situation was resolved. Despite the messy handwriting and brevity, it carried sincere sentiments. Suddenly, a postscript caught Ronan¡¯s attention. ¨C I¡¯ll introduce you to a suitable forge for the Holy Sword. I¡¯ll send a map along with it. Following that was a mention that he and other elders had included letters of rmendation. Below the letter was a map indicating the forge¡¯s location. Given that the coastline was to the north, it seemed to be situated in Heiran, the northernmost part of the continent, as mentioned above. ¡°The north, huh?¡± Ronan rubbed his chin, intrigued. If swordsmen who once dominated the past era esteemed it so highly, the forge must be quite remarkable. Although he had spent some time in the north in his past life as a Punishment Soldier, he had never ventured as far as Heiran. It was Adeshan¡¯s homnd, and once the territory upied by the Beastmen Alliance led by Zaifa. Somehow, he had a premonition that his next destination had already been decided. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to get a set of leather armor.¡¯ When he took out the map, the box was empty. Ronan quickly wrote a reply to Allogin and prepared to go out. Though there was still some time left, it was better to set off sooner rather thanter to secure a good spot. ¡°Well then, shall I go?¡± Having finished his preparations, Ronan set off. As he stepped out of the dormitory, a golden light poured over his face. The weather was warm, but the wind felt cool. It was reminiscent of the day he had entered the academy. **** As usual, the entrance ceremony for the 780th batch was held in the main square. Stands and tforms conjured by Katir¡¯s magic were already set up. Members of the Elite Adventure Club had already taken the front rows of the stand. Aselle, noticing Ronan, waved his hand. ¡°R-Ronan! Over here!¡± ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± Ronan sat down next to Aselle. Normally, only second-year students, excluding freshmen, were expected to attend, but if there were no sses, students were free to watch the ceremony. Marya was nervously biting her thumbnail, her expression tense. Shullifen, who was absent during the sparring with Ronan, sat quietly with his arms crossed, as if he had received the information. Even Ophelia, who would usually be sleeping, seemed to be nodding off while sitting up, indicating her curiosity about Navardose. Marya turned to Ronan and spoke. ¡°Ronan. Is it really true that the dragon ising? I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡± ¡°Me neither. It¡¯s strange that a graduating ss would attend an entrance ceremony.¡± Braum nodded in agreement. It seemed they were the only ones aware of Navardose¡¯s impending arrival. Despite the approaching start time, the students were still entering the grandstand with a rxed attitude. Observing the rtively calm scene, Ronan whistled. ¡°Katir really outdid himself with the preparations.¡± There was quite a distance from the spection that there wouldn¡¯t be any room to move. Controlling information even among students seemed far-fetched. Besides, if they had caused amotion by revealing it, it would have caused various problems. As Ronan looked around the grandstand, he chuckled. ¡°Hmm?¡± At the front row, there was a gentleman wearing a coat, sitting about five seats away from Ronan, reading a newspaper. Despite a stylish top hat covering his eyes, Ronan recognized him immediately. ¡°Ha, dammit.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in disbelief. Whether he intended to conceal himself or not was unclear. Rising quietly from his seat, he made his way towards the gentleman. Shullifen nced at Ronan and spoke. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a moment. Don¡¯t worry about me, so just focus on the ceremony.¡± Nonchntly, Ronan plopped down beside the gentleman in the coat. Instantly, an intense aura surrounded him from all directions. Looking around, Ronan noticed people of various appearances ring at him. Kind-looking parents, cleaning maids, and even some students. The gentleman spoke first. ¡°The weather is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Your expression seems subtle. Is something on your mind?¡± Ronan chuckled at the question. What was this man really up to? Well, he had to y along until he was satisfied. ¡°I was just reminded of three years ago. Back then, my sister sat here and watched me enter the academy.¡± ¡°Haha, that must be nostalgic. You look quite mature, so what brings you here?¡± ¡°A friend of mine is entering, so I came to watch. His mother is a great noblewomen, but she insisted on attending as a parent, causing me quite a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Seems like we¡¯re in simr situations.¡± The gentleman let out a subduedugh. Ronan couldn¡¯t help butugh at the absurdity of the situation. Without turning his head, the gentleman continued speaking. ¡°It¡¯s quite refreshing to see you like this, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I simply couldn¡¯t afford not toe.¡± The Emperor disguised as a gentleman flipped through a newspaper. At that moment, the intense aura that had been piercing Ronan softened. Those who had been ring at him now seemed to be ying their assigned roles as if nothing had happened. ¡°What¡¯s with this¡­ I mean, your appearance?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it suit me? I¡¯ve always wanted to try something like this.¡± ¡°What about the Empire?¡± ¡°Seeing the Mother of Fire is a part of my royal duty, is it? Well¡­ I consider it quite an important matter, though.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ronan nodded. It was an irrefutable argument. Balon 44th had attended the entrance ceremony in disguise. He wanted to see Navardose, but didn¡¯t want to cause amotion. Around him, dozens of imperial guards disguised themselves to perform their escort duties. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you seem to be recovering well. I was worried.¡± ¡°I may have overdone it a bit. My apologies¡­ um, is this how you do it?¡± ¡°Usually, you don¡¯t cross your legs like that. And you should take your hands out of your pockets.¡± ¡°Ahaha.¡± ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter for the current me, as I am Denifer Roaster, a member of the Merchant Guild.¡± The Emperor chuckled softly, seeming quite immersed in the role-ying. A few bodyguards standing directly behind him stared at Ronan as if they wanted to kill him. ¡°I read your report well. You¡¯ve made remarkable contributions from your first mission.¡± ¡°You tter me.¡± ¡°I should acknowledge your efforts. Let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particrly need anything¡­ I¡¯ll think about it slowly.¡± Ronan shook his head. It seemed like a lot of people were eager to give away things these days, including Navardose. About thirty minutester, the grandstand was filled with spectators. The second-year students, who would surprise the freshmen with a warm wee, were lined up on one side of the main square. Before long, the fresh-faced neers stepped into the square, as if bursting with energy, despite some still carrying traces of winter¡¯s grasp. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re here.¡± Some of them were seen when the continent was still engulfed in winter. Itargand was walking casually, blending in with the crowd. ¡®Something interesting must be happening.¡¯ It was much more interesting than receiving new recruits in the Punishment Squad, who might even die tomorrow. Katir, standing on the podium, addressed the freshmen. ¡°Wee, everyone. I am Krava Katir, the current principal of Philleon Academy.¡± Cheers erupted. It seemed they had managed to resolve things somehow, judging by the improved expressions. Navardose had yet to appear. Behind him stood a tense group of faculty members, presumably having heard the news. ¡°Before we begin the entrance ceremony, I would like to introduce someone to you. Please wee our distinguished guest who hase from afar. Let¡¯s greet them with a big round of apuse.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± ¡°Who could it be?¡± The previously calm grandstand started to buzz with curiosity. Katir let out a meaningfulugh, suggesting he had nned something. Suddenly turning, he reached out towards an empty space next to him. Suddenly, as if materializing out of thin air, a majestic chair reminiscent of a throne appeared. Katir, with a slight pause, began speaking. ¡°Now, let¡¯s wee them. The Primordial me and the Wings of the Divine, Navar¡­ Hmm?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. Katir, who was speaking, froze. The chair was there, but Navardose, who should have been sitting on it, was nowhere to be seen. Katir couldn¡¯t hide his confusion and muttered. ¡°H-hold on, where did he¡­?¡± The faculty members began to murmur as well. Something was going wrong. It was supposed to be a speech directed towards the bewildered freshmen. Pwaaah! Suddenly, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky above the main square. Simultaneously, a mana storm swept through the square. ¡°Aaarghhh!¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s happening all of a sudden?!¡± Screams erupted from all over. The transparent barrier that Katir had set up for the surprise wee shattered into pieces. The second-year students, now revealed, were in disarray. ¡°Th-the barrier?!¡± ¡°My club¡¯s promotional banner is flying away!¡± It was utter chaos. The sudden appearance of the seniors startled the freshmen, but unfortunately, there were far too many sources of astonishment at the moment. The gigantic magic circle,rge enough to cover the entire field of vision, had individual lines glowing likeva. Soon, the center of the magic circle opened up, revealing the head of a massive dragon. The sheer size, surpassing that of most buildings, overwhelmed even Katir, who ended up screaming in terror. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°¡­Mom.¡± Itargand, looking up at the sky, muttered in disbelief. Now, people were fainting left and right. Then, from the rolling eyes of the dragon, a bright sh emitted. For a moment, everyone in the main square closed their eyes. When they opened them again, they saw a woman sitting in the vacant chair. Her red dress and her hair flowing gracefully down her shoulders, shimmering in a color reminiscent of the dragon¡¯s scales seen just moments ago. She looked down at Katir haughtily and spoke. ¡¾I apologize. Something urgent came up, so I had to deal with it.¡¿ Silence fell. Katir¡¯s face turned pale. It seemed like the performance was quite different from what had been agreed upon. ¡°Uh¡­ uhh¡­¡± Though it seemed like all was lost, as an adult, he had a responsibility to handle the situation. Katir, with a forced smile, turned to the freshmen. ¡°Everyone please wee¡­ Lady Navardose.¡± Chapter 188: Mother of Fire (4) Chapter 188: Mother of Fire (4) Chapter 188: Mother of Fire (4) Everyone please wee Lady Navardose. Katir spoke. There wasnt an immediate burst of cheers. In the silence thatsted for a long time, a murmur began to spread. I-Is she really the Mother of Fire? Really? No way, its a lie The principal must be ying a prank. But, the magic circle from earlier was too great for it to not be true! The students couldnt believe the fact that she was Navardose herself. However, Katirs words were too bold to be a lie. Though those who reign over the world often be the subject of jokes, it was usually confined to private settings. Above all, they remembered the massive dragons head that had torn through the magic circle and appeared. The mana storm that seemed capable of sweeping away even souls. The woman who was gazing at the chaotic central square opened her mouth. I am Navardose. Its nice to meet you all. ! At that moment, doubts vanished from peoples hearts. It was a voice that mortal vocal cords could never produce. Silence fell once again. However, it was a silence inted like a balloon on the brink of bursting. Before long, the eruption of cheers shook Philleon. **** Well then, let me introduce you to the seniors who will be closest to you at the academy. Woah! Wee, freshmen! If youre in the martial arts department, please join the armoredbat club! The entrance ceremony proceeded smoothly. Once the students realized that there was no hostility from Navardose, they quickly regained their characteristic innocence. Despite the unforeseen event, Katir managed to handle the situation and lead the event. Of course, whenever there was a moment of rxation, he would nce at Navardose and inquire about her well-being. Youve endured quite a journey from Adren to here. Are you feelingfortable in your seat? The principal of Philleon Academy seemed more like a friendly restaurant server than anything else. Well, who wouldnt act that way in front of the Mother of Fire? Navardose nodded. Its okay. Dont worry and please proceed. Expressing his gratitude, Katir returned to the podium. A speech followed, somewhat clich but generally eptable in content. Meanwhile, Ronan continued to stare at Navardose. The fact that she had disappeared and reappeared briefly bothered him. Something must have happened. Though subtle, signs of fatigue were evident. There were faint scratches on the surface of the horns growing on either side of her head, not visible the night before. Most importantly, Itargands worried gaze towards Navardose hinted that something was amiss. It seemed somehow rted to the attacks she mentioned the night before. Is there some entity or force opposing Navardose? Who could it be? He pondered, but no answers came. Eventually deciding to askter, Ronan nced slightly downward from her face. Despite seeing her several times, he couldnt help but mutter in awe. I wish I had a dragon mom too. Hmm? What did you just say? Nothing. Ronan shook his head, his gaze fixed on Navardoses chest. Even though she was wrapped in a robe, her curves seemed extraordinary. Itargand, you damn bastard. Navirose and Marya were impressive enough, but she was on a whole different level, beyond his ability to articte. Perhaps it was the gap resulting from differences in their races. Maybe they were developed for holding mes. If the person sitting next to him hadnt been the Emperor ruling the Empire, he would have risen from his seat and given a standing ovation. If her dress had been any more revealing, even standing would have been difficult. Then, the Emperor, who had been stroking his chin, spoke up. Yeah. I find myself admiring him every time I see her. The Emperor murmured, sounding deeply empathetic. His brief nce demanded implicit agreement. It was evident that he and Ronan were looking at the same thing. This old man is quite something. Ronan chuckled dryly. Both of them nodded approvingly at each other before turning their gaze back to Navardose. Ronan spoke up. Of course, I was referring to the size of her mana. Of course. I cant imagine anything else. Anything else? For example? Oh, look over there. It seems were nearing the end, what else could be nned. The Emperor, subtly ignoring Ronans words, extended his index finger, pointing towards Katir. Indeed, something big seemed to be brewing. Enough with the dull speeches Lets move on to what everyone is expecting, shall we? The students cheered. They seemed to anticipate something big. As Katir gestured, the entire central square began to tremble and shift. The ground rose and sank repeatedly until the once t central square was transformed into a massive circr arena. Katir spoke. Now, lets proceed with the Philleon Academy tradition of simple greetings. All the freshmen and sophomores from the martial arts department, pleasee forward. Ten students from each group stepped forward. They lined up facing each other in the center of the arena. Itargand stood at the far left of the freshman lineup. Ronan raised an eyebrow. Oh. Is he the top student? I heard that handsome young man is Navardoses son, is that correct? Thats right. He shouldnt have any problem. Ronan nodded. Itargand had enrolled in Philleon through the same procedures as other freshmen, undergoing entrance exams and interviews. He transformed his polymorphic form to appear younger and used the alias Ir. Ronan couldnt understand why he had made such a fussst night when everyone would end up calling him that anyways. Nevertheless, Itargands background was keptpletely secret, so most people didnt know that he was both a Red Dragon and the son of Navardose. However, he garnered some attention for being the top student in the martial arts department and for his handsome appearance. His noble tinum hair fluttered in the wind, exuding elegance that rivaled Shullifen and Elizabeth. Murmurs could be heard from the audience scattered throughout the stands. Isnt he the one who pulled out those wings before? Or his younger brother, perhaps? I dont know. Hes handsome, though. I heard he single-handedly defeated a test magical knight. Where did such a monstere from? The evaluations were generally excellent. Each time such praise was uttered, Navardoses lips curled slightly upwards. Seeing her asionally look at Ronan with enthusiasm, he had to subtly convey his admiration for having such a remarkable son by periodically forcing an awkward smile. Suddenly, memories from three years ago shed through his mind. He had stood in that same spot, facing ten opponents simultaneously, to reassure his worried sister. The thought of sitting where Itargand was sitting now brought back quite a bit of nostalgia. I hope he does well. Ronan nced down at Itargand. His usually arrogant and confident demeanor seemed somewhat different today, with his face stiffened. Tension was evident even here. I have a bad feeling about this It wasnt difficult to guess the reason. Navardose was staring at Itargand with sparkling eyes, seemingly unconcerned about the crowd around them. If it werent for the gathering of people, she would probably have cheered for her son with both hands sped to her mouth. Damn. Its burdensome. Ronan clicked his tongue. If he were in Itargands ce, he would probably throw up right there from nervousness. Then, everyone except Itargand and one sophomore descended from the arena. It seemed the sparring partners had been decided. The representative of the sophomore ss was a young man who appeared extremely disobedient. With jet-ck hair and just a single sword in hand, he strongly reminded Ronan of his past self. A sense of inexplicable unease washed over him as he observed the scene. He really looks like he doesnt listen to anyone No, I shouldnt be prejudiced. Ronan shook his head to dispel his biases. Yeah, Im not Lynn. I shouldnt judge people based on their appearance. As he was contemting this, suddenly, the young man spat on the ground and pointed his sword at Itargand. Haha, youre the top freshman? You just look so-so! Thats right. It seems like theres something remarkable about you. Just by looking at your face, you look as fragile as a dandelion. Ah, damn it. For a moment, Ronans face stiffened. The Emperor sitting beside him took a sharp breath. The sound of Aselle coughing vigorously, as if choked on water, echoed from the sidelines. Cough! Cough! Without needing to be prompted, everyone turned to Navardose. The Mother of Fire gazed at her son with an unchanged expression, still looking calm. Her brow seemed slightly furrowed, but she seemed okay for now. Provoking a dragon wasnt a bright idea. As Ronan prayed silently for him to stop, the young man continued. My name is Tyber Patizan! Didnt your mother teach you its polite to state your name before a duel? Ronan gritted his teeth. Itargand, upon hearing the word mother, furrowed his brow. Ir. Ir! I dont know who gave you that name, but it sounds weird. The idiot named Tyber chuckled as he twirled his sword around. Katir looked at Navardose with an expression that seemed like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. Do you know this, Ir? Thest time a freshman defeated a senior in the martial arts departments simple greetings was in the 787th batch. It was when the senior who I respect the most, senior Ronan, defeated ten opponents at the same time. So whats your point? Dont expect such a miracle to happen to you. Principal,mence the match! Tyber shouted at Katir, turning to him. Whatever his intentions, thanks to his bold provocation, the atmosphere in the arena was now heated. All right then. Lets begin the first greeting. Katir opened his mouth as he closed his eyes tightly. Bang! At the same time, Tybers figure shot forward. Cheers erupted from various parts of the stands. Even to Ronans eyes, it was quite a sharp charge. He had a reason for confidence. For a moment, his reckless behavior seemed to be forgotten in the face of his excellent skills. It was clearly the result of countless efforts piled on the rock of talent. But unfortunately, his opponent wasnt so favorable. Just as Tyber reached Irs sight, heunched his attack. Watching quietly, Ir lightly swung the sword he held. Baang! Tyber was sent flying and crashed into the opposite wall of the arena. Graagh! A spiderweb-shaped crack appeared at the point of Tybers impact. It was a sight reminiscent of the Festival of Swords. Ir red at him and growled softly. Daring to disrespect my mother. Now, hold on a moment! Tyber, who hadnt fainted despite the impact, shouted in a frightened voice. He was pinned against the wall, unable to move. Ir raised his sword towards the empty air without a care for what others might say. Quaaaaang! mes surged along the de, pouring onto the ground. Aaaah! Spare me!! Tyber screamed in terror. The mes of a Red Dragon, capable of incinerating everything, were bearing down on him. Ronan stood up abruptly. That idiot! Finally, the feared situation unfolded. It seemed like all the warnings about controlling his power went unheeded. Ronan, enhanced by mana to enhance his agility, leaped like a spring. Thud! Landing in front of Tyber, he shouted in an irritated voice. Bend down! Se-senior Ronan?! Ronan drew his sword. The crimson Lamancha, glowing like blood, emerged. As he concentrated, time seemed to stretch out. In a world where even the heartbeat seemed to freeze, only Ronan and his sword moved as they should. Hundreds of white lines were drawn above the wave of mes. Thats! M-Mother of Fire? At that moment, Navardose stood up. The pupils that had imitated humans narrowed vertically. The sense of deja vu that had been haunting her since the previous night finally surfaced. Looking at him now, his face resembled that being so closely, so why hadnt she recognized him immediately? A mesmerizing voice escaped her lips as they parted. I see. Is that child his son? Chapter 189: Mother of Fire (5) Chapter 189: Mother of Fire (5) Chapter 189: Mother of Fire (5) It had been a while since he split fire. As the line drawn by the sword strike widened, a sudden gust of wind blew. Waves of mes, torn into hundreds of pieces, flew in the wind. Ronan looked back at Tyber and growled. You stupid bastard, you should know your opponent before running your mouth. Se-Senior! Tybers eyes widened as if about to burst. His idol was right in front of him. Shullifen, who had stood up from the audience, murmured quietly. Hes gotten faster. He held a sword handle without a de in his hand. Soon, the wind that blew away the split mes returned him in the form of a de. Immediately after Itargand spewed out fire, he drew his sword, but was a step toote. It seemed Aura had just blossomed. Shullifen, who had just muttered, sat back down quietly. It seemed more training was needed. Tyber, who had been speechless and frozen, stuttered as he opened his mouth. Se-Senior Ronan. It is truly an honor. To throw yourself like this to save me, I am really, really! Tyber couldnt believe what was happening. The humiliating incident of being sent flying by a freshman was nowpletely forgotten. It was a moment when he couldnt contain his joy and his lips curled up. Crack! In an instant, Ronans fist flew and struck him on the top of his head. Ugh! What are you smiling about? Do you want to die bastard? The impact was strong enough to believe that his skull cracked. Tyber clutched his head with both hands and crouched down. He had done something that deserved a punishment like being impaled alive by a spike on top of a mountain, but since he did not know, Ronan decided to let it go with just one hit. Maybe someday, when he realized what he had done, he would faint. Ronan, rotating his sword once, red Itargand at him. Hey, I get how you feel, but you need to dial it down a bit. My apologies. Itargand bowed its head as if ashamed. Even amidst this, he nced up at his mother from time to time, like a five-year-old who had done something wrong. Come to think of it, he hadnt confirmed the most important person. Ronan took a deep breath and looked up at Navardose. She looked down at him with a stiff expression. Whats wrong? Why is she looking at me? Because she was staring so intensely, Ronan unconsciously avoided her gaze. Katir, who came to his senses btedly, announced the winner. Th-The match is over. The winner is student Ir! Wooaaah! Cheers erupted from all over. Even though it ended abruptly and a third party intervened, a win was a win. The medical team, who rushed over hurriedly, carried Tyber away on a stretcher. The voice of Katir resounded in Ronans mind. [Thank you so much. Ronan.] Everyone was chanting Itargands name. Ronan quietly returned to his original seat. The Emperor, who hadpletely folded up the newspaper, let out a quietugh. Impressive. I indeed chose the right person. It was nothing special. Someone wouldve blocked it anyway. Perhaps. Still, if it werent for you, that audacious boy would have lost at least a handful of hair. The Emperor didnt spare any praise for Ronans humility. In fact, it wasnt entirely untrue. Given the exceptional talents gathered here, someone would have intervened, but he was the fastest to act. Suddenly, alternating between the arena and Ronan, the Emperor grinned. But have you done something wrong? Huh? Why would you suddenly Lady Navardose seems to be looking this way. The Emperor said. For a moment, every hair on Ronans body stood on end. When he quickly turned his head, he saw Navardose, with her legs crossed, looking in their direction. Her gaze was still fixed on Ronan. The pupils, flickering with the color of a me, seemed to be ring at him. The vertically narrowed pupils were those of a dragon, not a human. Fuck, what is it now? Ronan moved three seats next to him just in case, however Navardoses gaze followed him like a ma. An ominous feeling creeped through him. Is she really mad at me because I carelessly split the me her son shot? Ronan swallowed hard. While it was unlikely she would be angry for such a reason, dragons were such unpredictable creatures that he couldnt afford to let his guard down. Since he couldnt ask why she was acting like this now, Ronan decided to focus on watching the entrance ceremony. The ceremony proceeded smoothly. After brief greetings, everyone except Tyber was defeated by the freshmen, ending with a 9:1 ratio. Tyber was carried away by the medical team in humiliation after his defeat. The remaining second-year students, aside from a few monsters, eagerly engaged in duels. ng! The sword fell from the hand of thest defeated freshman. Ugh I lost. No, with a little more practice, youll improve. The freshmen this year are quite talented. Really? Yes. Especially you, youre a seed of talent. So, why not join our Jousting Club? No one from the freshmen side felt down or upset. Except for a few monsters, losing was expected in these matches. Instead, the skill and guiding attitude of the seniors, along with the anticipation and sense of belonging instilled in them by Philleon, inted their expectations and sense of belonging. The entrance ceremony concluded with a brief speech from Navardose. It was a pleasure. May the Primordial me guide your future. Whoosh! mes erupted from the air, engulfing her figure. In the ce where the mes subsided, only the chair prepared by Katir remained. Soon after the loudest cheers since Philleons establishment erupted. No one in that ce could have imagined that they would receive blessings from Navardose. After the entrance ceremony, the freshmen were guided by the seniors to the banquet hall. Ronan bid farewell to the Emperor. Well then, Your Majesty. See you again soon. Indeed. Thank you for your hard work. By the way, where did Lady Navardose suddenly go? Yeah. I was going to ask her what I did wrong, but she suddenly disappeared I guess Ill have to ask Irter. Navardose had been staring at Ronan until the end of the entrance ceremony. Although he couldnt ask why she was being like that, Ronan decided to focus on watching the entrance ceremony. There is no need. Huh A voice came from the left. Ronan turned his head, taking a deep breath. Navardose, who had disappeared, was sitting beside him with her legs crossed. Despite Itargand still being in the arena, she was still staring fixedly at Ronan. A pleasant fragrance, unfamiliar to Ronan, emanated from her red hair. Ronan was so stunned that he was speechless. The Emperor stood up from his seat and politely bowed. The Emperor of the Empire greets the Mother of Fire. Long time no see. You came after all. I couldnt just let it go. Next time, I will invite you to the imperial pce. I apologize for back then. I couldnt even read the letter you sent. Turns out that idiot with the crown tried to seduce my son. Navardose said with a tone of regret, referring to the incident with the Winter Witch. It was also why Itargand was dispatched to Rodn, since the Emperor had requested support from Adren. Idiot with a crown? It seemed like there was someone simr in the City of Dragons Adren. Ronan wasnt sure if they were stronger than Navardose. The Emperor shook his head. No. Itargand had also been of great help. Thank you for saying so. But I know Itargand is still too young to be of much help. The person who truly brought spring back to you is the child beside me. There is no doubt that this child made the greatest contribution. Hoho, when the opportunity arises, I shall visit again. Today, I wish to have a conversation with this child. Understood. May you be in good health. The Emperor, after exchanging farewells once again, rose from his seat. Just by observing the way he carried herself, one could discern his stature as the leader of the most powerful nation on the continent. With his bodyguards, the Emperor, who hadpletely folded his newspaper, departed. After seeing that her surroundings had quietened down, Navardose turned to look at Ronan again. Hey there. Oh, uh, yes? Ronan flinched at the sudden call. She crossed her legs in the opposite direction while stroking her chin. There is something I want to ask you. Please answer honestly. Yes? Its about what happenedst night. You mentioned the reason you werent affected by my magic was simply due to your physique. Do you remember? Oh, uh, that yeah. Ronan nodded his head. It was difficult to speak while looking at her, still dressed in a dress that revealed her extraordinary curves. It wasnt entirely incorrect. But I know the truth is a little different. Yes? What do you mean by that? To be exact, you have the ability to cut mana. Isnt that right? Ronans face stiffened upon hearing those words. How did this charmingdy know about that? How did you know that? I thought so. Now it makes sense. Without that, there is no way I would have felt a sense of deja vu from a human who hasnt even reached twenty. It was iprehensible gibberish. Navardose suddenly reached out her hand and began to stroke Ronans face gently. The hand of the red dragon was much warmer than that of a human. She spoke. My child. I know your father. My father? Yes. I never thought we would meet like this. For a moment, Ronans mind went nk. It felt like lightning struck deep inside his skull. As Navardose gently stroked the bridge of Ronans nose, she smiled affectionately. You were the child that had mentioned. Why didnt I recognize you sooner? You look so much like him. Huh? Ronan furrowed his brows. It seemed like an important word went unheard. Could you please repeat that one more time? Hmm? What do you mean? The name of the person you referred to as my father. Ah, , thats who I meant. What? Ronan frowned. He couldnt understand the only word referring to his fathers name. It seemed like thenguage of shadows he had seen in the Mental World. He soon came to a conclusion and cursed. This damn curse! It seemed like the information was being controlled by the curse. Navardose, noticing his suddenly hostile expression, widened her eyes in surprise. Ronan, taking a fountain pen from his coat pocket, handed it to her and said, Here, would you mind writing the name of the person you just mentioned on the palm of my hand? Why is that? I cant hear that name right now. There are some personal reasons. What? Hmm, fine, I understand for now. Navardose began writing on Ronans palm. It felt ticklish. Soon, when she lifted the pen, Ronan turned his hand over. There was no writing on his rough palm, just a smudge of ink as if it had spilled. Ronan clenched his teeth. Damn it. Could it be that you cannot read the writing either? It seems so. Ronan sighed. He wondered why this name was causing such a fuss. Navardose seemed about to say something, but suddenly her horns began to flicker slowly. Ah, is this starting again? Navardose clicked her tongue. It was the same ominous red glow Ronan had seen the previous night. He tilted his head and asked. Whats happening? Looks like the attacks have begun again. Despite being so thoroughly defeated, theyre persistent. Navardoses voice was filled with irritation and fatigue. With the reappearance of the term attacks , it seemed that something simr to what happenedst night was unfolding again. Mana was gathering around her. It felt like she was going to leave suddenly again. Anxious, Ronan raised his hand to ask. Um, can Ie with you? Hm? I want to know more since the opportunity has arisen. About my father. Navardose raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected response. After a moment of consideration, she spoke. Itll be too much for a mortal to bear No, if its his lineage, it should be fine. Do you really want toe with me? Yes. I dont know whats going on, but Ronan nodded. He might not have another chance to meet Navardose again. Just then, from beneath the spectator stands, a familiar voice was heard. Ill go too, Mother. Both of them lowered their heads. Itargand was approaching them. It seemed like he hade after seeing his mothers glowing horns. Navardose lowered her head. Im grateful for your thought, but its okay for today, Ir. Spend time with your new friends. Okay He mumbled with his lower lip. It seemed that Itargand hadnt even been to their world yet. But Even if you dont want to, youll have to take over someday. As I said yesterday, enjoy the immaturity of your youth. Navardose spoke in an affectionate tone. From the sound of it, Itargand seemed like he hadnt experienced much yet. Alright. As he chewed on his lower lip, he nodded. Not long after Itargand walked away, dozens of students crowded around him. I told you earlier right, Ir? That match just now was really impressive! Um, excuse me do you have a girlfriend? No, I mean a friend wanted me to ask. Junior. You were using tremendous fire, is that an effect of the sword or your own magic? It seemed like they were just waiting for the right moment to strike up a conversation and get to know him. Remembering himself from three years ago, Ronan couldnt help but smile. Navardose, who had been observing their interaction, murmured softly in response. It would be nice if he makes a lot of friends. Its something unfamiliar to the arrogant dragon race. Well, as long as things continue like this, I think itll happen naturally. But arent you too negative about your own kind? You have no idea how remarkable what you did for Ir is. My child. I feel like kissing your cheeks right now. Just do it then. Ronan had to restrain himself from saying the words that rose up to his throat. It was a pity that Adeshan, who was looking at them with worried eyes from the opposite stands, wasnt someone else. Its been a long conversation. Lets go together now. It wont take long. Ill do my best to help you. But where are we going? Drimore. Its where the sky thins, and my fight begins. With those words, Navardose flicked her finger. mes erupted from the air, engulfing the two of them. When the surrounding people noticed the change and turned their heads, Ronan and Navardose had already disappeared without a trace. Chapter 190: Where the Sky Thins (1) Chapter 190: Where the Sky Thins (1) Chapter 190: Where the Sky Thins (1) As Navardose flicked her fingers, mes engulfed the two. With the darkness swallowing their vision, Ronan was ovee by the nauseating sensation unique to spatial magic. I just cant get used to this. It felt like his insides were being twisted and turned in a sack. Before long, the darkness dissipated, and the scene before them brightened once again. Billowing cumulus clouds flowed vividly before their eyes. Ronans eyes widened. Huh? There was nothing beneath their feet where the ground should have been. It didnt take Ronan long to realize that his body was floating in mid-air. What the?! He gasped, uttering a curse. His body began to plummet straight downward. Frantically scanning his surroundings, he noticed Navardose falling alongside him. She looked at Ronan and spoke. Oh, I forgot to exin. Its quite far to arrive in one trip, you see. This is the range of spatial teleportation. Alright, could you at least do something?! Honestly, Im scared to death right now. Ronan said, trying desperately to maintain hisposure. Navardoses face remained remarkably calm, as if she were unaffected by the heat. If she werent the dragon he needed to impress, he might have erupted in curses or screamed at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, Navardose reached out her arm and grabbed Ronans wrist, pulling him toward her. Lady Navardose? Do not be so scared, child. Who do you think youre with? She smiled with her eyes as she gently embraced Ronan. He was left speechless, feeling like he was being held by a giant despite being much taller. Unbelievable. Not even a crude joke came to mind. If he were to write a brief review of being embraced by the Mother of Fire, it would simply state that a dragons body temperature is much higher than that of a human, and that Itargand indeed needed to have his ass beaten. Well, long-distance teleportation isnt so bad after all. He was thinking such a thing when suddenly. Whoosh! The mes surged once again, enveloping the two. . . . Unfortunately, their journey didntst long. They arrived at their destination after a total of seven teleportations. Ronan furrowed his brows at the sight of the majestic castle before them. A castle? Yes. Drimore Fortress. Its our outpost. Where exactly are we? Ronan asked with a bewildered voice. Having seen all sorts of magnificentndscapes in his two lifetimes, he couldnt hide his astonishment this time. He felt he understood why she called this ce where the sky thins. The fortress was situated in the midst of the sky. Simr to the floating prison, Rodn, but iparably grander in scale and everything else. The sky itself wasnt what people generally imagined. Above the high heavens one could see from the groundy another sky, which had only been heard of before. Are there so many stars? It was different from what he had seen from the ground. Even though it wasnt night, countless stars adorned the sky, forming an uncountable gxy. Ronan nced down at the cliff below. Far beneath himy the continent where he was born and raised. It was hard to believe that everything he had experienced so far fit within that distant speck ofnd. Raising his head slightly, he could see a gentle arc forming the horizon. Ronan could vaguely deduce that the arc was the edge of the he had lived on. As they walked towards the fortress along the path, Ronan looked around like a child on his first stroll. Navardose chuckled. Fascinating, isnt it? Yes. Honestly, it feels like Im dreaming. This fortress doesnt seem ordinary either. The material that made up the outer wall was unusual. In Drimore Fortress, which overall had a bluish tint, mithril was the mostmon construction material. Orichalcum, Damas Stone, and even precious metals beyond that were not umonly found. They were all materials specialized in both physical and magical damage resistance. Damn, did those materials became rare because they scraped up everything to build this? It seemed that if they were to fortify it intentionally, even if all the imperial soldiers gathered, they wouldnt be able to conquer it. Ronan, examining the fortress, spoke up. It wasnt built to fight against humans. Thats right. Youre quick to catch on. What exactly are they fighting that they need a fortress like this? Youll soon find out. We came here to drive them out. Navardose, arriving at the fortress gate, gestured lightly. Two doors made to withstand meteor strikes swung open smoothly. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the scene inside the fortress that unfolded before him. Its narrower than I thought? Its a building built solely for durability. We will have to discuss the matters concerning your father after were done, is that okay? Yes. I dont mind as long as we can talk about it today. The interior seemed narrower than expected, perhaps because the walls and ceilings were so thick. Of course,pared to what he saw from the outside, it was narrow, but it was spacious enough for Itargand to move around freely without having to polymorph. There was hardly any decoration, giving a somewhat dull feeling. Of course, it didnt matter much since it was built for fighting. As the two walked side by side down the corridor, they turned a corner. Suddenly, a man an head taller than Ronan popped out. He was a rather handsome man with a mustache that extended to his sideburns. When he encountered Navardose, he stopped in ce. Wee, Navardose. Youre a bitte. I had some business to attend to. Hows the situation? Its settled for now, but theyll be back soon. Well need you to lead the defense. Understood. The passageway hasnt been damaged, has it? I got injured like this protecting it. Damn it. The man grumbled, showing a scar on his forearm. Though a few drops of blood were oozing out, it was rather embarrassing to call it a wound. Suddenly, he nced at Ronan and spoke again. So, is this a snack for me when I get hungry? Refrain from jesting, Tamakan. Hes my guest. Before Ronan could say anything, Navardoses voice suddenly grew stern, and Tamakan, as he was called, shrugged his shoulders. A forced smile appeared on his lips to cover the situation. Haha why are you making such a serious face? Its been a while since Ive seen a mortal, so I thought Id y a little prank. Ill see youter. Yeah, yeah see youter. Make sure this delicious-looking human doesnt die of shock. Tamakan patted Ronans shoulder and passed by. It wasnt difficult to deduce his identity. Ronan said, Hes a dragon, right? Thats right. Hes quite a famous Earth Dragon. A few thousand years ago, there were few who didnt know his name. Hes the one who destroyed the Gcia Kingdom overnight. Not an easy task. Ronan nodded. Although it was an ancient history not mentioned in history books, he could feel the magnitude of the event from the word destroy. As they walked out of the corridor, they encountered several more individuals. They were all of immortal races like elves or dragons. A woman with azure hair bowed her head in greeting to Navardose. Ah, Lady Navardose, youvee. Im sorry for asking for too much help. No, its fine. Whos on the front lines right now? Its Bnihardo and Irainiel Remation. Thats a goodbination. Get some rest. Most of them showed Navardose polite respect. Even Tamakan, who looked like a ruffian, seemed intimidated, showing that among the immortal beings, there was a distinct difference in status. Before long, the two arrived at another gate. Navardose, who had opened the door, pointed ahead and said, Here we are. This is For a moment, Ronans mind went nk. It was more magnificent than he had imagined. The sea of stars he had always looked up to was spread out before his eyes. There was no visible boundary between heaven and earth. He had seen a simrndscape somewhere before. It was like the sight of a desert covered in salt instead of sand on a rainy night. About three hundred paces ahead, a translucent barrier was visible. It was so wide that its ends couldnt be seen in any direction, and it seemed to be some kind of defensive barrier. There was a hole in the middle of the tform, about 10 meters in diameter, which seemed to be the passageway mentioned by Navardose. Ronan, looking at the stars shining below his feet, spoke up. Isnt this just a cliff? It looks like this because of the material. Dont worry, the floor continues beyond the barrier, so step forward. Ronan did as instructed. Indeed, there was ground. It seemed quite solid, and jumping around wouldnt be a problem. Navardoses appearance as she nced sideways made it seem as if she were walking on air. She said, Theyll being straight on, from beyond the barrier were looking at now. Originally, it was meant to prevent things from pouring down from above, but Lorehon reconstructed the space. This way is much better. Lorehon? The Lorehon I know? Thats right. Didnt I mention it? That child is also part of our front line. Hes quite unique among mortals. Ronans eyes widened. This was unexpected information. Not far away, he heard a man and a woman talking. How pathetic. You should moderate your dependence on Mother. What can we do? If we deal with each other, it takes too long. Why dont you go and try persuading Orsay? Even if theres no support, that little one could be a significant force. Hah, Id rather have you breathe fire hotter than Lady Navardose. Where would Orsay listen to you? Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. A red dragon and an ageless elf were having a conversation. The elf who spotted Navardose bowed his head. Ah, Lady Navardose, youvee. Mother. The dragon next to her also bowed his head. Ronan raised an eyebrow upon hearing the term mother. Somehow, their scales seemed simr, indicating that he was probably of the same lineage as Navardose. Although smaller than her, he still seemed twice asrgepared to Itargand, indicating that he was quite an old dragon. Navardose said, Bnihardo. How long has it been since we drove them away? Its been just under thirty minutes. Theyll be back soon. You did well. Navardose gently stroked the dragons snout. Unable to contain his curiosity, Ronan asked her, So, what exactly are these guys youve been talking about? Theyre beings from the sky beyond the sky. Their forms are varied, but their purpose is all the same Theyre the most repulsive race in the world. Their purpose? Yeah. The world we live in Navardose was about to say something. Her horns began to emit a red glow again. The dragon named Brihardo and the elf both turned their heads simultaneously. Youve arrived just in time. Navardose smiled wryly. A chill, like pouring ice water into ones veins, engulfed Ronan for a moment. He had felt a simr sensation only once before. This is! The four of them turned their heads in the same direction at once. Unlike the rtively calm three, Ronan froze in ce. Navardose, pointing beyond the barrier, said, Take a good look, child. Those are the true enemies your father taught us to face. True enemies. Ronan murmured as if he were entranced by something. Hundreds of foul masses were rushing toward the barrier. Crawling, running, flying, swimmingthe grotesque creatures appearances were something Ronan had never seen on the surface. If you put tentacles and mouths on swollen lumps of flesh, they would look something like that. The elf named Irainiel frowned. Ugh, these creatures are tough. We should have called Lady Navardose anyway. It seems so. Ill help. Mother. Enough. Ill be here soon, so just focus on protecting this child. Navardose waved her hand and took a step forward. As she gestured, the barrier blocking the passage disappeared in an instant. Then, Bnihardo, who had finally seen Ronan, spoke up. By the way, what are you, human? Whats your rtionship with Mother? Im curious too. You dont seem to be a mage like Lorehon. Ronan didnt respond. His gaze remained fixed on Navardoses back as the barrier behind her was ominously restored. Is that really okay? Navardose knew better than anyone how powerful she was, but seeing it firsthand still made him anxious. Amidst the approaching horde of monsters, her polymorphic figure looked as precarious as a candle me in the wind. An impolite human, arent you? Are you scared? Its quite a sight to be scared of. Well, as long as you stick with us, well protect you, so dont do anything foolish. Mortals like you cant even scratch those things. Bnihardo spoke arrogantly. Ronan, who reacted btedly, nced at him. Mortals cant even scratch them? Huh, you could speak after all. Yes. Thats themon trait among those creatures. To be precise, among mortals, there are hardly any strong enough to harm them. They naturally possess a barrier different from mana. Irainiel answered instead. The phrase a barrier different from mana lingered in Ronans mind. Was it like the Protection of the Stars that the baldies used? Lost in various thoughts, Ronan finally witnessed Navardose taking action. You keeping without getting tired. Arent you afraid of dying? -Kiieeek! Her majestic voice reverberated. Simultaneously, the approaching monsters all roared in unison. Ronans brow furrowed. He had expected them to be silent due to their quiet approach, but their voices were so loud, it felt like the sky might shake. Now, the gap between the monsters and Navardose was less than two hundred paces. She quietly raised her right arm. Ronan could feel the flow of mana gathering around her palm. Irainiel spoke. Youd better cover your eyes. Huh? She was already covering her eyes with both hands. Ronan was about to say something when, in an instant, a red sh erupted, followed by mes pouring out from Navardoses palm. Kwaah! The crimson torrent engulfed the monsters. -Kaaaaargh! -Kieeek! Kieeeeek! Eerie screams echoed. Most of the creatures turned into ashes on the spot, but a fewrger ones writhed and twisted slowly as they burned, like fish thrown out of water. Ronan realized why the elf had told him to cover his eyes. The heat and re beyond the barrier were so intense that he couldnt possibly keep his eyes open. Navardose turned slowly, incinerating the monsters. Her mes, pouring out in a radial pattern, formed a red wall covering the same area as the barrier. Brihardo burst into heartyughter. Ahahaha! Mother is truly exceptional, even with a human disguise! Today, the fire seems weaker than usual. It must be the fatigue from the morning battles. Ronan chuckled at Irainiels remark. It was staggering to think that this was considered weak. As the me-made barrier gradually faded, a faint cracking sound came from one corner of the barrier. Huh? Ronan turned his head. Except for him, it seemed like no one else had heard it. He narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. A needle-like, elongated creature was charging towards them. What the! Ronan gasped. He was fast, but it was even faster. The creature, burning in Navardoses mes, looked like a red meteor. The creature let out a bted scream of agony. -Kieeeeeek! What?! Only then did the other two turn their heads. However, the creature was already upon Brihardo. Ronan immediately leapt, kicking her off the ground. It didnt matter what he would do if the attack failed, that was not a concern at the moment. Oh no! It was toote. Brihardo, sensing the danger, snapped his jaws shut. The coiled body of the spiraling creature was aiming to pierce his neck. Ronan, who barely reached in time, swung his sword. Swoosh! A white line was drawn across the burning mass of flesh. Wha? Brihardos eyes widened. Ronan,nding on the ground, sttered blood on his sword. The wriggling body of the creature fell to the ground. Chapter 191: Where the Sky Thins (2) Chapter 191: Where the Sky Thins (2) Chapter 191: Where the Sky Thins (2) The monsters body, cut in two, fell to the floor. Purple-colored blood poured down like rain. Ronan, turning his sword, looked up at Bnihardo and spoke. Your mouth is louder than your actions. What happened to protecting me? How? Bnihardo, who had been frozen for a while, finally spoke up. By the time he noticed the monsters presence, it was already toote. He was prepared to be seriously injured, but he didnt expect to receive help from a human. Well, I came here to know that too. Thats impossible. If it was really impossible, you wouldve already been crushed to death. But can we just leave that thing alone? Ronan lifted his chin, indicating somewhere. It was the direction from which the monster had flown. As he followed Ronans gaze, the eyes of the dragon and the elf widened. A rift, big enough for two horses to pass through, appeared in a corner of the barrier. Oh my god, a rift! We need to seal that first. Monsters, avoiding mes or still breathing, were rushing towards the rift. Despite the mismatched size, their grotesque attempts to tear or squeeze their heads through were eerie. Boom! Bnihardos wings spread explosively. With a single p, he reached the rift and breathed out fire. How dare these little vermin! Disappear! -Krrgaaaah! Fire poured out. Swept away, the monsters turned into ashes. In terms of scale, it surpassed even Navardose. Ronan frowned his brows as the swarm of light enveloped all directions. Hes no joke. The expanding mes covering the surroundings reminded Ronan of a flood of pouringva. However, like the conversation he had shared with Irainiel, it seemedcking in temperaturepared to Navardose. As if to prove it, somerger monsters endured the mes and held on. It was then that Ronan could confirm the existence of the protective shield that Irainiel had mentioned. Is that it? Simr yet different. Ronan narrowed his eyes. A translucent resin-like membrane covered the bodies of the monsters. The areas covered by the shield and their sizes varied from individual to individual. Although it fell far shortpared to the Protection of the Stars, it still seemed quite durable. Bnihardos mes could only burn their flesh afterpletely melting the shield. Thud. Some monsters managed to break through the mes and invade. Bnihardo couldnt afford to pay attention to the enemies outside the rift. Soon, the fleshy masses that had risen were rushing in with tentacles outstretched. -Kiiyeeaah!! As expected, strength iscking. Irainiel muttered bitterly and closed her eyes. With a low chanting sound, geometric magic circles appeared above and below the monsters. Snap! The moment she flicked her fingers, ice des burst forth, piercing the monsters. -Kyaaak! Kyauwook! -Crackle! The monsters pierced from top and bottom screamed. The bone-chilling cold spread through their bodies, making them shiver to the core. Ronan whistled at the unexpectedly powerful magic. Thats impressive. It was not enough to be a Tower Master or a Great Nage. Honestly, they both seemed like braggarts, but they did have enough skill to look down on humans. However, despite the onught of fire and ice, the monsters inside the barrier were still alive and moving. Perhaps they couldnt deliver the finishing blow. Frustrated, Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Will you able to finish them off like this? His core began to pulseate rapidly. Lamanchas de was dyed in a crimson hue reminiscent of blood. ng! In the moment when a monster broke through the ice confinement and rushed towards Irainiel, Ronan, blocking its path, swung his arm. The crimson trail drawn along with the ck sword passed by the monster. -Grruk? The monster, sensing the change, hesitated. Simultaneously, several red lines were drawn over the body reminiscent of an octopus. Boom! The severed body of the monster copsed. Ronan, irritated, muttered with a disgusted voice, covered in sticky bodily fluids. Ugh, its disgusting. What in the world are you Irainiel muttered, dumbfounded. She hadnt seen wrong. The protective shield, which even dampened Bnihardos mes, tore apart like paper. Instead of replying, Ronan ran towards other monsters still breathing. Boom! With each strike of his sword, purplish blood spurted out. **** Bnihardo, are you alright? Yeah. My throat feels a bit hoarse, though. The situation soon came to an end. Bnihardo and Irainiel, having dealt with all the monsters inside and outside the barrier, set up a temporary barrier over the newly formed rift. It wasnt perfect, but it was a barrier strong enough to incinerate most monsters upon contact. Irainiel, catching her breath, spoke up. Phew, I want to switch ces and rest quickly. By the way She turned her head. Ronan was moving among the corpses of the monsters, still dealing with those who were still alive. They look damn ugly. Frowning as he wiped bodily fluids off his face, Ronan looked down to see a wriggling mass of tentacles resembling eyeballs attached to a hammerhead. He needlessly thrust his sword into the shiny eyes of the monstrous creature. Squelch. A sensation of piercing decayed flesh was transmitted to his fingertips. -Krrguh. The momentarily convulsing body went limp. Ronan kicked the monsters head and said. This thing is dead, right? Seems like it. How do you dispose of the corpses? They smell awful. Just leave them alone. There are people in charge of handling the cleanup. Irainiel said. Her gaze towards Ronan was quite different from before the battle. Snap! When she flicked her fingers, the blood that had been on Ronans body evaporated and disappeared. Oh, you could do this too? Its a simple spell. By the way, we havent introduced ourselves properly. Im Irainiel Lemation. And you? Ronan. Alright, Ronan. Do you realize what youve done? Irainiels expression was serious. Ronan chuckled. What was she asking when she clearly saw it? I killed the monster bastards. Yes. You killed the monsters. The problem is that the creatures you ughtered arepletely different from typical monsters. I clearly saw your de ignoring the shield. So what do you want me to do about it? I want to know the secret. How is that possible? Ive been studying those abominations for nearly a hundred years, but this is really Suddenly, Irainiel approached and grabbed Ronans hand firmly. His brows suddenly furrowed. Are you not going to let go? Uh, no. Ronan, please let me study you. Ill treat you with the utmost care! If you dont let go by the count of three, Ill hit you. One. Two Please dont, you are the key to ending this tiresome fight Keuuk! Ronan precisely counted to three and punched Irainiel in the face. Despite hitting her gently due to their significant size difference, Irainiel flew a considerable distance. Thud! Shended on the ground, slightly dazed, and let out a muffledugh. Hah, hahaha I knew this would happen, so I had my shield up. Seems like punches have no destructive effect. Youre out of your mind. Ronan spat out curses. Somehow, he didnt feel the satisfaction of hitting his target; it seemed he had hit the shield instead. Should he tear that apart and beat her up? While pondering, Ronan slowly reached for his sword hilt. From behind, a familiar voice was heard. Good job, everyone. Lady Navardose? Both of them turned their heads simultaneously. Navardose, returning after having finished her tasks, stood there with a weary expression. Across the newly sealed barrier, there was a pile of unrecognizable ashes. It seemed like they had burned everything there. Bnihardo bowed his head. Mother. A new rift has appeared. I was busy burning everything in the vicinity, so I couldnt pay attention. Wevepleted the temporary measures. However, Im concerned about the increasing frequency of such incidentstely. The sky is thinning more and more. I feel it too. We dont know how long the barrier will hold, but we must do our best. Thank you both for protecting my guest. Navardose, encouraging Irainiel, gently stroked her head. She alternated her gaze between Ronan and her mother, then hesitantly spoke up. Its embarrassing, but its the opposite. Hmm? What do you mean? On the contrary, it was this mortal who saved me. Reluctantly but he did quite well. Ronan raised an eyebrow. He expected her to be brazen, but this was an unexpected turn. Was she showing some conscience due to her noble bloodline? Bnihardo, who was licking her lips, tilted his head. Mother, theres something strange. What do you mean by strange? I feel like Ive seen this human somewhere before. When I was very young. Im not sure, but His gaze was fixed on Ronan. The dragons characteristic fiery gaze was intimidating. It seemed like simr incidents were happening one after another. Navardose nodded. You saw right. This child is the son of . Him? If its , then, the one who built this fortress Yes. Or perhaps his descendant. Theres no other exnation. Bnihardos eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Ronan, who couldnt understand the name, was about to burst from anger. Suddenly, Navardose turned to him and said. Follow me. As promised, Ill tell you everything I know. Are they no longer attacking us? As I said, I burned more than usual and should be fine for a few hours. Now, lets go. Ronan followed her back to the fortress. There were more people inside than before. Dragons, Elves, Vampires everyone who greeted Navardose and looked at Ronan with curiosity belonged to immortal races. The smell of blood? Is that human? Thank you for your hard work. O Primordial me. Be careful everyone, we got into big trouble just by fooling around a bit. Inside the fortress, there were many hidden passages, appearing simple yet subtlyplex. Navardose only chose such suspicious corridors and walked along them. She didnt say where they were going, but Ronan silently followed her. While descending a narrow spiral staircase for about five minutes, Ronan couldnt contain his curiosity and spoke up. By any chance, could you describe what my father looked like exactly? No need for long descriptions. He looked exactly like you. Just need to dye your hair white. Aha damn it. Ronan twisted his lips. The only person he knew who resembled him was the damn robed figure. Different, but still, whenever it came to his father as he delved into the secrets of his birth, the conclusions became increasingly frustrating and ambiguous. But isnt that bastard the current leader of Neb zier? Why would hee looking for Navardose? What benefit does he have in telling them to stop those monsters? His head was spinning. He couldnt bring himself to untangle the twisted threads. It took about ten more minutes of descending the stairs before they reached the end. Weve arrived. Its been hundreds of years since Ive been here. Here? Ronan raised his head. Arge door stood in front of them, blocking their path. Navardose brushed off the dust covering the door and said. Its the room where had stayed. In this room, he dedicated himself to research for three years with Elysia. After that, he asionally visited me, but he never came here. Huh? Who? Ronans eyes widened. The name sounded familiar as it brushed past his ears. Navardose raised an eyebrow. Hmm? I said and Elysia. By any chance, was that person named Elysia a High Elf with bright red eyes? With disgustingly long ears? Yeah. How do you know that? Ronans eyes widened. If his memory served him right, Elysia was certainly someone he knew. A red-eyed High Elf. One of the founders of Neb zier, who had made a deal with the Wind Spirit Hyran. Ronan recalled the days when she rebuilt the vige along with the Savior. Navardose raised a brow seeing Ronan froze suddenly. Well, lets head inside and then we can talk about the rest. She grabbed the door handle. With a click, the locking mechanism was released. Despite being left for hundreds of years, the massive door opened smoothly like flowing water. Chapter 192: Where the Sky This (3) Chapter 192: Where the Sky This (3) Chapter 192: Where the Sky This (3) Lets go inside and talk first. Navardose pulled the doortch. The huge door opened so smoothly that it was hard to believe it had been neglected for centuries. Ronans eyes widened as he looked inside. Why is it so ordinary? The room was just the right size for two people to stay in, and it even felt cozy. Contrary to Ronans expectation that it would be as bizarre as Jarodin or Professor Screekts office, it was filled with only necessary andmon items. There was a long stone desk, a dining table and chairs. Judging by the presence of two personal beds, it didnt seem like they were that close. Or perhaps they were perverts who enjoyed intimacy due to the narrowness. There was not a speck of dust to be found on the desk Ronan nced at. He cocked his head. Didnt you say it was abandoned for hundreds of years? I enchanted it to maintain cleanliness. Just in case that child mighte back Well, since the son came looking for me, I guess you could say Ive achieved some purpose. Navardose looked around the room with a gaze that oozed longing. The time she spent with his father was only three years. From the perspective of a dragon, it must have been a fleeting moment, but it seemed like she had developed quite an attachment. This room has been here since before this fortress was built. Drimore was built on the ground spread around here. was also the designer of this fortress. My father designed this fortress? Yeah. He insisted it was necessary to stop the enemiesing from beyond the sky. I epted because I liked his guts, telling me to eat him if his words were false, and as you can see, it turned out to be the right decision. Navardose chuckled. Judging by the nonsense that bastard muttered to the Mother of Fire, he didnt seem like just your ordinary madman. Sitting on the bed, she spoke. Now, tell me. How do you know Elysia? Oh, that For a moment, Ronan was at a loss for words. To tell the truth was a trulyplicated story. His father, who is presumed to be the current Leader of Neb zier, cursed him, and to lift the curse, he had to journey through the Mental World, where he possessed the body of the former Leader of Neb zier, and the that persons assistant was the woman named Elysia. This story had to be delivered persuasively. She wouldnt betray the person who saved her son. I even saved her daughter earlier. Since it was his deepest secret, he had to be even more careful. Yet, Ronan quickly made up his mind. After all, Navardoses innocence had already been proven in his past life. She gave it her all until the end. He knew all too well how fierce the fight between Duaru and Navardose had been. Moreover, someone wielding such deadly me pouches wouldnt lie. Having organized his thoughts, Ronan began recounting everything that had happened so far, omitting only the fact that he had regressed, which could cause confusion. Curse? Ah, I see. So, you thats why cant understand s name. Besides that, there are many things. Did that person not talk about the curse? Unfortunately, that is the case. He only left a message saying, I recently had a child, and if you meet that child, please take care of him. Navardose shook her head. Suddenly, one curiosity passed through Ronans mind as he listened to the story. It was a question that had been overlooked as obvious all along. Wait, I have one question. Lady Navardose, you are certain that whatever-his-name is my father because of our simr appearance, but is there any other basis? Thats because thest time came to me and your age match exactly. It was just over a decade ago, so I remember it urately. Youre not asking about lifespan, are you? is like Lorehon, whom you all know well Oh, I know that. Mages dont die of natural causes. The question wouldnt have been asked if the robed figure wasnt a transcendent being. By now, it seemed certain that the iprehensible person was indeed his father. Navardose said, Lets go back to Elysias story She came to me with about a thousand years ago and called herself s assistant. Assistant. Yeah. Unlike , who disappearedpletely, Elysia was here at Drimore until recently. She was the most outstanding Spirit Master Ive seen, so I was really disappointed when she suddenly left. How recent are we talking about? It might be a long time ording to dragon standards. About five years. It really wasnt long ago. Ronan furrowed his eyebrows. Certainly, five years wasnt that long even by human standards. If Elysia could still be found, he needed to meet her as soon as possible. There were piles of questions he wanted to ask her right away. Ultimately, if she had left Neb zier, whether the person who came with her was really the robed figure, who is now leading the current Neb zier, and why she helped his father. She was the one who could answer such questions, literally holding the key. Ronan, who discovered a glimmer of possibility, brightened his eyes and asked. Do you happen to know where Elysia went? I do. It may not be of much help, though. She simply said that she was going north. North? Yeah. If you search the room, you might find something. Navardose exined that she gave her a considerable retirement payment but didnt ask her any questions because she thought she had her own reasons. Ronan, who was looking around the room, pursed his lips. It didnt seem like there was anywhere to hide something particrly. He brushed his bangs away and expressed his gratitude. Thank you, Lady Navardose. Ill take a look. Its nothing. I only told you what I knew. If its okay, can I ask one more question? Of course. How much longer can you hold out? Navardoses face stiffened at the sudden question. It was like an arrow piercing through her heart. After a moment of silence, she awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth. Did you notice? Yes. Todays rupture wasnt the first, it seems. Ahaha Youve got a good eye. Navardose forced a smile. Avoiding eye contact as if she had lost face, she spoke up. At most, fiveno, about seven years. As I expected. Ronan clenched his fists. He had been subtly aware of Bnihardo and Irainiels skills handling the monsters. The lifespan of the barrier that separates the two skies was running out. While Navardose fixed her gaze on the ceiling, she continued speaking. The aging of the barrier is a problem, but the biggest issue is that those disgusting creatures are getting stronger. Just over a hundred years ago, there wasnt a single monster that Bnihardos mes couldnt burn. Later, there may be ones that even I cant handle. Cant the barrier be restored or reinforced? Its impossible. called it Armor. Its the barrier weve had since the birth of the we live on, and its impossible to restore it through conventional means. Navardose exined that the supernaturally protective barrier called Armor envelops the entire. Even before the first spark ignited, the barrier had protected the and the life on it from external threats that Navardose had fend off just now. However, for some reason, part of the armor had worn away, creating an environment where external enemies could invade. The monsters from beyond the sky, no matter how seemingly insignificant they seemed, possessed absurdly strong powers, so if their invasion were allowed to continue, not only the Empire but the entire world would undoubtedly perish. That was why Drimore was built. To somehow dy the time and prevent the thinning sky. Ronan, who was piecing together the puzzle while retracing his memories from his past life, twisted his lips. It fits perfectly. Seven years. Seven years from now coincided precisely with when the giants came down. If nothing else, it seemed certain that the copse of the Drimore defense line was directly rted to the Advent Catastrophe. Are those baldies the same as those creatures from beyond the sky It had been a question Ronan had harbored since he saw the monsters true nature. While the winged baldies were overwhelming in every aspect, the inherent strangeness that couldnt be found in the original world made them feel eerily simr to the hideous creatures. Navardose, after finishing her exnation, rose from her seat. So, left. To find a way to save everyone. A way to save everyone? Yeah. Originally, resided here for that research. To create a shield akin to the Armor of the or to enable others to wield powers like his own. Anyway, he was an extraordinary child. Navardose suddenly cupped Ronans cheeks. Her hands were still warm. Ronan could feel her searching for memories of his father on his face. Then, Navardose, who was ying with his earlobe, said as if she remembered something. Oh, by the way, child, I thought of a reward for you. For me? Ronan raised an eyebrow. Navardose grinned. Lie down on the bed for now. .What? Come on. We dont know when those brutes might strike again, so lets hurry. Navardoses tone brooked no hesitation. As Ronans mind raced with a myriad of thoughts, the surroundings seemed to shift subtly. The chamber, the bed, and the beautifuldy. Even the lighting took on a reddish hue, skewing the ident further. Ronan stumbled backward in confusion. I-Im not sure about rushing things. Ill take care of it, so dont worry. Oh, and take off your clothes. Suit yourself! Ronan took a deep breath. Was this a married dragon woman? Was this wicked dragon woman trying to lure him underground from the beginning? Despite admiring the cunning of the immortal living races, Ronan threw off his top andy down. Im lying down. Yeah. Good. Rx and let your body loosen up. Due to the ferocious fire pouches she carried, he couldnt see her face while lying down. s! This is why he should have listened to his sister who warned him not to blindly follow strangers! If he refused, he would be turned into ashes, so there was no choice but to ept it. While he was making a desperate expression, an unexpected line came out of Navardoses mouth. I know that the curse binding you is not ordinary. What? All of a sudden was truly vile. Even though he may have his reasons, doing this to a child I believe in , but I think this is too much. Navardose clicked her tongue. Ronan raised his head, realizing she was staring at where his heart was. Is the reward rted to the curse? Yeah. But even if I can forcibly remove the curse, your body might not handle it. However, theres one thing, a spell originating from fire. I think we can manage with that. Unfortunately, what Ronan had spected didnte to pass. But the reward she proposed was remarkable enough to overshadow that regret. Calming his emotions, Ronan asked her, What what do I have to do? Nothing. Just as I said, rx and lie down. Its surprisingly simple, thats nice. It was unbelievable. Every time a curse was lifted, he had endured all sorts of torment. Could it be that she would provide relief in this way? With her hand on Ronans chest, Navardose said. Rx. Itll only hurt the first time. Did you say that on purpose just now? Instead of answering, Navardose let out augh. The characteristic warmth of the Red Dragon was spreading all the way to Ronans heart. Navardose, who had been scrutinizing Ronans heart meticulously, grimaced as if she were getting annoyed. Looking at it now, I can see that there is a lot going on. It wont be easy to do this. I didnt want to end up like this. There are six curses in total I dont know how its possible, but some of them have fused together and formed a coreHm, whats this? It looks familiar, but I dont know what it is. Navardose tilted her head. It seemed like there was something that had taken root in Ronans heart that even she didnt recognize. Ronan was about to say something when Navardose shrugged nonchntly. Well, it doesnt really matter. Huh?! In an instant, her hand turned vivid red. A fierce heat engulfed Ronans heart. Chapter 193: Where the Sky Thins (4) Chapter 193: Where the Sky Thins (4) Chapter 193: Where the Sky Thins (4) What the! Ronan gritted his teeth. Screams escaped through clenched teeth. The pain was so intense that he couldnt even hold back curses in front of the Mother of Fire. You must endure. Navardose said calmly. Instead of replying, Ronan clenched his fist. He couldnt get up anyway because she was exerting great pressure on his chest with her strength. Blood dripped from where her nails had dug in. Ronan breathed heavily and looked around. The entire room was distorted by a powerful flow of mana swirling around him. Navardose, who had been staring at Ronans heart the whole time, frowned. A curse much stronger than I anticipated. Despite being your father, he must be quite something to have nted such a curse on his childs body, and you, who have endured until now, are no ordinary. What exactly is this curse? Can you even hear me? It must be excruciating. Now that its passed It feels like something I could endure Ronan said with a strained voice. Navardoses eyebrows twitched. As the creator of the fire magic, she knew how much agony Ronan was experiencing. Feeling like his entire body had turned into moltenva, but instead of fainting he asked questions. She chuckled softly and stroked his head with her other hand. You are a brave child. Hahaha the feeling is differentpared to when I heard it from my sister Ronan let out a weakugh. Somehow, the pain seemed to lessen a bit. Did his mother, who had passed away early, also stroke his and his sisters heads like this? Damn it, when it hurts, all sorts of thoughtse to mind. Ronan bit his lower lip. Although it was improving, the pain was still disgustingly intense. In the blurry and clear repeating sight, Navardoses voice reached him. The curse Im currently dealing with is a fire magic curse whose name has long been forgotten. Its meant to ignite the internal power of the victims heart and consume it. Originally used for the purpose of killing Killing? Holy shit was it that bad? Yes. Because the fire consumes not only the internal power but also the vitality. But Navardose trailed off. Her face couldnt be seen because of her massive fire pouches, but her voice had be somewhat serious. For an instant, the heat burning his heart subsided. Theres too much to burn. But thats not the problem. . This is how the curse was designed to block help. Block help? Exactly. If this were to be eradicated now, your body wouldnt be able to withstand it. Each curse, originating from wind and water, is designed to counterbnce each other, so if one disappears, the remaining curse will exponentially strengthen. Ronan furrowed his brow. Even in his dizzy state, he could vaguely sense how screwed up it was. She continued. If the fire goes out, the water will flood, causing a deluge. Conversely, if the water dries up, the mes will spread uncontrobly with the wind. Just like the curse, until your body ispletely consumed. Then what do I do? We must try to remove the curse while maintaining the heat of the fire. Its be troublesome. Is that possible? Ronan asked. It took quite some time for an answer toe back. Navardose, having finished pondering, tapped his chest lightly. Yes. Trust me, child. I just need to exert a bit more effort, and lets refrain from talking. Huh? Navardose whispered a few words that sounded like an incantation. Suddenly, his eyelids began to feel heavy. A voice as soft as a babys skin lingered in his ears. Shh drift off to sleep. The palm pressing against his chest was heating up again. Ronan couldnt bear it anymore and yelled out, asking what she was doing to his body, but it was already happening in his dream. **** Ugh damn it Ronan opened his eyes. The sight before him was refreshing, like weing the morning after a fever had subsided. His body was drenched in sweat. Breathing heavily, he slowly sat up. What what happened? He couldnt grasp how much time had passed. The ce was still his fathers room. An eerie red glow shimmered above him. There didnt seem to be any physical changes. However, as the sweat cooled, he felt a chill, as if he were wearing an overcoat. Then, a gentle voice came from behind. Have you awakened, child? Oh, you were there It was Navardoses voice. Ronan turned his head without much thought and froze. Unfinished words flowed out of him like remnants. You? Impressive that youve regained your senses so quickly. Mhm I need a little rest. Navardose was sitting on the bed next to him, looking at Ronan. Her face, though tired, wore a satisfied smile. Ronan swallowed hard. Surely not. Once he paid attention, he noticed her disheveled appearance. The stiff dress was heavily wrinkled. Her sweat-drenched hair was slightly damp and tousled. Ronan took a deep breath to clear his mind of any impure thoughts. Regaining some courage, he spoke. What happened? I encountered someplications in changing the n. In the end, I seeded, though. Does that mean my curse Yes. Its not perfect, but I seeded in recing it. Right now, your heart is burning with both the curse and my me. Navardose spoke with a weary voice. Ronans eyes widened. All his foolish illusions were blown away in an instant. Your me? What does that mean? I mean it literally. I took a bit of the me that forms the basis of my power and imnted it in your heart. I only took a tiny amount because recing it all at once could have been overwhelming. Still, I never imagined that a human could bear this power Ronan sat there, stunned, like someone who had been hit on the head with a flower pot while walking down the street. What the hell did she put in me? The exnation felt surreal, but since Navardose had no reason to lie, it was probably true. Ronan spoke up. Why did you go to such lengths? I simply kept my promise. Didnt I say I would repay you for saving Ir. It was a clear reason. Now he could understand why she seemed tired. Taking out her foundational power essentially meant sharing her life force. As Navardose stretched and got up, she spoke Right now, you might not feel much different immediately. At best, it might feel slightly refreshingpared to usual. However, as time passes, youll notice a distinct change. This power, different from the curse meant to harm and suppress you, will grow stronger with you. Eventually, it willpletely incinerate the curse. To put it simply, it was like fitting a better counterfeit part than the original. Although excessively powerful, it was still better than the curse. Ronan, with his hand ced over his left chest, lowered his head. Thank you, Lady Navardose. Raise your head, child. Im the one who should be grateful. In truth, I saw you save my daughter. Oh, you saw that? Right. That child is very prideful so I deliberately didnt bring it up in front of her Ronan finally managed to gather his thoughts and put on his shirt. Thankfully, his body temperature hadnt risen to the point where he couldnt wear clothes. Ronan muttered curses under his breath. Damn it. Why does it feel like my body is getting weirder? It was a different story from the curse being lifted. A ghost stone called Seniel or whatever it was, Vijras core, and this time, it was the spark of Primordial me. As Vijra had caused such a dramatic change in his body before, Ronan was afraid of what might happen this time. But then again, would anything be as shocking as sparkling mana spreading out? How long has it been? About six hours. Your recovery rate is remarkable. It really hasnt been that long. But there doesnt seem to be anything here. What hmm? Ronans eyes narrowed as he nced around. A blue aura, which hadnt been visible when he first entered, was flowing from under the research desk. From the faint flickering, it seemed to contain Neb ziers distinctive mana. Navardose raised an eyebrow. What are you doing? No just a moment. Whats that over there? Ronan slowly approached the mana. It seemed invisible to Navardose, judging by herck of reaction. As he bent down and went under the desk, the energy intensified. Carefully scanning the surroundings, Ronan soon spotted a piece of paper stuck underneath the desk. Whats this now? It looked like ordinary parchment at a nce. Mysterious mana emanated from it, but it seemed as though it had been casually stuck there without any special magical measures. Ronan mumbled as he picked up the parchment and emerged from under the desk. Navardose raised an eyebrow. Whats that? Im not sure either. Im going to check now. Ronan said with a hesitant voice. He could only hope it wasnt just a nk sheet. Unfolding the parchment, a crude drawing appeared. Ronan gasped. This is! Although it was crude, it was recognizable. It was undoubtedly a map. Navardose, who had been watching, widened her eyes and muttered. To leave something like this behind I never noticed at all. It truly seemed that she hadnt noticed. Ronan attributed it to his heightened senses after the curse removal process. Still, he hadnt expected to see results so quickly. As Ronan examined the map, his eyebrows furrowed. This coastline somehow looks familiar. The simple ink drawing depicted an area near a beach. To the north, there was a vast expanse representing the ocean. It was undoubtedly somewhere he had seen recently. Quickly racking his brain, Ronan soon came to a conclusion. Ah. The unidentified map depicted the same area as the map of the cksmith forge that Allogin had sent. Heiran. At the northern tip of the continent, where there was said to be a forge capable of forging the Holy Sword. They said she went to the north. Was it this far? His heart began to beat faster. It seemed clear that one of the two had drawn it. Without realizing it, his grip on the map tightened. As the parchment crumpled slightly, changes began to ur on the map. Whats this now? A blotch appeared in the vast expanse depicting the northern sea. Ronan leaned in closer. The peculiarly shimmering substance seemed different from the ink used for the original map. The blotch wriggled as if alive as it expanded. Navardose, too, stood close by, watching the intriguing sight. Before long, when the movement on the map subsided, Ronan realized that it had taken the shape of an ind. So thats why there was so much space on this. Could this be something Elysia left behind? I dont know. Given how the map changed in response to your mana, we cannot ignore the possibility that left it behind himself. That could be true. But isnt it a bit strange? There shouldnt be an ind here. Hmm? What do you mean? The Sea of Ghosts. Right here. Ronan said with a dubious tone. Navardose, realizing the fact btedly, let out a soft gasp. The location where the ind was drawn was an area known as the Sea of Ghosts. What could possibly be here? An extreme remote area where even the seawater freezes and gigantic ice masses wander like buoys, feared even to utter its name by sailors, it was one of the marvels of the world. Its definitely suspicious. A ce where only cold and death exist. Yeah. Apart from that, it also feels a bit unsettling. The situation unfolding right now seems too contrived. Navardose narrowed her eyebrows. Ronan nodded in agreement. Keeping her gaze fixed on the map, she spoke. It feels like they left it behind knowing you would find it there. Chapter 194: Where the Sky Thins (5) Chapter 194: Where the Sky Thins (5) Chapter 194: Where the Sky Thins (5) It feels like they knew you would find it here. Youre right. Ronan murmured heavily. The situation of discovering the map was too exquisite. Especially considering that even Navardose couldnt find it, indicating that the map was prepared for a specific someone. You said Elysia left from here five years ago, right? Yes. It was around that time. It seems right to assume that she left the map here. Ill take it with me. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no answer other than going there himself. Ronan neatly folded the map and put it in his pocket. Thats true. Its clear that there is something on that ind. Hmm, if things werent so hectic here, I would be happy to help Navardose murmured with a tone of regret. Since their first meeting, Ronan had thought so. Navardose was indeed a really nice dragon. Despite being much stronger than him, she was worried about his safety. There was still fatigue evident on her pretty face. No matter what, it wouldnt be long before shell have to head out to battle again. Ronan, who had been thinking deeply about something, spoke up. Um, since were already here, shall I chop them up a bit more? Hmm? What do you mean? Im not bragging, but killing those strange monsters is my specialty. Ill use it as training and take your ce on the front lines, so wouldnt it be okay for you to rest for a few days? Ho? Navardose raised an eyebrow. Her sharp eyes softened again. Ronan scratched his cheek awkwardly. Expressing gratitude verbally was sometimes awkward. Well, it wouldnt hurt as long as we contact Philleon Ah, really, why are you looking at me like that? Ronan, who was bbering, couldnt stand it anymore and blurted out. The gaze of Navardose, with a meaningful smile on her face, was difficult to withstand. Sheughed out loud and patted Ronans head. There was quite a height difference between them, so she had to raise her on tiptoes. Ahaha, youre impressive, its so cute. Im d he has such a good friend. Ugh. Ronan wrinkled his brow. He never got used to being treated like a child, even considering that the other person was the longest-living creature in the world. But Ill have to refuse. I will see you off, so please return as soon as this task is finished. Are you serious? Im confident I can fight better than most of these idiots here. Yes. Youre a much kinder soul than you think. Ronan didnt understand the meaning right away and tilted his head. Navardose continued. Child,I know youre special. Certainly, it would be good to deploy you to the front line right away. You inherited the ability to cut mana from , so I have no doubt youd do better than most immortals. Then why But thats why you should leave from here. There will be several situations like the one where you rescued Bnihardo and Irainiel, and each time, youll hesitate a little more to leave Drimore. Navardoses voice was warm yet serious. Ronan was about to argue why he should care about something like that, but he swallowed back the words that came up to his throat. Damn it. It makes sense. In retrospect, it didnt seem like an entirely unlikely situation. Ronan twisted his lips. Looking back, there had been several such incidents, even when he was rolling with the Punishment Squad. He didnt wish to see them getting killed, so he took care of them one by one, and before he realized, he had ended up taking responsibility for quite a few pests. They were indeed scum, but eventually, he grew fond of them, and they repaid their debt in their own way. Throwing away even the lives he had saved, he cleared a path all the way to Ahaiyute. Navardose spoke up. I hope you can see the bigger picture. Like and Elysia, whore wandering around the world, searching for a way to save everyone. Lady Navardose. So, dont worry and leave it to us. Navardose, withdrawing her hand from her head, began caressing his cheek. A dry chuckle escaped from between her parched lips. It wasnt difficult to anticipate whaty ahead. Ill surely kill those monsters without any trouble. Even the immortal bastards who tick me off will eventually acknowledge my skills. Maybe not as much as in Philleon, but Ill still manage to enjoy myself to some extent enough to grow attached. Her words were correct. Ronan admitted the likelihood of being hindered by his own sentimental nature alongside his reckless personality. He lightly nibbled on his lower lip. I dont feel like being used as a chess piece, but I guessI have no choice. Regardless, he had to make a move within five to seven years. He would entrust the defense against the extraterrestrial forces to Drimore and devise a n to deal with the winged baldies. Ronan, who had soon made up his mind, nodded. Got it. Ill head back today. Good. Youre a clever child. But, I have something to say. Hmm? Its a serious matter. It might sound far-fetched, but these are facts Ive uncovered. I hope youll believe me. He had requested the reward in the form of setting aside time for this purpose. Navardose tilted her head as if wondering what he was going to say. Ronan took a deep breath before speaking. Neb zier. How much do you know about them? If its the Neb zier Ah, that organization that went awry at some point. Its said to be rted to the recent incidents, but honestly, I dont know much about it. Navardose reaction was as expected. It was the reaction typical of an immortal. To her, the rise and fall of humans were as natural as the changing seasons. Although the Savior, the founder of Neb zier, cut off the horns of Gargarens, a member of the n, that was before the Neb zier was even founded. If I say something wrong, Aselle will be screwed. Ronan briefly considered bringing up the incident involving the attempted murder on Itargrand, but he quickly decided against it. It was an actmitted by the Winter Witch herself rather than the Neb zier, and speaking too soon might lead to Aselle receiving bacsh. In the end, it was a straightforward confrontation. Ronan, who muttered under his breath, took out the Dawn Emblem from his pocket. Navardose widened her eyes at the beautiful form of Blood Mithril. Thats? Its an identification que given to me by His Majesty, the Emperor. Ronan exined his position as the Dawn and its duties step by step. It was essential for smooth persuasion. Listening to the exnation, Navardose hummed in interest. Oh youre an Imperial officer. Youre more capable than I thought. Its just that there was no one in the Empire who hated those bastards more than me. What Im about to tell you is what those fanatics are nning to do in the future. Ronan began to speak after organizing his thoughts thoroughly. He began talking about the Descent of the Stars that would ur in the near future, based on the Darmans transformation incident that urred in Parzan. The baldies descending from the sky in seven years and their unimaginable strength. Until everything was lost. As the story progressed, Navardoses face stiffened. So, youre saying that in seven years, the monsters will descend upon the world? And thats when Drimore will fall? Thats right. To be honest, its hard to believe. Even if I dont know what they are, its hard to believe that Drimore would be breached by just three creatures. If the information Ive confirmed is true, itll be difficult to stop even one of them. They have a protective shield that can withstand all damage, without even mentioning their destructive power. Ronan described the abilities of the giants, gesturing with his hands. Importantly, he embellished his experiences from his past life as if they were information he had seen somewhere. He couldnt bring himself to say that he had regressed. That was a story that was bound to sound absurd even if the opportunity was different. Navardose sighed. If what youre saying is true Hmm. Its definitely a problem. However, the difference this time was that he could convey his babbling stories persuasively. Since many people, especially ones with significant influence in their respective positions, had witnessed Darmans transformation into a giant. In fact, that idiot essentially drove in the wedge. Just the leaders of one group taking the story seriously was enough to change the tide. It wasnt for nothing that Ronan had chosen Darmans transformation into a giant as a turning point. After a few minutes, Ronan finally got the answer he wanted. Ill consider it seriously. Ill send a letter to Adren by the end of the day. Instead of replying, Ronan clenched his fists. From this moment on, Neb zier had effectively be the enemy of a force that rivaled or even exceeded that of the Empire. It seemed that the day when those bugs would face the dragons fire was not far off. No matter what secret weapons they had, the most perfect race since the creation of the world would not be an easy opponent. Ronan, who suppressed his excitement, bowed his head. Ill leave it to you. Thank you for telling me such important information. I should start heading back now. The conversation soon came to an end. After searching the room meticulously for about an hour, aside from the map he found initially, nothing useful came up. Ronan decided to leave the fortress as Navardose had suggested. Sorry. I wanted to escort you personally. Its okay. Navardose couldnt personally escort Ronan due to time constraints. The portal she had prepared in advance was created at the same spot where they hadnded in Drimore. The contrast between the ck sky and the blue stars was still beautiful. The elf named Irainiel, whom he had fought alongside a while ago, and a woman he had never seen before, were there to see him off. Be careful, Lord Ronan. If you ever change your mind or want eternal glory, pleasee find me, Irainiel Remation. Next time, Ill hit you without even counting down. I wont mind getting hit a little as long as you let me research you. Irainiel offered a handshake. Ronan grinned and shook her hand up and down. The woman, who had been pouting, suddenly spoke up. Farewell, human. Hmm? Ronan turned his head to look at her. She looked fierce, but undeniably beautiful. The problem was, he didnt know who this woman was that hade to see him off. Um, excuse me, but who are you? Ha, did you hurt your head? The woman chuckled as if amazed. Her long chestnut hair and assertive figure were impressive. Although she wasnt on Navardoses level, she was also violent enough to make Rona start drooling. Violent, so violent Suddenly, Ronan, realizing her identity, widened his eyes. Could it be Bnihardo? You catch on quickly. Bnihardo snorted. It seemed to be Bnihardos polymorphed human form. It was natural, but still surprising, considering her appearance bore no resemnce to her dragon form. Ronan spoke up. You resemble Navardose. In many ways Youre stating the obvious. But for you to show manners, have you finally realized my greatness? Huh You could say that. Ronan nodded his head. His gaze remained fixed in one ce. He was starting to like the dragon race more and more, which had seemed hopeless in his previous life. Bnihardoughed, cing both hands on her hips. Youre wiser than you appear, human. Hehe, keep up that decorum in the future. At first, Bnihardo seemed as dim-witted as Itargand when they first met, but that didnt really matter. Navardose sent a message as if whispering into his ear. [I hope you understand Niha is not a bad child] She looked at her daughter with a gaze mixed with affection and pity. The two standing side by side made a beautiful picture. Ronan subtly rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Lynn. I think your master will probably be fine with a dragon as well. Anyway, it was time to leave now. It had been an unforgettable experience in many ways. From the monsters descending from the sky to visiting his fathers room and the curse of fire, and even the fierce dragon mother and daughter. If he wrote a book about it all, it would probably be a bestseller. Just as he was about to step into the portal, Navardose waved goodbye. Well then, farewell. Child. See you again. I am indebted to you. With a bright smile, Ronan took a step forward. As space twisted around him, he felt a strange sensation, as if all his organs were attending a masquerade. It took exactly thirty minutes for him to return to the Philleon Central Square. When his vision cleared up after the ckout, he was greeted by the sight of the moonlit sky. Ronan murmured softly as he confirmed his presence. Im back. Everything that had happened felt like a dream. He never thought hed be touching the sky beyond the sky. The warmth in his chest, the ember of Navardoses fire, proved that everything that had happened was indeed real. Now, he needed to n to head north. Ronan, muttering to himself, stood up. As he brushed off the dirt from his back, he heard a familiar voice from behind. Youre boldly catching the wind. Are you observing the stars? Huh? It was a voice he hadnt heard in a long time, yet it was familiar. Ronan turned his head. He widened his eyes at the sight of the slim man. Professor Jarodin? Its been a while. Have you finished what you had to do? The ever-reclusive Earth Mage, Jarodin, stood tall, looking at him. It had been two years since they met face to face. His bony wrists and sunken cheeks still looked pitiful. Indeed, its been a while. Um Ronan was about to greet him warmly. Suddenly, he noticed a woman hiding behind Jarodin. Only her face peeked out, like a cicada clinging to a tree, making it seem quite adorable. And who is that woman? Ah, I guess you didnt know. Ronan pointed to the woman with his index finger. Her face looked like he had seen it somewhere before. Startled, she hid behind Jarodin again. With a faint smile, Jarodin spoke up. Say hello. Shes my wife. Chapter 195: To the North (1) Chapter 195: To the North (1) Chapter 195: To the North (1) Say hello. Shes my wife. Wife? Ronans eyes widened. The hidden woman once again revealed her face. Her tanned skin and distinct features were impressive. Ronan btedly realized the identity of the familiar feeling he had felt from the woman and took a sharp breath. Oh my God. It was someone he had actually seen before. She was the woman who had been sleeping inside the ss tube in Jarodins dimboratory. She was the wife Jarodin had been willing to sacrifice everything to save. Her name was Sunya, wasnt it? Ronan asked, startled. Holy shit, has shepletely recovered now? Yeah. Her memory and sanity havent fully returned yet, but yeah. Shes basically afraid of people, so I only take her for walks in the early morning when no one is around. Jarodin nodded. It was truly an incredible achievement. He had heard that she had woken up, but he never imagined such progress could be made in just two years. Anyway Ronan, youve changed a lot. I can hardly recognize you. Well, I did grow a bit taller. No, I mean internally. You seem to have developed a core. I had spected it would take several more years to reach this stage. Jarodin narrowed his eyes. Ronan suddenly realized that Jarodins gaze was fixed on his chest. For a moment, he forgot that this man was an unparalleled master in the field of mana. In particr, there have been significant changes around your heart. Now, you seem capable of manipting mana almost like an ordinary student. Am I right? Yes, thats right. Ive improved a lot. Incredible progress Ill soon devise new mana techniques and teach them to you, so be prepared. His tone was still as pragmatic as ever. It was so typical of a mage to skip over pleasantries like asking how one had been and diving straight into the matter at hand. Indeed, it was this kind of dedication that had led to the achievement of resurrecting someone, an aplishment that no one else had achieved. Jarodin continued to scrutinize Ronan and narrowed his eyes even further. But why do I sense the presence of Navardoses energy from you? Is it just my imagination? A chill ran down Ronans spine. He had momentarily forgotten the fact that a spark of the Primordial me had been transferred to him. Although there was no harm in telling the truth, he had a feeling that satisfying Jarodins curiosity might be quite troublesome in the future. Ronan spoke, avoiding Jarodins gaze. Um really? I was just with her a moment ago. I heard that too. Well, that cant be it. To have a park of the Primordial me within a human body. Ronan swallowed hard. As expected, Jarodin was urately assessing the situation. Jarodin muttered under his breath. I cant even imagine what will happen when the curse ispletely lifted. Ronan was unaware, but Jarodin felt not only admiration but also a slight fear. It seemed that Ronan was currently utilizing only about forty percent of his full potential. Meeting and greeting him for the first time might have been surprising, but Jarodin was familiar with his exploits. However, it was astonishing to think that all of that had been achieved with only forty percent of his power. Has a second star risen in the Empire? Jarodin thought to himself. Ronan, hearing the word curse, suddenly snapped his fingers. Right. Where did Professor Sekreet go? Hmm? It had been a long time since he had thought about that name. Even though it was the first person he had spoken to after finishing two years of seclusion, he hadnt seen his face until now. Seeing that Separio was covered in dust, it seemed that it had been quite a while since he had vacated the premises. There had been so many events happening that he hadnt had the chance to ask anyone else. Jarodin shook his head. I havent heard from him in quite some time either. Hes such a changeable person, but this time, it seems to be taking quite a long time. Do you know where he went? To the north. He said he was looking for a way to drive away the winter from the Empire. Once again, it was the north. Just like in the case of Elysia. Was there something enchanting about thends to the north that drew people in? Thank you. There shouldnt be any problems. Hes an extremely powerful mage. Jarodin said. Since Ronan had no intention of taking any action, he simply expressed his gratitude. Perhaps he would run into him in the north if he was lucky. The conversation between the two finally returned to their current situation. Sunya tugged on Jarodins sleeve tightly. Jarodin. Hmm? Whats wrong, my dear? Jarodin turned around. It was eerie how affectionate his tone had be. Sunya was still holding onto his sleeve and staring directly into his eyes. Ronan raised an eyebrow. Did I mishear something just now? It sounded like she called your name. It is one of two words that Sunya can say. If you look closely, it seems she remembers as much as I do. Whats the other word? Thats Jarodin was about to answer when suddenly Sunyas forehead contorted sharply. Letting go of his sleeve, she struck Jarodins abdomen with a fist. Bad! Ow! Thud! Sunyas fist plunged deep into Jarodins abdomen. It was a precise strike, urate enough to impress even Ronan. Jarodin grunted, clutching his stomach with both hands. Oof ow Bad! But Sunya wasnt satisfied with just that. Suddenly, she kicked Jarodin, knocking him down, and then climbed on top of him, starting a full-on beating. However, Sunya was not satisfied with just that. Suddenly, she kicked Jarodin, causing him to fall, and then she climbed on top of him to start a full-blown beating. With each punchnding on his helpless body, Jarodin let out muffled groans. Ugh! Keuk! The speed at which the punchesnded was relentless. It seemed as if someone who had professionally trained in martial arts was putting their entire weight into each blow. Come to think of it, wasnt she originally in charge of his security? In a hurry, Ronan grabbed her arms from behind to restrain her. What the hell are you doing right now? Bad! Jarodin, bad! Sunya wriggled like a leopard caught in a trap. Despite her small stature, she was incredibly strong, but breaking free from Ronans restraint was futile. Jarodin, who had be a punching bag, spoke up. Let me go Urgh, this is my karma After taking such a beating, you still dare to talk like that? Do you need to be knocked senseless beforeing to your senses? I dont you remember what I did to my wife Uwaaa! Jarodin, who had vomited out his inner thoughts, struggled to rise while twisting his body. For a moment, scenes of their conversation in theboratory shed through Ronans mind. Ah Ronan remembered the misdeeds Jarodin hadmitted. He had treated his wife as if she were nobody, simply because she was a native, treating her as inferior. His wife is right. Upon further reflection, Ronan felt that Jarodin deserved even more punishment. The moment Ronan released his grip, Sunya leaped at Jarodin like a wild monkey. Aaaargh! Ugh Jarodin gritted his teeth. In truth, he could have easily used earth magic to block her if he had wanted, but he had no intention of doing so even if a knife were held to his throat. Harming his wife once was enough. Nevertheless, being hit was painful, so he tightly closed his eyes. Judging from the direction of the iing fist, this time it was aimed at his right rib. But no matter how long he waited, there was no impact shaking his stomach. Jarodin opened his eyes slightly. His wife, who had returned to her serene angelic face, was now lightly clutching her own sleeve. Wife? Jarodin. Hungry. Sunya said. Jarodins eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Unless his ears were mistaken, it was definitely a different word from what she used to utter. Ronan, who was watching them from the side, couldnt hide his surprise. Uh, did she just say shes hungry? Yes. Its the third word. Jarodins eyes welled up with tears. Sunya tilted her head. It seemed like a significant moment in its own right. Wiping her eyes with his sleeve, Jarodin looked at Ronan and said, Anyway, its a relief to see youre doing well, Ronan. Lets meet often. Uh sure. Ronan nodded dumbfoundedly. There were things he wanted to ask, but it didnt seem like the right time to bring them up. Jarodin took his wifes hand and said, Shall we go, my dear? Bad! Then Sunya struck Jarodins side with her fist again. It seemed like her mind was still in a state of confusion. Despite the loud noise echoing, Jarodin gritted his teeth and withstood the blow. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. Thats right Im bad. I did terrible things to you, my dear. Jarodin? So huff, you can do whatever you want I wont cause you any more harm Jarodin embraced his wifes shoulders. Sunya stared at him with herrge, blinking eyes. Eventually, Jarodin regained hisposure and held her hand again, starting to walk. Whether she had vented her anger or not, Sunya no longer resisted. Thats right. Ronan watched the two of them until they disappeared from the central square. It was scary how love could turn such a rational person like Jarodin into a soft-hearted fool. He headed towards the dormitory. These are more reasons why the world cant be destroyed. Its bing a nuisance. As he raised his head, he noticed the star clusters sprinkling light like seeds. The small early morning moon hanging on the spire twinkled brightly. Although it couldntpare to what he saw at the Drimore Fortress, it was still a decent view. **** Why do you keep doing this to me, Ronan? Please satisfy this old mans curiosity. There really is nothing. Why do you keep insisting? It had been a week since he returned from Drimore. The days that followed were incredibly peaceful. Although Katir and the Emperor persistently asked what happened with Navardose, Ronan stuck to his consistent answer to the end. The Mother of Fire took a human as aide. How can it be? Im asking you, so please! Just so you know, I said the same thing to His Majesty the Emperor. Really, nothing happened. After a week of persuasion, Ronan was finally able to brush off Katir. Perhaps because he was a mage, he seemed somewhat whinypared to the Emperor, who gave up after three days of pestering. Of course, he lied to both of them. Its still too early for humanity to ept this information. Ronans attention was diverted from the report he was reading. The paper, enchanted to automatically incinerate after reading, contained news that three branches of Neb zier had been eradicated in the past few days. Among these branches, two had been taken down by the forces led by Zaifa. I still have to deal with therge branch personally. I hope she wont overdo it. He worried about the consequences of rushing to attack therge branch. If he gathered arge force and stumbled upon another Dharuman-like figure, it would result in massive casualties again. It hasnt even been long since she got better. That old womans spirits are impressive. Ronans n to dismantle the organization was progressing smoothly. Zaifa, having risen from her sickbed, was literally devouring Neb zzier. The Imperial Army units that Ronan had instructed under his authority as the Dawn were also performing quite well. The location informationpiled from Lieutenant Nemea and Russell demonstrated a remarkably high uracy rate. But theyre doing well. Although there were concerns, there was currently no alternative. Except for relying on people and luck. Moreover, he had something else to worry about. I have to handle therge branches myself. It would be good if she doesnt overdo it. However, there was concern about rashly interfering with therge branches and ending up in trouble. There was a reason he instructed to deal only with small to medium-sized branches. If they recklessly approached and encountered unexpected foes, it could lead to significant casualties. Still, they are doing well, so its fine. It was indeed a cause for concern, but at the moment, there were no alternative options. Besides relying on people and luck, there wasnt much else to do. Moreover, he had something else to be mindful of. Takes about a month? No, maybe two months. I cant get a clear sense. Upon returning from Drimore, Ronan immediately began nning his departure for the northern regions. He had to make thorough preparations, not unlike when he went to Dainhar. The final destination, the Ghost Sea, was undoubtedly significant, but reaching Heiran before that was also a challenging task. The fortunate thing was that summer was approaching. It was a time when the seemingly eternal snowfields of the north softened and revealed their green core. There was no better time to embark on the journey. Adeshan, who was organizing documents, looked at Ronan and smiled. Its nice to see you after so long. I was so busy with work that I couldnt make time. Thats true. She sat in front of the tinum desk, which only the student council president could sit at. With a single nce, Ronan, who had just entered the room, gulped down the cup of tea ced in front of her. Although he didnt know what it was brewed with, it didnt taste as bad as he had expected. As he raised his head, the unfamiliar scenery of the student council room caught his eye once again. He had only heard rumors about it before, and it was his first time visiting in person. This facility looks incrediblyvish no matter when you see it. He couldnt say whether all academies were like this, but it felt like a ce where a parliamentary session could be held. Perhaps because it was during the after-school hours, the only people remaining were him and Adeshan. So, whats going on? Ah its nothing special, I just have a few things to tell you. Youve done remarkable work so far, you know? Ive been getting calls from various ces. Adeshan said proudly. She exined that calls hade in from noble families with two-digit ranks, knight orders, and three-digit business entities, all expressing a desire to meet Ronan. So Ronan was called to the student council even though it was after school. Since Adeshan was preupied, he just sipped her tea without saying anything. Ah. Its done. Finally, Adeshan finished organizing the documents and stood up. It was a mystery how the chair made no sound when she moved it. With her elegant appearance and demeanor, she was a perfect fit for the position of student council president. Then, let me exin it to you one by one. First, the Viscount Mondrian has proposed to hire you as a full-time knight as soon as you graduate. He said hell give you this level ofpensation just for visiting during the summer vacation, so take note. However, this is not the only ce where such a proposal was made Adeshan, sitting face to face with Ronan, exined each of the proposals that hade in. Most of them were aimed at Ronan after his graduation, but there were also requests for him to just visit during the summer vacation. Wow, thats amazing. Theyre willing to pay this much? Some requests were for hosting banquets or observing their sons swordsmanship, and they were willing to pay fees that were unimaginable for any ordinary student. So much so that Ronan wouldnt mind taking a few days off and working on these side jobs without any issues. Adeshan said with a hint of envy. Its great, Ronan. You dont have to worry about the future now. Everyone wants you. Well Im not so sure. Ronan scratched his chin. While the offers were certainly generous, there was nothing particrly appealing about them. After all, his main goal was not the documents themselves, but the person who was holding them. Ronan, who had been silently observing Adeshan, finally spoke up. Senior. Yes? Since were done with this, how about going on a trip with me during the vacation? Huh? Chapter 196: To the North (2) Chapter 196: To the North (2) Chapter 196: To the North (2) Ill take that as a yes. See youter. Yeah. Be careful. Ronan finished his business and left the student council room. Adeshan saw him off with her characteristic warm smile. Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed in the silence. She was now staring at the pile of documents that had be useless. A trip. Even after Ronan left, Adeshan remained seated for a while. She still couldnt fully grasp what had just happened. Going on a trip. And not just for a day, but a long journey. She quietly ced her hand over her left chest. She could feel her heart beating faster than usual. As Adeshan took a deep breath and brushed her hair aside, her blushing ears were revealed. What should I do She must have been caught wavering. Her expression remained unchanged, but Ronan would have heard her heartbeat and quickened breath. After all, the distance wasnt that far, and Ronan was very perceptive. Countless emotions swirled in her mind. She felt embarrassed, resentful of herself for not being able to hide her emotions better. She worried that she may appear too easy if she agreed readily. If she were more adept at these things, maybe she would have hesitated at least once. Ehehe. But despite that, the corners of her mouth lifted. She had been considering suggesting going on a trip together during this summer vacation cautiously, but she never expected this turn of events. It happened while she was smiling faintly. Suddenly, the door of the student council room creaked open, and a girl entered. Adeshan-Unnie! E-Eri?! Why are you so surprised when I said I woulde today? Hehe, I missed you. Adeshan hunched her shoulders as if she hadmitted a crime. Elizabeth, who ran towards her like a puppy, hugged her tightly. Ah this is it. It wasnt enough. Elizabeth pressed her face against Adeshans chest and mumbled. She resembled an affectionate cat with her face pressed against her, more than a dog. Adeshan chuckled softly and patted her head. Eri, really Im serious. Im very serious right now. Elizabeth replied without removing her face. What she needed the most during her tedious apprenticeship was not the praise of proud mages or servants who would take care of trivial tasks but Adeshans embrace. Congrattions on finishing your apprenticeship. How was the Dawn Magic Tower? It was good. I realized how vast the world is. Even the little girl from Garcia has also be quitedylike and Aun Phra is, of course, a genius in fire magic. In response to Adeshans question, Elizabeth raised her head. There was plenty to talk about. She was about to surprise Adeshan with the unexpected news that she had just been offered a recruitment offer from the Tower Master. Adeshans face, which was somehow usual, caught her eye. But whats with your expression? Whats going on? Hm? Oh, no Its nothing. Lies. Is it something rted to Ronan again? Adeshan gasped. Elizabeth smirked as if she knew that would be the case and poked her cheek. I thought so. H-How did you know? Well, its simple. Unnie, you only get worked up about things rted to him. Elizabeth responded with a look that seemed to ask why she even bothered asking such a question. There was only one person in Philleon who could disrupt the perfect student council president. Suddenly, thinking that person wasnt her, Elizabeth felt a slight irritation. She narrowed her eyes and asked. Then tell me. What did that viin do this time to trouble my Unnie? Ah, viin, huh Its just You care so much for him, but he doesnt even pay attention. Always getting hurt anding back. When he was brought in this time, you nursed him all day. Elizabeth grumbled. Of course, she thought highly of Ronan, but his rtionship with Adeshan was another matter. It was like not wanting to see the god you worship in a disheveled state. Adeshan, hesitating, spoke up. S-So, um Adeshan ryed the proposal exactly as she heard it from Ronan. Elizabeths eyes widened in surprise. Oh my gosh. A trip? Ahaha I cant believe it either. You agreed? No, of course, you did. Why am I even asking? Adeshan nodded reluctantly. There were autumn leaves on her face. Elizabeth, who had been sulking, grabbed both of Adeshans hands. Unnie. This is a golden opportunity sent from the heavens. Encourage him to confess first, and if things get awkward, just cover it up with a joke about how annoying it is. The tone was fast-paced yet serious. Her purple eyes were burning with a fervor never seen before. At the bold suggestion, Adeshans face lit up even more. E-Eri. To cover it up! Or else, even if you cant do that, you have to make him confess. Cant you use your skill on him? Elizabeth pointed at Adeshans eyes. Both her tone and expression were more severe than usual. It seemed like a different Elizabeth from the one she knew. Adeshans lips twitched in embarrassment. I havent tried that yet do I really need to go that far? Ha Unnie. I hate to say this, but honestly, you need to feel a bit of urgency. Urgency? Yes. Just look at the women around Ronan right now, and youll understand. Elizabeth nodded. It was mind-boggling that she needed this exnation, but Adeshan just let it go. If she had been so clueless, they would have been dating for two years already. A-About the women who specifically? There are a lot of candidates, but you should be particrly wary of the club members. If it werent for Senior Braum, Id have thought he was holding auditions for club members just by looking at their faces. The only constion is probably Aselle, who is reputed to be the most beautiful in the magic department, is male. Of course, I think Unnie is the prettiest, but Elizabeth trailed off. Adeshan, who had inferred the rest of the story with some difficulty, took a deep breath. Now that she thought about it, all the women around Ronan were all beautiful, like characters from a fairy tale. From Marya, the vampire princess Ophelia, to even Instructor Navirose, who has been giving off a mysterious aurately. She looked at Elizabeth, who continued. In my opinion, the most dangerous one is probably Marya. Shes pretty, has a good figure, and is wealthy Moreover, the way she looks at Ronan is unusual. Unusual? Theres something about it. Like a predator eyeing its prey. Whats certain is that shes more likely to take bold actions than you, Unnie. The word bold held many meanings. Elizabeth exined Maryas position, which was simr to a childhood friend, and the strategic advantage she could gain from it. The fact that shes unscrupulous is the scariest part. Even in the club, you two are very close. Moreover, its hard to ignore the fact that Marya likes physical contact. Elizabeth briefly recalled the time she spent with her and the club activities. She admitted that Maryas destructiveness was remarkable. Thats how it infiltrates everyday life. Digging in on the pretext of being friends. Whats wrong with holding hands among friends? Whats wrong with hugging among friends? In the end, on a stormy night, shelle in through the window and say, Were friends, so why dont we sleep together'' S-Stop it! Okay, I get it, Ive heard enough. Adeshan waved her hand to stop her. Her pale face had turned even paler. The conversation was a story with enough potential. Her breathing began to quicken. That cant be. Suddenly, it felt like a headache wasing on. The sweet fantasies she had while nning the trip had transformed into scenes of watching Ronan and Marya kissing behind trees. Just imagining it made her hands and feet tremble. A trembling voice escaped her lips. E-Eri What should I do? About that? Its okay, Unnie. Everything will be fine. Thank you What for? Elizabeth patted her on the back. It seemed like she really enjoyed seeing her in such turmoil. It was somewhat enviable. She muttered under her breath. Im okay as long as youre happy, Unnie. Her smile was somewhat bitter. The evening sun filtered through the curtains, casting a perfect light on the two of them. Somehow, Adeshan had a feeling that a lot would happen this summer. **** Time passed quickly. As thete entrance ceremony had been held towards the end of spring, the foliage soon turned into vibrant green. Before anyone realized it, it was already the second summer vacation since arriving at Philleon. I missed this greenery. I hope everyone has a fun and rewarding time. With Katirs short speech, the vacation ceremony came to an end. The buzzing of cicadas filled the air. After exchanging greetings with the members, Ronan returned to the dormitory alongside Shullifen. How on earth did summere so fast? Its because winter was so long. Besides, the entrance ceremony was dyed. That makes sense. But arent you feeling hot? Youre not sweating at all. Im regting my sweat nds with mana. Its part of my training. You crazy bastard. Ronan shook his head with a shiver. As much as it might be helpful, he didnt want to resort to such measures. If it got too hot, he preferred fanning himself and letting the sweat trickle down naturally. Perhaps because it was the vacation ceremony today, the students expressions were generally bright. The neers, who were about to experience their second summer vacation after only three months since enrollment, seemed especially excited. Despite the oppressive heat that made the cicada sound annoying, their expressions were uniformly cheerful. Ronan, seeing the neers ying in the sun, clicked his tongue in disgust. Have they lost their minds? How can they do that? Its their first summer in over a year. They must have missed it terribly. Surprisingly, Itargand was among the yers in the ball game. Every time he dodged a ball flying towards him, his tinum hair shimmered in the sunlight. Ir, catch this! Dont order me around. Despite his arrogant tone, Itargand caught the ball. It was amusing to see his cooperative behavior, although his tone remained arrogant. The female students who seemed to follow him were cheering from one side of the field. Seeing how well he blended into human society, Ronan chuckled wryly. That bastard surprisingly fits in well. I heard theres a rumor that he is running to be the next student council president. Well, thats a good thing. Im sure Lady Navardose would approve. Ronan chuckled. As they exchanged various conversations, the two of them arrived at the dormitory building. Ronan bid farewell to Shullifen, who had to go up another floor. Have a good vacation. Will do. Are you heading straight to the north? Yeah. I need to be able to withstand the heat. Take care. I hope you dont get too enamored with thedies and be weak. With those words, Shullifen climbed the stairs. Women, what a joke. Chuckling to himself as if to say how absurd, Ronan entered his room. A huge bag, big enough to fit in Aselle, was lying in front of the entrance. Preparations areplete. It was the travel bag Ronan had prepared for the trip over the past two months. It was bulky due to the many equipment needed for the trip. Ronan nodded his head, thinking of Adeshans face. Im d Sunbae agreed. It would be mutually beneficial for Ronan and Adeshan to travel together. In fact, Ronan wanted to take Adeshan with him more often, but it was difficult to spend time together after she took on the responsibility of being the student council president. He wanted to show Adeshan around the cksmiths shop, so he brought it up, and he was relieved that she agreed. Since the North was Adeshans hometown, she probably knew a lot of things Ronan didnt. Since Adeshans familys ancestral grave was also in the North, it seemed like a good idea to stop by on the way. Shall we start heading there? Ronan, who had organized his thoughts, slung his backpack over his shoulders. Since he had instructed Cita to look after his sister, they werent traveling together this time. Since arge-scale purge of Neb zier was going on, the possibility of retaliation could not be ignored. The agreed meeting ce was in front of the western gate of Philleon. As he hade a bit early, no one hade out yet. This should be enough. Ronan, who breathed in the warm air, nodded with satisfaction. Judging by the intensity of the sun piercing his skin, it seemed that the snow and ice covering the North had melted considerably. While stretching in the refreshing breeze, a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan. AaaamAh, youre here? It was an earlier encounter than he had expected. Ronan turned his head. Ady in formal attire stood there with a backpack slung over her shoulder. His eyes widened. Senior Adeshan? Sorry. I kept you waiting for a long time. Adeshan said. He tried to respond that it wasnt true, but the words didnte to mind. Her ck hair, which reached down to her waist, fluttered in the wind. Ronans thoughts came to a halt for a moment. This is no joke. It wasnt the same Adeshan he had seen a month ago. She didnt seem to have particrly dressed up, but she looked different. The face that had looked haggard from exhaustion seemed to have regained its sticity, and her hair was as smooth as silk. Her lips, closed slightly, were shining in a coral-like crimson, as if she had lightly applied something. Simply put, she looked more beautiful. Ronan, who was stunned, finally opened his mouth btedly. Uh, no. I just arrived too. Thank goodness. Shall we go then? Tucking her hair behind her ear. she smiled gently. It was an adult-like smile she had practiced ording to Eris advice to show the charm of a mature woman. Of course, her heart was pounding as if it would burst out of her chest. Ronan, hearing her words, nodded his head. Ah, wait a moment. There are still peopleing. Peopleing? Adeshan tilted her head. Werent they supposed to go together? It was a feeling of anxiety that gradually rose from intuition. Something leaped from behind and hung onto Ronans neck. Gotcha! Ugh! Caught off guard by the unexpected ambush, Ronan staggered. Adeshans eyes widened in surprise. A girl with her blonde hair tied back was clinging to Ronan and giggling. Her turquoise eyes sparkled, and her assertive figure caught his eye. Maryaughed as she tousled Ronans hair. I came exactly at the right time, but youre here first? I really like people who keep their promises. Due to therge height difference, the girls feet were floating off the ground. Ronan, with a furrowed brow, tapped her arms lightly. Hey, let go. Youre heavy. Hey, what kind of guy is so dramatic about carrying things? Arent you forgetting the weight of the backpack? And now that youve be a muscr lump, youre really heavy. Ahaha, thats kind of nice to hear. Ronan shook his upper body back and forth, but Marya didnt let go easily. Adeshan, who was watching their ridiculous scene, bit her lower lip. Her ashen gaze was fixed on Maryas chest, which was pressed against Ronans back. Unable to bear it any longer, she opened her mouth. Um, excuse me Oops, hello, Senior Adeshan! Before Adeshan could say a word, Marya, locking eyes with her, released her arms from around Ronans neck and dashed over. As she stood facing Adeshan, she lowered her head and said. Im so d we get to go together this time. Please take care of me! Yes Please take care of me as well. There was nothing to say when it came out so smoothly. Adeshan forced an awkward smile. The corners of her mouth trembled, a far cry from her adult smile. Watching the two women, Ronan smiled in satisfaction. They seem to get along well. Thats great.. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 197: To the North (3) Leaving Philleon behind, Ronan and his party set foot on the northern highway, marking the beginning of their journey in earnest. The road stretched out like an elongated za, with people freely wandering about. Ronan murmured with a tone suggesting weariness at the vast scenery before him. ¡°No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s disgustingly wide.¡± The expansive road, nked by the Imperial Pce, extended all the way to Astan, the city known as the starting point of winter. Being a crucial trade route even within the empire, the northern highway in Balon was always bustling with merchants and their apanying caravans. Amidst the mor of cart collisions, rows of merchants¡¯ and mercenaries¡¯ guild tents lining both sides of the road, there were guards employed by those who couldn¡¯t afford protection, along with free mercenaries eyeing them. Observing the world behind the market that he rarely saw, Ronan found it intriguing. While he was engrossed, Marya, who was leading the way, pointed to a corner of the road. ¡°Oh, look over there!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Is that the Carabel?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Twelve massive carriages were lined up in a row. Each carriage was so spacious that it could serve as temporary lodging, and at least four sturdy horses were attached to each. Metal ques with the Carabel¡¯s emblem were affixed to the sides of all the carriages. Compared to two years ago, there had been significant progress. Marya turned to Ronan with a smirk. ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve been working hard even in your absence. Are we now within the top 30 in the Imperial rankings?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it seems usible.¡± Ronan chuckled in amazement. It seemed far morefortable than he had anticipated. Adehsan, who was silently trailing behind, timidly spoke up. ¡°Um, Ronan¡­ Can I ask something?¡± ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason for the sudden change in ns? The means of transportation and itinerary are a bit different from what I heard.¡± Adehsan spoke hesitantly, suppressing her emotions as much as possible. She seemed like she might burst out yelling unintentionally. After moistening her lips with saliva, she murmured almost inaudibly. ¡°And¡­ You mentioned it would be just the two of us¡­¡± The current itinerary was quite different from what she had first heard from Ronan. Ronan scratched his head as if feeling embarrassed. It was such a sudden turn of events that he ended up omitting the exnation. He pointed his chin towards Marya. ¡°Ah, sorry for not mentioning it earlier. Yesterday, I told the club members about the n, and they said that the Carabel run by this girl¡¯s father is going all the way to Rundalian.¡±¡± ¡°Rundalian? The city on the Tukan teau?¡± ¡°Yes. As expected, you¡¯re familiar with it since it¡¯s your hometown.¡± Ronan nodded. Rundalian was a rtively remote city even in the north. It was located in an area where trade routes were just beginning to emerge, and the Carabel was going there specifically to obtain a specialty product of that ce, called ¡°Cold Iron.¡± However, the problemy in the journey to Rundalian itself. The terrain was rugged, and even disregarding that, the security was not very good. Except for a few major cities, it was essential to enlist escorts, and even then, there was a constant risk of being plundered by gangsposed of rough individuals. Straying from established trade routes was treated simrly to a naked beauty wandering through back alleys decked out in jewels, simply inviting trouble. Considering that Rundalian had long suffered under the Empire¡¯s oppression, such circumstances might be considered inevitable. Nevertheless, merchants didn¡¯t give up on their dreams of venturing into the north, as there were still plenty of opportunities for profit. So, Marya suggested that since they were heading north anyway, why not travel together? Rundalian was quite close to Hyran, which was Ronan¡¯s primary destination. There was no reason to refuse the offer. Adehsan, hearing about the special Cold Iron, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Cold Iron¡­ Going for expensive goods.¡± ¡°Yes. So, they were recruiting skilled escorts, and we happened to show up.¡± The group ended up receivingfortable lodgings and good meals, while Carabel merchants gained reliable escorts. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Adehsan, who knew the hardships of the north, had to admit it was a wise decision. With rationality on her side, she nodded in agreement. ¡°Mmm, sounds like a good idea. Thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. We should make the journey asfortable as possible.¡± Ronan chuckled softly. In her heart, she wanted to retort and ask to take back the night she spent awake, but it wasn¡¯t the time to throw tantrums over rational decisions. In the end, all Adehsan could do was pout her lips. Since it seemed like they would be traveling together from Rundalian to Hyran, she had to find sce in that. Marya, who had reached the front of the convoy, shouted loudly. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Oh, my daughter. Congrattions on your vacation. It¡¯s been a long time, Ronan.¡± The convoy was already prepared to depart. Ronan shook hands warmly with the recognized leader of the convoy. It was Marya¡¯s father, Duon Carabel, who had been acquainted with Ronan for two years. ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve bulked up quite a bit. I¡¯d believe it even if you said you were a member of the Imperial Knights.¡± ¡°Not quite. How have you been?¡± Duon, whom Ronan hadn¡¯t seen in a while, seemed to have lost some weight. Despite being able to amass wealth like a mountain of gold, he still seemed dedicated to his work without losing his initial intentions. After shaking hands, he looked alternately at Ronan and Marya and said, ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m more or less the same as before. So, when are you taking my daughter away?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Duon chuckled heartily. Ronan replied with a foolish smile. Marya protested loudly at the old man joke. ¡°That¡¯s what you say after meeting him after two years? Seriously, why do you do this every time you see him?!¡± ¡°My daughter. Finding a partner like Ronan is much harder than you think. Don¡¯t you appreciate your father¡¯s foresight? And Ronan, honestly, isn¡¯t my daughter quite beautiful?¡± ¡°She is pretty.¡± Ronan nodded. Marya was indeed beautiful, so there was no reason to lie. Marya, covering her mouth with her left hand, pped Ronan¡¯s forearm. ¡°Oh, seriously, why are you like this again?¡± ¡°Ouch, that hurts. Seriously, it hurts.¡± Ronan frowned. She was naturally strong, so it really did hurt. Marya made a fuss, telling him to stop, but seeing the hint of a smile on her lips, it seemed like she didn¡¯t dislike it that much. Adehsan, who was watching them from behind, tightly gripped the hem of her shirt. ¡®Don¡¯t take him away.¡¯ Although she knew it was a joke, her chest felt tight. It was somewhat shocking to hear Ronan answer so readily after being questioned about Marya¡¯s beauty.. Of course, she was much more beautiful than her. Marya, who suddenly turned her head, grabbed Adehsan¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, this is the senior who¡¯s going with us this time. Come here and say hi, Unnie.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about this. I was just too delighted to meet Ronan after such a long time¡­ I¡¯m Duon Carabel.¡± Duon greeted her politely. He seemed surprised by Adehsan¡¯s height, which far exceeded his own. She bowed her head slightly. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°I¡¯m Adehsan. Please take care of me.¡± ¡°Haha, my daughter has been singing non-stop praises of your swordsmanship¡¯s lessons, but you really are amazing. I truly entrust her to you.¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Adeshan, upon hearing thepliment, paused for a moment. It was apliment she often heard, but today it felt somehow different. Ronan, who had been standing quietly behind, nodded in agreement. ¡°Sunbae is indeed amazing.¡± That was also true. Adeshan¡¯s expression stiffened momentarily. He wasn¡¯t sure how to take thatpliment. Isn¡¯t calling someone ¡®amazing¡¯ more of a term of admiration than something said to the opposite sex? ¡®No, Ronan might prefer someone amazing over just pretty.¡¯ Delving deeper would be endless. Quickly gaining a mental victory, a smile returned to her lips. ¡°Thank you. But really, I haven¡¯t done anything. Your daughter¡¯s achievements are solely the result of her own talents and efforts.¡± ¡°Oh, indeed¡­¡± Adehsan said warmly. The Carabel father and daughter¡¯s faces lit up with emotion. Marya hugged her tightly and said, ¡°Unnie, how do you always speak so beautifully? Hehe, let¡¯s take a bath togetherter.¡± ¡°Um¡­!¡± Unlike Eri, Marya was very strong. Her grip was so strong that there was no way to escape. Ronan, watching the two women, nodded in satisfaction. ¡®Hmm. It was a good idea to go together after all.¡¯ Indeed, it seemed that women became close by sticking together like that. If Aselle or Shullifen did such a thing, they would have had their front teeth knocked out right then and there. Duon, who had gathered the three of them, spoke up. ¡°Now, let me briefly exin the itinerary. As you know, our destination this time is Rundalian¡­¡± Apart from Ronan¡¯s group, there were twenty more guards. Each of them seemed rough and skilled, indicating the importance of this journey. After listening to Duon¡¯s exnation, the group boarded the wagons. Since the otherpartments were filled with the remaining mercenaries, they all had to ride in the same wagon. The interior, filled to about half with trade goods, couldn¡¯t be called spacious even if one were being generous. Marya said with a tone of apology, ¡°Please understand, it¡¯s a bit cramped. Besides, unless it¡¯s raining, we¡¯ll be sleeping outside anyway.¡± ¡°This is luxurious enough.¡± Ronan nodded. Compared to the barracks during his Punishment Squad days, it was practically a pce. It wasn¡¯t cramped at all. It was spacious enough that seven people could sleepfortably if they squeezed in. ¡°Are you okay, Uniine? Should we ride separately for men and women?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine as I am. Please take care of the journey to Rundalian.¡± More urately, she was fine right now. She actually liked this cramped space. Adehsan, sitting opposite Ronan with a step¡¯s distance, smiled. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°Hehe, just because.¡± Suddenly, she realized that was a person with a very low boiling point. Just looking at his face made her smile. Prompt him to confess. Pounce on him while he¡¯s asleep. Of course, if she could be bold like Eri¡¯s advice, it would be even better, but she didn¡¯t mind finding happiness in these small moments. Perhaps it might turn out to be quite an enjoyable journey after all. Before long, with the sound of hooves ttering, the Carabel convoy began to move slowly. Ronan climbed onto the roof of the wagon and sprawled out. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to the North.¡± Thend didn¡¯t leave much of a good memory. Nevertheless, he had to leave to do what needed to be done. The cksmith of Hyran and the Sea of Ghosts. Would he be able to find decisive clues about his birth this time? The distant summer sky sparkled brightly. It was hot, but the breeze was pleasant enough to feelfortable. The journey towards thend of snow and ice had begun. [TL/N: whypete when you can all share Ronan ehehe] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 198 Chapter 198 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 198: To the North (4) Traveling with Carabel was a better decision than expected. Over the course of two years, Carabel had grown significantly, providing mercenaries with bedding and meals far superior to most inns. Until Rundalian. As long as the road connected from the ind continued, safety was guaranteed, making each dayfortable enough to be considered a sightseeing trip. It was the afternoon of the fourth day into the journey. Despite nearing summer, the air was growing cool. Ronan furrowed his brow at the sight of the skewered meat roasting over the fire. ¡°Damm it, why¡¯d you cut the meat so big? Am I a lion?¡± ¡°As long as it tastes good, who cares. And it was not cut, it was torn apart by hand.¡± !¡±Anyway, it¡¯s just too darn tough¡­¡± Ronan shook his head slightly. The fist-sized meatballs seemed more like dishes made for beasts like Varen or Zafia rather than humans. Whenever Marya was in charge of cooking, this kind of dish always appeared. Handling the muscr wild boar meat like y with bare hands was something only she could do among them. Marya picked up a skewer and offered it to Ronan. ¡°It¡¯s noisy, just open your mouth. Ah~¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Grumbling, Ronan finally opened his mouth and took a bite of the meat. Since it was physically impossible to eat it all in one bite, he had to take small bites like an apple. Ronan nodded quietly as he chewed. ¡°¡­Delicious.¡± ¡°Hehe, right?¡± It was surprisingly tender, with excellent seasoning. Smiling, Marya patted Ronan on the shoulder. Their behavior was so natural it seemed they were already in a rtionship. Adeshan, quietly observing, bit her lower lip. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± During the past several days, Adeshan hade to realize keenly the strategic advantage his childhood friend had as Eri described. Despite the close psychological distance, it was too close, almost as if intentionally so. Sometimes it felt as if they were deliberately acting that way. Suddenly, Marya, who had been quietly sitting, looked at Adeshan and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right, you should eat too.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not very hungry right now.¡± Adeshan waved her hand. Perhaps due to a bitter taste in her mouth, she wasn¡¯t particrly hungry. Then Ronan, in front of her, picked up a skewer and held it out to her. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, just try it. It¡¯s surprisingly good.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. A chunk of meat the size of an apple lingered in front of her. It was a gesture with an obvious meaning. ¡°Th-then¡­ just one bite.¡± She closed her eyes tightly and took a bite of the meat. Ronan held the stick until she removed her mouth. Adeshan covered her mouth in surprise at the taste, which was better than expected. Seeing her childlike reaction, Ronan chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Adeshan chuckled softly. It felt like the nine days of umted pain were melting away. asionally, events like this helped him avoid having breakdowns or going crazy. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s smiling lips sparkling caught her eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ you have some grease. Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly approaching, Adeshan wiped Ronan¡¯s lips with a handkerchief. Ronan hesitated for a moment with Adeshan¡¯s face so close. Her beautiful ashy eyes were sunk between thick eyshes. ¡®Ah, damn it. Why am I like this?¡¯ Feeling strange, Ronan averted his gaze. It was a symptom that had developed recently. Adeshan withdrew her face after meticulously wiping away the grease. ustomed to taking care of others, she didn¡¯t realize that this was as daring an act as feeding someone. Marya, who was watching the two alternately, smiled meaningfully. ¡°Oh-ho¡­¡± Regardless, the journey continued. As the carriage wheels turned northward, the surrounding scenery gradually became more and more deste. Ronan and Adeshan sat facing each other, leisurely enjoying the slow-moving scenery outside. Ronan stretched his arm and pointed to the distant snowy mountain peaks. ¡°Beyond there is the Tukan teau. It¡¯s very close to the stronghold of those damn wild Werewolves. They don¡¯t discriminate between humans and beasts, so we need to be careful.¡± It was also the location of Rundalian, their destination. Adeshan tilted her head. ¡°Okay. Thanks. But how did you know all that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve traveled around there for almost a year. Under orders from someone who looked just like Sunbae.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± Ronan chuckled as he reminisced about his past life. The Tukan teau was where he first received orders from Commander Adeshan and where he first met Marya, who had be the Countess Armalen. Looking back, the mission for mine development and imperial expansion seemed like a miserable experience. They hade back covered in werewolf blood and had to roll around in the snow because there was no water to wash it off. Many Punishment Squad members had died there. ¡®I hope we pass through this time without any trouble.¡¯ That was all he hoped for. Considering the current time frame, the influence of those hairy thugs shouldn¡¯t be as strong as before. Three nights passed since then, and the Carabel¡¯s caravan crossed the threshold into Astan, the beginning of winter. They were greeted by the still snow-covered ground. The howling of wolves each night under the moon reminded them they were heading in the right direction. * * * As the sun set, the night sky became filled with thick clouds obscuring any sight of stars or the moon. The procession of Carabel¡¯s caravan came to a halt, signaled by the sound of the lead bells. Duon¡¯s voice resonated loudly. ¡°Tonight, we will camp here!¡± The snowy in spread out before them as far as the eye could see. In the distance, the lights of Rundalian twinkled like stars on the ground. It had been four days since they left Astan, and now they had entered the vast ins of Tukan. The mule drivers, as if waiting for that announcement, pulled on the reins. The twelve carriage formed arge circle, preparing for the night¡¯s rest. As the carriages came to aplete stop, merchants and mercenaries stretched and descended from their carriages. ¡°Ahaaaam¡­ will we arrive tomorrow?¡± ¡°As long as an ice dragon doesn¡¯te and freeze everything, we should be fine. We just need to keep going like we are now.¡± ¡°Damn it, they should at least sell beer in Rundalian, right? Even Werewolves must drink.¡± Each of their faces showed signs of umted fatigue. Despite having nothing to do and good welfare, escorting Carabel was a demanding job in many ways. They had to stand guard even while resting, and the enemies they faced were more likely to be non-human. ¡°Finally.¡± Ronan, who had been keeping watch until the end, jumped off the carriage roof. As he took a deep breath, the cold wind with snowkes swept through his lungs. He looked back at Adeshan and spoke. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Tomorrow atst.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± The thick snowkes cast shadows on their faces. They knew better than anyone how threatening the hostile intentions of non-human creatures could be. The biggest incident in the past five days was when an eagle, mistaking a bald mercenary¡¯s head for a rock and dropped a rabbit on top of it. Yet, Ronan and Adeshan remained vignt. Marya, wiping her eyes, embraced the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m d I brought you two. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Let go. I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ We¡¯re the ones who are indebted to you.¡± Despite their resistance, Marya didn¡¯t let them go. She hadn¡¯t expected to be this grateful. With a somewhat moist voice, she continued speaking. ¡°I will definitely repay this favor. It¡¯s my promise as the next leader of Carabel. Yes, I¡¯ll cover all the expenses at the forge we¡¯re heading to this time.¡± ¡°What favor are you going to repay? We agreed to help each other.¡± ¡°Quit it, and just ept it.¡± Marya exerted a slight force on Ronan¡¯s right arm. Ronan, feeling suffocated, groaned. By noon tomorrow, Carabel would arrive at Rundalian. It was the fork in the road where each would go their separate ways. Marya spoke. ¡°Both of you, get some sleep now. Today, I will be on watch for our carriage from start to finish.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Marya. Wake me up anytime you need to.¡± ¡°If she insists on doing it, then leave it to her. Yeah, let¡¯s just rest by ourselves.¡± Ronan chuckled as he headed towards the wagon. Adeshan, who hesitated for a moment, followed him. Adeshan hadn¡¯t had a proper sleep since leaving the inn. The two sat facing each other, leaning against the carriage ¡®s wall. As their buttocks touched the ground, fatigue washed over them. When their eyes met, they smiled at each other. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Sunbae.¡± ¡°Ronan¡­ You too.¡± Adeshan couldn¡¯t resist the urge to doze off, and she was nodding off halfway. Her half-opened eyes were quite adorable. No, they were cute. Ronan was quite sleepy too. Sweeping his bangs aside, he spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading to Hyran by tomorrow, is that okay? We won¡¯t be able to travel asfortably as now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, of course¡­ I heard so from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s a relief. Let¡¯s continue working hard together.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Yeah. I¡¯m enjoying it now, but¡­ that¡¯d be even better¡­¡± Adeshan, who couldn¡¯t finish her sentence, drooped her head. Soon, Ronan¡¯s eyelids, which had been getting heavier, finally closed. The sound of breathing began to spread throughout the carriage. ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. Even the moonlight didn¡¯t illuminate the inside of the carriage on this moonless night. Beyond the wooden walls, only the sound of the wind howling could be heard. In the sparse world of dreams before him, Ronan saw his father, whose face was shrouded in shadows, and Adeshan wiping his lips. He punched his father in the face, and he couldn¡¯t remember how he reacted to Adeshan. He felt time flowing like sand. Suddenly, Ronan opened his eyes and spoke. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Hmm. Forty-three.¡± Adeshan was already awake. She responded without any hesitation. Ronan tilted his head, seeming to be disgusted by the specific number. ¡°Damn¡­ there¡¯s quite a lot.¡± ¡°What? Were you still not asleep?¡± Marya, hearing their conversation, leaned her face into the carriage. Unlike the two, she couldn¡¯t perceive anything. Ronan silently ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush. And they¡¯re quite skilled too. It¡¯s not easy to kill someone without a sound like this. Could there be a mage among them?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Marya¡¯s face stiffened. Suddenly, Ronan thrust his sword into the roof of the carriage. Thud! At the same time, a piercing scream tore through the air as the de pierced through the wood, creating a gaping hole. ¡°Kheeeh!¡± It wasn¡¯t a human voice. Ronan swiftly pulled out his dagger, now stained with a deep crimson hue. Blood gushed out from the hole in the ceiling, painting it a dark red. Caught off guard by the sudden outburst of violence, Marya stumbled backward. ¡°Wh-What in the world is this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ambush! Everyone, wake up!¡± Instead of answering the question, Ronan shouted loudly. Soon, the entire Carabel began to bustle with activity without any warning. Crash! Kicking down the door, he leaped onto the roof. A werewolf in leather armory sprawled on the ground, clutching its chest. It seemed to still be breathing, judging by the gurgling sound it made as it writhed. The werewolf red at Ronan with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Grrrr! Human¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh, damn it.¡± It seemed things were going too well somehow. Ronan silently drew his sword from its sheath. Swish! With a clean slice, the werewolf¡¯s head separated from its body. The rolling head tumbled out of the wagon naturally. Turning the sword once, he scanned the surroundings. Luckily, there were no other Werewolves in sight. ¡®I guess they were scouts. No matter how stealthy it was, though¡­¡¯ It was an unbelievable stealth skill. Ronan soon spotted what he was looking for on the western side of the teau. Dozens of pairs of eyes were shining in the darkness. Roughly counting, they looked to be about forty, just as Adeshan had said. Marya, who had climbed onto the roof following him, asked in shock. ¡°Wh-What are those?¡± ¡°A band of thieves.¡± Forty pairs of eyes with long tails were running towards the Carabel. Dong! Dong! Dong! Btedly, the sound of bells rang out. The mercenaries, awakened from their sleep, rushed out in confusion. Click. The sound of Adeshan loading her crossbow could be heard from below the roof. Ronan, staring into the darkness, grabbed the hilt of his sword. Whoosh! A bright crimson illuminated the darkness. In the pitch-ck in where not a single spot of light could be found, the glow of thenterns on the carriage stood out like a lighthouse. As the area brightened, the figures d in bone and leather garments revealed themselves. ¡°Kraaaa!¡± ¡°Kheung!¡± Exposed to the light, they growled disgustingly like vampires. Most of them were Werewolves, with the asional Werefoxes and Werebears. Judging by the patterns engraved on their attire, they seemed to belong to a tribe Ronan had never encountered in his past life. Ronan spoke. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Grrr!¡± The attention of the creatures focused on Ronan. Their teeth gleamed menacingly in the light. They probably knew how to speak, but judging by their silence, there seemed to be no chance for dialogue this time either. With one corner of his mouth raised, he muttered quietly. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Before sharpening the sword, you need to feed it some blood.¡± ¡°Grrraaaaagh!!¡± The roar, filled with flesh, echoed under the night sky. Forty beasts charged forward like a flood. Ronan, calmly measuring the distance, pulled his sword handle. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 199 Chapter 199 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 199: To the North (5) Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. The light flowing through the sword suddenly intensified for a moment, and right in front of him, a Werewolf appeared in the empty space. Having practiced manipting the Aura, he could now distinguish between simply emitting light and pulling his opponent towards him, ¡°Kueh?!¡± The Werewolf¡¯s eyes widened as the gap suddenly narrowed. It was a creature with fur tied up like a beard on its chin. Ronan thought that perhaps he could end the fight with just this one creature. Although it had been murmuring about needing blood, it would be advantageous to end things peacefully, given the circumstances atop the Carabel. ¡°You¡¯re a prime specimen.¡± For a moment, Ronan¡¯s hand holding the sword blurred. Swish! Dozens of red lines were drawn crudely in the air above the creature¡¯s body. It was the moment when the blurry sword reappeared. With a soft explosion, pieces of flesh and piles of organs rained down on the ground. The Werewolves, who had been charging with a fierce momentum as if they could swallow the world, all stopped in their tracks. ¡°Krraagh!¡± ¡°Kraaaghh!¡± As expected, fiery reactions followed. Ronan swung his sword, flicking off the entrails embedded in the de. He pointed the tip of his sword at the pack of thieves and issued a warning. ¡°Keeping, if you wanna be turned into minced meat.¡± ¡°Uwaaah¡­!¡± It was a demonstration of dominance to urge them to run away. It was evident to anyone but the most foolhardy that if one strike like that wasn¡¯t enough to deter the enemy, nothing would be. At the unexpected cmity, Marya, who was standing nearby, retched. Nowhere among the scattered pieces of flesh under the carriage could one find the original form of the Werewolves. ¡°Kraaghhh¡± But sadly, they are just ordinary rogues. Even fiercer and more ferocious warriors were on their way. Ronan sighed as he looked at the Werewolves who chose the sad ending. Just as he was about to charge, a shot from a crossbow was fired from inside their carriage. ¡°Kruhk?¡± Swoosh! The crossbow bolt flew straight through the forehead of the Werewolf charging at the front. It didn¡¯t even have time to realize its own death. As the magic engraved on the arrowhead activated, a fiery explosion urred. Boom! With a resounding roar, the charred corpse soared into the air. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± Before the dismembered body hit the ground, another crossbow bolt was fired, hitting the outskirts of the group of assants charging. Thud! Thud! Thud! Pirs of fire erupted one after another, enclosing the thieves in a ring of mes. In the blink of an eye, the thieves found themselves trapped in a fiery fence, prompting Ronan to whistle in admiration. ¡°Impressive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Are there more of them?¡± ¡°There are seven to the south from the central bonfire and five to the east. Oh, one just died, so four.¡± Ronan chuckled at Adeshan¡¯s exnation. Her analytical skills were always impressive no matter when he saw them. In that regard, Shullifen would need to step up his game. She spoke again. ¡°But since other mercenaries have already joined the fight, we don¡¯t have to worry. Given their skills, they should be able to handle it adequately.¡± ¡°If you say so, Sunbae.¡± Ronan nodded. With skills like hers, it was no wonder she became a General at such a young age. He looked at Marya, who was still dazed, and said, ¡°Marya, we¡¯ll handle this here, so go to Duon.¡± ¡°What? With so many of them?¡± Marya furrowed her brows. Even if the two of them were skilled fighters, the numbers were too overwhelming. Having diligently attended Baren¡¯s lessons, she knew well that the humanoid races could be extremely dangerous enemies if they harbored malice. The innate physical abilities andbat instincts from birth were factors that even the most trained warriors couldn¡¯t ignore. Amidst her hesitation, Adeshan¡¯s voice came from inside the carriage. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go.¡± ¡°Even if you say so, Unnie¡­¡± Adeshan¡¯s tone was full of confidence. Meanwhile, she gathered the fleeing assants in one ce. Marya nodded reluctantly. With a ng, she enhanced her stride with mana and leaped in the direction where Duon was. Ronan, watching her leap like she was flying through the sky, shook his head as if in disbelief. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s actually a beastman, something like a Wereogre.¡± ¡°Hahaha, where would you find such a pretty beastman?¡± ¡°Sunbae is prettier.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Adeshan¡¯s hand, loading the crossbow, paused. It seemed like something very shocking had just been said. After swallowing once, she raised her gaze to where Ronan was and said, ¡°Um, what did you just say¡­¡± But Ronan didn¡¯t hear Adshan¡¯s reply. Bang! Suddenly, the roof caved in, and the carriage lurched as if it were about to topple over. Caught off guard by the unexpected shock, she stumbled and fell backward,nding on her buttocks. ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± It was the recoil from Ronan¡¯s leap. Descending amidst the bewildered beastmen, who were unable to escape Adeshan¡¯s fiery barrier due to fear of being hit by the crossbow bolts. ¡°As expected, disobedient bastards need to be tied up and disciplined.¡± ¡°Kyararak! Humans!¡± Ronan approached them slowly. A few brave warriors charged at him, but as they passed him, they turned into headless corpses copsing to the ground. Squelch! The sttering blood painted the snowyndscape. Even with the keen vision of the beastmen, they couldn¡¯t perceive Ronan¡¯s sword clearly. Only then did fear begin to spread across the faces of the beastmen. ¡°Krrrggh¡­ strong.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to end this peacefully?¡± Once an opportunity passes, it won¡¯te back. Ronan¡¯s intention was to teach them that fact. Suddenly, the appearance of a Werewolf that was different from other individuals caught my eye. ¡°¡­Why does it look like that?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The bright mes revealed the grotesque form more clearly. Its face was twisted, and its right arm was deformedly developed. With a split tongue hanging down to its neck, drooling incessantly, it lookedpletely different from a Werewolf, more like apletely different monster. ¡®Is it diseased or something?¡¯ Observing the group quietly, he noticed a few more of those creatures. Each of the ugly beastmen emanated an indescribable sense of difort. Come to think of it, there were creatures like that in his past life too, but back then, everything was bothersome, so he didn¡¯t bother to ask any questions and just ughtered them. ¡®I should ask about it.¡¯ He wondered why they became like that. But curiosity couldn¡¯t ovee his desire to finish the job quickly and go to sleep. He decided to leave one alive to interrogateter. Gripping the sword hilt, Ronan¡¯s sword became stained with the color of blood. With the crossbow bolts still holding the beastmen¡¯s feet, there was no need to use Aura. Ronan leaped forward and swung his sword horizontally. Squelch! The crimson whirlwind of the sword struck the beastmen. *** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Phew¡­ Thank goodness there were plenty of us. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve been in big trouble¡­¡± ¡°At the end of the day, luck wasn¡¯t entirely against us¡­ Hey, bring that thing over here!¡± It was about fifteen minutes after the situation hadpletely settled. Duon¡¯s carefully selected mercenaries hadpletely annihted the Werewolf bandits. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but there were quite a few injuries. The Werewolves, bing more frenzied with each injury, were by no means easy opponents. However, as no one suffered fatal injuries, it seemed that the journey could continue without much difficulty. The horses, carriages, and supplies were all intact. Merchants who checked the damage scurried around. Somewhere, the smell of something delicious wafted in the air. ¡°What¡¯s that smell? Is someone grilling meat?¡± ¡°It smells like blood¡­ Ah, they¡¯re over there.¡± They finally spotted Duon to the west of the campsite. Marya and her two friends, who hade with her as escorts, stood beside him. A bearded merchant was about to speak up to report, but the sight beyond the four caught his attention. ¡°What¡­!¡± Hell seemed to have unfolded before them. The torn bodies of the beastmen covered the ground like a quilt. The blood maintained its shape as it spread across the t ground, leaving charred marks scattered throughout the snowyndscape. ¡°Th-this is¡­ unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s beyond belief.¡± The Carabel father and daughter, who arrived about two minutes earlier than the merchants, were speechless as they beheld the scene. It looked as if a storm of fire and des had swept through. ¡°Did you two¡­ do all this?¡± ¡°Well, yes. It was easy with Sunbae gathering them for me.¡± ¡°Ronan did everything. I just shot crossbow bolts from afar.¡± Although the two tried to attribute the credit to each other, it wasn¡¯t really important. It was absurd to think that just two of them had taken down what looked like forty Werewolves. Marya, who had been alternating her gaze between them, chuckled in disbelief. ¡°Monsters.¡± Moreover, they didn¡¯t just kill them all; they even captured one alive. Onerge Werewolf knelt before Ronan, bound, with Adeshan¡¯s whip serving as a rope. It snarled at Ronan as if it were about to kill him. ¡°Grrr¡­ Human, release me at once!¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You¡¯re quite smart for a brute.¡± Ronan nodded in satisfaction. He had chosen him after a somewhat meticulous selection process. Among hispanions, he was the only one wearing armor. Ronan kicked him lightly and asked, ¡°This armor looks pretty good. Where did you get it? Doesn¡¯t seem like beastman craftsmanship.¡± ¡°Graah! Don¡¯t touch my body!¡± The Werewolf roared. Ronan swiftly dodged its attempt to bite his leg, then flicked its nose with the hilt of his sword. Crunch! With a sound of breaking bones, the Werewolf¡¯s head drooped. Ronan grabbed one of its ears and growled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand the situation, you bastard? Answer properly or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Krragghh¡± ¡°Being pridefull when all you do is kill people and rob them. If you answer me properly, I will spare your life.¡± Two thick streams of nosebleeds dripped down its snout. Ronan grabbed its ear and continued, ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want to talk about the armor, how about something else? How did those stupid looking bastards end up looking like that?¡± ¡°Grrr¡­ Grrrgh¡­¡± Ronan extended his finger and pointed to the corpse of a Werewolf they had just faced, one with a deformed right arm. As his gaze fell upon the Werewolf¡¯s face, it twisted savagely once again. ¡°Kahak! Is that what you call a question? Since you humans came, our tribe has been acting strangely!¡± ¡°What nonsense is this?¡± ¡°After you humans came, everyone dies early! Even newborns look weird! Grrr, I¡¯ll kill you all! You¡¯ll all die!¡± The Werewolf began to thrash wildly, unlike before. Despite the whip stitched with metal pieces and blood flowing, it didn¡¯t flinch. It locked eyes with the four of them and shouted, ¡°Remember, humans. We¡¯ll tear your families, your friends, everything apart. Graaah! The Night of Fangs is near!!¡± ¡°What?¡± At the mention of ¡°the Night of Fangs,¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The Werewolf, crawling back up, rushed at Duon with its mouth wide open. It was faster than anticipated. It was just the moment Ronan was desperately trying to activate Aura. ¡°Gruk.¡± ¡°Huhuoooagh!¡± The Werewolf, in the midst of rushing forward, suddenly stopped in its tracks. Its sharp fangs were just inches away from Duon¡¯s throat. Ronan, noticing the Werewolf¡¯s irises clouded with an ash-like color, raised an eyebrow. Adeshan, standing right beside him, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew¡­ Thank goodness.¡± ¡°Sunbae?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes emitted a faint light. It was a form of mental suppression using shadow mana. Perhaps she had reached that level now. Ronan muttered a sigh of admiration under his breath and swung his sword. With a swift motion, the Werewolf¡¯s head fell to the ground. ¡°Now, can you control people too?¡± Ronan asked, somewhat incredulously. Adeshan shook her head. It seemed even she wasn¡¯t sure what she had done. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect it to work either. Maybe it¡¯s because the Werewolf¡¯s condition was unstable. Anyway, just now¡­¡± ¡°He mentioned the Night of Fangs. I heard it too.¡± Ronan nodded. Adeshan¡¯s face stiffened. The Night of Fangs. It was the rebellion of the Northern beastmen, orchestrated by Zaifa, which had robbed the happiness of the young girl. Adeshan, calming her rapid breath, spoke up. ¡°What could ¡®it¡¯s near¡¯ mean? Could it be¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ll have to report this.¡± Ronan stopped the Werewolf¡¯s head from rolling with his foot. He couldn¡¯t understand why the Night of Fangs, an event that had ended ten years ago, was being mentioned again. But the Werewolf¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem like a simple threat. The oddly-shaped creatures and the im that the tribe had been strange since the arrival of humans bothered him. Something unsettling seemed to be happening in the North. ¡°¡­Anyway, let¡¯s go back for now. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Yeah. You too. But Ronan, earlier, in the carriage¡­¡± Adeshan trailed off. It seemed like she had heard something very pleasing, but he wasn¡¯t sure. Did he perhaps say something about her being pretty? Adeshan, who couldn¡¯t spit out that one sentence, lowered her head. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What is it? Some.¡± Ronan chuckled lightly. They turned around and headed back to the camp. Between the clearing clouds, the moon and stars shone brightly in the night sky. The gentle moonlight enveloped the teau covered in blood and corpses. The cleanup didn¡¯t take long. As expected, the Carabel arrived in Rundalian around noon the next day. It was a small town mostly inhabited by beastmen, with a rare iron mine. [TL/N: guys its Ramadan so no more horni (fr this time)¡­ also chapters will be a little slow bcz I¡¯m spending more time with family and friends :3] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 200 Chapter 200 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 200: Fang and Furl As expected, the Carabel arrived at Rundalian around noon the next day. The warm sunlight was pouring down, just enough to melt the snow. It was still cold enough to make one¡¯s breath visible, but the earthy smell carried by the wind hinted that it was summer. Rundalian was surrounded by towering stone walls, much grander in scale than any other major city, which made Ronan whistle in awe. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s insanely high.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a city built by powerful beastmen.¡± Adeshan nodded. It urred to him that it was the first time he hade to a city where beastmen were the main residents. The rugged but sturdy walls were designed solely to defend against external enemies, disregarding aesthetics. The priority seemed to be to pile uprge and heavy stones first, worrying about appearanceter. ¡°Stop right there.¡± The gate was also enormous. Seven sentinels blocked the entrance. There was one apparent leader among them, a Weretiger. Three Werebears and three Werewolves apanied him. Despite their small numbers, their imposing presence was considerable due to theirrge stature. ¡°Are you from Balon?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s the first time such arge merchant hase. We¡¯ll inspect your cargo, so everyone get off the carriage.¡± The Weretiger said. Unlike the band of thieves from the previous night, who were closer to beasts, their attitude and actions were much more rational. Although they seemed wary of humans, they did not show any hostility. The beastmen crowded around, sniffing at the carriage. Despite Ronan¡¯s subtle anticipation, there were no suspicious items in the carriage. After a quick inspection, the leader Weretiger gestured to Duon. ¡°You can go in, but don¡¯t cause any trouble. The residents here aren¡¯t particrly friendly to humans yet.¡± ¡°Of course. Here, we brought some relief supplies from our Carabel, please share them among yourrades.¡± ¡°Relief supplies?¡± The leader¡¯s ears perked up. When Duon gave the order, the merchants unloaded the cargo promptly. About a dozenrge boxes were piled up in front of the gate. When a Werebear opened one of the boxes, his eyes widened. ¡°By the gods, it¡¯s honey, Leader. And this box here contains salted pork.¡± ¡°Pork?¡± The tiger leader¡¯s eyes widened too. Both honey, which required flowers, and pork, which required a lot of water to raise, were rare foods in the deste North. The leader, quickly scanning the surroundings, cleared his throat. ¡°Hmm, you seem to know something.¡± ¡°Hehehe, I hope you like it, Leader.¡± Duon and he shook hands. The soldiers, with tails wagging, started distributing the boxes. The leader, in high spirits, waved until they passed through the gate. Marching at the forefront, Marya poked Duon¡¯s side. ¡°Well, did I prepare well?¡± ¡°Yeah. You did great, my daughter.¡± Duon patted her back. It seemed like the idea came from Marya rather than himself. Ronan whistled as he watched from behind. ¡°You¡¯re quite resourceful.¡± ¡°Heh heh. It was worth investing in. Besides the bribe, it¡¯s also a promotion for Carabel. Soldiers in small towns like this have strong ties with the locals, so they¡¯ll spread the word well.¡± Indeed, she was the future Count Armlen. Judging by the expansion of the Carabel, it seemed she would be able to be a noble much faster than before. Unconsciously reaching out, Ronan stroked her head. Snap! Marya, lifting her face, tried to bite his finger. ¡°Hey, how long are you going to treat me like a child?¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡± ¡°Ahaha. I guess I am pretty great.¡± Marya chuckled in response. Her subtleughter was beautiful. Adeshan, watching them from behind, twisted her lips. ¡®¡­I must have misheardst night.¡¯ The refreshing feeling from just a moment ago suddenly vanished. At that moment, Adeshan turned her head and locked eyes with Marya. For a second, they stared at each other, and then Marya shed a smile. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Adeshan froze in ce. There was much meaning behind her coy smile. By the time she managed to return her heart from where it had sunk to in her stomach, the two had already disappeared into the distance. Meanwhile, Ronan had been stroking Marya¡¯s head as if petting a dog. Marya, ncing up at him, murmured quietly. ¡°This must be thest time.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Her tone sounded somewhat bitter. As they entered the gate, a small town came into view. The buildings, like the walls, were made ofrge, rough-hewn stones. Most of the residents wandering the streets were beastmen. Despite the still chilly weather, they were all dressed lightly for a stroll. Indeed, fur coats were ideal for winter. As Ronan looked around, he heard murmurs in the crowd. ¡°Mom, look over there. It¡¯s a human.¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t get too close.¡± The residents¡¯ attention was all focused on the Carabel. Their stares were not particrly friendly, to say the least. But more important than their opinions was the fact that they had reached their destination. Duon, who had paused for a moment, bid farewell to Ronan. ¡°Thank you for all your hard work getting us here safely.¡± ¡°It was nothing. We also enjoyed the journey.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll definitely repay this favor. As my daughter said, all the expenses at the Hyran forge will be covered by us. Please make sure to leave a receipt.¡± ¡°Oh, right. But that¡¯s not necessary.¡± Of course, there was no sincere intention to refuse. Ronan chuckled and scratched the back of his head. After all, saving on expenses was a good thing, even if it was just for one sword. They couldn¡¯t possibly use a Garcia family promissory note at Hyran. Duon said he would stay here for a while longer before leaving. To maximize profits and conduct trade effectively, he first needed to understand the entire city of Rundalian. Marya, who had been listening quietly, expressed her appetite. ¡°I envy you. Hyran, I wanted to go too.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not going?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve thought about it carefully. Before I¡¯m a warrior, I¡¯m a merchant. This seems like the priority for now.¡± Her tone revealed a hint of regret. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of heart. She had been all excited about going together until the day they departed from Philleon. ¡°Sorry. Suddenly changing my mind.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not going, it doesn¡¯t matter much¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, then please put in a request for me. I have this greatsword, so it would be nice to have a set of armor.¡± Ronan nodded. Though it was disappointing, her reasoning was understandable, so there was nothing more to say. After exchanging a light handshake, Marya approached the dejected Adeshan. ¡°Unnie. I guess we have to part ways here for now. It was so nice traveling together.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I enjoyed it too.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ Until we reach Philleon, I¡¯ll have to stick with those sweaty men again. Come here.¡± ¡°Hey, stop it.¡± Their height difference required Marya to bend her knees slightly. Adeshan, feeling her chest being squeezed, wheezed. As if savoring the sensation of the embrace, Marya closed her eyes and leaned in close to Adeshan¡¯s ear. Then, in a whisper too soft for anyone else to hear, she said, ¡°You¡¯re going to have a hard time too, Unnie. You¡¯re dealing with a boy who¡¯s terribly clueless.¡± ¡°Marya, you¡­!¡± ¡°Hehe. Did you expect me not to know?¡± Adeshan¡¯s face lit up. Marya¡¯s gaze lingered on Ronan, who was yawningzily. She spoke with a slightly mncholic voice. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just heard from the guard earlier that there¡¯s a decent inn called Fang and Furl. It seems to be the only inn with rooms for humans anyway¡­ How about you stay there for the night?¡± ¡°Th-thank you. But Marya, since when¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be strange not to know. It¡¯s him who¡¯s weird. Ah¡­ My eyes feel itchy.¡± Marya quickly wiped her eyes and stepped away. Catching Ronan¡¯s eye by chance, she stuck her tongue out at him. What¡¯s gotten into her suddenly? Ronan asked, but she didn¡¯t respond. When Marya met Adeshan¡¯s gaze again, she chuckled mischievously. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a relief, unlike someone else, it doesn¡¯t seem like it will end as unrequited love.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Marya turned away. With a single leap, she reached the roof of the wagon. It was a movement worthy of admiration, but perhaps because it was a city of dwarves, it didn¡¯t attract much attention. ¡°See you in Philleon then.¡± ¡°Yeah. Farewell.¡± Marya waved her hand from the rooftop. Taken aback by the sudden parting, Ronan waved back in response. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] The procession from Carabel gradually moved away into the depths of the city. It seemed they were nning to visit the mines first, which were likely bustling with activity. As Ronan watched until Carabel disappeared around the corner, he scratched his head. ¡°What did I do wrong? Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I-I really don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, from now on, it¡¯s just the two of us until we reach the Sea of Ghosts. Let¡¯s do our best.¡± At the mention of ¡°just the two of us,¡± Adeshan was startled. It was the situation she had been waiting for for almost twenty days. She nodded, trying to conceal her expression. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s stay here for today and regroup. Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I slept in a bed.¡± It took them four days to reach Hyran without stopping. They had to replenish all their supplies here, in a ce so remote that they even doubted if there was a small vige. Ronan stopped passersby and asked them a few questions about the city. Most of them were wary of him being human, but with some persuasion, he managed to get some answers. Asking about the difference in material between dwarf leather and animal fur while resting his hand on his sword hilt proved to be particrly effective. After gathering enough information, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Hmm. Everything sounds good, but it seems the market is opening tomorrow of all days. I¡¯m tired, so how about we rx with a ss of distilled spirit first?¡± ¡°Sounds good. Hey, they say there¡¯s an inn called Fang and Furl.¡± ¡°How did you know about that? Alright, let¡¯s go there then.¡± The two headed for the Fang and Furl. It was located a bit off the beaten path, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to find. As they opened the stone door, warmth from inside poured out. A middle-aged man with tousled hair and beard greeted them, almost making them doubt if he was a Wereyak. ¡°Wee to Fang and Furl, boasting over 20 years of tradition. Haven¡¯t seen you folks around before.¡± ¡°Human? Is that right¡­?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a question first-time visitors always ask. We¡¯ve arranged it this way to reduce the aversion of beastfolk guests.¡± The middle-aged man chuckled knowingly. It was a strategy to survive in a Rundalian where human discrimination existed. Whether it was effective was questionable, but with such skill, he must have been running the inn for over twenty years. Fang and Furl was divided into a tavern on the first floor and an inn on the second floor. Inside, there were long tables and a few chairs, as well as bar tables connected to the kitchen. It was still early, so besides two Werewolves giggling in the corner, there were no other guests to be found. Just as the two found a suitable spot to sit down, they were about to sit down. ¡°Damn it, where¡¯s that disgusting smelling from? Oh, humans are here.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Their voices were barely audible as they muttered. Ronan turned in the direction of the sound. The Werewolves sitting in the corner were ring at Ronan and Adeshan. Both of them gave off the impression of being thugs in the city. The werewolf who met Ronan¡¯s eyes spat on the floor. ¡°What do you want, little bugs like you.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Instead of replying, Ronan let out augh. It had only been a few hours since he had ughtered about forty of their kind. He was contemting how to appease these mutts. The innkeeper, who was cooking in the kitchen, nervously approached them. ¡°Um¡­ guests. Please restrain yourselves. They are also guests.¡± ¡°Innkeeper, don¡¯t interfere and stay in the kitchen. Didn¡¯t I say it many times? The reason you¡¯re still alive is because you make the best liquor in this city. No more, no less.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± The innkeeper faltered and stepped back. It seemed like not a very weing city for humans after all. Another werewolf, who had been alternately staring at the two, spoke up. ¡°Those two look simr to the people I killed back then in Barsa. Humans all look alike, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Hehehe. Maybe. I was thinking the same thing.¡± ¡°That was a good time. Hey, do you know how many humans we killed back then? This bastard and I are proud veterans of the Night of Fangs.¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened. Barsa was none other than Adeshan¡¯s hometown. It was the city of misfortune engulfed in the Night of Fangs, the rebellion of the Werewolves. Barsa, the ckened Citadel. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ For a moment, a ominous feeling brushed against Ronan¡¯s neck. This conversation was not appropriate for the present moment. A sibnt voice escaped between Adeshan¡¯s stiff lips. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Sunbae, wait¡­¡± It was toote to stop her. A ck aura emanated from Adeshan, enveloping the inn. It was the shadow mana that seized control of the mind. In the eerie and ominous atmosphere that stimted all senses, the innkeeper dropped thedle he was holding. ¡°Keuk¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s¡­¡± Theughter disappeared from the Werewolves¡¯ faces. Enveloped by the shadow mana, they stiffened like wax dolls. It seemed like their minds were notpletely controlled, as only their bodies seemed to be affected. The muscles of their limbs exposed outside their clothes were twitching grotesquely. ¡°Damn it. When did she grow this much?¡± Ronan cursed. It was akin to what he felt on the battlefield in the past. The shadow mana was gradually intensifying its influence. Ronan took a deep breath and grabbed Adeshan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sunbae, stop it.¡± Ronan said, looking into Adeshan¡¯s eyes. The sunken gray pupils were emitting a sinister light. ¡°Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get your hands dirty. These bastards are not worth it.¡± The two Werewolves were struggling to breathe, gasping for air. If left alone, they seemed like they would just die there. She was someone who would do great thingster, so Ronan couldn¡¯t afford to let her get her hands dirty here. After staring at each other for a while, Adeshan nodded. As the shadow mana lifted, the murderous aura that had filled the inn subsided. Freed from mental control, the Werewolves rose to their feet. ¡°D-damn humans¡­ What did they do to my body!¡± ¡°Kill them!¡± Realizing vaguely who had done such a thing, the two Werewolves lunged forward simultaneously, their arms outstretched. The pointed hooks at the tips of their fingers emitted an eerie gleam. ¡°These bastards.¡± Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword. At the moment the two Werewolves closed in, their attack, almost imperceptible in its speed, danced gracefully through the air. The Werewolves, feeling a pain akin to being burned, froze in ce for a moment. Shrrrr! Twenty wed fingertips were severed and scattered across the floor. ¡°Grrrgh!¡± ¡°M-my fingers!¡± Twenty strands of blood vessels burst forth. The Werewolves, realizing toote what had happened, crumpled to the ground, clutching their changed hands. They screamed in agony, just like any human would, staring at their transformed hands. Unlike human nails, the ws of the beastmen were closely connected to nerves and, once pulled out, would hardly grow back in a lifetime. Click. Ronan, with his sword sheathed, spat out coldly. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Argh! Aaargh!¡± The Werewolves dashed out of the inn as if their backsides were on fire. The trembling innkeeper, unaware of what had happened, was left shaking. ¡°Those bastards, if it weren¡¯t for the city, I would¡¯ve slit their throats.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± Adeshan, finally regaining herposure, bowed deeply. Every time she exhaled in frustration, her shoulders rose and fell. She must have been furious enough to lose her senses. Ronan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You lost your temper, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really kind.¡± Adeshan smiled softly. The two of them sat down as if nothing had happened and ordered two sses of distilled spirit. The twenty extracted nails shimmered under their feet. The innkeeper, who camete, asked in a trembling voice. ¡°D-dear guests, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine. Thanks foring forward earlier.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ it was my duty to do so. Here are the two sses of Rundalian distilled spirit you ordered.¡± The innkeeper ced the sses on the table. He turned out to be a decent person. The distilled spirit in the stone-carved cups looked surprisingly good, given the circumstances with the werewolf thugs. ¡°Oh, are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s my first time drinking alcohol.¡± ¡°Take a sip, and if it tastes bad, you can spit it out. Cheers!¡± ¡°Ch-Cheers¡­¡± As the sses clinked, transparent droplets of alcohol sshed. Ronan was about to take a sip when he heard a familiar voice nearby. ¡°Both of you have changed so much. I could hardly recognize you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan and Adeshan both turned their heads simultaneously. A Werefox, plump with self-importance, stood at the top of the stairs leading from the second floor to the first. Judging from his fluffy fur, he seemed quite young. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Who are you, kid?¡± ¡°This is quite disappointing. Can¡¯t you recognize me?¡± The Werefox sighed deeply. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. What¡¯s with this fluffy fur acting like a know-it-all? While pondering if there was any hidden significance to it, a faint mana emanated from the Werefox¡¯s small shoulders. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Suddenly, Ronan felt a strong sense of familiarity and gasped. It was definitely mana he had felt somewhere before. As he tried to recall, he narrowed his eyes and spoke up. ¡°Sekreet¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ronan.¡± ¡°What the hell, seriously?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan cursed under his breath as he stood up from his seat. The chair toppled backward, creating a loud noise. ¡°Ugh!¡± Startled, the innkeeper screamed from the kitchen, but there was nothing he could do. Meeting after two years, the cursed professor Sekreet had turned into a young beastmen. [TL/N: yaay chapter 200 :3¡­ thank you for stickling with me guys, lets get to chapter 420 next..] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 201 Chapter 201 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 201: Jaeger (1) Sekreet, who had gone missing, had transformed into a fluffy Werefox. Ronan and Adeshan stood frozen in ce, dumbfounded by the sight. The innkeeper, upon seeing Sekreet descend, hurriedly approached. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Shall I prepare today¡¯s meal for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s still some leftovers fromst night. Could themotion earlier have been caused by Jaeger¡¯sckeys?¡± ¡°No, it was just the neighborhood dilinquents, as usual. It¡¯s quitemon. They¡¯re only proud of being former members of the rebel army.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Anyway, the meal is fine. Thanks for taking care of it.¡± ¡°Not at all. If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± The innkeeper returned to the kitchen. From their conversation, it seemed Sekreet had been staying at this inn for quite some time. Normally, Ronan would have been curious about who Jaeger was, but he felt no such curiosity now. That was because, damn it, Sekreet¡¯s white and fluffy tail was swaying behind him. As he approached with a knowing look, Sekreet casually spoke. ¡°I heard the news that spring has returned to the Empire. You did a great job.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to ept the fact that the arctic Werefox walking on two legs was his professor. It was quite shocking enough that he had turned into a girl, and now he was a beast. Sekreet chuckled as he looked at the speechless Ronan. ¡°You seem to have a lot of questions. Understandable.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a moment.¡± Suddenly, Ronan took arge gulp from the ss of distilled spirits. Indeed, it seemed quite potent, possibly because it was Northern spirits. As the spirits burned down his throat, a faint scent of vani emanated from within. Hmm, it¡¯s definitely good spirits. Ronan wiped his mouth and set the ss down. The arctic Werefox remained standing right where it was. It was still emanating mana familiar to him from its diminutive shoulders. Ronan, covering his face with his hands, muttered a curse. ¡°Shit.¡± It was not delirium caused by the shadow mana. What was before him was indeed Sekreet. He pulled up a chair and joined the table. ¡°It¡¯s been a while Student Council President Adeshan. How have you been?¡± ¡°Um, are you really Professor Sekreet¡­? I-I¡¯ve been well, for now.¡± ¡°It seems so. You even came all the way up here to the North with your lover. After all, I realized when you wrote that letter while he was trapped in ice .¡± ¡°L-Lover? Ronan is just¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s face turned as red as an apple. She tried to exin with her mouth agape, but only iprehensible sounds like ¡°Uuuh¡± and ¡°Umm¡± came out. Just say he¡¯s a friend or a junior. Why say such things? ¡°Just¡­ Kyaah¡­¡± Adeshan, who had been babbling nonsensically, gulped down the ss in front of her. She tilted her head upwards, gulping without stopping once. The ss she put down was empty. ¡°Puha¡­!¡± ¡°Are you okay? That must be quite strong.¡± ¡°Hmm, I think I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not bad, though¡­?¡± Every time Adeshan spoke, a scent of vani wafted. Seeing her unusual reaction, Ronan chuckled. It was a world of difference from Elizabeth getting drunk after a sip of grape wine. Maybe she was better at drinking than himself. Perhaps drinking was also a talent of hers. They ordered a bottle of spirits altogether. Melted cheese and crackers were served as snacks. Adeshan seemed to like the distilled spirits quite a bit, since she started sipping it without even toasting. Ronan looked back at Sekreet. ¡°So¡­ why are you here, Professor? And why didn¡¯t youe back to Philleon?¡± ¡°There were circumstances. I¡¯ll exin that gradually, but let¡¯s talk about something else first. Why did youe to the North?¡± ¡°I stopped by Hyran and had to go to the Sea of Ghosts. Sunbae came to help me on the way to the cksmith¡¯s forge¡­ Oh, seriously, can¡¯t you keep your tail still?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m happy to see you. I can¡¯t control it as it moves ording to my emotions. I only learned that after bing a beastmen myself.¡± The tail swayed relentlessly under the chair. Sekreet added that the ears move in the same way. As Ronan took another sip of his drink, Sekreet¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°But you¡¯re still a student, aren¡¯t you drinking too much? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter since we¡¯re not in Philleon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle this without drinking. How did you end up like this?¡± ¡°I ended up like this while wandering the ancient ruins in the far North in search of magic to melt the Winter Witch¡¯s ice. It was an unfortunate ident.¡± ¡°Is there a way to return to normal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible right now. But I don¡¯t know how to be like this again, so I n to stay like this for a while. Isn¡¯t it amusing?¡± Ronan felt like his head was throbbing. It was fortunate that there were no tobo leaves. If there were, he would have burned a whole pouch of it right here. From what he heard, Sekreet¡¯s condition was even more dire than it was two years ago. Other curses remained in his body besides the beastmen curse, causing his tail to wag. The curse of the Sphinx, which changed his gender and age, was still active, turning him into a female Werefox who grew younger and older every time day turned to night. It was questionable whether he could be called human now. Sekreet spoke again. ¡°But it¡¯s not as bad as you think. There are quite a few advantages that are unexpectedly better than humans.¡± ¡°I suppose so. Like being able to scratch your itchy ears with your hind legs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the advantages. If it¡¯s okay with you, could you tell me about the situation in the outside world? I¡¯ve beenpletely cut off from the news for the past few months.¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Ronan nodded his head. Despite being disgusted by the shocking changes, Sekreet, who helped lift one of his curses, was indeed a great benefactor. As Ronan continued to look at him, he seemed better than when he had turned into a little girl. Ronan exined in detail his adventures in the Mental World during the two years of wandering and the events that urred after awakening. From the Winter Witch and Lorehon to the unexpected audience with the Emperor, and the decisive battle with Darman at the top of Parzan. After hearing the story about Neb zier, Sekreet¡¯s eyes gleamed with interest. ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t know they were such a ruthless organization. But to do that at the Festivals of Swords, they¡¯ve really crossed the line, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Thanks to that, all the influential figures in various regions are now aware. Branches are now spreading across the continent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Sekreet chuckled. Ronan felt satisfied with the information he provided, but he also thought it was a bit severe. To not know about the recent incident at the Festivals of Swords, it seemed like he had lived quite isted from the world. Sekreet, who waspping up the spirits in the wide ss, muttered softly. ¡°Hmm¡­ Then could what¡¯s happening here be rted to those fanatics? This might be more serious than I thought.¡± ¡°Huh? Did something happen in Rundalian?¡± ¡°Yes. More precisely, in the North. It¡¯s unfortunate that you came to the North at such a dangerous time.¡± Sekreet¡¯s expression turned grave suddenly. Ronan, hearing the ominous words, raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°A dangerous time?¡± ¡°Yes. If it¡¯s okay with you, let¡¯s discuss the rest in my room. It¡¯s not something we should talk about in a public ce.¡± Sekreet stood up abruptly. Ronan, puzzled by the sudden change in atmosphere, also got up. He tapped Adeshan, who was drinking alone, on the shoulder. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Sunbae, are you alright?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m fine. This tastes good.¡± Adeshan smiled gently. Although her speech was sprinkled with a hint of coquetry, there seemed to be no problem with her calm demeanor. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he confirmed that the bottle was empty. ¡®She drank all of this by herself?¡¯ It was almost twenty sses, and it was a considerable amount of alcohol. He hadn¡¯t drunk with her in his previous life, so he didn¡¯t know. Ronan discreetly prevented her from bringing the ss to her lips. ¡°Stop drinking now. You¡¯ve had too much.¡± ¡°Aw, no fun.¡± Adeshan pouted as her ss was taken away. Her face, flushed with alcohol, looked cute but also somewhat mischievous. Wait, didn¡¯t she just say ¡°Aw¡±? Maybe I misheard. ¡°Oh, wait.¡± At that moment, Adeshan suddenly brought her face closer. Herrge gray eyes sparkled in front of him. Ronan held his breath as her nose almost touched his. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°You got something on you.¡± Adeshan reached out her hand and brushed the corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth with her index finger. Only a crumb from the cracker the size of her fingernail came off. It seemed like he identally got something on his face while talking with Sekreet. She naturally put her finger in her mouth and smiled coquettishly. ¡°Ahaha, you have a clumsy side too, don¡¯t you?¡± Ronan was left speechless by her provocative gesture. It was a terrifying drinking habit,pletely different from Elizabeth¡¯s boasting about showing the essence of fire magic. Sekreet whispered to him as he gently tapped his back with his tail. ¡°I thought so earlier, but you two are a great match.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Ronan, taking a dry gulp, shook his head. He didn¡¯t drink much, but he felt intoxicated. The professor he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time had turned into a beast, and the former superior who he respected so much was now showing off a coquettish side¡­ Well, thetter wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Anyway, Ronan and Adeshan followed Sekreet to the second floor. His room was located in the farthest corner. The mana barrier emanating faint light, visible even at a nce, seemed quite dense around the door. It was a security spell he had seen before. Sekreet, holding the doorknob, murmured a specific spell, and then the barrier disappeared, and the door opened. ¡°It¡¯s shabby and messy, bute on in.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he entered Sekreet¡¯s room. It gave off apletely different feeling from the room he had seen two years ago in Separacio. Various books, clothes, and papers with scribbles were scattered around. A white furball, presumably from Sekreet¡¯s fur, rolled around like a weed in the wilderness. A nket embroidered with the phrase ¡°for humans only¡± was stuck in the corner of the room, and it seemed impossible to pull it out easily as something small and sinister seemed to live inside. In summary, it was just a mess. After looking around the room, Ronan spoke up. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really shabby and messy.¡± ¡°Hmm, I did warn you.¡± ¡°What on earth did you do to end up like this?¡± It seemed like Sekreet¡¯s lifestyle had changed to that of a beast since turning into a Werewolf. Fortunately, it seemed like he seemed to at least use the bathroom for relieving himself. Drunk Adeshan kept tapping Ronan¡¯s back with her forehead, chuckling meaninglessly. Sekreet scratched his head as if he was embarrassed. ¡°I spent about a month here. I was busy reaching the curse tracking down the Jaeger gang, so I didn¡¯t have time to clean up.¡± ¡°The curse? Jaeger gang?¡± Jaeger was the name that came up in the conversation with the innkeeper just now. Sekreet nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the leader of the new Beastmen Alliance that¡¯s been causing troubletely. Since you don¡¯t know, it seems like you haven¡¯t visited any cities other than Rundalian.¡± Sekreet, who walked into the room, picked up a piece of paper rolling on the floor. On therge paper, suspected to have been torn from the wall, was a bold drawing of a white tiger with an eye patch. He was not as intimidating as Zafia, but still had a fierce look. Under the portrait was a provocative slogan that read, ¡°Let¡¯s cleanse the North with the blood of the inferior race!¡± While Ronan examined his face carefully. ¡°In a cute little corner that you can¡¯t even find even if you rub your eyes¡­ Hmm?¡±¡± His face seemed to emit a sense of deja vu. Even considering that all beastmen of a race looked the same, it was still weird. Finally, Ronan, who was rummaging through the memories of his past life, raised his eyebrows. ¡°This guy¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 202 Chapter 202 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 202: Jaeger (2) ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Ronan furrowed his eyebrows. He was definitely someone he had encountered in his past life. Sessfully recalling memories from his Punishment Squad days, he muttered in disbelief with an incredulous tone. ¡°That damn son of a bitch¡­?¡± No doubt about it. Although he was such an insignificant bastard that Ronan momentarily forgot his name, he was definitely someone Ronan knew. The one-eyed tiger Jaeger. He was the leader of the bandits who operated near the Tukan teau. Ronan had wiped out Jaeger¡¯s gang single-handedly back then, as if it were a trivial chore before lunch. Though they were merely a bunch of twenty or so bandits, they were all amateurs, but the most pathetic one was none other than Jaeger. ¡®He begged for mercy, pleading for his life, only to try to stab me in the back.¡¯ Thinking about it now still makes Ronan burst intoughter. Perhaps even the little finger of Zaifa would be stronger than this idiot. Ronan remembered the pathetic sight of Jaeger begging for his life after losing his weapon in just one strike, and the sensation of stripping off his skin after repaying his mercy with enmity. Ronan chuckled to himself. ¡°This bastard¡­ I mean, is that tiger really Jaeger?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s once again trying to raise the Night of the Fangs. The reason that I didn¡¯t return to Philleon and didn¡¯t lift the curse of the beastmen is practically all because of him.¡± ¡°Night of the Fangs.¡± Ronan twisted his lips at the word he had already heard several times. It seemed like he had found the root of the problem. Suddenly, the smile faded from Adeshan¡¯s face. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Oh, were you awake?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Adeshan nodded. Even in her exhales, there lingered a faint scent of vani, having freshened up with a quick dry wash. Facing Sekreet, she spoke. ¡°Professor, please exin in detail.¡± ¡°I was going to do that. But¡­ your eyes are a bit intimidating.¡± Sekreet¡¯s imposing tail slowly lowered. An indescribable vitality was emerging from within her as it seeped out of her ashen eyes. Adeshan quickly averted her gaze. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Perhaps being the Student Council President has given you such charisma? So, this Jaeger guy¡­¡± Sekreet continued her exnation. Jaeger. Exactly, Jaeger Urotan was a Weretiger who imed to be the sessor of Zaifa. In recent months, Jaeger, who had rapidly expanded his influence, was attempting to invade the Empire again by rallying nearby beastmen tribes, including those in the Tukan teau. With rhetoric that stimted racial superiority and territorial sentiment, he incited the beastmen, looting nearby viges or cities for military expansion, kidnapping talents like cksmiths. It was indeed a different character from what Ronan remembered from his past life. ¡®How did an idiot like that be such a big shot?¡¯ No matter how much he thought about it, he was just a nobody. Despite their brief encounter, Ronan could assess his skills with just one nce. The only thing he could boast about was his face full of charisma, more suitable for a leaflet model than a leader. A gut feeling that something was amiss crossed his mind. Ronan put the paper down on the bed and asked again. ¡°Anyway¡­ what do you mean by researching the curses?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a serious issue. Lately, curses have been cast on the territories of the indigenous people nearby. It¡¯s a curse with a nasty twist, so we¡¯re working on a way to deal with it more efficiently.¡± Sekreet talked about the tragedy that had unfolded over the past few months. Someone had been cursing the beastmen tribes living in the Tukan teau, or rather, thends they inhabited. Among the indigenous people, rumors spread that it was the Empire¡¯s armymitting such acts to exterminate the northern beastmen. Curses. Curses. Ronan¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he recalledst night¡¯s attackers. ¡°¡­Could it be that the curse causes birth defects and shortens lifespans?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± ¡°I met some guysst night who seemed to be victims of that curse.¡± Ronan briefly exined the ambush incident from the previous night. The Werewolves transformed into monsters resembling creatures from hell, and the beastmen¡¯s cries filled with hatred cursing humans. He didn¡¯t expect them to be rted to Sekreet. ¡°Is it really something humans would do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. Either way, that curse also contributes significantly to expanding Jaeger¡¯s influence. Since it fuels hatred towards humans.¡± Indeed, it was a bigger problem than he had thought. If the curse continued, the indigenous people would naturally be inclined to join Jaeger¡¯s new beastmen alliance. Now Ronan understood why Sekreet hadn¡¯t returned to Philleon immediately. Ronan said. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you were trying to figure out the source of the curse.¡± ¡°Yes. Even if I report to His Majesty the Emperor, it will take a while for the Imperial Army toe. So, I was nning to contact them after finding the heart of their operations.¡± ¡°Damn it, this is why I hate those furries.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. Time was a problem, as Sekreet had pointed out. To suppress such a rebellion early on, it was important to capture the masterminds. Especially in organizations where the importance of the head was particrly significant. But calling the Imperial Army prematurely might onlyplicate matters. Not only was the distant journey to Rundalian an issue, but there was also a possibility that calling them prematurely would drive the guerri tactics-using Jaeger and his leadership further into hiding. The Imperial Army was strong, but the North was vast, and it was not feasible to allocate considerable resources to Jaeger alone. However, the misfortune didn¡¯t end there. Sekreet spoke again. ¡°Recently, hate crimes against humans have been increasing. To be honest,ing to the North right now is very dangerous. From the Tukan teau to Heiran, those bandits are causing trouble everywhere.¡± ¡°Damn it, even Heiran?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know where the forge you¡¯re heading to is exactly, but there¡¯s a high chance it¡¯s been upied too. They have quite arge number.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan, who was resting his forehead in his palm, bit his lower lip. Even though the mission could wait, it had suddenly turned into an urgent task. If the cksmiths were kidnapped, they needed to be rescued. Even if they hadn¡¯t been kidnapped and were just besieged, the surrounding enemies had to be eliminated to open the forge¡¯s door. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll further investigate the situation here, so you should hurry back. I think it would be better to visit Heiran and the Sea of Ghosts on the next opportunity. You said you came with the Upper Carabel, it¡¯d be good to advise them to withdraw as well. Rundalian is notpletely safe now either.¡± ¡°Not safe?¡± ¡°Jaeger¡¯s forces are targeting a steel mine located outside the city. Just yesterday, a considerable group attacked, and the soldiers barely managed to drive them away.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. The reason why Carabel came all the way to remote Rundalian was to obtain Cold Iron. He remembered Marya¡¯s words that she would visit the origin, the mine. ¡®Could it be.¡¯ For a moment, a foreboding sense of dread gripped Ronan¡¯s heart. He and Adeshan almost simultaneously turned to look at each other. Suddenly, in the solemn atmosphere, Sekreet¡¯s ears perked up. Ronan was about to say something when, Dung! Dung! Dung! Loud bells echoed outside the inn. ¡°Th-this is!¡± Sekreet¡¯s fur stood on end. It was the sound of bells that only rang in the event of an invasion or when the city was in crisis. Ronan immediately grasped the situation and swiftly opened the window and jumped out. ¡°Ro-Ronan?!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Adeshan and Sekreet screamed, but Ronan had alreadypleted three somersaults andnded gracefully, bncing himself. As he took a breath, the chilly air swept through his lungs. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Haa.. damn it.¡± The entire city was in chaos. Busy residents were running around trying to find safe ces, paying no attention to Ronan¡¯s shy entrance. Even the giant deer hitched to the carts were banging their heads against the walls, roaring in distress. The intensified ringing continued to assault their eardrums. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s happening again?¡± ¡°Jaeger¡¯s thugs have attacked the iron mine. Damn it, they just don¡¯t get tired,ing back again and again.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes as he happened to overhear the conversation of the residents. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that bad omens always seemed toe true. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he began to distinguish various morous noises around him. Sharp metallic ngs, the sound of wood splintering, the screams and shouts of humans and aquatic beings interspersed with the ngor. Among them, there was notably the loud shout of someone with a booming voice. Ronan opened his eyes again, clenching his jaw. ¡°Marya.¡± It was unmistakably Marya¡¯s voice. Ronan turned his head towards the source of themotion. Thick smoke was billowing from the western part of the city where the iron mine was located. It was the carriage Marya was pulling together for their leap. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s shout came from behind. ¡°Ronan, get on!¡± ¡°Sunbae?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he turned his head. Right behind him, a gigantic stag was charging towards him with terrifying momentum. It was a Great Deer, the animal used by the northern beastmen for transportation. Adeshan was holding onto its antlers with one hand and reaching out to Ronan with the other. The pupils of the Great Deer were tinged with a murky gray. She seemed to have taken control of the mind of whoever was hitching a ride on its carriage. Ronan grabbed her hand and swiftly climbed onto the Great Deer¡¯s back. ¡°To the west!¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already headed there!¡± Adeshan replied. With her abilities, she seemed to be able to control the Great Deer without holding the reins. As the Great Deer¡¯s hooves pounded the ground, the surrounding scenery whizzed by swiftly. Dashing through the spaces between buildings, over the heads of residents, and leaping over tall stairs, the Great Deer suddenly broke through the castle gates and arrived at their destination, the iron mine, in front of the chaos. Ronan frowned at the scene of devastation. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The smell of burning wood was nauseating. As expected, carriagesden with goods were lined up, halted. Six horsesy dead, blood spattered around them. A thick column of smoke rose from one of the carriages engulfed in mes. Mercenaries, merchants, and city soldiers were on edge, vignt of their surroundings. The thieves, however, were nowhere to be seen, having apparently vanished. Taking in a deep breath, Ronan shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Come out here! You bastards!¡± Ronan jumped, drawing his sword. Determined to strip the hides off every thief in the city, whether it belonged to beastmen or humans, if anything had happened to Marya or Duon. Adeshan, who was standing on the Great Deer¡¯s back, raised her crossbow. Surveying the surroundings meticulously, she cocked her head. ¡°Wait, Ronan. Something¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The enemies¡­ I don¡¯t see them.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Adeshan saying that meant that there were really no enemies in sight. ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ Calming his excitement, Ronan looked around again. The atmosphere was indeed strange. Rather than being on edge, the mercenaries, merchants, and soldiers were frozen in surprise. Though there was a sense of impending danger, what had happened? Suddenly, amidst the crowd, Ronan spotted the familiar figure of a middle-aged man. ¡°Duon!¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan?! How did you get here¡­!¡± ¡°Are you alright? Damn it, what happened?¡± Ronan quickly scanned Duon¡¯s condition. Other than his clothes being a bit torn, he seemed unharmed. When their eyes met, Duon shrugged. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know either. We were suddenly caught in a skirmish, and the bodies of the opposing beastmen started flying upwards¡­¡± ¡°Upward?¡± Duon, still shaken, pointed upward with his index finger. It was only then that Ronan noticed the peculiar shadows scattered across the ground. Frowning, Ronan lifted his gaze. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± Several strange entities were floating about 30 meters above the ground. Each one seemed to be wriggling violently, resembling living creatures. Ronan quickly realized that they were the beastmen who had attacked the Carabel. ¡°Beastmen¡­?¡± ¡°Ronan, Adeshan Unnie, you guys came!¡± At that moment, a familiar voice came from not far away. Ronan turned his gaze downward. A blonde girl was running towards them, carrying a massive greatsword on her back. Thankfully, she seemed unharmed. Soon, Marya stopped in front of him, breathing heavily. ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯m exhausted. I ran a lot.¡± ¡°Marya, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Haa¡­ We were fighting fiercely, and suddenly the thieves¡¯ bodies started floating upwards. Since then, they¡¯ve been in that state¡­¡± Judging by the blood on her greatsword, it seemed like she had managed to kill several of them despite everything. Ronan grimaced at the testimony, which didn¡¯t seem particrly helpful. Then, at that moment, Adeshan, who was perched atop the Great Deer¡¯s antlers, shouted while looking at something. ¡°Guys, over there¡­!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan and Marya simultaneously turned their heads. Her finger pointed to the roof of a mineral warehouse about 50 meters away. Both of them blinked in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°A girl?¡± There was a small girl standing on the roof. With ruby-like red hair shining brightly, she stretched her hand towards the floating creatures in the air. She was pointing towards the floating beastmen with her outstretched arm. Just then, one of the Werebears, which was floating lower, shouted in a deep voice. ¡°It¡¯s you, you rat-like human! Release this right now!¡± ¡°Ah! I-I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t shout!¡± ¡°Graah! My, my back!¡± As the girl reached out her arms, she hunched her shoulders. Simultaneously, the beastmen screamed. It seemed that their grip had be stronger. Ronan and Marya¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°That¡­!¡± It was a familiar voice. And very much so. Ronan blinked his eyes once or twice at the girl, then looked back at her again. As expected, she was someone he knew. Why was that brat there? Ronan swept his bangs in amazement and called out his name. ¡°Aselle, you brat!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The girl turned her head. Aselle¡¯s eyes blinked several times as they met Ronan¡¯s. It was exactly three seconds. ¡°Ro-Ronnan? Marya?!¡± Aselle, who btedly recognized the two, jumped up from his ce. With the loss of concentration, the telekic force holding the beastmen vanished temporarily. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The beastmen¡¯ fur bristled. Though they regained their freedom, the ce they were falling from was too high to ovee with agility. The ck masses began to plummet rapidly. Unfortunately, Aselle couldn¡¯t regain hisposure until they hit the ground. Boom! Bang! The cannon fire announcing the end of the intruders resounded loudly. [TL/N: guys if this novel gets 10 more reviews on NovelUpdates i¡¯ll do a mass release :3.. go leave a review HERE ] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 203 Chapter 203 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 203: Jaeger (3) The ¡°girl¡¯s¡± true identity was Aselle. Because of his pretty appearance from a distance, he was mistaken for a girl. As soon as his telekinesis was released, a downpour consisting of beastmen began. ¡°Keuuuuuck!¡± ¡°Help, please!¡± Screams and crashing sounds echoed continuously. They were impaled on luggage carts, on the city walls, or on the spears held by soldiers, bing either wounded or killed instantly. People caught in the bizarre rain scattered in confusion. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale as he btedly sensed their fall. ¡°Hieek! Slow Zone!¡± Aselle urgently cast the spell. A hemisphere-shaped barrier made of mana spread widely in the nearby area. The falling speed of beastmen within the range was drastically slowed down. Those who had not yet touched the ground cheered in relief. ¡°I-I¡¯m alive!¡± ¡°You bastards. As soon as Ie down¡­ Keuk!¡± Of course, that was just about it. Thud! A spear thrown by the tiger guard captain pierced through the chest of the relieved Weredeer. The blood that gushed out burst forth slowly as well. The guard captain, who grabbed a new spear, shouted loudly enough to shake the city. ¡°This is our chance! Kill all of Jaeger¡¯s minions aiming for the city!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The soldiers cheered and followed suit. They began throwing spear des or shooting arrows at Jaeger¡¯s minions who were falling slowly through the air, serving as easy targets for soldiers and mercenaries. ¡°Kraaagh! St-stop shooting!¡± ¡°I surrender, I surrender!¡± The beastmen begged for mercy, but the hands of the Rundalian defense force did not stop. The rain of blood fell slowly. Ronan, watching the grotesque massacre unfold, chuckled dryly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a bizarre ughter before.¡± ¡°Yeah. Me neither.¡± It seemed like there was quite a buildup. Marya nodded in agreement. Anyway, Ronan and hispanions couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. The deep, booming roar of the bellowing caribou echoed sporadically. Ronan and Marya each eliminated three, while Adeshan eliminated five. It took about five minutes for all the beastmen to reach the ground. Most of them lost their lives during the descent. Those who barely survived were either captured as prisoners or executed on the spot. When the Slow Zone magic was lifted, the droplets of blood lingering in the air poured down simultaneously. Shoosh¡ª the red downpour signaled the end of the incident. Ronan wiped away the blood seeping into his eyes and asked Marya. ¡°So, what exactly happened here?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I stopped by the iron mine to secure avable supplies, and suddenly those beastmen attacked. Do you know anything about them?¡± ¡°More or less. Or rather, it¡¯s more urate to say I want to know about them.¡± Marya raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar sound. Ronan briefly exined the situation with Jaeger and the precarious situation in the north. Marya¡¯s face crumpled upon hearing Sekreet¡¯s rmendation for withdrawal. ¡°Withdrawal is a bit tricky¡­ it would be too damaging if we pull out now. It would disrupt our operations severely. Maybe hiring additional mercenaries would help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The size of the rebel forces seemsrger than expected.¡± Ronan grimaced. If Sekreet¡¯s exnation was true, then leading the Upper Carabel through the current northern territories was like a naked beauty entering a back alley full of criminals. They might be able to withstand it for a while, but eventually, they would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. ¡®Unless things get resolved very quickly.¡¯ Ronan muttered to himself, stroking his chin. Carabel¡¯s toppling was something he didn¡¯t want either. It was an organization that would eventually be a pir of the imperial economy, and Marya was his friend. As they were brainstorming solutions, Aselle¡¯s floating body suddenly appeared above them. It seemed he had confirmed that the massacre had ended. Ronan greeted him casually. ¡°Hey, Aselle.¡± ¡°Oh, hi Ronan. Marya and even the Student Council President¡­ what are you doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you, dude. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­ I mean¡­¡± Aselle hesitated and avoided eye contact without giving an answer. Ronan casually raised one hand. Startled, Aselle stepped back and eximed, ¡°That¡¯s right! I-I came to train. Yeah!¡± ¡°Train?¡± ¡°Th-the witch said it¡¯s better to train in a cold environment where snow falls to be proficient in ice magic. But it¡¯s summer now¡­ and there¡¯s only the north where it snows¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s exnation continued. In short, he came here to practice ice magic, which wasckingpared to his telekinesis. Aselle, who had gradually made his way up north, had arrived in Rundalian just an hour ago and, hearing themotion, went to see what was happening. The voice of the witch came from Virja inside his outer coat. ¡¾It is the truth!¡¿ From therge backpack and her tone, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. It was just another coincidence in life. Ronan, who muttered to himself in his mind, lightly pulled one of Aselle¡¯s cheeks. ¡°But still, dude, if you were going to the North, you should have told me in advance. It would have been nice toe along.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ It was something I decided on long after the break¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize for that. Thanks to you, everyone is safe and sound. You did well.¡± Ronan removed his hand from Aselle¡¯s cheek and ruffled his hair gently. He couldn¡¯t help but think how things would have turned out if he hadn¡¯t brought this kid along from Nimberton. A striving genius. And with a kind heart, too. Despite being painfully shy at times, it was not even a w anymore. Except in one area. Chuckling softly, Marya approached and pulled him into a tight hug. ¡°Right. Thanks to our cutie, we survived. How do I repay this favor?¡± ¡°Oh¡­! Um, favor, you say. You don¡¯t have to, Marya.¡± Their appearance resembled that of a younger brother and sister who had a special rtionship. It was fine to be close, but aiming for something more wasn¡¯t exactly desirable for Aselle. ¡®You dimwit.¡¯ It seemed like he could repay the favor for what he had been given. As Marya hugged him tightly, Ronan called out to Aselle. ¡°Aselle. Come with me for a moment.¡± ¡°Huh? Where are we going?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be noisy. Come here.¡± Ronan, forcibly dragging Aselle along, walked away. They arrived at the back of a luggage cart, where Ronan finally stopped and stood still. Sensing an instinctive unease, Aselle stumbled as he asked. ¡°Ro-Ronan. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Aselle. Listen carefully. As far as I¡¯m concerned, now is your chance.¡± ¡°Ch-Chance¡­?¡± ¡°Being cute alone has its limits. If you really want to get along well, you have to confront it as a man. And as far as I can see, now is the time.¡± Ronan said as he patted Aselle¡¯s shoulder. Aselle, not understanding the meaning, shook his head from side to side. ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°You idiot. It¡¯s about Marya. You like her, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wha¡­!¡± Taking a deep breath, Aselle froze in ce. His ears, visible beyond his hair, were turning redder by the moment. ncing briefly outside the carriage, Ronan continued. ¡°If you really want to get with Marya, from now on, you have to show your rational charm. Being satisfied and relieved in the current rtionship will only lead you to hell. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Hel¡­ Hell?¡± ¡°Alright, let me give you an example. A really dreadful one. You finish your sses as usual and head to the club, but you notice that the door, which should be closed, is slightly ajar. Instinctively, you nce through the crack in the door. But damn, inside, Marya and Braum are kissing. And not just any kiss, a damn intense one where they¡¯re practically examining each other¡¯s teeth with their tongues.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?!¡± ¡°Use your imagination, Aselle. You can¡¯t look away from that hellish sight and just keep staring. The two of them, unaware of your presence, continue their actions. They¡¯ll probably move on to ear sucking, neck kissing, and more. And their hands will slowly move lower¡­ Oh, fuck, this is messed up.¡± Ronan, who was describing a desperate future, spat on the ground. It was disgusting to be followed by the ugly Braum. Aselle, who was pale, asked with a trembling voice. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Wh-why are you saying such things?¡± Even though it was a simple assumption, Aselle¡¯s heart was already in tatters. Without realizing it, substituting Ronan for Braum as Marya¡¯s partner had a more devastating effect on his mind. Judging by Marya¡¯s behavior so far, it was a usible story. ¡°Aselle, would you be okay with it if Marya became someone else¡¯s woman?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s something for Marya to decide¡­¡± ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m asking for your opinion now. Should I give you another example to wake up?¡± ¡°No, no! Please don¡¯t!¡± Aselle shook his head vigorously. The conversation from earlier seemed to have shocked him greatly. Uttering words to himself, he mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that. Never, I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Alright, Aselle. That¡¯s it. Now I¡¯ll tell you what you need to do.¡± Ronan, who put his arm around Aselle again, whispered something. Aselle¡¯s face lit up. Shortly after finishing their conversation, they headed towards the front of the carriage. Far away, Marya and Adeshan were having a conversation. ¡°How far did you go? Tell me honestly, Unnie.¡± ¡°H-how far¡­? We haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡± ¡°Hmm, judging by the way you look at each other, you must have kissed at least once. Just try trusting him once.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Marya¡¯s shoulders were bouncing with excitement for some reason. Adeshan, bowing her head as if guilty of a crime, was clearly troubled. Ronan shrugged his shoulders at the iprehensible words. ¡®What¡¯s so exciting?¡¯ Women also seemed to have their own entertainment. Ronan, who had been observing, tapped Aselle¡¯s back again. Walking confidently, he stopped in front of Marya. ¡°Ma-Ma-Maraya!¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Marya and Adesan turned their heads simultaneously. Asellel¡¯s face was already flushed, almost blending with the color of his hair. He really wanted to run away, but he couldn¡¯t because Ronan had his hand on his shoulder from behind. Stepping forward determinedly, he stopped in front of Marya. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, cutie?¡± ¡°Y-you said we needed more mercenaries, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­ so¡­ um.¡± Marya giggled mischievously. Somehow Aselle seemed different from usual. He stood there, unable to articte anything important, repeatedly taking deep breaths. ¡®No. I¡¯vee this far.¡¯ At the moment when he was about to turn around and leave, the story Ronan had told earlier shed through his mind. The club, the partially open door. Marya being with someone else. The despairing situation where just imagining it felt like shortening his lifespan. Finally, Aselle stopped his deep breathing and opened his eyes, closing his mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll protect you. Can I apany you to your destination?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ronan, who had been watching, clenched his fists. Although it was as small as an ant¡¯s voice, it was clearly audible. Moreover, he didn¡¯t stutter, which was reminiscent of the exhration he felt when he cut Darman¡¯s throat. Marya, who was blinking in ce, smiled subtly. ¡°Oh~ Is our cutie going to protect me? Why the sudden change?¡± ¡°Haha, I can train anywhere in the North¡­ I want to! Well, it might not be perfect, but¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s more than enough. I feel really reassured. Isn¡¯t this great?¡± Marya suddenly interrupted the conversation, grabbing Aselle¡¯s cheeks with both hands. His small face turned as red as his hair. Ronan and Adeshan, who were watching the scene together, spoke up. ¡°I hope you do better this time. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I hope so. They really suit each other.¡± ¡°Anyway, I wish those two would stop being oblivious and start dating already. It¡¯s annoyingly frustrating.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Adeshan, who was looking at Ronan¡¯s side profile, sighed deeply. She seemed to understand why people drink when they¡¯re frustrated. Ronan, who had gone through a lot, perked up. Now he was wondering what to do and how to do it. He needed to eliminate the leadership of the Jaeger¡¯s group before reaching Hyran, but he couldn¡¯t think of a way. Just barging in would make them all run away, and assassination was impossible without knowing their whereabouts. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, he noticed a group of prisoners kneeling with chains around their knees. They were Jaeger¡¯s subordinates who had been captured. They groaned in pain from their fall andmented their fate. ¡°Damn it¡­ Master Jaeger will kill us. I can¡¯t believe I failed again¡­¡± ¡°You should think about surviving here first. If you hold out a little longer, yourrades wille for you.¡± ¡°Well, maybe not. Most of the headquarters personnel are already deployed.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Judging by their conversation, the headquarters didn¡¯t seem too far away. Suddenly, a sh of insight passed through Ronan¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t help but snap his fingers. ¡°Sunbae, I¡¯ve got a good idea.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°A way to infiltrate their headquarters. But Sunbae¡¯s role is the most crucial.¡± ¡°My role? What is it?¡± Ronan briefly exined the n he had devised. Indeed, it was a method that could not be attempted unless it were her. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Taking control of their minds and guiding them to the headquarters? While they¡¯re held prisoner?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no other way to infiltrate with this level of certainty.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but as you know, my skills are not yet good enough to control people¡­¡± Adeshan muttered with uncertainty in his voice. Although she had seeded for the first timest night, it was nothing more than luck due to various coincidences. However, she couldn¡¯t express her doubts. The girl who had gone through impossible situations with Ronan so far had seen countless impossible things be reality. Like Aselle just now. After taking a deep breath, she nodded. ¡°No, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start right away.¡± Ronan first sought the consent of the Weretiger guard captain. It was an inhumane question whether they could experiment on a few prisoners. Having witnessed the performance of Ronan¡¯s group, he agreed readily. ¡°As long as it can repay the favor. Just make sure nothing goes wrong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s refreshing to hear.¡± Ronan shook hands with the captain. Somehow, this tiger seemed stronger than Jaeger. Now they only needed to select a prisoner to guide them to the headquarters. Adeshan said. ¡°Who should we choose?¡± ¡°Hmm. It would be easier if it¡¯s someone with a certain level of status.¡± The higher the reputation in the organization, the easier it would be to infiltrate. However, it was doubtful whether these grumbling fools would ept such a fact. He wondered if they should try pulling out a fingernail or two. Suddenly, the Werewolf, who was kneeling in the front, shouted in a booming voice. ¡°Curse you, inferior and filthy humans! The North belongs to the Werewolves! Even if the white chief Umkano dies, I will tear your throats out!¡± His thunderous voice attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Ronan and Adeshan looked at each other simultaneously. Turning back to the Werewolf, Ronan grinned. ¡°It¡¯s decided.¡± [TL/N: wtf that¡­ Ronan being like that one single friend who gives everyone else rtionship advice ;-;] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 204 Chapter 204 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 204: Jaeger (4) The headquarters of the New Beastmen Alliance was situated in the Najun Mountains northwest of Rundalian. The fortress, a simple adaptation of ruins from the ancient Beastmen Kingdom, was cramped and dpidated, but it¡¯s defensive capabilities remained formidable, owing to its natural stronghold. Originally a ce that should have been heavily guarded, the personnel stationed here exhibited chronicziness. They felt there was no need for excessive vignce, given the stable surroundings and the unbreached history of the fortress, all under the belief that their leader, Jaeger, was invincible. ¡°How¡¯s the weather outside¡­ damn it, how long do we have to keep doing this?¡± ¡°The weather seems clear, judging by theck of rain smell. What can we do? It¡¯s our duty.¡± ¡°Does Jaeger really need guarding? I haven¡¯t killed a human in so long, it¡¯d be nice to be on the front lines.¡± This conversation was shared by the guards guarding Jaeger¡¯s residence. Two guards, a Werewolf and a Werebear, stood in front of the spacious corridor spread out before them. It was their assigned duty to spend about 30% of the day chatting while looking at this scene. Behind them loomed the imposing gate leading to the central area of the fortress where Jaeger resided. The corridor, which was used so infrequently that it seemed absurd to deploy troops there, nevertheless required their vignce as per orders. So, the two of them came here once a day to stand guard. Today, as usual, the Werewolf, lost in thought, yawned and muttered under his breath. ¡°Ugh¡­ why does this always happen¡­ How long has it been, five hours?¡± ¡°As usual, probably advising Jaeger. It usually takes this long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying how secretive he is. Always covered head to toe. I wonder if he¡¯s human?¡± ¡°I doubt it. From afar, he¡¯s almost the size of Jaeger. Probably one of our kin who inherited the blood of lions or tigers.¡± The Werebear guard standing beside nodded. He had been specting that the periodic visitor Jaeger received, known only as the ¡°advisor¡± , might be a Werelion or a Weretiger. Since the inception of the new Northern Beastmen Alliance, the enigmatic guest excluding Jaeger, whose identity remained unknown to anyone, provided quite decent gossip for the bored guards. ¡°If I knew this would¡¯ve happened, I would¡¯ve signaled for a fight. It¡¯s pointless being stationed at the fortress.¡± ¡°Heh, take pride. It means we¡¯re consideredpetent.¡± As the two exchanged banter, they suddenly sensed movement. The Werebear guard tightened his grip on his spear. ¡°Wait, someone¡¯sing.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Werewolf guard tilted his head. Listening closely, they could indeed hear footsteps approaching. And it wasn¡¯t just one person; it was several. Soon, a well-built Werebear emerged from around the corner, leaving the guards¡¯ eyes wide. ¡°Um¡­ Captain Umkano¡­?!¡± ¡°Oh my god, you are really alive?¡± The guards were bewildered. The Captain, whom they thought had perished in the Rundalian raid three days ago, was walking toward them. He simply replied shortly, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Umkano came to a stop in front of the two guards. They still couldn¡¯t close their gaping mouths. The Werebear managed to regain hisposure and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°I-If I may ask, could you exin what happened? We heard that the raid team sent to Rundalian waspletely wiped out¡­¡± ¡°¡­They let their guard down, and I managed to escape. The only survivor is¡­ me.¡± ¡°I-I see. It¡¯s truly fortunate. No, remarkable.¡± Umkano looked visibly exhausted, unlike his usual energetic self. His fur was unkempt, and his eyes seemed cloudy, as if he could copse at any moment. Even his usually confident tone seemed subdued. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, the Werebear guard noticed the rope clenched in Umkano¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t something typically used by beastmen. Their gaze followed the rope, and they took sharp breaths. ¡°Hu-human?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Who are those?¡± ¡°I captured them¡­ as prisoners.¡± Umkano replied in a confident tone. Behind him, attached to the rope, were a man and a woman, both bound tightly and bowing their heads deeply. They both had ck hair and wore clothes that, even to the eyes of beastmen unfamiliar with human culture, seemed remarkably expensive and well-made. Umkano continued speaking. ¡°They are both nobles¡¯ offspring¡­ they should hold value as prisoners.¡± ¡°I-I see. And you managed to capture them amidst all this. Truly remarkable.¡± The guards looked at the humans with sympathetic eyes. It was unfortunate for them to fall into the hands of Umkano, known for his strong aversion to humans. At that moment, the young man lifted his head, locking eyes with the Werewolf guard. The fierce gaze resembled that of a predatory bird, causing the Werewolf to shrink back, shoulders hunching. ¡°Wh-what are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the gaze of a prisoner. The crimson eyes, glowing like embers, seemed ready to spew fire at any moment. The boy remained silent, simply staring him down. ¡°This¡­!¡± Feeling provoked by the human¡¯s boldness, anger surged within the Werewolf unexpectedly. Before he realized it, his arm shot up. Snap! Like lightning, Umkano¡¯s grip closed around his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him.¡± ¡°Kraaagh! I-I¡¯m sorry! His gaze was too insolent, so I involuntarily¡­ Stop!¡± The Werewolf guard shrieked. It felt like his bones would shatter under the overwhelming force. Umkano slowly released his grip and sternly warned, ¡°Don¡¯t touch¡­ the prisoners. Or else¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Kuek¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The Werebear guard, who had been trailing off for a moment, raised his head sideways. Logically, Umkano wouldn¡¯t suddenly say such a thing. Umkano turned his gaze towards the entrance and spoke. ¡°Is Jaeger inside?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct. However, today is the day when the Advisor visits, so I think you¡¯ll have to wait a bit before going in.¡± ¡°Advisor?¡± ¡°Yes. Theye every week. It should only take about two hours for the meeting to finish today.¡± Umkano fell silent. This was new information to him. After a moment of silence, he nodded his head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait and go in on my own. You may go now¡­ Ki-Kill me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The eyes of the Werebear widened. This time he heard it clearly. Without a doubt, he had asked to be killed. The Werewolf guard beside him furrowed his brows. ¡°Captain, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yeah. Fine¡­ Ju-just kill me already.¡± Suddenly, Umkano¡¯s face began to convulse uncontrobly. Startled by the grotesque sight, both guards stepped back in fright. At that moment, the man and the woman, who had been captured as prisoners, exchanged quick nces. The young man looked up at Umkano and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Haah¡­ It seems it¡¯s not going to work out now, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry.¡± The woman hung her head in dismay. The eyes of both guards widened. Sensing that something was wrong, the Werewolf reached for his sword, but in that moment, the figure of the captive young man vanished from sight. ¡°Wh-what?!¡± Even with their heightened senses, they couldn¡¯t capture anything. Only the ropes that had bound the young man remained, scattered on the ground. The human woman alone remained, looking at him with pity. ¡°Damn it, what is this?!¡± Pointing his spear at the woman, the Werewolf shouted. Suddenly, a warm liquid sttered on his cheek. What was this now? Reflexively turning to the side, the Werewolf¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The head of the Werewolf guard, standing beside him, was gone. ¡°Wha¡­!¡± Blood spurted from the clean cut. The liquid that sttered on his face was his colleague¡¯s blood. The severed head of the Werebear was rolling on the ground. Thud¡­! Both the headless body and Umkano copsed to the ground simultaneously. ¡°Wh-What¡­ the¡­¡± ¡°Shh. If you don¡¯t want to end up the same way, stay quiet.¡± The Werewolf, who was about to scream, swallowed his shout. A sinister whisper came from behind him. He wanted to turn his head, but something cold and pointed, presumably a de, was pressing against his back, precisely at the line of his heart. Ronan, who had grabbed him from behind, spoke up. ¡°What a shame. I thought we could make it through without any trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If only I had done a bit better.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You prated deep enough. Doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll take much longer now, right?¡± ¡°It does seem that way.¡± Adehsan, shaking her head, untied the ropes binding her body. The ropes, tied in a special way, required no effort to undo. Ronan, extending his head forward, pointed his chin towards Umkano. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Now, we can¡¯t use that bear any longer, can we? Seeing how it even asks to be killed.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ seems like his mental strength has reached its limit. Pitiful.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just use this guy. Since he¡¯s a guard who protects the entrance, he should be able to go all the way to Jaeger¡¯s door without any problem.¡± ¡°Shall we do that¡­?¡± Adeshan stared silently at Werewolf. Her eyes, shining with the color of ash, were eerie. Something was seriously going wrong. Sensing the ominousness creeping up on his instincts, he raised his ws and shouted. ¡°Grrraagh! Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯te!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Adeshan said calmly. Despite the fierce threat, she was steadily approaching Werewolf. ¡°D-Don¡¯te near me! Araaah!¡± Now, the sword behind his back didn¡¯t matter anymore. Werewolf, unable to bear the unease, was about to rush forward. Suddenly, something like a thick mist began to rise over Adeshan¡¯s shoulder. Werewolf¡¯s eyes widened at the unfamiliar and eerie aura. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s that¡­? Urgh!¡± At the same time, Werewolf¡¯s movement as a guard halted. He froze, as if his limbs were paralyzed, and his words got stuck in his throat. He felt the strange energy he had sensed a while ago creeping into his own body. Adeshan took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ ugh.¡± Werewolf¡¯s convulsing head dropped. Ronan, who had been aiming his sword at the Werewolf¡¯s back, lowered it. After a moment of unconsciousness, Werewolf raised his head. ck. He, who had opened the door silently, muttered with a soulless voice. ¡°¡­No anomalies detected while on guard.¡± Ronan let out a sigh of relief. Werewolf¡¯s pupils were clouded with a dull gray. Seeing the guard turned puppet, he clicked his tongue. ¡°She¡¯s truly awakening her abilities. It¡¯s getting a little scary now.¡± Adeshan sessfully took control of a person¡¯s mind for the first time just the night beforest. Considering that it took her a whole day to control Umkano¡¯s mind, her growth rate was literally unrealistic. Although it¡¯s easier to control fewer targets, this was far beyond Ronan¡¯s expectations. Ronan, who had been staring at her profile, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re a good person, Sunbae.¡± ¡°Huh? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just because. You just prevented that bastard from hitting me.¡± Adeshan had also manipted Umkano a while ago to stop the Werewolf from attacking Ronan. Ronan sincerely thought it was fortunate that she wasn¡¯t evil. Adeshan fidgeted with her hair as if embarrassed. ¡°Hehe, it was just something that I had to do.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please continue to be like that.¡± His voice was serious. There was a somewhat meaningful tone in his words, and Adeshan¡¯s face blushed slightly. After a moment of silence, she replied with a warm smile. ¡°Yeah. I will.¡± The two quickly disposed of the bodies and bloodstains, then tied each other up again. They handed one end of the rope to the Werewolf. From the Werewolf¡¯s mouth, manipted by Adeshan, came a soulless voice. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go then. You prisoners.¡± **** What followed proceeded like water flowing. Disguised as prisoners, Ronan and Adeshan, along with the mentally controlled Werewolf guard, continued towards the heart of their destination without stopping. Contrary to the enemy¡¯s expectations, the troops stationed at the core of the fortress were surprisingly few. ¡®That¡¯s fortunate.¡¯ Whether it was due to carelessness or not, it was truly fortunate. No matter how good the Holy Sword Lamancha was, the beastmen were still difficult opponents. asionally, they attracted attention from passing beastmen, but most of them stepped aside upon hearing that they were prisoners bound for interrogation by Jaeger. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, pal. You¡¯ll be responsible, you know?¡± ¡°I got it. Why are you getting angry?¡± Even the conversation between the Werewolf and the guard was bing smootherpared to Umkano. Anyway, the obstacles in their path were either easily avoided or removed, and they continued their journey. Walking through corridors, stairs, and makeshift bridges between buildings, Ronan and Adeshan had finally reached the heart of the fortress. There were no longer any people to be seen around. Whether it was due to the presence of some advisor or for some other reason, they couldn¡¯t find anyone nearby anymore. Turning a corner, Ronan grinned. ¡°Atst.¡± Instinctively, he knew they had reached their destination. A vast corridor, where it seemed twenty horses could pass abreast, stretched out before them. At the end of the corridor stood a huge door, undoubtedly where the leader resided. Ronan turned to Adeshan and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Sunbae.¡± The three-hour situational drama that felt like three days finally came to an end. Now, they had to storm in and cut off Jaeger¡¯s head. Ronan was about to say that it¡¯s okay to release Werewolf from Adeshan¡¯s control. Adeshan, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up in a hoarse voice. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°What? Why do you say that?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at her iprehensible reaction. Adeshan¡¯s face was pale as she tremblingly raised her hand, pointing towards the door. ¡°Behind that¡­ Zaifa is there.¡± [TL/N: Dundundun¡­ surprise betrayal by Zafia :o] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 205 Chapter 205 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 205: Jaeger (5) ¡°Behind that¡­ Zaifa is there.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was hearing. Why would Zafia, who had gone south to hunt the Neb zier, be here? ¡°That can¡¯t be possible. How could Zafia be here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But¡­ this aura is definitely¡­¡± Adeshan¡¯s breath quickened. The Werewolf, released from mental control, fell to his knees and copsed. Ronan repeated himself. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible. There must be some agreement with the Emperor.¡± Originally, it was fundamentally impossible for Zafia to be here. The terms of the pact she made with the Emperor included a use that she wouldn¡¯t set foot in the northernnds. This was to prevent her from gathering thepatriots and starting a rebellion. If she were to vite it, Zafia¡¯s heart would burst and she would die. It wasn¡¯t a conventional treaty, but a pact sealed in blood. Therefore, Adeshan¡¯s assertion couldn¡¯t hold true. Certainly, she must have misdetected another aura. Even monkeys sometimes fall from trees. Ronan chuckled bitterly, closing his eyes. ¡°Wait. I will see for myself.¡± ¡°Mm. But, Ronan, really¡­¡± Whatever Adeshan said, Ronan, lost in concentration, couldn¡¯t hear her voice. His senses, gradually expanding, reached beyond the door. Soon, Ronan, detecting a familiar presence, furrowed his brow. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe it. There, beyond the door, he could truly sense Zafia¡¯s presence. The chilling sensation running through his entire body left no room for doubt. ¡®What the hell. What¡¯s going on?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t possibly understand the current situation. But there was one thing they had to do. Ronan and Adeshan exchanged nces and stepped towards the door. As they approached, Zafia¡¯s presence felt even stronger. Adeshan murmured again. ¡°No doubt¡­ that¡¯s Zafia.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. Whatever was on the other side, they needed to confirm it firsthand. Arriving at the door, the two of them grasped the handles. ¡°We¡¯ll open it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With a simple signal exchanged between them, they pushed the door together. Creak¡­ the massive double doors opened with a heavy, stiff sound. Ronan and Adeshan froze simultaneously at the vastndscape unfolding before their eyes. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The space was dozens of timesrger than they had imagined. The surroundings were wide open, and the ceiling was so high that it seemed to reach the sky. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that half of fortress was used to create this room. They noticed the extravagant furniture and decorations that one might expect in a Garcia mansion. The luxurious items filling every corner momentarily made them forget that they were in a centuries-old fortress. On one side of the wall hung a portrait of Jaeger in imperial attire. It was excessivelyrge. However, what startled Ronan and Adeshan weren¡¯t such trivial elements. A group of fully armed beastmen stood in a row, ring at them. Ronan unconsciously muttered curses at the barrier of beasts blocking their path. ¡°Shit¡­¡± There must have been at least fifty of them, appearing far more formidable than any adversaries they had faced before. Lions, tigers, rhinos, deer, each one of these well-built and fierce-looking beastmen exuded the aura of a powerful fighter. Because they had been too focused on Zafia, they hadn¡¯t detected the presence of these creatures. Amidst the profound silence that felt like time had stopped, raucousughter erupted from somewhere. ¡°Kehahaha! Your words were true, indeed. They¡¯ve reallye looking for me!¡± It was a coarseughter, heard somewhere before. Ronan turned his head towards the direction of the sound. Beyond the beastmen¡¯ barrier, at the farthest corner of the room, a Weretiger wearing an eyepatch wasughing heartily, shoulders shaking. With a stark contrast between ck and white on his skin, he had a well-built physique, and even whenughing, he exuded a certain dignity. Recognizing him immediately, Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Jaeger.¡± It was unmistakably Jaeger. His rough appearance remained the same. It seemed that something had changed with his fate, making him much stronger than in his previous life. Jaeger stoppedughing and spoke up, still smirking. ¡°Khehehe, I¡¯ve been waiting for you, human!¡± ¡°You knew I wasing?¡± ¡°Of course. I knew everything. I knew you were trying to kill me and dismantle the New Beastmen Alliance, even infiltrating the fortress. Did you think things would unfold so easily, huh?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. Somehow, it seemed that the number of people had decreased significantly from the middle. They had indeed fallen into a trap. Jaeger continued. ¡°Heh heh heh, you have really bad luck. If it weren¡¯t for my friend, you could have carried out a surprise attack on Jaeger like this. The n to infiltrate as prisoners was quite clever.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Instead of answering, Jaeger justughed vulgarly. It seemed like someone had noticed the n halfway and gave them a warning. Suddenly, another figure beside Jaeger caught Ronan¡¯s eye. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± d in a jet-ck robe that covered even their facepletely, the figure stood beside Jaeger. It seemed like the mysterious figure the beastmen guards had mentioned as the ¡°Advisor.¡± For a moment, Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°¡­Zaifa?¡± Seeing her up close, it was even clearer. The aura they had sensed from beyond the door was emanating from them. The outline of their body, concealed by the robe, was strikingly simr to Zaifa¡¯s. Taking a deep breath, Ronan spoke. ¡°Is it really you?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] There was no response. Ronan pursed his lips. In fact, the identity had already been revealed, except for the face being covered. Everything else indicated more than just a coincidence, especially the ominous aura that couldn¡¯t be reced. Unspeakable questions, feelings of betrayal, and anger began to rear his head one by one. Ronan remembered the warning about Zafia that Novirose had constantly emphasized. ¡®Remember my words, Ronan. Zafia is dangerous.¡¯ ¡°Say something, you bastard.¡± Ronan growled roughly. Once again, the Advisor didn¡¯t respond. Ronan and Adeshan stared at them, and the Advisor turned to Jaeger and spoke. ¡°We must kill them here. Do not forget my words.¡± Ronan pursed his lips. The low, deep voice was also something he had heard before. Jaeger chuckled, twirling his tail around and smiling. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. My guards and I are invincible. If needed, I guess I can use the treasure you gave me here.¡± ¡°Then, I will go.¡± The Advisor turned around. Simultaneously, a strong surge of mana rose over their shoulder like a bonfire. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°What?!¡± The mana emanating from the Advisor was shimmering like a clear night sky. It was undoubtedly the sparkling mana, the symbol of Neb zier. ¡®Why is Neb zier¡¯s manaing from Jaeger¡­¡¯ Now it had bepletely iprehensible. Dozens of desperate scenarios shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. Suddenly, the Advisor pulled out a scroll and unfolded it. A dimensional portal appeared, distorting the space around them. Adeshan screamed. ¡°Ro-Ronan!¡± ¡°Damn it, move!¡± Caught off guard by the shocking situation, Ronan momentarily lost hisposure. He knew he had to act quickly to grasp what was happening. Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword. With a swift motion, he drew the crimson-stained de, apanied by a burst of light pulling towards his opponent. Raaahh! A roar echoed as the figure of a Waredeer, who was among Jaeger and the Adviser, appeared before Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­!¡± ¡°Wh-what?!¡± Both of them were bewildered by the inexplicable situation. Ronan gripped his scabbard, and the crimson de became stained red. The Advisor, if it really was Zafia, shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Ronan spun around horizontally, swinging his sword. At the moment of the lightning-fast strike, a crimson line was drawn across the abdomen of the two people simultaneously. A sharp and piercing sound was heard. Boom! The guard¡¯s body split from above and below the waist. ¡°Mueeeek?!¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widened. The body, split at the waist, fell to the ground. Fresh blood spurted out from the Advisor¡¯s robe. ¡°Kruk¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. He could instinctively feel that bones and internal organs weren¡¯t severed. The Advisor¡¯s quick reflexes,bined with their tough leather and the fact that they moved their body away upon feeling the de, saved him. He was about tounch a second strike. Bang! The Advisor¡¯s lightning-fast kick plunged deep into Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°Kuek!¡± Even when he was hit by the ogre, it wasn¡¯t to this extent. Ronan¡¯s body bent forward. Thud! He flew back to the door and crashed into it, then slid down to the ground. Ronan struggled to catch his breath. ¡®I almost died.¡¯ Even if it hadn¡¯t pierced his abdomen, the shock was unbelievable. If he hadn¡¯t quickly lowered his sword to block, he might have died or been severely injured. Ronan spat out blood and raised his head. The Advisor was ring in his direction, clutching the wound on their stomach. Staggering as he rose to his feet, Ronan burst intoughter. ¡°Hehe¡­ Seems like you¡¯ve been hurt quite a bit yourself.¡± ¡°How dare¡­!¡± It seemed that the injuries were deeper on the other side. A pool of crimson had gathered beneath the Advisor¡¯s feet. The intensified shimmer of mana emanated from their shoulders, spreading outwards. Although temporarily immobilizing their opponent was advantageous, it wasn¡¯t exactly a favorable situation. The mor of the surrounding beastmen warriors filled the room. ¡°Oh my god. Diomo¡¯s been hit!¡± ¡°What, what did that guy just do!?¡± ¡°Be careful, he¡¯s using some strange power!¡± Only then did the surroundings start toe into focus. The body of the Weredeery scattered, its entrails in a pool of blood, inciting the beastmen warriors like a Taurian g. Fifty beastmen warriors were growling as if they were about to rush forward. It was not going to be easy. Jaeger, who had been observing the situation dumbfounded, finally spoke up. ¡°Wh-what in the world¡­ what happened?¡± He stood frozen, unable toprehend the situation. In an instant, the intruder¡¯s de shed, and the Adviser and one of his subordinates were dragged away to meet their demise. Whatever sorcery was at y, one thing was instinctively clear: the intruder was not to be underestimated. Quickly assessing the situation, Jaeger exaggerated his movements and shouted, ¡°D-did you all see that vile scoundrel!? Fellowpatriots, tear him apart!¡± ¡°Graaaaaah!!¡± Jaeger¡¯s index finger pointed towards Ronan. The growling beastmen warriors roared in unison as they charged forward. The fortress shook with their thunderous cries. Ronan, who had taken a sip of the potion provided by Adeshan, wiped his mouth and muttered, ¡°¡­This is why I hate furries.¡± It felt like his ears were about to fall off. After drinking the potion, his insides felt somewhat better. Waves of fangs and teeth poured towards the two of them. It seemed if they wanted to meet with the Adviser or Jaeger, they had to break through this wave first. Well, if it hade to this, might as well just kill them all as they went. With a light sigh of resignation, Ronan dashed forward. Shaaaak! The head of the foremost Warelion charging towards them flew into the air. With hot blood sshing on his cheek, the fight had begun. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 206 Chapter 206 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 206: Jaeger (6) ¡°Kuek!¡± Ronan leaped forward, raising his sword diagonally. The head of the Werelion charging at the forefront soared into the air. Hot blood sttered his face like hot spring water. ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve gone back to the past.¡± Steam rose from the blood-soaked ground. Ronan, recalling his past life, chuckled softly. Fighting with Werewolves in the snowy mountains, he found sce in being covered in their blood to briefly forget the cold. It was before the headless Werelion¡¯s body hit the ground. ¡°Die, human!¡± Thwack! A horn the size of an adult¡¯s thigh tore through the Werelion¡¯s chest and protruded. It was the rhinoceros beastmen charging from behind. Ronan, muttering under his breath, immediately lowered his stance and thrust forward. Swoosh! With a swift motion, his de created five windholes in the rhinoceros¡¯s neck before withdrawing. Once again, hot blood gushed out as the rhinoceros, with the force to crush mountains, fell over while clutching its neck. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°You fool, stumbling like that all of a sudden!¡± The approaching beastmen spat out their perplexity. From their perspective, it was as if a dam suddenly appeared before them. Although there was no one who stumbled, Ronan didn¡¯t miss a single moment of vulnerability they showed. His crimson-stained de traced a crescent arc. Swish! A storm of sword strikes rained down on the beastmen¡¯ heads. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Grrk!¡± A deadly blow pierced through brains, breaking through the back of their skulls. Three dead, two injured. Even with precise aiming at their foreheads, seeing them dodge it, it seemed they couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. They were formidable opponentspared to the indigenous people he faced in his past life. ¡°Show some tenacity, you furry bastards!¡± Of course, there was no other option but to cut them all down. Ronan, catching his breath, shouted out his fighting spirit as he swung his sword. It was not so much to build up determination but to divert their attention from Adeshan, who was struggling. Having spent so much mental energy controlling the beastmen, herbat prowess was significantly diminished. ¡®She¡¯s a fearsome woman.¡¯ Adeshan was fighting not far away. With her whip made of welded steel pieces, she blocked the approach of the beastmen. From her method of bracing against the wall and engaging inbat, he could see how much she had grown over the past two years. ¡®I need to finish this quickly.¡¯ However, their limits would soon be reached. It was regrettable that she couldn¡¯t bring her crossbow due to the necessity of infiltration. As Ronan was in the midst of shing with his sword¡ª ¡°Keuk?!¡± Suddenly, a dizzying pain struck Ronan¡¯s lower body. As he quickly lowered his head, he saw a Werefox mped onto his thigh. Particrly small in size, it had approached stealthily, making it impossible for him to notice. With its teeth sunk in, the Werewolf shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡± ¡°Good, keep him like that!¡± Seizing the opportunity, the other beastmen rushed in. Ronan immediately adjusted his grip on the sword and beheaded the Werefox. Even though its body disappeared, the fox¡¯s head still clung to Ronan¡¯s thigh. It was the stubborn tenacity typical of the race, making Ronan gnash his teeth. ¡°Damn annoying¡­!¡± Fortunately, he had reflexively strengthened his leg muscles, which saved him. Although it stung and tingled, there was no time to shake it off. In addition to fighting human foes, battle axes and maces were flying towards his head and body, aimed by two hefty Werebears. ¡°You bastard!¡± ¡°Enemy of Kanochi!¡± Both were so massive that strength was their forte. Ronan had no idea if Kanochi was the fox that had just died or one of the furry bastards from earlier, but their anger seemed deeply ingrained. While Ronan pondered how to deal with the awkward situation, the movements of the two beastmen swinging their weapons suddenly halted. ¡°Gruk.¡± ¡°Ghek.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The two Werebears, who had been charging dynamically, froze as if turned into statues. As he swung his sword, tracing an ellipse, their heads fell to the ground. From behind, Adeshan¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Ronan¡­ haa, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The moment he looked at her face, his doubts were dispelled. The Werebears lying on the ground were still blurred and hazy in their dull gray eyes. It was Adeshan who had taken control of their minds. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°There are too many of them. Aren¡¯t you overexerting yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to this¡­ Besides, are you okay, Sunbae? You don¡¯t get along well with these furry bastards.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± She nodded her head, of course, it was a lie. Every time the beastmen¡¯ fangs and ws came at her, she wanted to scream and cower. They were of the same kin as those who had killed her mother and brothers. If she said otherwise, it would be a lie. However, she couldn¡¯t retreat. If she continued to be crushed under the shadow of the past, she wouldn¡¯t even reach the rank of a general, let alone surpassing it as she once dreamed. She didn¡¯t want to waste her talent until the day she died, which she had only realized thanks to Ronan. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Having made up her mind, she grasped the whip tightly. Although Ronan was handling most of the situation, she still needed to provide some assistance, even if only minor. As the hesitating beastmen¡¯s encirclement began to tighten again, Ronan spoke. ¡°If you think it¡¯s too much, run away immediately. I¡¯ll manage somehow on my own.¡± ¡°Yeah. Got it.¡± Adeshan smiled. With exchanged nces, the two went in different directions. Standing against the wall again, she wielded her whip. ng! The steel snake swung horizontally, sweeping away the beastmen who were charging towards her. The whip, captured from a Neb zier executive in the past, tore through even the thick skins of the sturdy beastmen like matured meat. The beastmen, with bones visible through their severe wounds, scattered with blood sttering as they fell. ¡°Grraahh!¡± ¡°Damn it, it hurts!¡± But her opponents were inherently robust, making herck the lethality to inflict fatal wounds. It was around the time when Adeshan, using abination of mind control and her whip, rendered about five of them incapacitated. ¡°How long do you think things will go your way!¡± Suddenly, a hefty Weretiger lunged forward, catching Adeshan¡¯s whip mid-air with bare hands. Despite the whip digging into his flesh, he didn¡¯t let go. With a grunt, the Weretiger swung his arm forcefully, dragging Adeshan along. ¡°Come here, you human wench!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It was an immense force. There was no chance to let go of the whip. The Weretiger aimed a knee strike towards Adeshan as he swung her forcefully. Whoom! The air pressure stuck first, throwing her bangs backwards. ¡®Toote.¡¯ Sensing impending death, Adeshan bit her lower lip. The knee, like a siege hammer, aimed to smash her skull. Just then, Ronan barged in from out of sight, pushing Adeshan aside. ¡°Ronan?¡± Her eyes widened. The Weretiger¡¯s knee was now heading towards Ronan¡¯s side. He calmly grabbed Adeshan¡¯s hand holding the whip and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pull you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. He embraced Adeshan, leaping forward. Crash! The Weretiger¡¯s hand, entangled with the whip, was torn off. Hot blood gushed out like a hot spring. Piercing screams echoed. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Blood spurted from the messy severed wound, reminiscent of a geyser. The Weretiger, now crippled, copsed to its knees. Adeshan, looking up at Ronan, drew abored breath. A golden phantom covered his arms like armor. Unlike the vague outlines from the past, the distinct form of the phantom resembled the w of a cat. It was the aura of body enhancement borrowed from Varen a while back. Ronan, setting down Adeshan in a corner, returned her whip and spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to repay the debt this quickly.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We should¡¯ve fought like this from the beginning. Power begets power after all.¡± With a mischievous grin, Ronan flexed his arm. It was a change that urred after receiving treatment from Navardose. Ronan, now adept at both his own skills and mimicking Neb zier¡¯s ability to copy Auras, felt greatly enhanced. The roughly dismembered corpses of beastmen were strewn about where he passed. Fragments of shattered weapons indicated how ferociously Ronan fought, imitating Varan¡¯s Aura. A heavily armored Weredeer, breathing heavily, asked, ¡°Haah.. are¡­ are you¡­ truly¡­ human?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame¡­ if you were one of our kind, you¡¯d have be a warrior rivaling Lord Zaifa¡­!¡± Covered in muscles, the body of the Weredeer seemed ready to burst at any moment. Taking a breath, the Weredeer, horns lowered, charged forward like uprooted roots. Its finely crafted horns bore numerous scars, like those of a warrior. ¡°Quite the warrior.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Ronan remarked, his smirk rising with overwhelming force. Without backing down, he swung his sword vertically. The de sliced through the horns as it continued through the Weredeer¡¯s head and torso, passing between its legs. With a cry, the divided body pieces grazed past Ronan on both sides. ¡°Even Razmush¡­¡± ¡°S-Strong.¡± Thud! The severed halves of the Weredeer¡¯s carcass rolled on the ground. A consistent demeanor among the Werewolves began to change. Fear slowly crept into their beings. ¡°Wh-why is he fighting so well?¡± Jaeger, watching from the rear, stepped back hesitantly. The candle, almost extinguished moments ago, now zed fiercely, burning the waves of beastmen. More than half of the elite beastmen, fifty in number, were already reduced by more than half. ¡°Hey, what should we do?¡± Jaeger asked, fixing his gaze on Ronan. But the Advisor didn¡¯t respond. After waiting for a while in silence, Jaeger turned his head. ¡°You, I¡¯m asking you¡­ huh?!¡± Jaeger¡¯s eyes widened, as if bulging out. The Advisor who was standing beside him just moments ago was now gone. Only the traces of a rift, where a dimensional portal had opened, remained, shimmering like a mirage. ¡°E-Escaping?!¡± Jaeger¡¯s face stiffened. Simultaneously turning towards that direction, Ronan chewed his lower lip. He could immediately sense that the Advisor had fled. The Aura of Zaifa was nowhere to be found. ¡®Damn it, even if I was in the middle of a battle, I shouldn¡¯t have taken my eyes off her.¡¯ It was a momentarypse of attention. Now, the only option left was to apprehend Jaeger and interrogate him. Just then, Jaeger, in a rush, began rummaging through his desk drawer. Soon enough, a scroll was clenched in his hands, causing Ronan¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡°Wait, that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Jaeger, who was watching causality, opened the scroll. The space around him distorted and a portal appeared. Ronan, seeing his worst imaginatione true, raised his voice and shouted. ¡°Are you nning to escape, you coward!!¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s a strategic retreat! Guards, stop him!¡± Upon Jaeger¡¯smand, the beastmen stopped their retreat. Determined, mumbling to themselves, they resumed charging towards Ronan. Ronan gritted his teeth at the unwavering loyalty, even though it was pathological. Capturing that bastard was imperative now, but there were still about twenty enemies left. ¡°Stay right there!¡± Thud! Observing the situation, Ronan propelled himself forward. He intended to shoot out sword energy or activate an Aura, but with his leap, about twenty beastmen surrounded him in mid-air. ¡°Damn it, can¡¯t you just fuck off?!¡± ¡°I cannot let you reach Lord Jaeger!¡± ¡°Step aside!¡± Fueled by rage, Ronan swung his sword. Dozens of red lines were drawn across the bodies of the beastmen blocking his path. As hended on the ground, chunks of beastmen flesh poured down like rain. Despite the gruesome sight, the beastmen, obeying Jaeger¡¯smand, rushed towards Ronan like iron filings drawn to a ma. ¡®If we keep going like this, I¡¯ll really miss him!¡¯ Unlike humans, they were massive and tenacious. Waves of fangs and teeth crashed like a tide. Ronan couldn¡¯t think of a way to push these giants aside before Jaeger escaped. A sense of despair slowly crept in. Just as an eerie ripple passed through his body, all the beastmen suddenly froze in unison. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A chill ran down Ronan¡¯s spine for a moment. He quickly turned to Adeshan. She stood apart, her eyes wide open, ring at the beastmen. Blood vessels protruded around her eyes. Ronan narrowed his eyes as he realized what Adeshan was doing. ¡°No way.¡± A strange mana current permeated the room like mist. The beastmen¡¯ pupils flickered with the same grayish hue as hers. It was arge-scale mind control, as he suspected. The beastmen, suddenly paralyzed, looked confused. ¡°My¡­ my body won¡¯t move¡­!¡± ¡°Humans, what have you done!¡± However, it seemed that only their physical movements were halted. The beastmen continued to growl menacingly, eyeing both Ronan and Adeshan. She whispered as if squeezing out the words, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t hold on for long.¡± ¡°Sunbae.¡± Adeshan looked precarious, as if she could copse at any moment. A thin trickle of blood ran down her sharp nose. It was an unexpected opportunity. Ronan¡¯s mana-enhanced thigh swelled as if it would burst at any moment. ¡°Just hold on for 5 seconds!¡± Ronan shouted and leaped forward. There was no time to dy. As Ronan grabbed the hilt of his sword, a burst of light erupted and enveloped him. ¡°Urgh?!¡± The light was tinged with a crimson reminiscent of sunset. Jaeger closed his eyes momentarily, then opened them to find that the dimensional portal that had been right in front of him was now far away. ¡°Oh, damn it¡­¡± Jaeger realized that he had fallen victim to the ability the Advisor had suffered. Just as he turned his head, he saw Ronan, who had already prepared to swing his sword. Despite the situation being toote to dodge or counterattack, Jaeger¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t particrly dark. Hastily rotating his head, Jaeger chuckled and shouted, ¡°Fool, it¡¯s a barrier that blocks any attack!¡± Suddenly, Jaeger grabbed the pendant he was holding. Simultaneously, sparkling mana spread out from the pendant like an explosion. A hemispherical shield rapidly expanded around Jaeger. Recognizing its nature, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Protection of the Stars¡­?¡± ¡°Kahahaha! Fly away!¡± Jaegerughed. He had seen the Advisor use this technique in the past. A defensive barrier that repelled any malevolent magic or projectile was his final secret weapon that would protect him in any situation. Now, while this madman was flying away thanks to the barrier, using the escape scroll again would be the end of it. Ronan sighed with relief. ¡°I¡¯m d I was the one toe here.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the iprehensible words, Jaeger tilted his head. Just as the expanding Protection of the Stars was about to collide with Ronan¡¯s body, he calmly raised his sword, and shed vertically. Crash! The shield, touched by the sword, tore apart and vanished. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± Jaeger couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. The barrier that could block everything had disappeared without a trace. Ronan raised his sword again, ready to strike. Sensing the danger, Jaeger scrambled and shouted, ¡°W-Wait! Wait a minute. Let¡¯s talk this out!¡± Seeing how he hade this far only through quick thinking, Jaeger realized he wasn¡¯t dealing with a foe he could handle. For now, feigning surrender and looking for an opening was the best course of action. Watching Jaeger¡¯s reaction, Ronan smirked. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see that you¡¯re consistent, Jaeger.¡± Despite bing stronger, seeing Jaeger groveling made Ronan think that this was the same Jaeger he knew. Still, even though they had old ties, he should have disabled him. Muttering under his breath, Ronan nodded. ¡°But what now? It¡¯s already toote.¡± ¡°¡­Toote?¡± Jaeger tilted his head, and at the same time, a red line appeared from his left arm to his right thigh. Ronan, who had turned his sword around, swung down. Swoosh! Along with a gushing fountain of blood, Jaeger¡¯s limbs fell to the ground. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 207 Chapter 207 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 207: King of the North (1) Hot blood gushed forth. Jaeger¡¯s severed arm fell to the ground. Caught off guard, Jaeger¡¯s face crumpled like tissue paper under the sudden blow. Soon, a bone-chilling scream erupted as agony coursed through him. ¡°Argh, ahh, ahhhh!¡± ¡°L-Lord Jaeger!¡± The beastmen¡¯s fur bristled in rm. Jaeger, losing his bnce, copsed onto his severed limb. A clean cut revealed pristine white bones. Adeshan, confirming Ronan¡¯s sess, let out a subdued chuckle. ¡°¡­Just as expected.¡± Perhaps due to exerting all his energy, Adeshan¡¯s vision blurred. Faltering, she fell to her knees, unable even to wipe the blood flowing from her nose. ¡®This is troublesome. I wanted to show off my cool side.¡¯ Adeshan¡¯s head bowed deeply. Simultaneously, the mental grip holding the beastmen captive loosened. Suddenly freed, the beastmen mored noisily. ¡°We¡¯re moving! What happened?¡± ¡°It must be the human woman. I don¡¯t know what method she used, but¡­¡± ¡°Get her, kill her!¡± Some beastmen turned towards her, sensing instinctively that she was the cause of their paralysis. Just as some of them moved to attack. Thud! Ronan stomped on Jaeger, whoy sprawled on the ground. ¡°Keuk!¡± ¡°There, you furry bastards. Stop moving.¡± The beastmen halted at Jaeger¡¯s scream. When they turned their heads, they saw Ronan perched on Jaeger¡¯s back, brandishing his sword. The crimson tip seemed poised to sever Jaeger¡¯s throat at any moment. Confirming that no one was moving, Ronan spoke. ¡°If any of you want to test me, go ahead. I¡¯ll pluck your leader¡¯s head like a grape stem.¡± ¡°Cowardly bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Fifty of you charging together, and you call me cowardly? All of you just cling to that wall over there and raise your hands.¡± Upon seeing Jaeger¡¯s less-than-desirable reaction, Ronan swung his sword at the tip of Jaeger¡¯s tail. Swish! A scream erupted from Jaeger, who was lying down. ¡°Aaargh! Stop it! Do as he says!¡± ¡°Damn it, Lord Jaeger¡­!¡± The effect was immediate. The hesitant beastmen began to move towards the wall one by one. They obediently pressed themselves against the wall, raising their arms as Ronanmanded. The sound of teeth grinding filled the room. ¡°Good. Stay like that.¡± Of course, whether Jaegerpiled or not, Ronan paid no mind. After warning that he would swiftly decapitate Jaeger if he continued to resist, Ronan approached Adeshan. She was still kneeling, her posture rigid. Ronan gently picked up Adeshan on one shoulder and spoke. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Thank you¡­¡± Adeshan whispered back. Surprisingly, she hadn¡¯t lost consciousness. With each step Ronan took, her long arms swung limply. She murmured with a tinge of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ heavy.¡± ¡°Not at all. But why are you saying that now?¡± Ronan chuckled in disbelief. Judging by her speech, fortunately, her condition didn¡¯t seem as serious as he had feared. After carefullyying Adeshan down, Ronan moved towards Jaeger¡¯s desk. It was because of the means of escape he had been thinking about. Underneath the luxurious desk, there was a drawerposed of fiveyers. As Ronan opened each drawer, he snapped his fingers. A scroll imbued with teleportation magicy atop the velvet lining. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°H-How did you¡­!¡± Jaeger was astonished. He had nned to use this spare teleportation scroll for emergencies, but he never expected to be discovered like this. Ronan chuckled as he picked up the scroll. ¡°Your kind is so predictable. Shall we see what¡¯s in the otherpartments?¡± ¡°S-Stop. Don¡¯t search further!¡± Jaeger squirmed and shouted. His reaction hinted that there was something he wanted to hide. Suddenly, Ronan noticed a lock on the bottommost drawer. The lock, embedded with several security enchantments, was a bank-level security measure. ¡°What¡¯s this? What were you hiding here?¡± ¡°This¡­ I lost the key anyway, so I can¡¯t open it. Don¡¯t touch it!¡± ¡°I can open it, so don¡¯t worry.¡± cing his de above the lock, Ronan lightly pulled. As the engraved security spells were severed, the lock split in half. Jaeger¡¯s jaw dropped in disbelief. Ronan inspected the bottompartment and chuckled. ¡°This¡­?¡± Several stakes were neatly arranged inside. They resembled the ones Ronan used when hunting vampires in the past, but they emitted a disturbing aura. Without thinking, Ronan touched one of the stakes. A chilling and nauseating sensation crawled up his fingertips. Realizing the stakes¡¯ true nature, Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°¡­This damn.¡± A thick vein throbbed on his forehead. The item proved one of his hypotheses correct. He suppressed the urge to turn Jaeger into a carpet with a sigh of frustration. ¡°I have more questions for you now, Jaeger.¡± Ronan growled lowly. Jaeger remained silent, head bowed. Suppressing his anger, Ronan grabbed one of the stakes. ¡®I need to stay calm.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a matter of one or two lives but required careful consideration. Carrying Adeshan again, Ronan approached Jaeger. ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡± ¡°Wh-Where are you taking me¡­ Keuk!¡± Ronan kicked Jaeger¡¯s resisting neck with his heel. His body, with only one arm and leg remaining, copsed limply. Confirming what needed to be done, Ronan bid farewell to the beastmen. ¡°Well then, farewell, you furry bastards.¡± Ronan unfurled the scroll. As the surrounding space distorted, a dimensional rift appeared before her eyes. ¡°St-Stand right there!¡± ¡°L-Lord Jaeger!¡± Several beastmen detached themselves from the wall and rushed forward. However, the rift in space had already swallowed three figures. Soon, in the spot where the dimensional rift had disappeared, only a pool of Jaeger¡¯s blood remained, casting a reddish glow. **** ¡°Uhhh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Groaning, Jaeger opened his eyes. He saw a ceiling made of stitched leather, indicating that he was indoors. ¡°Wh-Where am I¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t gauge how much time had passed. The structure of the ceiling resembled a tent. There was an arched entrance on one side of the wall. Soft fur hides were spread beneath him. Suddenly, he felt intense pain coursing through his body. ¡°Ugh?!¡± It was a horrific sensation, as if his entire body were being pierced by needles. It pervaded his entire being, especially the pain in his limbs was severe. Wait, his limbs? His eyes widened as he lifted his right arm. ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­ attached?!¡± Surprisingly, his severed left arm and right leg were attached again. Even when he tested by flexing his fingers and toes, they moved just like before. Was this some kind of dream? He couldn¡¯t believe the situation he found himself in. Amidst his confusion, an unweing voice came from behind. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Keuk! Y-You¡­¡± Startled, Jaeger jumped to his feet. Ronan and Adeshan, d in leather armor, stood right in front of him. Ronan, with both hands in his pockets, spoke. ¡°I had marked a distant escape point. I didn¡¯t expect to fly all the way to the Tukan teau. Well, it saved us from immediate pursuit, at least.¡± Jaeger¡¯s escape scroll had taken them to the Tukan teau. It was a journey that would take three days even by horseback. He informed them that about two hours had passed since their escape from headquarters. Jaeger couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment as he asked. ¡°Wh-What¡­ What happened? What did you do to me?¡± ¡°My friend reattached your limbs. Be thankful, you miserable creature. Shall I cut them off again?¡± With a calm yet intimidating tone, Ronan made Jaeger gulp for breath. Any resistance he had been harboring was quickly extinguished. Facing these two humans, he knew he could never win. ¡°A-Alright. Thank you. But, what happened? I was¡­¡± ¡°My friend did it. You should be grateful since they flew all the way here because of you.¡± ¡°F-Friend?¡± Jaeger¡¯s eyes widened at the unfamiliar term. At that moment, a rustle was felt nearby. Startled, Jaeger turned his head without thinking. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± An unidentified creature perched on a shelf, staring back at him. Its blood-red eyes and ck feathers covering its body emitted an eerie aura. Suddenly, the creature spread its four wings wide. ¡°Byeeh!¡± ¡°Aaaaahh!¡± Jaeger sank onto the fur hide in fear. The creature, apparently finding his reaction amusing, giggled. Ronan, who was looking at Cita, now almost the size of a child, burst intoughter. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you could reattach his limbs. When did you grow so big?¡± ¡°Faster than a ghost horse.¡± Adeshan also murmured in surprise. Its size had increased along with its speed and healing abilities. Called by Ronan, Cita arrived at the Tukan teau in less than an hour. After returning from the Festival of Swords, it seemed like a good idea to wear a magic tool anklet that Ronan could use to summon Cita from anywhere. Now, it was time to get to work. Ronan, who was petting Cita, crouched in front of Jaeger. ¡°Alright, Jaeger. I have a few questions for you now. It¡¯s better for you to answer obediently if you don¡¯t want to end up in a worse state.¡± ¡°Q-Questions? What do you mean?¡± ¡°First of all. Who is the Advisor? Is it Zaifa?¡± Ronan asked. Jaeger¡¯s face stiffened. He opened his mouth to say something, but then clenched his teeth. ¡°¡­I cannot answer.¡± ¡°Even if I threaten you? Even if I cut off your limbs again?¡± ¡°No matter how much you threaten me, it¡¯ll be the same. I-I can¡¯t tell you about that.¡± Jaeger firmly shook his head. His voice trembled, and his tail twitched as if gued by intense fear. Slowly nodding his head, Ronan took a stake from his pocket. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll ask another question.¡± ¡°Th-That¡­!¡± It was a stake found in the desk drawer in the headquarters. Jaeger¡¯s eyes trembled with fear. The surface of the ominous stake emitted a chilling aura like a spike. Ronan, who was shaking the stake in front of Jaeger, spoke. ¡°Is this your doing? The curse?¡± His tone was filled with conviction. Having researched curses at the Dawn Tower in the past, Ronan knew that this stake was a medium for casting curses. Jaeger¡¯s breath became noticeably faster. ¡°I-I-It¡¯s¡­!¡± It was a reality he couldn¡¯t bear to face. Grimacing all over his face, Jaeger lowered his head. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°It was well thought out. Cursing the northern tribes, ming it on humans to incite hatred. Certainly, there¡¯s nothing better for incitement than this. Most indigenous people probably hold painful memories of oppression by the Empire.¡± Ronan¡¯s tone carried a hint of admiration. Whether seen as sinister or efficient in its strategy, it was undeniably diabolical. It was also the reason why Jaeger was spared. It was definitely not an idea that coulde from this guy¡¯s head. Ronan spoke. ¡°By the way, Jaeger, do you know exactly what this curse does?¡± ¡°Wh-What do you mean?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen someone affected by the curse firsthand? Not through reports, but with your own eyes.¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I¡¯ve never seen it firsthand.¡± Jaeger shook his head. He had only ordered the curse stakes to be driven in various ces ording to the advice of the Advisor, without witnessing what was happening firsthand. Ronan smirked knowingly. ¡°I thought as much.¡± ¡°Wh-What are you nning to do?¡± Suddenly, as Ronan got up, Jaeger recoiled again. However, contrary to expectations of starting actual torture, Ronan turned his body towards the entrance of the tent. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he shouted loudly. ¡°Hey, everyone! Jaeger has woken up!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s voice echoed inside the tent. The outside began to get noisy. Before long, a group of Werewolves rushed in, and Jaeger¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Good heavens, Lord Jaeger. You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you have no idea how worried everyone was!¡± ¡°Th-These people?¡± Fifteen Werewolves surrounded Jaeger. Each of them seemed to be from a tribe living in the Tukan teau. Ronan said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk. After the conversation, if you still have no thoughts, I¡¯ll just let you go.¡± ¡°W-Wait, what do you mean¡­¡± Before Jaeger could say anything, Ronan and Adeshan went outside, ignoring him. The sky, covered in pale clouds, revealed the scenery of the indigenous tribes below. Two or three malformed werewolves wandered in the wind, which carried snowkes. Adeshan, looking at them pitifully, spoke. ¡°I wonder if it will work out.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Ronan nodded heavily. They had no choice but to leave it to fate. This was one of the Werewolf tribes located on the Tukan teau. They fundamentally hated humans, but they were allowed entry by lying about having rescued Jaeger. ¡°Pya~¡± From above, Cita circled around, monitoring the tent where Jaeger was. Ronan put a fresh tobo leaf in his pipe, recently bought from Rundalian. Whenever he inhaled and exhaled, white smoke dispersed in the wind. ¡°Lord Jaeger. Is it true that those humans saved you?¡± ¡°It is truly an honor to meet you. Are you really okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Y-yes, those guys took care of me.¡± Jaeger waved his hand, sweating profusely. The Werewolves, who seemed like indigenous people, treated Jaeger with homemade food and clothing. Jaeger, tearing apart the jerky they, perked up his ears. ¡®If I y my cards right, I might be able to escape¡­¡¯ The Werewolves, who appeared to be natives, were all fervent followers of his. Loyalty seemed even greater than that of his personal guard. It was a moment of inner mockery for him, who had brought these humans here. A Werewolf boy, holding a swaddle, approached him. ¡°Lord Jaeger. Can you help my little brother?¡± ¡°Hm? Your brother?¡± ¡°Yes. Look at this, he was bornst week.¡± ¡°Heok¡­!¡± The boy lifted the swaddle. Jaeger instinctively recoiled. Inside the swaddle was a creature that was difficult to call a Werewolf. Its joints were twisted in grotesque directions, and there was an extra eye on one corner of its forehead. Grotesque moans emanated from its unnaturally developed fangs-filled mouth. The boy patted his brother and said. ¡°But he¡¯s in a lot of pain. Our neighbor¡¯s baby was born with an extra armst time. Babies born recently either die or are born strange like this.¡± ¡°When did¡­ this start happening?¡± ¡°About a year ago.¡± Jaeger couldn¡¯t say anything. A year ago was exactly when he followed the Advisor¡¯s advice and ordered the stakes to be driven frequently throughout the North. His gaze lingered on the malformed Werewolf infant in the boy¡¯s arms. It was much more horrifying than what he had been briefed on. The Advisor had clearly said that it would only suffer minor disabilities. Werewolves with reasons came out one by one to talk to him. ¡°My sister also got sick recently. Even our shaman grandfather¡¯s prayers don¡¯t help. At this rate, she¡¯ll die soon.¡± ¡°Just the other day, my son went to the Najun Mountains to volunteer for military service. Just waiting for the Night of Fangs.¡± ¡°Lord Jaeger. Please defeat the evil humans quickly. I¡¯ll give you my treasure.¡± A Werewolf girl handed him a doll. It was a hideously ugly Werewolf doll made of fur. Jaeger, who was breathing heavily, covered his mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It felt like he was going to vomit as soon as he removed his hand. The startled werewolves crowded around him. ¡°Lord Jaeger! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°D-Did the food go bad? Lord Jaeger!¡± They shouted and shouted, but Jaeger didn¡¯t hear a thing. Memories of ordering to drive the stakes were swirling in his head. The cursed tribe he had struck down was over a hundred, as far as he knew. Finally, Jaeger, who had his guts twisted once, opened his mouth. ¡°I, I¡­¡± . . . ¡°Ronan, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It might sound inhumane, but¡­ was there a reason why you told me not to control his mind? If the purpose was to obtain information, that would¡¯ve been much more convenient.¡± Adeshan said. It was about Jaeger. Although torture or mental control could extract the desired information, Ronan didn¡¯t do that. ¡°Nothing much, just thought he might not be aplete scumbag.¡± Ronan, lighting his pipe, spoke. He remembered wanting to prevent Jaeger from seeing the drawer where the stakes were kept. It meant that he felt some guilt about cursing his own people. Ronan saw a possibility of redemption there. Although extracting information and then killing him would have ended it, the north was about to fall into chaos for a while. If Jaeger could abandon his ambition and mend his ways, there would be much less resistance. Ronan, tapping the tobo, muttered to himself. ¡°And eyes are most beautiful when they¡¯re just in white.¡± Eyes soaked in blood and tears were not beautiful. The beauty of the snowfield came from its pure, untainted whiteness. He looked at Adeshan and said. ¡°Shall we go in?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ronan and Adeshan went back into the tent. It had been about an hour since the natives left, and fortunately, nothing unexpected had happened. Inside the tent where the natives had left, Jaeger sat alone. Leaning against the wall, he looked as if his soul had left his body. ¡°Well, did you feel anything?¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t answer. He sat therepletely out of it, not even looking at himself. Ronan, after waiting for a while, pursed his lips. ¡°If you have nothing, then we¡¯ll stick to the agreement. You¡¯re free to go.¡± He got up from his seat. Adeshan raised her brows at the sight of Ronan actually turning his back and walking away. The moment when Ronan was about to leave the tent again. A voice broke out from behind. ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Stopping in his tracks, Ronan turned around. Jaeger, with his head bowed deeply, was hitting the ground with his tail. In his fluffy hands was the doll given by the Werewolf child. After a long silence, he spoke. ¡°¡­His name is Barka. Barka Turkon. He¡¯s the brother of Zafia and¡­ the mastermind behind the Night of the Fangs.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 208 Chapter 208 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 208: King of the North (2) Another name for the Tukan teau was the Land of Life. With rtively stable average temperatures and lush greenndscapes that appeared in the summer, the streams flowing throughout the teau provided a foundation for countless lives to thrive, aside from the residents of Rundalian. Among those who benefited greatly were the indigenous peoples living in small tribes. The Tukan teau, where obtaining food was rtively difficult, allowed them to form primitivemunities and sustain themselves. Pocha, a Werewolf hunter, was one of those fortunate enough to enjoy such blessings. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d meet Lord Jaeger in my lifetime.¡± As Pocha set out for the hunt, he hummed a tune. Despite the rather dreary weather, his mood seemed to soar. It was all thanks to meeting Lord Jaeger in person. Jaeger hade to his tribe with two humanpanions. They requested to stay in the vige momentarily, as they needed to tend to Jaeger¡¯s wounds. Thanks to this, Pocha had the opportunity to rest and even engage in brief conversations with Jaeger. ¡®Hisplexion doesn¡¯t look good. I hope he¡¯ll recover soon¡­¡¯ The only thing that troubled him during their conversation was Jaeger¡¯splexion, which didn¡¯t seem quite right. Something seemed amiss. For a moment, Pocha closed his eyes and said a prayer for him. ¡°May you find peace.¡± As he prayed, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. Although he hated humans, Pocha felt like the ones apanying Jaeger wouldn¡¯t harm him. ¡®If only I could catch a Great Deer today. That would be great.¡¯ Just as Pocha rose to continue his journey, he heard a sound. ¡°Ugh¡­ aghhh¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Pocha turned his head. A young Werewolf boy was dragging his leg as he walked. He looked to be no more than five or six years old. ¡°Hey, kid, where are you going?¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Instead of replying, the boy let out a strange sound. His eyescked focus, and viscous drool dripped from his open mouth. Long, untrimmed nails were visible under his drooping hands. At that moment, Pocha realized that the boy was one of the many recent cases of deformities among newborns. ¡°Oh dear¡­ Tsk tsk.¡± It seemed like the frequency of deformities among newborns was increasing, and he seemed to be one of them. For a moment, it seemed like the tribe had lost sight of him. However, even if he dragged his leg or drooled, it was considered a rtively benign symptom. ¡°Judging by your attire, you must be from the Mossrock Tribe¡­ Come with me, kid. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Pocha approached the boy and reached out his hand. He couldn¡¯t ignore such deformities, which weremon even in his own tribe. The young Werewolf boy continued to walk without responding. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to carry you then.¡± Just as Pocha was about to pick him up. Swoosh! Something swift and sharp passed by his neck like a breeze. ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, the world around Pocha turned upside down. His body collided with the cold ground, his senses fading rapidly. In his hazy consciousness, he saw the cloudy sky above and his own body falling, his head separated from his neck in a swift motion. Gradually, his vision faded to darkness. The boy, with his long nails stained with crimson blood, muttered in his eerie voice. ¡°Agh¡­ I did it¡­¡± Following Pocha¡¯s footsteps, the Werewolf boy continued his walk. In the distance, torchlights created a blurry glow. Under the dim sky, the falling snowkes grew heavier. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°His name is Barka. He¡¯s the brother of Zaifa¡­ and the mastermind behind the Night of the Fangs.¡± Jaeger¡¯s parched voice echoed through the air. Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. After a moment of silence, Ronan spoke up. ¡°¡­Brother? Zaifa had a brother?¡± ¡°Yes. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if you didn¡¯t know. He¡¯s never been one to reveal his background to others. Even among our northern kin, probably no more than ten people know his true identity.¡± It was truly a surprising revtion. Ronan never would have thought that Zaifa had a brother. He approached in stride and squatted down in front of Jaeger again. ¡°Tell me more. What do you mean by ¡®mastermind¡¯ behind the Night of the Fangs?¡± ¡°Just as it sounds. While Zaifa was the figurehead and focal point for gathering people, all the scheming behind the scenes was done by him. Even our swift capture of Barsa Stronghold in just three days was partly due to his strategic nning.¡± Adeshan¡¯s face stiffened at the mention of her homnd. Jaeger began to list the events Barka had orchestrated. ¡°Unlike Zaifa, who is known for his courage and valor, he¡¯s cunning and wicked. And he¡¯s naturally gifted in strategy. Do you remember the pivotal event that led to the Night of the Fangs?¡± ¡°The Empire¡¯s upation of the Holy Land, Jube?¡± ¡°Exactly¡­ He deliberately arranged for it to be handed over. A messenger secretly sent by Barka informed the Imperial forces of a shortcut to attack the northern defense, leading to the capture of the symbold of Jube. While we lost the Holy Land, it served as the focal point of our rage, rallying ten thousand of our kin.¡± It was a series of shocking revtions. Handing over Jube, the Holy Land of the northern beastmen, to the Imperial Army and defeating the Stronghold¡¯s soldiers were all Barka¡¯s schemes. Jaeger continued. ¡°He came to me directly and asked if I had any intention of bing the King of the North. Unlike in the past, he treated me with respect. Without much thought, I replied that I would do it if given the chance. The rest, as you know, is history.¡± Barka¡¯s visit to Jaeger urred when he was still a prominent bandit. From that day on, Barka served as Jaeger¡¯s advisor, aiming to reunite the North once again. Why he chose Jaeger instead of himself to be the king remained unknown. However, despite his simple demeanor, Jaeger possessed charisma and persuasiveness, and within just two years, he managed to build the New Northern Alliance, a powerful force. As Ronan listened to the story, his lips twisted in disbelief. ¡®He¡¯s dangerous. I didn¡¯t even know he existed in my past life.¡¯ Why such a giant figure hadn¡¯t appeared in his previous life was beyondprehension. Nothing significant had happened in the North until the giants descended from the sky. All Ronan had heard about was the news of the giant Doaru, handled by Navardose, evaporating the Tukan teau. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Wait a moment. So, was Zafia¡¯s defection to the Empire also an idea concocted by this Barka? It feels like apletely different course of action when I hear the exnation.¡± ¡°Sharp observation. To cut to the chase, no. Contrary to what you may think, surrender of the Northern Alliance was Zafia¡¯s own independent decision. She wanted to secure what she had gained so far, while Barka advocated for pushing further, even to the extent of instigating a revolt in the Empire. As a result, they parted ways, likely never to reconcile again.¡± Jaeger spoke with a somewhat bitter tone. Indeed, as Ronan suspected, Zafia¡¯s surrender and oath of loyalty were the result of her autocratic decision-making. While Zafia sought to safeguard the rights and territories of the northern beastmen through negotiations that saw her as a mentor, Barka sought to control everything. There was no doubt that there had been significant friction between the two in reaching and implementing such a decision. Ultimately, war was simply a part of fighting, something Ronan knew well, but he believed Zaifa¡¯s choice was the right one. Despite the ferocity of the Northern Alliance¡¯s momentum at the time, it was inevitable that they would be defeated without being able to ovee the giant that was the Empire. After pondering for a moment, Ronan reached a conclusion. ¡®Barka¡­ I should take care of him before he bes a problem, even if it means turning back for a moment.¡¯ It was too deep in now to just look back at the cksmith¡¯s forge. Moreover, Barka belonged to the Neb zier, so it was rted to his duties as the Dawn. Ronan inquired. ¡°Alright. Do you know where he fled to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure, but he probably went to Heiran. His stronghold is likely there. I once had my subordinates track him down there.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. This was another unexpected development. If it was Heiran, that was the destination they had originally intended to go before the journey veered off course. As Ronan recalled the situation in the cksmith¡¯s forge, he spoke up. ¡°Oh, while we¡¯re at it, take care of your men who have upied Heiran. Free the cksmiths they¡¯re holding as well.¡± ¡°Hey, you seem to be mistaken. If you think I¡¯m going to move ording to your will¡­¡± Jaeger furrowed his brow. Ronan saw a facet of evasion in his demeanor, and chuckled. While it seemed futile to spill everything and then still try to refuse, Ronan could understand his sentiment. He might face retaliation from Barka if he inadvertently leaked secrets. Just as Jaeger was about to say something, he nodded his head. ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m indebted to you.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a condition. Even if you meet him, don¡¯t mention what happened here. Tell him that I was kidnapped by you and returned, babbling nonsense from the pain of having my limbs cut off. Got it?¡± Seeing Ronan¡¯s attempt to avoid responsibility, Jaeger chuckled dryly. Despiteying out the whole story, he wondered what the point was, but he could understand the sentiment. After all, he could face Barca¡¯s retaliation for leaking secrets. Jaeger clenched the doll. Although his head was bad, it was fortunate that hisst conscience remained. Rather than such a dangerous individual like Barka, it was better to have someone like him. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can kill Barka. He¡¯s a different kind of monster from Zaifa. I¡¯m sure he has a strategy to eliminate you without fail.¡± ¡°Is that bastard also a potential swordmaster? That¡¯s a bit tough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never seen him fight properly. He was more suited to be a strategist than a warrior. But the Turkon blood still runs in his veins.¡± Ronan nodded in agreement. Just from the swift kick he received in Jaeger¡¯s room, he could surmise his skill level. Regardless of whether he was almost identical to Zaifa in stature, it seemed unwise to becent. Suddenly, Jaeger flicked his finger as if something hade to mind. ¡°Oh, right. Take this. It might help you track him down.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°However, you must never let him know about the existence of this item. He will definitely recognize that I gave it to you. Where the hell did this damn thing go¡­¡± Jaeger muttered as he rummaged through his pockets. It seemed like he was about to hand something over. After rummaging through most of his pockets, he reached into his inner pocket. Ronan narrowed his eyes as he felt a twinge of pain near his thigh. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°Ronan? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adeshan approached him. Without a word, Ronan, who was searching the pocket where the pain urred, pulled out a short, thick stick. It was the stakes used to curse the tribes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Damn it, this¡­!¡± Both of their faces stiffened simultaneously. An evil aura emanating from the surface was even stronger. The unique purple hue of the curse was visible to the naked eye. Shrill screams echoed from outside the tent. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 209 Chapter 209 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 209: King of the North (3) ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± A piercing scream echoed from outside the tent. Ronan, clutching his sword tightly, rushed outside urgently. Adeshan and Jaeger followed closely behind. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± The moment they stepped outside, they instinctively sensed that something was very wrong. A malevolent and sticky energy clung to their skin. The air they breathed tasted bitter, like insect innards. ¡°Ugh¡­! The air¡­?¡± ¡°Damn it, the curse has intensified.¡± His fingertips tingled. The shadows cast by buildings and people were abnormally thick. Although they didn¡¯t know the reason, it seemed like the curse ced on the tribe had be stronger overall. What trick had Barka pulled? ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°S-Stop it!¡± Amidst the chaos, screams continued to pierce through. Ronan quickly scanned the direction of the noise. The malformed Werewolf children were writhing and undergoing transformations. The sight of their swollen limbs and teeth tearing through their jaws was far from pleasant. ¡°Grrr¡­! Grrrr!¡± ¡°Brother, snap out of it! Brother!¡± Werewolves that seemed to be family members surrounded them, their feet shuffling anxiously. It seemed that with the intensification of the curse, their bodies were changing even more rapidly. An ominous feeling crept over Ronan. If they didn¡¯t resolve this quickly, something very unpleasant would happen. Perhaps they would suddenly be violent, attacking their own family. Ronan shouted loudly. ¡°Cita!¡± ¡°Bwaah!¡± The echo reverberated. Cita, who had been circling in the sky,nded in front of Ronan. Ronan tore a piece of his clothing and hastily scribbled a brief note with a pen. Tying the cloth around Cita¡¯s leg, he said, ¡°There¡¯s a city called Rundalian to the west. Find Professor Sekreet there and bring him back. Your sense of smell should be able to track him despite his fur being thickened. Hurry.¡± ¡°Bwaah!¡± With a nod, Cita immediately took off. Bringing in an expert seemed like the best option given the circumstances. Ronan turned to Adeshan and spoke. ¡°Sunbae, please prevent the malformed children from rampaging. Can you handle it?¡± ¡°Yes. Leave it to me.¡± Adeshan immediately rushed towards the malformed children. Shadow mana spread through the cursed air, calming down the malformed children who seemed on the brink of exploding. ¡°¡­Impressive.¡± Jaeger murmured in admiration at their flexible handling of the situation. He even wondered if these humans could stand up to Barka. Suddenly, a sharp sound came from behind him. ¡°Ahhh.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jaeger turned his head. A Werewolf boy, about ten paces away, was staring at him intently. His arms were ck, and one leg seemed ufortable. His untrimmed nails looked like ten daggers. ¡°Are you also¡­ a resident of this vige?¡± There was no reply. Jaeger, thinking the boy was another malformed child due to the curse, twisted his lips. Then, the boy pointed at him with his index finger and asked, ¡°This¡­ you?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Jaeger. Since the atmosphere here is unusual, you should hurry and go inside the building.¡± ¡°¡­Jaeger. Jaeger.¡± However, the Werewolf boy ignored Jaeger¡¯s words and started approaching him. At that moment, Ronan turned his head towards the boy. ¡°What is that?¡± The boy gave off a different impression than the malformed children he had seen before. There was even an eerie aura about him. Ronan was about to give a warning when the boy¡¯s form blurred for a moment and then reappeared behind Jaeger. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Ronan shouted, but it was already toote. In an instant, the blurry figure of the boy reappeared behind Jaeger. Not realizing the situation, Jaeger looked puzzled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Jaeger. Jaeger. Jaeger. Jaeger.¡± The boy murmured rapidly. Suddenly, five long, red lines were drawn diagonally across Jaeger¡¯s chest. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Before Jaeger could scream, he felt a sensation akin to when his limbs were severed. His eyes widened before he could even utter a word. Swoosh! Five streams of blood gushed out along the lines. In his blurry vision, Ronan¡¯s voice reached him. ¡°Damn it, Jaeger!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ack¡­¡± The bleeding was unrealistically excessive. Blood sttered across the snow in an arc. Rising steam emanated from the crimson puddle. Jaeger instinctively felt his entrails being torn apart into pieces. Thud! His faltering body slowly toppled backward. The sky, veiled in a pale white cloud, filled his sight. ¡°Jaeger. Jaeger. Jaeger. Jaeger. Jaeger.¡± Amidst it all, the boy continued to mutter to himself. From a distance, he gazed at Jaeger and raised his right hand. It seemed like he was about to deliver a final blow. In that fleeting moment when the boy¡¯s figure began to blur once again, Ronan leaped forward and intercepted him with anding. ¡°What the hell are you, you bastard!¡± ¡°Grrrr?!¡± Ronan swung his sword horizontally. The Werewolf boy evaded by pressing the back of his head against his heel. Crack! A loud, cracking sound echoed as if a spine had snapped. ¡°What¡­?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was a bizarre movement that didn¡¯t resemble any living creature. However, the attack itself had not missed. A thin line was drawn across the boy¡¯s neck, and blood spurted out. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± The boy staggered backward. Before he could utter another word, Ronan lunged forward with another strike. Due to the incredibly swift strike, it seemed like he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid it. The boy, clutching his throat, fell backward, buttocks hitting the ground hard. A few drops of blood sttered onto Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡®It¡¯s cold?¡¯ Feeling an alien sensation, Ronan furrowed his brow. The blood, which should have been warm, felt icy cold like water. Its color was closer to ck than red, definitely not like the blood of a living person. Then, with a sudden bounce, the boy rose, screaming as he charged. ¡°Jaeger! Aaargh!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ronan, assuming a defensive stance, narrowed his gaze. The boy, ignoring Ronan, was flying towards Jaeger. Something was definitely off. Ronan turned to face him and activated his Aura. Swish¡­ The crimson glow of the Aura emanated as the boy¡¯s body, which was flying, appeared in front of Ronan¡¯s nose. For the first time, the boy, experiencing an inexplicable phenomenon, showed a hint of confusion on his face. ¡°Gyack?!¡± ¡°Die.¡± Ronan gripped his sword tightly. A clear straight line was drawn across the boy¡¯s abdomen, which was hovering in midair. Fwoosh! ck blood sprayed out, staining the surroundings. The severed torso rolled on the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Suddenly, a foul stench assaulted Ronan¡¯s nose. It was the smell of decay, emanating from the rotting flesh and blood. Then, the boy¡¯s voice echoed once again from the distance. ¡°Grrr! Jaeger! ¡± ¡°What the hell, damn it.¡± It was truly a grotesque sight. With only his upper body remaining, the boy moved using his arms as legs, still advancing towards Jaeger. The tracks made by the ck blood followed the boy like calligraphy strokes. Ronan chuckled as if overwhelmed by the absurdity. ¡°¡­Is he a living corpse?¡± Suddenly, the image of the severed neck he had seen earlier shed in his mind. It wasn¡¯t a survivable injury from the beginning. Ronan, who had jumped to trample the boy, swung his sword again. Swoosh! The head, which had been gritting against the teeth, shattered into dozens of pieces, scattering rotten brains and flesh in all directions. The remaining body parts ceased their movements and slumped to the ground. Looking closely, he could sense it. The boy¡¯s flesh was infused with Barka¡¯s mana. Ronan twisted his lips in disgust. ¡®It¡¯s definitely an assassin sent by that bastard. Probably trying to get rid of him since he has served his purpose. But¡­ this is just¡­¡¯ Suddenly, information about necromancy he had heard somewhere shed through his mind. He wanted to understand the situation immediately, but unfortunately, there was another task at hand. Sheathing his sword, he rushed towards Jaeger. ¡°Damn it, you can¡¯t die now.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ argh¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Jaeger was gasping for breath as if he would die any moment. Blood continued to flow from his chest, and even pouring the remaining potion had little effect due to the depth of the wound. Ronan gritted his teeth. It had to happen right after Cita left. Jaeger, who had been gazing at the sky, suddenly spoke. ¡°Look¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk, idiot. Your wound is getting worse.¡± ¡°Look¡­ in my¡­ pocket¡­¡± ¡°Pocket?¡± Jaeger murmured weakly. It was unclear why he was saying such things at a time like this. Ronan rummaged through his pockets and pulled out an object. It was a squarepass, fixed in ce without pointing in any direction. Jaeger said, ¡°The item I was about to give¡­ probably, he used it¡­ to track me¡­ damn it¡­ that¡¯s why he took the blood¡­¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a Blood Needle¡­ a rare magical tool¡­ that points to the owner of the blood when dipped in blood¡­¡± The Blood Needle tracked within a certain range. Jaeger exined that he had seen Barka, on the day he became the Advisor, collecting his blood and dipping it into the needle. ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t trust him either¡­ just like he didn¡¯t trust me¡­ it will definitely¡­ be useful¡­¡± He chuckled with a frothy voice. Jaeger exined that he had secretly collected Barka¡¯s blood at some point and dipped it into the needle. He was indeed a suspicious and cunning guy. Ronan, who had taken the Blood Needle, nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll use it well.¡± There was no reply. Only the faint sound of breathing could be heard in the wind. It was a candle of life that would soon fade away in less than ten minutes. Ronan, who was silently watching Jaeger, spat on the ground. ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± He was undoubtedly a bastard, but it was still bitter. It seemed they couldn¡¯t end things peacefully. Ronan¡¯s intention was to move to help Adeshan. Suddenly, a loud scream erupted from behind. ¡°Aaargh! S-Save him!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Ronan turned his head. Something was rapidly flying towards them from afar. Its silhouette resembled Cita, but there was something attached to it. When Ronan finally recognized what it was, his eyes widened. ¡°Damn it, Sekreet?¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± A pure white Werefox was perched on Cita¡¯s back. Screaming frantically, the fox was someone he knew well. Cita, who had seen Ronan, nosedived at an almost vertical angle. ¡°Bhwaaaaah!¡± ¡°Oh my, dear me! What in the world is happening!¡± A louder scream echoed out. As Cita abruptly stopped with her four wings andnded, Sekreet tumbled down. Hey on the ground, gasping for breath, then started cursing at Cita. ¡°You, you naughty bird! I thought I was going to die!¡± ¡°Bhweeheehee!¡± Cita pped her wings and giggled. Ronan, who was watching the ridiculous scene, spoke up. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know! She just told me to ride on her back without any warning, and now look at this mess! Oh, my word!¡± Sekreet got up. They had arrived ten times faster than expected. Ronan had joked that Cita could even carry a person, but he never imagined she would actually lift someone. Ronan flicked his finger once and pointed to Jaeger. ¡°That¡¯s right, now¡¯s not the time. Cita, please fix up this bleached tiger.¡± Jaeger was still alive. He wasn¡¯t expected tost more than five minutes, but for now, he was alive. Cita, as if responding, spread her four wings. ¡°Bweeh!¡± A red mist enveloped Jaeger. Soon, the bleeding stopped, and the wounds began to heal. The blood that had flowed out of his body was now returning into his wounds. Jaeger¡¯s mouth, which seemed like it wouldn¡¯t move again, twitched. ¡°Haah¡­ I¡­ feels refreshed.¡± ¡°Are you alive? Close your mouth and lie down.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± It seemed they had passed the urgent crisis. After expressing his gratitude, Jaeger lost consciousness. Turning his head, Ronan noticed that Sekreet was already looking around with a serious expression. ¡°Alright. The curse has definitely intensified. We need to deal with this urgently.¡± It seemed like the situation had already been assessed. Without asking for further details, Sekreet immediately prepared for the ritual. Ronan asked, ¡°Do we need any ingredients for the ritual?¡± ¡°It would be better if we had some, but we¡¯ll have to make do without them for now. Ronan, make sure no one approaches me.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Suddenly, Sekreet dashed into the middle of the vige. Picking up a branch, he began drawing geometric patterns on the ground. It didn¡¯t take long for Ronan to realize that it was a magic circle. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Ruzinka, Lanaviel, Derado.¡± As Sekreet chanted the spell, the magic circle began emitting a faint light. The white light seeping out of the magic circle gradually dispelled the darkened shadows, expanding slowly with a slightly brighter glow than the surroundings. Soon, a hemisphere covered the area with a light brighter than the surroundings. ¡°Gr-gr-geuk¡­¡± ¡°Dear, are you¡­ are you awake?¡± ¡°Wh-what is this light?¡± The transformation of the deformed child stopped. The screams from all around subsided. The bitter air and intensified shadows returned to their original state. Sekreet, who copsed in ce, wiped his chest. ¡°Phew¡­ for now, I managed to alleviate it.¡± ¡°Amazing. Does this mean the curse is lifted?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no. He¡¯s a much stronger opponent than I anticipated. But before anything else, let me ask you something.¡± Ronan expected Sekreet to ask something. His gaze lingered on Jaeger, who was lying down and breathing heavily. Ronan nodded. ¡°Anything. But please, let me exin first and then ask your question.¡± ¡°Exnation?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll give you a brief exnation. So¡­¡± Ronan briefly exined his experiences and what he had heard. The real mastermind was Barka Turkon, and the fact that they¡¯d have to follow him to Heiran. The round eyes of Sekreet widened. ¡°My goodness. The Sword Saint had a brother? And he¡¯s a curse caster?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. It seems he also uses necromancy. Do you have any more questions?¡± ¡°No¡­ none at all.¡± It seemed Sekreet was also unaware of Barka¡¯s existence. Not wanting the conversation to drag on, Ronan asked a question. ¡°Professor, how do wepletely remove the curse? We¡¯re running out of time.¡± ¡°¡­We either have to make the curse caster lift the curse or kill him. This is truly¡­ unbelievable¡­¡± Muttering to himself, Sekreet established his hypothesis and future ns. It was an action stemming from a mage¡¯s insatiable thirst for knowledge. It was evident that he would continue like this for some time. ¡°In the end, blood must be shed.¡± Ronan took out the Blood Needle. Perhaps Barka was not within range yet, as the needle remained still. Adeshan, who had finished her work, approached him. ¡°Thank you, Sunbae. It seems like things have escted.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Concerned about her unusual tone, Ronan asked. This time, there was no reply. Adeshan¡¯s gaze lingered on the Blood Needle, indicating Barka¡¯s location. Herrge irises were submerged in dark, murky gray. ¡°¡­Sunbae?¡± Ronan asked again, there was still no response. He couldn¡¯t tell what was going on inside her head, but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t having positive thoughts at the moment. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine. Sorry for worrying you.¡± Adeshan, who btedly lifted her head, smiled faintly. However, it wasn¡¯t the usual kindness, but rather a smile like a millstone used to suppress emotions. Havingpleted their tasks, the three and Cita returned to Rundalian. Thanks to them, the Werewolves who had narrowly avoided a crisis bid them farewell. Jaeger took some of the tribal people to their headquarters in the Najun Mountains. ¡°Well, shall we depart?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With the curse intensifying across the entire area, there was no time to waste. After spending just one day in Rundalian, Ronan and Adeshan embarked on a new journey. Their destination was Heiran, the northern end of the continent and the base of Barka Turkon. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 210 Chapter 210 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 210: King of the North (4) ¡°The soldiers stationed in Heiran aren¡¯t responding? Are you sure you contacted them properly?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± The Warefox aide bowed his head. Jaeger, who was lying halfway on the bed, frowned. What on earth was going on? ¡°There could be hundreds of them, where could such arge number of personnel have gone missing? Have they been lured away by ghosts from the frozen sea?¡± ¡°I-I apologize. Currently, there¡¯s no way¡­ We¡¯ve immediately organized reconnaissance teams, so we should receive a response soon.¡± The aide stammered, sweating profusely. He couldn¡¯t even raise his head. Jaeger, who had returned two days ago after being seriously injured, exuded an even more enhanced dignity. Maybe it could be called gravitas. Perhaps it was due to having surpassed the threat of death. He seemed much more serious and weighty than before. After a moment of silence, Jaeger spoke. ¡°Hmm¡­ Very well. You may leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The aide withdrew. In the spacious room, only Jaeger and his six bodyguards remained. They were elite subordinates ced there in case of any unexpected attacks. ¡®All sorts of strange things are happening.¡¯ Jaeger swept his beard with his hand. It was a perplexing situation. Ronan¡¯s group would arrive in Heiran the day after tomorrow. If things continued like this, Jaeger wouldn¡¯t know if the promise to withdraw troops had been kept. He pondered deeply on the current situation before speaking up. ¡°¡­Prepare a special unit. I think I¡¯ll have to go see for myself.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be resting for now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but I have a bad feeling about this.¡± Jaeger sat up halfway on the bed. His intuition, which had rescued him from danger so far, was sending out warnings. It felt like something unpleasant was about to happen. It was necessary to urately confirm the current situation. As Jaeger was adjusting his clothes, the door to his study opened slowly. Creak¡­ ¡°Hmm?¡± Jaeger, feeling odd about theck of permission to enter, turned his head. His eyes widened as he saw who was standing at the door. The person he had hoped never to see again was standing there. ¡°Barka¡­!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Jaeger.¡± Barka was wearing a ck robe as always. He approached steadily, his steps making no sound. Jaeger hesitated, stepping back. The guards, realizing btedly, drew their weapons. ¡°Wait, stop right there!¡± ¡°Are you really badly injured? Seems like you¡¯re unharmed, thankfully.¡± But Barka paid no heed to the guards¡¯ warning. It was inconceivable how he managed to enter if Jaeger had ordered all soldiers to deal with him immediately upon his arrival. ¡®It¡¯s impossible that all those men were taken out, right? No, it can¡¯t be. He must have sneaked in secretly.¡¯ Jaeger¡¯s whole body tensed. Although Barka¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be seen as he wore his robe hat on, Jaeger could tell that he was smiling. Barka, who had been staring at Jaeger, finally spoke. ¡°Why are you so tense? Have I done something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­What face do you have toe here? After fleeing alone back then.¡± ¡°I apologize for that. It took some time to n after underestimating my opponent. They were much stronger than I expected.¡± Surrounded by six daggers, he finally stopped. Jaeger was about to talk about the assassin he had sent. Barka spoke up. ¡°So, I have prepared something aspensation. It might be an offer you can¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°An offer I can¡¯t refuse¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Truly¡­ an offer you can¡¯t refuse.¡± With a meaningful tone, Jaeger raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, Barka flicked his finger. Snap! His robe wriggled, and a sinister shadow emerged. ¡°Huh?¡± The formed shadow brushed past the bodies of the guards. The speed was so fast that the seven people, including Jaeger, didn¡¯t even realize the presence of the shadow. As the shadow returned inside the robe, a loud scream echoed. Swoosh! The arms and legs of the six guards were severed, and blood spurted out. ¡°Aaaargh! M-My arms!¡± ¡°Huh? Wh-what?!¡± Desperate screams filled the air. The mutted limbs and disabled bodies copsed. Losing strength in his legs, Jaeger managed to prevent himself from falling by grabbing onto a nearby table. ¡°Wh-What¡­!¡± They couldn¡¯tprehend what had just happened. All they could see was the wriggling robe. Even amidst the sttering blood, Barka stood still as if frozen. Finally, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the right to live, so cooperate, Jaeger. That¡¯s my proposal.¡± ¡°Grrgh!¡± ¡°Forget about the betrayal once. You were originally that kind of trash. If you just listen to me, you can rule the North within a few years.¡± Barka spoke with an authoritative tone. It seemed he had caught wind of the information leak. His crimson eyes gleamed from inside the robe. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± His attitude waspletely different from before. However, it wasn¡¯t too shocking, considering he had been expecting this monster¡¯s ambition to unfold for the past two days. ¡®If I refuse here¡­ I¡¯ll lose everything.¡¯ Jaeger clenched his fist. For a moment, the image of the deformed son of the Werewolf shed through his mind. The memory of revealing information out of foolish righteousness and guilt. Perhaps he was momentarily insane. Jaeger closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again. ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought well. There¡¯s something you must do in Heiran, so follow me.¡± As Jaeger expressed his willingness to cooperate, Barka¡¯s tone softened again, as if nothing had happened. Jaeger brushed off his chest and let go of the table. ¡°Alright. Before we depart, can I take something? It¡¯s in the desk drawer.¡± ¡°Do as you wish. We¡¯ll depart in three minutes.¡± Barka, who said so, turned around. The guards, who were still alive, groaned in agony. Upon closer inspection, it wasn¡¯t just their limbs that had been severed; there were horrific injuries all over their bodies. ¡°L-Lord Jaeger¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh, agh¡­!¡± Jaeger didn¡¯t react. He staggered towards the desk and opened the second drawer. Deep insidey a magnificent dagger, lying like a coiled snake. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ One day, it mighte to this, so it was something he had prepared for. The de of the dagger was dripping with a venomous liquid, emitting a shimmering gleam. It was extremely poisonous, capable of taking down even an ogre with one strike. This was not right. Whether bing the King of the North or the Emperor, this was truly not right. Jaeger wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Barka¡¯s intentions were, but if things continued like this, he would surelymit more atrocious deeds in the future. Reason and intuition were shouting to yield, but his body was moving as his heartmanded. It was the first time in thirty years. ¡®One strike. Just one strike.¡¯ Jaeger, after taking a deep breath, repeated in his mind. Holding the hilt of the dagger cautiously, Jaeger spoke. ¡°Hey, Barka.¡± **** The sky was clear. Though the cold wind blew as if bones would freeze, it was bearable as there was no snowfall. Adeshan handed a piece of jerky to Cita¡¯s mouth and said. ¡°Here. Have some.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Their journey to Heiran was nearing its fourth day. Ronan, Adeshan, and Cita were sitting on the ground, taking a break. They could rest morefortably as arge hill without any grass provided some shelter from the northern winds. Adeshan and Cita were having a simple meal, while Ronan, sitting on a t rock, was writing something with paper and a pencil. Adeshan, who was chewing on jerky, asked him. ¡°Ronan. Who are you writing the letter to?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ What should I write¡­¡± However, there was no response. Ronan¡¯s unusual silence was somewhat suspicious. Adeshan questioned again. ¡°Ronan?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. It¡¯s for His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°Oh. I see¡­ What?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan, who had just finished writing the letter, stood up. He handed the letter, tied to Cita¡¯s ankle and said. ¡°I have a personal favor to ask. It¡¯s a bit demanding¡­ but still, I hope you¡¯ll ept it since I¡¯ve done my part.¡± ¡°¡­Wow. You¡¯re impressive. In many ways.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Adeshan nodded as if exhausted. She didn¡¯t ask what it was about as it seemed Ronan wanted to keep it a secret. After tightly tying the letter, Ronan tapped Cita¡¯s head lightly. ¡°Cita. Please.¡± ¡°Bweh!¡± With her four wings spread out, Cita flew away. Her disappearing figure in the sky reminded them of a cket. It would be two days at thetest before they received a reply. Adeshan said. ¡°I hope it goes well. Whatever it is.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s start moving slowly?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The two of them got up from their seats and brushed off the snow on their clothes. It took them nearly thirty minutes to climb up the steep hill. Finally, Ronan and Adeshan, who had reached the summit, stopped simultaneously. Thendscape of the northern Heiran spread out before them. Adeshan eximed, slightly opening his mouth, at the sight of the vastnd covered in ice and rocks. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived. Damn it.¡± Ronan swept his bangs roughly. It had been a short but arduous journey. They hadn¡¯t been able to sleep properly due to the threat of beasts and monsters that were hostile to humans. Blue ice protruded from the ground here and there. A horizon far to the north proved that this was the end of the continent. Beyond thaty the Sea of Ghosts, the destination of this journey. It was said that the wails of fleeting sailors could be heard from the frozen sea all year round. Why did his father, or Elysia, call him to such a ce? Ronan took out his tobo pipe and asked Adeshan. ¡°How about the Blood Needle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still fixed in ce. Could he be staying down due to injury?¡± ¡°That would be nice, but¡­ Well, we¡¯ll find out once we get there.¡± The Blood Needle received from Jaeger had been fixed in ce sincest night when the direction was determined. Although it seemed suspicious, there seemed to be something in Heiran ording to Jaeger¡¯s words. What needed to be resolved right now was catching Barka. The forge, and his father, came next. The two of them descended down the steep path, being careful not to slip. Ronan whistled as there was no sense of danger around. ¡°Oh¡­ Jaeger seems to have kept his promise. Honestly, I was a little worried.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything either. Seems like he¡¯s really withdrawn the troops.¡± Adeshan nodded. The promise to withdraw troops stationed here seemed to have been faithfully fulfilled. Since there didn¡¯t seem to be any monsters or beasts around, the two could walk along the Blood Needle¡¯s direction without much trouble. ¡°Still, just in case, keep the crossbows from freezing. You never know when you¡¯ll need to shoot.¡± ¡°Yeah. Will do.¡± Adeshan, taking Ronan¡¯s advice, fiddled with the crossbow on her back. Unlike when infiltrating the headquarters of the New Beastmen Alliance, everything was prepared this time. With each step, ice fragments and volcanic rocks made a crunchy sound, emitting an addictive noise. After walking for a while, the two finally reached near the coast. Apart from weathered rocky outcrops and ice formations scattered around, nothing particrly stood out. The sound of crashing waves was intensifying. Adeshan, holding the Blood Needle, tilted her head. ¡°This is strange. Shouldn¡¯t somethinge up by now?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Suddenly, Ronan pointed his index finger forward. A huge ice block,rge enough to be considered a hill, was jutting out between the sea and thend. Strange mana currents were seen swirling around the bluish ice wall. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely suspicious.¡± The needle pointed in the same direction as well. Ronan and Adeshan moved as if possessed by something. As Ronan reached the ice wall, he swung his sword into the air. Swish! Along with the sensation of cutting through paper, the illusion surrounding the ice wall vanished. A hidden door revealed itself. The wooden door, reaching a height of 4 meters, was not designed for humans. Creak¡­ As the door opened, a long corridor of unknown depth was revealed. Faintly, the air inside was tainted with a foul smell. The needle was precisely pointing towards the inside of the corridor. At the same time, the two looked back at each other and then turned their gazes forward again. Ronan, who brushed his clothes, spoke up. ¡°I think we¡¯ve found it.¡± . . . The corridor was much deeper than expected. In the winding cave, even the sound of breathing echoed loudly. The torch in Ronan¡¯s hand was the only source of light. With every flicker of the oil-fed me, their long shadows swayed like dancing. They were on high alert. Ronan¡¯s other hand rested on the hilt of his sword, while Adeshan had the crossbow ready, loaded with bolts. They were prepared for immediate action, no matter what mighte. ¡°Ha, I can¡¯t believe they made something like this inside the ice.¡± Ronan muttered in admiration as he looked around. The walls and ceiling of the huge corridor, reaching a height of nearly 4 meters, were all made of translucent ice. It would have been harder than any rock or metal to carve this out. The only thing on the floor was ayer of straw, seemingly to prevent Barka himself from slipping. Stains of dark red blood were smeared on the straw. The bloodstains, resembling spilled stew, irregrly continued deep into the corridor. ¡°The wounds seem serious. Where else did he get hurt?¡± ¡°¡­Seems like it.¡± Adeshan replied calmly, his tone noticeably subdued. Ronan thought it was a situation serious enough to warrant that. The culprit who had taken everything from him was right in front of them. Ronan, who had been pondering something, spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll yield.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, about Barka, I¡¯ll yield so that you can kill him, Sunbae.¡± It was an unexpected remark, and silence followed. Adeshan, who had been silent for a moment, chuckled. ¡°Thanks. But actually, killing Barka isn¡¯t my goal.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your goal then?¡± ¡°I just want to ask him. Why did he do such things, and why is he still doing them? Why does he seek to rule the North, squeezing out so much blood and tears from people? Of course, he must face justice, but¡­ for now, that¡¯s my only goal.¡± Her voice was calm, without a hint of trembling. Ronan respected her mature attitude by not responding. As they walked for another ten minutes, Adeshan, who had been walking slightly ahead, stopped in her tracks. ¡°Ronan, there¡¯s something beyond the corner.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ahead of them was a corner bending to the right. Ronan closed his eyes and focused. Then he nodded, indicating that he sensed a shimmering mana. ¡°It seems¡­ like Barka.¡± Adeshan cocked the crossbow. The Blood Needle clutched in her left hand also pointed in that direction. Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that answer, Ronan led the way and turned the corner. As the torchlight illuminated the other side, Ronan¡¯s face froze coldly. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Beyond the corner, about 3 meters ahead, the path was blocked by an ice wall. A stone altar, seemingly for rituals, was ced there. On top of it were seven severed heads of beastmen lined up in a row. Unidentified leather bags were hanging on each of the seven heads, attached to hooks. Adeshan, who saw it a moment toote, dropped the Blood Needle. ¡°I-It¡¯s, oh my god¡­!¡± The ttering sound echoed in the cave. The faces lined up in a row were all severely distorted, and seemed equally horrified. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the central head, and he gasped. ¡°¡­Jaeger.¡± His breathing began to quicken. The severed head of a white tiger was unmistakably Jaeger¡¯s. Among the seven heads, he was the only one who didn¡¯t seem to be horrified. His ears were pulled back, and his fangs were bared, as if roaring in anger, while his head seemed cleanly cut off. Adeshan covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°H-How¡­ could this¡­! Then, what about this Blood Needle¡­?¡± ¡°That bastard¡­¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. While looking around, he quickly figured out the secret of the Blood Needle and the shimmering mana. Blood droplets were dripping from the leather bags hanging loosely above the altar. Probably, Barka¡¯s own blood was inside them. It seemed like additional measures were taken to disrupt their senses. ¡°Heh¡­¡± His mouth twitched in amazement. His heart was pounding rapidly. Suddenly, the faint sound of a mechanism clicking came from the back. ¡°What?¡± Both Ronan and Adeshan, who had been tense, simultaneously lowered their heads. Their eyes met over the Blood Needle. The red needle was pointing towards the entrance of the cave. A low, vibrating voice echoed from behind. ¡°Greetings. Vultures who ruined everything for me.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 211 Chapter 211 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 211: King of the North (5) ¡°Greetings. Vultures who ruined everything for me.¡± ¡°Barka.¡± Ronan hurriedly turned the corner. Barka was nowhere to be seen. Shimmering mana, and only the presence reminiscent of Zaifa, swirled beyond the darkness. ¡°You¡¯re as timid as a mouse, noting out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fool, Ronan. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to reveal myself even after experiencing your swordsmanship and that mysterious power. Your ability is inevitably to draw in beings within sight or the reach of that light.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Two things surprised him. One was that this fake Zaifa knew his name, and the other was that he immediately saw through the Aura abilities. Barka said, ¡°It¡¯s a powerful ability, but the method to foil it is simple. Just don¡¯t stand in front of you, whether it¡¯s one side or the other.¡± ¡°It must be nice to have a thick skull. Who told you my name?¡± ¡°Ha, to wish to remain unknown after eliminating two Lycopos? It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that everyone in the hierarchy is targeting you. Of course, that foolish Sword Saint also mentioned you in a letter.¡± ¡°Sword Saint, did Zaifa talk about me? Is that guy also associated with you?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ who knows.¡± A somewhat affirmativeughter was heard. Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He wanted to shout out loud, ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± But Ronan suppressed his suspicion by breathing deeply. This, too, could be psychological warfare. ¡®Stay calm.¡¯ It seemed like it would be a troublesome fight. Unlike the brute force of Zafia, this one seemed to be someone who actively used his head. Ronan tried to focus his mind to estimate the exact location of the guy, but strangely, he couldn¡¯t detect him well. Had he taken some measures across the entire ice face? Ronan, turning his head in seven directions, opened his mouth. ¡°Jaeger, did you do this?¡± ¡°You could say that. I didn¡¯t cut his throat, though.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Jaeger was nothing more than a worm. He had a knack for gathering people, so I tried to make use of him somehow, but for some reason, he betrayed me at thest moment. Thanks to him, most of my ns went awry.¡± Judging by his tone, it seemed like he was deeply angered. Barka¡¯s voice sounded entirely different from before. Still, in the end, Jaeger died as a king. Ronan clicked his tongue. ¡°If it was a n, was it about uniting the North?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you that. It seems like you¡¯re just buying time to escape, but it¡¯s futile.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan cursed. In fact, he and Adeshan were stealthily moving toward the exit. There was nothing good about being in the jaws of that damn bastard. He¡¯s quick on the uptake. ¡®Damn it, isn¡¯t there any decent topic for conversation?¡¯ They were trying to move towards the exit as much as possible, but the situation became tricky. Barka¡¯s sardonic farewell interjected. ¡°Then let¡¯s bid farewell here. Goodbye¡­¡± ¡°You tried to raise Jaeger as a puppet and turn him into a tyrant, and then tried to kill him. That way, you could ascend as a hero. I think I understand why you didn¡¯t expand your power despite having the ability.¡± Suddenly interjecting, Adeshan cut off his words. Ronan raised his eyebrows. She hade close without him noticing. ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°Because if you behave normally, you can¡¯t escape Zaifa¡¯s shadow. Many still prefer the peace obtained through Zaifa¡¯s sacrifices. The curse imposed on the North was also a coboration between humans and Jaeger.¡± The restless eyes settled calmly. They seemed to have seeded in drawing attention. A considerably long silence followed. A more ferocious voice of Barka echoed from the darkness. ¡°¡­That woman who was there. Who is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s someone who you took everything from. Barka, there¡¯s one thing I want to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why are you so obsessed with uniting the North? Are you willing to do such things to your own people? Squeezing tears from the people who will eventually be your subjects or soldiers?¡± There was no answer. The two started moving again. Despite moving considerably, there seemed to be no sign of an exit in the long, winding corridor. Suddenly, a sound like gnashing teeth echoed in the darkness. ¡°¡­To show hell to you humans, especially to those of the Empire. Anyway, soon everything will be engulfed by starlight and disappear, but that¡¯s too sweet and peaceful a death for the Empire¡¯s pigs.¡± ¡°Starlight? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough. And to that hateful Zafia as well¡­¡± Barka trailed off. Ronan and Adeshan narrowed their eyes simultaneously. Earlier it was about a letter and now it¡¯s about hatred; it was confusing to keep up with the changing tone. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan, who was walking ahead, furrowed his eyebrows. The sound of crashing waves could be heard not far away. By this point, it seemed like the exit was close enough. The two exchanged nces, ready to bolt out. Bang! Suddenly, with a loud crash, the ice ceiling in front of them copsed, blocking the passage. ¡°Damn it, what the hell?!¡± Ronan instinctively pulled out his sword. The rushing sword energy poured down onto the pile of ice. Kwaaang! Cold shrapnel scattered as a path was opened. However, immediately, the ceiling ahead copsed again, blocking the way forward. ¡°You son of a¡­¡± There was even more debris than before. It seemed like it would take some time to break through. At that moment, a simr copse sound echoed from behind where they had passed. Adeshan, who sensed something, shouted desperately. ¡°Ronan, something¡¯sing out. It¡¯sing this way!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Even though it wasn¡¯t detected before, the presence that Adeshan mentioned was now felt. It seemed something was rapidly approaching them. A gut-wrenching roar resounded through the ice cave. ¡°Grrrrr! Kraaaak!¡± ¡°The nonsense has gone on long enough. Say hello to Jaeger for me.¡± In an instant, Barka¡¯s presence disappeared. But there was no time to pursue him right now. Inside the corridor, Adeshan aimed her crossbow and fired. Thud! The arrowhead prated the flesh with a sickening sound, and the shadow took on a solid form, rolling on the ground. ¡°Kieeek!¡± It was a Werewolf, resembling the boy who had attacked Jaeger. Blood oozed from its gaping mouth, and its joints twisted in grotesque directions. ¡°This looks like the one I saw before¡­¡± A bolt from Adeshan¡¯s crossbow was firmly lodged in the center of its forehead. Judging from its motionlessness and convulsions, it seemed like its brain had been destroyed in one strike. Adeshan, observing the Werewolf, furrowed her brow. ¡°No doubt about it. This was created through necromancy. As if a curse wasn¡¯t enough, resorting to ck magic¡­¡± ¡°His specialties differ a lot from Zafia.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Thebination of a Weretiger and a ck magic user seemed quite mismatched. As Ronan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, a golden aura traveled up his right arm to his shoulder. But for now, escaping this damn freezer was the top priority. ¡°I¡¯m going. Follow closely.¡± Saying so, Ronan dashed towards the exit. In an instant, his hand blurred, drawing dozens of lines across the debris blocking their path. Ronan didn¡¯t slow down, ramming his shoulder into the rubble. Kaboom! With an explosion akin to a bomb st, the ice wall shattered into pieces. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Adeshan eximed in admiration. Varen¡¯s aura-enhanced physical abilities allowed such reckless actions. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from the front. ¡°Aaargh!¡± ¡°Grrrk, Kiririk!¡± ¡°What a mess.¡± Ronan chuckled at the sight ahead. Contrary to expectations of a clear path, the corridor was filled with a severe congestion. A thick stench of decay wafted through the air, making it dizzying. The reanimated beastmen, brought back to life through necromancy, filled the corridorpletely. Ronan wondered where they had alle from. With a loud crash, the ice wall ahead shattered, and a Weredeer burst out. ¡°Mwiik! Mwiick!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It seemed that the ice was scattered with corpses here and there. Ronan felt a strange sensation, recognizing some of the figures among the living dead. ¡°Don¡¯t some of them look a bit familiar?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the beastmen from Jaeger¡¯s room¡­!¡± Adeshan bit her lower lip. Among the living corpses, there were definitely some that they had seen in Jaeger¡¯s room. It seemed they hadn¡¯t retreated but had been wiped out by Barka. A Werelion, missing all its fur, growled with a broken voice. ¡°Ronan. Ronan. Ronan.¡± ¡°That son of a bitch.¡± Ronan¡¯s hatred towards Barka was escting. It was regrettable, but unavoidable. Ronan ran forward, wielding his sword. A wide arc of devastation sliced through the air, cutting through the living dead. sh! The beastmen¡¯ heads rose up to the ceiling, leaving only their lower necks. ¡°Kieeek!¡± Headless bodies copsed in unison. Simultaneously, a wave of corpses surged towards Ronan and Adeshan. Fifty from the front, fifty from the back. There were over a hundred in in sight alone. Ronan, unleashing his sword once again, turned to Adeshan and asked. ¡°Can¡¯t control them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re mindless corpses, it won¡¯t work!¡± ¡°Shit.¡± There seemed to be no choice but to brute force their way through. Ronan shed, stabbed, and asionally unleashed sword energies to dismember the oing horde. The already dead beastmen kept moving. Despite their numbers, only a few seemed to have functioning hearts and lungs, a fact that was both bitter and amusing. Gathering his energy, Ronan swung his sword diagonally. A precise sword energy shot forward, cutting through the advancing bodies like popcorn popping in the dark. ¡°If you¡¯re dead, please just rest in peace!¡± Yet the wave of corpses showed no signs of abating. More beastmen burst through the ice wall, trampling over the mangled bodies of their fallenrades as they charged forward. They seemed well-prepared indeed. As the battle dragged on, the situation became increasingly dire. The bodies of both Ronan and Adeshan were turning sickly ck, soaked in rotten blood. The putrid blood evaporated along with their sweat, draining their body heat. Adeshan fought with her crossbow and whip alternately, but the undead warriors were relentless. Thud! A Werewolf¡¯s w dug in from a blind spot and struck Adeshan¡¯s back. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°A-Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Phew, I managed to block it!¡± Adeshan gritted her teeth. Fortunately, she swiftly rotated her whip to defend herself, dampening the impact. Ronan swiftly lunged forward with his sword. The Werewolf¡¯s head exploded like a balloon, its brain sttering everywhere. Ronan, feeling a sense of confusion, asked her. ¡°I¡¯m confused, too. Is the corridor narrowing?¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems like it¡­¡± If it wasn¡¯t a misconception, the corridor was indeed narrowing. The entire ice block seemed enchanted with some kind of magic. Continuing like this would indeed be perilous. If they didn¡¯t hurry to escape, they risked not only losing Barka but also being frozen along with the bodies of the beastmen. The needle of the Blood Needle was slowly moving northward. ¡®With that bastard¡¯s personality, he will definitely ensure we meet our end.¡¯ It seemed like he hadn¡¯t escaped far yet. Most likely, Barka was leisurely enjoying watching his trap activate from a safe distance. Ronan sincerely did not want to lose Barka. His determination was clear from just a few words of conversation. Barka was a monster filled with such vile and repugnant evil that shouldn¡¯t exist in the world. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened with desperate resolve. ¡®Wait.¡¯ He remembered bringing it along, just in case. Ronan rummaged through his pocket with the hand not wielding the sword. His fingertips touched a small, gem-like object. A smile crept onto his bloodied face. ¡°This is it.¡± Ronan withdrew his hand from his pocket. Clutched in his hand was a badge shaped like a sun. For his role in rescuing the Dawn Tower from Virja¡¯s grip two years ago, he had received the 1st ss Medal of Valor, bestowed upon him by Aun Phra, the master of fire magic, Originally, he had kept it attached to his school uniform, but he brought it along just in case it was needed in the cold northern regions. Aun Phra had definitely mentioned engraving some defensive magic on it. Judging by the temperament of its creator, it undoubtedly contained powerful fire magic. After all, he was a man ofrge-scale effects. If they could burn everything down and escape, they might just make it. Ronan nced at Adeshan, who was struggling in battle, and said. ¡°Stick close to me, Sunbae. As close as possible.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just do it, and be quick!¡± Reaching out his arm, Ronan wrapped it around Adeshan¡¯s waist. Taken aback by the unprecedented intimacy, she gasped for breath. ¡°Ro-Ronan!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see your skills, Aun Phra.¡± Although he didn¡¯t understand the mechanism behind how the magic worked, it seemed like it would trigger upon receiving an attack. The moment Ronan pressed the badge against the reanimated beasts, a dizzying burning pain engulfed him. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Ronan?! Are you okay?¡± The pain was excruciating, enough to make his body copse. Heat radiated from his veins as if burning them, spreading from deep within his chest. Ronan¡¯s mouth opened from pain that somewhat gave him a sense of deja vu. ¡°Keuk.. Navardose?¡± It was the same pain he had experienced when the curse was extracted from him, except this time, it seemed to be a side effect of infusing his own spark into the curse¡¯s ce. ¡®What is about to happen?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t discern the details, but he spected that inserting his own me where the curse had been drawn out might have been causing the side effects. A giant Werebear was about to strike with its w. Gathering his senses, Ronan raised the badge again. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Kwaaaargh!¡± The w had enough force to send a human¡¯s torso flying with one blow. At the moment of contact between the icy corpse and the badge, a sh of light exploded around Ronan, illuminating the dark corridor. **** The sky was overcast. Snowkes fluttered down, disappearing as they touched the seawater. Ice floes drifted around, carried by the ghostly sea. -Karr, karr. Ghostly white dolphins swam through the murky water. Although they were a rare and fantastical sight, Barka paid them no heed. Rowing on his wooden boat, he muttered under his breath, ¡°It must be over soon.¡± His gaze lingered on a distant iceberg, gradually fading away. By now, even if the undead warriors hadn¡¯t killed Ronan, the ice would have covered the corridor, sealing their fate. The iceberg, spread across the sea andnd, was both Ronan¡¯s grave and Barka¡¯s trap. How much effort had been put into building this tomb and trap to bury Ronan? ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I wanted to kill him myself.¡± Barka clicked his tongue. As much as he wanted to personally end the enemy who had ruined everything, he couldn¡¯t afford to becent against the opponent who had thwarted Darman¡¯s ns. ¡®No. This is the right thing to do.¡¯ Being cautious to the extreme was Barka Turkon¡¯s way. Moreover, his most reliable ally, always kept in his robe and taken everywhere, was currently undergoing detoxification treatment in theboratory. It had been stabbed in ce of Jaeger¡¯s dagger. ¡°¡­That scoundrel.¡± Even now, the thought of Jaeger¡¯s face ignited a fiery rage within him. He never imagined that trash could demonstrate such power. If he had known, he would have turned him into an undead warrior instead of simply killing him with a single blow. ¡°Well, we can always try again.¡± But Barka quickly shook off his irritation and regained hisposure. Apart from his grudge against the empire, all other past matters were just obstacles hindering his progress. Furthermore, there was still some time before the arrival of the stars. If they could swallow up the north with another n, that would be the end of it. After all, the researchb located in the Sea of Ghosts was filled with weapons capable of unifying the north. With renewed determination, he prepared to set his ns in motion once again. Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the air! The iceberg containing Ronan erupted, catching Barka off guard. ¡°Wh-what?!¡± It seemed as if a dragon was breathing fire from within. A massive column of mes shot skyward, illuminating the darkness. Shards of ice and charred corpses rained down into the sea like falling rain. ¡°This can¡¯t be. There was no mage among them¡­¡± Barka stared at the burning ice in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t fathom what had happened. Was it a self-destruct at thest moment? With such an explosion, he couldn¡¯t have survived unscathed. Should he go check the bodies? He was panting heavily, his mind racing. From the deck, a familiar voice reached him. ¡°Phew¡­ I barely caught up with you. That was dangerous¡­¡± ¡°What the¡­?!¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s freezing¡­ fuck.¡± Barka hastily lowered his head. A white dolphin was attached to the side of his boat. Its eyes, which should have shimmered with a beautiful blue hue, were clouded gray. A young man covered in ck blood and seawater, clutching the dolphin¡¯s neck, lifted himself up. ¡°Ronan?!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but man, you really look alike¡­¡± Ronan chuckled weakly. If it weren¡¯t for the reddish fur and the horrific scar running across his face, he could easily be mistaken for Zafia. Perplexed, Barka shouted, ¡°How¡­?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, there¡¯s no reason for me to tell someone¡­.¡± ng! Letting go of the dolphin, Ronan leaped onto the deck in one swift motion. As he emerged, the seawater clinging to his body froze instantly. Ronan swept his bangs aside and spoke. ¡°Who will die soon.¡± ¡°You!¡± Barka instinctively threw a punch. It was remarkably fast, perhaps due to the Turkon bloodline, butpared to Zafia, it was far from enough. Ronan deftly dodged, twisting his shoulder to evade the attack. Grabbing the hilt of his sword, he pulled it out. Fwoosh! Like aet, the thrust pierced through Barka¡¯s chest. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 212 Chapter 212 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 212: King of the North (6) Like a shooting star, the stabbing thrust pierced through Barka¡¯s chest. It was much faster than what he had seen in Jaeger¡¯s room. Barka gasped in pain as if mes were igniting inside his body. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Die already.¡± Ronan twisted the de vertically and then thrust it upwards. The crimson de sliced through bones and organs, swiftly rising upwards. If it continued like this, Barka¡¯s head would have been split in half from the bottom. Using his superhuman strength, Barkaunched himself to the side. ¡°Kra-agh!¡± Chwack! The twisted trajectory of the de tore through his right side. Barka, reacting to this speed, was indeed Zaifa¡¯s brother. Ronan, holding the de vertically, clicked his tongue. ¡°Persistent.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll go down like this?¡± Blood flowed from the burst side, though Barka avoided instant death, it was a significant wound. At that moment, the shimmering mana above Barka¡¯s shoulder intensified. Up until now, it hadn¡¯t been noticed, but its scale was almostparable to the bishops. Swinging his arm forcefully, Barka pushed Ronan away and let out a furious roar. ¡°Kraaaaaaah!!¡± In an instant, Barka¡¯s physique almost doubled. Ronan recognized it as one of the abilities Ahaiyute had used on the final battlefield. ¡®Is that the power he received?¡¯ Even the wounds on Barka¡¯s chest and side were quickly healing. His robe tore apart, revealing a torso covered in scars. Barka, now more muscr than Zaifa, swung his ws. ¡°Die!¡± This attack was much stronger and sharper than before. Regardless, it didn¡¯t matter much to Ronan. He faced it head-on without dodging. The sleek de deflected past Barka¡¯s left arm like a flicker. Swoosh! With a clean cut, the severed forearm fell onto the deck. Ronan, sttered with warm blood, casually muttered. ¡°Still got some fight left in you?¡± ¡°Ugh! H-how¡­!¡± Astonished, Barka looked at his severed left arm. An impossible scenario was unfolding. Was this guy really human? Something had to be done, but there was no time to strategize. Swish! Ronan¡¯s immediate counterattack sliced across Barka¡¯s neck horizontally. ¡°Kugh¡­!¡± Barka¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. Luckily, he managed to lean back, avoiding decapitation, but about half of his neck bone was cut. The spurting blood painted the sea red. ¡®If this continues, I will die.¡¯ His consciousness was fading. Only then did Barka realize he couldn¡¯t defeat Ronan in a physical fight. He decided on something and, with his remaining right arm, smashed the deck. Quaaang! The ship split in half, shattered to pieces. The erupting maelstrom obscured the sky. ¡°What the hell!?¡± ¡°Gurgle¡­!¡± Barka sank into the sea. Ronan, losing bnce at the moment, was about to fall. Just as he was about to fall, a white dolphin emerged and supported his back. Thanks to it, he was able to ride on the dolphin¡¯s back without falling into the water. From behind, Adeshan¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Ronan! Are you okay?!¡± Adeshan was approaching on another dolphin. She had controlled the dolphin¡¯s mind, sending Ronan ahead first and following behind btedly. She too looked like a soaked rat, herplexion noticeably paler. After wiping his face once, Ronan spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. But that madman suddenly smashed the ship¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why someone would jump into the sea with fatal injuries. Due to the debris covering the surface, the guy¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. Suddenly, Adeshan eximed in shock. ¡°O-Over there!¡± ¡°HUh?¡± As Ronan turned his head to where she was pointing, he saw something squirming under the iceberg about 20 meters away. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize it was Barka. Desperately struggling, he held a white scroll in his hand. Whoosh! A dimension door appeared in front of him, and Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Hah, that bastard.¡± Only then did Ronan realize that the guy fell into the water intentionally. Reactively gripping the hilt of his sword, Ronan focused his mind. Lamancha¡¯s de glowed with the color of sunset. ¡°Come here.¡± Pwaash..! A light cluster pulling the opponent shot towards the sea floor. But there was no change in Barka¡¯s movements. In his ce, a plump salmon appeared before Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damn it, is this why he jumped into the water?¡± The salmon that was fluttering in the air returned to the water. Ronan twisted his lips. Perhaps due to refraction from the water, aiming wasn¡¯t urate. Ronan was about to activate his Aura again. Adeshan, who was beside him, urgently shouted. ¡°That won¡¯t work, Ronan, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°What?¡± It was the moment Ronan turned his head. The dolphins carrying him and Adeshan submerged into the water. Due to the sudden entry, he ended up swallowing some water. ¡°Blurgh¡­!¡± His face felt as if it would be torn apart. Thanks to him grabbing onto the fins sticking, he could prevent himself from being thrown off. Adeshan¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. [Come over here and grab me, quickly!] Ronan nodded his head. There seemed to be a n. Ronan, who had transferred to Adeshan¡¯s dolphin, hugged her from behind. The white dolphin¡¯s body shot out like a bullet. The messenger of the sea, specialized in swimming, rapidly closed the distance between Barka and the two. Barka¡¯s body had already disappeared into the dimensional portal, leaving only his legs behind. Adeshan, channeling mana into her arms, swung her whip. Swish! The steel serpent, fully extended, coiled around Barka¡¯s left ankle. ¡°Uwah!¡± Barka, taken aback, thrashed his leg. Ronan, realizing Adeshan¡¯s n, grabbed the handle of the whip together. Due to the significant difference in their physique, the two were pulled towards where Barka was. [Harder!] Adeshan shouted again. Letting go of the fins, the two moved through the water at a speed faster than the dolphin. Barka¡¯s figure disappeared into the dimensional portal. Shwoop! The dimensional portal, narrowly swallowing Ronan and Adeshan, closed its mouth. Along with the sensation of being squeezed, Ronan¡¯s vision turned pitch ck. **** ¡°Gah!¡± His vision brightened. Judging by the fact that he could breathe, he didn¡¯t seem to be underwater. Ronan, regaining his senses, quickly jumped to his feet. The ground was made of ice, almost causing him to slip. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As he opened his mouth, the seawater he had been holding in poured out. Neither Barka nor Adeshan was in sight. Hastily looking around, he noticed Adeshan sprawled on the ground. ¡°Damn it, Sunbae.¡± It seemed he lost consciousness while jumping through space. Shey there, her face turned white, not breathing. Ronan immediately started performing CPR. ¡°Hmph!¡± Their lips touched multiple times, but there was no room for strange thoughts. Amid giving breaths andpressing her chest about fifteen times, Adeshan suddenly opened her eyes, as she straightened her upper body like a spring. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Cough! Hack¡­ Haaa¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ Thank goodness.¡± Ronan let out a sigh of relief. Adeshan, lying next to him, began to cough up seawater. Fortunately, it seemed that her life was not in danger. Without even turning her head, she asked. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­ Ugh, where¡¯s Barka?¡± It was a remarkable determination to ask such a question as soon as she came back to life. She still had the handle of the whip in her right hand, without letting go even while unconscious. Ronan replied, ¡°I don¡¯t see him right now, but he must be nearby. Wait, what¡¯s that¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. His gaze lingered on the other end of the whip that Adeshan was holding. So when Adeshan turned her head, she gasped. A severed ankle was entangled in the whip. ¡°H-He cut off his ankle¡­!¡± ¡°What a ruthless bastard.¡± Ronan chuckled as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. The cut was messy, indicating that it was forcibly torn off. It seemed that it had been cut off while traveling through space and ended up in a different location from where they were. Adeshan, who was fidgeting, tilted her head. ¡°Anyway, where are we¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like we¡¯vee farther than expected.¡± Ice surrounded them. The irregrly shaped ice floes resembled the scales of a giant fish. The cold here was unlike anything they had experienced before, prating to the bone. Unidentifiable sounds echoed under the dark sky. The eerie echoes, which certainly didn¡¯t sound like the voices of the living, hinted at their current location. Ronan, helping Adeshan to her feet, whispered softly. ¡°¡­The Sea of Ghosts.¡± ¡°Did the teleportation fail? Why are we in a ce like this¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. What about the Blood Needle?¡± ¡°Oh, hold on a moment.¡± Adeshan rummaged through her belongings and pulled out the Blood Needle. Fortunately, it hadn¡¯t been lost in the sea. Her eyes widened as she checked the needle. ¡°Ro-Ronan. It¡¯s moving right now. And it¡¯s very close.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t even need to look at the blood needle.¡± ¡°Well, how far could a one-legged bastard like him have gone¡­?¡± The absence of bloodstains probably meant that the wounds had frozen over. Ronan closed his eyes and focused. Indeed, he could sense Barka¡¯s presence not far away from them. Having hastily prepared, the two of them set off. The wind was strong, making it difficult to keep their eyes open. Adeshan, ncing back at Ronan, whispered softly. ¡°That thing earlier¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Although Ronan asked, Adeshan didn¡¯t answer. Memories when she drank the seawater and came back from the verge of death remained vivid in her mind. Adeshan, touching her lips, lowered her head. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Oh, look over there!¡± Having discovered something, Adeshan pointed ahead. Arge sailing shipy on the ice sea. The massive vessel, about 100 meters long from bow to stern, looked like the carcass of a whale lying on the beach. The torn gs made it impossible to determine its affiliation. Judging by the numerous gunports, it seemed to have been a warship. The needle of the Blood Needle was precisely pointing at the ship. The two of them soon reached the front of the ship. Up close, its power felt much greater. As they searched the ship, Adeshan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s certain. He¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡± The Blood Needle was also pointing directly at the front. Suddenly, Ronan drew his sword. He had no intention of falling for Barka¡¯s tricks again. ¡°Haah!¡± Ronan swung his sword with all his might. ng! The rushing de struck the vertical deck. Before long, smoke cleared, revealing the decrepit interior of the ship. ¡°Incredible¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this powerful.¡± Adeshan eximed with wide eyes. Ronan, too, chuckled at the unexpected effectiveness of his technique. Since feeling a burning sensation in his heart earlier, the overall power of his skills seemed to have increased. Is this the power he originally possessed? The two of them advanced along the transformed ship¡¯s interior. The unique smell of decayed wood permeated the air. ¡°¡­It looks like a ship that was stranded a long time ago.¡± ¡°Where did he find something like this?¡± The tilted deck was empty. On either side, there were empty spaces and cannons stuck into the floor. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan, who had noticed something, stopped in his tracks. He saw the ice exposed beneath the torn-up floor, and there, a floor hatch caught his eye. ¡°This¡­¡± The floor hatch was wide open. Below it, a staircase barely wide enough for s Weretiger to pass through continued beneath the icy sea. Unlike the ship that seemed to have been buried for thousands of years, the floor hatch didn¡¯t seem very old. It appeared that the ship was a decoy, and this was the real entrance to the hideout. Barka¡¯s presence wasing from directly below. As they exchanged nces, the two headed down the stairs. With each step, their footsteps echoed. Ronan, holding his shining sword like a torch, spoke up. ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t another trap.¡± ¡°Yeah. It feels different fromst time.¡± Adeshan replied confidently. Indeed, it didn¡¯t seem like a trap to Ronan either. As they descended, the stairs soon ended. A vast corridor stretched out before them. Unlike the damn ice face, the corridor was paved with neatlyid stones. Simrly, the walls were neatly finished, with luminescent stones embedded at regr intervals. Ronan muttered curses as he looked around. ¡°This bastard really has his house well decorated.¡± ¡°¡­The disgusting smell.¡± Adeshan frowned. Various odors, from rotting flesh to toxic nts to various animal smells, permeated the stagnant air. Could it be remnants of dark magic and necromancy? The further they walked, the more intense the smell became. The two people following Barka¡¯s presence arrived at a certain room. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected ordinary space. ¡°Is this¡­ a study?¡± The room wasn¡¯t particrlyrgepared to a Weartiger¡¯s physique. It contained everyday furniture such as a desk, chair, and bed. There seemed to be no hiding ce for Barka. ¡°He¡¯s not here, right?¡± ¡°No. We have to go a little further.¡± Adeshan nodded her head in response to Ronan¡¯s question. The Blood Beedle was also pointing at the opposite wall. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s gaze fell on the stack of papers on the desk. He frowned. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± It was concerning enough to warrant further inspection. Despite the faded edges, the handwriting was particrly distinctive. The lively handwriting, as if dancing, was undoubtedly that of someone he knew. Ronan picked up a piece of paper, furrowing his brows. ¡°This is¡­ Zaifa¡¯s handwriting.¡± [TL/N: this mass release wasmissioned by a member on our discord server, don¡¯t forget to thank them in thements :3 also go join the discord if u wannamission chapters like this too] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 213 Chapter 213 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 213: King of the North (7) [ Note: With more context revealed, it has been made clear that ¡°Zafia¡± is a male. Not female. Going forward, ¡°Zafia¡± will be referred to as ¡°He/Him¡±. We apologize for any inconvenience caused in your reading experience.] ¡°This is¡­ Zaifa¡¯s handwriting.¡± Ronan narrowed his gaze as he looked at the parchment. He had seen Zaifa¡¯s scribbles before when they drank together in Parzan. It was unmistakably Zaifa¡¯s handwriting. ¡®I¡¯m sure.¡¯ The parchment he held was a collection of letters addressed to Barka. The date of receipt was separately noted in the lower right corner of each letter. Arranged in chronological order, the letters were all worn to the point where the edges were torn. Some were in particrly bad condition, with torn edges patched together as if they had been torn apart and then stuck back together. ¡®He must have read them a lot. But was Barka¡¯s im true?¡¯ Suddenly, Ronan recalled Barka¡¯s words inside the ice cave. Barka had mentioned that Zaifa had mentioned his name in a letter. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Doubts that had been lying deep within him began to surface. Seeing Ronan suddenly stop in his tracks, Adeshan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ronan? What are you doing over there?¡± ¡°Just a moment¡­ hold on.¡± Ronan raised his hand, signaling for Adeshan to wait. This couldn¡¯t be ignored. He began to read the letter as if he were captivated by something. The first letter had arrived eight years ago. ¡°Little brother, are the soldiers gathering as nned¡­ Although I have made a pact with the Emperor, but¡­ damn it.¡± Ronan muttered curses as he read the letter. It was nothing short of a rebellion n. Beneath the instructionsy confidential information about the Imperial Army. Jaeger¡¯s words were wrong. He had mentioned that Zaifa and Barka¡¯s rtionship hadpletely deteriorated after Zaifa¡¯s surrender, but that was clearly misinformation. Zaifa was in fact closely allied with Barka. ¡°That damn cat¡­!¡± It felt like being hit by an axe of disbelief. Ronan continued to quickly scan through the next letters. They contained increasingly rebellious content. Until just three years ago, Zaifa had been talking about the liberation of the North and the Empire bing a heap of ashes. Every word seemed filled with venom. It felt like he could understand why Navirose had warned him. There was a profound sense of betrayal, but at the same time, it felt pitiful. Ronan wondered what could have happened in the past to make a person be like this. asionally, the vague reminiscences of memories with his childhood sweetheart would offer fleeting glimpses into the past, hinting at what might have been. ¡®¡­Did he say his entire family was killed?¡¯ In the letters, Zaifa expressed more hatred towards the Empire than anyone else. Although there was a mention of Neb zier at one point, the main topic was always the anger towards the Empire and the consolidation of the North. As Ronan read on, he grabbed the next letter. ¡°Today, while carrying out a mission, I met a guy named Ronan¡­ huh?¡± His eyes widened as he saw a familiar name. Judging by the date, the letter was written about two years ago. It contained the events of the day when he, along with Aselle and Zafia, dealt with Neb zier on Wyverns. ¡°He was quite amusing¡­ In terms of interest, he¡¯s on par with the Swordmaster I mentioned before, Navirose¡­ A little brat who hasn¡¯t even reached twenty yet, yet he carries a sense of justice¡­¡± Ronan realized that Zaifa had been closely observing him. It seemed that standing up against the giant organization Neb zier had piqued his interest. From then on, the tone of the letters began to change. The main content was no longer about hatred towards the Empire, but rather about ns for the future and precautions to be taken. ¡°He¡¯s a remarkable guy. He even asked me to help move. Can you believe it?¡± ¡°Having heard Ronan¡¯s words, I conducted an investigation. Those guys are much more dangerous than we thought¡­ Brother, be careful of Neb zier. Now is not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves¡­ ¡± There was no more talk of rebellion in the letters from around this time. As the dates approached the present, the venom seemed to lessen. The recent letters mainly consisted of brief updates, along with a recurring theme emphasizing that now is not the time for rebellion, and everyone must unite their strength to eliminate those fanatics. It seemed that Barka¡¯s temper had red up, as evidenced by the fact that all the letters from this time period had been torn once and then reattached. ¡°Two months ago, I drank with Ronan¡­ we were attacked by a guy named Darman at the summit of Parzan¡­¡± Thest letter detailed events that urred at the Festival of Swords. Zaifa no longer referred to Ronan with derogatory terms, such as a brat. The letter ended with the assertion that the northern forces needed to unite and fight against Neb zier. The reading of the letterssted less than three minutes. Ronan chuckled as he looked away from the letters. ¡°¡­Old geezer, being wishy-washy.¡± Zaifa was not a traitor. The axe did not strike his heel. Ronan realized that it was he himself who had changed him. This was the ¡°difference from his previous life¡± that he had been searching for. Whether intentional or not, by meeting him, Zaifa forgot the hatred and pursued another justice. Ronan felt like he understood why Barka despised Zafia so much. The outlines of the events were starting to be clearer. Ronan was determined to continue his pursuit. Just as he was about to proceed, a broken voice from behind the door interrupted him. ¡°Did you¡­ read that?¡± ¡°Barka.¡± ¡°Following me all the way here¡­ You¡¯re quite¡­ persistent.¡± It was Barka. Judging by his growly tone, it seemed that his neck wounds hadn¡¯t fully healed yet. Ronan tossed the letters aside and aimed his sword at the door. Bang! The wall blew out, revealing the space behind it. A foul stench engulfed both of them. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Aboratory?¡± The spacious room, carved out of the ice sea, was filled with hundreds of shelves and countless experimental tools. On the five-tiered shelves, special-treated corpsesy neatly arranged. Most of the stench seemed to be emanating from there. Both Ronan and Adeshan furrowed their brows at the grotesque sight, reminiscent of a market. ¡°Come out here!¡± It was abhorrent, but they couldn¡¯t help but go forward. The two of them immediately entered theboratory. There was no sign of where Barka might be hiding. His voice echoed again. ¡°We brothers¡­ Ah, literally everything was taken from us by the Empire.¡± ¡°Damn it, where are you hiding?¡± The pursuit was difficult due to the vast and cluttered space. Despite smashing through whatever was blocking their path, it was nearly impossible to make progress following the Blood Needle. Barka continued speaking. ¡°I was better off because I had no wife or children¡­ But, haha, Zaifa, even his beloved family were brutally killed by the imperial pigs. Don¡¯t you wonder what happened?¡± ¡°Shut up, you bastard. Don¡¯t try to y on emotions.¡± ¡°In our original fate, both of us brothers would have be hunters¡­ Cough! That was decades ago¡­¡± The pursuit was still encountering obstacles. Barka began to tell his own story, ignoring Ronan¡¯s words. It was a tragedy that urred long before the Night of the Fangs, when oppression in the North was severe. Barka, who was coughing violently, continued speaking. ¡°It was a day like any other¡­ The border area was chaotic, but our vige was in a remote area even within the north¡­ No one expected such a thing to happen¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Originally, the Turkon brothers had no interest in war. Until that incident happened, they hadn¡¯t even killed anyone. If there were any conflicts with the imperial soldiers, they simply fought back against those who harassed theirpatriots. ¡°Our only hope was to lead peaceful lives¡­ If the imperial soldiers weren¡¯t truly vile, we could¡¯ve just scared them off¡­ Cough! But those scoundrels evenmitted such actions as assault¡­ The pigs of the Empire organized special forces just to retaliate against us brothers¡­¡± The tragedy unfolded while the brothers were away hunting. The imperial soldiers took advantage of the Turkon brothers¡¯ absence and carried out a massacre in the vige. What the brothers saw upon returning from the hunt were the burning houses, scattered headless corpses, and the heads of the vigers disyed mockingly on a stone monument at the entrance of the vige. ¡°It¡¯s ironic that the vengeance was enacted not on us, but on the people of the vige¡­ Among the heads disyed so proudly, were my parents and Zaifa¡¯s beloved wife and children.¡± Ronan grimaced at the predictable yet dreadful story. Adeshan¡¯s expression remained rigid throughout. ¡°At the time of the Night of the Fangs, Zaifa was like a sun burning ck¡­ He was our respected brother who never forgot his hatred even after falsely surrendering to the Empire¡­ But at some point, the contents of his letters started to be strange¡­ It all started from the moment he met you, Ronan.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I know¡­ but Zaifa changed¡­ He tried to persuade me, saying now is not the time to focus on the Empire. He muttered nonsense about how our true enemy is someone else¡­ From that moment, I severed ties with Zaifa.¡± Bang! Ronan knocked over the shelf in front of him with his shoulder. It seemed like he caught a glimpse of something like a tail, but he let it slip away. The Blood Needle spun round and round following Barka¡¯s movements. ¡°I hate the Empire¡­ And now I hate Zaifa just as much for forgetting his hatred. That¡¯s why I started calling upon the stars, I will destroy the Empire with the power he feared so much¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. He realized that Barka had be part of Neb zier simply out of resentment towards Zaifa. Ronan also learned the startling fact that Barka had risen to the position of Bishop in the Northern Diocese within Neb zier. ¡°So I learned necromancy and curses. Not long ago, I even developed a weapon to destroy both the Empire and Zaifa. It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Shut up now. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Ronan cut him off. There was no more value in listening. Though it was undoubtedly a sad story, it couldn¡¯t serve as an excuse for evil deeds. Countless people suffer in the world, but not all of them be criminals. Ronan switched his power source, pulling at the hilt of his sword. The shimmering sword, enveloped in mana, was unsheathed. He turned to Adeshan and said. ¡°Stick close to me. As close as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Adeshanplied without a word. She seemed to understand what Ronan was thinking. He swung the sword downward, creating a shockwave that exploded outward from him. ¡°Ugh?!¡± From somewhere, Barka¡¯s confusion could be heard. It was the Aura stolen from Bishop Teranill in the past. The shockwave, which became more powerful with each iteration, blew away all the shelves, experimental tools, and disyed corpses in theboratory. Seeing the potential power, Ronan muttered to himself. ¡°I should have done this sooner.¡± There was nothing left to obstruct their vision. The two of them looked in the direction indicated by the Blood Needle. Across the hazy dust cloud, Barka stood amidst the chaos of theboratory. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± Ronan and Barka locked eyes. The low growl that emanated from Barka seemed to reveal his primal nature, driven by the current circumstances. His limbs that had been severed had regenerated. He held tworge swords in his hands. Ronan, aiming his sword at Barka, opened his mouth. ¡°Nice swords. So, is this the end of your message?¡± ¡°Hold on, Ronan. Something¡¯s off.¡± Just as he was about to activate his Aura again, Adeshan grabbed Ronan¡¯s shoulder. He tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t Barka.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s brows narrowed at the inexplicable words. Something indeed seemed off. The figure was much smaller than Barka and emitted a much more intense aura. However the resemnce between the two was strong enough to cause confusion. Ronan narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Then who is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But this Aura is undoubtedly Zaifa¡¯s¡­ Unless.¡± For a moment, Adeshan¡¯s face froze. She seemed like someone who had discovered a terrifying fact that she didn¡¯t even want to imagine. Amidst an awkward silence. The adversary who had been standing still suddenly rushed towards them. ¡°Grrrr! Kraaaaagh!¡± ¡°This¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Three des were locked together, growling at each other as if they were about to devour each other. A Weretiger boy, covered in ck fur all over his body, was rushing towards Ronan. ¡°Kuhh!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The force was so overwhelming that even activating Varen¡¯s aura wouldn¡¯t push him back. The monstrous creature surpassed Barka in both speed and strength. It was unclear where such a creature had emerged from. Deep scar marks were carved around his thick neck. Every time the boy opened his mouth, the stench of decaying corpses wafted out. Like Barka¡¯s other subordinates, he seemed like a corpse warrior revived by necromancy. For a moment, the boy retreated and then rushed forward again. ¡°Kraagh!¡± ¡°Damn it, what the hell is this?¡± ng! A whirlwind of sword strikes rained down on Ronan. There was no gap in the attacks, like a raging torrent. From far away in theboratory, Barka¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°Allow me to introduce¡­ Cough! My masterpiece, containing all my wishes. I was barely able to decrypt it in time¡­¡± ¡°Barka!¡± The two of them turned their heads simultaneously. This time, it was truly Barka. His wounds were still not fully healed. Metal prosthetics and orthoses were roughly imnted into his severed limbs. Ronan tried to rush towards Barka, but the monster in front of him wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Damn it, get out of the way¡­!¡± ¡°Kreck!¡± No matter which angle Ronan swung his sword, the boy either dodged or parried. Sparks flew with each sh of the des. Among the opponents Ronan fought recently, he was undoubtedly one of the top. ¡®What the hell is this guy?¡¯ Suddenly, the words Barka said earlier crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. He had mentioned something about a weapon capable of destroying both Zaifa and the Empire. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s face hardened as he faced the boy. ¡°You, could it be¡­¡± He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He seemed to have realized the boy¡¯s identity. A chill ran down his spine for a moment. It was hard to believe that a person could be so evil. Though still young, the overall contour of the face closely resembled someone Ronan knew. Barka, who was catching his breath, spoke up. ¡°Yes¡­ He¡¯s Aradan Turkon, the son of Zaifa.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 214 Chapter 214 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 214: King of the North (8) ¡°Yes¡­ He¡¯s Aradan Turkon, the son of Zaifa.¡± Ronan was left speechless. It was the moment when the unpleasant sense of deja vu he had been feeling before was revealed. Aradan¡¯s swordsmanship, based on primal instincts, was remarkably simr to Zaifa¡¯s. Adeshan, panting heavily, spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°You revived your nephew¡­ with necromancy?¡± ¡°Yes. If Aradan were to fulfill my vengeance, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it the greatest achievement of my lifetime. Unlike me, whocks talent in martial arts, he inherited my older brother¡¯s qualities.¡± ¡°H-How¡­ how could you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Aradan will be happy too. Being able to personally exact revenge on the enemy who killed him and his father who has be soft.¡± There was no trace of remorse in Barka¡¯s calm voice. Aradan¡¯s eyes, already lifeless, radiated a cold gleam. It was the eerie intensity typical of a revived corpse. Adeshan, staring into those eyes, covered her mouth shut. She felt like she might vomit if she looked at them any longer. With everyone silent, the only sound echoing in the disturbingly quiet atmosphere was the shing of swords. Ronan, who had been silently observing, muttered under his breath. ¡°To even do such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Kraaaaagh!¡± Suddenly, a mindless roar burst from Aradan¡¯s mouth. His intensified sword strikes were directed towards Ronan. In a moment, two jagged des, resembling fangs, were moments away from piercing his neck. Ronan shouted, clutching the hilt of his sword as if it were going to break. ¡°Are you even human, you bastard!!¡± ¡°Kugh?!¡± Aradan¡¯s eyes widened. Lamancha elerated rapidly and struck down the two swords that were flying at him at the same time. ng! The shattered de fragments scattered like snowkes. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Ronan immediately extended his leg, kicking Aradan in the abdomen. The sensation of his intestines exploding and his spine shattering transmitted through his foot. Bang! The body flew, smashing into theboratory wall, breaking various experimental tools in its path. ¡°¡­But still, you¡¯re an ignorant fool.¡± Barka, watching, shook his head. Ronan¡¯s reinforced legs, enhanced by Varen¡¯s aura, were enveloped in a golden shimmer. Ronan snarled at him. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you see hell.¡± Even though he had lived two lives, he had never felt such intense disgust. The maggot infested battlefieldboratory somehow seemed cleaner inparison. He had to kill. And make it as painful as possible. Ronan was about to unleash his Aura. ¡°Do as you wish. Still, shouldn¡¯t we finish the game we were ying?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow at the iprehensible words. In an instant, smoke erupted from where Aradan had been struck. At that moment, Ronan¡¯s arms moved before his head, reflexively adopting a defensive stance. Bang!! The shadow that came rushing like lightning collided with Ronan. ¡°Kruuk! Kwaahk!¡± ¡°What the hell is this¡­!¡± Ronan spat out curses as he looked up. The sight of Aradan, with five ws reminiscent of sickles, holding onto Lamancha was astonishing. Aradan roared, baring his fangs, appearing remarkably vigorous. ¡®How is he moving like that?¡¯ Despite clearly breaking his spine, Ronan couldn¡¯t fathom how Aradan was still able to move. Even if he were an undead, his body shouldn¡¯t be able to move freely if it was damaged. He wanted to figure out the cause, but Aradan did not give him time to think. Adjusting his stance, he rotated sideways and swung his arms. ¡°Kerheuung!¡± There was no gap to be found in his perfect rotation. It was hard to believe that such movements were executed solely by instinct and killing intent. His grasping hand, tearing through the wind, would¡¯ve cleaved through not only Ronan¡¯s head but his entire upper body. ¡°You¡¯ve got some spirit.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. Had he taken the blow head-on, his shoulders would have surely shattered. As he stepped back to a stable distance, preparing to counterattack, Swish! Suddenly, an elongated w came dangerously close to Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Hrk?!¡± His cheek tore open, blood spurting out. The range seemed to have extended more than Ronan had anticipated. Fortunately, he managed to turn his face just in time to let the w graze him. Ronan, caught in Aradan¡¯s gaze, furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Kruuk! Kurruk!¡± Indeed, Aradan¡¯s left arm had extended so much that his fingertips almost touched the ground. Inside the gash that opened at his elbow, slimy tentacles squirmed. It didn¡¯t seem like he was merely revived with a breath. Barca chuckled with a mixture of amusement and malice. ¡°Give it up. He¡¯s not an opponent you can defeat.¡± ¡°You bastard, what kind of twisted experiment did you perform on a kid to turn him into this monster?¡± ¡°I granted him a favor. My nephew wanted to be a stronger warrior than anyone else.¡± Barka proudly spoke of how he transformed Aradan into a true warrior through dark magic and various experiments. Ronan chewed on his lower lip. He wanted to rush forward and strangle him right then and there, but Aradan didn¡¯t give him the chance to do so easily. ¡°Deal with them ande back.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] With a dismissive tone, Barka turned his back on Ronan and walked away hastily. Several corpses rose from various corners of theboratory, surrounding him as if to escort him. ¡°Greeeak¡­!¡± ¡°Gruuk, gruk.¡± The entities that appeared to have almost nobat power were purely meat shields to block Ronan¡¯s Aura. He limped, leading his injured leg, towards the side door of theboratory. ¡°Damn it, move!¡± Ronan impatiently gripped the hilt of his sword. His hand momentarily blurred, and a ck line appeared over Aradan¡¯s chest. Swish! Rotten blood sttered Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s tough.¡± ¡°Grrrhh!¡± But Aradan paid no heed. With the reaction akin to being pricked with a needle, the Weretiger immediately adjusted his stance and rushed towards Ronan. It felt like he had pierced his ribs, but even for a corpse, it disyed incredible vitality. ¡°Let¡¯s not overdo it. Hmm?¡± ¡°Kraaggh!¡± It was expected, yet Ronan¡¯s desired response didn¡¯te. Aradan had been dead for quite some time already. He was merely a puppet controlled by various malice. ¡°Then I really have to kill you.¡± Ronan muttered as if squeezing out words. Aradan was indeed formidable, but Ronan didn¡¯t think he would lose. It¡¯s just that being Zaifa¡¯s child made his sword heavy. To end this, he would have topletely pulverize the flesh until there was nothing left. But he couldn¡¯t muster the courage to do so. Damn it, if he knew it would turn out like this, he wouldn¡¯t have read Zaifa¡¯s letter. Suddenly, Barka, who was about to enter the side door, stopped in his tracks. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stop this meaningless chase?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Adeshan, who was slowly walking, gritted her teeth. She thought he wouldn¡¯t notice her presence amidst themotion. She was secretly approaching Barka while Ronan distracted Aradan. Barka tapped his own head with his index finger, speaking. ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to invade my mind since earlier. You possess dangerous power.¡± ¡°Barka!¡± Having abandoned her intention, she drew out a crossbow. One of the bolts, already ced in position, shot out. ng! The arrow, precisely reaching right in front of Barka¡¯s forehead, bounced off as if hitting a wall. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Still¡­ no matter how ridiculous I be, do you think I would be defeated by someone like you?¡± Barka chuckled. The Protection of the Stars shimmered around his body. Adeshan¡¯s face stiffened with despair. Barka wagged his finger. ¡°Get rid of her.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± Adeshan immediately fired the next crossbow bolt. If she couldn¡¯t harm his body, she had to copse the ceiling to block his path. At that moment, Aradan, who had been fighting Ronan, leaped forward. Thud! Aradan intercepted the crossbow bolt, blocking Adeshan¡¯s path. ¡°Krrrrack!¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. It was an unreal reaction speed. Aradan, having eliminated the threat, extended his ws. ¡°Krung!¡± ¡°This¡­!¡± It was toote to evade. She reflexively swung her whip. Squick! The dagger-like ws narrowly missed her heart, hitting instead the whip. But she couldn¡¯t implete sess in her defense. The recoil pushed the whip into her upper body. Simultaneously, her body, pushed back by the impact, rolled on the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± Blood spurted from Adeshan¡¯s mouth. Five sharp steel pieces had pierced her from her chest to her side. She could feel her organs inside the flesh being injured. Barka had disappeared inside the side door by now. The sound of footsteps was gradually fading away. Squeezing out thest of her bit of strength, Adeshan fired another crossbow bolt towards Barka¡¯s direction. This time Aradan couldn¡¯t react either. Thud! The sound of the arrowhead prating was heard from beyond the darkness. ¡°¡­Keuk!¡± It hit. Barka¡¯s groan followed. Fortunately, it seemed to have pierced right after the Protection the Stars disappeared. With this, Ronan¡¯s pursuit would be much easier. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Perhaps due to losing a lot of blood at once, her vision was rapidly bing blurry. Having fulfilled her duty, she lost bnce and copsed. Aradan, with his arms raised, was about to deliver the final blow. ¡°Adeshan!¡± Ronan¡¯s shout echoed. At the same time, the glow of a setting sun poured down from behind Aradan. The Aura dragging the opponent, pulled Aradan towards Ronan in an instant. ¡°Krraaagh!¡± Aradan was unfazed and rotated his body. The blow intended for Adeshan naturally fell over Ronan¡¯s head. Without even looking at him, Ronan shouted, ¡°Bastard, get out of my way!¡± The crimson glow of the sword, previously shining brightly, turned redder. Lamancha vanished from sight in a moment. Simultaneously, the hand brushing past Ronan¡¯s ear fell to the floor. Baaang! The stone floor shattered, revealing a floorposed of ice. ¡°Kraaaaaggh!¡± It was a stalemate. Aradan tried to attack again, but Ronan, who should have been in front of him, was nowhere to be seen. As he turned his head, he noticed Ronan rushing towards Adeshan, ignoring him. ¡°¡­Krurk?¡± At that moment, dozens of red lines were drawn over Aradan¡¯s body. Just as he was about to howl as he felt his senses being cut off, Fwoosh! His body, split into twenty pieces, copsed like an explosion. ck blood, organs, and the shattered tentacles poured onto the floor. Having cleared away the meat shield corpses in one fell swoop, Ronan rushed towards Adeshan. Leaning against the wall, she was still groaning, with the whip still pierced into her body. ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak. I¡¯ll treat you right away.¡± The wound was deep. Ronan immediately pulled out the whip and poured a healing potion onto Adeshan¡¯s wound. With the sound as if the water in a pot was evaporating, the bleeding stopped and the flesh began to heal. Unable to ovee the pain, Adeshan bit her own hand. ¡°Ugh, keuk¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, why would you do something so reckless? It¡¯s not like you.¡± Ronan chewed his lips. If he had been just a stepter, Adeshan would no longer be of this world. It was an action that didn¡¯t suit her usual rationality. ¡°His leg is injured, so he won¡¯t get far¡­ Haa, let¡¯s¡­ go after him.¡± ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Ronan, I¡­¡± Adeshan, trembling like a newborn fawn, got up. She turned her gaze stealthily and suddenly pointed behind Ronan. ¡°Look at¡­ that.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The pieces of flesh thatposed Aradan were wriggling and gathering in one ce. ck tentacles, like the legs of a centipede, were extending and reattaching the severed body parts. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan cursed. It seemed that it wasn¡¯tpletely over yet. Despite being mangled beyond recognition, Aradan was trying to revive himself. A boy who was murdered during a time when he was supposed to be loved was still suffering even in death. Adeshan, witnessing this horrific sight, spoke up. ¡°I¡­ cannot forgive Barka.¡± Despite the boiling anger, her voice was chillingly calm. Her ashen eyes shimmered with a different color than usual. The inner voice, which she had been hearing for some time, was urging her on. ¡¾Yes, just a little more.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 215 Chapter 215 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 215: King of the North (9) It was two years ago that Adeshan first felt the presence of something inside her. She remembered it precisely because it was also the day she first met Ronan. While nursing him after he was knocked unconscious by Navirose, Adeshan suddenly had a headache. It was such a dizzying pain that she almost fainted, even now thinking back on it, cold sweat streamed down her face. Nevertheless, after the headache subsided, Adeshan began to feel the sensation of someone existing in her mind. The ¡°someone¡±, vaguely felt, often spoke to Adeshan, but until now, the voice was too faint for her to understand. ¡¾Yes. Just a little more.¡¿ However, now it had reached a level of audibility. It was a calm yetmanding voice of a woman. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She opened her mouth without realizing it. ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. Just a moment.¡± Although Ronan asked, she waved it off. Once again, a voice resonated within Adeshan. ¡¾Do not suppress your emotions. It is forcing raw, unrefined will upon the enemy.¡¿ [Wh-Who are you? Why are you in my head?] ¡¾Stay calm, Adeshan. There isn¡¯t much time left.¡¿ [H-How do you know my name¡­!] Adeshan questioned in her mind, there was no reply. Ronan, who had been silently watching her, raised an eyebrow. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ For a brief moment, he felt the momentum of her days as the general. Despite her battered body, the mana rising above her shoulders pulsated more vigorously than usual. The silhouette cast by her torch reminded him of Adeshan from his previous life. Thud. Adeshan, who stared into the void as if possessed, sat back down. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I¡¯ll catch up soon, so go ahead. We can¡¯t afford to miss him¡­¡± Though her wounds had healed, it seemed she still needed time to recover. Adeshan handed over the Blood Needle she had. Ronan, who had been holding her hand, nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll finish this.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Adeshan let out a weak smile. The Blood Needle she handed over pointed precisely towards the side gate that Barka had left. With determination, Ronan took a step forward. The dim corridor continued. It seemed like an emergency escape route. Bloodstains marked the path he walked, showing the traces of his journey. ¡®I sense it. He hasn¡¯t gone far.¡¯ Even without looking at the Blood Needle, he knew. Barka was still around here. Footsteps echoed in the narrow and long corridor. The passage wasn¡¯t long, and soon the end was in sight. Light seeped in from the already open stone gate. As he stepped out of it, a chilling wind rushed in as if freezing blood. As expected, the passage led outside of the hideout. Behind him, the vast expanse of ice, a hallmark of the ghost-infested sea, stretched out before him. ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Ronan furrowed his brow. Clusters of bulky masses were packed under the vast ice. Arranged irregrly, they reminded him of raisins pressed into bread. It wasn¡¯t rocks, it wasn¡¯t something normal. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that all of it was the bodies of Beastmen. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± His forehead narrowed at the truly eerie sight. Even with rough counting, there seemed to be thousands. Was he storing corpses in the Sea of Ghost to keep them frozen? ¡°Damn bastard¡­¡± Ronan twisted his lips. The more he peeled, the more wretched aspects revealed themselves, like an onion growing in hell. Ronan wondered how he had managed to umte so much, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. It was the moment Ronan had been looking for Barka. From not far away, a familiar voice could be heard. ¡°Did you really manage to bring down Aradan¡­ At this point, I have no choice but to admit it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan quickly turned his head. Facing Barka, his eyes widened in surprise. Barka stood with crossed arms, just a dozen steps away. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are no more scrolls left, and I can¡¯t go far anyway because of the crossbow bolt that woman fired¡­ It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary arrow.¡± Barka spoke with a weary voice. Indeed, a crossbow bolt was deeply embedded in his right thigh. From the abnormally swollen wound, red blood dripped steadily. It seemed poisoned. Barka continued speaking. ¡°But you didn¡¯t kill Aradan. He can¡¯t rest eternally until I allow it. Even if he¡¯s shattered into a thousand pieces, he will survive, that is my masterpiece, Aradan Turkon.¡± ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± For a moment, veins bulged on Ronan¡¯s forehead. There was no need to activate the Aura. With a single leap, Ronan closed the distance andnded in front of Barka. With this distance, he could cut any number of variables. He growled, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still more. How about we negotiate?¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make you an offer you cannot refuse.¡± Barka¡¯s lips curved into a somewhat rxed smile. Seeing him speak such words in such a situation seemed to indicate a strong belief in what he said. After a moment of silence, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Go ahead, spill it.¡± ¡°Alright. What I want is for you to just let me go from here. Disappear without a trace. You can destroy my hideout or hand it over to the Empire, do as you wish.¡± ¡°Was it a plea for your life? Then what can you offer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lift the curse cast across the entire North and allow Aradan to rest eternally. I¡¯ll also provide any information I have about Neb zier. Moreover, I am the Bishop of the Northern Diocese, and I n to resign from this foolish group.¡± Ronan hesitated at thest condition. He had momentarily forgotten that this bastard was a part of Neb zier. Rubbing his chin, he replied. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat tempting, but not irresistible.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I expected that and prepared something. Would you like to look over there for a moment?¡± Chuckling, Barka nodded towards the north. The fierce wind caressed the ice in where the corpses were stuck. Ronan, sensing something strange, frowned. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Kkieeeek¡­!¡± The familiar scream carried by the wind. Ronan squinted and scanned the direction of the sound. About 1km away, the bodies of beastmen were rising, breaking through the ice. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I released their control when I entered the hideout. By tomorrow night, all the corpses here will awaken, breaking through the ice. They can either turn the North into hell ording to my orders, or peacefully return to sleep.¡± Barka added that there were over ten thousand avable corpses, all of them elite soldiers enhanced by his spell. They would¡¯ve been used as forces when the time came to overthrow the Empirepletely. ¡°Moreover, the curse I¡¯ve spread across the entire North is one that you cannot undo with your abilities. It may look simple, but it took me over ten years to modify it. If you refuse my offer, I n to trigger all the curses.¡± Barka was speaking expansively, with arms spread wide. His antics resembled those of an intelligent protagonist who finally delivers the blow to the viin at thest moment. He concluded with a sly question. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this offer irresistible now?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t an offer that couldn¡¯t be refused, but he had the right to be skeptical. From what Barka had shown so far, it was likely not an empty threat. ¡°Just pretend like nothing happened. Peace will return to the North, and once the truth of the incident is revealed, my foolishpatriots will sing your praises.¡± Barka¡¯s voice, sweetly tempting, radiated excitement. It was evident that he was already intoxicated with the sense of victory. Alright, decision made. After much deliberation, Ronan finally spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ no way in hell.¡± ¡°What?¡± Barka¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. Swoosh! Lamancha, which had disappeared for a moment, reappeared, neatly separating his torso and limbs. ¡°Ack! Aaaargh!¡± There was no chance for any rebuttal. Barka, now a writhing mess, rolled on the ground. The scream of agony, the sound of bones breaking, reverberated over the Sea of Ghosts. ¡°D-Didn¡¯t you hear me? If I die, there¡¯ll be no one here to stop these corpses! Do you think you can cut down all ten thousand soldiers?¡± ¡°What does it matter?¡± ¡°That curse, what will you do about it? Killing me won¡¯t make it disappear! Are you nning to send thousands, no, millions of people to hell?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to them to figure it out.¡± Ronan replied nonchntly. Theposure vanished from Barka¡¯s face. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°You¡­ bastard! Then do as you please. The North will perish because of you!¡± Struggling, he shouted with a voice full of anger. At the same time, a massive mana shockwave spread out from Barka. Like sewage pouring out of a drain, the nauseating energy spread beyond the Sea of Ghosts, reaching to the horizon. With the tip of his sword pressed against Barka¡¯s throat, Ronan spoke. ¡°Just stop now. I¡¯ll at least kill you without any pain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote. Even if you somehow manage to survive, hell will be waiting for you!¡± The sound of cracking ice echoed all around them. It was the sound of the corpses awakening from their slumber. Ronan, scratching his head for a moment, raised his sword. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have to resort to primitive methods.¡± ¡°No matter how much you torture me, nothing will change!¡± Barka exined that he had cast a spell on himself to not feel pain. Ronan sighed, sensing it would be a messy fight. Should he first gouge out both his eyes and take him to Rodn? It was the moment he was thinking about how to take Barka to Rodn.. ¡°Ronan. Wait.¡± ¡°¡­Adeshan?¡± Ronan turned at the familiar voice. Adeshan, who hade out from theboratory, was approaching. ¡°¡­I think I can do it.¡± Her staggering steps resembled those of someone intoxicated. She stood in front of Barka. Barka sneered as he looked up at Adeshan. ¡°Hah, are you trying to manipte my mind with that strange magic again? You already know it won¡¯t work, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. That was before.¡± ¡°Ridiculous. Now it will? Only lowlifes would be affected¡­¡± Barka was about to say something when suddenly Adeshan, kneeling, ced her hand on his head. For a moment, Barka¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Watching in astonishment, Ronan stepped back. The shadow mana, so intense that it made his head hurt, was blooming over Adeshan¡¯s shoulders. ¡®What happened?¡¯ While Adeshan¡¯s growth rate was already rapid, this was too radical. It reminded Ronan of the moment when Shullifen awakened his Aura in Dainhar. ¡°Affected¡­ Affected¡­ Affected¡­¡± Barka was repeating the same words like a parrot. His eyes were already clouded like overcast skies. It was a clear sign that his mind was properly under control. Adeshan, watching him intently, spoke. ¡°Barka, release all the curses you¡¯ve spread.¡± ¡°¡­I will.¡± Barka nodded. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. His demeanor, including his tone, had be as polite as a peasant addressing a noblewoman. As he murmured something, another wave of mana spread beyond the horizon. Unlike before, the wave flying through the wind felt clear and pure. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Ronan eximed instinctively, sensing that the curses had likely vanished. This level of control was almostparable to her from the previous life. Adeshan continued. ¡°Barka, stop raising the corpses.¡± ¡°¡­I will. However, I cannot control the corpses that have already risen.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Barka, nodding, mumbled something again. The sound of ice breaking from all directions noticeably decreased. Except for the ones already exposed, it seemed like all the corpses had stopped moving. Adeshan made a few more demands. She requested any information he could provide, and asked him to lift the curse binding Aradan. ¡°¡­I will.¡± Barka responded soullessly, nodding to her demands. While some shocking information rted to Neb zier emerged, there was no reaction more surprising than what was happening before Ronan¡¯s eyes. After the exchange was over, Adeshan removed her hand from Barka¡¯s head. ¡°Barka, open your eyes and look at me now.¡± ¡°I will¡­ h-huh?!¡± Barka¡¯s voice lost its drowsiness. His eyes, now fully conscious, widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Wh-what did you do to me?!¡± ¡°Barka, I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Apologize to those who have suffered because of your actions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you damned bug! Tell me what you¡¯ve done to me right now!¡± Barka snarled, baring his fangs. It seemed like he didn¡¯t remember what he had done while under the control. Of course, with his limbs severed, he was not threatening at all. Adeshan, looking down at him with a cold gaze, spoke to Ronan. ¡°Ronan, do you remember the promise you made to me?¡± ¡°The promise¡­? Ah.¡± Ronan nodded. She was talking about the promise they made at the ice cave. Ronan had promised to hand over Barka¡¯s fate to her. ¡°I remember. Do as you wish.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Adeshan smiled. But it was merely a passing phenomenon, like moonlight flickering through a storm. She then became serious again and looked down at Barka. ¡°Wh-what, what are you trying to do¡­¡± Just meeting that sinking gaze made his blood freeze. Sensing a terrifying event about to unfold, Barka struggled. Adeshan, who had been staring at him silently, spoke up. ¡°Barka. From now on, no matter what happens, you must not breathe.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I¡­¡± Barka¡¯s words were cut off. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t breathe. It felt like his throat had closed up so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through. Though Ronan didn¡¯t know what was happening, he chuckled as he watched. ¡°It¡¯s satisfying. Seems better than tearing limbs apart.¡± ¡°I was worried. Originally, it would¡¯ve been impossible due to the structure of this body, but with this ability, it seems possible¡­¡± Adeshan murmured. Her gaze was fixed on Barka¡¯s eyes, which reflected his dying face in white. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve aplished will disappear. If there¡¯s hell, your soul will surely burn there.¡± ¡°Keuk¡­! Ugh!¡± ¡°Miracles won¡¯t happen. You¡¯ll die without achieving anything. Until the end, he¡¯ll never be anything resembling a king.¡± ¡°Arraaaggh! Ugh, ugh!¡± Barka twisted in agony, even though his body was missing limbs. His will to live was moving his dying body. Adeshan, remaining calm, continued speaking. ¡°And, in the North, where peace will be restored, theughter of people will echo once again.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± After about five minutes, his movements ceased. Barka¡¯s face, with his breath cut off, was distorted in utter despair. Ronan, approaching cautiously, checked his pulse. Confirming that there was no pulse, he nodded. ¡°He¡¯s gone. Completely.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 216 Chapter 216 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 216: King of the North (10) ¡°He¡¯s gone. Completely.¡± Ronan, who checked for a pulse, nodded. Barka didn¡¯t move anymore. It was a pitiful death that suited a piece of trash, suffocating himself to death. Adeshan, who was silently staring at him, opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Is it really over this time?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really anxious, we can do it like this. Just turn your head for a moment.¡± Ronan tugged at the hilt of his sword. Dozens of threads were drawn over Barka¡¯s remaining head and torso. Swoosh! As soon as Ronan finished his sh, Barka¡¯s body disintegrated into pieces. ¡°You disgusting bastard.¡± This should have been enough for even Barka¡¯s grandfather to nevere back to life. There was no trace of the wicked Weretiger in any part of the blood puddle, flesh scraps, or entrails. The fierce cold was already freezing the blood and flesh fragments solid. Whoosh¡­ A chilling wind blew, freezing the wounds. Soon, Barka¡¯s existence would vanish, bing a part of this icy sea. After finishing his work, Ronan turned his back. Adeshan was watching the gruesome process without turning her eyes away. Ronan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°I told you to turn your head. It¡¯s not a pleasant sight.¡± ¡°I wanted to see how the knot was tied.¡± Even though Adeshan would be unable to eat after having watched the scene, she remainedposed. Ronan pursed his lips without saying anything. ¡®A knot, huh.¡¯ Considering Barka¡¯s actions, she had essentially eliminated the enemy who had caused the death of her mother and brother. Coming to the northern end and marking the end with blood was no different. Suddenly, Adeshan, who was standing still, swayed like a reed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just a bit tired¡­¡± Adeshan awkwardly smiled. Though she said that, her paleplexion didn¡¯t look good. It wasn¡¯t surprising. To control Barka¡¯s mind, she must have consumed tremendous strength and energy. As if to prove it, the power felt by Adeshan now was not even 20% of what it was before. At that time, Adeshan¡¯s power had be so strong that it seemed like she had borrowed it from someone. Just like when Ronan forcibly drew out his inherent potential with the power of the Holy Sword. It was a close call. Adeshan, whose legs gave away, lost her bnce and fell. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I knew this would happen.¡± Ronan chuckled lightly. He sessfully caught Adeshan just before her knees touched the ground. Adeshan, who was staggering, covered her flushed face with both hands. ¡°Th-Thank you¡­¡± ¡°You worked hard. Get some rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to get up as soon as possible. But¡­ what about those people?¡± Adeshan was looking at the ice in through the gap between her fingers. The bodies of the drowned people, which had been buried shallowly, were rising as they broke the ice. -Grrrrr¡­ -Gyaaahhh¡­ The already awakened corpses were aimlessly wandering around. There seemed to be no purpose now that Barka had revoked hismand before he died. ¡°We should put them to rest.¡± It didn¡¯t seem dangerous, but it wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight either. Since corpses don¡¯t move, it¡¯s only natural for them to rest eternally as bones or ashes. Ronan, who was observing them, spoke up. ¡°But we can deal with thatter after we handle other matters. Come here, let me carry you.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Adeshan bowed her head deeply. The strength of her legs didn¡¯te back easily once it was released. Ronan, without saying a word, lifted her up and started walking towards theboratory. ¡°I¡¯m heavy.¡± ¡°You say the same thing every time, but you¡¯re not heavy at all.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ lies.¡± Unable to ovee her embarrassment, Adeshan buried her face in his back. Ronan chuckled. In fact, considering her height, she was on the lighter side. As he carried her like this, memories from the past came flooding back. ¡°It was like this even during the beast festival, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°At that time, I still don¡¯t understand why the Alpha Doppelganger turned into me. I really hated myself at that time. I wonder if Doppelgangers make mistakes too.¡± Ronan, who had just finished off the poacher, encountered the Alpha Doppelganger while returning with Adeshan on his back. The Alpha Doppelganger, who could transform into the person the opponent liked, astonishingly had taken on Ronan¡¯s own appearance. Later, although it did transform into the Adeshan from her days as the General, over two years had passed and the lingering question remained unresolved. ¡°Uh, th-that¡­?¡± Adeshan mumbled with her face buried. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that, at that time, the Doppelganger hadn¡¯t made eye contact with Ronan, but rather her. ¡®It changed without a moment¡¯s hesitation.¡¯ It was dangerous for the conversation to head in this direction. Memories from the Hill of the Four Seasons, thoughts of the mouth to mouth cpr, just hours ago, were surfacing one after another. If things continued like this, she was afraid that her elerating heartbeat would be heard. Her body temperature started to rise as well. Adeshan, who was rapidly turning over thoughts in her head, decided to change the subject. ¡°B-but by the way, what was that all about?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Th-the story about the City of Dragons.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. I did say something like that.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had momentarily forgotten due to the chaos. Barka, who was under control, also spilled out information rted to Neb zier. Among the wealth of information, one thing stood out the most. The leader who showed up at the meeting after a long absence hinted that it was time to make contact with the Dragon City of Adren. This happened long after Ronan had visited Drimoor with Navardose, just a few days ago. ¡®I thought the conversation with Navardose was over. It seems suspicious.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. He had sessfully warned the Mother of Fire about the danger of Neb zier. Although there was a king ruling Adren, ultimately Navardose was the one in power, so it seemed odd that there was a separate entity. Ronan nodded as he pondered something. ¡°Hmm¡­ I should contact them as soon as this is over.¡± ¡°Whom?¡± ¡°Navardose, of course. She¡¯s so busy that I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯ll reply.¡± ¡°¡­You really have a widework.¡± Adeshan muttered in amazement. Not only the Emperor, but now the Mother of Fire as well. For a moment, a worried expression crossed her face. ¡®Is it okay for me to like you?¡¯ Her once flushed ears were quickly cooling down. She was afraid that her affection might hinder him from pursuing his path, which was always aimed at justice. Nevertheless, the two arrived at theboratory. A stronger stench assaulted their noses. It was due to the experiments, samples, and other items that had been broken and spilled. The orderly space had transformed as if the drunken ogre family had stayed overnight. Adeshanmented. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°I don¡¯t sense any presence.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°I think I can walk now. Thanks for carrying me.¡± With regained strength in her legs, Adeshan descended from Ronan¡¯s back. Both of them cautiously searched theboratory. Soon, Ronan found what he was looking for and stopped in his tracks. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Oh, found it.¡± Approaching from elsewhere, Adeshan joined him. Side by side, they looked down at the body of Aradan Turkon. He was lying peacefully. It was hard to believe that he had been thrashing around as if on fire just a while ago. The regenerated body was in better condition than before Ronan had chopped it up. With closed eyes, he seemed not dead, but rather asleep. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°How is he in such good shape?¡± ¡°It seems his regeneration coincided with the moment Barka released his soul.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s miraculous.¡± Ronan murmured to himself. The monstrous right arm and grotesque tentacles had disappeared, leaving only the Weretiger boy who once admired his father remained, to rest in eternal peace. Adeshan, looking at him, spoke up. ¡°Why did we have to go through all this?¡± Her voice was heavy as ifden with clouds. Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Maybe ¡°unable to¡± would be the right expression. Both of them were victims of the misfortune caused by Barka¡¯s madness. Why did they have to go through all this? No one knew. Since doing what they could was the rule of life, Ronan simply embraced the quietly weeping Adeshan by his side. After a moment of trembling shoulders, she whispered softly. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Her breath sounded loud. Fortunately, she regained her energy in less than five minutes and stood up. There was still much to do, too much to indulge in contemtion. The two searched theboratory for a long time. They gathered evidence to prove Barka¡¯s evil nature and destroyed any magical items or devices that could be misused. Since a massive ship had been converted into Barka¡¯s hideout, it took much longer than expected. As Ronan packed the materials into his backpack, he murmured. ¡°This should be enough to rectify the North.¡± ¡°Probably. Just realizing they were deceived might bring about a lot of change.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Having finished their tasks, the two picked up their belongings. Adeshan carried both her and Ronan¡¯s backpacks simultaneously, while Ronan carried Aradan¡¯s body. Even in death, this boy who fought like a true warrior deserved to be buried where the sun shone. Now, giving eternal rest to the wandering corpses would be the end. As they passed through the corridor they hade through, it was the moment they opened the stone gate. Whoosh! A sudden gust of wind blew back their hair. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Aack!¡± The hot and dry wind was mixed with a ze. The scent of burning that belonged in a crematorium permeated the air. Frozen in ce, the two nced at the scene before them. ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­!¡± It was like something out of a madman¡¯s fantasy. A radiant glow reminiscent of a green skirt streaked across the dark sky. Below it, waves of mes, as ifing from hell itself, engulfed the ice in. -Kieeee! -Araagh! All the bodies gathered by Barka were burning. The resurrected corpses wandered in the mes, screaming, until they turned into ash, while the corpses that didn¡¯te back to lifey quietly, turning into ashes like firewood. It may not be the right expression, but it seemed that there were no survivors. Frozen in shock, Ronan was staring at the scene of the congration. Suddenly, Adeshan pointed to the sky and shouted. ¡°R-Ronan! Look there!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The alreadyrge eyes widened even further. Ronan turned his head in the direction she was pointing. He froze in ce as his gaze reached the sky. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± A single eagle, almost asrge as Itargand, was pping its wings in ce. With each p of its enormous wings, a gust of wind swept away the mes. Its body, like a sculpture, shimmered with a blue light. Ronan narrowed his eyes. There was a sense of familiarity emanating from the eagle. Soon, he seeded in dredging up memories. ¡°Hyran¡­!¡± It was unmistakable. It was Hyran, the highest-ranking wind spirit known as the Prince of Storms. Ronan remembered seeing him during his two years journey to the Sea of Ghosts. ¡®If Hyran is here, then maybe¡­¡¯ There are very few people who can make a contract with a high-ranking spirit. At least, among the people Ronan knew, there was only one. Suddenly, the map he found in his father¡¯s room came to mind. The target destination on the map was clearly the Sea of Ghosts. Gradually, the mes covering the Sea of Ghosts subsided. Like fallen meteorites, the bodies could no longer be found in the deeply excavated ice pit. A trembling voice escaped Adeshan¡¯s lips. ¡°It won¡¯te this way, right¡­?¡± Her gaze lingered on Hyran, who was pping his wings in the air. The Prince of Storms remained aloof, staring nkly at the two. After about a minute, Hyran, who had been gazing at Ronan, suddenly roared. ¡°Pyuuuhhh!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Startled, Adeshan embraced Ronan. Hyran folded his wings and began to descend. Making a wide circle, the Prince of Storms finallynded on a cliff. It wasn¡¯t too far away, so they could observe the area with the naked eye. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he surveyed Hyran¡¯s surroundings. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± A single elven woman was stroking Hyran¡¯s head. Her silver hair, illuminated by the aurora, sparkled with a dusky green hue. Even after thousands of years, the ruby embedded in her staff-like weapon hadn¡¯t lost its luster. The image of her, struggling to save the Savior, still lingered in his eyes. The Great Spirit Sage. And one of the founders of Neb zier, who followed the Savior. Ronan¡¯s mouth fell open in awe. ¡°Elysia.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 217 Chapter 217 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 217: Reunion ¡°Elysia.¡± Ronan¡¯s mouth fell open slightly. Her silver hair and eyes with ruby-like pupils were features that one could never forget after seeing them just once. Adeshan asked hesitantly. ¡°¡­Do you know her?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°R-Ronan? Where are you going?¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. He moved as if mesmerized by thentern of an anglerfish. They met. They had finally met. As Elysia turned her head, her eyes met Ronan¡¯s. Standing still, he put his hand around his mouth and shouted. ¡°Elysia! I¡¯vee to meet you!¡± His voice echoed like it hit a cliff. Elysia, upon hearing her name, raised an eyebrow. She stopped caressing Hyran. -Whoosh! Suddenly, Hyran spread its wings and took off. Despite the gusts of wind strong enough to push one back, nobody paid attention except Adeshan. Ronan approached her and exined the purpose of his journey to the Sea of Ghost. ¡°My name is Ronan. That building in the sky¡­ what was it called? Drimor. I came here after finding the map in Drimor. I¡¯m not sure if it was left by my father or you¡­¡± A fairly decent exnation followed. It contained only brief and essential information, enough for Adeshan, who was hearing the story for the first time, to understand the context. Every time she inadvertently heard secrets of the world, she felt as if her shoulders stiffened, as if she were shrinking away. ¡°Ha, I never thought such things would happen in the sky¡­¡± However, Elysia stood still, showing no reaction other than blinking. It was suspiciously still, almost as if she had been switched with a wax doll. He debated whether to use force to pull her back, even if it seemed a bit rude. Suddenly, Elysia turned her back and began to walk away. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Reflexively drawing his sword, Ronan activated his aura. The streaks of sunset-colored light shot towards the cliff, creating a surreal scene once again, mixing with the aurora. But Elysia had already disappeared behind the cliff. Ronanid Aradan¡¯s body on the ground, reinforced with mana, causing his thigh to swell as if it would burst. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t let this slip away.¡± ¡°R-Ronan!¡± Thump! Ronan leapt from her spot, leaving a confused Adeshan behind. He couldn¡¯t understand why they were calling him out and then avoiding him now. This time, he had to catch her no matter what. ¡°Damn it, how far did she go?¡± With only five leaps, Ronan reached the cliff. Elysia¡¯s figure was already so far away that it couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. However, footprints at regr intervals marked the path she had taken. ¡°I told you to stop!¡± Although it seemed reasonable to wonder if such speed was possible, there was no choice but to pursue her determinedly. A bizarre chase ensued. Crash! Boom! Every time Ronan pounded the ground with each leap,rge shards of ice flew up. The strange pursuit continued for nearly an hour. The distance between Ronan and Elysia did not inexplicably narrow. Even when he thought he had caught up, he found himself far away when he came to his senses. The icyndscape flew past rapidly on either side. As Ronan was about to leap again, he stopped in his tracks. ¡°Huff¡­ Wh-What¡¯s this?¡± Elysia¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen. Even the footprints that should have been marked on the snow werepletely gone. Breathing heavily, he grabbed his forehead. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± He could boast that he had never once taken his eyes off her. Missing her was out of the question. Even the perfectly fine footprints were gone. While pondering the strange phenomenon, Ronan was interrupted by a voice that sounded like it was on the verge of copsing from behind. ¡°I¡­ I caught you¡­!¡± ¡°Adeshan.¡± Thump! Finallynding next to Ronan, she gasped for breath, her knees trembling. Carrying two backpacks in front and back slowed her down. ¡°Sorry. It was such an important matter.¡± ¡°Haah¡­ No, it¡¯s okay. It could be possible. Why did you suddenly stop?¡± ¡°Elysia disappeared. There¡¯s no way this could happen.¡± He even waved his sword in the air, wondering if it was an illusion spell. But nothing happened except the sound of the de cutting through the wind. Adeshan, who had been fiddling with her frozen hair, opened her mouth. ¡°Hmm, it seems like a magic illusion, would you like to try swinging the sword? Since you can cut mana.¡± ¡°I just tried, but nothing happened.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s strange¡­ I can feel mana surrounding us though.¡± Adeshan¡¯s murmurs were full of conviction. Ronan¡¯s face became more serious. If she said so with such conviction, there must be a reason. ¡®Is this a different type of magic than before?¡¯ Taking a deep breath, Ronan focused his senses. In the gradually expanding and sharpening field of view, things that hadn¡¯t been visible before began to appear. Mana traces, simr to those seen in his father¡¯s room, shimmered bluish-green on the ground. ¡®This¡­¡¯ The footprints, which had been sparse and scattered, were now clumped together and flickered like a campfire about three footsteps away. It seemed faint before he activated his aura. It seemed like there was something to be done. Stepping forward, Ronan swiftly plunged the tip of his sword into the swirling mana. Plop! Along with the sensation of dipping a sword into water, the surroundingndscape began to change. ¡°Hah. It¡¯s real.¡± Ronan chuckled dryly. Thendscape of the ice field subtly changed, and Elysia¡¯s interrupted footprints reappeared. A triangr structure resembling an entrance to some facility emerged not far away. Elysia stood in front of it, with a somewhat peculiar, translucent turtle in front of her. The red turtle standing between Elysia and the two of them was as huge as if five ogres were clustered together. Its shell, rising like a peak, glowed with hardeningva-like intensity. A long, wrinkled neck supported a head that looked down on the two of them. Seeing that, Adeshan eximed in shock. ¡°Th-That¡¯s!¡± Having diligently attended sses on elemental spirits, she knew. The turtle before her was the high-ranking fire spirit, Bayardo. An incarnation of fire capable of incinerating viges and mountains with just a yawn. Though not as formidable as Hyran, most elementalists were beings of such high caliber that mere mortals couldn¡¯t even meet their gaze. Was that also a spirit controlled by Elysia? Bayardo, who had been staring them down, opened its mouth. ¡°Hwaaaam¡­¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan cursed. mes were boiling deep inside the gaping hole in Bayardo¡¯s head. He stood in front of Adeshan and shouted. ¡°Damn it, kneel!¡± ¡°Uh, okay!¡± Adeshanplied. At the same time, mes erupted from Bayardo¡¯s mouth. Whoosh! The viscous mes were made purely of mana. Ronan drew his sword and stood it upright at the same time. Whoosh! The fire split to the left and right and passed by the two of them. The intense heat made it impossible to keep their eyes open. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± It was hard to open their eyes. At that moment, Ronan realized that it was this turtle, the one who had incinerated Barka¡¯s secret army. Bayardo had burned them, and Hyran had taken care of the aftermath. ¡°¡­What are we supposed to do now?¡± Bayardo seemed to have no intention of stopping its fire-breathing. Ronan gritted his teeth. Whatever the intention was, if this was a prank, it had gone too far. ¡°You should do it in moderation!¡± In an instant, the de of Lamacha turned crimson. Ronan, charging forward, swung his sword directly at the creature. Swish! The flying strike, slicing through the mes, hit Bayardo squarely in the face. A crescent moon-shaped de split the wide face, and Bayardo¡¯s head fell backwards. ¡°Mwaaaaa¡­¡± Thud! Bayardo¡¯s body tilted and copsed. Its corporeal form, made purely of mana like the mes, dissipated into particles. Turning hastily, Ronan grabbed Adeshan¡¯s shoulders and asked. ¡°Adeshan, are you okay?!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡± Fortunately, Adeshan didn¡¯t seem to be injured. Unexpectedly being called by name, she blushed. As Bayardo disappeared, Elysia, who was behind him, revealed herself. ¡°This damn bitch, what does she want with me now¡­¡± Ronan, gripping his sword tightly, was about to shout something. Suddenly, Elysia lowered her head. A beautiful voice flowed from under her white hair. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ronan.¡± ¡°¡­You know me?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected response. Elysia¡¯s demeanor was polite, as if addressing a superior. Raising her head back up, Elysia continued. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve known you since you were born. And congrattions on passing the test so splendidly.¡± ¡°Test?¡± ¡°Yes. What you experienced earlier was a process necessary to prove your identity. As someone who has inherited his blood, you can find and cut down mana that others cannot see. It is my role to guide you, who havee this far in search of answers¡± Elysia said she had been waiting for Ronan toe for a very long time. Herck of hesitation or pretense in speech and behavior seemed to stem from that. She exined that the illusion magic and the fight with Bayardo were all part of the test. Ronan, exhaling a light sigh, gestured towards Adeshan behind him. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the reason, it doesn¡¯t matter. And she¡¯s fine too.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief. If things had gone wrong, she would have died here.¡± His tone was calm, but his demeanor was not. Elysia raised an eyebrow. There was so much vigor oozing from Ronan that it made her fingertips tingle. It seemed that blood couldn¡¯t be fooled after all. With a small, muttered remark, she lowered her head again. ¡°¡­Forgive me for my rudeness. I was only concerned about Ronan¡¯s test and couldn¡¯t pay attention to yourpanion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now. But what is this building for?¡± Ronan looked up at the triangr structure. A metal door was attached vertically to the ground. It gave off a simr impression to the ruins seen in Dainhar. Elysia exined. ¡°It¡¯s a warehouse for storing nt seeds.¡± ¡°Seeds?¡± ¡°Yes. One of the ruins built during the brightest era of the world. It was built to prepare for destruction but was never used. Now I¡¯ve modified it to¡­¡± Suddenly, Elysia trailed off. She seemed to have unintentionally mentioned a painful past. A faint mncholy hung over her beautiful face. Eventually, she spoke no more and turned away. ¡°¡­The introduction was long. Anyway, please follow me for now. There¡¯s someone you need to meet.¡± ¡°Someone I need to meet?¡± Instead of answering, Elysia operated the mechanical device attached to the iron gate. Buttons numbered from 1 to 9 were densely packed on the square metal te. Beep¨C Beep¨C Beep¨C As Elysia pressed the buttons in a specific order, the entrance opened. A long, narrow staircase led underground. Round lights were spaced evenly along the sides of the staircase, much brighter and easier on the eyes than torches. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are those magical lights?¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re items made by modifying a material called a light-emitting diode. It¡¯s also a practical technology.¡± ¡°Light¡­ emitting?¡± He couldn¡¯t quite grasp what she was saying. The two followed Elysia. Ronan, seeing the iron door from the side, eximed in amazement. ¡°Why is it so thick?¡± The door, made of an unknown metal, looked sturdy enough to withstand even a dragon¡¯s stampede. Adeshan, who was originally interested in such things, also sparkled beside him. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Anyway, the three continued on. It took nearly 20 minutes to descend the stairs. After passing through about three doors simr to the entrance, this time, arge, wide corridor appeared. It was brightly lit like daylight, probably using the same luminescent material mentioned earlier. ¡°Elysia, I have a question¡­¡± ¡°Later. Meeting himes first.¡± Although there were countless questions, Elysia didn¡¯t respond to any of them. She just coldly promised to exin after meeting someone. While it was good to focus on the main topic, it felt a bit rushed. Greeting as she pleased, testing as she pleased, and now dragging him underground as she pleased. ¡®Well, she¡¯ll exinter.¡¯ With no other options, Ronan silently followed her. About 30 minutes passed. Elysia, stopping in front of a certain gate, turned to the two and said. ¡°We¡¯re here. Absolutely no causing disturbances or touching anything.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. This door seemed different from the ones they had seen so far. It was muchrger and seemed to be important, judging by the things attached to it. Elysia operated the buttons on the wall. Fssshh¡­ the thick iron door opened to the sides. A white gas, theposition of which was unknown, seeped out like mist. Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as they saw the interior. ¡°This¡­!¡± Inside the vast room, filled with all kinds of machinery. A hazy glow filled the space, and various colored lines crawled on the floor like the roots of trees. The blue light cluster emanated from the ss tube in the center of the room. Inside the liquid-filled ss tube floated a man. His face couldn¡¯t be seen as he leaned against the door, but his back was surprisingly familiar. ¡®No way.¡¯ Suddenly, a shiver ran down Ronan¡¯s spine. His heart began to race. As Elysia closed the door, she spoke. ¡°Greet him. He¡¯s our eternal Savior and the founder of Neb ss. And¡­¡± She paused for a moment. It was only for a moment, but it felt like an eternity. Wiping her lips, she spoke again. ¡°Ronan, your father.¡± [TL/N: OMG it¡¯s finally happening!!! Ronan finally found his father who went out to get some milk :ooo] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 218 Chapter 218 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 218: Elysia (1) ¡°Ronan, your father,¡± Elysia said. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened. In the silence-filled space, only the faint hum of machinery could be heard. ¡°Ronan¡­¡± Adeshan looked at Ronan, who seemed lost in thought, with concern. How much time had passed? In the midst of the long silence, his lips finally moved lightly. ¡°¡­My father? The Savior?¡± Elysia nodded. Ronan¡¯s legs, which had been rooted in ce, finally moved. Slowly, he made his way towards the ss container containing the Savior, his father. As he got closer, he could see more details. The man floating in the ss container was not wearing anything. While his physique was ordinary, his body was covered with thick muscles. The most noticeable thing was the hole piercing his upper body. A hole the size of a one-year-old¡¯s headpletely pierced through his back to his chest, and the surrounding area was stained ck as if rotten. ¡®Is he still alive?¡¯ Ronan furrowed his brow. It was a fatal injury that an ordinary human couldn¡¯t possibly survive. Dozens ofrge tubes, seemingly to sustain life, were inserted into his body like roots. Finally reaching the ss container, he turned towards the man inside. Ronan, who had been holding his breath, looked up. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the man¡¯s face. Contrary to his expectations that it would be obscured by some shitty shadows, the Savior¡¯s face was clearly visible. A name he was unable to hear or see, it was impossible to understand how this had happened. But what mattered now wasn¡¯t that. Adeshan, who had stealthily followed behind, covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°Ro-Ronan. This face¡­!¡± ¡°¡­The robbed figure.¡± Ronan muttered to himself. The Savior¡¯s face bore a striking resemnce to the Betrayer who had stabbed him. His silver-white hair, reminiscent of Iril, flowed in the water, and his features were distinct yet sharp. In fact, apart from minor details, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they were exactly the same. Though he couldn¡¯t see them now with his eyes closed, Ronan was certain that the irises beneath his eyelids were the same sunset color as his own. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ He was puzzled. He even began to wonder if the elf woman had actually lured him into a trap. Perhaps, the person in front of him was actually the Betrayer, and suddenly he¡¯d open his eyes and rush towards him. But the energy emanating from beyond the ss was undoubtedly that of the Savior. Ronan opened his eyes wide in realization. ¡®Zaifa and Barka¡­ Could it be?¡¯ The faces of the Turkon brothers shed through his mind. Though their intentions werepletely opposite, they bore a striking resemnce to each other in appearance. The pieces of the puzzle that had been elusive were graduallying together. It was regrettable that he couldn¡¯t directly converse with him due to him being unconscious. Without taking his eyes off the Saviour¡¯s face, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°¡­The Savior and the Betrayer were twin brothers.¡± ¡°The Betrayer? Ah, you mean Abel.¡± ¡°Abel?¡± ¡°Yes, he is the Savior¡¯s brother and the betrayer who stabbed him in the back. He is currently the leader of the Neb zier.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. For years, he had referred to the Betrayer as the robbed figure, and it was the first time he had heard his real name. ¡°Wait a minute, how do you know all this?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Elysia tilted her head. It seemed that she was unaware that Ronan had experienced the Savior¡¯s memories in the Mental World. As Ronan was about to continue speaking, she interrupted him. ¡°And by the way, can you see the Savior¡¯s face?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Elysia¡¯s eyes widened. She seemed very surprised that Ronan could see the Savior¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­! Just wait a moment.¡± Approaching briskly, Elysia stood in front of Ronan. She was quite short when seen up close. Suddenly raising her hands, she grabbed Ronan¡¯s face with both hands. ¡°Look into my eyes.¡± ¡°Wh-What are you doing right now¡­?¡± Adeshan was startled by her actions, as if she was about to kiss him. However, Elysia simply stared into Ronan¡¯s eyes without doing anything else. After about a minute, she sighed softly. ¡°My goodness, this can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Originally, you shouldn¡¯t be able to see the Savior¡¯s face. You shouldn¡¯t even know his name. Because that was the taboo the Savior ced on you. But now¡­¡± Elysia removed her hands from Ronan¡¯s face. Adeshan, who had been trembling, breathed a sigh of relief. With a hesitant tone, she continued. ¡°¡­The taboo has vanished. More precisely, it disappeared as if it had been burned by fire.¡± ¡°Burned by fire?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, considering how far you¡¯vee, I expected one or two curses to have been undone, but how could it have reached this level¡­ What method did you use?¡± The moment he heard her words, Navardose¡¯s face shed through his mind. The voluptuous dragondy had stripted him half-naked,id him down, and reced some of the curses for a piece of her ember. He suddenly remembered fighting in the ice cave, trapped in Barka¡¯s trap. At that time, Ronan had activated Aun Phra¡¯s magic, and he felt a strong heat emanating from where the ember was nted. ¡®I had expected it to grow gradually, but has the ember grownrger then?¡¯ He would have to investigate further, but it seemed likely that it had disappeared at that time. It was likely that the ember had grown and burned away part of the curse. However, he hesitated to say this. From Elysia before him, the symbol of Neb zier, the shimmering mana emanated with an intensity that was unparalleled. Being one of the original members, it was natural for her to radiate such power, given that she received it from the Savior. Yet, doubts crept in unavoidably. After all, the Savior fell into the pit, stabbed by a de, and he didn¡¯t witness what had happened afterward. After a brief silence, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Not only are you not exining how you learned about past events but you aren¡¯t fully trusting me either. You even suspect that I might be one of Neb zier¡­ Abel¡¯s people, don¡¯t you?¡± Elysia narrowed her eyes sharply. Ronan hesitated under her keen and sharp deductions. Elysia sighed heavily, as if she expected Ronan to think that way. ¡°Hmm¡­ I understand. I should first prove that I¡¯m not an enemy so we can move on. How can I make you trust me?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Ronan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He couldn¡¯t think of a suitable way to discern the truth. At that moment, Adeshan, who was standing awkwardly, spoke up. ¡°Uh, Ronan. If she¡¯s lying, I can tell¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Ronan snapped his fingers. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of this earlier? Adeshan, who controlled shadow mana, could discern whether someone was lying or not. Thanks to this ability, in her past life, she was always able to gain the upper hand in psychological warfare. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Okay. Watch closely to see if Elysia is lying. Elysia, is that alright?¡± ¡°Huh? What exactly does that mean¡­?¡± Elysia looked puzzled. After hearing an exnation about Adeshan¡¯s ability, she expressed admiration. ¡°Shadow mana¡­ and it¡¯s in the mental category too. Contrary to her appearance, she possesses a very dangerous power.¡± ¡°Um, I promise I won¡¯t do anything strange.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Since I had no intention of lying anyway. Where should I start?¡± Elysia surprisingly readily epted the proposal. Ronan spoke up. ¡°How did you know I wasing here? You greeted me as if you were waiting for me.¡± ¡°I knew that you woulde here someday because the Savior told me. He mentioned it a few times before losing consciousness. He didn¡¯t specify when, so I didn¡¯t know until we met on the cliff.¡± ¡°Then bringing me here suddenly was also¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I simply followed the Savior¡¯s will. He instructed me to bring you here if Ronan came seeking me. Until then, he was still conscious.¡± Elysia¡¯s lips twisted slightly as she spoke. Adeshan, meeting Ronan¡¯s gaze, nodded subtly, indicating that she wasn¡¯t lying. Ronan retrieved a map marked with the location of this ce from his pocket. ¡°Who left this map? I found it in the Savior¡¯s room back in Drimore.¡± ¡°I have no idea about that. He probably drew and hid it himself. He mentioned leaving clues for you to find, and it seems like one of those clues.¡± ¡°Damn it, I honestly don¡¯t understand. He forbade me from knowing about himself, yet he made something like that.¡± ¡°Well, in fact, there were quite a few things about the Savior¡¯s actions that I didn¡¯t understand. Still, I think he had his own reasons for leaving those things.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. If that was the case, why did he put the curse? Was it a simr psychology to the olddy who wanted to die every day but wanted to live when the time came? Even this time, Elysia wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Alright. One more thing. Why did you leave Drimore and move here? I heard you were working there until just five years ago.¡± ¡°Because the Savior¡¯s condition had worsened more and more. As soon as he left Drimore, he settled in this ruin. It was the only way for him to recover quietly and to escape Abel¡¯s pursuit.¡± The reason the Savior left Drimore early was because of his health. The wound from being stabbed by Abel gradually consumed his body, pushing him to the point where he couldn¡¯t work anymore. This ruin, known for storing seeds, was an ideal hiding ce for the Savior. Over decades, he and Elysia turned this ce into a fortress rivaling Drimore and created life support devices for the increasingly weakened Savior. ¡°Even when were were in Drimore, I used to visit him regrly to check on him, but at some point, his condition deteriorated to the point where he couldn¡¯t endure it alone anymore. That¡¯s when he settled here.¡± Elysia exined that the Savior entered the ss tube five years ago and lost consciousness only three years ago. Even the space they were in now was a life support device. Ronan, who was looking around, spoke up. ¡°When exactly was the ¡®brightest time¡¯ you mentioned? I¡¯ve never seen these glowing things, even in history books.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details¡­ a very long time ago, before even Navardose was born. He mentioned that this world had experienced destruction of civilization several times, and the people in the civilization that was destroyed just before had the technology to reach the stars. I may seem knowledgeable, but I¡¯ve only learned a few pieces of technology from that time through him.¡± Ronan looked at Adeshan. Even this time, she wasn¡¯t lying. He smiled as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. If it was before even Navardose was born, how many years has the Savior been alive for? Although Elysia knew about Neb zier, her information was cut off since she used all her strength to escape Neb zier and save the weakened Savior. Elysia continued speaking, despite no additional questions. ¡°I certainly dedicated myself to the organization called Neb zier. I nurtured the congregation with affection. However, that was when the Savior led the organization.¡± ¡°It must have been quite different from now.¡± ¡°Yes. To the extent that it¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s the same organization. The direction itself has changed. I want people who suffer to be saved like me. There¡¯s no reason to stay with a group that wants to destroy the world.¡± Elysia knew to some extent about Neb zier¡¯s ns. While she didn¡¯t know the specifics like summoning reinforcements, she knew enough that they aimed to weaken people to deliver a major blow. ¡®She¡¯s an ally.¡¯ Now, Ronan could trust Elysia without a doubt. If she had known even more details, it would have been more suspicious. The interruption in her information stemmed from her desperate escape from Neb zier, seeking the critically injured Savior. It seemed okay by now. Ronan, who decided to trust her, spoke up. ¡°I actually have seen you before.¡± ¡°You have? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It was part of the process of breaking the curse. I saw the Savior¡¯s memories in the world created in my mind.¡± ¡°¡­The Savior¡¯s memories?¡± Elysia raised her eyebrows. Ronan exined vividly what he saw and experienced in the Mental World. The founding process of Neb zier, Abel stabbing him from behind, Elysia summoning Hyran and attempting to escape, but ultimately the Savior being shot down. Elysia¡¯s frozen mouth slowly opened. ¡°My goodness¡­ You really saw it.¡± ¡°The problem is that I don¡¯t know anything after that. So, what should I do now?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ is that so?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. He didn¡¯t expect to hear ¡°is that so?¡± at this point. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you bring me here for a purpose?¡± ¡°Well¡­ as I said, I just followed the Savior¡¯s will. Hisstmand was to bring you here if you came. But as you can see, he lost consciousness¡­¡± Elysia trailed off gloomily. Ronan chuckled bitterly. It was an incredible naivety. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I need to talk to the Savior first. But is he¡­ alive?¡± Ronan pointed to the Savior. From what he saw upfront, the injuries were much more severe. The foaming out of his nose and mouth indicated that he was still breathing. Elysia answered in a voice tinged with sadness. ¡°¡­Yes. But there¡¯s not much time left.¡± ¡°How much time does he have left?¡± ¡°At most, about a year.¡± ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s really not much time left.¡± Ronan cursed. This was the part where he could understand why the Savior didn¡¯t appear on the final battlefield. How nice would it have been if he hade while he was still conscious? Even though he was summoned, the current situation where he couldn¡¯t even say a word felt incredibly frustrating. ¡°¡­Is there no way to fix him?¡± ¡°There is. Only one.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He expected to hear that he couldn¡¯t be fixed, but this was an unexpected development. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to transfuse the blood of his twin brother, Abel.¡± [TL/N: time to meet the uncle¡­ good luck Ronan :3] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 219 Chapter 219 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 219: Elysia (2) ¡°We need to transfuse the blood of his twin brother, Abel.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. Even if someone had told him to pick up dirt and eat it, it would have been less perplexing than this. He spoke up, puzzled. ¡°Why do we have to do something like that?¡± ¡°Because the Savior¡¯s wounds aren¡¯t healing due to ack of blood. And none of the blood from other races matches his. Since it was the Savior himself who said it, there¡¯s no doubt.¡± Elysia exined that when Abel attacked the Savior, he used a poison made from his own blood. It was a tactic to weaken his strength and rot his wounds, devised to defeat his brother, who was much stronger than himself. And the tactic seeded. The Savior, who had lived for countless ages, fell into a state of imminent death, while Elysia, the Great Spirit Sage, became a mere nurse attending to his illness. She said she tried everything to heal the Savior. She searched for herbs to make remedies, even delved into healing magic, which she had no aptitude for. Despite the countless remedies developed over a thousand years, none of them had much effect. She spoke with a somewhat gloomy voice. ¡°So I was making ns. ns to obtain Abel¡¯s blood. But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t find a way.¡± Elysia sighed deeply. It was understandable, given that her opponent was the Leader of Neb zier, and a swordmasterparable to the Savior himself. Taking his blood was nearly impossible for Elysia, even though she was a powerful Spirit Sage. She couldn¡¯t reveal herself due to her circumstances. ¡®It¡¯s difficult.¡¯ Ronan pursed his lips. Despite his perplexity, he felt tremendous dedication. Even if it was his birth parent, he doubted he could be as devoted. ¡°But, Elysia, why have you been working so hard?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You are extremely devoted to the Savior. As if helping him for thousands of years wasn¡¯t enough, saving him seems to have be the purpose of your life. There must be some backstory.¡± Suddenly, Ronan became curious about the identity of this woman named Elysia. He realized that he had been preupied with thoughts about the Savior and the Betrayer, knowing nothing about this person. Hesitating, Elysia spoke up. ¡°Hmm. the Savior saved my life literally. I can only say this much.¡± ¡°Saved you.¡± She awkwardly smiled, avoiding the question. It seemed there was something she couldn¡¯t disclose, so Ronan didn¡¯t press further. He had taken in too much information at once, and his head was throbbing. His focus returned to finding a cure for the Savior. Blood. They needed blood. After pondering for a moment, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Wait, couldn¡¯t my blood, his child, be effective?¡± ¡°I did consider that possibility, but the Savior didn¡¯t seem to approve. Even if it did work, he mentioned it would be less effective since the blood would be thinner.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying you haven¡¯t tried it yet.¡± Suddenly, Ronan rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his muscr arm. He looked at Elysia, who was taken aback. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t. Besides, the Savior didn¡¯t seem to want to use his child¡¯s blood from the beginning,.¡± ¡°He might not be willing, but he didn¡¯t say not to use it even if it means sacrificing himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Elysia, I need to talk to him. There are piles of questions to ask, and we might find clues to obtaining Abel¡¯s blood.¡± Impatience crept into Ronan¡¯s voice. There was no time to waste. Even though they had gained the upper hand against Neb zier, one year was too short. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m quite capable, you know?¡± Ronan briefly exined the tasks he had aplished so far. Although he didn¡¯t like boasting like this, he had no choice but to provoke her stubbornness. With each name of the officials he had dealt with ¨C Brigia, Teralnil, Barka, and so on ¨C Elysia¡¯s expression wavered. Having heard about some of the powers vested to him as the Dawn, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°You can receive support from the Imperial Army? Were you a soldier?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s something simr.¡± ¡°Given your position, it¡¯s certainly¡­¡± Elysia began to murmur to herself. It seemed that she had found hope in obtaining Abel¡¯s blood. After pondering for a while, she spoke slowly. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Elysia left the room. She went to fetch the tools needed for blood collection and transfusion. Adeshan, who had been watching the situation anxiously, asked with concern. ¡°Ronan, are you sure about this?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be back as soon as it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m okay with you staying a bit longer¡­ after all, he¡¯s your father that you¡¯ve been searching for so long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my father I had been searching for, but the Savior.¡± Ronan nced at the Savior. Honestly, it still didn¡¯t feel real. Despite all the grandeur about being the Savior and the founder of Neb zier, to Ronan, this man was simply a bastard who abandoned his mother and sibling, and even put a curse on him. ¡®My sister went through a lot.¡¯ Ronan remembered the days of struggle during his childhood. Of course, in the Mental World, Ronan fought against Abel in anger over the Savior¡¯s death. But that was when he didn¡¯t know that this man was his father. Giving his blood was solely to fulfill a promise from his past life with the General. He promised to save the world, and to do that, he needed this man¡¯s help. Lost in thought, Ronan waited until Elysia returned. ¡°The preparations areplete. Would you like toe and see?¡± In her hands were various tools needed for blood transfusion, including syringes and catheters. The procedure ended much faster than expected. Elysia, who had lived as a quasi-doctor for over a thousand years, quickly transfused the blood drawn from Ronan to the Savior. Ronan, who was rubbing his needle mark, chuckled. ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something I do all the time. I don¡¯t expect much, but¡­ it would be nice to see some progress.¡± Blood was flowing through the catheter connected to the Savior¡¯s right arm. Come to think of it, he had always just spilled blood from injuries; this was the first time he was donating blood properly. While Ronan and Adeshan secretly hoped for progress, Elysia¡¯s face remained as dry as ever, seemingly unaffected by the anticipation and disappointment she had experienced repeatedly over the years. As they chatted to pass the time, Adeshan suddenly gasped and eximed, taking a deep breath. ¡°L-Look over there! He¡¯s waking up!¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Both Ronan and Elysia turned their heads simultaneously. Their eyes widened as they looked up at the Savior. His eyelids, which had been closed, were slightly open. ¡°My¡­ goodness! Are you conscious?¡± Suddenly, tears began to stream down Elysia¡¯s cheeks. Her intense reaction gave a glimpse of the hard work she had done so far. Ronan, who had been silently watching, spoke up. ¡°Savior.¡± As expected, the Savior¡¯s eyes were crimson. The sunset-colored eyes were eerily simr to his and Iril¡¯s. As soon as their eyes met, Ronan instinctively realized that this man was indeed his father. Although the Betrayer¡¯s eyes were also the same sunset color, the impression conveyed was different. It felt awkwardly warm, if you will. It felt like what people would call affection. As Elysia wiped away her tears, she smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­Savior?¡± However, that was all. Even after waiting for a while, the Savior only blinked his eyes and showed no other reaction. Even after all the blood drawn from Ronan had been transfused, the situation remained the same. Unable to bear it, Ronan clenched his fists. ¡°Say something, please.¡± But there was no response. It seemed like this was the maximum his blood could do. Elysia, wiping away her tears, spoke in a bitter tone. ¡°It¡¯s just as he said. It¡¯s because your blood is too thin.¡± ¡°Damn it. Can¡¯t we try drawing and transfusing more?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hearing Elysia¡¯s apology, Ronan gritted his teeth. The Savior¡¯s words were correct. It appeared that his mixed blood, tainted with that of a human mother, was insufficient to fix this monster. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Ronan cursed. The Savior continued to stare at him alone. Although his eyes were barely open, he still seemed conscious. The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Ronan came to a conclusion before his mind became moreplicated. Ronan, who was pondering something, spoke up. ¡°¡­Elysia, we¡¯ll go back for now.¡± ¡°Huh? So soon?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a risk of being tracked, and¡­ there are still things to be done in the North. We¡¯lle backter.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Then go ahead. Hyran will take you to your destination.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] It felt like they were leaving too quickly, but there was no other choice. They had to focus on obtaining Abel¡¯s blood now. Moreover, if Neb zier, noticing Barka¡¯s death, sent a search party, it would be a disaster. After all, that damn Weretiger was currently holding the position of Bishop. They had to proceed with the work by sneaking back and forth. Ronan and Adeshan began to prepare to leave immediately. Before leaving, Elysia said, ¡°By the way, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°If you have seen the memories, you should know Alivrihe. I heard that he resides in the Dragon City of Adren. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s left the organization like me, but¡­ anyway, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­Alivrihe?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was a name he clearly remembered. Strangely enough, the dragon, who enjoyed making prosthetics, was also one of the founders of Neb zier, like Elysia. The scene where Abel cut off his left hand was still vivid in his memory. But whether he would be an ally remained to be seen. Considering that the whip Adeshan was holding was made by Alivrihe, there was a possibility that he was still affiliated with the organization. In any case, this was valuable information. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Shall we head out together? I need to call Hyran.¡± The three of them headed towards the exit. Just before leaving the room, Ronan turned his head. The Savior was still staring at him intently. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue., feeling ufortable. He should have refrained from looking back. Warmth was still radiating from his sunset-colored eyes. With a slight grumble, he mumbled. ¡°Just wait a bit longer.¡± There was no response. That was to be expected. He was leaving to hear that answer. After bidding farewell, Ronan stepped out of the door. With the sound of the wind blowing, the iron door closed. . . . Outside, it was cold and dark. Under the star-studded night sky, green auroras seemed to pour down like stars. Adeshan, who was looking up at the eagle the size of a house, spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°Can I¡­ I mean, can I really ride on his back?¡± ¡°Of course. Hyran is my friend. He said he can handle any favor.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be grateful¡­¡± Adeshan took Ronan¡¯s hand and climbed onto Hyran¡¯s back. When she saw how much higher it was than she had thought, she gasped again. Although Elysia had provided a saddle, she still felt uneasy. Elysia, smiling, waved her hand. ¡°Come back again. Oh, you have what I gave you, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ronan revealed the scrolls tucked in his pouch. Each rolled-up piece of paper was inscribed with a space teleportation spell that could take them directly to the Sea of Ghosts. Elysia mentioned that they could use it if something happened or if there was progress. She also handed over a bundle of documents containing information she knew about Neb zier, which, whenbined with the information acquired from Barka, could reveal something significant. Whispering while touching foreheads with Hyran, Elysia said, ¡°Please.¡± -Pyyoo! Hyran pped his wings in response. Adeshan, startled, hugged Ronan¡¯s neck tightly. Just before takeoff, Ronan remembered something and snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh, Elysia.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t actually hear the Savior¡¯s name.¡± He almost missed it. Elysia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, really? It¡¯s not a difficult name.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Cain.¡± It sounded like she didn¡¯t think much of it. It was clear, just like when he could finally see his face. Cain. It was indeed a simpler and more ordinary name than expected. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯lle back.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you¡­ ahhh!¡± Instead of answering, Elysia waved her hand. At the same time, Hyran took off. Kwaahhh! The Prince of Storms soared towards the distance with just a few ps of his wings. The howling wind in their ears was fierce. ¡°This is killing me¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaaah! Ahhhh!¡± It was a ride reminiscent of Itargand. Adeshan screamed while clutching Ronan¡¯s neck. It was hard to tell which one between Hyran and her was the bird. In the far distance, a faint flickering light was visible. Whether it was Jaeger¡¯s subordinates searching for the missingmander or the light from Rundalian¡¯s city reaching here, it was impossible to tell. Under the slowly pping wings, the icy sea below swayed. **** The sky was clear. In the ce where the auroras and the clouds disappeared, only transparent blue light remained. The morning sun rising from beyond the sea bathed the world in its light. ¡°Ugh¡­ we¡¯ve finally arrived.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you. Thanks to you, it was afortable journey¡­¡± The two of them arrived in Heyan at dawn. They were dyed a little longer because they had to recover the body of Aradan Turkon from the Sea of Ghosts. -Pyyoooo! After dropping off Ronan and Adeshan, the Storm Prince returned to Elysia without even looking back. Watching his rapidly disappearing figure, Ronan nodded his head. ¡°It feels so refreshing. Maybe because he takes after his master.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Adeshan said with a voice dripping with fatigue. What happenedst night felt like a dream. From the seed repository to the light emitting diodes, to Ronan¡¯s father in a ss tube. They were all unrealistic stories that wouldn¡¯t even appear in novels. Suddenly, her eyes fell on Aradan and she muttered worriedly. ¡°We need to find a ce to bury his body before it decays.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Still no contact?¡± The body of the Weretiger boy was slumped over Ronan¡¯s back. It didn¡¯t matter much due to the cold here, but if the temperature rose even slightly, the body would soon begin to decay. Adeshan, upon hearing the word ¡°contact,¡± shook her head. ¡°Contact?¡± ¡°Why, didn¡¯t I write a letter whileing here¡­¡± Ronan was about to say something. Feeling a familiar aura, both of them turned their heads at the same time. In the distance, the outlines of two figures were approaching. Although there was a significant difference in size, the aura emanating from them was equally intense. Ronan¡¯s lips curled up slightly. ¡°Aha, His Majesty the Emperor, as merciful as ever.¡± The outlines soon became clear. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened even further. The voice, faint but distinct, reached here from the smaller silhouette, which was none other than Navirose. ¡°What a mess because of you, Cat.¡± ¡°Have we finally arrived?¡± Zaifa casually stretched. It was unclear how he had managed toe here when he couldn¡¯t set foot in the North. Ronan, after taking a deep breath, stepped towards the two of them. With the body of the son of the Sword Saint on his back. [TL/N: Mommyrose is finally here again :33¡­ also the author really named them Cain and Abel, but the order seems like it¡¯s the opposite hmm] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 220 Chapter 220 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 220: Underneath the Northern Lights ¡°Z-Zafia? Instructor Navirose?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe it, even as she saw them. The sudden appearance of Navirose alone was surprising enough, but what truly astonished her was Zafia standing beside her. ¡°Ronan, what¡­ what¡¯s going on? How did Zafiae to the North?¡± ¡°I wrote a letter to His Majesty. Someone needed to set things right in the North.¡± Ronan exined what had happened a few days earlier. He had requested the Emperor to amend the terms of the Blood Pact to allow Zafia toe to the North. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no one else but Zafia who could stabilize the mess Barka had made in the North. Adeshan marveled, sping his hands together. ¡°Incredible¡­ Then what about Instructor Navirose?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here to watch over him. Can¡¯t have him causing trouble for no reason.¡± Navirose¡¯s grumbling could be heard even from here. It seemed she had been dragged along while enjoying her vacation. But it was unavoidable. There were only a few individuals in the Empire who could monitor someone like Zafia and attempt to subdue him if necessary. Watching the two approaching figures, Ronan swallowed hard. ¡®¡­Hope she won¡¯t suddenly charge at us.¡¯ He was in quite a predicament. Much had changed since he wrote the letter. Barka¡¯s atrocities were more gruesome than he had imagined, and somehow, Ronan ended up killing both Zafia¡¯s brother and son at the same time. Of course, the son was already dead, but still. Lost in thought, he found himself unexpectedly close to the two. Zafia was the first to shake hands. ¡°Nice to see you, Ronan.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Zafia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve stepped on thisnd. What should I say¡­ Thank you¡­¡± As Zafia was greeting them, his gaze lingered on the Weartiger boy being carried by Ronan. Ronan. Adeshan squinted her eyes shut. ¡°¡­Aradan?¡± ¡°Much has happened.¡± Zafia¡¯s face hardened. Ronan handed Aradan¡¯s body to him without a word. ¡°Take him.¡± Zafia silently epted his son¡¯s body. Aradan seemed quite big to Ronan, but seeing him in Zafia¡¯s hands, he appeared just a boy. After a moment of silence, Zafia spoke. ¡°¡­Exin.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Can we step aside for a moment?¡± It seemed they needed to talk alone to discuss Aradan¡¯s death properly. Ronan fished out a bunch of letters from his pocket that he found in Barka¡¯sb. ¡°This.¡± ¡°Recognize the paper?¡± Zafia¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. The handwriting behind the parchment was his own. After a brief silence, he spoke. ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t matter. Speak here.¡± ¡°All of it? Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in front of my son. I won¡¯t let anything slide if you miss even one detail.¡± Zafia growled. Ronan had forgotten for a moment that he was originally this kind of guy. Sighing deeply, he showed him the letters. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s start with this guy named Jaeger. So¡­¡± The rest of the three listened intently. Ronan exined everything that had happened since he arrived in the North. His journey with the Carabel merchants, meeting with Jaeger and his death, the brutal pursuit by Barka Turkon, who turned out to be the real viin, and more. ¡°Was¡­ Barka really that corrupted.¡± Zafia muttered to himself. He listened to Ronan¡¯s story surprisingly calmly. Of course, his fur bristled as if it could shoot out at any moment. Ronan revealed everything, excluding the information about the Savior and Elysia. Even the fact that he was used of plotting a rebellion and that Barka was a Bishop of Neb zier, which was extremely dangerous information. Suddenly, Navirose, who had been silent, spoke up, her hand on the hilt of her sword. ¡°Then now, are you absolutely sure he¡¯s not involved?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Ronan affirmed. However, Navirose wasn¡¯t asking him a question. A wildfire-like fierceness surged over her shoulders. Jaipa, who had been silent, nodded his head. ¡°It¡¯s just as it says in the letter.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Only then did she take her hand off the hilt of hersword. As her intense aura momentarily dissipated, Ronan and Adeshan breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s what happened.¡± Ronan¡¯s exnation soon came to an end. A heavy silence descended, dreadful and oppressive. Zafia remained silent, stroking his dead son¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Contrary to Ronan¡¯s worries, Zafia didn¡¯t express anger nor me him. Abruptly, he turned his back. Aradan cradled in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll bury my son and return.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Whatever Navirose was about to say, she stopped herself. It might have been against principles, but she didn¡¯t try to stop Zafia. Zafia halted in his tracks. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Ronan tilted his head, and Zafia spoke. ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t forget.¡± Zafia resumed walking. Ronan grimaced at the thought of how dirty he felt. With no one speaking, only the sound of the wind and Zafia¡¯s footsteps fading away could be distinctly heard. The first to break the silence was Navirose. ¡°So much has happened. I¡¯m d you¡¯re all safe.¡± ¡°Well, yeah. How have you been, Instructor?¡± ¡°I went to the South once. The summer there is oddly tepid. I didn¡¯t expect to be sent to this freezer as soon as I returned.¡± For some reason, her skin seemed a bit more tanned. From then on, the three engaged in light conversation. While Zafia¡¯s situation was unfortunate, one couldn¡¯t remain gloomy forever. Navirose, who had been asking questions, suddenly began unbuttoning her coat. ¡°Whew¡­ Even though it¡¯s Heiran, it¡¯s hot walking like this. I¡¯veyered too much.¡± Navirose was wearing threeyers of thick leather clothing, as she was sensitive to the cold. Grumbling, she started unbuttoning her coat. As the front loosened, the trapped heat inside surged up. ¡°Oh.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Her soaked undershirt clung to her body¡¯s contours. The sensation it evoked was akin to being next to the Mother of Fire herself. As she shook her coat to cool off, Navirose sighed. ¡°Hehe, much better now.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Adeshan was equally captivated by the magical fire pouches. Suddenly she realized that Ronan was looking at the same thing she was, and screamed in horror. ¡°I-Instructor!¡± Hastily, Adeshan stretched out her hand and buttoned up her coat. Perhaps because she was the daughter of a tailor, her handling of clothes was very nimble. Navirose tilted her head. ¡°What is it, all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Ha, you can¡¯t take off your clothes so carelessly. It¡¯s really cold here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hot.¡± ¡°Th-that doesn¡¯t matter. What if someone sees it?¡± After saying that, Adeshan red at Ronan. Ronan, embarrassed by her piercing gaze, avoided her gaze. She was being rude even though she had enjoyed it herself. Navirose, who was looking at the two, thinking they were cute, opened her mouth. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. It must have been tough.¡± For a moment, Adeshan¡¯s movements froze. Navirose stroked her head. It was a possible move due to her bending over to button up her coat. ¡°Instructor? Why all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Revenge may be satisfying, but it¡¯s not pleasant. Especially if it ends in murder. I know that as well.¡± It was about Barka. Adeshan stuttered like a broken doll. ¡°Th-That¡­¡± ¡°People should cry when they can. If they don¡¯t, they¡¯ll soon fall apart. If there¡¯s anything piled up, now¡¯s the time to let it all out.¡± Navirose said, arms outstretched. Adeshan¡¯s eyes teared up. The hardships endured in the North and the nightmares of the Night of the Fangs shed before her. After a few seconds, as she breathed heavily, she lifted her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ve cried enough already.¡± Adeshan nced at Ronan with a faint smile. Tears had already flowed enough when she had to deal with Aradan¡¯s body. Of course, her eyes still glistened with moisture, but as long as they didn¡¯t spill out, they couldn¡¯t be called tears. Navirose chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot.¡± Once again, she was d she had chosen to be a mentor. Watching the growth of her students was always a joy. Adeshan thought Ronan had left because she was crying, but he quietly returned. Navirose, who had also gently patted his head, spoke up. ¡°So, where are we going now?¡± ¡°Well¡­ we should probably go to the forge first. Things have escted, but our original destination was there.¡± ¡°The forge? Are you talking about the Aurora Skar in Heiran?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think that was what it was called. Do you know it?¡± ¡°Of course. The elders in Parzan must have rmended it. Apart from the distance, it¡¯s one of the best forges. Its use of Aurora¡¯s glow in smelting is unparalleled anywhere on the continent.¡± Navirose nodded. If such a meticulous person as her said so, it must be a really good ce. They were preparing to leave. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°But, there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard about the situation in the North on our way here. It seems the cksmith released by that Jaeger guy set sail with the forge. They¡¯re probably wandering somewhere in the Northern Sea by now.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. The forge? Did he mishear it? ¡°Wait a minute. You said they ¡®set sail¡¯ with the forge. What does that mean?¡± ¡°What, you didn¡¯t know? Aurora Skar is a huge cier that was converted into a forge. When facing a crisis like this or during harvesting the Aurora, it leaves Heiran and heads for the sea.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Ronan chuckled as if stunned. He never imagined there could be a forge more unordinary than the one in Gran Cappadocia. Converting a cier and floating around on it? What a crazy idea. Navirose spoke. ¡°It seems like you guys don¡¯t have a boat. If you¡¯re unlucky, you might have to wander around for quite a while to find one.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ shit, should wee back another time?¡± ¡°No need for that. I will lend you the griffin I came on, you can ride that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, Navirose took out a horn from her pocket and blew it. A clear, high-pitched sound resonated. Before long, a giant griffin appeared in the sky in the direction she and Zafia had been walking. -Hwiyo! Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. The griffin, gracefully circling,nded in front of the three. With its smooth turn, it was clear this wasn¡¯t a wild creature. Ronan asked. ¡°What¡¯s with that griffin?¡± ¡°I borrowed it from the Imperial Army. Thanks to that, we were able toefortably. It¡¯s trained for military use, so it should be easy to handle.¡± Indeed, a saddle with the Imperial insignia was strapped to its broad back. Navirose handed the horn to Ronan. ¡°What about you, Instructor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself. Don¡¯t worry. Besides, I wanted toe to the North at least once anyway.¡± Navirose waved away any concerns. Ronan, taken aback, epted the horn. Certainly, it was a much faster and more efficient mode of transportation than a boat. Adeshan, staring at the griffin, muttered in a despairing voice. ¡°Back to the skies again¡­?¡± ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll handle things in the North with that cat and return. We¡¯ll meet after everything¡¯s done.¡± With that, Navirose turned and walked away. The two offered their thanks with a wave of their hands. It felt so refreshing that it seemed to dispel the cold of Heiran. Before long, the griffin carrying the two of them took off. ¡°Yaaaaaah!¡± A loud scream echoed. Whether or not, Ronan pulled the reins and increased the speed. With not a cloud in the sky, tonight would be a perfect night for stargazing. **** ¡°Where on earth are we wandering? Can you see anything over there?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, no. Nothing here either.¡± Adeshan replied, trembling. No matter how much they looked down, apart from the distant surface and icebergs, there was nothing to be seen. With each p of the griffin¡¯s wings, her bangs mercilessly tangled up. It had already been half a day since they started roaming the skies. Absolute darkness had descended over the Northern Sea. While the stars were indeed visible, the Aurora, like the one in the Sea of Ghost, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°It would be nice if we could see the Aurora¡­ If you¡¯re tired, let me know. We can take a break on an iceberg for a while.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you. But I¡¯m still okay.¡± They still hadn¡¯t found Aurora Skar or whatever forge they were looking for. With lights scattered across the cier, it was supposed to be easy to find, but judging from theck of even a hint of light, they seemed to be wandering quite far. Ronan, riding the griffin, nced back at Adeshan. She was still burying her face in his back with her eyes tightly closed. A sense of guilt crept up on him. He had ended up putting her through all sorts of hardships, when he had brought her along only as a guide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you suffer so much. Finding the forge isn¡¯t easy either.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I¡¯m fine. Thanks to you, I was able to resolve my past grievances, and I actually enjoyed it.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Hearing that, Ronan chuckled wryly. It was astonishingly kind. It was hard to believe she was someone who possessed one of the most dangerous powers in the world. ¡°If you¡¯re so kind, you¡¯ll end up losing out in the end. To be a General, you need to have a ruthless side too.¡± ¡°Is that so? But what can I do? It was still nice.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that. I also enjoyed traveling with you, Sunbae.¡± ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± Adeshanughed. Her voice echoed as she still had her face buried. Memories of their time together came flooding back one by one. Looking back, he had spent a lot of time with her since starting his second life. ¡®She¡¯s truly a good person.¡¯ Kind, beautiful, and smart. She even had the perseverance to face hardship without backing down. Most of all, being with her was asfortable as being at home. Had Ronan ever felt this way about a woman before? Probably not. While Ronan was lost in various thoughts about her, the dark sky above suddenly brightened. He called out to Adeshan who was behind him. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Open your eyes and look up quickly.¡± ¡°Wh-Why all of a sudden? Did you find it?¡± ¡°Not exactly. But hurry up. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Ronan urged her. There was no other choice. Adeshan, crying out, lifted her head. ¡°Woooah¡­ Huh?¡± Her eyes widened. A green shimmer, reminiscent of an emerald, enveloped everything. It was the Aurora, a natural phenomenon unique to the North. However, the scale waspletely different from what they had seen in the Sea of Ghostst night. If the Aurora they saw when they met Elysia was like a simple linen curtain hanging in a cabin, what they were seeing now was no exaggeration to call it a grand and splendid curtain that adorned the halls of a pce. Adeshan eximed in awe. ¡°Waaaaa¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s breathtaking.¡± ¡°Yeah, really¡­!¡± She forgot her fear of heights and began to look around. The night sea where the Aurora descended was more beautiful than any scenery she had ever seen in her life. Ronan turned his head to look at Adeshan like that. The Aurora pouring down from above bathed her face in a surreal hue. Her fluttering hair in the wind was beautiful. ¡®She¡¯s pretty.¡¯ Adeshan waved her hands as if trying to catch the Aurora. One hand was wrapped around Ronan¡¯s waist. Suddenly, Ronan felt a tingling sensation in his chest. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ It was a sensation he had never felt before in his previous life. It felt exhrating yet somewhat ufortable, and the feeling grew stronger as time passed. Although he was quite confused, it seemed he knew what he had to do now. Quick thinking was his forte, after all. Ronan opened his mouth as he gazed at Adeshan¡¯s profile. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Adeshan turned her head. At the same time, Ronan reached out with both hands, lightly grabbed the back of her head, and pulled her towards him. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Umm¡­!¡± It waspletely different from when she had done the artificial respiration. Warmth could be felt through their pressed lips. The taste of blood lingered on his dry and cracked lips. Ronan stared at her with narrowed eyes. Itsted for less than three seconds, but it felt like three months to Adeshan. Finally, Ronan released her lips and chuckled softly. Time, which had stood still for Adeshan, began to move again. ¡°Ro-Ro-Ro-Ronan¡­ What¡­ what was that just now?¡± Stammering with both hands covering her mouth, she struggled to speak. Her body was so rxed that her voice didn¡¯te out very well. Warmth still lingered on her lower lip, touched by her fingertip. Adeshan¡¯s face was so red that it seemed it would burst at any moment. Ronan, who was quietly observing her, kissed her lips again. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± This surprise attack was fatal. Adeshan,pletely rxed, copsed onto the griffin¡¯s back. The shock was too great for her to restrain her body any longer. ¡°I¡­ I did it because you¡¯re beautiful.¡± Ronanughed. The Aurora, curving to the south, seemed to be a signpost guiding them on their way. The griffin, flying silently, roared. -Hwiyooooo! After that, the two didn¡¯t speak for a long time. As they flew for about an hour following the Aurora, an unfamiliar object appeared in Ronan¡¯s sight. ¡°Huh?¡± The surface of the massive cier gleamed with a silvery-blue hue. It wasn¡¯t a natural urrence but rather magical lighting. Ronan¡¯s mouth gaped open in astonishment. ¡°Found it.¡± It was definitely Aurora Skar. Ronan turned the griffin towards the cier. As they approached, they noticed that the summit of the cier had been tly cut. It looked like a runway built for flying mounts. Ronan spoke. ¡°We¡¯rending, so hold on tight.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± It was their first conversation after the kiss. Adeshan silently wrapped her arms around his waist. As she rested her face on his broad back, she turned her head to the side. The Aurora, zing in the sky, caught her eye. The surreal and beautiful sight made her wonder if she was still dreaming. Adeshan, who lightly touched her lips, smiled bashfully. ¡°Ahaha.¡± It wasn¡¯t a dream. The griffin, gliding slowly,nded on the runway made of ice. The rhythmic sound of hammering could be vaguely heard from inside the cier. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 221 Chapter 221 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 221: Aurora Skar (1) The griffin slowly made its descent,nding gracefully. The runway carved from the cier shimmered faintly in a pale white hue. Ronan, the first to step off, thudded his feet on the ground. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really ice.¡± Even stepping on it himself, he couldn¡¯t believe it. He wondered how they hade up with such a crazy idea. After patting the griffin¡¯s head, he reached out to Adeshan. ¡°Come on, get down.¡± ¡°Th-Thanks¡­¡± Adeshan, hesitating, took Ronan¡¯s hand. It was a small kind gesture that wasmon even before, but now it felt different. Ronan, seeing her with her head down, asked with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Adeshan replied, avoiding eye contact and lowering her head further. She felt happy and embarrassed, yet also a little shy. Unlike her, who still felt like her face was about to burst, Ronan¡¯s attitude remained as casual as ever. After what he had just done. ¡®He¡¯s definitely had a lot of rtionships other than me.¡¯ Even though she knew she couldn¡¯t help it, she felt a little resentful. While she had never even had a crush, let alone a rtionship. Of course, Ronan was going through his own struggles. ¡®Oh man, this is serious.¡¯ Once he started to be conscious of it, she began to look beautiful. Despite pretending to be indifferent, after their kiss, he remained in this state. In a way, it was more serious for Ronan, who had never felt the emotion of love for another person even in his two lifetimes. He wanted to confirm the touch of each other¡¯s lips or even check their texture, but it couldn¡¯t be done. He had to focus his attention elsewhere. Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, he looked around. ¡°By the way, where do we go in?¡± There was no entrance visible on the vast ice in. However, judging by the rhythmic sound of hammeringing from below, there was undoubtedly a forge inside. Raising her head, Adeshan spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look around. It might take a while¡­¡± ¡°Sure, that sounds good.¡± Ronan nodded. They needed to find the entrance quickly to prevent the griffin from freezing. Suddenly, a loud, gruff voice sounded from behind the two. ¡°What¡¯s this, visitors?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± For some reason, the voice sounded familiar. Both Ronan and Adeshan turned almost simultaneously. Standing about twenty steps away, a man a head taller both of them was dressed in a sleeveless shirt. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± ¡°Wow, what luck to stumble upon this ce while sailing the seas.¡± As if in awe, therge man muttered to himself. He held arge bucket in each hand. It seemed more like he had stumbled upon them while working rather thaning to greet them. He spoke: ¡°It¡¯s cold here. Let me guide you to the entrance.¡± His kind demeanor contrasted with his rugged appearance. Therge man was about to turn away. Ronan, who had been scrutinizing him closely, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait a minute, aren¡¯t you Dydican?¡± ¡°How do you know that name¡­¡± Staring intently at Ronan, therge man dropped the buckets. Thud! A transparent liquid, the purpose of which was unclear, spilled out with a gurgle. Therge man¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Oh my goodness, Ronan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It became clearer as he looked at the man, who was staring at him incredulously. The man¡¯s identity was Dydican, the werewolf cksmith from Gran Cappadocia. He was the entric inventor who created a machine that could turn a moment into eternity. ¡°How long has it been? I heard rumors that youpleted your mission and returned.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a little over two years. You¡¯ve grown a nice beard.¡± ¡°Haha, suits me, doesn¡¯t it? And who¡¯s thisdy with you after such a long time?¡± ¡°Umm, hello¡­¡± Adeshan, who had been standing quietly, bowed her waist and greeted him. Dydican, whom they had seen after a long time, was in a human form. With his beard grown ruggedly, his naturally intimidating appearance seemed somewhat softened. It was truly a strange reunion. Ronan gave his arm a friendly pat. ¡°Anyway, why are you here? What about Gran Cappadocia and Lord Dolon?¡± ¡°Dolon said it would be a good experience. He sent me to learn for about two or three years and thene back. The sense of time is like that of the long-living races.¡± Dydican shook his head in disbelief. But judging by the smile on his lips, he didn¡¯t seem to have anyints. He picked up the buckets and turned around. ¡°Anyway, follow me. I¡¯ll take you to our master.¡± ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Yeah. The cksmith who teaches me here, the master¡¯s skills are truly remarkable. Entrust me with the reins.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Ronan agreed, and Dydican, now holding the griffin¡¯s reins, set off. The two followed him. It took longer than expected to walk because of the vastness of the area. The night sea, bathed in the aurora lights, was beautiful. The sound of waves crashing under the colorful lights was still audible. Upon reaching one end of the cier, they found a downhill path made of stone. From here, they could asionally encounter people who looked like cksmiths orborers. As they chatted and caught up on missed stories, Dydican suddenly eximed in surprise. ¡°Wait, was it you who rescued us?! And was it you who killed Jaeger?¡± ¡°Someone else killed Jaeger, not me. He was pathetic, but his end was grand.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Come to think of it, I heard that it was two humans who saved us, but I never thought it¡¯d be you guys¡­¡± Dydican stuttered his words. The cksmiths kidnapped by Jaeger¡¯s subordinates ounted for about thirty percent of the total. The remaining people of Aurora Skar had staged a siege for about a month, with the door firmly locked. However, the forge continued to operate even during this time, as they knew no one could prate this fortress of ice. Dydican eximed with some excitement. ¡°If that¡¯s true, you guys are heroes. I¡¯m not sure how to express my gratitude.¡± ¡°Gratitude is unnecessary, just make me some good equipment.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll handle that well, so don¡¯t worry. Oh, here, please take care of this.¡± Suddenly, Dydican handed the griffin¡¯s reins to a young man they encountered at a crossroads. The young man skillfully epted the reins. He looked at the griffin¡¯s back and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the griffin. Our stables are as well insted as our lodgings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say now, but it better not end up bing a frozen chickenter.¡± ¡°Haha, depending on the constitution, some people sweat even when they sleep in short sleeves. Well, we¡¯re here now.¡± After walking for a while, Dydican finally stopped. The stone door embedded in the ice was high and wide enough for giants to enter without bowing their heads. As the stone door opened, a fairly long corridor appeared. The sound of hammering grew louder with each step. As they stepped out of the corridor, the true appearance of Aurora Skar unfolded before them. ¡°So, wee to Aurora Skar, the world¡¯s only mobile forge.¡± Dydican said with an enthusiastic voice. The mouths of the two dropped open. Adeshan, who had been quiet all along, eximed in admiration. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Amazing.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Ronan also nodded in acknowledgment. The vast space wasparable to the grand banquet hall of the Imperial Pce, although not as morous, it had its own rugged charm. Most of the elementsprising the interior¡ªfloor, walls, ceiling, pirs¡ªwere made of bluish ice. It was essentially a battleship carved from ice. People bustled around, chatting loudly. ¡°Hey, bring me some condensed water!¡± ¡°We need to feed the light before this aurora ends. Hurry!¡± ¡°What happened to the weaponsmissioned by the ck man?¡± Although warmer than outside, it was still incredibly cold, so they were still wearing thick fur coats. It seemed just as busy as Gran Cappadocia, but if there was a difference, it was that there was an abundance of energy even at night, and words not heard in conventional forges were asionally spoken. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s condensing water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a liquid applied to metal and equipment to facilitate the absorption of aurora energy. Remember what I spilled earlier? ¡®Feeding light¡¯ refers to moving the equipment outside and applying condensing water?. It¡¯s a general term for the act.¡± ¡°Aha¡­ I see¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Despite the kind exnation, he still couldn¡¯t understand what was being said. Dydican, who was guiding the two people, suddenly rolled up his hands and shouted. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Katan?¡± ¡°Katan?¡± Perhaps because he was a giant, his voice was certainly loud. One of the workers who had been chatting turned his head to answer. ¡°In the third workshop. Are these two guests?¡± ¡°Yeah. But they¡¯re not just ordinary guests, they¡¯re the heroes who saved Aurora Skar. It¡¯s thanks to these two that our fellow brothers kidnapped by Jaeger were released.¡± ¡°What?¡± The workers all turned their attention. They seemed curious, but Dydican ignored them and continued walking. ¡°It would be better to talk after themission. They¡¯re all chatterboxes.¡± ¡°That might be better.¡± Ronan nodded. Crossing the square, they arrived at a room after passing several stairs and corridors. Arge sign saying ¡°Third Workshop¡± was attached to the wall. The spacious area, carved from the cier, was as wide as putting together several ordinary forges. The first thing that caught their eyes was the ice furnace and the blue mes flickering inside. ¡°These mes are produced by special ore as fuel. They¡¯re much hotter than regr mes.¡± Even though there was considerable heat, it was surprising that the ice didn¡¯t melt. Around the furnace, about six cksmiths were each working on their own tasks. Some were hammering, while others were tempering newly forged des by plunging them into the ice. Dydican approached a woman standing with her arms crossed, gazing at the furnace. ¡°Master.¡± Dydican called out, but there was no response. She wore wide pants and a daring outfit that covered only her chest. However, she didn¡¯t particrly exude sensuality, perhaps due to her short, closely cropped hair and impressively thick forearms, reminiscent of a man¡¯s. Her muscr back was adorned with a tattoo of a dragon. ¡®That¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Even without weapons, she seemed capable of handling ten men at once. Seeing her demeanor, Ronan understood why Dydican was being respectful despite his usual arrogance. Dydican cleared his throat nervously. ¡°Um, Master. I¡¯ve brought guests.¡± ¡°Dydican, is it? Guests, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯vee to find the most skilled cksmith in Aurora Skar. They are also the benefactors who got rid of Jaeger¡¯s soldiers.¡±¡± ¡°What?¡± The woman finally turned around, revealing a set of well-defined abs. Her features, in contrast to her wild physique, were rather beautiful. Dydican gestured toward the woman as he spoke. ¡°Ronan, this is my master, Katan. She¡¯s the best cksmith in Aurora Skar.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. But how could such younglings save us?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± The woman called Katan coolly acknowledged herself as the best cksmith. Dydican briefly exined the truth of the events he had heard from Ronan. She, who alternated her gaze between Ronan and Adeshan, let out a small sigh. ¡°Hah, it seems to be true. To have such energy at such a young age¡­ Please forgive me for calling you youngsters based on appearances alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You apologized quickly, and I¡¯m used to such treatment.¡± ¡°Thank you. As Dydican mentioned, my name is Katan. I sincerely thank you for rescuing our fellowrades.¡± Katan extended her hand for a handshake. Ronan, without much thought, shook her hand, feeling somewhat startled. It felt like touching tree bark rather than a person¡¯s hand, due to the stubborn calluses and scars. ¡®There was a reason for her confidence.¡¯ Ronan chuckled softly. With just one handshake, he could somewhat gauge Katan¡¯s level. She was undoubtedly an incredibly skilled cksmith. She spoke again. ¡°Well, now tell me what you¡¯vee for. Seeing as you came at such a time, it doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not particrly urgent¡­ but let¡¯s start with this.¡± Ronan, who was rummaging through his pouch, suddenly handed her an elegant envelope. It was a letter of rmendation written by the elders of the Festival of Swords. Katan whistled as she read the rmendation letter. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a rmendation letter like this. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen the old bastards of Heiran give such high praise.¡± ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sight to behold. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel ttered when you read it, so read it on days when you feel your self-esteem is low.¡± Katan chuckled. It seemed to be filled with heartfelt gratitude. After returning the rmendation letter, she spoke. ¡°I really need to work hard on this. It¡¯s about time the ck man arrives, so let¡¯s start as soon as he leaves.¡± ¡°The ck man?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a guest who alwayses around this time. I saw earlier that the weapons hemissioned seemed to be finallypleted, so let¡¯s start by handing those over.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. He was about to say something when a palpably ominous and intense aura shed behind him. ¡°What the hell?¡± Every hair on his body stood on end. An oppressive feeling that could never be felt in daily life weighed down on his shoulders. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ronan? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Adeshan and Katan raised their eyebrows. The cksmiths continued their work as if nothing had happened. Ronan, having caught his breath, spoke up. ¡°¡­Are you two not feeling anything?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? What do you mean?¡± It seemed that everyone else except him didn¡¯t feel anything. While it was understandable for Katan, it was strange that the sensitive Adeshan didn¡¯t feel anything either. At that moment, a strange voice came from behind Ronan. ¡¾Hey, is what Imissioned ready yet?¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 222 Chapter 222 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 222: Aurora Skar (2) ¡¾Hey, is my request ready yet?¡¿ ¡°What the¡­?¡± It was a heavy, low voice unlike any Ronan had ever heard. Even Zaifa¡¯s growl or Itargand¡¯s weight would not be at this level. His slowly moving hand rested on the hilt of his sword de. Whatever it was, it was dangerous. Ronan, calming his breath, turned his head. A man, tall and formidable, stood with both hands in his pockets. ¡®¡­A human?¡¯ Pale skin and a sharply handsome face caught Ronan¡¯s eye. ck hair, falling to his waist, was as long as Adeshan¡¯s. Instead of a leather coat, he wore a ck coat loosely draped over him, too thin even for indoors. Ronan instantly recognized that the ¡°ck Man¡± that Katan had mentioned was this person. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Ronan twisted his lips as he suddenly sensed something strange. The ominous aura emanating from the man vanished in an instant. It was unbelievably fast, almost like a mirage. One of the cksmiths who had been hammering greeted the ck Man. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here! We¡¯ve been waiting.¡± ¡°I asked if my request was ready.¡± His voice, which seemed to resonate, returned to normal. The cksmith answered with a smile. ¡°Well, it has just been finished. Not even an hour ago. You¡¯ve waited long enough.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± The ck Man¡¯s eyes widened. His blood-red pupils floated like inds in the whites of his eyes. The cksmith pped his hands. p! The apprentices brought in a long, massive box. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s, it¡¯s heavy.¡± It wasrge enough to fit Zaifa¡¯s scimitar. Seeing the apprentices sweating profusely, it seemed extraordinarily heavy. The man muttered under his breath, annoyed. ¡°¡­Finally.¡± It sounded almost regretful. The man approached the box andid his hands on it, then turned to the apprentices. ¡°Give it here.¡± ¡°W-We¡¯ll carry it to your ship. It¡¯s much heavier than it looks.¡± ¡°Annoying.¡± The man, as if annoyed, snatched the box. The cksmiths, six in all, struggled with the item as if it were incredibly heavy. Seeing this, the people watching widened their eyes. ¡°G-Good heavens! Carrying that with just your left hand¡­!¡± ¡°My goodness.¡± Nevertheless, there was no change in the expression of the ck-d man. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a small pouch, tossing it onto the ground. ¡°Here¡¯s the final payment. Take it.¡± ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± One of the apprentices bowed his head and epted the pouch. With the box slung over his shoulder, the ck-d man turned to leave. Just before exiting the forge, he nced back at Ronan and muttered softly. ¡°¡­To share an imprint with a human. The Primordial me has been fortunate.¡± It was a somewhat mocking tone. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the iprehensible words, but the man was already gone. The sound of footsteps was gradually fading away. The cksmith, who had checked the pouch brought by the apprentice, suddenly jumped up in his ce. ¡°My goodness! S-So many!¡± tter! The pouch fell and its contents spilled out. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other precious gems were easily more than a hundred. Dydican shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Indeed, the bag is quiterge. To finally see him leaving satisfied is quite gratifying.¡± ¡°What¡­ is that guy?¡± ¡°Huh? I told you about him earlier, the ck Man. I thought it was a very intuitive and well-earned nickname.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. What¡¯s his identity? His real name or where he¡¯s from.¡± Ronan asked. From the reactions, it seemed no one else had detected the aura the man had emitted for a moment. Why was he suddenly acting like this? Dydican scratched his head and spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so serious, but calm down. Well, nobody knows his real name. That¡¯s why we call him the ck Man. He¡¯s been staying in Aurora Skar for a month now,ing to check on the progress of his request every midnight.¡± ¡°What kind of equipment did he request?¡± ¡°Um, what should I call it¡­ It looked like a spear at first nce, but it was closer to a siege weapon. Anyway, he ordered a weapon sorge that it would fill that box. It seemed like it could even y dragons.¡± Dydican¡¯s exnation continued. A month ago, the ck Man who visited here ordered an unknown weapon and settled in Aurora Skar. Normally, it wasmon toe back when the equipment waspleted or receive it by mail, but the man stubbornly insisted on staying until it was done. Even though the behavior could not even be described as the truth, people didn¡¯t say anything because the amount of gold offered for the amodation was too much to refuse. Ronan, realizing something odd, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait. Did you say a month ago?¡± If it was one month ago, it was the time when some of the cksmiths were kidnapped by Jaeger¡¯s subordinates. Didecan nodded. ¡°Yeah, during all that chaos, he didn¡¯t even blink an eye. I even tried to ask for his help, thinking he looked like he could fight, but he refused, saying it had nothing to do with him.¡± Meanwhile, he continued to inquire about the progress of the request every midnight. The more Ronan listened to the exnation, the more suspicious the guy seemed. ¡°¡­He¡¯s suspicious.¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. He hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, but his intuition was sending a warning. The sensation he felt in that brief moment was truly extraordinary. It was like seeing a volcano disguised as a hill, walking around. Ronan was pondering over the man¡¯s identity. Katan, growing impatient, called out to him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s taking you so long to think? The guest has left, so let¡¯s get started now.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± Ronan nodded. There was nothing to change by pondering now anyway. If he had felt malice from the ck Man, he might have rushed over to interrogate him, but there was nothing like that. ¡°Alright. What do you want me to make? Just tell me.¡± ¡°For starters, I¡¯d like this sword to be sharpened. I came here for this in the first ce.¡± Now was the time to carry out the nned tasks. Ronan pulled out Lamancha from its sheath and handed it to Katan. Lamancha,bined with Lynn, had transformed into a Holy Sword, emanating a subtle glow even in normal times. ¡°Goodness¡­!¡± Katan¡¯s eyes widened. All the cksmiths, intrigued by her reaction, looked over in their direction. After examining the sword, Katan, with a voice tinged with admiration, spoke up. ¡°This is truly an impressive sword. The ck part seems to be made by the cksmith Dolon, but I can¡¯t even guess what the white part is made of. What was it made with and how?¡± ¡°With my friend¡¯s eggshell¡­¡± Ronan trailed off. He had a feeling that delving into tales of the Holy Sword would be terribly bothersome. Surely, if he started talking about it in detail, all the cksmiths woulde rushing, demanding more information. ¡°¡­Just abination lot of things. That¡¯s right, I have something to give you.¡± Ignoring what she said, Ronan rummaged through his pockets. A small metal box came out in his hand, simr to the rmendation letter from Parzan. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fragment that was originally part of this sword.¡± Seeing the contents, Katan raised her eyebrows. Inside the box, fragments of Lamancha were neatly piled up. Impressed once again by the quality of the material, she spoke up. ¡°Okay, so you want me to melt this down and make a new weapon out of it?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a weapon specifically. In fact, just one sword is enough.¡± Ronan nodded, pointing to Lamancha. Honestly, he was confident that he could handle most enemies with just that one. He had done so in the past, after all. Increasing his armament would only weigh him down unnecessarily. ¡°Hmm. Let me give it a try then. The material is so good that it¡¯s giving me more to think about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. And what about you, Adeshan?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d like something that would help with defense or survival. Is that possible?¡± Adeshan asked. A weak defense had always been her long-standing weakness. While herbat abilities had reached a level where she could assist Ronan, her durability was not good. The whip was mainly for restraint, and the mental domination that became stronger as the number of enemies decreased was less effective against multiple opponents. Katan replied confidently. ¡°Aha. If that¡¯s the concern, it¡¯s simple. It¡¯s a field where you can taste the essence of our Aurora Smelting Technique.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, just trust me, prettydy.¡± Katan said, closing one eye. There was something oddly sticky about her tone. Adeshan¡¯s expression brightened considerably. Ronan flicked his finger as if he remembered something. ¡°Oh, and please make armor too. It¡¯s for a girl about this tall, and she¡¯s really strong.¡± He almost forgot. He ordered the armor that Marya had requested. Fortunately, the note with her measurements was still tucked deep in his pocket. Taking the note, Katan raised her eyebrows. ¡°Did she write the wrong measurement for her chest circumference? It seems muchrgerpared to her height.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably right. That brat Aselle is blessed.¡± ¡°Remarkable. Well then, let¡¯s get started on that. As for imbuing the equipment with the Aurora, I¡¯ll do it for free.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯ll do that too?¡± Katan said she would imbue the equipment with the Aurora for free, so Ronan had nothing to give, and Adeshan handed over her whip and crossbow. Katan¡¯s face froze for a moment as she inspected the whip. ¡°This is¡­ Honestly, it seems to be of higher quality than something made by Old Man Doron, but who made it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Alivrihe, a dragon. I¡¯m not certain, cuz I haven¡¯t met him directly¡± ¡°¡­Interesting. A dragon cksmith, huh.¡± She clenched her fist. Judging by the hint of anger on her face, it seemed that Alivrihe had expertise not only in the creation of prosthetics but also weapons. Covering her head with a hood, she spoke up. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get started. I¡¯ll send the new items by mail, and you can take the swords and the Aurora-infused weapons today.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re brimming with determination. Dydican, why don¡¯t you see them around the cier?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Dydican nodded. He led Ronan and Adeshan out of the forge. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the master like that. She¡¯s a person with a strong fighting spirit, but she was feeling a little discouragedtely because there wasn¡¯t a cksmith more skilled than her.¡± ¡°It worked out well. I hope we can meet this man named Alivrihe, in Adren.¡± ¡°What, from the Sea of Ghosts to the City of Dragons now? The journey will be treacherous.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make it somehow. By the way, what¡¯s the dragon tattoo on your master¡¯s back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Blue Dragon, Radhais. It¡¯s said to be the dragon that created this Aurora Skar. She had it tattooed as a token of gratitude.¡± The three chatted as they wandered around Aurora Skar. Inside the centuries-old cier were not only restaurants and lodgings but also exercise spaces for leisure activities. In the stable where mounts were kept, the griffin that Ronan and Adeshan had ridden here, was busy tearing into its meals. -Pyoooh! ¡°Yeah, yeah, slow down.¡± It felt warmer than any ce where people resided, to the extent that it seemed better than the ce where people lived. They had seen everything worth seeing, or so they thought. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll show you how to imbue weapons with the Aurora light.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Normally, outsiders are not allowed, but¡­ No one will say anything if I show it to you. Follow me.¡± Without warning, Dydican grabbed the wrists of the two and dragged them along. In a moment, they were opening a stone gate. Whooooosh! A freezing wind hit their faces so cold it felt like their eyeballs would freeze. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± ¡°Shit. It¡¯s damn cold.¡± It was the cold from outside that they had momentarily forgotten. The sound of the waves of the night sea echoed again. A vast, t space, resembling a za, stretched out before them. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Suddenly, Adeshan, looking up at the sky, eximed in awe. The beauty of the Aurora was reaching its peak with the deepening night. Seeing her reaction, Ronan chuckled. ¡°Quite a grown-updy, isn¡¯t she, not a child.¡± ¡°Haha. The skirts of the sky carry the magic that can turn adults into children.¡± Dydican chuckled. In truth, Ronan thought the same even though he said it jokingly; no matter how many times he saw it, the scene was never tiresome. On the za, dozens of weapons and armors were lined up in four rows, fixed to racks. People carrying buckets were carefully applying an unknown transparent liquid onto the equipment. The weapons imbued with Aurora light were all shining with colors no different from the Aurora itself. Ronan, seeing the strange sight, tilted his head. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°They¡¯re applying concentrated water. It¡¯s a process to better harness the power of the Aurora.¡± Dydican said that it was a technique that could only be done at Aurora Skar. Equipment imbued with Aurora had higher mana conductivity and could sometimes develop new abilities. ¡®It¡¯s better than I thought.¡¯ Ronan nodded satisfactorily after hearing the exnation. Adding one more ability to the equipment, regardless of its existing enchantments, was definitely a highly valuable task. Having heard the exnation, Adeshan went to the edge of the cier and started to admire the burning night sky again. Perhaps because it resembled the scenery of her hometown in the north, she seemed particrly fond of it. ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful¡­¡± Ronan, watching her, murmured softly. Perhaps because the surroundings were so beautiful, she looked not like a person but like a fairy descending from the sky. It seemed that his head had gone strange, captivated by that enchanting light. Suddenly, Dydican jokingly asked a question. ¡°So, what¡¯s your rtionship now?¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with the sudden question?¡± ¡°Quit ying coy. The way you look at each other has changed since two years ago. You¡¯re definitely dating now, right? Did you promise to get married?¡± He nudged Ronan¡¯s side. The rough breath hitting Ronan¡¯s face was somewhat unpleasant. ¡°Hey, you hairy bastard, why are you so curious about that? Are you a gossiping schoolgirl?¡± ¡°I just like these kinds of stories. Do you know how it feels to be a man who spends all day hammering away on the sea? I¡¯ll keep it a secret, so spill it.¡± Ronan was about to say something, but his thoughts trailed off. He did what his instincts said and kissed her, but he wondered if it would be strange to express it as ¡°dating.¡± Wait, she kept avoiding eye contact, is it because she hated him now? How does one even establish a rtionship called ¡°dating¡±? ¡°So¡­¡± Gulp. Adeshan, who was pretending to be enchanted by the Aurora, listened in on their conversation. Ronan was about to say something in response. Crash!! The sound of something shattering echoed from down the passage they hade up from. ¡°Hey, how long do you n to keep us waiting?!¡± ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s difficult to say. After all, this voyage is also to secure insufficient ores¡­¡± ¡°This is clearly an insult to the Poison Dragon, Drahavier!¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 223 Chapter 223 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 223: Aurora Skar (3) ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°This is clearly an insult to the Poison Dragon, Lord Drahavier!¡± Even though he didn¡¯t know who was speaking, the voice was loud and clear. For a moment, the three of them stared at each other. Ronan let out a deep sigh. ¡°What the hell is it now.¡± A feeling of impending trouble washed over him. Adeshan, who hadn¡¯t heard the response, bit her lower lip anxiously. Dydican¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡­Drahavier? Did you just say Drahavier?¡± ¡°It seems so. Why, do you know him?¡± ¡°This is bad news. The delivery hasn¡¯t been prepared yet.¡± Muttering to himself, Dydican dashed back the way he came. His hurried footsteps indicated a more urgent situation than expected. Ronan spoke up. ¡°It definitely said Poison Dragon.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that.¡± ¡°A dragon that uses poison? Dealing with dragons alwaysplicates things¡­ Ugh.¡± He grumbled as he headed into the corridor. Adeshan quickly followed him. Not knowing what was going on, he felt it wasn¡¯t his style to just stand by and watch. The noise grew louder as they descended the stairs. The incident was unfolding in the central hall they had seen when they first arrived. The hall, which had given off a neat impression, was nowpletely chaotic. ¡°Are we a joke to you? Huh?!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not true! Please calm down¡­!¡± At the center of the chaos were tworge figures and a young man. Ronan raised an eyebrow. The young man, smelling of inexperience, was the one who had recently helped them put their griffin in the stable. He was being held by the scruff of his neck by a woman who seemed to be about 2 meters tall. It was pitiful to see him with legs dangling like a puppet. The woman brought her face closer to his and snarled again. ¡°Say it again. We clearly paid and waited for a month. Why aren¡¯t the weapons ready yet?¡± ¡°I-I told you. The New Beastmen Alliance kidnapped the cksmiths, causing the dys. Moreover, we mentioned that it would take at least three months¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense! I distinctly heard one month. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The woman smirked and nced at herpanion beside her, arge man with a goatee nodded at her. ¡°One month. Absolutely.¡± ¡°See? Is my colleague lying then?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s impossible!¡± The young man eximed. The cksmiths circled around them, their feet shuffling nervously. The only one seemingly rxed in this situation was the ck-d man sitting in the corner, staring at a box. Ronan had thought he¡¯d left already, but apparently not. Spotting Dydican at the front, Ronan approached him. ¡°Hey, Dydican.¡± ¡°¡­You came. Shameful.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought this ce wasn¡¯t a low-profile spot where troublemakers coulde and cause a scene.¡± Something akin to a small-town cksmith¡¯s shop drama was unfolding. The sight of them being unable to resist and just watching the scene unfold was simr. Dydican lowered his head in embarrassment. ¡°That¡¯s true. But the opponent isn¡¯t favorable. The Poison Dragon¡¯s subordinates have arrived.¡± ¡°What kind of person is Drahavier?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a dragon residing in the City of Dragons, Adren. He is also the leader of a criminal organization called Green Fang. A month ago, he randomly ced an order for five hundred sets of Aurora imbued weapons. It¡¯s an absurd demand.¡± He exined that the cksmiths didn¡¯t know what to do now. With just the people here, they couldn¡¯t handle the repercussions of facing Drahavier¡¯s entourage. ¡°Hmm.¡± As Ronan listened to the story, he let out a bitterugh. It was indeed a rare case to hear of a dragon, of all beings, forming a criminal organization. ¡°A dragon forming a criminal organization? Why would such a distinguished race?¡± ¡°I have no idea. Originally, their main activity was in the Pashanti Kingdom, but they¡¯ve gradually expanded their influence to the continent. The Dragon King of Adren could have sanctioned them, but¡­¡± Dydican¡¯s exnation continued. Most members of the Green Fang were mortal races such as humans or beastmen. They pledged allegiance to Drahavier, receiving rewards such as gold or the imprint of a dragon. ¡°Imprint?¡± ¡°Yeah. Dragons share their power. It¡¯s simr to how vampires expand their lineage. Those tattoos are evidence of that.¡± Dydican pointed his finger at the bulky figures. The elongated silhouette of a dragon was engraved on their necks and forearms. It was a special privilege given only to the higher-ups of the Green Fang. From the dragon¡¯s perspective, even a minimal share of power was enough to have a significant effect, making it a very cost-effective reward. Suddenly, the words spoken by the ck-d man shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. He had definitely mentioned something about an imprint from the Primordial Fame. By Primordial Fame, it likely refered to Navardose. ¡®Would this also be considered an imprint?¡¯ Ronan tilted his head. Giving out a negligible amount of power seemed unlikely, especially considering how tough Navardosehad been at the time. ¡®Since there¡¯s no tattoo, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s an imprint. But what¡¯s with that ck bastard in the first ce?¡¯ Ronan was lost in thought when suddenly arge silver candlestick flew towards Adeshan. ¡°What¡­!¡± Startled, she tried to duck. Ronan¡¯s vision blurred for a moment. Thud! The candlestick, flying straight towards her, stopped in mid-air. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ro-Ronan?¡± Before she knew it, Ronan was standing in front of her. The candlestick was clenched in his hand. The woman who had been holding the young man by the scruff of his neck looked dumbfounded. ¡°Ha, you blocked it?¡± The one who threw the candlestick was her. A low voice escaped Ronan¡¯s lips. ¡°What¡¯s this.¡± ¡°Lucky, you blocked it. Get rid of that woman next to you right now! When I see pretty things, I want to break them!¡± The woman shouted, pointing at Adeshan. People watched with incredulous eyes. Sensing trouble, Dydican ced a hand on Ronan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, calm down. Even though it¡¯s just a small amount of power, it¡¯s still from a dragon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ronan. I¡¯m fine. Besides, we don¡¯t even have weapons now, right?¡± Adeshan tried to reassure him. But something inside Ronan snapped. The thought of her getting hurt because of his actions was unbearable. Thud. The twisted candlestick fell to the ground, following the shape of his hand. ¡°You damn pig.¡± ¡°Pig? Did you say that to me?¡± The woman chuckled. The goateed man beside her approached, his arm reaching out. Just as the stone floor cracked beneath them, Ronan¡¯s form vanished from sight. It was a fleeting moment of disbelief for Dydican. Baaang! The woman who had been holding the young man by the scruff of his cor was thrown backward as if struck by a battering ram. ¡°Argh!!¡± ¡°Wh-What?!¡± People¡¯s eyes widened. The woman, thrown forward with her upper body bent, crashed through furniture such as tables and chairs, falling to the ground outside. Barely managing to get up, she coughed up blood. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ What just happened¡­¡± ¡°Get up, you pig.¡± Ronan said. He was now standing where the woman had been just moments ago. A golden residue shimmered over his strengthened muscles. It was the Aura of Varen, enhancing his strength. The woman¡¯s abdomen, struck by a direct kick, was deeply dented in the shape of Ronan¡¯s shoe. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a sword to ughter two pigs. Come at me.¡± ¡°D-Do you know who I am¡­! Cough!¡± The woman, trying to rise, coughed up blood and copsed. She seemed unable to get up. Ronan felt the sensation of ribs shattering all the way to his toes. Adeshan shouted, ¡°Ronan! Be careful!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction she pointed. The fist of the goatee man was inches from his face. The forceful gust flipped his bangs. If Ronan didn¡¯t have a significant amount of mana, his face would have surely been smashed. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡®If it connects, that is.¡¯ Ronan smirked. He dodged the punch by lightly tilting his head. The goatee man spat out bewilderment. Ronan swiftly rotated his entire body and kicked him in the side. ¡°Ugh.¡± The goatee man coughed up blood. Baaaang! His body flew away with fierce momentum and mmed into a corner of the hall. From the sensation, it seemed unlikely that he would be getting up anytime soon. The woman, barely managing to rise, looked astonished. ¡°Y-You dare! Do you think you¡¯ll get away after doing this?¡± ¡°Exactly. Why throw a candlestick at someone¡¯s face?¡± Ronan approached the woman after spitting on the floor. He intended to rough her up just enough so she wouldn¡¯t die. Breathing heavily, she yelled with an angry voice, ¡°¡­Ugh, now that it¡¯se to this, I¡¯ll kill you all. Witness the power of Lord Drahavier!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± For a moment, the tattoo on the woman¡¯s neck glowed. Her face twisted, and her snout protruded. A thick tail, rapidly expanding flesh, tore through her clothes and protruded. But it wasn¡¯t particrly impressive; not only was she originally an ugly pig, but also reptilian scales covered her body, reminiscent of a lizard. Seeing her grotesque appearance, Ronan furrowed his brow. ¡°Eww.¡± ¡°Hahaha! How¡¯s that?¡± Soon afterpleting her transformation, the woman stood up. At a height of almost 4 meters, she looked massive like a bulked-up alligator. The wounds on her abdomen hadpletely healed. ¡®I need something for this.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. The power gap was too significant to engage in a physical brawl. If he wanted to handle this safely, he¡¯d need a sword capable of cutting flesh or something simr. ¡°Now die! Because of you, this forge will be ruined!¡± ¡°Ugh, how annoying.¡± The grinning woman raised her arm. Ronan picked up a piece of ss that had fallen to the ground. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed, sounding as if someone¡¯s guts were being ripped out. ¡°Aaaaaargggh!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Both the woman and Ronan froze simultaneously. It was a scream that could only be made when one¡¯s intestines were being torn out. People¡¯s attention shifted towards the source of the sound. The goatee man, who had been the woman¡¯spanion, was kneeling, screaming in agony. ¡°P-please, spare me! Please, I beg you!!¡± ¡°That¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows raised. The ck-d man, who had stood up unnoticed, was gripping his face with his left hand. The pupils in his crimson eyes were ring with rage. ¡°To handle that hulk with one hand¡­!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s the ck man, right? The one who didn¡¯t show up even when the chaos was going on.¡± ¡°Why is he suddenly angry?¡± The crowd began to murmur. They couldn¡¯t understand why the man who remained silent even during the greatmotion was now angry. Why is he suddenly acting like this? As Ronan pondered the question, his gaze shifted to therge box behind him. ¡°Surely not.¡± ¡°The vile spawn of a dragon dares to stain it with its filthy blood¡­¡± The ck-d man muttered. Ronan chuckled incredulously, sensing he might know why the man had intervened. On the surface of the luxurious box, there were faint bloodstains smaller than a finger. ¡°Y-You¡­?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened, seemingly recognizing him. The veins in the man¡¯s hand gripping his face bulged. Crack! The sound of facial bones breaking reverberated through the hall. ¡°Aaargh! My¡­ my face!¡± The goatee woman thrashed about, even foaming at the mouth. His desperate screams snapped her back to reality. She staggered towards him. ¡°Let go of her hand immediately!¡± Despite her massive size, she moved unbelievably fast. The distance between her and the man closed in an instant. The ck-d man, ncing at the woman, exerted more pressure on the hand gripping the face. Pop! The goatee woman¡¯s head burst like a water balloon, blood and brain matter sttering everywhere. ¡°G-Graham!¡± The horrified woman eximed. It seemed that Graham was the man¡¯s name. mes of vengeance flickered in her eyes as she lost herpanion. The woman let out an angry roar and curled her body. ¡°How dare you¨C!!¡± Her scaled body swelled as if it were about to burst. It seemed she was preparing to charge while spreading her body like a spring. In the end, she seemed intent on breaking something. Just as the womanpleted her preparatory motion to rush forward, the ck-d man¡¯s hand blurred and then returned to its original state. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. In an instant, he had missed a move. Just as the woman was about to charge, there was a sound as if the wind was escaping her mouth. ¡°Kraah¡­¡± Ronan turned his head. An ornate candlestick made of silver broke through the back of the woman¡¯s head and fell out. The candlestick, deeply embedded in her gaping mouth, was of the same kind as the one she had thrown at Adeshan. ¡°What the¡­¡± Thud! The woman¡¯s body, which had been tilting slowly, copsed to the ground. The ck-d man, who had been watching the two corpses, growled lowly. ¡¾Bugs.¡¿ A silence fell. He took out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and began wiping his bloodied hands. Ronan raised an eyebrow. For a moment, a sensation simr to what he had felt in Katan¡¯s workshop surfaced and then disappeared. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°That was really too much.¡± Sounds of retching could be heard here and there. The ck-d man wiped his hands clean and opened then closed the box. There was no further fuss over its contents. Ronan, who had coincidentally encountered him, spoke up. ¡°¡­You¡¯re a dragon, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest. Remember that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan asked, but there was no response. The ck-d man walked away, leaving the people behind. Cold silence prevailed until he exited the Aurora Skar. Thud! Only after the entrance closed, the voices of horror and fear began to echo from various corners. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 224 Chapter 224 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 224: Confession, Memorial, Return The ck-d man left behind silence and questions as he departed the Aurora Skar. Those who had btedly found their voices were gossiping about him. ¡°Waaah What was that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a strange one. He was so powerful, why didn¡¯t he do anything back then?¡± ¡°Exploding someone¡¯s head while they¡¯re still alive¡­¡± The screams of the distraught woman and the goatee man still echoed in the air, their eyes wide open in shock. Their horrifying sight made people reluctant to touch the bodies, even amidst the stench of blood. Only after Ronan and his party recovered the body did the full-scale cleanup begin ¡°Alright. We¡¯re throwing at three. One, two¡­ three!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± At Dydican¡¯s count, all three of them released their grip simultaneously. A sack tied with chains was thrown into the night sea. Ssh! The sack, causing a small whirlpool, disappeared from sight within seconds. Adeshan asked with a worried tone. ¡°It won¡¯t resurface, right?¡± ¡°No need to worry about that. I¡¯ve put plenty of magic-distorting ore in it.¡± Dydican reassured. They had decided to dispose of the bodies of the two thugs in the night sea. The ck-d man was the one who killed them, but Drahavier was a man who would not have cared much about who killed his subordinates. Regardless of how well they handled the bodies and exined the situation, everyone would share the me. It was better to feign ignorance. Dydican spoke up. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. You didn¡¯t have to help, but I¡¯m really grateful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ronan didn¡¯t reply. His mind was still consumed with thoughts of the ck-d man. Despite his strength, his identity remained elusive. ¡®What¡¯s that guy really up to?¡¯ Judging by his actions, he seemed highly likely to be a dragon. But Ronan couldn¡¯t understand why he was the only one who sensed his strong presence during their first encounter. In fact, Adeshan and Dydican still thought he belonged to the human race. Since he didn¡¯t sense any shimmering mana, he ruled out the possibility of the ck-d man being from Neb zier. Dydican asked again after waiting for a while. ¡°Ronan?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. You did well too.¡± Turning back to Dydican btedly, Ronan nodded. It seemed like a problem worth thinking about a little more. The fact about how Ronan had piqued his interest was unsettling. ¡°Um¡­ Drahavier.¡± Dydican stared out at the night sea with a troubled expression. Despite making the best choice for now, he seemed fearful of Drahavier¡¯s retaliation. Ronan tapped him on the back and said. ¡°Rx. I¡¯ll talk to Lady Navardose about it.¡± ¡°¡­Do you have some connection with the Mother of Fire?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± Instead of giving a definite answer, Ronan chuckled. If it didn¡¯t work out, he could either plead with the Emperor or use the authority of the Dawn. Since it was a criminal anyway, it didn¡¯t matter. Time on the sea passed quickly. The intense aurora was gradually subsiding. The central hall, where they had gathered, had been neatly cleaned up. Katan had summoned them around dawn. The bustling scene of the forge hadn¡¯t changed since they first met her. ¡°The Green Fangs came and caused a disturbance. Did something happen?¡± ¡°¡­It must have been quite loud?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything when I¡¯m focused. I¡¯ll have to take a look. Anyway, all the swords are ready.¡± Her concentration was astonishing. Katan handed Ronan the Lamancha she had finished polishing. Ronan took the hilt of the sword. Swoosh! With a smooth sound, the graceful de was revealed. ¡°¡­There doesn¡¯t seem to be a dramatic change.¡± Ronan, examining the sword closely, opened his mouth. Although the color of the aurora was visible along the thin de, it was faint, to the point where it could be dismissed as a mood. Katan clicked her tongue, wagging her index finger. ¡°Tsk tsk, it¡¯ll be different in a real fight. Youck faith.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°When you use it you¡¯ll be so surprised that you¡¯ll think, is this really my weapon? Here, take yours too, prettydy¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Adesan epted the whip and crossbow. Just like with Lamancha, there were no significant changes apparent at first nce. Katann, who had been browsing around, then offered her a bundle of arrows. ¡°Here, take this too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this for¡­?¡± ¡°I made it as I pleased. I like pretty girls, you know. Since there aren¡¯t many, it¡¯s best to use them in the right ce at the right time.¡± Katan exined that they were specially made crossbow bolts for Adeshan, just like Lamancha. The surface of the arrowhead, imbued with the aurora, shimmered with a subtle light. Taking the crossbow bolts, Adeshan bowed her head. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll use it carefully.¡± ¡°Why are you so polite? If your boyfriend bothers you, tell me. I¡¯ll scold him for you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Hesitating, Adeshan nodded her head. Ronan failed to grasp the positive implication in her response. Leaving a message that she would send the rest of the equipment as soon as they werepleted, Katan bid them farewell. ¡°Well then, farewell, heroes. Come again if you happen to be in the north.¡± ¡°I am indebted to you.¡± Ronan and Adeshan returned to the runway. During their passage, everyone they met expressed their gratitude. Most of them offered gifts, causing their already bulging backpacks to be evenrger. Dydican, who guided them to the runway, extended his hand for a handshake. ¡°There were various things, but it was enjoyable. It always seems lively when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, make some cool inventions until next time.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m actually working on something already. Take care of my sister-inw too.¡± ¡°S-Sister-inw? What¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s face lit up suddenly. Dydican hurriedly retreated to the forge, using the excuse of having a mountain of work to do. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± The runway Dydican left behind fell silent. Only the fluffy griffin and the sound of waves crashing remained, guarding the ce. Ronan and Adeshan leaned against the griffin side by side, looking up at the sky. No one rushed them to leave. The gradually brightening sky was embroidered with lingering starlight. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Adeshan realized btedly that Dydican¡¯s early departure was to give them some time alone. She, who had been fidgeting for no reason, spoke first. ¡°Thank you for earlier¡­ for blocking the candlestick.¡± ¡°It was something I had to do. Can¡¯t let your pretty face get hurt, you know.¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­ haha.¡± Blushing at thepliment, Adeshan scratched her cheek. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever get used to hearing such words. Silence fell back into the space where a short conversation had taken ce. Hmm, would it be appropriate to say it right now? Ronan who had been considering talking about the rtionship between the two. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I like you. A lot.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t the only one who had been waiting for the right timing. When he turned his head, he noticed Adeshan looking directly at him. ¡°I do too.¡± Ronan replied. At the same time, he grabbed Adeshan¡¯s face with both hands and kissed her. The sensation of their lips touching wasn¡¯t unpleasant. Before long, they parted. ¡°I like you a lot too.¡± ¡°Tell me one more time.¡± ¡°I said I like you.¡± In the narrowed field of vision, they only saw each other¡¯s faces. It was a moment of closeness between the two. Suddenly, a girl¡¯s voice resonated in their minds. [Hmm¡­ to see something like this as soon as I wake up. It¡¯s touching.] ¡°Eeek!¡± ¡°What the hell, what was that?¡± Their field of vision widened again. The two of them, who had hastily turned their faces away, looked around nervously as if they were criminals. The runway was empty. Ronan frowned as he felt the familiar sensation of unease in the voice he had just heard. ¡°¡­Lynn?¡± He remembered. It was definitely the voice of the Holy Sword Lynn. It was the first time he had heard it since returning from Parzan. ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡± -Pyuk. But there was no response. The griffin, which had been standing still, shook its head. Its expression suggested that it had seen enough and was now urging them to leave. ¡®Damn it, what just happened.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand. Adeshan, who didn¡¯t know about Lynn, looked at Ronan with a confused expression. An awkward silence fell between them. Ronan, scratching the back of his head, spoke up. ¡°Should we go for now?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Although it was regrettable, once the mood was broken, there was nothing they could do. As soon as the two people got on board, the griffin took off and turned south. In the brightening world, the Aurora Skar, which was gradually shrinking, finally disappeared from view, bing a small, white dot. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Instructor, we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hmm. You arrived sooner than expected.¡± The wooden door opened. Navirose, who spotted the two of them, set down her cup. She was sitting by the inn¡¯s firece, warming herself and drinking warm mead. ¡°The weather was nice, so it didn¡¯t take long. We left the griffin outside. Ugh, I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Mister, give us some water and two bowls of reindeer stew.¡± Adeshan ordered water and food. They had arrived just before daybreak. The griffin, which had rested on the Aurora Skar, had flown without stopping until it reached its destination. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan, who approached Navirose, raised an eyebrow. A fluffy Arctic fox was sitting across from her. It hadn¡¯t been visible when they entered the inn due to the angle. Both of their eyes widened. ¡°Professor Sekreet?¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, you guys.¡± It was their first reunion since parting ways in Rundalian. He climbed up onto the table, held Ronan¡¯s hand and shook it. Ronan asked. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°This morning. You guys did something really unbelievable.¡± He spoke with a voice that seemed almost on the verge of tears. Originally sarcastic, he seemed genuinely moved. ¡°The curse of the Tukan teau has almost disappeared. It may take some time to dispel the umted hatred, butughter is gradually returning.¡± Sekreet informed Ronan about what had happened in his absence. Although it was a short time, there had been many changes. The curse of Barka had disappeared, and the conflicts between the beastfolks in various ces had also diminished. The concept of peace, long forgotten, was reemerging. Marya¡¯s Caravel had turned towards the Empirest night. Zaifa was focusing all his efforts on repairing the mess his brother had made. ¡°Barka must have been operating in secret for a very long time. But thanks to Zaifa¡¯s influence, public opinion is quickly turning around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. And what about Jaeger?¡± ¡°He had his funeral three days ago. It was the first time I¡¯ve seen so many beastfolks gather since the Night of the Fangs.¡± Jaeger¡¯s funeral was held on a grand scale. Zaifa didn¡¯t bother to reveal that he was Barka¡¯s figurehead. It was a reward for the courage he had shown at the end of his life. The New Beastmen Alliance did not immediately disband. Temporarily taking the helm, Zaifa was having them work on restoring the mess in the North. Ultimately, Zaifa¡¯s goal was to turn them into a force to oppose Neb zier. Navirose, who had emptied her ss in one go, spoke up. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not having any foolish thoughts. At that time, I¡¯ll really have no choice but to kill him.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably be fine.¡± Ronan spoke confidently. He remembered Zaifa¡¯s grateful voice. Returning after finishing his work, Zaifa would be a reliable ally more than anyone else. Sekreet said. ¡°I n to stay a little longer in the North. There might still be curses that haven¡¯t been lifted. But I¡¯ll be back in the fall.¡± ¡°Fall? Oh right. It¡¯s supposed to be summer now.¡± Having been in the North for over a month, they had lost their sense of the seasons. The four of them, engaged in various conversations, rose from their seats. It was time to return to the Empire. Suddenly, Adeshan tapped Navirose¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Um, Instructor, could I and Ronan go somewhere for a bit?¡± ¡°Sure, as long as you make it back in time for the carriage.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Adeshan smiled. Ronan tilted his head at her sudden action. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°I want to show you something. It¡¯ll only take a moment.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± She grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and led him out of the inn. Sekreet, watching their backs, smiled satisfactorily. ¡°Haha, youth. Even with such an arduous schedule.¡± ¡°The tougher the environment, the more the love blooms. Professor, you probably don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been waiting to see that.¡± Navirose chuckled. Just by observing the current between them, one could tell the progress of their rtionship. Now that their heights were simr, she liked them even more. Ronan and Adeshan, leaving the inn, slowly made their way northward in the city. The blue sky was beautiful, as expected of a city serving as a fortress. Adeshan, who stopped by the roadside, picked a few wildflowers that had bloomed next to the mailbox. ¡°Why the flowers?¡± ¡°They all liked it. They said they liked the resilience of the flowers that bloom anywhere¡­ Here, you take a few too.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan, who suddenly received the flowers, raised an eyebrow. As they continued walking, they stopped at the top of a hill. It was quite high, so they could see the entire view of Barsha and the unexplorednd beyond the city walls at a nce. Memorial stones for the fallen stood tall there. Adeshan, looking at the memorial stones, spoke. ¡°Mom. I¡¯m here. Have you been well?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The rock rising towards the sky was a pale gray, like her pupils. The vast surface was densely covered with the names of soldiers who had fallen in the Night of the Fangs. ¡°You have to see it from far away. Mom and my brothers are all on the top row.¡± Adeshan pointed to the area near the top of the memorial stone. Ronan pursed his lips. He couldn¡¯t think of anything appropriate to say. ¡°Don¡¯t take it so seriously. We just came to say hello.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me too, since it¡¯s my first time, uh, dating¡­ My mom and brothers told me to bring my lover to them if I ever got one¡­¡± Adeshan bowed her head deeply. Her ears, sticking out from her hair, were as red as heated iron. Ronan mumbled slowly. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s my first time too.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Embarrassingly.¡± ¡°Lies. You¡¯re just saying that to reassure me.¡± ¡°I wish it were a lie¡­ Okay, got it. Don¡¯t make that face. Anyway, what matters is that it¡¯s our first time.¡± Ronan reassured her, who was staring at him with an axe-like gaze. It seemed like he needed to be careful with his words in front of her in the future. They ced the wildflowers they had picked in front of the memorial stones. ¡°They won¡¯t fly away if we just stay here, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. They won¡¯t grow if they don¡¯t stay.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Ronan nodded. That was true. They held hands and stood in front of the memorial stones for a long time. They boarded the carriage around noon. As time passed and thetitude decreased, the earth regained its seasons, and people¡¯s clothes gradually became lighter. The three of them arrived at the Philleon Academy two days before the end of summer vacation. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Ronan took a deep breath. The faint smell of grass permeated the air. The melody of cicadas echoed throughout the greenery of the academy, which was still lush with foliage. [TL/N: this chapter was too sweet¡­ not that you single people can rte :3] [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 225 Chapter 225 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 225: Late Summer, Early Autumn (1) Late summer at the Philleon Academy was adorned with lush greenery. Perhaps it was thest performance of the cicadas¡¯ song echoing through the skies. Some faculty members on duty and a few early-returning students were milling around the school gate. Iril, who was gazing out the window, murmured to herself. ¡°School will start soon.¡± Humming a tune, she was changing the flowers in the vase. The daffodil, with its bright yellow hue, never failed to captivate her. Suddenly, she recalled an event from three years ago and smiled softly. It was the first time she received a gift from her always-gruff younger brother. ¡®It was a daffodil back then too.¡¯ The daffodil Ronan held out shyly was more beautiful than any flower Iril had ever seen. Looking back, it was that day when her brother had decided to attend the Philleon Academy. She had cried tears of joy at his determination. ¡°¡­I hope he arrives soon.¡± ¡°He should be here soon. I got a message yesterday saying he¡¯d arrive sometime today or tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± At that moment, a low, calm voice came from behind. Iril turned her head, her eyes widening. Despite already having spent two hours cleaning, Shullifen was still tirelessly mopping the floor. ¡°Sir Shullifen, you don¡¯t have to work so hard. I can do it!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Giving everything your best effort is the Garcia Family¡¯s motto. Besides, inhaling too much dust can lead to respiratory diseases, so we must be thorough.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Even though Iril protested, Shullifen remained stubborn. It had be a routine to see him cleaning while wearing a hooded cloak. ¡®He¡¯s grown so much.¡¯ Shullifen, who had initially appeared young and immature, now seemed like a respectable young man. He had grown taller, and his arms, visible as he rolled up his sleeves, showed prominent veins. Watching him intently, Iril apuded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir Shullifen, weren¡¯t you the same age as Ronan? Wasn¡¯t it next year that you were supposed to graduate from the academy?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Ehehe, just curious. I¡¯ll be preparing lunch soon, so let¡¯s eat together!¡± With those words, Iril headed downstairs. With lively steps, she suddenly changed direction at the kitchen entrance and entered her room. Her room, decorated to match her kind and fresh image, had never hosted any guests, including Ronan, until now. Slowly approaching her bed, she knelt down and reached under it. She slowly approached the bed andy down on the floor, reaching her arm under the bed. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t easy. Pushing her arm as far as it would go, something finally came into her hand¡ªa small box just big enough to fit in her palm. ¡°Phew, should¡¯ve put this somewhere else.¡± Iril brushed off the dust on the surface and opened the box. Insidey a contraption resembling apass¡ªa Blood Needle, a device that points to the direction of a person whose blood it¡¯s been imbued with. A red needle was fixed towards a specific direction. Gazing at the Blood Needle silently, Iril murmured. ¡°¡­There¡¯s not much time left.¡± She closed the box again and pushed it deep under the bed, where her hand couldn¡¯t reach. As if gathering her resolve, she patted her own face and got up. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard from the hallway. ¡°Sis, I¡¯m here. And Sunbe too.¡± ¡°Oh, Ronan!¡± Iril¡¯s face lit up. Rushing out of the room, she pulled Ronan, who was standing in the doorway, into a tight embrace. It had been almost two months since theyst met. Adeshan, standing behind him, greeted shyly. ¡°Oh, hello, Miss Iril.¡± ¡°Adeshan, it¡¯s been a while too! Why are you hiding your face?¡± ¡°Well, um, I just got back, so I¡¯m a bit messy. I haven¡¯t had a proper wash yet¡­¡± Her words were true. After a long journey, both of them looked rather disheveled and sheepish. However, Iril didn¡¯t mind at all. ¡°Oh, that doesn¡¯t matter! I¡¯ve missed you all so much!¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Ronan replied briefly. She raised her gaze and smiled brightly. Her brother. Her one and only younger brother. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°This is it. Your cooking is still the best, after all, Sis.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d. Eat a lot.¡± ¡°Phew, then one more bowl.¡± Ronan scooped more potato stew into his bowl. This was already his fourth serving. It was fascinating how addictive the stew was, despite its simple ingredients. Pointing at Shullifen sitting opposite him, he said. ¡°That¡¯s right. That weasel didn¡¯t do anything weird, did he?¡± ¡°Weird? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know, like suddenly asking if he can use the bathroom while you were inside or asking for help with exercises while half-naked¡­¡± ¡°Kugh.¡± Schlieffen gasped, sounding like a sigh. Fortunately, since he wasn¡¯t eating, it ended with just a bit of spitting. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and clicked his tongue. ¡°So vulgar. Such absurd spections.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m just saying you should stick to the proper procedures rather than resorting to underhanded tactics.¡± As soon as Ronan and Adeshan returned to the Empire, they headed straight home. Luckily, it was lunchtime, so they could eat together. The long table amodated the four of them facing each other. With her upper body stretched out, Iril gently stroked Adeshan¡¯s head. ¡°Eat plenty, Adeshan. You¡¯re not messy at all, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡± ¡°Th-Thank you. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± Adeshan nodded quickly. Despite knowing that she and Ronan were brother and sister, she couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated standing in front of Iril. Even if one were to search the Empire, rather even the entire continent, it would be impossible to find someone as beautiful as her. Iril, who was staring intently at Adeshan¡¯s face, spoke up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that actually more charming than messy? Hehe, did you get a boyfriend or something?¡± ¡°W-well¡­ um¡­¡± Adeshan stuttered, unsure if she should tell the truth. What if she reacted angrily, using her of daring to touch her little brother? Or worse, what if she suddenly started crying? She was his sister, who raised him with so much affection like her own child¡­ Of course, considering Iril¡¯s personality, it didn¡¯t seem likely, but the fear was unavoidable. It was amidst her evident confusion that Ronan, who had been quietly eating stew, spoke up. ¡°That could be the case. Since we¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan¡­!¡± There was no hint of hesitation in his calm tone. Adeshan tried to protest urgently, but it was toote¡ªthe cat was already out of the bag. A moment of silence fell over the dining table. Thud! Suddenly, a spoon fell from Shullifen¡¯s hand as if on cue. Iril, extending herself further, grabbed her face with both hands. ¡°Wh-What! Seriously?!¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ That¡¯s how it is.¡± Adeshan nodded like a woodpecker. She looked even more beautiful up close. Alternating between Ronan and her, Iril let out an exmation. ¡°Waah! Oh my goodness, that¡¯s really great. You two look perfect together!¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°Since when did you decide to date? Who confessed first? Did you hold hands? Or, did you already kiss¡­?!¡± A barrage of questions poured out like a waterfall. Adeshan stuttered as she tried to answer each question, while Iril¡¯s legs fluttered as if swimming. ¡®How delightful.¡¯ Watching the two, Ronan chuckled softly. He had missed this atmosphere so much. The past two months spent tangled with snow, pr lights, and sweet-smelling furries, were enjoyable in their own way. But they couldn¡¯tpare to the serene atmosphere he was experiencing now. As the pot emptied, Ronan suddenly spoke up. ¡°Sis, there¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°You said you have no memories of father, right?¡± ¡°¡­Uh?¡± Iril¡¯s face momentarily stiffened before rxing. She nodded her head as if wading through muddy waters. ¡°That¡¯s right. He left when I was very young. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just curious, I guess.¡± Ronan shook his head. He had hoped to gather information about the Savior or Abel, but it seemed like wishful thinking. He had witnessed firsthand that she, too, was affected by the curse in the Mental Realm. ¡°Just be careful. Especially if someone who resembles you insists that they¡¯re father or our rtives. Never open the door for them, okay?¡± ¡°Uhh? Okay, got it. But I¡¯m not sure what you mean¡­¡± Iril blinked as if she didn¡¯t understand thenguage. Ronan emphasized the need for vignce in a tone reminiscent of scolding a child. Now, with Neb zier looming closer than ever, it was the most dangerous time. ¡®A wounded tiger is the most fearsome.¡¯ They had put a lot of effort into security, but it was still a possibility. If they found out about his home or his sister¡¯s existence and attempted a kidnapping, it would be trouble. ¡°I¡¯m just saying to be careful. Oh, I brought you a gift from the North.¡± ¡°Oh, a gift?!¡± Having finished their serious conversation, Ronan shifted the topic to the gift. Ultimately, he had to focus more. Soon after finishing their meal, Ronan and Adeshan left the house. ¡°I ate well. I¡¯ll drop off Sunbae¡¯s luggage at the dorm and be back.¡± ¡°Yeah, take your time! Adeshan,e back again!¡± Iril waved happily as she bid them farewell. As soon as the front door opened, several figures scattered swiftly from the corner of their vision. Ronan, gazing ahead, spoke up. ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°Twenty-three. There are seven more a bit further away.¡± Adeshan replied. Her amazing detection ability never ceased to amaze. Ronan smirked, raising one corner of his mouth. ¡°Good. He¡¯s keeping his promise well.¡± They were the home guards whom he had asked the Emperor for as a reward for his previous service. He had expected maybe six at most, but thirty? And judging by their movements, they seemed to be quite skilled. ¡°How many days until school starts?¡± ¡°Two. This vacation was spent mostly in the North.¡± ¡°Yea, I know. Hmm¡­ What should we do?¡± Ronan sighed as he pondered something. Although the long journey had just ended, there was no time to rest. Adeshan cocked her head curiously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking about who to go with. Since Subae is the Student Council President and in the graduating ss, she needs to focus on the academy.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The next destination was practically decided. However, it was a tough ce to go, so Ronan struggled with the timing and thepanion he would go with. Ronan¡¯s worries persisted until he dropped Adeshan off at the dormitory. After confirming there was no one around, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Even after returning home, his mind was consumed with these thoughts, keeping him from sleeping until the wee hours of the morning. Upon waking up, he dedicated his time to organizing the information collected from the northern regions. While sending the data in its entirety would have been much easier, he felt more at ease organizing it himself and reporting directly, considering the potential interference from both the Royal Pce and the sect. Handing the seventh report to Cita, Ronan spoke. ¡°Here it is. Please.¡± ¡°Bweeh!¡± Cita flew out the window. With this method, he usually received a response within three hours. Come to think of it, he had to stop by the Royal Pce at least once. Anyway, with his busy life, two days passed in the blink of an eye. At the opening ceremony held at the main square, many familiar faces gathered. Spotting Marya, who was with Aselle, Ronan waved as she waved back. ¡°Ronan! When did you get back?¡± ¡°Ma-Marya. Haha, I¡¯m out of breath¡­¡± Fortunately, the two had also returned safely. For some reason, they seemed much closer than before. Ophelia, Braum, and Elizabeth also seemed more mature as they kept their positions. And of course, there was Shullifen. ¡°Where the hell did this kid go?¡± But Ronan was looking for someone else. After wandering around the school campus for a while, he finally found the blond boy in the club training ground. As he opened the door, a gust of hot wind mixed with ashes rushed in. Seeing all the training dummies engulfed in mes, it seemed like he was fullymitted to training from the first day of school. Ronan called out to him. ¡°Hey, Iru.¡± ¡°Who dares to disturb me like this¡­ Ronan?¡± Intargand turned his head. His handsome face, befitting of the bloodline of Navardose, was sweaty and flushed. When his eyes met Ronan¡¯s, he grinned triumphantly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Did youe here to train too? If you want, we can spar¡­¡± ¡°Spar sounds good. If you want, I could beat you so badly that you¡¯d soil your pants. But before that, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Intargand raised an eyebrow. Brushing off the ash from his clothes, Ronan spoke up. ¡°Tell me how to get to the City of Dragons, Adren. Preferably in a way that ensures we arrive alive.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 226 Chapter 226 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 226: Late Summer, Early Autumn (2) ¡°Tell me how to get to Adren. Preferably in a way to arrive alive.¡± ¡°What?¡± Intargand furrowed his brow. It was apletely unexpected question. He asked, skeptical. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to go to Adren?¡± ¡°Well, to put it simply¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s exnation continued. Since he was Navardose¡¯s son, it seemed okay to speak freely. There were plenty of reasons to go to the City of Dragons. First, what Barka said in the Sea of Ghosts bothered him. The fact that the Leaders brought up the idea of contact with Adren in a meeting several months ago suggested that some sort of conspiracy might be underway. Moreover, the information gleaned from Barka¡¯s data collected over the past two days suggested that some of the believers had already entered Adren. What was happening there was unknown. However, given that it was mentioned by the Leader himself, there was a possibility that he might still be there. Obtaining the blood of the Leader, Abe, was the most urgent task for Ronan now. His own father, Cain, had only about a year left. ¡®At this point, it¡¯s as if the world is telling me to go.¡¯ Furthermore, even if he couldn¡¯t meet the Leader, it wouldn¡¯t be a total loss. Alivrihe, an initial member of the Neb zier, was there. Unlike Elysia, he was said to be still in Neb izer, so there was a high possibility that he knew in detail about the Leader¡¯s whereabouts or the n of the Bald Headed bastards. Intargand said, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not an ordinary matter. At this point, shouldn¡¯t the army step in?¡± ¡°I think so too. But the problem is whether Adren will ept it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡± In fact, Ronan requested that the Imperial Army be dispatched to Adren as soon as Neb zier¡¯s conspiracy was revealed. As a secret agent, he had the authority to mobilize soldiers for anything rted to the Neb zier, regardless of the reason. ¡®They¡¯ll probably refuse anyway. It¡¯ll be fortunate if the messenger doesn¡¯t die.¡¯ However, Ronan knew that Adren would not ept the request. The city, formed by the strongest race and its forces, paid no attention to the Empire¡¯s moves. Especially after Navardose left Adren to stop the enemies from beyond the sky. She called the current Dragon King a very ¡°dragon-like¡± dragon, which basically meant his temperament was quite stubborn. Intargand said, ¡°In fact, going there itself isn¡¯t difficult. All means of transportation to the gate are allowed except spatial magic. The problem is the immigration inspection.¡± ¡°Of course, but can¡¯t you just enter?¡± ¡°Yeah. Only dragons and their entourage are allowed to enter. If they sense anything suspicious, they¡¯ll turn you into ashes on the spot. They could probably build a whole country with the people who died at the gate.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan cursed. The security was excessively strict, to the point of absurdity. Perhaps it was because it was where the Dragon King and the hatchings lived, the security was extremely thorough. ¡®Damn it, what should I do?¡¯ A way to pass the immigration inspection didn¡¯te to Ronan¡¯s mind at all. While he was pondering, an idea passed through Ronan¡¯s mind like lightning. ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll just be your entourage. Only temporarily during the inspection.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to put your imprint on me. Why didn¡¯t I even think about this?¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t quite understand what it means to be an entourage. Carving an imprint is not a simple picture. It¡¯s a magical bond that binds the master and servant¡­ Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Intargand¡¯s eyes widened suddenly as he realized Ronan¡¯s intention btedly. Chuckling, Ronan tapped his scabbard with his fingers. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a ¡®magical¡¯ bond. I can cut magic. Just pass the inspection and get rid of the imprint afterward, easy right?¡± ¡°Ridiculous. Do you think such a thing is possible?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll work. Just wait a moment.¡± Suddenly, Ronan walked out of the training ground. When he returned, he was holding arge raven. The raven, kidnapped while dozing on a tree, struggled fiercely, pping its wings and cawing loudly. ¡°Caw! Caw!¡± ¡°Come on, carve your imprint on this.¡± Ronan extended the raven to Intargand. His forehead furrowed deeply. ¡°¡­Shameful.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± With a sigh, Intargand ced his hand on the raven¡¯s wing. For a moment, his palm glowed red. The iling raven became quiet. ¡°Caw?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done¡­¡± Intargand removed his hand. A geometric shape appeared. It looked like a scar from a branding iron but wasn¡¯t hot. The bewildered raven spread its wings and cawed. ¡°Caw!¡± ¡°Uwak!¡± Ronan, startled, grasped the raven with both arms. He almost dropped it. Perhaps due to Intargand¡¯s power, it felt as strong as an ostrich. ¡°This birdbrain. Stay still!¡± ¡°Caw! Caw!¡± The raven struggled, scratching with its talons. Unable to bear it, Ronan pulled at the hilt of his sword. Swish! The sharp sword strike lightly grazed the engraved surface. ¡°¡­Caw?¡± The raven, its strength drained, stopped resisting. Intargand¡¯s brow wrinkled deeply. It felt as though the bond with the raven had vanished. ¡°My goodness.¡± The remarkable swordsmanship left no more than a tiny scratch on the raven. In the ce where the mark had mysteriously disappeared, only ck feathers remained fluttering. Intargand muttered as if lost in thought. ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s unbelievable that such a thing happened.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I know.¡± Ronan was just as dumbfounded. It seemed like something would happen, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be resolved so easily. Scratching the back of his head, he blurted out, ¡°Well, it worked.¡± **** Time flew by quickly. As the cicadas¡¯ final performance ended, ripe dragonflies began to flutter around the campus. The sky, with the heat finally relenting, shone with an even deeper shade of blue. Autumn, the season of abundance, was approaching. Ronan didn¡¯t immediately set off for Adren. Given the ce and the involvement of the Leader, thorough preparation was necessary before going. Plus, the equipmentmissioned from Aurora Skar hadn¡¯t arrived yet. ¡®It¡¯s better to be thorough than to rush and mess things up.¡¯ He decided to take all possible measures. He provided information rted to the Neb zier to the Imperial Army and reinforced the security of Iril¡¯s house. News of small branches being cleared out came in frequently. Of course, he didn¡¯t neglect personal training either. Dueling among the members of the Elite Adventure Club continued daily without fail. Dodging Marya¡¯s horizontal strikes, Ronan lightly struck her wrist with his de. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Your skills have definitely improved. You¡¯re still a bit slow, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, I knew we would lose this time too! Let¡¯s all attack together!¡± With her cry, the members rushed at Ronan from all sides. Aselle¡¯s ice, Elizabeth¡¯s me, and Ophelia¡¯s blood magic poured out in session. Braum, who positioned himself strategically, raised his shield. ¡°Oh.¡± Ronan eximed with admiration. Their coordinated attacks flowed like flowing water. It seemed like they had made the most of their summer vacation. The friends he hadn¡¯t seen in nearly two months had all grown significantly. Marya was now not only renowned as a merchant but also gaining fame as a swordsman among the noble circles. Aselle and Elizabeth, as students, received calls from all the Magic Towers for the first time. Braum, a graduating member, had already decided on his career path, nning to take his first steps in the Imperial Knights, though it was said to be difficult. Ophelia seeded in interpreting an ancient blood magic, and Shullifen, well, there was nothing to say. Watching the onught of attacks, Ronan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you guys.¡± It was sincere. Hisrades in front of him were one of the admirable driving forces that fueled his desire to save the world. Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword. ¡°So let¡¯s step it up even more.¡± The sword forged from Aurora Skar was much lighter than before. Ronan exerted all his strength to repay their efforts. Swish! The swift sword strokes tore through the magicing from all directions. Soon, the defeated members were writhing on the ground. ¡°Aaaah! Damn it! Why isn¡¯t the sword hitting?!¡± ¡°Wh-what¡­ every day¡­ hng¡­¡± Whining sounds echoed around. Except for Shullifen, the wing rate for the members hovered around 0%. It was true that they were growing at a rapid rate, but in a way, it was inevitable, since Ronan was growing even faster. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] No matter how many times they tried, the oue didn¡¯t change, but that didn¡¯t make their efforts meaningless. Nodding as he took turns looking at the exhausted members, Ronan made up his mind. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve decided.¡± ¡°Decided? About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided who will apany me on the next club activity. Aselle,e with me.¡± ¡°Me? You¡¯re talking about me?! Wait a minute¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Instead of replying, Ronan simply hoisted him up on his shoulder. Aselle, havingpletely depleted his mana after a long time, couldn¡¯t resist at all. ¡°H-Help me!¡± ¡°A-Aselle¡­ damn it.¡± Only a pitiful cry echoed out. Braum, who was about to say something, just fainted. Although the exhausted members felt sorry for him, they felt relieved that they weren¡¯t the one chosen. **** ¡°Wh-what are you talking about? Adren?¡± ¡°Just as it sounds. You probably don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve been agonizing over who to take for a damn long time.¡± Ronan revealed his n to Aselle about three hours after taking him back to his room. Giving him time to recover his depleted mana and spirit was to prevent him from dozing off. Aselle, who was breathing heavily, spoke up. ¡°Adren? That¡¯s, uh, the City of Dragons, right? Why would you want to go to such a terrifying ce?¡± ¡°Well, there are several reasons. Don¡¯t tell me the genius mage is scared of something like that.¡± ¡°Genius mage¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it with a straight face. If you¡¯re not a genius, then most mages shouldmit su**de. And Marya told me everything, bastard. She said you even killed people in the north.¡± Ronan lightly tapped Aselle¡¯s back as if praising him. Indeed, Marya¡¯s ount of his exploits was nothing short of heroic. In fact, he practically single-handedly defended the Carabel Marchent. Despite the relentless attacks from the fierce natives and Jaeger¡¯s minions, Aselle¡¯s telekic power didn¡¯t even allow them to leave a single scratch. In fact, after sparring for a few days, it was obvious. Aselle would be truly helpful even in Adren. Ronan spoke up. ¡°Also, think about it. It¡¯s the city of the race that handles magic the best in the world. Wouldn¡¯t you be inspired? There¡¯ll be far more valuable information overflowing there than what the old fogeys at the Magic Towers teach.¡± ¡°L-Like new spells?¡± For a moment, Aselle¡¯s eyes flickered. Despite being frightened, seeing his reaction to the mention of new spells, it seemed that indeed, all mages were somewhat simr. Ronan nodded. ¡°Yeah. This brief visit will definitely help you grow a lot. Surely Marya would approve, right?¡± ¡°W-why are you suddenly bringing that up?¡± ¡°After the trip to the North, I think that olddy has developed some romantic interest in you. Seriously.¡± Furthermore, Marya¡¯s opinion of Aselle seemed to have changed as well. Ronan remembered her subtle expressions when talking about Aselle¡¯s achievements. ¡®This bart might not realize it, but¡­¡¯ If before it was just an attitude of treating him like a cute stuffed doll or a same-sex friend, now it seemed decidedly more like a rational affection. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°M-Marya¡­? Really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t lie about things like that. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can reject it. But, let me add honestly¡­¡± Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s voice grew heavy. Aselle caught his breath at thepletely different atmosphere. Ronan spoke up. ¡°I need your strength. Aselle.¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­?¡± ¡°The feeling of this journey is a bit different from what we¡¯ve done before. It feels¡­ grimy, maybe. I have a gut feeling that I¡¯ll need arade.¡± Ronan chewed on his lower lip. It wasn¡¯t something he had agonized over for no reason. Even if they were dragged into the situation somehow, luring a friend into anticipated threats wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do. ¡°But you can really refuse. It¡¯s a journey that¡¯s potentially much more dangerous than usual. This is just my request, not coercion.¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± Aselle was about to respond when suddenly there was a sharp knock, and Maid Lucy entered. She held a sturdy-looking box in her hands. ¡°Hello, Master Ronan. Um, a package has arrived.¡± ¡°Oh, leave it there. Where is it from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from a ce called Aurora Skar..? From someone named Katan.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s finally here. Thanks as always, Lucy.¡± Lucy responded with a warm smile before leaving. An awkward silence fell in her absence. The serious atmosphere had suddenly turned ambiguous. Ronan, scratching his chin, gestured towards the package. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start by opening this and then finish the conversation.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 227 Chapter 227 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 227: Late Summer, Early Autumn (3) The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Ronan pointed to the box. ¡°Well, shall we open this first and then talk?¡± ¡°Wh-What is this?¡± ¡°Equipment from the North. I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside.¡± The box from Aurora Skar was smaller than expected. It was barely big enough to hold half a watermelon, so it was impossible to guess what was inside. ¡®Did they send something like a hatchet?¡¯ Ronan opened the box. Insidey a strange glove. The wrist length gloves, like those worn by knights, were made of an unknown metal. Aselle tilted his head. ¡°¡­Glove?¡± ¡°This is unexpected.¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had expected to find a dagger or a hatchet inside. But it turned out it wasn¡¯t even a weapon. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t bad. As he had mentioned during themission, it was more convenient to use just one handle sword like Lamancha instead of dealing with multiple weapons. ¡°It¡¯s well-made.¡± Examining the glove, Ronan nodded. It was evident that a great deal of care had gone into making it. Thousands of small metal pieces were intricately joined together so seamlessly that no gaps could be seen. Suddenly, a question crossed his mind. ¡°Why is there only one? Was there a shortage of materials?¡± ¡°Ronan, there¡¯s some paper here.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Aselle called him. A thick piece of parchmenty inside the box, hidden beneath the glove. Ronan slowly read the words written on the parchment. ¡°It¡¯s a glove meant to be worn on one hand only, so don¡¯t mistake it for being iplete¡­ Channel mana into it and see what happens. What does this mean?¡± ¡°It seems like the glove is imbued with magic. I sense something ominous.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± Ronan brought his face closer. Sure enough, he could see geometric patterns engraved in relief on the back of the glove. The intricately designed magic circle seemed to extend to the fingertips of each finger. Ronan cautiously put on the glove. It fit his hand perfectly, snug andfortable. ¡®I was told to channel mana into it.¡¯ Following the instructions on the paper, Ronan moved his mana. For a moment, the magic circle glowed faintly, and hooked ws like those of a falcon grew from the fingertips of the glove. ng! The ws made of ck des pierced through the parchment lying beneath. Aselle recoiled in shock. ¡°Hieek!¡± ¡°Oh, shit¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He immediately realized that these ws were made from the broken fragments of Lamancha. He had instructed her to use them at her discretion, but he never expected her to utilize them in this way. Furthermore, it seemed like he could retract each w individually for each finger. As soon as he stopped the flow of mana, the ws disappeared as if they were never there. ¡°This is impressive.¡± He found himself increasingly pleased. It was equipment that fulfilled the various utilities he valued most inbat. It also seemed sturdy enough to be suitable for defense. Turning to Aselle, he said, ¡°If I had known it would be so well-made, I would have asked them to make one for you too. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. I have enough already, yeah.¡± ¡°Thanks for saying that. Then let¡¯s finish what we were talking about¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Aselle responded promptly. Ronan raised an eyebrow. Aselle¡¯s face, which had regained its calmness, was just as serious as his own. Without hesitation, Ronan asked again, ¡°Are you sure? This time, it¡¯s no joke.¡± ¡°Yeah. Actually, I¡¯m d I can help. You¡¯re my first friend.¡± Aselle¡¯s response was firm and without hesitation. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but remember Aselle¡¯s appearance before he first entered Philleon, a boy who couldn¡¯t speak properly, whimpering and running away from Luna Goblins, tears streaming down his face. Now he had be a confident and powerful mage. ¡®How time flies.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. He couldn¡¯t quite put a name to this overwhelming feeling. Unable to find the right words, he opened his mouth. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± ¡°Bu, but can we really go? Wasn¡¯t it a ce that doesn¡¯t allow humans? I mean, if we face the mes of a dragon¡­¡± And just like that Aselle began to stumble over his words again. The strong emotion from earlier seemed to have evaporated. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared for that, so don¡¯t worry. And we¡¯re not going alone. There¡¯s one more personing.¡± ¡°One more? Wh-who?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Ronan was about to answer when a quick knock sounded, and the door opened. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the familiar young man. ¡°Sh-Shullifen?¡± ¡°I was wondering who else you would take with you, but it turned out to be Aselle. I had a feeling.¡± Shullifen murmured as if he had anticipated this. On the back of his left hand was a vivid red tattoo in the shape of a dragon, symbolizing his status as a servant of Itargand. ¡°Yeah. Have you received the imprint?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t painful, but it was rather ufortable. I hope this can be removed.¡± ¡°Have I ever deceived you? If you want I could remove it right now.¡± ¡°Enough with the banter. Let¡¯s get this over with. Being away from Miss Iril for a long time is displeasing.¡± Shullifen said. He was truly a reliable guy. Since Ronan decided to go to Adren, he had been considering recruiting this guy. In a way, Aselle and Shullifen had an uncanny resemnce. When Shullifen heard the request for help, he agreed without any hesitation. Despite not discussing anything regarding rewards orpensation, the response Ronan received when he asked if it would be okay was quite unexpected. ¨C That¡¯s a strange question. Didn¡¯t you ask for my help? Unlucky bastard. Ronan chuckled lightly at his grumbling. Despite living under an unlucky star, he seemed to have some luck after all. After informing Aselle about the details regarding the imprint, he continued. ¡°We depart in three days. We¡¯ll use a spatial teleportation scroll to travel to the Tandrey Port, the southernmost point of the continent. From there, we¡¯ll take a ship borrowed from Itargand to Adren. Any more questions?¡± ¡°H-How long will it take?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that myself. But it shouldn¡¯t take too long. If we¡¯re unlucky, we might have to fight an angry dragon or even Neb zier, and whether we live or they do will be decided quickly.¡± Ronan said nonchntly. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. Since there were no further questions, Ronan dered the meeting adjourned. ¡°Alright, keep that in mind. Aselle, make sure to stop by and receive the imprint from Ir.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, got it.¡± The two left. With no further tasks remaining except for farewells. Ronan went outside with the documents he had prepared. Varen was nowhere to be found in the office, so Ronan had to search for him for a while. He found him near the Hill of the Four Seasons, covered in autumn leaves. ¡°What the hell.¡± Varen, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, was with Lieutenant Nemea, Zafia¡¯s adjutant. They seemed to get along very well, walking side by side holding hands. They made a good pair. A Werelion couple. Ronan approached him while hiding his presence and poked him in the back. ¡°Long time no see, Varen.¡± ¡°Wha-a-at?! R-Ronan?!¡± Varen, who met Ronan¡¯s gaze, jumped in surprise. Perhaps because he was a cat, his leaping ability was extraordinary. Ronan held out the paper he had prepared in advance. ¡°Why are you so surprised? Sorry to interrupt your date, but can you check this for me?¡± ¡°D-Date? It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just with Nemea¡­¡± Varen babbled incoherently. It was surprising that someone of his size couldn¡¯t handle such a situation. Nemea, who was staring at him, narrowed her eyes. ¡°I thought it was a date.¡± ¡°Wha-a-at?! W-Well, yes, but¡­¡± Nemea sighed as she looked at Varen with a disdainful expression. She couldn¡¯t believe that this was the same person who had fought fiercely with Zafia in the pce. With a somewhat awkward gesture, Ronan slipped the documents into Varen¡¯s coat pocket. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Read itter.¡± ¡°W-Wait! I¡¯ll be right¡­¡± ¡°Enjoy your date. Goodbye!¡± Ronan chuckled as he ran off, leaving Varen, who was babbling like he was drunk. It was actually better this way. The activity n for the club, which stated they would roam around the City of Dragons and cause a ruckus, wasn¡¯t something his tiny heart could handle. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] The n proceeded as scheduled. Three dayster, Ronan, Aselle, and Shullifen, each prepared, gathered in the courtyard in front of the dormitory early in the morning. The campus, which had yet to rise, was shrouded in darkness. Adeshan, who hade to see them off secretly, asked with concern. ¡°You¡¯re leaving as soon as we came back from the North. Please be careful.¡± ¡°Nothing will happen.¡± ¡°What about Itargand?¡± ¡°He¡¯s already in the south preparing the ship.¡± Although they had said their farewells yesterday, as someone who knew the details of Ronan¡¯s n, she couldn¡¯t help but worry and couldn¡¯t sleep. Adeshan asked. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯te with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry and focus on student council work. Besides, mind control won¡¯t stand a chance against the dragons anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I feel uneasy about this.¡± ¡°We have to go now. It¡¯s really okay, so go inside and get some rest.¡± Ronan lightly kissed Adeshan on the cheek. Her stiff face turned as red as an apple. ¡°I-I really¡­ Everyone¡¯s watching¡­¡± ¡°So what?¡± Ronan chuckled. It was a habit he had developed since childhood, so since they started dating, he started doing it almost out of habit. Watching from behind, Aselle clenched his fist. ¡°¡­I¡¯m envious.¡± ¡°Pathetic.¡± Ptuh. Shullifen, who had never seen anything like this before, spat out. He never imagined she would fall for such a deception by that thunderous boar. Lowering his gaze, he spoke solemnly. ¡°During my absence, you¡¯re in charge. Protect Miss Iril.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Cita spread her wings as if to say not to worry. The two, who had be quite close like siblings while living in Iril¡¯s house, had developed a rather peculiar rtionship. Their mutual love for cleanliness and affection for Iril created a bond between them. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Take this.¡± Ronan, who had finished salting, approached. In his hand, there were piles of scrolls that looked expensive at a nce. They were teleportation scrolls to get to the Tandrey Port. He wanted to ask Katir for help if possible, but he couldn¡¯t because Katir was on a business trip somewhere. To cross from the north to the south of the continent, each person needed seven scrolls. Although an astronomical amount of money was spent, which was iparable to renting a ghost horse, Ronan and Aselle had promissory notes they received from Garcia before. Ronan looked back at Shullifen and said somewhat apologetically. ¡°This is a bit too much. I know Garcia is doing really well, but still.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Saving time is more important.¡± ¡°Thank you. I heard my sister was worried about youst night.¡± ¡°Miss Iril¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. She said toe back safely.¡± Suddenly, Shullifen turned his face. The corners of his mouth twitched, as if feeling a little upset. Maybe Ronan shouldn¡¯t have told him. Aselle, trapped in a sense of betrayal and defeat, bowed his head. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Right. Aselle.¡± At that moment, Adeshan seemed to remember something and flicked her finger. Approaching Aselle, who looked puzzled, she held out a wooden box the size of her palm. To meet her gaze, he had to tilt his head back. Aselle hesitantly asked. ¡°Wh-What is this?¡± ¡°Marya told me to give this to youst night. I almost forgot.¡± ¡°Th-This is for me?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just for you. She said toe back safely.¡± With trembling hands, Aselle opened the box. Inside were ten tiny ss bottles lined up neatly. Aselle realized that they were miniature special potions for mages and his eyes widened. ¡°Th-This is¡­!¡± His face lit up. It was a gift separate from the potions prepared for all three of them. The shitty feeling he had been feeling waspletely relieved. Ronan, who had been chuckling, spoke up. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s really get going now.¡± ¡°Come back safely.¡± Adeshan waved her hand with a warm smile. The three of them unfolded their scrolls simultaneously. Boom! With a wave of mana, the space distorted, and engulfed their forms. When Adeshan opened her eyes after a moment of closing them, the three of them had disappeared without a trace. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 228 Chapter 228 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 228: Through the Sea, to the City of Dragons (1) ¡°Keuk! Ugh!¡± Ronan retched. It felt like his stomach was like being wrung out like a rag. Even the refreshing sea breeze felt nauseating, like foul liquid. Shullifen, who was staggering next to him, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. ¡°¡­As expected, it¡¯s a strain on the body.¡± ¡°Ughhhh! Keukk!¡± Aselle clutched onto a log, trying to rid himself of what was inside. None of the three had managed to avoid vomiting. Ronan, spitting saliva mixed with bile, grumbled fiercely. ¡°When we get back to the Academy¡­ Heuuk, I¡¯m going to break the legs of whoever made this scroll.¡± ¡°Ughh¡­ Ughhh¡­ This is really¡­ too much¡­¡± Aselle choked back tears. The three of them arrived at the southern port of Tandrey in less than ten minutes. The five scrolls they had prepared in advance were all used up. Each time they unfurled a scroll, the lingering image of the ever-changingndscape seemed to linger before their eyes. However, their early arrival was overshadowed by the fact that they had been enduring pain for about thirty minutes already. It was all due to the side effects of consecutive use of teleportation scrolls. Ronan couldn¡¯t help but once again appreciate how sophisticated the spatial magic of Katir and Navardose was. Of course, even considering the side effects, it was iparably more convenient than any other means of transportation. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Ronan, barely regaining his senses, swept his bangs back. The view of the Tandrey port unfolded beneath the dawning blue sky. The night sea, palm trees, and air slightly warmer than at the Empire indicated they had reached their destination. ¡°Thoseds are still at it. Where are they hurt so bad?¡± ¡°No, they just suddenly appeared out of thin air! Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Some people nearby were pointing and talking about Ronan¡¯s group. Despite the early hour, quite a few people had gathered at the port, most of them seeming like fishermen with their wild demeanor. asionally, women who seemed to be their wives or daughters wandered around. Perhaps it was because they hailed from the South, but they certainly had a captivating charm in many aspects. The harmony of tanned skin and voluptuous gracefulness! Ronan murmured as if bewitched. ¡°¡­I should have been born in the South.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been too bad.¡± Aselle didn¡¯t deny it either. There was a certain camaraderie among men. Only Shullifen, with a serene gaze that seemed to dismiss any worries, kept his eyes closed. The nobility of blue blood. They immediately moved to the most secluded corner of the port. Although they wished to immerse themselves in the nightlife of the South, they didn¡¯t have the luxury. Before long, Ronan spotted a familiar face and waved his hand. ¡°Hey, Ir.¡± ¡°I told you not to call me that.¡± Itargand furrowed his brow. He stood in front of the beach tiredly, havinge early to ferry them across. ¡°Just onest time, let me ask. Are you sure I don¡¯t need toe?¡± ¡°Yeah, dude. You have enough on your te with studies and all.¡± Ronan pped his hands. He never intended to take Itargand with them. Putting aside the fact that he was a new student and busy, the fact that he was a kin of Navardose would undoubtedly attract attention in Arden. Itargand caught his meaning and nodded. ¡°Got it. That certainly seems like the right decision.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. So, is this the boat we¡¯re taking?¡± Ronan pointed to the sailboat behind Itargand. It was a small boat, enough to carry about twenty people. Compared to the crimson galleon he rode before, it was likeparing an eagle to a chick. ¡°Your tastes have be modest. But then again, the one you used to ride was too noisy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate it. This may be smaller than the massive log we had before, but it¡¯s a valuable vessel. My Red Gale can perform all actions automatically, even without a single crew member.¡± Itargand exined enthusiastically. He described the sailboat called Red Gale as the epitome of magical engineering and the best choice for navigation. Frankly, Ronan wasn¡¯t sure, but judging by the way Itargand boasted, it seemed like a good boat. Ronan patted his shoulder. ¡°Thanks a lot for lending us such a great boat.¡± ¡°Just treat it like your own body. If you get even a single scratch on it, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ronan reassured him. Of course he had no intention of handling it roughly. It would take at most a week or so to reach Adren, so what could possibly happen in such a short time? As Ronan and his party were about to board the ship, Itargand spoke. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I went to Adren, so I¡¯m not sure how things are like there now, but it would be better if you don¡¯t go around talking about the fact that you¡¯re my servant.¡± His expression and tone were serious. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trivial political issue. The current Dragon King, Azidahaka, harbors a strong sense of inferiorityplex towards Mother. With her absence prolonged, there¡¯s a possibility he might pick on you for no reason.¡± ¡°The Dragon King¡¯s grudge. That sounds scary.¡± Ronan pursed his lips. It seemed even more dangerous than expected. If it ended with refusing stay or forced expulsion, it would be fortunate. ¡°Th-The Dragon King?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good news.¡± The two listening from behind also reacted. Of course, there was nothing they could do, so they boarded the ship without a word. The departure was quiet. ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tarnish my honor as my servant. I hope you achieve what you want and return.¡± Ronan waved to Itargand. As he untied the rope tied to the dock, the boat slowly began to move forward. The sun, now beginning to reveal itself, tinted the eastern horizon red over the sea. **** Adren was situated in the middle of a sea called White Sea. Unlike the beautiful southern sea, which sparkled like jewels, this ce felt empty, with wavespping a pale blue. After sailing for nearly four days since departure, Ronan¡¯s party entered White Sea in the morning. The intense sunlight, iparable to thend, poured down onto the deck. A massive disturbance cloud floated on the horizon like an ancient fortress. ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t get used to this heat at all.¡± Ronan grumbled. He had long discarded his shirt. Though the salty breeze brushed against his bare skin, it was insufficient to cool the heat. His skin had tanned to a bronze, simr to Navirose. Unlike the Empire, where autumn was beginning to set in, the sea in the south was experiencing the peak of summer. Aselle, who had been reading a book beside an ice pir he created, spoke up. ¡°Woah, it¡¯s refreshing when youe here¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no romance. Romance.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Ronan clicked his tongue. Since he had never been to such a distant sea in his previous life, he wanted to enjoy this voyage as raw as possible. Gazing at the billowing sails in the fair wind, Ronan murmured with a voice mixed with admiration. ¡°Anyway, no matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s amazing. That guy had his reasons to be confident.¡± ¡°Yeah, really.¡± Aselle nodded. ording to Itargand¡¯s words, this was indeed an extraordinary ship. Routine actions such as steering or adjusting the sails, as well as handling unexpected situations like storms orrge waves, were handled smoothly. Since the destination was already set to Adren, the only thing the three had to worry about was a possible surprise attack by enemies or what they would eat that day. ¡°I hope it continues like this.¡± ¡°That would be nice.¡± Aselle murmured. Ronan nodded in agreement. Despite the determined resolve they had when they set out, it was inevitable for their spirits to wane amidst the same scenery day after day. They no longer spotted any fishing boats or uninhabited inds. Encounters with marine life such as whales or flocks of flying fish served as variations in their journey. The three enjoyed this peace. Knowing that they would likely face hardships in Adren, they hoped that at least during the journey, things would remain as they were. As the leaning sun hung above the summit, Shullifen, who was standing with his arms folded at the bow, suddenly spoke up. ¡°An ind.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± Ronan, who was lying on a deck chair, stood up. When he looked towards the western railing of the ship, he could indeed see greenish masses floating on the horizon. ¡°Yeah, it looks quite big.¡± ¡°It seems like an ind with a name.¡± Judging by the several masses, it seemed to be an archipgo. Unfortunately, it deviated from the sailing route of the Red Gale. As Aselle approachedte, he unfolded a map about the size of his torso and said. ¡°It¡¯s called the Pashanti Archipgo.¡± ¡°Pashanti Archipgo?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had heard the name in passing at some point. Soon, he recalled the incident at Aurora Scar, snapped his fingers. ¡°Ah.¡± It was the ind said to be the headquarters of those under the Poison Dragon¡¯smand. Their organization was called Green Teeth or something. Frowning as he looked at the ind, Ronan grumbled. ¡°Annoying bastards.¡± The idea of a criminal organization led by a Dragon boss was enough to make one shudder at the thought of getting involved. He recounted the story of the Green Fangs and the Poison Dragon to the other two. ¡°Hm, so it¡¯s an ind with that kind of background. Let¡¯s just go quietly since it might be troublesome.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds good to me.¡± Aselle nodded quickly. Since the ship was already heading towards Adren, it was a problem that would be solved by just staying quiet. Ronanughed as he patted Aselle¡¯s pale back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, dude. Will anything happen?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess not¡­?¡± Finally relieved, Aselle breathed a sigh of relief. The three returned to their tasks, focusing on what they had been doing. Shullifen sharpened his sword, Ronan did push-ups while leaning on a tree trunk. As Aselle began to read the part he had left off, opening his book. Baaaang!! A deafening noise that felt like it could shatter eardrums echoed out, apanied by a jolt in the hull. ¡°Hieeek!¡± ¡°What, what the hell?!¡± Aselle jumped up, screaming. Ronan and Shullifen turned their heads towards the direction of the noise almost simultaneously. The mast, which was supposed to be at the center of the ship, was dented as if it had been bitten by an invisible beast. Thick smoke rose and dissipated in the sea breeze. ¡°A b-b-bomb?¡± Aselle stammered. At that moment, the slowly tilting mast copsed onto the deck. Crash!! The thick mast, thicker than a cedar tree,pletely demolished the deck and cabin roof. Ronan rested his palm on his forehead. Intargand¡¯s voice, saying that he would not go easy on him if there was even a scratch on the boat, echoed in his ears. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Wh-What was that?! Where¡­!¡± Aselle, barely containing his emotions, looked around like a meerkat. Whirrr-! Somewhere, a whistle-like sound echoed. Reflexively, Shullifen swung his sword. Boom! An explosion erupted from the sky about twenty paces away from the ship. As he gazed across the sea, he opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯sing from the ind. They¡¯re skilled at hiding their presence.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan dashed to his side. Indeed, from the direction of Pashanti Archipgo, three pirate ships were approaching, cutting through the water. They were galleons several timesrger than the Red Gale. At the bow of each ship, grotesque figureheads resembling dragons were attached. Ronan, who immediately recognized their identity, cursed under his breath. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± ¡°This is the territory under themand of the Poison Dragon, Lord Drahavier! Stop your ship immediately!¡± A booming voice echoed from the pirate ships as if confirming his expectations. He had hoped to pass by quietly, but it seemed they had been caught. It was evident that the cannon fire hade from their direction. With things havinge to this, there was no choice but to confront or evade them. Aselle, breathing heavily, was restoring the broken mast to its original position. Ronan, exhaling deeply, turned to Shullifen and said. ¡°Hah¡­ should I do it? Or do you want to?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already finished one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan frowned. Hastily lowering his gaze, he noticed that the sword handle Shullifen was holding didn¡¯t have a de attached. Ronan was about to say something when ¨C Swoosh! The wind suddenly picked up, and the leading pirate ship split in two horizontally. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 229 Chapter 229 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 229: Through the Sea, to the City of Dragons (2) The divided galleon was slowly sinking, its movement elegant like a butterfly unfolding its wings. The desperate cries of the people on board echoed across the sea. ¡°The ship, the ship!¡± ¡°Aahhh! Save us!¡± Some people who had narrowly escaped the killing blow jumped into the sea. Those who escaped through the cut section of the ship looked like rats fleeing before an earthquake. Shullifen, who was watching the sinking ship, let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°It¡¯s weaker than I thought.¡± ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Ronan chuckled. His strength had improved to an unimaginable level, and his sword, which had flown away with the wind, was returning to its original form. ¡®Is this what they mean by a genius?¡¯ Ronan had thought he had gotten somewhat careless because he was chatting with his sister, but it was a perfect misunderstanding. No matter what anyone said, this kid was the greatest sword in the continent and the Raising Star of the Empire. At this point, if the two went at it with everything, it¡¯d be impossible to guarantee victory. Shullifen, who was staring at the ship, spoke up. ¡°Are they stilling? I thought they would stop after one blow.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan shifted his gaze. The remaining two ships were rapidly approaching. The survivors were shouting for help, but there was no sign of them stopping. It seemed that dealing with their group was more urgent than saving their own people. Suddenly, a sh of light burst from the front of the two galleons. Whew! The sound of a whistle, which they had heard earlier, echoed continuously. ¡°Ah, you want to go all out?¡± Ronan whistled. This time, it was clear. Exactly twenty artillery shells were flying towards them, cutting through the wind. Earlier, they had been caught off guard, but this time, there was no way but to block them. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, and a red crescent moon swept across horizontally, deflecting the artillery shells. Boom! A wall of mes and smoke appeared between the two galleons and Ronan, causing amotion. ¡°Shit, what was that¡­?!¡± The wall soon dispersed in the sea breeze, revealing the two galleons, which had drawn closer. There was no time to reload. Shullifen, who had taken a stance, swiftly swung his sword. The wind-de, which had returned, struck the two galleons once more. Boom! The upper decks of the ships, which had been cut diagonally, slid into the sea. ¡°That was easier than I thought.¡± Ronan put away his sword. He had expected a bit more, but this was beyond ridiculous. Just then, several dark objects erupted from the sinking galleon like fireworks. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes, sensing something. They didn¡¯t seem to be artillery shells, but it was hard to discern their true nature because of the re. The objects, which were drawing near in a parabolic arc, finally came into view. The two young men furrowed their brows. ¡°¡­People?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Heavily armed soldiers were raining down like meteors. It was an unprecedented format of airborne troops. Each of them seemed to be quite heavy, and if they collided, it would be difficult to avoid damage. The soldiers, who had locked eyes with Ronan¡¯s group, let out a fierce cry. ¡°You bastards! I¡¯ll kill you all!!¡± ¡°In the name of Drahavier!¡± Their voices were loud and fierce, suggesting that they were quite enraged. Well, it was understandable, given that their ships had been sunk before they could even do anything. Suddenly, Ronan noticed a tattoo on the forehead of a bald man. The symbol, which resembled a dragon, he had undoubtedly seen at Aurora Skar. These people could transform into monsters. Ronan let out a faint sigh. ¡°Get ready. They seem quite sturdy.¡± There were around twenty of them. It wasn¡¯t so many that they couldn¡¯t kill them all, but if they let them collide with the ship in their current state, this rickety old ship would be destroyed. It was troublesome, but they had no choice. If they could somehow restore the mast, they might be able to prevent Intargand from copsing due to high blood pressure. If they cut them all into pieces and distribute the weight, they might be able to withstand it. ¡°The key is to take them all down at once.¡± ¡°As long as we can get rid of the big ones, it¡¯ll be okay. The ship might get a bit dirty, but there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Shullifen nodded, understanding the n. The sword body that turned into wind began to swirl. The condensed wind-de was ready to strike. He was certainly quick-witted. As Ronan grasped the hilt of his sword, the crimson color of the sun began to rise along the de. He was about to take action. The bodies of the soldiers, who had been falling from the sky, froze in mid-air. ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan and Shullifen were taken aback. It was as if the flying insects had been caught in a spider¡¯s web. A wave of shock rippled through the area. ¡°M-My body won¡¯t move¡­!¡± ¡°You cowardly bastards, what kind of trick is this?¡± Judging from the reaction, it didn¡¯t seem like it was their intention. Ronan suddenly noticed a shadow hovering above his head and turned around. ¡°The mast?¡± The broken mast had been restored to its original state, standing tall and proud. The eerie, chilling ice was holding together the shattered part, connecting it seamlessly. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°This is¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Although it was damaged, the mast had regained its functionality. The voice of a frightened boy came from below. ¡°Heeik! D-Don¡¯t scream!¡± The soldiers¡¯ shouts made Aselle¡¯s shoulders flinch. His left hand was stretched towards the sky. Shullifen¡¯s eyes were wide open in shock, and Ronan let out augh of amazement. ¡°As expected, I chose the right one.¡± ¡°Ro-Ronan! I¡¯ve got them!¡± Aselle shouted. Despite his slender build, he possessed a formidable physical strength. Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem like he was struggling at all, which made Ronan think that he might even be the strongest among the three. Ronan praised him in a tone of admiration. ¡°Well done. Aselle, keep holding them.¡± ¡°Umm¡­? Like this¡­?¡± Aselle was about to say something, but Ronan and Shullifen swiftly exchanged nces and swung their swords simultaneously. Red and blue sword energies shot towards the soldiers, who were frozen in mid-air. The sword energies cut through their bodies without hesitation. Swoosh! Blood and internal organs sttered everywhere. The young men¡¯s heads were showered with the gruesome sight. Thud! Aselle made eye contact with a head, which had fallen at his feet, and let out a scream. ¡°Heeik! Kyaaaah! Aaahh!¡± ¡°Aselle, don¡¯t spill it, just hold it straight.¡± ¡°Wait, just a minute! Ahhh! There¡¯s an eyeball in my back, nuh, nuh!¡± Aselle struggled while maintaining his grip on the soldiers. The one-sided massacre continued. The Green Fang warriors, who had received the imprint, were unable to even let out a proper cry before they died, let alone transform. ¡°Such cowardice¡­ Keuk!¡± ¡°Save¡­ uhh¡­!¡± ¡°Lord Drahavier¡­ahhh!¡± The hot blood sttered everywhere. The acrid smell of iron and blood filled the air. The sticky, bloody mess covered the deck, mast, and hull, making the ship even more deserving of its name, ¡®The Red Gale¡¯. The sound of severed body parts hitting the deck was like a loud drumbeat. It was just as Ronan had expected. By cutting them down and reducing their volume, the impact on the ship¡¯s hull was significantly decreased. Of course, it wasn¡¯tpletely damage-free, but Intargand would surely forgive this extent of damage. The blood-stained sail could be washed clean. The intestine-like thing that had escaped from the body was fluttering like a ribbon on the mast. Within a few seconds, all the attackers except one were killed. The lone old man, who was suspended in mid-air, struggled and cried out. ¡°Wait, just a minute! Please, spare my life!¡± ¡°Should we?¡± Ronan nodded, and at the same time, the crimson sword energy that was about to burst forth subsided. Shullifen, who was about to unleash a storm of swords, spoke up. ¡°Are you trying to extract information?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Aselle, can you please?¡± ¡°Huuuh, uh, okay¡­¡± Ronan told Aselle to release the old man. Aselle, who was still feeling queasy, released the magic that was binding him. Thud! The old man fell to the ground, groaning in pain. ¡°Uuuuh¡­ uuuh¡­ what are you people¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. Old man, if you want to live out the rest of your life peacefully, it¡¯d be better to tell us everything you know. Why did you attack us, and what¡¯s the deal with Drahavier¡­?¡± ¡°Gahh!¡± Ronan stepped on the old man¡¯s back and said. Although he was an old man with wrinkles, Ronan had no mercy or manners to show to a person who tried to take his life. The old man, who was struggling like a fish out of water, barely managed to lift his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything¡­! Just please, get your foot off me. I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ really, thank you.¡± Ronan lifted his foot. The old man, who was watching him, slowly got up. The imprint on his neck was clearly visible. It was a pretty unusual ce to have an imprint. Since time was of the essence, it would be good to gather information and go. Dydican had said that the boss, Drahavier, was going back and forth between Adren and the outside world. He might know something, given his position of receiving the imprint. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to y tricks, considering his life was on the line. The old man, who was stroking his neck, opened his mouth. ¡°As promised, I¡¯ll tell you everything. M-My words are¡­¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°My words are¡­ die!!¡± Suddenly, the old man stretched out his arms and rushed towards Ronan. His body began to transform, his muscles bulging as he took on a monstrous form. The difference in physique was so vast that it seemed like he was trying to crush Ronan with his body. ¡°What the hell.¡± Ronan was taken aback by the sudden attack. He couldn¡¯t understand why the old man was acting like this. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to surrender when faced with an overwhelming difference in power? Ronan easily dodged the attack and swung his sword. A red line appeared on the old man¡¯s left arm and left thigh. As he confirmed the missed attack, he turned his body around. Swoosh! The old man¡¯s left arm and leg flew into the air. ¡°Huh, huhuueok!!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really gone beyond your happy retirement. Why do you do such useless things?¡± The old man, now with only one leg, spat out blood and fell over. Ronan stepped on the back of his neck again. This time, the resistance was much stronger. The old man, who was bleeding profusely, twisted his body and screamed in desperation. ¡°Get out of the way! I have to kill or capture you all!¡± ¡°I think that will be difficult.¡± ¡°Obediently be captured! I¡¯m doing this for your sake! If not, then¡­¡± The old man was about to say something, but suddenly, the imprint on his neck began to glow. A look of despair settled on his wrinkled face. He grasped his own neck with both hands. ¡°Bu, already¡­! Gueoruk¡­!¡± The old man suddenly stopped talking and let out a strange, suffocating sound. The imprint on his neck was emitting a green glow. The flickering interval was getting faster, and it didn¡¯t feel good at all. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, then just die!¡± Ronan instinctively sensed the threat and threw the old man overboard. The body flew through the air like a shell, and just as it was about to hit the water, a green and purple mist burst out from his face. ¡°Guueoruk! Guueek!¡± The most desperate cry echoed through the air. The gas that was pouring out from his nose, mouth, and eye sockets was a terrifying color that sent chills down the spine. ¡°Aaaah! Wh-what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Aselle and Shullifen raised their eyebrows. The old man¡¯s teeth were melting away, and his eyeballs were shrinking like grapes, sinking into his eye sockets. The old man¡¯s body eventually withered away like a dead flower. Ronan quickly realized the situation and shouted. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s poison! Everyone, cover your mouth and nose!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± He grabbed Shullifen by the scruff of the neck and ran down to the mast where Aselle was. If they got poisoned, it would be a huge problem. They had to get out of range before the ship took damage. The poisonous cloud didn¡¯t disperse even in the wind, and it reached high into the sky. Suddenly, a dreadful sense of unease crept up Ronan¡¯s neck. ¡®Wait¡­ it¡¯s not dispersing?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a simple suicide attack. The open sea, the old man¡¯s attitude before the imprint was activated, and the mist rising high into the sky were all screaming with vibrant colors, as if trying to show something to someone. Ronan soon realized the meaning and spoke up. ¡°Aselle, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Heeek! Uh, okay?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Use your telekinesis or whatever.¡± Ronan grabbed Aselle¡¯s shoulders. Aselle, who was still in shock, followed his instructions. An invisible force was pushing the ship¡¯s stern, and in the distance, a massive shadow rose above the forest of the Pashanti Inds. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 230 Chapter 230 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 230: Through the Sea, to the City of Dragons (3) In the distance, a massive shadow rose above the forest of the Pashanti Inds. Judging by its size and aura, it waspletely different from the childish fools they had encountered earlier. Ronan, sensing something was off, let out a curse. ¡°Go damn it.¡± ¡°Wh-What, what¡­?¡± The young men, sensing danger, turned their heads at once. But the shadow had already disappeared from sight. Only an eerie, ominous feeling lingered, growing stronger by the second. ¡°Hmm.¡± Suddenly, Shullifen, who had been following the presence with his gaze, swung his sword above his head. Swoosh! The low-hanging cloud split open, revealing a blue sky. The dark shadow that had briefly appeared vanished into the cloud. ¡°Missed it.¡± Shullifen clicked his tongue. The other two men also looked around, but no further signs of danger were detected. It seemed like they had just passed by it. But then, a thick shadow fell across the deck. Aselle¡¯s face turned white as a sheet. ¡°Heeikk¡­!¡± A powerful pping sound echoed through the air, and an intense, palpable killing intent pierced through their bodies. It was as if they were being swallowed by a thorny, living hell. This was it, after all. Ronan let out a sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°Are you Drahavier?¡± [I am Landoheidel. How does a mortal like you know my father¡¯s name?] Judging by how he called him father, he seemed to be the son of the Poison Dragon Drahavier. Ronan continued. ¡°¡­It looks like there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. You were the ones who attacked first.¡± [Turn around and face me. ] Only then did Ronan turn around. The other two men also did the same. A massive green dragon was hovering above them, pping its wings Its pointed, t head resembled a snake, particrly a venomous one found in the jungle. Its long, flexible neck was writhing back and forth. The scales, which were a nauseating dark green color, made the dragon look even more terrifying. Aselle, who had barely escaped being paralyzed, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Da-da-dragon¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ strong.¡± Shullifen murmured quietly. This was the first time any of them had faced a hostile dragon. Although it was still a young dragon, it was smaller than they had expected, but the pressure it exerted was immense. It was clearly older than Intargand. Around the sinking galleon, survivors were still screaming. Every time the waves crashed, one or two people would disappear from sight. Landoheidel, who had been ncing between Ronan¡¯s group and the survivors, opened his mouth. [You look young even for a mortal. Did you do this?] ¡°What about it?¡± Ronan replied, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Landoheidel remained silent. Ronan, who had been observing him carefully, raised an eyebrow. ¡®If we do this well¡­¡¯ He quickly exchanged nces with his friends, and Aselle and Shullifen¡¯s faces hardened, understanding his intentions. Really? Was this really the right judgment? It was the most silent and intense war council in the world. Finally, Landoheidel¡¯s mouth slowly opened. [Hmm¡­ I¡¯m pleased. Take my father¡¯s imprint and be his servant. I¡¯ll spare your lives and give you a chance to enjoy the luxuries you¡¯ve never had in your miserable little lives.] The young men¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. This was an unexpected offer. If they were capable, would he forgive them for sinking three galleons? It seemed like he might be a more reasonable opponent than they thought. ¡°Are you for real?¡± [A dragon does not lie.] ¡°What if we refuse your proposal?¡± [You know the answer to that. You¡¯ll be unrecognizable corpses and sink to the bottom of the sea, just like that trash that led me here.] Landoheidel gestured towards the old man¡¯s corpse floating on the sea. The corpse,pletely polluted by the poison, looked more like a sea creature than a human. ¡°¡­Can I discuss this with my friends for a moment, merciful Lord Landoheidel?¡± [You have 2 minutes.] ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± They were officially given time to talk. Ronan turned around, putting his back to Landoheidel, and whispered to his friends. The n was quickly discussed, and after about a minute, Ronan turned back around. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it, and everyone has declined. Sorry, but we can¡¯t go with your proposal.¡± [Then you¡¯ll have to die. Do you have anyst words?] ¡°Yeah. Go to hell.¡± Ronan readied his sword. At the same time, Landoheidel¡¯s mouth opened, and a poisonous breath shot out. Whoosh! The purple -colored poison breath enveloped Ronan and the ship they were on. [What a shame. I thought my father would be pleased.] Landoheidel¡¯s appetite was whetted by the meaningless ending. No mortal had ever survived his poison. Anyone who came into contact with it would instantly bleed out and die. The ship, infected with the poison, would soon be a useless hunk of wood. The poison was slowly weakening, and a strange presence was detected from within the purple cloud. [¡­Hmm?] Landoheidel was taken aback. Had they not died instantly? He slowly peeked into the cloud and saw the ship,pletely unharmed. A transparent barrier-like thing was surrounding the ship. [How¡­?] Landoheidel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It was impossible. Upon closer inspection, he saw a red-haired boy standing still, desperately casting a defense spell. Aselle, who had been casting the spell, jumped up in desperation. ¡°Kyaaaah! I did it!¡± [You¡¯re a talented mage. Unfortunately, I¡¯m your opponent.] Landoheidel¡¯s mouth opened again. This time, Aselle realized he couldn¡¯t defend against the attack and took a deep breath. Just then, Ronan jumped out from behind the ship¡¯s sail. Wearing a mask that neutralized even the strongest poison, it was something he had obtained from Arondale, a poacher from Cariboro. [What!] Landoheidel was stunned, unable to react to the sudden turn of events. He quickly turned his head, but Ronan was faster. In an instant, he reached Landoheidel¡¯s jaw and swung his sword. A red line was drawn across his long neck. Swoosh! Purple blood spurted out like a fountain, drenching the sky. [Keueeek!] ¡°Shit!¡± Landoheidel stumbled back. Ronan, realizing it wasn¡¯t a fatal blow, curled his lips. With Landoheidel¡¯s sudden movement, he was only able to use about 20% of his neck. In any case, the ambush was sessful. Shullifen, who, like Ronan, had been hiding in the square, swung his sword. Whoosh! The strong gust of wind from the sea swept away the useless poisonous mist. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s really gotten better.¡± Ronan murmured, seemingly surprised. He seemed to understand why the cksmith Katan was so proud of herself. The sword, Lamacha, which he had received from the Aurora Skar, was iparably sharper and faster than before. The blood-stained de was emitting a fierce aura. The mysterious colors flowing along the sword¡¯s length resembled the intense light that illuminated the northern sky. Landoheidel was still unable to regain hisposure, writhing in agony. He was about to take flight. Ronan, who had jumped out of the ship, swung his sword towards Landoheidel¡¯s wing. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] It seemed like they had hit their opponent. Aselle, who was desperate, raised his arm to defend the ship. At the same time, Shullifen swung his sword, and a strong gust of wind blew away the poisonous breath. Ronan, who had been searching for Landoheidel, cursed. ¡°Damn it.¡± Landoheidel¡¯s figure had already turned into a small green dot, fluttering away towards the north. Arge, squirming fish-like flesh was floating on the sea, seemingly cut off from his tail. Ronan, who had rushed over, grabbed the tiller and shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s chase him! Everyone, help!¡± ¡°Ch-chase him?!¡± ¡°He won¡¯tst long anyway. And it¡¯s better to finish him off here.¡± Since they had already fought, it was inevitable that they would sh with the Poison Dragon, and it was better to take care of one of them now rather thanter. Aselle, convinced, nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it¡­¡± ¡°Then help me. We need to catch up before he calls for backup.¡± As Ronan turned the tiller, the ship¡¯s bow inclined. Although it was his first time sailing manually, he was managing somehow. The ship, propelled by Shullifen¡¯s wind and Aselle¡¯s telekinesis power, began to move at an incredible speed, rivaling that of a flying fish. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing the weather is clear. We can follow the blood trail.¡¯ The pursuit was going more smoothly than expected. The blood Landoheidel had spilled was leaving a trail on the sea. After about three hours, they could feel the distance closing in. The dot that was Landoheidel was slowly taking on the form of a dragon. Bang! Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the sea and pierced Landoheidel¡¯s body. [Keueeek!] ¡°Fuck, what?!¡± Ronan, startled, bit his tongue. A ck lightning bolt had fallen from the sky, striking Landoheidel, who froze and plummeted towards the sea like a bird crashing into a window. Hended on a small ind, but there was no massive ssh. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s hurry.¡± Something didn¡¯t feel right. The group increased the ship¡¯s speed, and after about thirty minutes, they arrived at the location where Landoheidel had fallen. For some reason, the nearby sea was dyed a deep, shimmering purple. Countless fish were swimming on the surface, their scales glinting in the light. The group¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What, wh-what is this¡­?!¡± ¡°This is insane¡­¡± Aselle covered his mouth with both hands, and Shullifen couldn¡¯t hide his astonishment. The ce where Landoheidel had fallen wasn¡¯t an ind¡ªit was the corpse of a massive dragon, almost three times the size of Landoheidel, floating on the sea. Ronan, dumbfounded, muttered quietly. ¡°¡­Drahavier?¡± The dragon¡¯s scales glistened like the dark, humid forest at night, and its long neck and snake-like head hinted at its rtionship with Landoheidel. Landoheidel¡¯s corpse was lying on top of the dragon¡¯s corpse. ¡°Who did this¡­?¡± The poisonous energy rising from the sea was warping the space, making it hard to believe what they were seeing. The dragon¡¯s true identity was unmistakable¡ªit was the Poison Dragon, Drahavier. Ronan, wearing a bear mask, approached the ship¡¯s bow. There were gaping holes in the bodies of the two corpses, as if they had been pierced by a giant tree. Suddenly, Ronan sensed a familiar energy and raised an eyebrow. ¡°This¡­!¡± A dark, swirling mana was rising from the holes, like a ck me. The indescribably eerie energy was unforgettable. The face of the ck-d man he had met at the Aurora Skar shed before his eyes. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 231 Chapter 231 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 231: Through the Sea, to the City of Dragon (4) The ominous presence was unmistakable. It was the mana of the ck-d man seen at Aurora Skar. A shiver ran up the arm holding the hilt of the sword. ¡®Could he still be around?¡¯ Not knowing his identity could be extremely dangerous. Ronan urgently turned to Aselle and Shullifen and spoke. ¡°Quickly, check the area. Now.¡± ¡°N-Now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s urgent.¡± Though puzzled, the two followed hismand. Along with Adeshan, two of the most efficient detections from Philleon Academy spread out in all directions. Aselle, eyes closed, stammered as he spoke. ¡°Th-there¡¯s no one within a 5km radius. Positive.¡± ¡°Within 3km¡­ hmm.¡± Shullifen, about to follow up, shut his mouth. Judging by his frustrated nce at Aselle, it seemed Aselle had the superior detection abilities. ¡°Good.¡± Only after hearing their reports did Ronan let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the man had already finished his business and left. Frowning as he looked down at Drahavier¡¯s corpse, Ronan muttered. ¡°What the hell did this?¡± At the junction of the neck and body, there was a gaping holerge enough to be shocking. Blood and seawater were gushing out of the hole. The absence of any other injuries suggested it had been a one-hit kill. Considering its size and the thickness of its scales, Drahavier was a much stronger dragonpared to Landoheidel. It was hard to believe it had been taken down so easily. Ronan was about to lean closer when, ¡¾Cough¡­ ugh!¡¿ ¡°Shit, that scared me.¡± From afar, Drahavier¡¯s head twitched. The noise, reminiscent of a whale spouting water, startled Ronan into swearing. Though he was sure the dragon was dead, it appeared to still be alive. Moving across Drahavier¡¯s neck, Ronan leaped onto the other wing. Positioned in such a way that the left wing was in front of his face, it felt like they were facing each other. Seeing it this way, Drahavier truly was a massive dragon. Its enormous, bright yellow eyes, as big as coconuts, were ring at him. This was crucial. Clearing his throat, Ronan began to speak. ¡°Lord Drahavier, are you alright?¡± ¡¾Yes¡­ are you one of the organization¡¯s members?¡¿ ¡°Yes, I am. Such an injury, what happened to you?¡± ¡¾Ah¡­ good. Caugh, has he left¡­?¡¿ Feigning to be a member of the Green Fang, Ronan spoke calmly. Aselle and Shullifen swallowed nervously. Drahavier, lying down, hadn¡¯t yet noticed the state of his son, still copsed on his wing. After vomiting blood, he continued to speak. ¡¾Tell my son, Landoheidel¡­ to flee far from Adren¡­ that spear, that spear is¡­¡¿ ¡°A spear? What do you mean?¡± ¡¾He¡­ is nning to assassinate the His Majesty with it¡­ maybe even worse¡­¡¿ ¡°His Majesty? Do you mean the Dragon King? Please speak louder.¡± Ronan asked, but there was no answer. Drahavier, now rambling like a demented old man, seemed close to death. ¡¾This Poison Dragon¡­ butterfly of the sea¡­ ah¡­¡¿ It seemed he was no longer in his right mind. A spear? Suddenly, the incident at Aurora Skar came to mind. ¡®That box.¡¯ ording to Dydican, the ck-d man hadmissioned a weapon, something that looked like a pir or a spear. It took six men to barely move the box containing the weapon. Ronan remembered how the ck-d man had smashed the heads of two Green Fang members over a single drop of blood on the box. ¡®Was he struck by that?¡¯ Having never seen the inside of the box, he couldn¡¯t be sure. However, if the hypothesis was correct, it was a truly formidable weapon. To pierce dragon scales, known to be one of the hardest substances in the world, like paper. Ronan, his voice tinged with urgency, questioned. ¡°Do you know the name of that dark man? Who is he?¡± ¡¾The great cause¡­ so close¡­ drenched in regret¡­¡¿ ¡°Hey, you poison dragon!¡± ¡¾Lando¡­ heidel¡­¡¿ Despite Ronan¡¯s urging, there was no response. Drahavier¡¯s eyes dimmed as he muttered his son¡¯s name for thest time. Scratching his head, Ronan spat on the ground. ¡°What the hell is going on¡­¡± The current situation was hard toprehend. The ck-d man, the mysterious weapon, and the n to assassinate the Dragon King. There were too many overwhelming pieces of information. One thing was certain: they needed to go to Adren. Just then, Shullifen, examining Landoheidel, shook his head. ¡°He died instantly. Judging by the missing heart, he didn¡¯t even have time to scream.¡± ¡°Right. I guess it¡¯s a small mercy he didn¡¯t see his son die¡­¡± Landoheidel¡¯s heart and the surrounding area werepletely gouged out. Though much smaller than Drahavier, the hole¡¯s size made it seem more severe. Ronan clicked his tongue as he looked at the corpses of the two dragons. ¡°Damn it.¡± Though it was a relief that a would-be adversary had been eliminated, he couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling. Father and son lying together¡ªit was a tragic death, even considering they were enemies. But that was that, and there was still work to do. As Ronan assessed the situation, he spoke. ¡°Aselle, if you have any empty bottles or containers, bring them all over here.¡± ¡°Huh? Why, are you sick?¡± ¡°To collect some poison. And pull out some teeth too. They seem pretty useful.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a devil¡­!¡± ¡°Would you prefer to hold a funeral?¡± Aselle¡¯s face turned deathly pale. Regardless, Ronan raised his sword and began disassembling the deceased poison dragon. Opportunities to gather dragon materials were rare. Because the air above the sea was filled with poison, Ronan was the only one who could work. He collected five barrels¡¯ worth of poison, teeth, and hide, among other misceneous byproducts. From behind Shullifen, who was dispersing the poison with wind, a voice could be heard. ¡°Hmm. Fascinating, indeed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was a faint voice, barely more than a hallucination. Shullifen turned his head quickly, but there was no one on deck. Even with heightened senses, he couldn¡¯t detect anything. ¡°¡­Maybe I imagined it.¡± ¡°Hey, keep sending the wind. The poison is rising.¡± Shullifen turned back around. The work waspleted about three hourster. There was no sign of the ck-d man until the Red Gale set sail again. **** The Red Gale, carrying Ronan and his group, sailed for another two days. An unexpected storm dyed them by a day. Still, the ship, which had been in disarray, was somewhat cleaned up. The heavy rain and wind had washed away the bloodstains on the deck and mast. After the storm passed, clear skies continued. It was the evening of the seventh day since the voyage began. The ship, moving with the tailwind, suddenly stopped. ¡°What, why did we stop?¡± ¡°It seems we¡¯ve reached our destination.¡± ¡°Our destination? There¡¯s nothing here.¡± Ronan looked around. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t see anything resemblingnd. Only the massive southern sunset burned the sea on the horizon. ¡°¡­Have I drunk too much poison?¡± Ronan¡¯s party checked the map drawn by Itargand again. Unless all three of them were blind, this was the right ce. Just as they were beginning to doubt Itargand¡¯s directions, Ronan had a realization. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± One fact suddenly crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. Almost all dragons had wings and could fly. He slowly raised his head. A gigantic cumulonimbus cloud covered about half the sky. Even though it was quite high up, its size was so massive that it was difficult to estimate its true scale. ¡°¡­No way.¡± ¡°R-Ronan, it can¡¯t be what I¡¯m thinking, right?¡± ¡°It seems like it is.¡± The three of them, sensing something, looked at each other. Though it seemed absurd, there was no other exnation. Ronan tapped Aselle on the shoulder. ¡°This is a matter of life and death, so do it carefully.¡± ¡°Eeek! Really?¡± ¡°What other choice do we have? I really wonder what would¡¯ve happened if I hadn¡¯t brought you along.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Though Aselle looked like he was about to cry, Ronan was firm. Expecting some sort of entrance for guests from dragons was clearly a mistake. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best¡­¡± Resigned, Aselle let out a deep sigh. He walked over and sat cross-legged under the mast. It seemed to be his preparation for precise maniption. As he chanted a spell with his eyes closed, the ship began to slowly rise. Ronan turned to Shullifen. ¡°Let¡¯s do what we have to do.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shullifen grabbed his sword hilt in response. The sloop, ascending, soon entered the cumulonimbus cloud. Inside the dense cloud, nothing was visible. The two men, on high alert, kept watch in all directions. If they were attacked in the air and Aselle lost concentration, the oue would be disastrous. Their weapons were ready to unleash sword energy at any moment. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It was about twenty minutes into the ascent. Aselle, who was focusing, let out a faint groan. The rising sloop shook slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I sense powerful presences. It seems Adren is beyond this.¡± Upon hearing that, Ronan focused his senses. He could feel the change in the surrounding airflow. Voices, wing ps, and small roars from beyond the cumulonimbus pricked his sensitive eardrums. Fortunately, there was no threat. After a few more minutes, the cloud barrier suddenly disappeared, revealing an open space. The still sunset poured onto the deck. Ronan and Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± A massive ind was floating in the middle of the sky. Majestic buildings of varying heights glowed in the twilight. It reminded Ronan of Drimore, but on a scale tens or hundreds of timesrger. Dragons of various shapes and colors flew freely around the ind. Aselle, who finally opened his eyes, eximed in awe. ¡°My, my God¡­¡± ¡°Good job, Aselle.¡± Ronan praised. Ronan tousled Aselle¡¯s hair proudly. The view was endlessly mesmerizing. Who would have thought dragons had such an aesthetic sense? Aselle, still dazed from navigating the ship, stammered. ¡°Wh-where do we go now?¡± ¡°We need to go through immigration. I know where it is.¡± Itargand had mentioned that the only immigration checkpoint was on the north side of the ind. As Aselle moved his hand, the ship¡¯s bow turned. Young hatchlings flew around the ship,ughing gleefully. ¡°Ahaha, humans! Humans!¡± ¡°Hello, hello!¡± After sailing above the clouds for a while, they finally reached their destination. Indeed, a wide and long stone pier, reminiscent of a bridge, jutted out from the middle of the northern side. A tall white obelisk, about five stories high, marked this ce as special. It was the immigration checkpoint for visitors from outside. The pier was lined with various airships and mounts like griffins. At the end of the pier, a massive gate connected to the ind,rge enough for dragons in their true form to pass through. Asellended the ship on the pier. The ship, leaning as itnded, looked clumsy, but there was no other option since it wasn¡¯t an airship. After a week at sea, they slowly walked towards the gate. Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°There are others besides us.¡± In front of the gate stood six or seven humans, who seemed to have arrived earlier. Their shy and unfamiliar attire suggested they were envoys from other countries. Two burly guards blocked the gate. An elderly man with a long hat sat next to them. He appeared to be the examiner. Shullifen, observing the scene, spoke up. ¡°The atmosphere isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan tilted his head. Focusing a bit, he heard the sounds of an argument. ¡°Leave at once. We are not epting visitors right now.¡± ¡°Th-That¡¯s impossible! We made this appointment six months ago!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. But we cannot let you in.¡± ¡°This is outrageous! We will lodge a formal protest!¡± The man, who appeared to be an envoy, started to vent his frustration. He must have been deeply aggrieved to show such defiance, likely unaware that the examiner was a dragon or a servant of one. However, the guards continued to mechanically repeat their order to leave. After a few minutes, the examiner stood up. He walked between the guards and spoke to the envoy. ¡°I am Examiner Banartier. You refuse to leave?¡± ¡°Finally, someone reasonable! As I said, we are here under direct orders from our king!¡± The envoy raised his voice upon seeing the examiner. The old man, Banartier, listened quietly to his grievances. The envoy gestured passionately, expressing his frustration. ¡°This is not a trivial matter. It is a breach of protocol between nations. To our king¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Suddenly, the examiner¡¯s mouth opened wide. The guards turned their heads away. Fwoosh! mes erupted from the examiner¡¯s mouth, engulfing the envoy. Ronan¡¯s party froze in ce. ¡°H-Heeek!!¡± Aselle screamed. The molten mes subsided in less than three seconds. The lively upper body of the envoy waspletely incinerated. Thud. The lifeless body fell to the ground. The charred lower half could no longer speak. The people who appeared to be the envoy¡¯spanions looked like they were about to faint. After being frozen for a while, they screamed and fled. No one retrieved the body, so the charred remains stayed there. The examiner looked at Ronan¡¯s party and spoke dispassionately. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°¡­He killed him.¡± Ronan chuckled wryly. The infamous immigration process lived up to its reputation. He turned to Aselle and Shullifen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have our marks.¡± ¡°R-Right? That should be fine, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We are servants of the famous Itargand. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Aselle asked tearfully. Shullifen nodded calmly. Ronan patted their shoulders and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s check one more time before we go. Show me your marks.¡± ¡°H-Here¡­¡± Aselle rolled up his sleeve. Shullifen showed the back of his hand without a word. The imprint of Itargand was clearly engraved on both of them. Finally, Ronan lifted his shirt. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll¡­¡± Wanting to show off, he had asked to have it engraved on his back. The examiner, looking at Ronan baring his back, saw the twopanions¡¯ faces turn grim. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Are you sure it was engraved here?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You saw it just yesterday.¡± Their expressions were not good. Ronan frowned and reached towards his back. The engraved area should have a slight indentation, so it should be detectable by touch. As he groped his back, his eyebrows shot up. ¡°What?¡± The mark wasn¡¯t there. He could only feel the skin and muscles beneath his fingertips. Aselle and Shullifen stared in disbelief at Ronan¡¯s empty back. The examiner, losing patience, spoke again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Next.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 232 Chapter 232 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 232: Entry ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Next.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± The examiner spoke in an impatient tone. Ronan kept feeling around his back as if trying to remove an insect, but he couldn¡¯t find the mark. Realizing he was screwed, he swallowed hard. ¡®Fuch, what happened?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand why the once intact mark had disappeared. He could still clearly remember giggling in front of the mirror, thinking it looked impressive on his back. The two people were still staring at his smooth back in bewilderment. Aselle spoke. ¡°I-I thought it might be fading a bit, but I didn¡¯t expect it to disappear¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s my fault. I should have said something back then¡­!¡± Aselle grabbed his head with both hands. A few days ago, when Ronan was walking around shirtless, Aselle had identally noticed the mark on his back fading slightly. At the time, he dismissed it as a trick of the light, thinking it was nothing serious, but now it hade to this. As he muttered to himself in self-reproach, he spoke tearfully. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Really, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. What can we do about something that¡¯s already happened?¡± Ronan shook his head. Even if they had known in advance, there was nothing they could do without understanding the cause. After chewing his lip and pondering, he sighed. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°R-Really? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t have any other options. Are you going to use your charm or something?¡± Aselle shut his mouth tight. Ronan walked towards the inspection desk with the two of them. There was no other option but to try their luck. Since he had once been marked, he hoped there might still be a faint trace of its energy left. ¡®If we get kicked out, we¡¯ll just have to sneak in.¡¯ Given the situation, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. As they walked, looking for a wall they might be able to climb, they reached the examiner. The charred lower half of a messenger was still lying at their feet. ¡°You two, go first.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± With nothing to hide, Aselle and Shullifen stepped forward. The examiner, upon seeing their marks, muttered with interest. ¡°Hmmm. Servants of Lord Itargand, are you? This is rare.¡± ¡°¡­Examiner. Did you say Lord Itargand?¡± The guards¡¯ eyes, which had been wary, suddenly changed. Large figures approached, surrounding the three of them. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Frightened, Aselle shrank back. Shullifen¡¯s hand moved to his sword hilt. The intimidating presence felt like they could pounce at any moment. Ronan suddenly remembered that Itargand had instructed him to hide any association with him. His brows furrowed. ¡®Damn it, what choice do I have now?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t forgotten, but there was no way to deal with this kind of trouble at the inspection desk. Wishing for a fair entry process was apparently too much to ask. The examiner, stroking his beard, spoke again. ¡°The youngest of the Fire Dragon n already has two servants? How quickly time flies. You may enter.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°However, refrain from mentioning your master¡¯s name. The timing isn¡¯t great.¡± Ronan and hispanions were shocked. Were they really going to let them through so easily? The guards, who had been imposing, now spoke with confusion. ¡°But, Lord Vanartier, His Majesty clearly instructed us to expel or at least detain anyone associated with the Navardose n. How can you¡­?¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s an unreasonable order. Lady Navardose was here before Adren was even established. Don¡¯t let greed blind you to decency.¡± The examiner rebuked them sternly. The guards backed off, dejected. Apparently, not everyone in the political struggle supported the Dragon King. Turning to Ronan, the examiner asked. ¡°Now, whose servant are you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you see, I¡­¡± The old man¡¯s sharp gaze was piercing. The image of his mouth opening and spewing fire kept shing in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡®I¡¯m really screwed.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t think of a way to get out of this situation. Just as he was about to lift his shirt to show his back, the examiner, observing him closely, eximed softly. ¡°¡­My goodness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Puzzled by the sudden reaction, Ronan tilted his head. The examiner slowly walked forward and suddenly knelt on one knee. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Uhm¡­ excuse me?¡± ¡°This old dragon Vanartier greets the Emissary of the Mother of Fire.¡± ¡°Emissary?¡± ¡°Yes. You carry an ember of the Primordial me. Please forgive me for not recognizing such an esteemed person sooner.¡± Hearing the term ¡°Primordial me,¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. He had forgotten about it. Within his heart was a fragment of Navardose¡¯s primal power, iparable to any mere mark. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d benefit from that like this.¡¯ Thinking back, Itargand¡¯s mark disappearing over several days might have been due to being absorbed into this power. Like arger fire consuming a smaller one. Scratching his head, Ronan spoke. ¡°Were there other emissaries besides me?¡± ¡°Very long ago. But you are the first human. To receive an ember of the Primordial me without being a dragon or of draconic descent¡­ it inspires awe.¡± The examiner¡¯s newfound respect was almost creepy. Apparently, possessing an ember of the Primordial me was an extraordinary honor. This elderly figure seemed to be a dragon too, and yet he was this deferential. Ronan felt the true stature of the sensuous dragon mommy once more. ¡°Then¡­¡± The examiner rose slowly, murmuring something towards the gate. With a sound like a roaring mountain, the gate began to open. Gesturing towards the visible city of Adren, he said. ¡°Please, enter. However, as I mentioned to yourpanions, be cautious. Most dragons and their servants still respect Lady Navardose, but they also fear the Dragon King¡¯s oppression.¡± ¡°Thank you. About our ship, should we just leave it where it is?¡± Ronan pointed to the Red Gale, whichy tilted at the edge of the pier, looking quite pitiful. The examiner smiled kindly and waved his hand. ¡°Oh, we will take care of it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Thank you. Lord Itargand is very fond of that ship.¡± The guards looked at them incredulously. With that, Ronan started walking. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Though the gap was narrow, it was enough for the three humans to pass through. It felt awkward how smoothly things had gone, but at least they had seeded in entering. ¡®I won¡¯t let things go your way. Neb zier.¡¯ Ronan reaffirmed his resolve. As they passed through the gate, which seemed about 5 meters thick, the most splendid city he had ever seen spread out before them. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°Incredible. Is this the City of Dragon?¡± Aselle and Shullifen eximed in awe. It was hard to believe such a delicate and beautiful city was home to giant dragons. The buildings were mostly adorned with gold and jewels, reflecting the dragons¡¯ inherent greed in their design. Servants and polymorphed dragons, appearing as humans or animals, roamed freely. The sunset, at its peak, added to the city¡¯s beauty. ¡°¡­It¡¯s breathtaking.¡± Ronan murmured quietly. But there was no time to get lost in admiration. Sweeping his hair back, he turned to the other two. ¡°First, let¡¯s go where there are lots of people. We need to gather rumors rted to the cult.¡± ¡°Hmm, a ce with lots of people¡­ the city square? An inn?¡± ¡°Maybe somewhere like that. Stay alert, we don¡¯t know where enemies might be.¡± Ronan urged firmly. They moved deeper into the city, with the grand tower where the Dragon King resided overlooking them from the center of Adren. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Damn it¡­ this is heavy. I can¡¯t believe we have to carry a human ship.¡± ¡°I wonder if this is really okay¡­ If His Majesty finds out, he won¡¯t let this slide.¡± The guards grumbled. About a dozen of them were moving the Red Gale to the hangar. Normally, visitors would handle their own transportation, but they had no choice since examiner Vanartier ordered it. ¡°Ugh¡­! Arrrgh!¡± Moving something that should have been floated on water by carrying it directly was no easy task. It took them nearly an hour of grunting and struggling to finally get the cumbersome sloop into the hangar. One of the guards who had inspected Ronan¡¯s party wiped the sweat from his forehead and said. ¡°Haah¡­ damn it. Ugh, finally done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair. Even if they¡¯re dragons and we¡¯re just servants, this is too much.¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll secretly report to His Majesty. We¡¯ll share the reward. He loathes Navardose, so he¡¯ll definitely reward us generously.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds good. Yeah, why praise someone who left Adren a hundred years ago?¡± The guardsughed as they discussed their n to rat out Vanartier and the rewards they¡¯d receive from the Dragon King. Just then, the cabin door slowly opened, and a man¡¯s voice was heard from the deck. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± All the guards looked up. A man they hadn¡¯t seen during their inspection stood on the deck. He had long hair down to his waist and wore a long, ck coat reaching his shins. He looked down at the guards and spoke. ¡°One question. Who currently rules Adren?¡± ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± ¡°Could it be that Navardose has stepped down?¡± The ck-d man ignored the guards¡¯ questions and continued. No answer came. He sighed, observing their reactions. ¡°¡­Looks like it. It seems a long time has passed.¡± His calm demeanor was infuriating. The guards¡¯ faces started to flush with anger. One guard pointed a spear at the man and shouted. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a stowaway trying to act tough. Get down here now!¡± ¡°If you surrender, we won¡¯t tear you apart!¡± The guards, enraged by his attitude, couldn¡¯t stand it. Though they were merely guards in Adren,pared to humans, they were no different from superhumans. ¡°Come down!¡± One guard hurled his spear. Swish! The spear flew straight at the man¡¯s head. But the ck-d man casually tilted his head, dodging the attack. His hands remained in his coat pockets. Thud! The spear embedded itself in the mast behind him. The guard¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°He¡­ he dodged it?¡± The spear had embedded itself deeply into the mast, a testament to the throw¡¯s strength. Dodging it was impossible for a human. The ck-d man nced at the spear and growled lowly. ¡¾How dare you bare your fangs at me.¡¿ The guards shuddered. His aura had changedpletely. It was clear he wasn¡¯t ordinary. They quickly unleashed the power of their marks. ¡°He¡¯s suspicious. Eliminate him immediately!¡± ¡°Graaaah!¡± Being experienced, it didn¡¯t take long. Their armor exploded, revealing bodies covered in scales. In seconds, they transformed into creatures resembling a mix of wyverns and humans. With a roar, they charged at the man. ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± With a single leap, the guardsnded on the ship. Thud! Thud! Thud! Each step caused a loud noise. The ck-d man took his hands out of his pockets. In an instant, his body blurred, and ten out of eleven guards¡¯ upper bodies exploded. ¡°Wh-what¡­!¡± It was too fast to see. The surviving guard¡¯s face turned pale. Blood and flesh rained down from the sky. The ck-d man stood still, unfazed by the blood shower. Realizing his utter defeat, the guard turned to flee. But something long and sharp pierced his back. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± The guard slowly looked down. The spear he had thrown was now protruding from his chest. The ck-d man tapped the spear and spoke. ¡¾Tell me everything. About Adren and Navardose.¡¿ ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯ll tell you everything, just spare me¡­!¡± The ck-d man didn¡¯t respond. The terrified guard began to spill everything he knew, forgetting the pain of the spear. The exnation took a full twenty minutes. ¡¾So, Navardose and her kin suddenly disappeared?¡¿ ¡°Y-yes. No one knows where they went. I swear it¡¯s the truth!¡± ¡¾I see¡­¡¿ ¡°N-now let me go. I¡¯ve told you everything.¡± The ck-d man remained silent. Judging by the guard¡¯s demeanor, it didn¡¯t seem like a lie. He nodded slowly. ¡¾You can go.¡¿ ¡°G-go? Wait¡­!¡± The guard began to turn. The ck-d man lifted the spear. sh! The spear sliced vertically through the guard from chest to head. No scream came. A fountain of blood erupted. The body fell with a thud, split like a young sprout. The ck-d man wiped the blood off with a handkerchief and moved. ¡°This has be troublesome.¡± Finding someone who knew Navardose¡¯s whereabouts was now necessary. But with her kin gone, where to start? ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As he pondered, a human face shed in his mind. Wasn¡¯t his name Ronan? Although he thought their connection ended when they borrowed the ship, Ronan was probably still wandering Adren. ¡°Let¡¯s start with a drink¡­¡± The ck-d man murmured as he walked. The setting sun cast light on the eleven corpses in the hangar. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 233 Chapter 233 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 233: The ck-d Man (1) ¡°My God.¡± Examiner Vanartier groaned. Inside the hangar was a scene from hell. The stench of blood was so overpowering it made his head spin. Eleven bodies, mutted beyond recognition,y sprawled in a sea of blood. ¡°Who could have done this¡­¡± He had entered the hangar about three hours after Ronan¡¯s group had passed through the inspection point. When the guards he had assigned didn¡¯t return, he came to check and found this massacre. He followed the bloodstains. It wasn¡¯t ordinary for guards who had activated their marks to be killed in a single blow. Most of the bodies were scattered near the sloop that Ronan¡¯s group had arrived in. ¡®Was something hiding inside the Emissary¡¯s ship?¡¯ The previously clean Red Gale had turned into a ghost ship once again, stained with blood and entrails. The examiner, as if possessed, entered the ship¡¯s cabin. He checked the bedroom, dining room, and captain¡¯s quarters, but found no significant clues. It was while he was inspecting the lowest level storage room that he noticed something. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± His eyes widened. In one corner of the storage room, there were traces of mana, like ck stains. They were so subtle that one could easily mistake them for mold if not paying close attention. But the examiner, having used his eyes for a long time, recognized it. This was the trace left by a being that had concealed itself. The faint, sinister aura was unforgettable. No matter how much time had passed, he could not forget it. He murmured in a trembling voice. ¡°¡­H-he has returned?¡± Bang! The examiner hurriedly exited the cabin. He almost tripped over the steps and collided with the walls, but that didn¡¯t matter now. He burst out of the hangar and shouted to the waiting guards. ¡°This is an emergency! Report to His Majesty immediately and gather the troops!¡± **** The sun had set. The dying twilight cast a dim light between the buildings. But even under the dusky night sky, Adren¡¯s radiance did not fade. The grand za of Adren, entirely covered in crystal, shimmered beautifully even under the night sky. The lights beginning to brighten the streets hinted at the nightlife that was about to unfold. People who had finished their day¡¯s work wandered freely around the za. Most were human, but asionally elves and beastkin could be seen. It felt like a vige made up of only the wealthiest people on the continent. Looking around, Ronan spoke. ¡°Honestly, I think I could live here. The food is damn good.¡± He was holding a giant turkey leg. Its crispy exterior and juicy interior were exceptional. The seasoning was perfect, quenching his parched stomach. ¡°How¡­ how can it taste this good¡­?¡± Aselle, beside him, nodded. He was slowly eating a waffle as big as his head. The cream messily smeared around his mouth was a testament to its deliciousness. ¡°It¡¯s an extravagant city. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± Shullifen muttered in disbelief. Unlike the other two, his hands were empty, having already devoured three bowls of meat stew before moving. Ronan spoke. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t sense anything suspicious either? No information?¡± ¡°No, nothing¡­¡± ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ronan scratched his head at Shullifen¡¯s response. He hadn¡¯t uncovered any significant information either. He had been on alert the entire time they wandered the city, but there was no sign of Neb zier. ¡®I haven¡¯t explored much yet, but the city is bigger than I thought.¡¯ It had been several hours since they entered Adren. Realizing they hadn¡¯t eaten all day, they were having dinner. Adren was a city built on greed. The servants who made up most of the poption were sustained by the leftover wealth of their dragon masters. The dragons only invested their excess wealth into Adren¡¯s welfare to satisfy their own desires. But even that made Adren enjoy a prosperity unmatched by any nation on earth. As proof, Adren charged no money for food or goods. There were merchants, but they were little more than balloon figures to attract customers. If you wanted food or needed something, you just had to identify yourself and take it. While the variety of goods wasn¡¯t as extensive as in the Empire, it wasn¡¯tcking either. Ronan continued. ¡°That¡¯s good. It might take some time.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡± ¡°And the people are generally kind¡­ It¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s different from what I imagined.¡± Surprisingly, the citizens were decent. He had expected them to be arrogant due to their status, but most were just ordinary, kind people. Of course, just as there are bad apples everywhere, there must be troublemakers in the dragon city too, though they hadn¡¯t encountered any yet. Revealing their connection to Navardose might change things, but for now, Ronan finished thest bite and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look around. Meet back here at midnight.¡± Given the urgency of the situation, they needed to act quickly. The cult¡¯s nefarious ns were ongoing, and the Savior was likely suffering. ¡°Aselle, you check the library. It¡¯s a crowded ce.¡± ¡°O-okay, got it.¡± ¡°Shullifen, you take the area around the Dragon King¡¯s tower.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Aselle and Shullifen nodded. They were all capable enough to handle themselves, so there shouldn¡¯t be any worries. With their meeting ce set, they each headed in different directions. Leaving the grand za, Ronan entered a dimly lit alley where the lights had yet toe on. His area was the various inns and taverns scattered throughout the city. ¡®To ces where there are unlikely to be any dragons.¡¯ It was a strategic decision. Judging by the reactions of the guards and the examiner, it seemed only dragons, not their servants, could recognize the Primordial me. He had to avoid being caught and causing unnecessary trouble until he had gathered enough information. The noble dragons wouldn¡¯t visit shabby taverns, after all. Of course, he also had to drink a few sses to naturally ask questions, which was another reason. After wandering the streets for about two hours, Ronan cursed under his breath. ¡°Damn it, why are there so many taverns?¡± Life must be good if everyone spent their nights drinking. With free food and drinks, it was the best kind of entertainment. By chance, Ronan found himself on the western outskirts of the city and stopped. ¡°¡­A historic site?¡± He mumbled as he looked up at the building in front of him. The dpidated hut didn¡¯t fit well with the glittering nightlife of Adren. A sign that looked like it belonged in a museum simply read ¡®Alcohol.¡¯ From the flickering lights and voicesing from inside, it seemed to be still in business. ¡®I should be thorough.¡¯ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Sometimes, the best information came from ces like this. When Ronan opened the door, the interior, as worn as the exterior, unfolded before him. The lively noise typical of a tavern poured out. ¡°Ha ha, so then I¡­¡± ¡°A friend who works at the tower told me there¡¯s going to be a major announcement from the Dragon King soon.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ there¡¯s no ce like this.¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was surprisingly spacious and quite full. There were about twenty seats, including the bar stools. The sweet smell of alcohol tickled his nose. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Wee. You¡¯re a face I haven¡¯t seen around here. Come, have a seat.¡± An old man who seemed to be the owner greeted him warmly. He was behind the bar, polishing sses. Ronan sat at the bar and ordered a drink. ¡°I¡¯m from out of town. Give me your best.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re an outsider. Then you must try our brandy. It¡¯s a specialty you can only taste in the City of Dragons.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Ronan chuckled. He liked the rxed atmosphere, where no one except the owner paid any attention to him. He could gradually ask about the cult and Alivrihe while enjoying his drink. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± As Ronan was slowly looking around the ce, his gaze fell on the owner¡¯s left arm. The movement under the shirt was slightly unnaturalpared to the right. ¡°Sir, is your left arm¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, sharp eyes you have. It¡¯s a prosthetic arm, as you might have guessed.¡± ¡°A prosthetic arm.¡± The owner casually answered as he ced a ss of amber brandy in front of Ronan. Ronan repeated the word, thinking. Alivrihe, one of the founding members he was looking for, was known for being a master at making prosthetic limbs. It could be rted to him. Ronan asked. ¡°Do you know who made that arm? I know it¡¯s a strange question.¡± ¡°Not at all. But it¡¯s been so long, I can¡¯t quite remember. Hmm, I clearly remember the pain when it was cut off, though.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring up something painful.¡± ¡°It was truly awful. I can tell you about it if you don¡¯t mind. So¡­¡± The owner was about to start his story when the door behind creaked open. ncing at the entrance, the owner smiled warmly. ¡°Wee. Judging by your appearance, you must be an outsider too.¡± There was no reply. What a rude fellow. Ronan thought as he took a sip of his brandy. His eyes widened. ¡°This is amazing¡­!¡± It was one of the top five drinks he had ever had, in both his past and current life. Such a rich vor. The sweet aroma filled his mouth, definitely worthy of pride. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps stopped next to Ronan. The silent customer finally spoke. ¡°The strongest drink¡­ no ice.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The owner nodded. Ronan¡¯s hand, just about to lift his ss again, froze in mid-air. The voice was familiar, very familiar. Before he could turn his head, the customer sat beside him. ¡°Well, well, look who it is¡­ saves me the trouble of finding you.¡± ¡°You.¡± Ronan turned his head. A man in a ck coat was looking at him. His pale face was flushed, indicating he had already had a drink somewhere. It was the man from Aurora Skar. There was no killing intent, but the intimidation was still there. Ronan slowly moved his hand to his sword hilt. The man, brushing his long hair back once, propped his chin on the bar and spoke. ¡°So¡­ hic, where is Navardose?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 234 Chapter 234 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 234: The ck-d Man (2) ¡°So¡­ hic, where is Navardose?¡± The ck-d man spoke, his tongue slurring from excessive drinking. Ronan lightly gripped the hilt of his sword and opened his mouth. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb¡­ I know you¡¯ve received the woman¡¯s power. At first, I thought it was just the mark, but upon closer inspection, she seems to have transferred a true ember.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He was tantly advertising his connection to Navardose. Just as Ronan was about to respond, he quickly looked around. Fortunately, the tavern was noisy enough that their conversation wasn¡¯t overheard. ¡®What the hell is with this bastard?¡¯ Only one person could eavesdrop on their conversation. The owner, who had been silently wiping a cup, suddenly started rummaging through a cupboard filled with ingredients. After searching for a while, he let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Oh dear, we¡¯re out of Radian cheese. I¡¯ll just step out to buy some.¡± ¡°Just stay here, old man. I¡¯m going to drink more anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our most popr snack, so I really must. I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯ll leave the brandy here, feel free to help yourselves.¡± He left before Ronan could stop him. The owner ced a bottle of brandy on the bar table and exited the tavern. Ronan bit his lower lip. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He was surely going to report their conversation. Probably to inform someone that a person rted to Navardose had appeared. Ronan urgently stood up and spoke to the ck-d man. ¡°You seem to have had too much to drink. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I have some urgent business to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Hic, don¡¯t do that, just sit down. We still have so much to drink.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I have something urgent to do. Stop with the nonsense¡­¡± ¡¾I won¡¯t say it again. Sit down.¡¿ Suddenly, the man¡¯s voice changed. The oppressive aura rising like wildfire weighed heavily on Ronan¡¯s shoulders. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. ¡°This son of a bitch¡­¡± Shiiing! Reflexively drawing his sword, Ronan pointed it at the man¡¯s neck. The speed was so fast that bystanders couldn¡¯t even perceive it. The tip of Ronan¡¯s sword stopped just a paper¡¯s width from the man¡¯s throat. The man nced down and tapped the de with his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s a good sword.¡± ¡°Where does a guy who grows his hair like a woman get off acting tough? You wanna to give it a try?¡± Ronan growled. It wasn¡¯t because he looked strong, but he had ignored the man to avoid causing a scene. If this kept up, he wouldn¡¯t hold back. The man, who had been chuckling for a while, finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting fellow indeed. To point a sword at me and even be willing to fight¡­?¡± ¡°This is no joke. Threaten me one more time, and it¡¯ll be either you or me.¡± ¡°Kek¡­ I¡¯ll forgive your rudeness this time since I¡¯m in a good mood. Now, sit down.¡± The ck-d man gestured to the chair with his chin. Reluctantly, Ronan sheathed his sword and sat down again. He thought it might not be a bad idea to y along for a bit. ¡®This guy¡¯s crazy¡­ maybe I can get some information.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s mind was racing. He had to act rationally. Catching up to the owner now was impossible, and it seemed like this man had some specific reasons for seeking Navardose. Navardose was also closely tied to Adren, so there might be valuable information to uncover. With that in mind, Ronan picked up a ss and poured some brandy. He slid it towards the man. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± The ck-d man took the ss. His demeanor was noticeably different from when Ronan had seen him at Aurora Skar. Perhaps he was one of those people who changed when they drank. The man took a sip of the brandy and let out a sigh of appreciation. ¡°¡­This is good. The best I¡¯ve had sinceing here.¡± ¡°d you like it. When did you arrive in Adren?¡± ¡°I came with you guys. The ship was quite cozy.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± Ronan frowned. The man, who had drained his ss, wiped his mouth. He revealed that he had stowed away on the Red Gale. ¡°Damn it, when did you sneak on?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ Anyway, I owe you thanks. I have my reasons for not being able to enter Adren legally. Hic.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a strange guy.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t guess what this guy did to be banned from entry. It seemed like it was time to get to the point. Ronan refilled his ss and continued speaking. ¡°Navardose, Navardose¡­ Why do you keep looking for that married woman? You can¡¯t be one of the Dragon King¡¯s minions if you¡¯re banned from entering.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know who the Dragon King is. Nor do I care. Probably just some insignificant dragon.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°To kill her. What else?¡± The man spoke tly. In the brief silence that followed, the sounds of the surroundings grew louder. Ronan¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Kill her? Navardose?¡± ¡°Why do you ask twice? I mean it literally. To kill her. She¡¯s the biggest obstacle to my goal.¡± ¡°¡­Do you honestly think that¡¯s possible? Have you ever seen Navardose in person?¡± Maybe it was because the alcohol was too strong, Ronan couldn¡¯t help butugh. Was this drunkard serious? Ronan was sure of one thing. The drunkard in front of him looked quite strong, but he was nothingpared to Navardose. That woman, like Cain and Abel, was on apletely different level. The ck-d man shook his head. ¡°Not yet, but I have killed one of her kin. His name was¡­ Gargarens, I think.¡± ¡°Gargarens?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was definitely a name he remembered. The Red Dragon he had seen while traveling through the memories of Savior Cain. One of Navardose¡¯s kin and a disgraced dragon who fled after having his horn cut off by the Savior. ¡°Yes, he picked a fight with me, so I killed him. He put up a decent fight for a hornless dragon.¡± ¡°¡­And you faced no repercussions?¡± ¡°Hmph. There were no repercussions to be had. If anyone hade to threaten me, I¡¯d have killed them on the spot.¡± The ck-d man emptied his ss. It was unclear why Navardose, who cherished her kin, hadn¡¯t taken any action. Perhaps she had been busy with something in Drimore or there had been some other issue. ¡®He¡¯s more of a big shot than I thought.¡¯ Defeating Gargarens was indeed impressive. Even if he had been a disgrace after losing his horn, a Red Dragon was still a Red Dragon. Though Navardose was in a different league altogether. ¡°You seem to have some power, but you still can¡¯t beat Navardose. Honestly, one of her breasts is probably stronger than you.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know until you¡¯ve fought¡­ hic, I have a trump card.¡± ¡°A trump card?¡± ¡°Yes. You must have seen it too.¡± Ronan realized he was referring to the weapon he had created at Aurora Skar. Wasn¡¯t it a spear as thick as a pir? He didn¡¯t know where the man had hidden it, but he couldn¡¯t see it right now. The image of the brutally murdered two poison dragons shed before his eyes. ¡°Is that what you used to kill Drahavier and Landoheidel?¡± ¡°Dra¡­ what? I don¡¯t remember the names of every insignificant creature.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh. They were two Green Dragons, you know.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right. They picked a fight, so I tested its performance on them. Not bad.¡± The ck-d man chuckled. It was indeed he who had killed the poison dragon father-son duo. Hearing this, Ronan felt a bit worried. Although the scale thickness of Drahavier and Navardose was iparable, the weapon had still managed to pierce through dragon scales and bodies in one go. Ronan asked, ¡°So why exactly do you want to kill Navardose? What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I n to destroy the Balon Empire.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°To be precise, my goal is to throw everyone enjoying thatnd into a sea of fire. It has taken a long time. Navardose is the Empire¡¯s most powerful ally, so I need to remove her first.¡± Ronan was speechless. It felt like he had been hit on the head with a battering ram. Aside from his arrogant attitude treating Navardose as a mere obstacle, the goal itself was absurdly unexpected. ¡°Why the Empire all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a personal grudge¡­ hic, and there¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me for a while¡­¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Suddenly, the man grabbed the brandy bottle and started drinking directly from it. The contents disappeared quickly with each gulp. After five swigs, the man emptied the bottle and spoke. ¡°Puha¡­ where did you get that sword?¡± ¡°Sword? This one?¡± Ronan held up Lamancha. The man mmed the bottle down on the table. Crash! The bottle shattered into pieces under the force, scattering ss fragments everywhere, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Yeah¡­ let me see it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like your attitude.¡± ¡¾Shut up and hand it over. I need to check something.¡¿ The man¡¯s eyes suddenly turned fierce. The murderous intent rising from his ck coat filled the tavern. It was iparable to the pressure he had exerted when he forced Ronan to sit down. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, snap out of it!¡± Unable to withstand the pressure, three or four patrons fainted, foaming at the mouth. The entire tavern descended into chaos. Ronan¡¯s face hardened grimly. ¡°What are you trying to do to me now?¡± ¡¾I won¡¯t say it twice. Hand over the sword.¡¿ Ronan gripped the hilt, but the man was adamant. The murderous intent was so intense that Ronan¡¯s bones felt like they were about to crack. ¡®Why is he suddenly acting like this? Should I just cut him down?¡¯ While Ronan was contemting, the tavern patrons began to rise. They, too, could see the murderous intent emanating from the man. ¡°Hey, this is going too far.¡± ¡°The alcohol buzz is gone. If you want to fight, take it outside, what are you doing?¡± They all looked like they could throw a punch. Each hadrge, ornate tattoos that caught the eye. ncing at them, the ck-d man growled lowly. ¡¾Stay out of this, you dregs of lesser dragons. Do you want to die?¡¿ Ronan flinched. The man¡¯s demeanor was now no different from when he had seen him at Aurora Skar. The patrons, who had been dumbfounded for a moment,ughed in disbelief. ¡°Hey, dregs of lesser dragons? Did you just call my master Lavientera a lesser dragon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line. You must be an outsider, but where do you get off causing trouble here?¡± ¡°Grab him! Let¡¯s beat him up!¡± Finally, things came to a head. The angry patrons began to rush in one by one. They looked like a herd of buffalo charging from all directions except the front. The ck-d man, who had been quietly staring at them, spoke. ¡¾If you want to die¡­ I¡¯ll oblige.¡¿ ¡°This is crazy.¡± In an instant, the ck-d man¡¯s hand blurred and disappeared. Ronan cursed under his breath, pulling at the hilt of his sword. Kaang! A sharp metallic ng echoed. The eyes of the man charging at the front widened in shock. ¡°Gah, gah!¡± Lamancha and the ck-d man¡¯s hand shed right in front of his nose. The pale white hand, like that of a shark biting its prey, was gripping the de. Thud. The man copsed to the ground. A yellow stream of urine leaked out between his trembling legs. He knew he would have died if this young man hadn¡¯t stopped the attack. The de, shimmering with aurora hues, had faintly pierced the man¡¯s palm. ¡®It¡¯s tough¡­!¡¯ Ronan gritted his teeth. This wasn¡¯t even close to what it felt like when his de shed with Shullifen¡¯s mithril longsword. The ck-d man, staring at Lamancha, spoke. ¡¾Indeed, it¡¯s the Holy Sword. I never forgot it for a single moment.¡¿ ¡°¡­Who the hell are you?¡± Ronan asked, astonished. It was the first time someone recognized Lamancha as a Holy Sword without being told. Numerous intense curiosities arose, but now was not the time to indulge them. ¡®Fuck, this isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡¯ Ronan clenched his teeth. The de gripped by the man was immovable, as if trapped between rocks. Avoiding a fight seemed impossible. As Ronan gripped the hilt tighter, the sword turned crimson. Swoosh! As he pulled his arm back, blood spurted. The ck-d man took a few steps back, groaning. ¡¾Ugh¡­!¡¿ ¡°I warned you. It¡¯ll be either you or me.¡± Ronan growled. Blood dripped from the man¡¯s hand. A long gash ran across his palm. ¡¾To think you could wound my skin. As expected¡­!¡¿ The corners of the man¡¯s mouth lifted into a grin. Despite the severe injury, he showed no signs of pain. The patrons who had been charging were now frozen in ce. As Ronan took a deep breath and prepared for his next move, a girl¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in his mind. [Run.] ¡°¡­Lynn?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was undoubtedly the voice of Lynn, the Holy Sword. It was the first time she¡¯d spoken since interrupting the events at Aurora Skar. [You can¡¯t win against him as you are now. Hurry.] Lynn¡¯s tone seemed urgent. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was acting like this after such a long silence. Was this guy really that dangerous? ¡®Wait.¡¯ Suddenly, a name shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. All the information so far fit perfectly. Unusual strength, ck coat, hatred for the Empire. ¡°You¡­ could it be¡­?¡± ¡¾Let¡¯s continue. I¡¯ll ask again about Navardose¡¯s whereabouts after I rip off your limbs.¡¿ He thought he knew the man¡¯s identity. The red eyes gleaming beneath his hair burned with hatred. Just as Ronan was about to say something, a loud crash came from the tavern ceiling. A massive dragon¡¯s w burst through. The frozen patrons screamed. ¡°Ahhh! What, what is that?!¡± ¡°D-Dragon?!¡± The blue-scaled w wasrge enough to grasp a bull. The tension that had been taut suddenly snapped. The w, moving like the wind, grabbed the ck-d man¡¯s body. ¡¾Found you!¡¿ ¡¾Guh¡­!¡¿ The man gritted his teeth. The giant w withdrew, taking him along. Through the gaping hole, the enormous form of a blue dragon was visible. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Barely regaining his senses, Ronan dashed outside the tavern. Crash! As he kicked the door open, dozens of soldiers and three dragons appeared, along with the tavern owner who had gone out to buy cheese. The tavern owner, meeting Ronan¡¯s eyes, shouted. ¡°Young man, are you alright?!¡± ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. We hurried as much as we could. I didn¡¯t expect that guy toe into our tavern.¡± The tavern owner sighed in relief. As Ronan turned his head, he saw a blue dragon, simr in size to Drahavier, holding the ck-d man in its w. The man was gritting his teeth, caught in the blue dragon¡¯s grasp. ¡¾Let¡­ go¡­!¡¿ ¡¾Resistance is futile. Abandon hope.¡¿ The blue dragon spoke calmly. On closer inspection, geometric magic circles were wrapped around the man¡¯s body like shackles. It seemed to be a restraining spell. Then, a white dragon stepped forward from behind the soldiers. ¡¾You dared toe in brazenly. If you were going to sneak in, you should have hidden better. Your arrogance has undone you.¡¿ ¡°The examiner?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The voice of the white dragon matched that of the old man who had been the examiner. The soldiers, tense, aimed their spears at the man. Returning to his true form, Vanartier shouted at the ck-d man. ¡¾Dark Dragon Orsay, you are hereby arrested for illegal entry and the murder of several guards!¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 235 Chapter 235 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 235: The ck-d Man (3) ¡¾Dark Dragon Orsay, you are hereby arrested for illegal entry and the murder of several guards!¡¿ Vanartier¡¯s shout echoed loudly. The bustling noise from the streets died down instantly, as if mice had frozen at the sound of a cat¡¯s bell. ¡¾Grrrr¡­!¡¿ Orsay was still caught in the grasp of the Blue Dragon. His only defiance was a growl of rage that shattered the silence. The guards tightened their grip on their spears. ¡°O-Orsay¡­ Is it really the Dark Dragon I know?¡± ¡°I was sure he was dead.¡± They could hardly believe their eyes. Orsay, defeated by the first Emperor of Balon, had abandoned hisir and headed west. The near-thousand years had turned Orsay¡¯s defeat into more legend than history. Watching him closely, Ronan twisted his lips. ¡°As expected.¡± There was only one suspect who fit the puzzle. It was just that the answer was so oundish that it was hard to ept. He never thought he¡¯d meet Orsay this way. ¡°Are you hurt? To have a conversation with that Dark Dragon, you must have nerves of steel.¡± ¡°What? Did you know that bastard was Orsay?¡± ¡°I recognized him the moment he entered the shop. Normally, Dark Dragons are adept at hiding their presence, but once you¡¯ve experienced Orsay¡¯s aura, you can never forget it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ronan nodded. Orsay¡¯s vicious mana was unmistakably distinct, even without trying to differentiate it. The tavern owner continued speaking. ¡°I can¡¯t fathom why he would show up now after over a thousand years. What terrible thing is he nning this time¡­?¡± ¡°By the way, why was Orsay banned from entering Adren?¡± ¡°He killed too many of his kin. The decisive incident was when Orsay, after being defeated by the Empire, killed five dragons from Adren who hade to recruit him. It was a true tragedy.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Ronan shook his head in disbelief. Orsay was far more vicious than he had anticipated. Though his sudden outbursts had hinted at it. A question suddenly shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. The old man before him spoke of events a thousand years past as if he had witnessed them himself. Could he be a dragon too? There¡¯s no sign of it. ¡¾Keuuuu¡­¡¿ As the tension continued to build, Orsay, still struggling, suddenly went limp. He seemed to have lost consciousness or exhausted himself. The Blue Dragon holding him chuckled. The soldiers, silent until now, began to murmur. ¡°Did he faint?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not surprising, considering he¡¯s bound with fiveyers of restraint spells.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. Close in slowly!¡± They advanced cautiously, spears aimed at Orsay. Examiner Vanartier frowned. Just as the street noise began to rise again, a chilling voice emerged from beneath Orsay¡¯s drooping hair. ¡¾¡­I¡¯ve sobered up. You worms.¡¿ ¡¾What?¡¿ The Blue Dragon¡¯s eyes widened. In an instant, Dark mana surged from Orsay¡¯s shoulders like wildfire. The restraining magic circles around him flickered as if about to shatter, like candles before a gust of wind. ¡¾Hey, reinforce the restraints¡­!¡¿ Vanartier started to shout, sensing something amiss. Boom! The mana, which had been building up, suddenly condensed and exploded. The Blue Dragon screamed in pain. ¡¾Kraaaah!¡¿ Thud! The fingers holding Orsay fell to the ground. Each scale-covered finger was the size of a small tree. The severed ends were charred ck. ¡°This¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. The marks were identical to those he had seen on the corpse of the Poison Dragons. Freed from his restraints, Orsaynded on the ground. In his hand was a massive spear, asrge as a pir, resembling Zaifa¡¯s crescent de. ¡°He¡¯s awake! Everyone, to your positions!¡± ¡°To your positions!¡± ¡¾Orsay¡­!¡¿ The soldiers readied themselves forbat. Vanartier gritted his teeth. The spear, as dark as Orsay¡¯s hair, was reminiscent of the spears used by cavalry. The twisted, spiral shaft of the spear mirrored its owner¡¯s ferocity. ¡¾If you wish to die, I¡¯ll grant your wish. After that, I need to find the whereabouts of Navardose.¡¿ Orsay murmured. The murderous aura and mana swirling around him coiled around the spear. A very bad feeling crept over Ronan. The Blue Dragon, writhing in pain from losing his left hand, raised his right arm. ¡¾Kraaak! You¡­!¡¿ Crackle! A mass of blue lightning crackled in the dragon¡¯s massive hand, tendrils of electricity expanding and contracting. It looked powerful enough to destroy a dozen buildings, and that was the problem. Vanartier urgently shouted. ¡¾Wait, Laratasian. If you use that spell here¡­!¡¿ Using such a spell in this confined space would wipe out allies as well. But Laratasian, the Blue Dragon, seemed unconcerned. With his fingers lying at his feet, such considerations were meaningless. ¡¾Die!¡¿ Laratasian roared. Simultaneously, his lightning-wreathed hand struck in a fierce arc. Orsay did not evade but raised his spear to counter. Crash! The sound was like a mountain being crushed. Laratasian¡¯s massive hand was torn apart, scattering flesh everywhere. ¡¾Ugh¡­!¡¿ Laratasian froze. Where his right hand had been, there was now nothing. The current, having lost its catalyst, dissipated. Orsay, who had immediately leaped forward, thrust his spear. Thud! The spear tip prated Laratasian¡¯s chest and then an explosion erupted from his back. A dark beam shot towards the night sky. A sinister smile appeared on Orsay¡¯s lips. ¡¾Blue bastards. Your skin is still as soft as ever.¡¿ ¡¾L-Laratasian!¡¿ Vanartier was horrified. Through the gaping hole in Laratasian¡¯s chest, the nightscape of Adren was visible. Crash! Laratasian¡¯s massive body, slowly tilting, copsed onto the street. His horned headpletely demolished the old man¡¯s tavern. ¡°Oh.¡± The owner clutched his head. The soldiers, having received orders, transformed into dragonoids, their bodies expanding. About thirty of them charged simultaneously, but Orsay had no interest in them. Boom! Kicking Laratasian¡¯s body away, he lunged at Vanartier. It was almost impossible to perceive Orsay, spear first, flying towards him. Ronan shouted. ¡°Hey, examiner!¡± ¡¾Damn it¡­!¡¿ Vanartier gasped. Just barely noticing the attack, his horns glowed white. Sevenyers of barriers formed between the two dragons. Each one was a high-level spell that would take several high-ranking mages to cast over many minutes. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Ronan was impressed. But Orsay¡¯s abilities did not end there. Whoosh! In an instant, his form dissipated like mist. Skipping over the barrier, he reappeared right in front of Vanartier. Vanartier¡¯s face twisted in shock. ¡¾Blink? Using a spell only lowly creatures use¡­¡¿ ¡¾I took quite some time to get used to it.¡¿ Orsay thrust his spear without hesitation. It was a distance impossible to dodge or block. Unable to bear it any longer, Ronan instinctively drew his sword. ¡°Damn it, what a hassle!¡± The vivid color of sunset climbed the de. Just as the spiral spearhead was about to pierce Vanartier¡¯s heart. Swish¡­! A crimson aura enveloped Orsay¡¯s body. Dragged forward before Ronan, Orsay¡¯s eyes widened. ¡¾What the¡­!¡¿ Orsay hastily spun his body to counterattack. But Ronan¡¯s sword was already slicing through the air, trailing a red streak. Blood sttered as the de cut through skin. Orsay recoiled, clutching his wound. ¡¾Argh!¡¿ Orsay, having retreated about ten steps, gritted his teeth. A sharp sh ran from his chest to his left side. Blood gushed out of the tear in his coat. Instead of pressing his attack, Ronan assumed a stance that allowed him to adeptly switch between offense and defense. Pointing his sword at Orsay, he muttered. ¡°Enough with that.¡± ¡¾¡­You use an interesting ability.¡¿ Orsay gritted his teeth. It was a power he had never seen before, catching him off guard. The chilling sensation of the Holy Sword stirred old memories. As the structure of his polymorph spell broke down, scales began to appear all over his body. The whites of his eyes turned ck. Regaining hisposure, Orsay growled fiercely. ¡¾How dare you let ¡®that¡¯ touch my body¡­!¡¿ ¡°Fucker, the way you say it, it sounds like I rubbed my balls on you.¡± Ronan chuckled. However, despite his casual demeanor, he was extremely tense. Even though he had swung properly, the de hadn¡¯t cut through the muscle. ¡®A dragon is a dragon after all.¡¯ He was a formidable opponent, iparable to the Poison Dragon. Just then, soldiers seized the opportunity and rushed at Orsay. ¡°That human created an opening! Capture him!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you kill him!¡± The scaled warriors attacked from all directions except directly beneath. Their armor and weapons, enhanced by Vanartier¡¯s magic, glowed with a white light. As Orsay¡¯s form was about to be obscured, a furious roar burst from behind the soldiers. ¡¾Get out of my way!¡¿ Gripping his spear with both hands, Orsay struck the ground. Sensing the threat, Ronan raised his sword vertically. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± At the same time, dark energy erupted from Orsay¡¯s center. Boom! Buildings and walls disintegrated into dust. The shredded bodies of the soldiers flew like grains of rice. The maelstrom of murderous mana split left and right the moment it touched Ronan¡¯s de. The explosion did notst long. Vanartier sighed. ¡¾My god.¡¿ The bustling alley had transformed into a 10-meter-diameter clearing. The dismembered bodies of the soldiers still wore their magically reinforced armor. Through the slowly settling dust, Orsay emerged unscathed. His form, briefly blurred, reappeared before Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡¾Get that filthy metal away from me!¡¿ ¡°I figured. You bastard.¡± Ronan responded without hesitation, meeting the attack. ng! The sh of spear and sword echoed above Adren. Neither gave an inch, exchanging blows. Ronan twisted his lips. ¡®He¡¯s strong. Really strong.¡¯ At first nce, it seemed like an even match, but it wasn¡¯t. Although his innate talent allowed him to fend off Orsay¡¯s attacks and asionallynd a blow, the fundamental difference in their prowess was too great. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡¾Graaaah!¡¿ Moreover, Orsay grew more ferocious as the battle progressed. Dark horns sprouted on both sides of his head. As he neared his true form, the spear moved faster and struck harder. Just as the two, having briefly separated, were about to sh again, arge magic circle formed beneath Orsay¡¯s feet. ¡¾Stop.¡¿ A woman¡¯s voice resonated through the air. Within the magic circle, spikes made of steel shot up. The curved spikes, like talons of a raptor, were taller than most buildings. ¡¾Hmph!¡¿ Orsay leaped vertically to evade the attack. ng! The spikes shed where he had been, emitting a metallic sound. His ascending body momentarily slowed down. The steel spikes shattered into hundreds of fragments. Crash! The airborne shards stuck to Orsay¡¯s arms and legs. ¡¾Urgh¡­!¡¿ It felt as if he were shackled. Unable to ovee the weight, Orsay crashed to the ground. Simultaneously, dozens of magic circles, simr to before, covered his head. ng, ng! Like rain, steel spikes poured down, piercing Orsay¡¯s surroundings and forming a makeshift prison. The voice spoke again. ¡¾That¡¯s far enough, Orsay.¡¿ Ronan turned his head in the direction of the voice. A woman in uniform stood there, seeming unaffected. She had a very cold demeanor. Her hair, shining under the moonlight, reminded Ronan of steel covered in frost. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He realized that the woman was another dragon who hadn¡¯t participated in the battle so far. Even just from a vague sense, it was clear that she was much stronger than Vanartier or Laratasian. Orsay, who couldn¡¯t move, spoke up. ¡¾You¡­ I remember your face. Was your nicknamed the Whore of Steel?¡¿ ¡¾It was the Empress of Steel. Although I¡¯ve since relinquished that name as I serve someone else now.¡¿ ¡¾Is that so? But do you think you can confine me with such mediocre skills?¡¿ Orsay chuckled. He casually swung his spear as if shooing away a fly. Crash! The densely packed spikes broke apart instantly. What the hell. It looked like it was working, but what was that? Ronan was about toment on her ipetence when the woman slowly shook her head. ¡¾Of course, I don¡¯t think that way. I¡¯m just here to buy time.¡¿ ¡¾What?¡¿ Orsay tilted his head in confusion at the unfamiliar words. At that moment, a golden beam streaked across the night sky, piercing Orsay¡¯s chest. Kwaaaah! The sh of light was so intense that the shadows in the street disappeared for a moment. ¡¾Ugh¡­!¡¿ There was no time to react. Orsay¡¯s eyes widened as if about to pop out. Ronan instinctively turned his head. A st of heat buffeted his forehead. ¡°Shit¡­ what is¡­¡± The beam quickly dissipated. Orsay¡¯s abdomen was pierced through, leaving a hole the size of a human head. Ronan turned his head to locate the source of the beam. Faint traces of light streaked across the night sky. ¡°The Dragon King?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. At the opposite end of the remnants, a beam shot out from a high tower in the city center. As far as he knew, it was undoubtedly where the Dragon King resided. ¡¾Keuk!¡¿ Wobbling, Orsay coughed up blood. Crimson fluid poured onto the street. At that moment, another beam shot from the tower. This time, it missed due to its trajectory being visible. Thud! Orsay, who narrowly dodged the beam, red at the tower. ¡¾How dare¡­!¡¿ His red eyes glowed fiercely, as if about to ignite. Despite the fatal injury, his momentum remained strong, but it seemed his body wouldn¡¯t support him any longer. Orsay, ring at Ronan and the woman, muttered grimly. ¡¾You¡¯ll regret this.¡¿ ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you can escape.¡± It seemed he was nning to flee. Of course, Ronan had no intention of letting Orsay go. Just as Ronan was about to activate his aura, the woman beside him grabbed his shoulder. ¡¾Wait a moment.¡¿ ¡°What?¡± Ronan hesitated at the unexpected objection. Orsay¡¯s body blurred like mist. rmed, Ronan turned his head, but he had already disappeared. Ronan clicked his tongue in annoyance as he brushed off the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Damn it, we missed him.¡± ¡¾We can organize a separate tracking team to pursue him. Since the entire Adren is under a barrier, he can¡¯t escape. Also, there¡¯s a more urgent matter at hand right now.¡¿ The woman said calmly. Her reasoning slightly softened Ronan¡¯s anger. Ronan took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡¾Our king wishes to see you.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 236 Chapter 236 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 236: The Dragon King (1) ¡¾Our king wishes to see you.¡¿ ¡°What? The king?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. He was suddenly bewildered by what he was hearing. The dragondy continued. ¡°Yes. He has been watching this ce since the skirmish with Orsay began. He is still watching, of course. It wasn¡¯t an insignificantmotion, after all.¡± Her once imposing voice softened noticeably. It seemed she, like Orsay, adjusted her tone ording to the situation. Ronan suddenly recalled Intargand¡¯s advice on Adren¡¯s political matters. This wasn¡¯t good. Spinning his sword in his hand, Ronan asked sarcastically. ¡°What does such a high-ranking individual want with me?¡± ¡°He was impressed by your achievements in the skirmish with Orsay. It seems he wants tomend you for your efforts.¡± She mentioned that she had been inmunication with the Dragon King throughout Ronan¡¯s fight with Orsay, which was why she had only intervened at thest moment. ¡°I was also impressed by your swordsmanship. Even though he was polymorphed, it¡¯s no small feat for a human to fight a dragon on equal footing. It was nothing short of extraordinary.¡± ¡°Well, it was nothing.¡± The woman gave a sincerepliment, and Ronan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. While he didn¡¯t mind the praise, he sensed there might be more to it. He asked suspiciously. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard.¡± The woman nodded. It was hard to tell if she was deliberately avoiding the topic of Navardose or if she genuinely didn¡¯t know. At the very least, this woman seemed to have figured it out. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ronan spoke. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°It would be recorded as a very disrespectful act in Adren¡¯s history. But I know you won¡¯t do anything so unreasonable.¡± ¡°And what makes you so sure?¡± ¡°Because yourpanions are already at the tower.¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened at the mention of hispanions. The woman continued to look at him with an indifferent expression, her light blue eyes as calm as a windlesske. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just as I said. One of them is in the library, the other near the Sky Tower. We confirmed they were Ronan¡¯spanions and brought them there.¡± The locations she mentioned matched the areas Ronan had assigned to hispanions. It didn¡¯t seem to be a bluff. Ronan suddenly realized that this woman knew his name. He gripped his sword hilt tighter. ¡°If you¡¯ve done anything to them¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done nothing but escort them to a reception room. Time is of the essence, so I¡¯d appreciate a quick response. Will youe with me to the Sky Tower now?¡± Though it was phrased as a question, it didn¡¯t feel like one. It was essentially a threat. After considering for a moment, Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, the only option was a head-on approach. This was the kind of situation where having no choice was the only choice. Sighing, Ronan nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± **** The woman¡¯s name was Naransonia. Introducing herself as one of the five dragons protecting the king, she guided Ronan to the tall tower in the center of Adren. ¡°I guess I should say goodbye at least.¡± ¡°Please be quick.¡± Before following her properly, Ronan exchanged brief farewells with the people on the scene. Meanwhile, dispatched servants were already working to restore the streets damaged by Orsay. The dark alleys, now empty lots, were strewn with the corpses of soldiers killed in the skirmish. They were all dismembered or torn to pieces, leaving few intact bodies. The rtively intact body belonged to the Blue Dragon, Laratasian. Despite having both hands blown off and a holerge enough for a deer to pass through in its chest, it was receiving surprisingly respectful treatment. Laratasian¡¯s massive body stilly across the shattered alley. Suddenly, Ronan noticed an old man in his line of sight. It was Examiner Vanartier, polymorphed back into human form. ¡°Examiner.¡± He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at hisrade¡¯s corpse. Ronan approached him. Without turning his head, Vanartier spoke. ¡°I tried to administer emergency treatment, but it was no use. It seems Orsay created a weapon that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Ronan looked at the Blue Dragon¡¯s corpse instead of answering. The severed arm and chest wound were charred ck. ncing at Naransonia, Ronan said. ¡°Indeed. If someone hadn¡¯t interfered, I would have caught him.¡± ¡°No, I believe it¡¯s fortunate you didn¡¯t pursue him recklessly. As Naransonia said, a cornered beast is the most dangerous.¡± He exined that if Orsay had fought back in his true form, the damage would have been many times worse. Vanartier turned to face Ronan. ¡°Thank you. Even though you are Navardose¡¯s representative I never imagined that I¡¯d be saved by a human.¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Ronan waved his hand dismissively. Suddenly, Vanartier¡¯s voice resonated in Ronan¡¯s mind. [I apologize. I didn¡¯t expect His Majesty would notice.] The unexpected telepathic message made Ronan raise an eyebrow. The tone was dripping with guilt, indicating Vanartier felt responsible for Ronan¡¯s identity being discovered. ¡®How courteous.¡¯ Like Navardose and Ir, not all dragons were scumbags. Ronan winked to show he was okay. It was clear Vanartier hadn¡¯t betrayed him. [If anything happens and you need to escape Adren, use the sewers to move to the northern drainage outlet of the ind. I¡¯ll have a boat ready there.] ¡°You¡­¡± [All the sewers in Adren are connected. It should be the same under the Sky Tower.] Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was incredibly valuable information. Naransonia, who had been waiting patiently, called out to him. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ming.¡± Naransonia¡¯s urging nce made Ronan move quickly. From behind, Vanartier¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Until we meet again. I will repay this debt. You, representative of the Mother of Fire.¡± ¡°Debt? Don¡¯t worry about it. See you next time.¡± Ronan walked away, leaving the ruined streets behind. The thick smell of blood mixed with the cool night breeze. Many had died. He noticed the old tavern owner was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had copsed from the shock of his tavern being destroyed. Ronan asked around, but no one knew the old man¡¯s whereabouts, so he let it go. ¡®That¡¯s a shame.¡¯ The wreckage of the tavern was still crushed under the Blue Dragon¡¯s head. Ronan clicked his tongue. It really had been a fine brandy. . . . [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Following Naransonia, Ronan soon arrived in front of the Sky Tower where the Dragon King resided. No matter how much he craned his neck, he couldn¡¯t see the top. ¡°¡­It¡¯s ridiculously tall.¡± Ronan muttered in faint amazement. The giant pir connecting the sky and the city had stood since Adren was founded. Its long and thick shadow stretched beyond the city¡¯s borders, touching the clouds. The entrance of the tower was also impressive. The enormous doors seemed designed for dragons in their true form. Standing before them, Ronan sighed. ¡°Shit, how long will it take to climb this¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. First, greet yourpanions.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan tilted his head as Naransonia opened the door. Upon closer inspection, there was a smaller door within therge one, suitable for human passage. As they crossed the threshold, an opulent, luxurious space unfolded before Ronan¡¯s eyes, grand enough to make the pce lobby look like a hut. Naransonia spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is the reception room.¡± ¡°¡­This is why I hate magic.¡± Ronan chuckled. It felt like a ghost was pulling out his leg hair. It must have been some kind of spatial magic. As he slowly took in the reception room, he saw two young men. ¡°You guys.¡± Aselle was reading a stack of books, and Shullifen was meditating while sitting cross-legged. Both stood up when they saw Ronan. ¡°R-Ronan! You¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°¡­So it was a lie.¡± Judging by their unscathed appearance, it seemed they hadn¡¯t been harmed. But their reactions were odd. You¡¯re safe? Why would they say something like that? Ronan stood before them. p, p¡ªNaransonia pped her hands twice from behind. ¡°We will move to the audience chamber in ten minutes. Just open that door ande out.¡± She pointed to a door in the corner of the reception room with her index finger and then left through the door they had entered. Confirming that there were no other presences around, Ronan spoke. ¡°You idiots, what happened? Why are you asking if I¡¯m safe?¡± ¡°Th-That¡­ suddenly dragons came and said you were in danger if we didn¡¯te quickly. So¡­¡± ¡°The same for me.¡± Hearing Aselle and Shullifen¡¯s answers, Ronan rubbed his forehead. It seemed they had been deceived. The Dragon King¡¯s subordinates had brought them here under the pretext that Ronan was in danger. Reading Ronan¡¯s expression, Aselle gasped. ¡°W-Were we tricked? Should we not havee?¡± ¡°Forget it. What¡¯s done is done.¡± Ronan shook his head. Thinking back, fighting Orsay had been dangerous, so it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. If he had refused, they would have used force. Those cunning reptiles. ¡°So, did you find anything useful?¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­ There was nothing in the library.¡± Aselle hung his head. He had scoured the library but found no information about Neb zier. However, his efforts hadn¡¯t been entirely fruitless. ¡°I learned some magic that might help with our investigation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. You did well.¡± Aselle exined he had learned several spells, including invisibility, from books. Though Ronan found it strange that someone could learn magic just like that, he knew it was best not to try to understand a genius. Invisibility would likely be very useful. After patting Aselle¡¯s shoulder encouragingly, Ronan turned to Shullifen. ¡°Anything unusual with you?¡± ¡°There was one thing. For about half a month, people in white robes have been seen lingering around the tower.¡± ¡°Just as I thought¡­ What?¡± Ronan and Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. Given Shullifen¡¯s calm tone, they thought he was saying he had found nothing. ¡°Are you sure? Who told you?¡± ¡°A merchant who runs a shop near the Sky Tower. Some drunkards were causing trouble, so I drove them away, and he told me in gratitude. He didn¡¯t seem to be lying.¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Ronan unconsciously clenched his fist. It felt like he had found the tail end of an elusive mystery. Just as he was about to say something. Creak¡ªThe door in the corner of the reception room suddenly opened. Aselle jumped back in fright. ¡°Eek! Wh-What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°Impatient, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. Looking at his watch, exactly ten minutes had passed. Brushing his bangs aside, he spoke to the two. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Just stay calm.¡± ¡°O-Okay. I hope nothing goes wrong¡­¡± ¡°And listen to me. If things start to go south¡­¡± Havinge this far, there was no turning back. Whispering emergency ns to Aselle and Shullifen, Ronan took the lead and moved forward. Beyond the wide-open door, a golden glow poured out. The aura emanating from it felt ominous. As they stepped inside, the sound of ttering metal echoed under their feet. The three of them widened their eyes in shock. ¡°Fuck. What is all this?¡± ¡°W-Wow¡­¡± ¡°Incredible.¡± None of them could hide their amazement. Endless gold and treasures covered the vast space. Large gold coins, each worth a life, were used here like pebbles paving the ground. Even if they robbed all the banks in the Empire, they might not gather this much wealth. As they advanced through the golden desert. Rumble¡ªSuddenly, a tremor shook the ground, apanied by a booming voice. ¡¾Finally-¡¿ ¡¾You have arrived.¡¿ The voice was as grand as a pulsating volcano. Ssssh! The hill of gold before them copsed. Two massive dragon heads emerged from the fallen peak. ¡°Eeek¡­!¡± Both were golden dragons covered in golden scales. Their necks, soaring endlessly, bent only when their heads touched the ceiling. Aselle mped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide. Even Shullifen, usuallyposed, hunched his shoulders. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that one of them was the Dragon King. Ronan, forgetting this was the audience chamber, muttered a curse. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Since Navardose, this was the first time he had seen such enormous creatures. The size of their bodies buried in the treasure was unimaginable. The length of their necks and heads alone matched the full length of an average dragon. As Ronan pondered which one was the Dragon King, the four eyes of the heads rolled and simultaneously opened their mouths. ¡¾Greetings. I am the Dragon King who rules over Adren-¡¿ ¡¾Azidahaka.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 237 Chapter 237 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 237: The Dragon King (2) ¡¾Greetings. I am the Dragon King who rules over Adren-¡¿ ¡¾Azidahaka.¡¿ Ronan¡¯s party froze. The dragon¡¯s imposing size was intimidating just by its presence. It seemed formidable enough to rival Navardose. A tense silence hung in the air. Dragon King Azidahaka was quietly observing them, as if waiting for something. Realizing what needed to be done, Ronan btedly bowed his head. ¡°¡­I am Ronan.¡± He had almost ignored the Dragon King¡¯s greeting. He wondered if he should have been more respectful, but there was no time for that. Aselle and Shulifen quickly followed suit. ¡°I-I am Aselle¡­ Please¡­ I mean, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Glory to the Lord of Adren. Shulifen Sinivan de Garcia greets the Dragon King.¡± Shulifen was the only one who greeted properly. Aselle, realizing his mistake, turned pale. The Dragon King finally lowered his head to meet their eyes. ¡®He¡¯s really freaking huge.¡¯ Up close, he was even more overwhelming. Each of his beautiful golden scales wasrger than an adult¡¯s palm. There were dozens of jewel-decorated bands wrapped around each of the four horns, one pair per head. Ronan had thought Navardose¡¯s attire was extravagant, but it was nothingpared to this. Though their faces looked almost identical, the horns¡¯ decorations and their voices set them apart. Both heads spoke. ¡¾You fought well. For a human to wound Orsay, it was quite-¡¿ ¡¾Impressive.¡¿ Unexpectedly, there was no rebuke for their greetings. Their manner of speaking was fascinating. The left head would start speaking with a male voice, and the right head would finish with a female voice. Ronan suddenly realized that both heads were looking at him. He scratched his head and responded. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but thank you.¡± Praise from high-ranking individuals was always ufortable for him. It felt like wearing an ill-fitting silk robe. The left head chuckled. ¡¾You¡¯re humble. Well, that¡¯s-¡¿ ¡¾Human of you.¡¿ ¡¾In any case, for protecting my city from the evil dragon, I-¡¿ ¡¾Thank you.¡¿ Ronan bowed his head awkwardly. Contrary to what he had heard, the Dragon King seemed much more reasonable. He began to think that the nder might havee from the Itargand side. ¡¾But you are too strong for a human. I am curious about-¡¿ ¡¾Your secret.¡¿ ¡°Uh¡­ there¡¯s nothing special.¡± Ronan answered. In truth, there was no secret other than his relentless sword training. The Dragon King¡¯s voice lowered slightly. ¡¾I believe there is-¡¿ ¡¾Something.¡¿ ¡¾Why do you think I called-¡¿ ¡¾You here.¡¿ Both heads were now looking at Aselle and Shulifen. He realized that they still bore Itargand¡¯s marks. The right head¡¯s neck slowly coiled around them like a snake. ¡®I have a bad feeling about this.¡¯ ¡°R-Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Ronan felt his heart pounding. He gestured for the tearful Aselle to calm down. Shulifen¡¯s hand was slowly moving towards his sword hilt. The left head turned back to Ronan. ¡¾As I thought, all three of you bear the power of Navardose and her offspring. What is your-¡¿ ¡¾Connection to the Fire Dragon n?¡¿ Ronan twisted his lips. He had expected this situation, but had no countermeasure for it. This was his worst fearing true. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ If even ordinary dragons could sense Navardose¡¯s aura, there was no way the Dragon King wouldn¡¯t. Ronan didn¡¯t respond. He quickly assessed their surroundings for an escape route. ¡¾It would be best to-¡¿ ¡¾Speak willingly.¡¿ Suddenly, both heads opened their mouths wide. mes roared! Light swirled inside their throats, making it look like they were holding the sun in their mouths. It wasn¡¯t hard to realize that this was the beam that had sunk Orsay. The desert of gold coins was shimmering in the reflected light. This was really bad. Ronan, hand on his sword hilt, looked at Aselle and Shulifen. He was about to signal the escape n he had prepared in advance. Thud! The two heads, which had seemed ready to breathe fire at any moment, suddenly closed their mouths. ¡°What?¡± Ronan furrowed his brow. The trio froze in their tracks. An uneasy silence ensued. The Dragon King, uncoiling his neck, burst intoughter. ¡¾Ha, hahahaha!¡¿ ¡¾Ahahaha!¡¿ It was a boomingughter that shook the tower. The mixed male and female voices echoed loudly. Unable to contain himself, Ronan spoke up. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡¾Ahaha, sorry. I apologize¡­ it¡¯s been a long time since a human stood before me, so I couldn¡¯t help-¡¿ ¡¾ying a little joke.¡¿ ¡°A joke?¡± Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. The two heads, now back in ce, nodded simultaneously. ¡¾Yes¡­ it was just a simple joke. I am not so uncouth as to harm the heroes who saved my city from Orsay. So-¡¿ ¡¾You can rx.¡¿ ¡°You, you, that was too much¡­¡± Thud. Aselle, whose legs had been trembling, finally copsed. Ronan clenched his fist. Throughout his life as a Punishment Squad member, he had experienced all kinds of unpleasant jokes, but this was a first. Suddenly, a pile of gold coins in which the Dragon King was buried copsed. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ It had copsed because the Dragon King was shaking withughter. By coincidence, Ronan saw a hidden part that made him raise an eyebrow. The bases of the two necks were connected like the index and middle fingers on the same hand. ¡®¡­So it¡¯s not two dragons but one dragon with two heads.¡¯ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] It was the first time in his life seeing a two-headed dragon. He had heard that dragons with multiple heads were rarer than dragons with multiple wings, and he never expected to see one here. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Ronan, sensing something amiss, tilted his head. The left side of the left neck was bulging, as if something had started to grow. And unless he was mistaken, the cross-section was wriggling. What was that? Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡¾Ah¡­¡¿ Bang! Noticing that his body was exposed, the Dragon King dove back into the pile of gold. Waves of gold surged and rippled. ¡®Damn it, there was definitely something.¡¯ Unable to confirm it, Ronan clicked his tongue. He had a gut feeling he had stumbled upon some crucial information. The Dragon King, having stoppedughing, spoke again. ¡¾Whatever you may have heard outside, I no longer-¡¿ ¡¾Regard Navardose as a threat.¡¿ Huh? Ronan tilted his head. He hadn¡¯t expected that, and hearing it from the Dragon King himself was surprising. It implied that there was a time when he was wary of Navardose. Ronan was about to ask a question. ¡¾In any case, I shall reward you. For driving away Orsay, and you two for being his friends, Imend you. You may take as much of my treasure here as you wish.¡¿ The party¡¯s eyes widened. They hadn¡¯t expected that the Dragon King would reward not just Ronan, but also Aselle and Shulifen. Truly befitting the ruler of Adren, he was generous. ¡°Ah, thank you¡­¡± ¡¾And by tomorrow morning, leave Adren. The city is unstable because of Orsay, and normally, your entry would be-¡¿ ¡¾Prohibited.¡¿ ¡°What?¡± Ronan paused. This was an unexpected blow. He thought they would receive a reward or face death, but suddenly they were being expelled. He hastily spoke up. ¡°But¡­ Orsay is still out there. Shouldn¡¯t we stay until he¡¯s captured?¡± ¡¾Haha, a human worrying about a dragon. Your heart ismendable, but don¡¯t concern yourself. This audience is-¡¿ ¡¾Over.¡¿ The Dragon King turned his head, ending the conversation abruptly. Aselle and Shulifen looked equally troubled. ¡°Ronan, what do we do?¡± ¡°¡­This is a problem.¡± It seemed they were in a tight spot. The Dragon King¡¯s heads were already disappearing into the pile of gold. They couldn¡¯t leave without learning anything. Ronan spoke up. ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask you one question?¡± ¡¾Speak.¡¿ The Dragon King stopped. With no other choice, Ronan decided to go all out. After taking a deep breath, he asked, ¡°Do you know about the organization Neb zier?¡± It was a bold move, even by Ronan¡¯s standards. An awkward silence ensued. The left head spoke. ¡¾¡­I know of it. But why-¡¿ ¡¾Are you asking?¡¿ Ronan¡¯s face lit up at the acknowledgement. Indeed, Navardose had sent a letter, so he couldn¡¯t im ignorance. He continued. ¡°Lady Navardose said she sent a message to Adren, warning about them. Handling dragons here is your responsibility, Your Majesty.¡± ¡¾It¡¯s an unnecessary worry. No matter how skilled they are, they are still-¡¿ ¡¾Insignificant beings.¡¿ But that fleeting moment of hope was quickly dashed. The Dragon King, with just those words, turned away from Ronan again. ¡°No, wait¡­¡± ¡¾Go back now. I have nothing more to say on the matter.¡¿ Ronan, frustrated, tried to speak, but he wasn¡¯t given the chance. The two heads, sinking,pletely disappeared. The Dragon King¡¯s voice echoed in the treasure-filled space. ¡¾Escort the guests to their rooms-¡¿ ¡¾Naransonia.¡¿ ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Soon, as if on cue, Naransonia appeared. The door connected to the reception room was already open. She spoke to the three of them. ¡°Shall we go? Although there isn¡¯t much time left, I¡¯ll help you restfortably.¡± **** Ronan and hispanions left the audience chamber without much resistance. They knew that throwing a tantrum there would do them no good. It was fortunate enough that they didn¡¯t get hit by the Dragon King¡¯s deadly beam, let alone gather information. Naransonia led them to a luxurious bedroom, grand enough to make the Emperor cry. She left after informing them that she woulde to fetch them as soon as the sun rose. She also added a warning not to think about leaving the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ronan muttered, ¡°This is fucked.¡± Aselle and Shulifen silently agreed. It was nearing midnight, so there were less than six hours left before they would be expelled. Next to each bed was arge, ornate chest. Inside, it was filled with gold and treasures bestowed by the Dragon King. It was enough to allow even their grandchildren to livefortably, but they were not particrly happy. They hadn¡¯te to Adren for mere trinkets. Ronan spoke, ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to make a move before dawn, even if we risk being caught.¡± ¡°Is that really okay? If we get caught¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll either be ashes or skewered. What a silly question.¡± ¡°Eeek¡­¡± Aselle was terrified, but Ronan remained calm. Though there was no concrete evidence, something smelled fishy. The Dragon King¡¯s imed that he ¡®no longer¡¯ regarded Navardose as a threat and the growths on his body weighed heavily on Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°We have to go. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re hiding something.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°E-Even Shulifen says that¡­¡± Shulifen, who had been silent, also nodded. He seemed to sense something off as well. Aselle was still in a state of panic, but Ronan didn¡¯t pay much attention. He was used to Aselle doing everything despite his fear. Shulifen spoke, ¡°For now, get some sleep. I¡¯ll take the first watch.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ how considerate.¡± Ronan chuckled. It was indeed a rational decision. They needed to rest, even just a bit, to recover from the day¡¯s exhaustion. Especially Ronan and Aselle, who had endured significant hardships. Fighting a dragon or flying a ship into the sky was no easy feat. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s move at around 3.¡± With that, Ronan threw himself onto the bed. Aselle, after some hesitation, alsoy down. Both fell asleep almost immediately as their heads hit the pillows. . . . Shulifen¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°Yeah. I noticed it too.¡± Ronan opened his eyes and sat up immediately. He had already woken up before Shulifen called him. He couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. Aselle, who had also woken up, stammered, ¡°R-Ronan. Th-this is¡­¡± Aselle was already sitting on the edge of his bed. Judging by his appearance, he had just woken up like Ronan. Ronan asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Exactly five minutes to three.¡± ¡°¡­Looks like my instincts aren¡¯t dead yet.¡± Ronan murmured. What woke him before Shulifen¡¯s voice was an intense presence from above. Even without paying close attention, he could sense something massive pulsating overhead. ¡°Damm it, is the Dragon King dancing or something?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. But with this kind of energy¡­¡± Aselle trailed off. He wasn¡¯t sure, but it was clear that something was happening. Ronan was more certain than the others because he detected Neb zier¡¯s characteristic shimmering mana in the atmosphere. He muttered to himself, ¡°What the hell are those bastards doing in the tower?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 238 Chapter 238 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 238: The Dragon King (3) ¡°What the hell are those bastards doing in the tower?¡± Ronan frowned. The pulsing aura was something he couldn¡¯t just ignore. Even though the source was far away, it felt as clear as if it were right in front of him. ¡®Are the dragons having an orgy or something?¡¯ Something was off. The shimmering mana in the air signaled the severity of the situation. This unique phenomenon, visible only to Ronan, was proof that Neb zier was here. ¡®It¡¯s certain. It¡¯s in this tower.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t expected to gather evidence this way. He didn¡¯t know what they were doing in the tower, but he needed to collect data before things concluded. Ronan got out of bed and spoke. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uh, but there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± Ronan tilted his head. Aselle pointed to the door in the corner of the room. The magical door that had transported them from the reception room to the audience chamber, and then to this bedroom, was firmly shut. ¡°That door is the only entrance and exit. There¡¯s no other way out.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°There are dozens of security spells on the door. They must have anticipated we might try to leave.¡± Aselle stammered. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. Upon closer inspection, he could indeed feel the lingering presence of foreign mana inside the doorknob. ¡°What if I just cut it down?¡± ¡°That would get rid of it, but it might also destroy the door¡¯s function. An rm could go off. These kinds of magical artifacts are usually veryplex¡­¡± Aselle trailed off. They hadn¡¯t expected to face a barrier so soon. Even if they managed to open the door, there was a high risk of being caught. If they had taken such measures, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if guards were stationed outside the door. Aselle continued speaking. ¡°It might take about an hour to decode the spells. Should I try?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long. Damn it, what should we do¡­¡± Ronan muttered to himself. They needed toe up with another method. His gaze slowly wandered around the room and settled on something. A luxurious curtain covered the entire western wall. A sudden thought crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Could it be¡­¡± The room had been dimly lit since they arrived, so he hadn¡¯t noticed it immediately. Slowly approaching the wall, Ronan pulled the curtain. Whoosh! Moonlight poured into the room. Beyond the high-arched window, a bright full moon was shining. Ronan¡¯s lips curled into a grin. ¡°Hey, we had a way out right here.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. He had a feeling he knew what wasing next. Grinning, Ronan ced a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how we got into Adren?¡± **** ¡°Has His Majesty note down yet?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s been a month already. What does he do up there every night?¡± ¡°Humans dressed in white were with him again.¡± The guards¡¯ conversation echoed under the moonlight. Their duty was to guard the stairs on the 73rd floor of the Sky Tower. Since moving between floors required passing through this point, it was a crucial task. Of course, the monotony of the guard duty couldn¡¯t be erased even by a sense of mission. The guard with a scar on his cheek grumbled. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t trust those humans. They seem suspicious. What if they harm His Majesty¡­¡± ¡¾What is it that you don¡¯t like?¡¿ Just as he was about to continue, a familiar woman¡¯s voice rang out from below the stairs. The startled guards stood at attention. Step. Step¡ªThe woman who climbed the stairs soon stopped in front of them. ¡¾Speak.¡¿ ¡°Lady Naransonia, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± The frightened guard stammered. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her beautiful face. Of all people, they had to run into Naransonia. Known as the Empress of Steel, she was infamous for her loyalty and strictness among the Dragon King¡¯s subordinates. ¡¾Our duty is to follow His Majesty¡¯s will. Am I wrong?¡¿ ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I spoke out of turn.¡± The guard bowed his head submissively. He knew of many dragons and servants who had been skewered by Naransonia for insulting the Dragon King. Fortunately, there was no additional reprimand. She merely stared at the stairs before stepping forward. ¡¾Move aside.¡¿ ¡°Uh¡­¡± The guards stepped aside. Naransonia extended her hand. Crash! Massive steel spikes erupted from the floor and ceiling,pletely sealing off the stairs leading to the lower floor. It wasn¡¯t hard to realize this was a security measure. One guard asked in dismay, ¡°Is this really necessary¡­¡± ¡¾We must be thorough. Once His Majesty¡¯s ritual isplete, I will remove it. You may patrol elsewhere in the meantime.¡¿ Leaving those words, Naransonia ascended to the upper floor. Crash! Simultaneously, steel spikes grew over the stairs leading upward. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go patrol.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Muttering quietly, the guards walked away. Their footsteps gradually faded. Once they were out of sight from the window, Ronan clicked his tongue in frustration. ¡°Damn, that was close. If we had tried to go up from inside, we¡¯d be screwed.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ really.¡± Aselle nodded. Shullifen silently agreed with a nod. They had witnessed the entire exchange between Naransonia and the guards from outside the window. Perhaps because they were far from the city, even small voices carried well. ¡°Alright. Now let¡¯s climb back up. Don¡¯t look down, no matter what.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Aselle nodded. Whoosh! The cool night wind tousled their hair. As Aselle gestured, the three of them began to rise again. They had escaped the bedroom through the window, inspired by their entry into Adren. Unlike the tightly sealed door, there were no security spells here. Of course, no one would expect anyone to escape from such a height. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Aselle¡¯s invisibility spell, which he had learnedst evening, cloaked their bodies. Even though they were close enough to touch shoulders, they couldn¡¯t see each other. Ronan marveled at the spell¡¯s effectiveness, despite its short learning time. ¡°No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s amazing. How long did you say it took to learn?¡± ¡°About two hours.¡± ¡°Must be nice to be so talented.¡± Ronan shook his head, momentarily forgetting that geniuses couldn¡¯t be understood withmon sense. He patted Aselle¡¯s shoulder affectionately and asked, ¡°By the way, are you running out of mana?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still okay. I have the potions Marya gave me.¡± ¡°Stay focused. If you make a mistake, we¡¯re all dead.¡± Ronan stressed the importance. Aselle nodded, swallowing hard. He felt bad for putting pressure on Aselle, but they had no other choice. If Aselle lost concentration or ran out of mana, it would be over. Ronan nced down and added, ¡°And in a very gruesome way¡­¡± Adren had already shrunk to a dot below them. Beyond the city limits, a vast sea of clouds stretched out. From this height, they wouldn¡¯t just die; they¡¯d be smeared as a red stain on Adren. Other than Aselle¡¯s mental and physical strain, there wasn¡¯t much to worry about. They continued to ascend for another twenty minutes. Shullifen, who had been looking upward, spoke. ¡°¡­It¡¯s unpleasant.¡± ¡°You feel it too?¡± Ronan agreed. As they neared the top, the density of the mana thickened. The ominous presence they had faintly sensed in the bedroom grew stronger. The shimmering mana intensified as well, bing almost painful to look at. Was this what it felt like to enter the Milky Way? The tower¡¯s walls suddenly ended, revealing the summit. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®¡­Shit.¡¯ He froze. The other two, though unseen, must have been reacting the same way. It was an overwhelming sight. The open top of the massive cylinder was as vast as the grand za of Philleon. In the center sat the Dragon King, Azidahaka, gazing at the sky. The fully revealed twin-headed dragon was so massive and imposing that it was a wonder the tower could support its weight. Ronan gritted his teeth as he surveyed the surroundings. ¡®Those bastards.¡¯ Around twenty people in white robes were gathered. Ronan¡¯s grip on his sword tightened. The unmistakable aura of Neb zier emanated from them. Not only were their numbers significant, but each one looked formidable. Ronan twisted his lips as he scrutinized them. ¡®Why did they gather so many?¡¯ Five of them had white hair and crimson eyes¡ªmembers of the Lycopos, the Leader¡¯s direct assassination squad. Three wore star-shaped badges on their sleeves¡ªbishops, all top-tier members of the cult. ¡®Did the Leadere too?¡¯ He looked around but didn¡¯t see Abel. Still, the presence of these individuals was enough to indicate a serious situation. ¡®What are they doing?¡¯ They needed a closer look. Ronan and hispanions moved stealthily towards the group. The Dragon King¡¯s posture was reminiscent of a wolf howling at the moon. His two heads, raised high, seemed to be waiting for something. At his feet, a massive magic circlerge enough to contain his bulk was drawn. It pulsed slowly, as if breathing. The shimmering mana covering the entire tower emanated from it. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he noticed something on the Dragon King¡¯s body. A fleshy mass near the left neck was squirming and growing. ¡°What is that¡­¡± The burgeoning mass was covered in scales like the Dragon King¡¯s other necks, but these were a bluish-white, like starlight, instead of golden. As the three watched, mesmerized by the strange yet awe-inspiring sight, the Dragon King spoke, still gazing at the night sky. ¡¾It¡¯s always so wondrous. The power surges within me¡ª¡¿ ¡¾I can feel it.¡¿ ¡¾Who is granting me this power¡ª¡¿ ¡¾I wonder.¡¿ Aselle shuddered at the still majestic voice, but he didn¡¯t lose concentration. A nearby bishop spoke up. ¡°As I mentioned before, it is the power of the Great Star.¡± ¡¾Yes. I heard it, but it¡¯s still hard to believe. Such immense power¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Exists.¡¿ ¡°Ha ha¡­ The world we live in is just dust in the grand scheme. We draw this power from the sky beyond the skies, the distant celestial realm.¡± Hearing the word ¡°star,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. Images of the bald giants shed through his mind. Was this ritual connected to them? The Dragon King continued. ¡¾So when will this ritual¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Beplete?¡¿ ¡°It will take no more than two more days. We eagerly await thepletion of the third head. I assure you, Navardose will be no match for you.¡± The bishop, bowing respectfully, stepped back. The Dragon King seemed pleased by the words and let out a subtle smile. Azidahaka¡¯s wings slowly unfurled. ¡¾I look forward to it. My era¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Ising.¡¿ The golden wings were vast and grand. Scales shimmering with the night sky¡¯s light scattered in a mystical disy. The Dragon King¡¯s voice echoed over Adren. ¡¾Two more days until¡ª¡¿ ¡¾War.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 239 Chapter 239 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 239: The Dragon King (4) ¡®¡­War?¡¯ Hearing the Dragon King¡¯s words, Ronan frowned. Judging by the solemn tone in his voice, it didn¡¯t seem like he was simply swept up in the moment. Suddenly, a bishop¡¯s words shed through his mind. He had said that once a new head emerged, Navardose would no longer be his match. Ronan¡¯s mind raced. The behavior differing from rumors, the suspicious im that he was no longer wary of Navardose, and the contact with Neb zier. Soon, he processed the given information and cursed under his breath. ¡°Shit. That crazy lizard.¡± ¡°R-Ronan? What¡¯s wrong all of a sudden?¡± Aselle asked in a flustered voice. Instead of answering, Ronan clenched his fist. That two-headed bastard was preparing for war against Navardose, feeding off the power of the bald bastards. ¡®So that¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t wary anymore.¡¯ So, despite calling them insignificant beings, he had ultimately allied with them for his own strength. What Ronan was witnessing now was an event that hadn¡¯t happened in his previous life. The contact with Adren was a special measure taken by Abel because the current situation of the cult wasn¡¯t good. Come to think of it, this was all happening because of Ronan himself. ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ He genuinely began to think Navardose might be in danger. Even if the Dragon King was inferior to her, the story changed if he received the bizarre power of the stars. It was an extraterrestrial force beyond reason. Moreover, the Dragon King was, as his title implied, the king of dragons and the lord of Adren. If he cooperated with the cult, it meant his subordinates and followers might also join the bald bastards¡¯ worshipers. This was a highly unpleasant situation. He had no idea where to start. To think that even the top might have been co-opted. Ronan groaned as a headache crept up. Sssh¡­ Suddenly, the light from the magic circle the Dragon King was stepping on faded. The bishop conversing with the Dragon King spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. We¡¯ll continue the rest tomorrow.¡± It seemed today¡¯s ritual was concluded. The Dragon King, who had been gazing at the sky, folded his wings and bowed his head. The third head, covered in white scales, had already grown halfway. ¡¾I can still do more-¡¿ ¡¾What a pity.¡¿ The two heads clicked their tongues. The fanatics bowed their heads in reverence. The shimmering mana that filled the night air gradually faded away. The fanatics began packing up the tools used in the ritual. Ronan, contemting what to do next, finally made up his mind. He pointed his finger at the fanatics. ¡°Aselle. Let¡¯s wait and follow those bastards.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t see my finger. I meant those fanatic bastards.¡± ¡°I understood from the context but¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. Shullifen silently alternated his gaze between the fanatics. Ronan continued speaking. ¡°They must sleep somewhere, right? They¡¯re likely to have quarters in this tower. If we search there, we might find something.¡± If no clues were found, he was even thinking of resorting to torture. At the very least, they could obtain information about either Alivrihe or the Leader. The problem was the number of people and their considerable skill, making assassination or attacking in detail necessary. With no particr n, Aselle and Shullifen had no choice but to ept Ronan¡¯s idea. Aselle took a deep breath and began moving the group. Suddenly, a bishop reached out towards the three of them. An incantation leaked from his parted lips. ¡°Wind Spear.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. In an instant, small magic circles formed in front of the bishop¡¯s hand, and dozens of wind spears shot toward the three of them. Aselle gasped. ¡°Hick¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan bit his lower lip. There were too many to dodge. He had to cut or deflect them, even if it meant revealing themselves. Just as he was about to draw his sword, Shullifen moved a step faster and swung his de. It was a swift and skilled movement, as if he had been waiting for this moment. The gale along the sword¡¯s path subtly altered the trajectory of the spears. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°I had a feeling something like this would happen. He kept ncing over here.¡± Shullifen said. Whirl! The wind spears, which should have hit their targets, narrowly missed the three by a hair¡¯s breadth. Unlike blocking or cutting them, it didn¡¯t draw attention. To others, it appeared as if the wind spears had simply sliced through empty space. ¡°¡­Was it just my imagination?¡± The bishop who cast the spell shrugged. The Dragon King also looked at him with a puzzled expression. He spoke in a displeased tone. ¡¾Now-¡¿ ¡¾What are you doing?¡¿ ¡°Forgive my rudeness. I thought I sensed something nearby¡­¡± The bishop knelt on one knee, admitting his mistake. Even so, his gaze lingered on the spot where he had cast the spears. He was sure he had sensed something. ¡¾Hah, that¡¯s impossible. Who would dare defy mymand-¡¿ ¡¾And linger near the tower.¡¿ The Dragon Kingughed. His confident voice sounded almost arrogant. Aselle, who had been on the verge of tears, spoke up. ¡°R-Ronan. We should leave.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He couldn¡¯t deny they had been in a close call. The invisibility hadn¡¯t worn off, and they had hidden their presence, yet they had almost been caught by pure instinct. ¡®Fuck. He¡¯s still a bishop.¡¯ To prevent a recurrence, they needed to change locations. As he pondered where to go, Ronan pointed to a window two floors below. ¡°Let¡¯s go in there. We can wait and follow them from there.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± There was only one staircase connecting the rooftop to the lower floors. Aselle slowly moved the group. Fortunately, the bishop¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t follow them. They re-entered the tower through the window. The interior was empty. ¡°¡­Hah!¡± Thud. Aselle, who hadnded everyone safely, copsed to the floor. His small body was trembling. He wiped his eyes and muttered. ¡°I thought we were going to die¡­¡± ¡°You did great. You¡¯re the best.¡± Ronan gave him a thumbs-up. Essentially, Aselle had done most of the work. Despite the wind spears grazing his cheek, he had maintained his telekinesis. Ronan, patting Aselle¡¯s back, looked at Shullifen. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°You¡¯re the second best. Thanks to you, we didn¡¯t get caught.¡± ¡°The best refers to only one, the foremost.¡± Shullifen responded dryly. Normally, Ronan would have made a crude joke, but not today. If Shullifen hadn¡¯t intervened, they would have surely been discovered. They would have been beaten by the Dragon King and the fanatics and fallen to their deaths. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s rest a bit and then move¡­¡± ¡°Found you, you rats.¡± Ronan was about to say something when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind. A chilling shiver ran up his spine like cold water had been poured down his back. They slowly turned their heads. A middle-aged man in a white robe stood in front of the stairs, about twenty steps away. It was the bishop who had fired the wind spear at them earlier. ¡°I know you¡¯re there. Reveal yourselves quietly.¡± In front of him, dozens of magic circles had already formed. Wind spears and swords, simr to those he had used before, were poised to strike. Though the invisibility spell was still active, it was clear they had been discovered. Ronan suddenly noticed glowing magic circles stuck to the ceiling, also bristling with wind weapons. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Ronan bit his lower lip. The bishop, who had a suspicious-looking face, had indeed followed them. The bishop was now surrounded by a strange glow from the Protection of the Stars. ¡°¡­Release it.¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°Do it quickly.¡± With a sigh, he tapped Aselle¡¯s leg. The invisibility spell was lifted, and the three of them became visible. The bishop¡¯s lips curled into a sinister smile. ¡°You have good instincts. If even one of you hadn¡¯t appeared, I would have fired immediately.¡± Ronan said nothing. He only looked around quickly, taking in the situation. There were no other people nearby, suggesting the bishop hade alone. ¡°Earlier, what I felt wasn¡¯t just a hunch. You don¡¯t look like servants of the Dragon King, so what are you doing here?¡± The bishop continued, ready to fire his weapons at the slightest provocation. Having made a decision, Ronan switched his core. The pattern of his mana changed, and sparkling mana began to rise from his shoulders. He spoke. ¡°We are allies, Bishop. We are here under the orders of Alivrihe. We had no choice but to follow secretly.¡± The bishop¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the mention of Alivrihe¡¯s name. ¡°What? From Alivrihe?¡± ¡°Yes. He ordered us to secretly ensure that there were no issues with the meeting with the Dragon King Azidahaka. Knowing the nature of another dragon, he must have been concerned.¡± The bishop¡¯s eyes widened. This was too much information for a simple spy to have. The identities of the bishop, the meeting with the Dragon King, and even the fact that Alivrihe was a dragon. Moreover, now that he looked closer, the young man with the ck hair exuded the unique aura of Neb zier. The bishop tilted his head. ¡°¡­Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. He instructed us not to be detected, but we have failed him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. I heard him myself say that he wouldn¡¯t be interfered with by anyone except the Leader while on vacation.¡± ¡°I am only telling you the truth. Since he is here in Adren, he must have been extra cautious.¡± Ronan spoke. Aselle and Shullifen looked at his impassive face in awe. Was it really possible to lie so convincingly? ¡°Hmm, well¡­¡± The bishop murmured. The light of the magic circles dimmed a bit. Ronan silently cheered. Since the bishop did not dispute the location, it seemed certain that Alivrihe was indeed here in Adren. He hadn¡¯t known he was on vacation, but still. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. I don¡¯t feel the power of the Stars from those two behind you. Tell me your branch and names.¡± After a moment of hesitation, the bishop spoke again. Ronan quickly exchanged nces with hispanions and smiled amiably. ¡°That will be difficult. We just made it all up.¡± ¡°What?¡± The bishop frowned. At the same time, Ronan pulled out his sword. The bishop tried to cast a spell, but Lamacha¡¯s de was already gleaming with a sunset glow. In an instant, a sh of light appeared, pulling the bishop¡¯s body towards Ronan. ¡°What the¡­!¡± The bishop¡¯s eyes widened. The scarlet de cut through the Protection of the Stars like tofu. St! A red line appeared on his throat. Without any chance to resist, his head separated and flew into the air. ¡°I-Invisible Hand!¡± Aselle reached out and chanted a spell. The falling body and the flying head, along with the fountain of blood, all froze in the air. Seeing that the blood had not spilled, Ronan sighed in relief. ¡°Phew¡­ well done.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Ronan patted Aselle¡¯s back. At this point, they could still cover their tracks. Though they nned to escape, leaving evidence could hasten their pursuit. Aselle asked. ¡°What should we do with the body?¡± ¡°Crush it beyond recognition and throw it out the window. Hold it in ce.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aselle tilted his head in confusion. Ronan swung his sword without waiting for him to respond. St! The body suspended in the air was cut into hundreds of pieces. As it was held by telekinesis, nothing fell. Ronan nodded quickly after finishing the job. ¡°Alright. Now, ball it up and throw it out. As far as possible.¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± He spoke as casually as if he were asking for a ss of water. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. Just imagining it made him feel nauseous, but there was no other option. As he began the most repulsive task in the world, forming a ball of flesh, the moonlight streaming through the window suddenly vanished. ¡°Huh?¡± The three of them simultaneously turned their heads. They froze in ce. One of the Dragon King¡¯s heads was upside down, staring at them. The silence was like time had stopped. ¡¾Why are you¡­¡¿ ¡¾Here?¡¿ The Dragon King spoke. The female voice seemed toe from above, suggesting only the left head had descended. ¡¾I clearly said not toe out. Have you¡­¡¿ ¡¾Seen everything?¡¿ Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. It felt like he could hear his ns shattering. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke. ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t sleep, so we were wandering around¡­¡± ¡¾How sad. To think I must send off the warriors who defeated the evil dragon, those I personallymended¡­¡¿ ¡¾Like this.¡¿ The Dragon King cut off Ronan¡¯s words with a sigh. Suddenly, his jaws opened wide. Deep in his throat, particles of light began to gather and condense. ¡°¡­Run.¡± Ronan spoke. He grabbed the crouching Aselle and threw him over his shoulder. As he and Shullifen dashed down the stairs. Whoosh¡ªA torrent of light swept through the corridor. ¡°Aaaah!!¡± Aselle screamed as if his soul were being torn apart. The golden beam smashed through the opposite wall, extending into the western sky. The Dragon King¡¯s voice echoed loudly. ¡¾Hear me! Allrades and servants residing in the Sky Tower and Adren, heed mymand!¡¿ ¡¾Capture the intruders!¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 240 Chapter 240 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 240: Alivrihe (1) ¡¾Capture the intruders!¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s voice shook the tower. As the beam of light subsided, the world that had brightened for a moment was once again engulfed in darkness. Ronan cursed under his breath, roughly sweeping his hair back. ¡°Damn it, just my luck.¡± The worst possible situation had urred. He never thought he would be caught by the Dragon King himself. Panting heavily, Aselle spoke up. ¡°Wh-what do we do now?¡± ¡°First, we need to get out of this damn tower.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°He said the sewers would be safe, so let¡¯s head there. For now¡­ shit!¡± Sensing danger, Ronan rolled to the side with Aselle in his arms. The ceiling above them shattered, and a massive sword shot down. Crash! The weapon, capable of beheading an elephant, pierced the exact spot where the two had been standing. Aselle screamed at the sight of the sword de glinting next to his ear. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± ¡°You have good instincts. I thought I was good at catching rats.¡± A voice came from above. Looking up, Ronan saw a girl through the gap in the broken ceiling. Her white hair marked her as a Lycopos. How could she be so fast? ¡°But can you stop this?¡± Smiling, she gripped the sword hilt. The engravings on the sword began to glow. Ronan didn¡¯t know what it was, but it didn¡¯t feel good. Instinctively, he grabbed his sword and thrust it toward the ceiling. Thwack! The sword energy shot through the gap, striking the girl. The small shard of energy that pierced her chin shattered her skull as it exited. ¡°Argh¡­!¡± Thud. The girl copsed. Blood and brain matter trickled down from the gap in the broken ceiling. To be a Lycopos at her age meant she was quite strong, but this was a stark reminder that no one was invincible against surprise andcency. Ronan turned to Aselle. ¡°Can you walk now?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Aselle nodded quickly, strength returning to his legs as the shock wore off. Ronan shook his head. ¡°No, on second thought, your legs are too short. It¡¯s better if I carry you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t affect your magic, does it? Let¡¯s move before moree.¡± Ronan picked Aselle up again. He remembered the examiner¡¯s advice to escape through the sewers if things went wrong. He wasn¡¯t sure where they were, but they had to get out of this cursed tower to have any chance of survival. They were just about to leave when Aselle suddenly reached out and started chanting a spell. Crash! An ice barrier rose from the floor, blocking the stairs leading down from the upper floor. He stammered. ¡°Th-this should help.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Ronan smiled. He recalled that Naransonia had also blocked escape routes like this. They hurriedly descended the stairs, nearly tumbling down. They had to escape before more people arrived. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Ronan exulted as they reached the lower floor. It was still empty, likely because little time had passed. Through therge window, the night sky was filled with a river of stars. ¡°Great. I¡¯m counting on you, Aselle!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Ronan shouted as he and Shullifen kicked through the window and jumped. Crash! Shattered ss fragments sparkled in the moonlight. The night wind roared past their ears. As they began to fall, Aselle, on the verge of tears, started to cast a telekinesis spell. Whoosh! A massive shadow rose from below, stopping right in front of them. ¡°What?!¡± ¡¾You were here.¡¿ Ronan gasped. A familiar woman¡¯s voice echoed. His eyes widened in disbelief. The three of them were buffeted by a fierce wind. A silver dragon hovered in ce before them. ¡°You¡­¡± It was a dragon so beautiful it made Ronan momentarily forget the dire situation. Covered in sleek, metallic scales that resembled steel, it exuded a formidable presence. A sigh escaped Ronan¡¯s parted lips. ¡°Naransonia.¡± ¡¾To repay His Majesty¡¯s grace like this. You must have made up your mind.¡¿ Naransonia spoke, her body beginning to be d in steel armor. Realizing what was about to happen, Ronan cursed. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Ronan took a defensive stance. Naransonia, having retreated with a wide turn, charged towards them. Her speed was incredible for such a massive creature. Boom! The dyed sonic boom exploded through the night sky. ¡°M-Mana shield!¡± Aselle hastily chanted a defensive spell. Severalyers of translucent barriers formed between them and Naransonia. The barriers looked sturdy and well-crafted. But the dragon¡¯s charge was far stronger than they anticipated. Crash! The barriers shattered like brittle wooden boards upon contact with Naransonia¡¯s forehead. Ronan shouted. ¡°Shullifen!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ronan swiftly switched his core. Shullifen grabbed the hilt of his sword. Boom! Naransonia, colliding with them, crashed into the wall of the Sky Tower. Thud. Polymorphing to her human form, she set her feet on the ground. Dust filled the devastated 42nd floor. Feeling a sudden pain, Naransonia frowned. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A thin sh ran across her shoulder de. Blood dripped from her arm and gathered at her fingertips before falling. It was the work of the human named Shullifen. ¡°To think you¡¯d counterattack in that situation¡­¡± Naransonia muttered in disbelief. Even though it was an unprotected spot, it was still impressive that he had managed to target it, and regardless, he had managed to tear through a dragon¡¯s scales. ¡®He was of the Garcia bloodline.¡¯ Had he lived, he would have be a formidable swordsman. What a waste. As she searched for his body, her gaze fixed on a certain spot. ¡°Hmm?¡± Through the dust, the shadow of a human figure appeared. Swoosh! A crescent-shaped sh tore through the smoke, grazing her right cheek. Blood trickled from the cut. Her usually emotionless face twisted slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still be alive.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Whoosh¡­! The night wind blowing through the broken wall scattered the smoke. In the moonlight, the silhouettes of three humans and a dragon emerged. Of the humans, only Ronan was standing. ¡°You bitch. You almost¡­ killed me.¡± ¡°What did you do? It seemed like the trajectory twisted a bit at thest moment.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ that¡¯s not something you need to know.¡± Ronan raised his middle finger. His overloaded heart was pounding like crazy. At the moment of impact, he had switched cores, activating the auras of Varen and Teranill simultaneously. By enhancing his strength and generating a shockwave, he managed to partially mitigate the impact. Of course, he couldn¡¯t prevent a couple of ribs from breaking. He pointed at Aselle and Shullifen, who were lying on the ground. ¡°What are you going to do about them? They¡¯re my few friends.¡± ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you had stayed put. Or if you were stronger.¡± ¡°How could we stand by and do nothing when you were doing that at the top of the tower¡­ Lady, your king is insane.¡± ¡¾How dare you say such a thing¡­!¡¿ Naransonia¡¯s face twisted with fury. Such intense loyalty. Ronan responded indifferently. ¡°Why are you so mad? Is it normal for your king to team up with fanatics to defeat Navardose? Fanatic bastards who aim to destroy the world?¡± ¡¾If that is His Majesty¡¯s will, we will follow it. Outsider. It is not for a mere mortal to interfere.¡¿ ¡°You¡¯re talking about mortals while nning to destroy the world. You don¡¯t get it.¡± Ronan wiped the blood from his mouth. There was no escaping this ce without defeating that dragon. He raised his sword and pointed it at Naransonia. ¡°Bring it on, pretty dragon.¡± ¡¾What¡­¡¿ Naransonia flinched as her eyes met Ronan¡¯s. The killing intent emanating from him was hard to believeing from a human. ¡¾¡­How arrogant.¡¿ And Naransonia felt an extreme rage at that. She, even for a brief moment, had been intimidated by a human. She shouted angrily. ¡¾You didn¡¯t even inflict the wound yourself!¡¿ ng! Hundreds of steel spikes erupted from the ground at her feet, surging towards Ronan. The spikes, infused and strengthened with mana, glowed with a bluish hue. Unlike the restraining technique used on Orsay, this was a killing move. Despite the torrent of steel, Ronan neither panicked nor fled. He merely waited for them toe closer. When the distance narrowed to ten steps, he vanished from sight. Naransonia¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡¾What?¡¿ She couldn¡¯t see the movement itself. It was like watching a candle suddenly snuff out. In that instant, the advancing steel spikes halted abruptly. ¡®What is this?¡¯ With her keen eyesight, she noticed a white line drawn across the surface of each spike. What is that? As the question rose in her mind, Ronan reappeared beside her. ¡°Hah.¡± Naransonia involuntarily gasped. Ronan, appearing suddenly, was crouched as if he hadnded from a great height. Just as she regained herposure to strike. ng! The lines on the spikes split open, causing them to explode. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ Naransonia was shocked. The menacing spikes had turned into helpless fragments, dancing in the air. She hesitated as her gaze fell on Ronan¡¯s pure white sword, now covered in fresh blood. Ronan spoke. ¡°I can certainly inflict a much worse wound.¡± ¡¾You¡­¡¿ Naransonia¡¯s eyes widened. As she realized whose blood it was. Swoosh! A red line appeared on her chest, and blood spurted out. ¡¾Argh!¡¿ Blood gushed like a fountain, drenching the floor and ceiling. Thud! Staggering, Naransonia fell to her knees and copsed. Her vision blurred and then was consumed by darkness. Ronan sighed in relief, confirming she wouldn¡¯t rise again. ¡°¡­Thank you, Lynn.¡± [You¡¯re wee.] Lynn¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. The de of the awakened Holy Sword Lamancha glowed faintly white. The exhaustion from resonating with the Holy Sword was overwhelming. Naransonia was a formidable opponent. The title Empress of Steel was well deserved. If Lynn hadn¡¯t awakened at the scent of blood, he couldn¡¯t have guaranteed victory. [What will you do now? The situation doesn¡¯t look good.] ¡°Keep going. We need to find a ce to hide.¡± Ronan replied in a voice heavy with fatigue. Though he wanted to copse and sleep, there was no time for that. ¡°Get up¡­ you bastards.¡± Ronan staggered over to Aselle and Shullifen. Shullifen, who hade to his senses, was sitting up and panting. He spoke. ¡°Did we win¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°To have been unconscious for so long¡­ it¡¯s disgraceful.¡± Shullifen gritted his teeth. It was the most frustrated expression Ronan had ever seen him wear. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t die or shit yourself. We were in a collision with a dragon.¡± Ronan chuckled and extended a hand. Silently, Shullifen epted the support and stood up. He knew there was no time to waste. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Aselle, get up.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ R-Ronan?¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not hurt, so that¡¯s good.¡± Fortunately, Aselle woke up before Ronan had to p him. Ronan hoisted him onto his shoulder again. They were much lower down now, so it looked like they could get out quickly. After a brief regroup, they were about to start moving. ¡°My God! Lady Naransonia!¡± ¡°There they are! Everyone, halt!¡± A loudmotion erupted from behind. All three of them turned their heads simultaneously, feeling a sense of foreboding. Guards were rushing down the stairs. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Ronan put a hand to his forehead. Despite finishing quickly, it seemed the guards were well-trained. They had already activated their dragonoid transformation. Given the direct orders, they were taking no chances. ¡®If it¡¯s just the guards¡­¡¯ Ronan silently ced his hand on his sword hilt. If it was only them, they could quickly break through. Then, the guard squad split to the sides, and two men walked out. ¡¾It¡¯s true. Naransonia has fallen.¡¿ ¡¾What? The Empress of Steel really lost to a human?¡¿ The two men, impably dressed, were identical twins. The guards chanted their five-letter names. Unable to hold back, Ronan swore. ¡°Why the hell is this happening to me, damn it.¡± It was obvious even without effort that the two men were dragons,parable to Naransonia. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the end of the misfortune. Through the stairs and the wall Naransonia had smashed, people in white robes started entering one by one. ¡°What, you haven¡¯t gone farther yet?¡± ¡°You¡¯re slower than I thought.¡± They were all followers of Neb zier. There were no bishops among them, but one Lukopos was present. A boy with white hair growled at Ronan. ¡°You, you killed my sister.¡± His crimson eyes burned fiercely. Apparently, the girl with the greatsword whom Ronan had killed earlier was his sister. Ronan bit his lip. ¡®This is really too much.¡¯ Dozens of dragonoid guards and Neb zier followers, plus two dragons. Even when they fought Orsay, it wasn¡¯t this bad. ¡°Life really is¡­¡± It was a situation of utter desperation. No matter how he racked his brain, there was no usible escape. The forces of evil were slowly closing in, tightening their encirclement. Ronan and Shullifen stood side by side, backs against the wall, preparing for battle. Shullifen spoke. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°What is it, man?¡± Ronan answered without turning his head. Suddenly, Shullifen put something in Ronan¡¯s coat pocket. What was this? When he reached in, he felt a pocket watch. Shullifen continued. ¡°When you get back, give this to Miss Iril.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 241 Chapter 241 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 241: Alivrihe (2) ¡°When you get back, give this to Miss Iril.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan frowned, bewildered by the sudden statement. It felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of the things he¡¯d often heard during his past days as a punishment soldier, especially in the midst of desperate battles where death was rampant. Understanding the meaning behind the words, Ronan spat out a curse. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking something stupid, I¡¯ll really kill you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way to break through this situation. If you and Aselle survive, you can figure something out. I¡¯ll try to buy as much time as I can.¡± ¡°Buy time? Are you fucking serious?¡± Ronan let out a dryugh, incredulous. This fool was nning to sacrifice himself to save the others. Despite the dire situation, it wasn¡¯t something he expected to hear from someone who hadn¡¯t even lived half their life. Shullifen nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. We might manage to hold out for a while, but dealing with all of them is impossible. You know the state Aselle is in.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­!¡± Aselle, who was slumped over Ronan¡¯s shoulder, took a shallow breath. He was nearly depleted of mana. To make matters worse, all the mana potions they had brought were shattered during their sh with Naransonia. Of course, Ronan was aware of this but had chosen not to mention it. Spitting on the ground, he growled harshly. ¡°Stop acting tough and think about saving yourself. If you say something like that again, I¡¯ll crush your balls.¡± Shullifen remained silent. The encirclement was tightening by the moment. The guards seemed more cautious, likely because many of theirrades had died. A dragon¡¯s roar, presumably from outside the tower, echoed. Damn it, were there more than two of them? The gap had closed to about twenty paces when¡ª ¡¾Capture them alive, if possible.¡¿ ¡¾Stop wasting time and get it done.¡¿ The twin dragons spoke. The faces of the hesitant guards were now masked with anotheryer of fear. They seemed to be the type that ruthlessly drove their subordinates. With a scream, the guards charged. ¡°Kraaaghhh!!¡± ¡°Alright,e here then.¡± A cacophony of metal-d screams filled the air. Gripping his sword hilt, Ronan¡¯s de, Lamancha, glowed a vivid crimson. Swish! As he swung his sword horizontally, the emitted sword energy cut through the charging crowd. ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°Keuuukk!¡± St! Severed bodies flew into the air, with blood and entrails scattering each time he repeated the action. ¡°Orders from above! Do not retreat, suppress the intruders!¡± Despite seeing theirrades fall, the guards pressed on, trampling over the dead as they advanced. Despite their ongoing efforts to fend them off, the gap between them and the enemies was slowly closing. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. The sheer number and size of the enemies were overwhelming. And the dragons or Lycopos hadn¡¯t even stepped in yet, which meant they were in deep trouble. This is bad. His body was getting heavier, too. Suddenly, Shullifen¡¯s voice came from beside him. ¡°Move aside.¡± ¡°What?¡± Now that he thought about it, Shullifen had been oddly quiet. Sensing a surge of mana, Ronan turned his head. Shullifen, gripping his sword with both hands, was catching his breath. The de, not yet transformed by the wind, was surrounded by a bluish glow. ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Shuuuu¡­. The sound of a storm, akin to one during a typhoon, pulsed from within the sword. An immense amount of mana was condensed within the steel, waiting to be unleashed. ¡°Sh-Shullifen¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. In an instant, Shullifen¡¯s arm vanished from sight. Boooom! As the condensed storm was released, the enemies in front of them were obliterated. The wind sted through, shattering the wall on the opposite side. ¡°Keuuukk!¡± ¡°What the¡­!¡± ¡°Arghh! My legs!¡± Cries of shock erupted from all around. Nothing remained in the path where the wind had passed. A wide-open path appeared in the middle of the crowded space. Unlucky individuals caught in the middle screamed as they lost limbs. ¡¾Kaahhh!¡¿ ¡¾Nooo, Radaskaza!¡¿ One of the twin dragons was among the victims, clutching his torn-off left arm in agony. Aselle covered his mouth with both hands. ¡°Y-You severed a dragon¡¯s body!¡± It was a power that deserved to be called a secret technique. But there was no time to celebrate. Shullifen looked as exhausted as someone who had wandered the desert for ten days. ¡°¡­Indeed, it¡¯s tiring.¡± Shullifen staggered as if he were drunk. It was clear that the power came with a heavy toll on his stamina. ¡°You idiot, what are you trying to achieve by pushing yourself so hard¡­¡± Ronan was about to shout when Shullifen suddenly grabbed him by the cor and yanked him forward. His grip, surprisingly strong, didn¡¯t match his schrly appearance. Pulling Ronan close, he spoke. ¡°Clean the pocket watch once. It might be stained with blood.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Ronan had no time to respond. Whoosh! Shullifen hurled Ronan towards the crumbled wall. The guards and fanatics, still reeling from the overwhelming power, failed to stop the two as they were flung. Aselle, clinging to Ronan, was thrown along with him. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°We lost them!¡± The guards shouted in confusion. By the time they turned their heads, the two had already reached the sky outside the tower. ¡°That bastard¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. The floor they had been on was rapidly receding. The night wind roared in their ears. In the sky, several dragons circled, forming a ring. That fool had finally done it. The noise from the floor they had been on started to echo again, indicating that the fight had resumed. Crash! sh! The characteristic sound of Shullifen¡¯s wind sh tore through the air. ¡®Stay calm.¡¯ Ronan took a deep breath. His head, which had felt like it would explode, cooled slightly. The die was cast, and he needed to find a solution calmly. Shullifen likely wouldn¡¯tst long. As the Rising Star of the Empire, he could hold out for a while, but dealing with that many was impossible. Would he die, then? A fleeting memory of one of the twin dragons¡¯ words crossed his mind. ¡®Capture them alive.¡¯ Capture if possible, it had said. Although it might not be true, acting on that assumption was their best bet for now. Whatever happened, letting Shullifen¡¯s effort go to waste was not an option. ¡°Huu.¡± Having decided what needed to be done, Ronan exhaled the breath he had been holding. The blurry surroundings began toe into focus. The first thing he saw was Aselle, hanging on and screaming. ¡°Ahhh! Aaahhh!¡± Next, he saw the enormouske looming above them, reflecting the tower and night sky. It was vast,rge enough to swallow a vige. Ronan spoke. ¡°Aselle. Can you use magic?¡± ¡°Kyaaahh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m almost out of mana¡­!¡± ¡°Almost means you have some left.¡± Ronan, deep in thought, suddenly swung his sword towards the tower. Boom! The air-slicing sword energy collided with the wall, causing an explosion. He pointed to the debris falling from above. ¡°Aselle, I¡¯m not asking for much. Just match our speed with those falling pieces.¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°We need to hide our position. Hurry up.¡± Ronan urged him. He was certain there were people watching, and if only one column of water rose, they¡¯d be discovered immediately. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. He didn¡¯t know if it would work as a diversion, but they had to try something. Using thest of his mana, he shouted desperately. ¡°I-Invisible Hand!¡± The familiar spell echoed. An invisible hand grabbed their bodies, slowing their descent briefly. Ssh! As Ronan embraced Aselle, they both crashed into theke. Ssh! Pieces of debris fell almost simultaneously, exploding upon the water¡¯s surface. Hundreds ofrge and small water columns shot up from theke. The guards who were chasing them from another level stopped, bewildered. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°They seem to have fallen! Damn it, we can¡¯t tell from here¡­!¡± The guards clicked their tongues, staring at theke. They wished they could wipe it out with lightning magic, but it was one of the ces where the dragons stored their treasures, so they couldn¡¯t risk it. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes, submerged in the cold water. He saw the shimmering light near the distant surface. ¡®We survived.¡¯ Luckily, their slowed descent had prevented a fatal crash. Theke was so deep and vast that it felt like falling into the sea. Aselle, who was in Ronan¡¯s arms, spat out water. ¡°Blub!¡± Seeing him struggle but otherwise unharmed, Ronan sighed in relief and started swimming. They needed to reach a deserted shore as quickly as possible. As he ascended rapidly, Aselle began to thrash violently as if in a seizure. ¡°Grr! Ugh!¡± What¡¯s his problem now? Feeling something was off, Ronan looked down. He froze. Something enormous was moving in the dark, empty water. ¡®What¡­!¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It didn¡¯t take long to identify it. A ck dragon was rapidly approaching. Theke¡¯s surface, blending with the night sky, had concealed it from above. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Sensing danger, Ronan sped up. Judging by the fact that it had two wings, it wasn¡¯t Orsay. But that was the least of his worries. ¡®Why is something like that under theke¡­!¡¯ Ronan frantically swam, but the dragon¡¯s swimming speed far outpaced his. Just as it was closing in¡ª [Calm down. I¡¯m not on the Dragon King¡¯s side.] A voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s mind. Startled, he turned his head. ¡®What?¡¯ The voice was dry and weary, vaguely familiar. Yet he couldn¡¯t ce it. The voice spoke again. [Enter my mouth. I¡¯ll help you escape for now.] Ronan frowned at the bizarre request. He wanted to shout that it made no sense, but he couldn¡¯t, being underwater. While he hesitated near the surface, the ck dragon suddenly elerated and swallowed both of them in an instant. **** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. His vision was hazy, like looking through fog. A musty, indescribable smell filled his nose. He heard water flowing nearby. Slowly, he sat up. He remembered encountering the ck dragon underwater, but everything after that was a blur. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± As his vision cleared, the surroundings came into focus. It looked like a massive cave, with walls and floor polished smooth. A campfire crackled beside him. The arched ceiling was so high it was barely visible. Ronan urgently looked around, remembering Aselle. ¡°Damn it, Aselle.¡± Thankfully, Aselle was nearby, lying by the fire. He was breathing. Relieved, Ronan sighed and sat down. Their clothes were somewhat dry, indicating they¡¯d been unconscious for a while. As he scanned the area again, he murmured in disbelief. ¡°¡­Where are we?¡± ¡°The sewers.¡± ¡°What?¡± The answer came from behind. Ronan quickly stood and turned. An old man with his hands behind his back was looking down at him. ¡°To be precise, the sewers the City of Dragons, Arden. You won¡¯t find anything like this anywhere else on the continent.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in recognition. It was the innkeeper who had served drinks with him and Orsay. Unlike before, his rolled-up sleeves revealed a metal prosthetic hand. Ronan asked. ¡°You saved us?¡± ¡°You could say that. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you since the tavern. After hearing the Dragon King¡¯s threats, I came to check and saw you fall into theke.¡± ¡°Wait, theke? So, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Yes, a dragon.¡± The old man nodded, speaking calmly as if it were obvious. He admitted he was the ck dragon who had swallowed them. Ronanughed incredulously. This time, he hadn¡¯t noticed at all. The old man had hidden his presence even better than Orsay. ¡°This is surprising.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you ck dragons are good at disguising?¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t make sense of this old man. Suddenly, the old man squatted down, studying Ronan¡¯s face closely before speaking. ¡°You really look alike. Too much alike.¡± ¡°Look like who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say just one person. You resemble both the one I respect the most and the one I despise the most. You¡¯re not from the Cult, are you?¡± The old man trailed off. Hearing ¡°Cult,¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. A dragon¡¯s image shed through his mind. ck dragon, metal prosthetic hand recing a severed left hand. Connecting the dots, Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°¡­Alivrihe?¡± ¡°So you know my name.¡± The old man sighed deeply. Now Ronan noticed the faint, shimmering mana around his shoulders. As he fiddled with his prosthetic hand, he spoke. ¡°So, who are you? Did youe here to ruin my first andst vacation?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 242 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 242: Alivrihe (3) ¡°So, who exactly are you? Did youe here to ruin my first andst vacation?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was indeed Alivrihe. However, he looked so different from the man he had encountered in the Savior¡¯s memories¡ªsomeone once robust and full of spirit. Ronan sensed there was a story behind this transformation but didn¡¯t press for details. There were more immediate concerns. He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Vacation?¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you answered my question first.¡± ¡°I can tell you, but¡­ you¡¯re not going to rat us out to the Leader, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re suspicious, you don¡¯t have to say anything. But then our conversation ends here. Just know that my thoughts on the cult are far from positive.¡± The old man¡¯s demeanor was formidable¡ªgentle yet unwavering. His experience was evident. After a brief pause, Ronan nodded. ¡°Alright, fair enough.¡± This wasn¡¯t the type of person who would respond to threats. Plus, if he had ill intentions, he wouldn¡¯t have saved them. Ronan pointed to himself and the sleeping Aselle. ¡°I¡¯m Ronan, and the one sleeping there is Aselle. So¡­¡± Ronan briefly exined their identities and purpose for being in Adren, carefully omitting any details that could lead to them being tracked if things went wrong. Alivrihe listened attentively, tossing logs into the fire as Ronan spoke. In the vast, empty space, Ronan¡¯s voice echoed. The flickering firelight cast long shadows in the sewer. After listening to Ronan¡¯s story, Alivrihe slowly nodded. ¡°¡­I see. You came all the way to Adren to stop the cult. Impressive.¡± ¡°It was easier than expected. By the way, thanks for earlier.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ronan suddenly bowed his head. Alivrihe¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± ¡°You saved us. Honestly, I had no idea how we¡¯d get to the sewer.¡± Ronan expressed his gratitude sincerely. It was his principle to acknowledge the good deeds done for him. While he wasn¡¯t fully ready to trust this old man, it was a fact that they had been saved because of him. Alivrihe, initially taken aback, spoke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not the cult Leader¡¯s child. I was somewhat suspicious.¡± ¡°Hm? Why the sudden certainty?¡± ¡°Because no one with that monster¡¯s blood would ever thank anyone, much less bow their head. You can see it in the Lycopos.¡± Alivrihe¡¯s voice dripped with disdain as he mentioned the cult. It was clear their rtionship wasn¡¯t amicable. ¡°So, who are you really¡­? Could it be what this old man is thinking?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t deny it. He had to reveal at least this much. After all, they wouldn¡¯t know his exact location or whether he was alive until he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m the son of the Savior, Cain.¡± ¡°My god¡­¡± Alivrihe sighed, slowly running his palm down his face before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I heard that name. To think he had a son¡­ Is he still alive?¡± ¡°Who knows. Now it¡¯s your turn, old man.¡± Ronan smiled wryly. It was time to get something in return for what he had shared. Alivrihe, looking at him with mild disbelief, chuckled. ¡°¡­That smile is just like your father¡¯s.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ronan¡¯s smile widened. Alivrihe was about to speak when suddenly, the ground and walls began to shake as if an earthquake had struck. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ronan frowned, sensing the musty air trembling. Distant voices, like shouts, echoed sporadically. Alivrihe clicked his tongue. ¡°It seems Azidahaka has started his pursuit in earnest. The surface must be in chaos.¡± Ronan realized the sounds wereing from above ground. With a gesture, Alivrihe extinguished the fire, smothering it as if with a nket. ¡°Let¡¯s move. Follow me.¡± With hands behind his back, Alivrihe walked deeper into the sewer. Ronan followed, carrying Aselle without waking him. Most mages recovered mana while sleeping, and Ronan wanted Aselle to rest as much as possible. ¡°Mmm¡­ uhh¡­¡± ¡°Sleep well. You won¡¯t get another chance for a while.¡± Footsteps echoed. The sewers of Adren were unlike any other Ronan had seen¡ªvast and spacious. The sheer size of the waterways,parable torge rivers, was impressive. ¡®This ce is huge.¡¯ The dragons sure thought big. As Ronan marveled at the scale and craftsmanship, Alivrihe, walking ahead, began to speak. ¡°¡­Vacation, as I said, is just that. For the first time since the founding of Neb zier, I left the cult and returned to my homnd. Except for the cult Leader, no one knows that I¡¯m here.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] It was an answer to Ronan¡¯s initial question. The water was so loud that Ronan had to strain to listen. True to his word, Alivrihe began to talk about himself. ¡°The tavern where we first met was something I ran as a hobby. A small pleasure in my old age. I can¡¯t run it anymore because of a reckless young man, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. So that was a hobby, but I wonder why you were at a tavern instead of a forge.¡± ¡°How do you know I was a cksmith?¡± ¡°Well, fighting the cult, I learned a lot about you. You¡¯re quite famous.¡± Ronan yed it off. He didn¡¯t mention sharing the Savior¡¯s memories. Revealing all his cards would be premature. ¡°And my girlfriend uses a whip you made. It was used by a woman named Yuria.¡± ¡°Ah, I know what you mean. It¡¯s a tricky weapon. Impressive that she¡¯s adapted to it.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± They exchanged stories. Though Ronan wanted to get to the point, he decided to lead the conversation naturally to avoid mishaps. Suddenly, Alivrihe asked. ¡°So, what exactly happened with Azidahaka? I really don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± ¡°That lunatic? He¡¯s a bastard who¡¯d sell his parents to win against Navardose.¡± Recalling the situation made Ronan¡¯s blood boil. Of all people to side with¡­ Ronan, with a voice full of anger, exined what had transpired at the Sky Tower. The jealousy towards Navardose, the pact with the cult, and the mysterious ritual drawing power from the stars. He concluded with Shullifen¡¯s story. Alivrihe stroked his beard thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate about yourrade. However, since they mentioned capturing them alive, he¡¯s likely not dead. One of the few merits of dragons is that they keep their word.¡± ¡°I have to believe that.¡± Ronan clenched his fist. He had to rescue that fool no matter what. Alivrihe let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Azidahaka made a foolish choice. I had heard rumors that Abel contacted Adren, but I didn¡¯t think it was true.¡± ¡°Do you think the Dragon King can defeat Navardose with that power?¡± ¡°Hard to say. But one thing is certain: once the ritual isplete, Adren will be destroyed.¡± Alivrihe spoke calmly, so calmly that it took Ronan a moment to grasp the meaning. Ronan stopped in his tracks. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°The ritual atop the Sky Tower isn¡¯t just to augment his power. It¡¯s a method to lure a being from the far skies using the immense power of the Dragon King and Adren as bait. Sure, it¡¯ll make him stronger, but¡­¡± ¡°A being from the sky? Are you talking about those giants¡­ah,¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Alivrihe stopped walking. Ronan gasped, realizing he had spoken too soon in his excitement. ¡®Damn it, that was careless.¡¯ Ronan bit his lower lip. This was a delicate situation. If Alivrihe still had any loyalty to the cult, he might try to eliminate him. Ronan¡¯s hand slowly moved towards his sword hilt. ¡®Should I strike first?¡¯ A tense silence filled the space between them. Ronan was ready to draw his sword at any moment. After a few seconds, Alivrihe¡¯s reaction was entirely unexpected. ¡°Haha¡­ you¡¯ve already uncovered that much. It seems the cult¡¯s secrets are out.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Alivrihe suddenly startedughing. It wasn¡¯t an evilugh; he seemed genuinely amused. Ronan felt uneasy. Unable to contain himself, he pressed for more information. ¡°Damn it, stopughing and exin. What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothingplicated. But I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡± Alivrihe seemed surprisingly cooperative, clearly harboring negative feelings towards the cult. As Ronan waited with bated breath for Alivrihe¡¯s next words, the old man turned and began walking deeper into the sewer. ¡°Hey, you said you¡¯d exin.¡± ¡°I will. But first, there¡¯s someone you need to meet.¡± ¡°Someone I need to meet?¡± Ronan asked, but Alivrihe didn¡¯t answer. He just continued walking, his figure receding into the distance. Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± This sudden change in direction was baffling, but with no other options, Ronan followed him. The scenery remained monotonous. This ce was like the shadow of the brilliant city above. Rats scurried about at the sound of their footsteps, and asionally, they came across human skeletons. Most of the skeletons were picked clean, likely the remains of servants abandoned by their masters. Perhaps they had fled here to avoid being exiled from Adren. Ronan looked up at the ceiling. ¡®What a mess.¡¯ He could hear voices through the drains, calling out as they searched for him and Aselle. The noise had grown louder, suggesting more troops had been deployed. While he couldn¡¯t be sure without seeing for himself, the situation seemed dire. Who could Alivrihe be leading him to in such chaos? After about an hour of walking straight, Alivrihe turned a corner. He spoke without looking back. ¡°We¡¯re here. You¡¯vee a long way.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. So who am I supposed to meet¡­?¡± Grumbling, Ronan turned the corner, and instantly froze as if rooted to the ground. The smell of blood hit him. In the center of a room that looked like it hadn¡¯t seen use in a long time, a man was sitting cross-legged. ¡°You¡­!¡± A singlentern flickered beside him. The man¡¯s long hair hung down to his sides like willow branches. Although his eyes were closed, his identity was unmistakable. It was the Dark Dragon Orsay. ¡®Why is that bastard here?¡¯ Orsay¡¯s well-toned abdomen was wrapped in thick bandages. A pile of bloodied bandages in the corner indicated he had lost a significant amount of blood. Herbs, presumably for healing, were scattered around. Was this some kind of trap? The hand not supporting Aselle moved slowly towards the hilt of his sword . Alivrihe waved his metal hand towards Orsay. ¡°Hey, how are you feeling?¡± His tone was casual, as if greeting an old friend. Orsay opened his eyes and growled lowly at Alivrihe. ¡¾You speak as if nothing happened. If you hadn¡¯t reported it, none of this would have urred.¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s absurd. I reported it to warn you to flee, but you recklessly charged ahead. I assure you, if I hadn¡¯t, you would have died unnoticed.¡± ¡¾Silence, old man. I¡¯ve recovered enough; I¡¯m leaving.¡¿ Watching their exchange, Ronan was bewildered. Despite their bickering, they didn¡¯t seem to have a bad rtionship. What the hell is going on? Alivrihe sighed. ¡°Ungrateful fool. Leaving is your business, but first, you should have a chat with this friend here.¡± ¡¾A chat?¡¿ Orsay tilted his head in confusion. Alivrihe stepped aside without a word. Ronan, standing behind him, locked eyes with Orsay. An awkward silence ensued. Ronan spoke first. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± ¡¾It hasn¡¯t been that long, kid.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 243 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 243: Alivrihe (4) ¡¾It hasn¡¯t been that long, kid.¡¿ Orsay growled, his menacing aura still as sharp as a well-honed de. Ronan kept his gaze fixed on him and asked Alivrihe. ¡°¡­Why is this bastard here?¡± ¡°I found him copsed in a corner and brought him here for treatment. We know each other.¡± ¡°Know each other?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Now that he thought about it, Alivrihe had disappeared after themotion, likely to find Orsay. Memories of conversations heard within the Savior¡¯s memory began to slowly surface. Alivrihe had once told the Savior about Orsay before the Savior set out to meet Navardose. Surely, he warned that humans would try to settle in thatnd, so they should scatter their elsewhere. The expression Alivrihe used seemed to refer to that time. Orsay spoke. ¡¾Stop pretending. How long are you going to bring up things that happened before the Empire was founded?¡¿ ¡°Too much hostility between ck kin. Don¡¯t you know how to say thank you?¡± ¡¾Hah, kin. Maybe I¡¯ll consider it if you stop pretending to be an old man.¡¿ Ronan nced at Alivrihe. So this guy was deliberately presenting himself as an old man. Alivrihe, noticing Ronan¡¯s look, cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t misunderstand. There¡¯s no deep reason. Pretending to be a dying old man means the cult gives me fewer tasks.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything.¡± Ronan shook his head. Orsay, watching the two, spoke up. ¡¾So what¡¯s your game, bringing this brat to me? Are you offering him to me as a snack?¡¿ ¡°I thought you two might have aligned interests. I¡¯ll leave you two to talk.¡± ¡°Aligned interests? Wait, where are you going?¡± Ronan asked, but Alivrihe didn¡¯t answer. He turned and left the room without another word. The two men, now alone, scowled at each other. ¡¾I have nothing to say to you. Give me the location of that damned sword and Navardose and get lost.¡¿ ¡°Why don¡¯t you kiss my ass?¡± ¡¾There¡¯s a limit to insolence. Do you think I can¡¯t dispose of a single brat like you just because I¡¯m injured?¡¿ Suddenly, dark energy began to emanate from Orsay¡¯s shoulders. Thentern beside him flickered dangerously. He slowly stood up, growling. ¡¾Last chance. Tell me where Navardose is.¡¿ ¡°Ha¡­ fuck.¡± Ronan sighed. It wasn¡¯t fear, but frustration. Talking to Orsay was like talking to a rock. He couldn¡¯t understand Alivrihe¡¯s intention. Mentioning aligned interests meant the old man knew Orsay¡¯s goals. The situation was making him increasingly anxious. Only two days remained until the ritual¡¯spletion, and Shullifen¡¯s fate was unknown. Amidst his frustration, a thought struck him like a gust of wind. ¡®Wait, could it be?¡¯ Ronan thought he understood Alivrihe¡¯s words. After a moment of contemtion, he sighed deliberately. ¡°Fine, if you really want to know. That woman is in a ce called Drimore.¡± ¡¾If you don¡¯t want to talk, then you¡¯ll die here¡­ What?¡¿ Orsay¡¯s eyes widened, clearly not expecting such a straightforward answer. The deadly aura he exuded momentarily subsided. ¡¾¡­Drimore? Where is that?¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s a fortress floating high in the sky. There¡­¡± Ronan briefly exined Drimore, emphasizing its mystical location, the surrounding scenery, and the fact that Navardose was there. Orsay stared intently at Ronan, as if ready to rip his head off at any sign of a lie. But Ronan didn¡¯t lie; he just withheld certain information. Orsay¡¯s face gradually showed anticipation. After listening, he spoke. ¡¾¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like a lie. So how do I get there?¡¿ ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡¾What?¡¿ Orsay¡¯s expression darkened. This was the crucial part. Ronan gathered his thoughts and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve only been there once, so I really don¡¯t know. I got there by repeatedly using spatial magic. But there¡¯s one person here in Adren who knows.¡± ¡¾Who is it?¡¿ ¡°The Dragon King, Azidahaka. That bastard has the guts to ignore Navardose¡¯s letter.¡± Ronan continued nonchntly. He summarized the ritual taking ce at the top of the Sky Tower and its purpose, mentioning the third head and the impending war. Orsay clenched his teeth upon hearing this. ¡¾That bastard ns to strike Navardose before me? Ridiculous¡­!¡¿ ¡°You lost to that ridiculous bastard, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡¾If you want to die, keep running your mouth. I only lost because I was caught off guardst time. In a fair fight, I would never lose.¡¿ The sound of teeth grinding was audible. Ronan felt relieved seeing Orsay¡¯s reaction. ¡®Thank goodness. A dragon is still a dragon.¡¯ It seemed Orsay was almost convinced. His obsession with Navardose wasn¡¯t just strategic. It also stemmed from a desire to personally defeat the strongest dragon in history. ¡°What will you do now?¡± ¡¾I¡¯m going to the Sky Tower immediately. You gave me information, so I¡¯ll spare your life. Now hand over that cursed sword and get lost.¡¿ ¡°You¡¯re impatient. I have a better idea. Want to hear it?¡± ¡¾A better idea?¡¿ Orsay¡¯s eyebrow twitched. It was time for the decisive blow. Ronan spoke with confidence. ¡°Yeah. You shoulde up the tower with us. I have business there too.¡± ¡¾That¡¯s ridiculous. Why would I, a dragon, do such a thing with a human?¡¿ ¡°You bastard. I knew you¡¯d react like this. Just stop being stubborn¡­¡± Orsay scoffed. Ronan had expected this reaction, so it didn¡¯t really bother him. Just as he was about to continue speaking, a voice came from nearby. ¡¾We can¡¯t rule out the possibility that they¡¯ve hidden in the sewer. Search thoroughly.¡¿ ¡°Yes, Sir Pantheon.¡± Both their faces stiffened simultaneously. It was unmistakably human voices. The distance was roughly 70 meters, and judging by the footsteps, there were about ten people. ¡°Damn it, they¡¯ve already gotten this far.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He had anticipated this, but he didn¡¯t expect them to start searching the sewer so quickly. Alivrihe was still nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Orsay started moving towards the entrance. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡¾Insects have swarmed. I¡¯ll get rid of them.¡¿ ¡°There¡¯s also a dragon among them. Aren¡¯t you overestimating yourself, considering your injuries?¡± ¡¾Ha, overestimating?¡¿ Orsayughed derisively. Instead of answering, he thrust his hand into his chest. Not into a pocket or anything like that, but literally into his own flesh. ¡°What¡­!¡± Ronan frowned at the bizarre sight. However, there was no blood or tearing of flesh. Orsay¡¯s skin seemed to ept his arm as if it were water. Shhh! Soon, Orsay¡¯s arm emerged, holding the same ck spear Ronan had seen at the Aurora Skar. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡¾Watch your mouth.¡¿ The spearhead was still twisted into a vicious spiral. Suddenly, Orsayunched himself forward with a powerful leap. His movements were so fast that his form blurred, and it all happened in the blink of an eye. ¡°Wait¡­ that guy!¡± ¡¾Orsay, so you were here!¡¿ ¡°Araaghh! Spare me!¡± Desperate screams began to echo. That madman! Cursing under his breath, Ronan hurriedly ran towards themotion. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the scene. He stopped and let out a bitterugh. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± The situation was already over. The water¡¯s surface was stained red. The scent of blood and the stench of the sewer mingled heavily in the air. Shredded bodies were floating down the sewer. ¡¾You¡­ bastard¡­¡¿ A man, who seemed to be a dragon, was dying, slumped against the wall with Orsay¡¯s ck spear impaled in his chest. Orsay, covered in blood, stood in the midst of the carnage. ¡¾Say it again. Overestimating myself? Do you still think I need your help after seeing this?¡¿ He turned to Ronan, speaking with arrogance, cruelty, and power that befitted a dragon. His bandages hade undone, revealing his abdomen, which had healed, leaving only scars. Just then, the dying man raised his hand towards Orsay. ¡¾¡­Die.¡¿ ¡¾Hmm?¡¿ Orsay¡¯s eyes widened. He quickly turned, but the man¡¯s hand had already formed a magic circle. As an unknown spell was about to manifest, Ronan reflexively drew his sword. Paah! A sh of sunset-colored light flickered, and the dying man¡¯s body was pulled right in front of Ronan. ¡¾What¡­ Guh!¡¿ The man¡¯s eyes widened. Swoosh! Ronan thrust his sword through his heart. The man let out a final death rattle before his body slumped into the sewer. Ssh. The body sank into the water and didn¡¯t surface again. An awkward silence settled. Ronan nced at Orsay and chuckled. ¡°Seems like you were wrong.¡± ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Orsay¡¯s eyes trembled. His face, though covered in blood, was likely flushed with anger. Of course, it was a situation he should feel embarrassed about. Just then, Aselle, who was slung over Ronan¡¯s shoulder, screamed. ¡°Hyaaah! We¡¯re going to be eaten!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Ronan cursed. He almost screamed in response. As soon as he let go, Aselle fell andnded on his backside. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°You scared the hell out of me.¡± ¡°Hiick¡­ Hiieek¡­ R-Ronan?¡± Aselle finally recognized Ronan. He was terrified, but hisplexion looked much better than before. Judging by his reaction, he seemed to remember up to the point when Alivrihe swallowed them by theke. Aselle looked around like a startled rabbit and whimpered. ¡°Wh-where are we? We were swallowed by a dragon¡­ Ah! Dead bodies!¡± ¡¾Quiet. What is that?¡¿ ¡°A friend of mine.¡± Orsay frowned at Ronan¡¯s answer. The tense atmosphere lightened considerably. ¡¾Come to think of it, I think I saw him in the north.¡¿ ¡°Eek! A d-dragon?!¡± Aselle jumped again upon seeing Orsay. Suddenly, footsteps were heard. The three of them turned their heads simultaneously to see Alivrihe standing there. ¡°What¡¯s thismotion? I rushed back because of the noise, but it seems it¡¯s already over.¡± Alivrihe held a basket full of food. It seemed he had gone to get supplies. He sighed as he surveyed the scene. ¡°Can¡¯t even rest properly. Did the conversation go well?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Ronan nodded. Aselle hurriedly hid behind him, while Orsay remained silent, likely still wrestling with his shame. Alivrihe spoke. ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ll settle right under their noses.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 244 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] C hapter 244: With the Dragon (1) They continued to follow Alivrihe for quite some time without knowing their exact destination. Along the way, Aselle fainted and revived again upon realizing that the long-haired man with no shirt was indeed Orsay. With the searchwork expanding, they frequently encountered the Dragon King¡¯s minions. ¡°Die¡­ keukk!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here! Request reinforcements¡­ arghhh!¡± It seemed they encountered enemies roughly every thirty minutes. Ronan and Orsay dealt with them swiftly upon encounter. They usually sensed the enemies¡¯ presence before turning a corner, and then killed them as soon as they rounded the bend. Limbs flew through the air with each movement of spear and sword. They made sure to finish off any survivors to prevent them from alerting the main force. Once, a group of seemingly strong half-dragon soldiers attacked from the rear. ¡°Hyaaaah! Here theye!¡± Aselle, who was walking at the back, iled his arms in panic. Boom! The invisible punch sent the soldiers flying as if they were balls. ¡°Guuhh¡­!¡± Thud! They crashed into the opposite wall over thirty paces away and copsed, lifeless. Orsay muttered in disbelief. ¡¾¡­Instant death. All five of them.¡¿ ¡°He¡¯s an ingenious killing machine. You should be careful around him. His hobby is charming people with his pretty face and then ripping their guts out.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve never done that!¡± Ronanughed. Judging by his power output, Aselle had recovered enough strength while he slept. Though Aselle vehemently denied it, Orsay seemed somewhat impressed. ¡¾A killing machine, huh. Not bad.¡¿ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Enough chatter. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Alivrihe, who was walking ahead, furrowed his brow. After about an hour of walking, they finally reached their destination. It was an empty space simr to where they had met Orsay but significantlyrger. Water cascaded from high up the wall through a drainage outlet, creating a waterfall. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Without any exnation, he knew where they were. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is beneath the Sky Tower.¡± Alivrihe set down the basket of supplies he had been carrying. He exined that following the drainage outlet would lead them to the first floor of the Sky Tower. Settling right under the enemy¡¯s nose, so to speak. Ronan spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ thank you, really.¡± ¡°I did it because I wanted to, so no need to thank me. And let me be clear: this is as far as my involvement goes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected statement. Orsay also looked at Alivrihe with a puzzled expression. Alivrihe continued. ¡°The reason I saved and helped you was more to satisfy my personal curiosity than out of goodwill. Old people like me tend to want to do various things. I¡¯ll be stepping back from here.¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened. The sudden change of stance was disconcerting. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop the Dragon King¡¯s ritual, everyone will be in danger, including you.¡± ¡°Indeed. It won¡¯t be just any danger. Do you remember when I said this was my first andst vacation?¡± Ronan raised an eyebrow, recalling the conversation they had before meeting Orsay. ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°Good. There was a reason I said that. I heard that due to the recent simultaneous mishaps within the church, Abel¡¯s n has changed.¡± ¡°Changed¡­?¡± Ronan had a bad feeling. Alivrihe nodded. ¡°Yes. If I remember correctly, Abel mentioned that he would hasten the arrival of the Stars. Judging by the situation, it seems he ns to fire the signal here. Once the ritual isplete, the first Star will descend.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The arrival of the Stars undoubtedly referred to the massive appearance of the bald giants he had seen before his death. The idea of summoning the first Star was terrifying. Alivrihe continued. ¡°I think he decided it would be risky to dy any further. It¡¯s unfortunate.¡± ¡°What the hell¡­ What exactly are those giants?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Only the Leader Abel knows the truth. The beings who lend us the power we call ¡®authority¡¯¡­¡± Alivrihe¡¯s face darkened for a moment, recalling a horrifying memory. He had once witnessed Abelmunicating with the beings in the sky. It was a night when the sky was filled with stars. Abel stood in the middle of a vast field, arms raised to the night sky, with waves of the church¡¯s power swirling around him like a song. In front of Abel, the form of a winged giant flickered in and out of existence. It was a secret ritual, with no other church members present. Alivrihe had been overwhelmed by the giant¡¯s presence, struggling to breathe. Abel had turned to him, gripping his neck, and said: ¨C Isn¡¯t it magnificent? Alivrihe bit his lower lip. Even after hundreds of years, the memory was vivid. It was around then that his hope for Abel evering to his senses was shattered. After a moment of reflection, Alivrihe spoke again. ¡°Anyway, this is as much as I can tell and help you with. Since we seem to have reached some understanding, do your best.¡± ¡°Damn it, if it¡¯s such a serious situation, shouldn¡¯t we all try to stop it together? Don¡¯t leave us now¡­ Oh.¡± Snap! Ronan, trying to find a way to persuade Alivrihe, snapped his fingers. He remembered he still had something to tell him. ¡°I gave you something, so I¡¯ll tell you something in return. Cain is still alive. I can¡¯t give details, but he might recover if he gets Abel¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Alivrihe flinched. Sensing his wavering eyes, Ronan cheered inwardly. However, Alivrihe soon closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good news. But it doesn¡¯t change my mind.¡± ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes. While it¡¯s a blessing that Cain is alive, nothing changes. Even if he recovers, it¡¯s impossible to stop Abel now.¡± An oppressive silence fell. Ronan looked at Alivrihe¡¯s face. His eyes were empty, like an abandoned garden, with only dead leaves remaining where flowers and trees once stood. ¡°I¡¯m tired. As I said, I don¡¯t want my first andst vacation to be disrupted. If the church discovers my rebellion, it will only make things more troublesome. Consider this my way of facing the end.¡± Ronan twisted his lips silently. It was clear that Alivrihe¡¯s spirit had been utterly broken by some past trauma. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ There was no solution. Even knowing Cain was alive, he reacted this way, leaving Ronan with no options. This wasn¡¯t something he could force or threaten. After a long pause, Ronan spoke. ¡°¡­If that¡¯s how you feel, I can¡¯t do anything about it. Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been enjoyable. I wish you sess in your endeavors.¡± Alivrihe gave a wry smile. He shook hands with Ronan once before leaving. Ronan watched him until his figure disappeared around a corner. The sound of his retreating footsteps felt particrly deste. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion. The sudden news of the Stars¡¯ arrival being elerated was the most shocking thing he had heard in years. It was akin to the shock of hearing that your unmarried lover was pregnant. ¡®¡­Now is not the time to look at the big picture.¡¯ Ronan clenched his fist as he gathered his thoughts. Even if the Stars¡¯ arrival had been hastened, he had to focus on what needed to be done now. He needed to destroy the Dragon King¡¯s magic circle and rescue Shullifen, who was likely captured alive. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s face twisted as he turned his head. Orsay was sittingfortably in front of the basket Alivrihe had brought, gnawing on a dried pork leg. Orsay suddenly offered a simr piece to Aselle. ¡°Eat. Killing machine.¡± ¡°U-uh¡­ It¡¯s okay, really. And my name is Aselle¡­¡± ¡°When I say eat, you eat.¡± ¡°Hi-hi! O-okay, I¡¯ll eat¡­¡± Aselle whimpered as he took the pork leg, which was almost as big as his head. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Orsay only resumed eating after watching Aselle take a bite and swallow. For some reason, they seemed to have grown somewhat close. Ronan, watching this absurd scene, finally spoke. ¡°¡­What are you two doing?¡± ¡°Seems like the boring talk is finally over.¡± Orsay¡¯s voice was noticeably softer. He tossed the bone behind him and muttered. ¡°You can¡¯t even tell by looking? We¡¯re eating before the fight.¡± ¡°¡­Seems like it.¡± Ronan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at their nonchnt demeanor. Unlike him, Orsay didn¡¯t seem to care much about Alivrihe leaving. That was so like a dragon. ¡°And after thinking it over, I¡¯ll ept your proposal.¡± ¡°Proposal? You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll join you temporarily. Consider it an honor.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t understand why Orsay had suddenly changed his mind. Orsay continued. ¡°You and this mage both have some usefulness. I don¡¯t want to waste my strength, so I¡¯ll help clear the way to the top for you.¡± ¡°This bastard¡­ No, never mind. Good decision.¡± Ronan let the rude tone slide. It wasn¡¯t the time to bicker amongst themselves, and such a statement wouldn¡¯t havee from Orsay unless he genuinely trusted them. Dragons didn¡¯t mince words. ¡°But if you drag me down, I won¡¯t hesitate to give you the most painful death imaginable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± Ronan chuckled. He then sat down and began eating the remaining food. Whether it was because he had been starving or because he had been so active, the food tasted incredibly good. His heated mind began to cool down. Yes. For now, he had to focus on what he could do. **** ¡°Hey, have you heard anything about Lady Naransonia? Has she recovered, or regained consciousness¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ She was deeply wounded, but they¡¯re trying everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still hard to believe that the Empress of Steel was taken down by a mere human.¡± ¡°She was fine when she reprimanded us. It¡¯s all so perplexing.¡± The emergency had been dered for some time now. Two guards, having justpleted their search mission, were chatting in the bathroom on the first floor of the Sky Tower. They were the same guards who had been reprimanded by Naransonia for talking about the Dragon King¡¯s ritual. A magical light floated above the human-sized urinals, casting a glow. Although they had to get back soon, given the chaos in Adren, this short break felt like a sweet respite. ¡°By the way, has that madman been caught? The one who was buying time for hisrades¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Barely. I heard Lord Radavankaza is in charge of his interrogation.¡± ¡°Must have been a lot of casualties too, right? They say he¡¯s a different human than the one who took down Lady Naransonia.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. They¡¯re still cleaning up the bodies. The pride of the Sky Tower has been tarnished.¡± The guard with the scar on his cheek shook his head. He shivered at the thought that he could have been assigned to that scene. The human youth who had bought time for hisrades had killed nearly a hundred enemies before being overpowered. The bearded guard scoffed. ¡°Hah, all excuses. They bled because they couldn¡¯t handle one human. If I had been there, I would have snapped the necks of three at once.¡± ¡°You talk big for someone who trembled before Lady Naransonia. Your boasting will get you killed someday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. No human can beat me. Human or not, even the Dark Dragon Orsay cane if they dare.¡± Heughed, pretending to wield his spear. The scarred guard sighed. As they prepared to return, they heard a faint voice. ¨C Aselle, did you hear that? He¡¯s alive. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Both guards heard it clearly. It was the voice of a young maning from somewhere in the bathroom. The bearded guard stopped in his tracks. ¡°Hey. Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s iting from?¡± They began to search the area like meerkats. Though the voice didn¡¯t repeat, they could sense someone¡¯s presence. ng. The sound of metal shing echoed from somewhere. The scarred guard¡¯s eyes turned to the drain on the floor. ¡°Is there something down there¡­?¡± The scarred guard bent down and peered into the drain. It was dark, making it hard to see. The bearded guard was about to chide him when suddenly, with a deafening crash, the floor exploded as something burst out from below. ¡°Wh-what the¡­?!¡± It happened in an instant. The bearded guard fell back, shocked. It was like a small volcano had erupted. As he struggled to regain his bnce, he heard a voice. ¡°Damn it, of all ces, it had to be a bathroom. How filthy.¡± ¡¾Disgusting.¡¿ ¡°Y-you! Y-you really came back¡­!¡± The scarred guard, regaining his bnce, looked up. Hisrade, who had been peering into the drain, was now hanging from the ceiling, half-buried. Three figures, each distinctly different, stood on the shattered bathroom floor. ¡°Y-you¡­?!¡± The guard¡¯s eyes widened. Their appearances matched what he had heard. The two intruders who had dared to spy on the Dragon King, and the polymorphed Dark Dragon Orsay. What were they doing here? Ronan¡¯s eyes locked onto him. ¡°Aha. It¡¯s you.¡± It was the voice he had heard discussing Shullifen. Swish! In an instant, Ronan drew his sword and pointed it at the guard¡¯s neck. The frozen guard gasped. ¡°P-please, spare me¡­¡± He instinctively knew he couldn¡¯t win against the human before him. His earlier bravado evaporated like a dandelion in a storm. He hadn¡¯t even seen him draw the sword. Orsay and Aselle watched silently from behind. Ronan leaned in close, their noses almost touching, and spoke. ¡°Tell me more about that interrogation you just mentioned.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 245 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 245: With the Dragon (2) The first floor of the Sky Tower served as its lobby, as one might expect from any grand building. The expansive space was adorned with luxurious statues, paintings, and a chandelier nearly the size of a small whale. Its grandeur was such that it made the imperial pce¡¯s ballroom seem like a modest vigemunity center. However, a few minutes after the mysterious explosion in the bathroom, this most distinguished lobby had transformed into a hellishndscape where even vagrants wouldn¡¯t dare tread. Corpsesy scattered everywhere. The air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood. Gem-encrusted statues were shattered, resembling raw ores freshly mined. Precious metals, once disyed proudly, now glinted like crumbs in pools of blood. With the chandelier having fallen, the space was shrouded in darkness, barely distinguishable from the early morning outside. Thud! The sound of a de piercing scales signaled the end of the battle. ¡¾Guhh¡­!¡¿ The dragon Pradviche¡¯s eyes widened, his vertically slit pupils narrowing as he looked behind him. He saw the longsword buried deep in his nape and the human youth gripping its hilt. It was clear he had been fatally wounded. Blood repeatedly surged into his throat, making it hard to breathe. The young man gripping the sword pushed it in deeper. ¡°Just die already, dragon.¡± ¡¾Y-you bastard¡­¡¿ ¡°You¡¯re pathetically weakpared to that Naransonia woman.¡± Hearing Ronan¡¯s assessment, Pradviche gritted his teeth. He had never imagined he would suffer such humiliation from a mere human. He deserved to swallow this insolent creature whole, but his wings and limbs were trapped in ice, rendering him immobile. This wasn¡¯t ordinary ice; it neither broke nor melted. A chilling cold, as if drawn from the shadow of death itself, was consuming his body. Toote, he regretted not targeting the mage first. He rolled his gleaming eyes towards the corner where the mage was trembling. ¡¾Y-you damned mage¡­!¡¿ ¡°Eeek!¡± Aselle shrank back, as if trying to erase his own presence. Despite his timid demeanor, the cold from his magic grew stronger. The blood pouring from Pradviche¡¯s neck and mouth froze before it could hit the ground. With a mncholic tinkling, the frozen blood shattered upon contact with the floor. ¡¾C-curse you¡­¡¿ Pradviche spat, looking back at Ronan. The light in his eyes dimmed. Even twisting the de yielded no response. Confirming the dragon¡¯s death, Ronan muttered indifferently. ¡°No room for your curse here.¡± Ronan pulled his arm, extracting the white de of Lamancha. The icy cold had lowered the surrounding temperature, causing steam to rise from the wound. The sinister energy of the sword flickered like a mirage. Its trait of bing sharper after drinking blood remained intact even after merging with the holy sword. He could hear Lynn¡¯s voice echoing in his mind, praising the taste of dragon¡¯s blood. ¡°Alright.¡± Ronan jumped off Pradviche¡¯s body. He looked over at Aselle, who was still shaking in the corner. ¡°You did great, Aselle. You might as well switch to being an ice mage full-time.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe I trapped a dragon¡­¡± ¡°Take pride in your magic. I¡¯ve told you before, the only thing youck is confidence.¡± Aselle nodded, still dazed. Despite having yed a crucial role in the dragon hunt, he was surprisingly timid. When Pradviche and his subordinates had charged in right after they left the bathroom, Ronan had thought they were doomed. But the fight had ended more smoothly than expected. He was d he had left Vijra behind. If his self-proimed teacher, the Winter Witch, had witnessed this scene, she would have pestered him with telepathic chatter all day. Ronan called out. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s over here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over here too. Not even a warm-up.¡± Orsay turned around. Blood dripped from the spiral de of his spear. Around himy the bodies of more than thirty half-dragons and familiars, all with holes punctured through them. Their different blood types mixed and coagted, forming a crimson carpet. A ck aura unique to Orsay rose from the long spear near the pir, like smoke. Orsay had struck or stabbed each enemy just once, and none had survived the second blow. ¡®What on earth is that made of?¡¯ Ronan shook his head in disbelief. He didn¡¯t know what material it was made of, but its durability and destructive power were terrifying. If Orsay had taken on Pradviche, the battle would have ended even faster. While pondering this, he heard a voice. ¡°M-monsters¡­¡± The bearded guard spoke up after a long silence. He had been sitting by the bathroom entrance since the battle began. He was the only survivor of this hell. Therades who had rushed in after hearing the explosion were ughtered in the blink of an eye. Ronan and Orsay¡¯s weapons cut through flesh like paper. He had known they were strong, but to think they could kill even Pradviche. Ronan walked over and stopped in front of him. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s continue our chat.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll tell you everything. Just spare me¡­!¡± The guard frantically rolled his eyes but saw no hope of escape. The translucent barrier covering the entire lobby swallowed hisst shred of hope. It was a soundproof spell that Aselle had set up at the start of the fight. It exined why no reinforcements hade during what was essentially a massacre. Ronan asked. ¡°First, where¡¯s my friend?¡± ¡°If you mean the swordsman with the dark blue hair, he¡¯s likely on the third floor. The entire floor is Lord Radavankaza¡¯sir. That¡¯s where the interrogation is happening.¡± ¡°The third floor, huh¡­ Not too far.¡± Ronan nodded. But he couldn¡¯t be too optimistic. No doubt simr guards were stationed on every floor. ¡°What do you think about going up from the outside?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not a good idea. Didn¡¯t you move from the outside when you went to the top?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Now they¡¯re aware of that too, so there are more forces stationed outside. You¡¯ll be intercepted the moment you¡¯re spotted.¡± Upon hearing the guard¡¯s words, Ronan nced out the window. Sure enough, dozens of dragons were circling the air. Half-dragon soldiers patrolled the vicinity of the tower with torches or stood on guard. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan bit his lower lip. The sight made him want to curse out loud. It seemed it would be better to ascend from the inside. ¡°¡­Guess there¡¯s no choice. One more thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where is the Dragon King during all this?¡± Ronan asked another question. He had been curious from the start, and seeing the outside only intensified his suspicion. Given the emergency, it was puzzling why the most powerful figure wasn¡¯t taking direct action. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem like the type to just sit and twiddle his thumbs.¡¯ Moreover, the troop deployment was strange. If the objective was to capture intruders like Orsay and himself, a more dispersed deployment would be logical. However, most dragons and their minions were concentrated around the Sky Tower, as if protecting something within it. The guard, huping, shook his head. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know for sure¡­ He might be in the audience chamber?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y games. Do you want to join your friends over there?¡± Ronan pointed his finger at the corpses. Therades who had scoffed at the idea of a fight nowy mangled beyond recognition beneath the fallen chandelier. ¡°I-I truly don¡¯t know. His Majesty¡¯s personal movements are kept strictly confidential¡­¡± The guard¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet. Ronan, observing his reaction, spat on the ground. The guard genuinely seemed clueless. It looked like they¡¯d need to catch someone higher up the chain to get answers. Not that those proud dragons would readily spill their secrets. ¡°Ugh, damn it.¡± Ronan sighed and swung his sword. Swish! The thin sh brushed against the mark engraved on the guard¡¯s neck. The emblem representing his master shattered and vanished. The guard clutched his neck as he felt his strength draining away. ¡°Gasp! Wh-what did you do¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer a minion of anyone.¡± Ronan spat out. It was a way to shut him up. Any ordinary human wandering around the castle was likely to be attacked, so the guard couldn¡¯t act rashly. ¡°Stay here until dawn and then get lost. If you utter a single unnecessary word¡­¡± ¡°R-Ronan! Look out!¡± In the midst of Ronan¡¯s threats, Aselle¡¯s sudden shout echoed. Sensing danger, Ronan looked up. A torrent of crimson mes was surging towards him. ¡°What the¡­!¡± The fire was faster than expected. Ronan quickly grabbed the guard by the neck and pulled back. He managed to escape, but the guard¡¯s lower half was consumed by the mes. A horrifying scream erupted. ¡°Aaaargh! Gaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan frowned as the mes died down. The spot where the guard¡¯s lower body had been was now just a charred mark. The guard, writhing in agony, finally went limp. Ronan tossed the half-burnt body aside and looked in the direction from which the mes hade. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ¡°Graaah!¡± About a dozen massive drakes were descending the grand staircase. The creatures, exhaling ck smoke, resembled living siege engines. A broad staircase that hadn¡¯t existed before had suddenly appeared to the north, likely created through magic or some other strange means. It would have been odd if such a mechanism didn¡¯t exist. ¡°There they are! Get them!¡± A voice shouted. Troops poured down from the upper floors, including half-dragon soldiers Ronan had already cut down by the dozens today. A woman in flowing silk garments rode thergest drake. ¡¾Ohoho! I came down because something felt off, and here you are. Your impudence ends here!¡¿ Sheughed, covering her mouth with her hand. Her nasallyugh echoed through the corpse-littered room. It was evident she was a polymorphed dragon. ¡°H-How did¡­!¡± Aselle gasped. Given that the silence barrier was still intact, it seemed she had just guessed ande down. Orsay, wiping the blood from his spear, muttered. ¡°What a bother. So many weaklings.¡± ¡¾The weaker they are, the more they boast. You ignorant lesser dragon. I am n¡ªKyaaah!¡¿ As she introduced herself, a scream tore from her throat. Thwack! Orsay¡¯s spear severed her left arm and pierced the skull of a drake behind her, embedding in the opposite wall. With her arm suddenly gone, she cursed, causing chaos in her ranks. Ronan didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and charged. He swung his sword deep into the enemy line. Shluck! The head of the drake she had been riding soared into the air. ¡¾Wh-what!¡¿ ¡°Gruuh¡­¡± The headless giant toppled over. Its head spun through the air, scattering blood across the already blood-soaked floor. ¡°Capture them!¡± The soldiers, finally regaining their senses, steeled themselves. The dragon woman screamed in anger, trying to get back up. Scales began to sprout on her face, indicating she intended to return to her original form. Watching this, Ronan clicked his tongue. The idea of ascending quietly was already a lost cause. The only sce was that clearing them out would let them reach the third floor. ¡°You damn bastard. You¡¯d better be alive.¡± Muttering under his breath, Ronan gripped his sword hilt. Aselle¡¯s ice spears pierced the leading enemies. Thud! As the drake¡¯s spinning head hit the floor, the battle resumed. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 246 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 246: With the Dragon (3) The battle resumed. Orsayunched himself toward the enemy lines, his feet pounding the ground. Sharp ice spikes, like protruding spines, shot up and sliced through the enemy ranks. Soldiers who couldn¡¯t dodge in time screamed in agony. ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Uhhh, ice?!¡± The ice bestowed upon Aselle by the Winter Witch pierced through the half-dragon¡¯s scales as if they were mere tofu. It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering it once brought Intargand to the brink of death. Soldiers skewered by the ice were flung into the air. ¡°Urrrgh!¡± ¡°Hey, calm down, calm¡­ aaargh!¡± Therger drakes suffered even more. They stumbled, their feet or bellies pierced, or crushed nearby soldiers in their attempts to avoid the spikes. The dragons¡¯ fire breath, in its closest form to mes, indiscriminately spewed without distinguishing friend from foe. ¡°It¡¯s deadly.¡± Ronan watched the chaos with admiration. There was nothing like a mage¡¯s wide-area attacks to start a melee. The nickname ¡°killing machine¡± was not an exaggeration. ¡°Eek! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m scared¡­!¡± It was somewhat amusing that the one orchestrating this deadly symphony was cowering in a corner. Ronan nced at Aselle and sighed. ¡°Damn it. You¡¯re the scariest thing here.¡± ¡°Kyaaa! They¡¯reing again!¡± Aselle screamed, and with a wave of his hand, three approaching half-dragons were flung away. Ronan couldn¡¯tin since Aselle was doing his part well. ¡¾You bastards dare!¡¿ A furious shout erupted from the enemy¡¯s center. Ronan turned his head and saw a woman, swollen like a sponge soaked in water,ing into view. Underneath her torn silk robes, bluish scales were revealed. ¡°Shit.¡± He had forgotten momentarily. The dragon woman, who had polymorphed, was returning to her true form. Her severed left arm wriggled as it regenerated. The energy emanating from her made his joints tingle¡ªshe was a rather powerful Blue Dragon. ¡®This could take a while.¡¯ Ronan twisted his lips. Honestly, a dragon in its original form was not an easy opponent. It would be nice if Orsay could take care of her in one go, but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where the hell did that guy go?¡± ¡°Aargh!¡± Ronan cut through soldiers, making his way across the battlefield. Hot blood sshed onto his face, and severed limbs fell like overripe fruit. His sense of smell had long been numbed. Ronan¡¯s gaze finally settled on a spot. Orsay was fighting at the far end of the enemy lines, surrounded by two people in white robes, struggling unusually. ¡°Neb zier.¡± Ronan¡¯s brow furrowed. He remembered that those two were also part of the enemy. Both appeared to be branch leaders, fighting under the Protection of the Stars. ¡®That¡¯s a bad match.¡¯ Tearing through the Protection of the Stars was different from merely being strong. Orsay seized an opening and thrust his spear. ng! A loud metallic sound echoed. ¡¾Damn it¡­!¡¿ But his attack didn¡¯t work this time either. Orsay gritted his teeth. The shimmering barrier had not a scratch. The old woman behind the barrier wore a smug smile. She met Orsay¡¯s gaze with a taunting smirk. ¡°Futile efforts, Dark Dragon.¡± ¡¾How dare you!¡¿ Orsay roared in fury. It was the first time his attacks had been blocked. This shouldn¡¯t have happened before he even reached Navardose. He took a step back, gripping his spear tightly with both hands. The dark aura around his spear intensified. ¡¾Disappear!¡¿ Orsay charged like a ck whirlwind. His fierce attack, capable of crushing a dragon¡¯s head in one blow, engulfed the two fanatics. Boom! The impact was twice as loud as before. ¡¾Impossible¡­¡¿ However, the barrier remained unscathed. For the first time, confusion spread across Orsay¡¯s face. It felt like a terrible nightmare. ¡°Now, die.¡± ¡°Everything will vanish in the name of the stars.¡± Seizing the opening, the fanatics attacked. The old woman chanted a suspicious spell, while the other swung his sword. Orsay, still in shock, stood frozen. The razor-sharp de was about to cleave him when. Swoosh! A red crescent flew in from the side, slicing through the two fanatics. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± ¡°Keuuuk.¡± Orsay¡¯s eyes widened. The invincible Protection of the Stars was shattering. Thud. The bodies, cut at the waist, fell to the ground. A familiar voice came from the direction the attack had originated. ¡°Be careful. These bastards are tough to kill.¡± Orsay quickly turned his head. Ronan stood there. Around himy the corpses of at least a dozen Neb zier fanatics. He had cleared the way so that Aselle and Orsay could rampage freely. Fortunately, there were no bishops or Lycopos, so he finished quickly. Orsay, still in shock, spoke. ¡¾¡­What did you do?¡¿ ¡°Later. It¡¯s a long exnation.¡± Instead of answering, Ronan turned away. There was no time for exnations. After confirming there were no more Neb zier, he ran up the stairs. ¡°Clear up here. I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± ¡¾Wait, hold on¡­¡¿ Orsay tried to say something, but Ronan was already halfway up the stairs. A wet scream echoed from a corner. ¡°Eeek! Please, spare me!¡± Aselle was crouched inside an ice barrier, screaming. The dragon woman, now fully transformed, was pounding on the barrier with her fist. ¡¾Come out and offer your neck, you wretch!¡¿ ¡°Aaaaah!¡± He was holding out, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯tst much longer. Despite the many enemies he had killed, there were still plenty left. Boom! Boom! With each collision of the giant fist against the barrier, the web-like cracks grewrger. Orsay, watching the scene, suddenly felt a surge of intense anger and humiliation. Am I being ignored right now? By both the enemy and that brat Ronan? ¡¾¡­I will kill you all.¡¿ Orsay growled lowly, his derationced with a double meaning. As he gripped his spear, a pair of curved horns sprouted above his head, pointing skyward. Boom! Orsay leapt into the air, casting his shadow over the heads of the enemies below. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Shullifen groaned as he opened his eyes. He couldn¡¯t clearly remember what had happened before. Only fragments of endless waves of enemies, the copsing tower, and the howling wind remained in his memory. ¡®Am I¡­ alive?¡¯ His whole body felt as if it was bruised and aching. He slowly looked around. The room was wide, filled with treasures, but it was much smallerpared to the Dragon King¡¯s audience chamber. As he tried to move, he frowned. ¡°What the¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t move his limbs or any part of his body. It was then that Shullifen realized he was tightly bound to a massive iron chair. No matter how much strength he applied, the sturdy restraints didn¡¯t budge. Then, a man¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡¾Already awake? You¡¯re quite the tough one.¡¿ The voice was familiar. Footsteps approached. Shullifen had to wait until the man appeared in front of him, as he couldn¡¯t turn his head. Soon, a gentleman in a suit appeared. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡¾Do you remember me? I¡¯m Radavanska.¡¿ The gentleman introduced himself with his hands sped behind his back. Shullifen recognized him. He was one of the dragons on the floor where Ronan and Aselle had escaped. ¡¾Before we get to the dirty business, I mustmend your prowess. I¡¯ve never seen a swordsman as skilled as you, regardless of race.¡¿ Radavanska recited Shullifen¡¯s achievements. He had cut down at least a hundred enemies of various kinds. Shullifen didn¡¯t respond. Even enhancing his strength with mana couldn¡¯t loosen the restraints. Radavanska continued. ¡¾My brother also died. The cut on his neck, following the loss of his arm, was fatal. Watching a sibling die is not a pleasant experience.¡¿ Shullifen flinched. He remembered a dragon that looked very simr to Radavanska, and he recalled severing its arm with a newly developed technique. So, he cut off his neck, too, while in a trance. He didn¡¯t even realize it. Thinking about ying a dragon gave him a sense of pride. Like other warriors, he had always dreamed of soaking his sword in dragon¡¯s blood. Just as a faint smile spread across Shullifen¡¯s lips, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his right thigh. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡¾What are you smiling about, you worthless worm?¡¿ Shullifen gritted his teeth. Radavanska was crouched in front of him, growling. His forefinger was deeply embedded in Shullifen¡¯s thigh, which couldn¡¯t move. With a flick of his wrist, Radavanska withdrew his finger. His long, sharp fingernail was stained red. He licked the blood and spoke. ¡¾Until yourrades arrive, we will have some fun. I usually despise such petty torture, but I will make an exception for my brother¡¯s killer.¡¿ Shullifen remained silent. The only words allowed to a captured warrior were demands for a swift death. If he had aplished his goal of rescuing hisrades, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say those words. The lingering regret in his heart made him weak. ¡®I should have at least¡­ done something.¡¯ Iril¡¯s face shed before his eyes. She was the woman who had captured his heart from the moment they met, but he had never conveyed his feelings, fearing his deep affection. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s words came to mind. He had told Shullifen that Iril didn¡¯t want him to get hurt. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Shullifen muttered softly. Radavanska would have delighted in hearing such words, but they were too faint to be heard. A sinister smile crept across Radavanska¡¯s lips as he heated his forefinger with a candle me. ¡¾Then let¡¯s start by gouging out your eyes.¡¿ He moved his hand toward Shullifen¡¯s eyes. Boom!! Suddenly, a deafening noise shook the entire floor from the direction of the entrance. Radavanska quickly stood up. ¡¾Damn it!¡¿ The door connecting to the stairs had been destroyed. Dust from the passage was pouring into their. It was so thick that the interior was obscured. ¡¾¡­What the hell?¡¿ Radavanska took a step forward. At that moment, a round void appeared in the dust cloud. Thud! A piercing sound like meat being cleaved filled the air. ¡¾Ack!¡¿ At the same time, blood spurted from Radavanska¡¯s mouth. When he looked down, he saw a white sword protruding from his belly. In an instant, another void appeared in the dust cloud, and a red figure burst forth. Piercing eyes traced the trajectory. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened as he recognized the figure. ¡°Ronan?¡± ¡°Here you are, you bastard.¡± It was Ronan. He was drenched in blood, looking like he¡¯d been dunked in tomato stew. Radavanska, spitting blood, shouted in a voice filled with fury. ¡¾Who the hell are you¡­!¡¿ He tried to shout. Ronan, already at his chin, grabbed the hilt of the embedded sword and lifted his arm. Swish! A red arc cut across Radavanska¡¯s face, drawing a vertical line. ¡¾¡­Ah.¡¿ A death rattle escaped from his split lips. Blood and brain matter poured from the widening cut. Ronan twisted the sword in a horizontal sh, severing Radavanska¡¯s head from his body. Thud. The head rolled to Shullifen¡¯s feet. Ronan immediately swung his sword, cutting the restraints binding Shullifen. ¡°How did you get here¡­ ugh.¡± As Shullifen staggered to his feet, Ronan rummaged through his pockets and lightly tossed something to him. Shullifen instinctively caught it. In his trembling hand, a blood-stained pocket watch ticked away. ¡°This¡­¡± Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. He had given it to Ronan, along with a message for Iril. Ronan kicked Radavanska¡¯s head aside and spat out his words. ¡°Deliver it yourself. Clean it up well.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 247 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 247: With the Dragon (4) ¡°Puhahaha¡­ Please deliver this to Miss Iril.¡± ¡°¡­You better keep that mouth shut.¡± Shullifen clenched his fist. His normally pale face turned as red as a ripe tomato. Ronan was tearing a strip from his own clothing to wrap around Shullifen¡¯s thigh to staunch the bleeding. All the while, he mimicked Shullifen¡¯s serious tone, snickering as he did so. ¡°Hehehehe, ¡®Since it¡¯s covered in blood, wipe it off before you give it to her¡¯¡­ Really, take care of your own ass first.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Shullifen, unable to bear it any longer, gripped his sword hilt. Ronan, quick to react, forcibly pushed him back into the chair. Even on a good day, Ronan was stronger, and with Shullifen injured, resistance was futile. ¡°Keuuk¡­¡± ¡°Calm down, Rising Star of the Empire. If you move now, you¡¯ll only make the wound worse.¡± Shullifen sighed deeply. He had never imagined that his solemnst words would be the subject of mockery. He felt such intense shame that he thought it might have been better to die in battle. Before long, Ronan finished tying the bandage and stood up. The mischievous expression on his face was gone. He patted Shullifen on the shoulder and said, ¡°You were impressive back there. Really.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Shullifen turned his gaze away. Seeing this, Ronan chuckled. Though he had teased him earlier, Ronan was genuinely impressed by Shullifen¡¯s actions. Ronan understood the nobility of sacrifice better than anyone. Despite being hailed as the ¡°Rising Star of the Empire,¡± Shullifen was still just a young man with a lot of life ahead of him and many dreams to fulfill. To throw himself into danger for hisrades was trulymendable. A moment of silence passed between them before Ronan spoke again. ¡°How¡¯s your leg?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± ¡°Can you fight? You don¡¯t have to push yourself.¡± ¡°I know I have to fight.¡± Shullifen replied in his usual calm voice, as if wondering why Ronan would even ask such a thing. After applying a healing potion he found in their and considering that the wound wasn¡¯t too deep, it seemed he would be fine as long as he didn¡¯t overexert himself. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± They exchanged a brief smile before heading towards the floor below, where the fighting was still ongoing. Boom! One of the remaining doors burst open, revealing a familiar figure. Seeing him, Ronan waved. ¡°Oh, Orsay.¡± ¡¾So here you were, you brat.¡¿ Orsay growled. Covered in blood, he looked more like a demon crawling out of hell than a dragon. His hair, soaked and matted, resembled seaweed from the deep ocean. The horns sprouting from his head made Orsay look even more ferocious. Aselle dangled from his grip, held by the nape of his neck. ¡°Ah! Please, let me go!¡± Despite Aselle¡¯s pleas, Orsay remained silent. It was unclear how this bizarre scene hade to be, but it seemed that Orsay had carried the exhausted Aselle here. In Orsay¡¯s other hand was a giant horn. Ronan immediately recognized it as belonging to the Blue Dragon woman they had encountered downstairs. Damn, he didn¡¯t just break it¡ªhe ripped it out whole. Orsay spoke. ¡¾Say it again. Clean up?¡¿ His left hand tightened, and with a crack, the horn shattered into pieces. ¡°Oh, what a waste.¡± Ronan sighed involuntarily. A dragon¡¯s horn was a material any craftsman would dream of. Aselle, still in Orsay¡¯s grip, turned pale. ¡°Ahhhh! Save me!¡± Aselle¡¯s struggle grew more frantic. Orsay finally released his grip. ¡°Ouch!¡± Thud! Aselle fell to the ground, crawling behind Ronan and Shullifen. Ronan asked, ¡°Did you finish up down there?¡± ¡°Kyaa! It¡¯s hell¡­ It was hell down there. They were all torn apart¡­¡± Aselle was trembling like someone just pulled from ice water. Orsay must have handled things quite dramatically. Ronan decided not to ask for more details, fearing it would spoil his mood. He turned his gaze back to Orsay, who looked like he might breathe fire at any moment. ¡°Calm down. I said that because the situation was urgent.¡± ¡¾Your friend¡¯s skill saved your life. There won¡¯t be a second act of mercy.¡¿ Orsay muttered darkly. By ¡°friend,¡± he likely meant Aselle. Ronan nodded. ¡°Right. I¡¯m grateful for the mercy.¡± ¡¾¡­Hmph.¡¿ There was no need to provoke the legendary Dark Dragon. Orsay took a deep breath with his eyes closed. Ronan¡¯spliant attitude seemed to have somewhat calmed his anger. It appeared Orsay still had a reason to keep them alive. Sure enough, Orsay soon opened his eyes and asked a question. ¡¾Exin those white-d bastards. Why didn¡¯t my attacks work on them?¡¿ ¡°Right. They¡¯re from Neb zier, a bunch of crazy bastards¡­¡± Ronan had expected this question. He briefly exined about Neb zier, their insane goals, their alliance with the Dragon King, and their powers called ¡°blessings,¡± which included the Protection of the Stars that defied naturalws. Orsay, with an incredulous look, asked, ¡¾So, no one but you can break through that barrier?¡¿ ¡°For now, yes. The barrier will eventually disappear, but they¡¯ll try to kill you before that happens.¡± ¡¾Disgusting.¡¿ Orsay punched the wall in frustration. A slight tap left a deep dent, showcasing his immense strength. Ronan spoke. ¡°Whether we like it or not, we have to go to the top together. I need your strength too.¡± ¡¾Damn it.¡¿ Orsay neither confirmed nor denied, but he muttered curses repeatedly, clearly feeling humiliated. Shullifen, who had been watching in a daze, caught Ronan¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh, you two haven¡¯t met. This is Orsay, the Dark Dragon.¡± ¡°I gathered that from the conversation. Nothing surprises me anymore.¡± Shullifen shook his head as if exasperated. After witnessing the two-headed Dragon King and his secret rituals, nothing seemed surprising anymore. Though, encountering a giant might be a different story. Shullifen spoke. ¡°However, if the goal is to destroy the magic circle at the top, we should hurry.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I overheard something while we were separated. They are deploying additional troops to the top.¡± Shullifen had overheard a conversation between Neb zier officials during the battle. Despite knowing Orsay was wreaking havoc in Adren, they were focused solely on the security of the Sky Tower¡¯s top. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡®¡­What are they up to?¡¯ Ronan furrowed his brow. He had a bad feeling. The increased external security and the absence of the Dragon King indicated something suspicious was happening. But how could they hurry? Even with Shullifen joining, there were too many enemies. Cutting through them all would take forever, and going outside would mean facing dozens of dragons. What should they do? As Ronan pondered, a sudden idea struck him like lightning. He turned to the others and said, ¡°Hey, what about this?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ronan began exining his n. The others¡¯ eyes widened at his bold suggestion. Aselle stammered, ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it done before. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± It sounded far-fetched, but considering Orsay¡¯s strength, Aselle¡¯s magic, and Shullifen¡¯s Aura, it wasn¡¯t impossible. If any magical interference urred, Ronan would handle it himself. After some thought, Shullifen nodded. ¡°It might actually work. It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°E-even you Shullifen¡­?¡± Aselle took a deep breath, reluctantly nodding as he mulled over the n. Now, their eyes naturally turned to thest remaining member, who was arguably the most crucial to their n. Orsay frowned. ¡¾Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Why should I do something like that?¡¿ ¡°Come on, just this once. Please?¡± ¡¾I just spared you a moment ago, and you haven¡¯t learned a thing. Should I take this as a desire to die?¡¿ ¡°Even that woman, Naransonia, managed to do it. Are you scared you won¡¯t be able to?¡± Ronan yed his gamble, hoping Orsay¡¯s pride in his dragon heritage and strength was higher than average. Orsay didn¡¯t respond immediately, instead furrowing his brow. After a long silence, he spoke through gritted teeth. ¡¾There is a limit to insolence.¡¿ His voice was a mix of various emotions. For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy. Orsay¡¯s body began to swell. **** ¡°Ugh¡­ Keuuk¡­¡± Naransonia opened her eyes. Her head felt dizzy, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep. She was lying in the middle of arge bed that could easily amodate five people. Only her eyes moved as she looked around. Naransonia muttered softly. ¡°¡­Their?¡± This was undoubtedly herir on the 31st floor of the Sky Tower. Several maids were bustling around. The air in the room was a mixture of food, medicine, and the metallic scent of blood. What the hell happened? Just as she tried to sit up, ¡°Argh¡­!¡± A sudden burning pain washed over Naransonia. Looking down, she saw her upper body wrapped in bandages, a reddish stain running from her left corbone to just below her right navel. She realized she had been shed by a de. The maid standing by her bedside flinched. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°You must rest even if it¡¯s ufortable. The wound was very deep.¡± The maid spoke nervously, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting. Naransonia, recalling everything, spoke. ¡°Yes¡­ I lost.¡± ¡°Well, that¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just do your job as usual. This happened because of my own weakness.¡± She gestured to indicate she was fine. Of course, she wasn¡¯t, but she couldn¡¯t take out her frustrations on innocent servants. The hesitant maid nodded. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I¡¯ll bring you some food, so please lie back down.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The maid bowed respectfully and left. Naransonia leaned back against the headboard instead of lying down. She clenched her chest as she remembered the moment she was cut down. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± She could still vividly recall the sensation of the de piercing her body. It was unbelievable, even in hindsight. His swordsmanship was almost divine. ¡®Is he really human?¡¯ His name was Ronan, she remembered. He had shed through hundreds of steel spikes in one go and eventually defeated her too. The pain from the wound was nothingpared to the anguish of not being able to perceive his movements. Lost in thought, she hugged her knees and buried her face in them. How long had she been like that? She suddenly noticed the sound of the door opening, followed by an eerie silence. The bustling footsteps of the maids were no longer heard. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Finding the sudden quietness strange, Naransonia lifted her head. She froze in ce. Everyone was dead. All six maidsy on the floor, headless. The blood sttered everywhere looked like the work of a deranged painter. She felt something at her feet and looked down. Six severed heads were staring up at her. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Naransonia gasped. The maids¡¯ faces looked peaceful, as if they didn¡¯t even realize they had been killed. At that moment, a voice spoke beside her. ¡°Naransonia, right?¡± It was a young voice. Naransonia drew a de from her hand and turned her head. A boy with white hair stood there. Naransonia¡¯s eyes widened. He was unmistakably one of the Neb zier emissaries who hade to see the Dragon King. Hisrge sword, dripping with blood, rested on his shoulder. Catching her breath, she spoke. ¡¾Did you do this?¡¿ ¡°Looks like I found the right person.¡± The boy disappeared from her sight as soon as he spoke. Sensing the threat, she instinctively rolled to the side. Crash! Therge sword struck exactly where she had been leaning. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡¾Grr¡­!¡¿ She rolled off the bed and quickly got to her feet. The boy nonchntly pulled the sword from the wall. He muttered in admiration. ¡°Quick reflexes. No wonder you got the order for elimination.¡± ¡¾Why are you doing this? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working with His Majesty?¡¿ ¡°We were. But in a few hours, none of that will matter. My job is to remove any potential risks.¡± The boy chuckled. It didn¡¯t make sense to her, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. Naransonia seized the moment and flicked her fingers. Shuaak! A steel spike shot down from the ceiling toward the boy¡¯s head. The casting speed and timing were perfect, but the spike didn¡¯t reach him. Crash! It shattered in mid-air. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ ¡°Whoa, that was close.¡± The boy sighed in relief. Naransonia¡¯s brow furrowed. A shimmering barrier surrounded his body, blocking the spike. She moved her fingers again. Crash! Spikes from three different directions met the same fate, shattering against the barrier. The boy snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your strength. This isn¡¯t something you can break just by being strong.¡± ¡¾Impossible.¡¿ Despair finally crept into Naransonia¡¯s face. The boy adjusted his grip on his sword and continued. ¡°And dying here by my hand would be a mercy. The world is ending soon anyway.¡± He advanced like a predator closing in on its prey. Naransonia backed away, unable to figure out how to deal with him. ¡°It¡¯s time to die.¡± A sinister smile spread across the boy¡¯s face. Just as his figure blurred¡ªBoom! A massive explosion came from their¡¯s floor. A gigantic form burst through the barrier, sending the boy flying through the ceiling. ¡¾Wh-what?!¡¿ Naransonia shouted. Dust and debris filled their. She almost copsed as her legs gave out. A massive neck covered in ck scales rose before her. It was as thick as fiverge trees bound together, a colossal dragon¡¯s neck. The neck was covered in a white, armor-like ice. She couldn¡¯t grasp what was happening. Then she heard familiar voices from below the hole where the neck had emerged. ¡°Hey, why¡¯d you stop suddenly! Ugh¡­ my head.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going insane¡­ I¡¯m losing my mind¡­¡± Naransonia froze. Those were definitely the voices of the intruders she had fought earlier. Then a voice came from the direction where the boy had been flung through the ceiling. ¡¾I bumped into something.¡¿ ¡°What? Bumped into something?¡± Suddenly, there was a rustling sound. Within seconds, a young human male appeared from the hole below. He climbed up the ck neck like it was a tree andnded on the floor. Naransonia¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan looked at her and raised his eyebrows. ¡°What, you¡¯re still alive?¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 248 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 248: sh (1) ¡°What, you¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡¾¡­You!¡¿ Naransonia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It was unmistakably the same human she had fought before. As she nced back and forth between Ronan and Orsay, she stammered out her bewilderment. ¡¾What are you doing here?!¡¿ ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± Ronan scratched the back of his head. He neither had the time nor the inclination to exin, and even if he did, she probably wouldn¡¯t believe him. Naransonia clutched the wound on her chest. ¡¾Grr¡­!¡¿ The pain was still fresh. Thinking back to the fight sent shivers down her spine. The agony from the sh still lingered deep in her skin. Seeing steel spikes grow from her arm, Ronan frowned. ¡°What, you want to fight again? I¡¯m not really in the mood.¡± ¡¾Shut up! Draw your sword right now¡­¡¿ Before Naransonia could finish her sentence, there was an explosion in the corner of the ceiling. The white-haired boy from earliernded gracefully through the new hole. ¡°Wow¡­ what a surprise. What¡¯s going on here?¡± Despite colliding with Orsay, he didn¡¯t have a scratch on him. Ronan turned his head, raising an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew what Orsay had run into. ¡°What?¡± It was unmistakably a Lycopos. Why wasn¡¯t he guarding the top? And it seemed like he had been fighting Naransonia. ¡®What were they doing?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the boy¡¯s and his eyes met. The boy¡¯s eyes, almost the same shade of crimson as Ronan¡¯s, narrowed in recognition. After a moment of silence, the boy spoke. ¡°¡­You.¡± The once nonchnt face twisted with hatred. His yful tone turned menacing. When Ronan didn¡¯t respond, the boy continued. ¡°How lucky. I never thought I¡¯d meet my little sister¡¯s killer here.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t remember.¡± Lifting his massive sword, the boy pointed it at Ronan. The confusion on Ronan¡¯s face deepened as he recalled their earlier encounter. After pondering for a moment, Ronan finally remembered the boy¡¯s sister. ¡°Oh, that stupid girl.¡± ¡°Die!¡± In an instant, the boy¡¯s forehead veins bulged. His figure disappeared from Ronan¡¯s sight, only to reappear right in front of him, his body still encased in that strange, shimmering barrier. ¡¾Watch out! That barrier¡­!¡¿ Naransonia shouted. She couldn¡¯t quite understand why she was warning Ronan, but maybe she hated the boy who killed the innocent maids more than the one who defeated her. ¡®It¡¯s toote.¡¯ But it seemed her warning came a bit toote. Naransonia grimaced. Instead of dodging, Ronan drew his sword and met the boy¡¯s attack head-on. The de, stained with the hues of sunset, moved swiftly. Ronan¡¯s strike was faster, but against that barrier, speed didn¡¯t matter much. The boy, sensing victory, smirked. But Ronan¡¯s sword didn¡¯t stop at the barrier. It smoothly sliced through, forming an arc. Ronan spoke. ¡°If you only rely on this, you won¡¯t live long.¡± ¡°What?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened. The Protection of the Stars was shattering. The crimson de was already at his throat. He tried to dodge, but his body wouldn¡¯t respond. ¡°Damn it, my body¡­!¡± It felt as though the sword itself was pulling him in. The boy, unable to defend or evade, tried to shout something. Swish! The de sliced through his throat, exiting the back of his neck. There were nost words. The boy¡¯s head soared into the air. The sunset hue of the de faded, revealing a sword stained with blood. Naransonia¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡¾¡­How?¡¿ ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Thud. The boy¡¯s body crumpled, knees hitting the floor, followed by his head, which rolled onto the bed, soaking it in blood. Ronan sheathed his sword and turned to Naransonia. ¡°More importantly, I just saved your life. So, let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡¾What?¡¿ ¡°What the hell is going on at the top?¡± Ronan asked. As they climbed higher, he could feel the mana intensifying. The ominous sensation was too strong to be a mere whim. Naransonia said nothing, her mind racing. Ordinarily, she would have fought to the death without revealing anything. After all, she was a loyal servant of Azidahaka. But the boy¡¯s words lingered. He had said everything would be meaningless in a few hours, that the world was ending. That didn¡¯t align with her lord¡¯s goals. Azidahaka¡¯s aim was to gain power and attack Navardose with his followers. She hadn¡¯t surrendered to the boy for that very reason. It didn¡¯t seem like amand from the Dragon King. ¡¾He said¡­ everything will end in a few hours.¡¿ After a moment of silence, Naransonia spoke. She recounted her conversation with the boy and the unexpected attack. ¡¾¡­That¡¯s all I know. Do you have any guesses?¡¿ ¡°Ah, fucking hell.¡± Ronan cursed under his breath. It wasn¡¯t hard to piece together the conclusion. The Dragon King nned toplete the ritual today. The oppressive feeling in his body, the excessive concentration of guards, and the Dragon King¡¯s absence all made sense now. ¡®We¡¯re screwed.¡¯ Time was running out. Ronan quickly climbed back onto Orsay¡¯s neck, tapping the scales. ¡°We need to hurry. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡¾Wait, hold on! What¡¯s happening?!¡¿ ¡°No time to exin. If you want to save your king, kill all those white-d bastards.¡± ¡¾What? What are you talking about¡­¡¿ Ronan didn¡¯t wait for Naransonia to respond. She was about to say something when¡ªBoom! Orsay¡¯s massive body shot through the ceiling. ¡¾Grr!¡¿ The tremendous wind pressure knocked Naransonia back. It felt like a ck wall was rising before her. The dragon¡¯s body and wings were muchrger and sturdier than when she hadst seen him. Soon, Orsay waspletely out. Thud! Thud! Thud! Sounds of destruction echoed from the ceiling. ¡¾What the¡­¡¿ Naransonia clenched her fists as she staggered to her feet. The hole in their was at least 200 meters in diameter. Debris, bodies, and screaming people were falling through. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡¾Grrrr¡ª!!¡¿ ¡°Good, don¡¯t stop!¡± The reckless charge had resumed. Ronan¡¯s n was to ride Orsay and break through from the inside. Aselle¡¯s ice armor and Shullifen¡¯s wind supported him. Ronan had devised the n from Naransonia¡¯s earlier headbutt. d in steel armor, she had smashed through the imprable Sky Tower walls. If she could do it, there was no way their Orsay couldn¡¯t. Luckily, the n was working perfectly. From atop the dragon, Aselle¡¯s screams echoed pitifully. ¡°Aaaah! Eeek! Aaack!¡± He clung to the spikes on Orsay¡¯s back as if his life depended on it. Beside the wailing Aselle, Ronan and Shullifen crouched low, staying close together. The spot where Orsay¡¯s neck met his body was the only safe zone in this wild ride. ¨CBoom! ¨CCrash! ¨CBoom! The thunderous explosions shook the tower at regr intervals. Each time Orsay broke through a floor, desperate screams followed. Every creature that collided with his body was torn apart, save for the Lycopos boy they encountered earlier. ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°What the hell¡­ Aaagh!¡± The ice that had grown into the shape of armor destroyed everything it touched. Shullifen¡¯s wind created an upward draft around Orsay, increasing their speed. ¡°They¡¯reing up! Stop them!¡± ¡°H-how? Ugh!¡± Initially, Ronan had thought to use shes or telekinesis to weaken the ceiling, but it turned out to be an unnecessary concern. In less than a minute, Orsay had smashed through five floors, roaring thunderously. ¡¾Out of my way, vermin!¡¿ Nothing could stop Orsay. In his true form, he was indeed the legendary Dark Dragon of destruction. Every p of his four wings brought down the ceiling, changing the scenery. The Dark Dragon tearing through the tower from within was a sight that embodied the word ¡°defiance.¡± Suddenly, an immensely vast space opened up before them, echoing with the clinking of metal. The party¡¯s eyes widened in recognition. ¡°This is¡­!¡± It was a familiar ce¡ªthe golden desert that spanned the entire floor. The grand space was meant for the Dragon King¡¯s colossal form. However, the Dragon King was nowhere to be seen. Only his vast treasure remained, swirling down through the hole Orsay had created. ¡°This is the throne room. We¡¯re already here.¡± ¡°The top must be just above.¡± Shullifen spoke, feeling the increasing difort that indicated they were close to the top. Gold coins rained down with Orsay, shimmering like a golden storm. Above them, the Dragon King awaited. Whatever was happening, one thing was certain: they were about to engage in a fierce battle with a dragon second only to Navardose. Ronan took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Orsay increased his speed without a word. The endless space finally reached its end. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ceiling shattered, revealing the night sky. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Cool air rushed into their lungs. They were far above the tower¡¯s top, having gained too much speed. The sky at the edge of dawn was more blue than ck. Fading stars scattered theirst light like final words. Then a familiar voice echoed from below. ¡¾Wee. You ignorant fools¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Who defies.¡¿ Ronan looked down. At the top of the tower was a massive gold dragon spreading its wings. It was the Dragon King, Azidahaka. Neb zier¡¯s followers in white robes surrounded him. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. At the Dragon King¡¯s feety an extinguished magic circle. Just hours ago, his head had been half-finished. Now, the third head, covered in white scales reminiscent of the moon, had fully formed. ¡¾So that¡¯s the Dark Dragon Orsay? Quite ordinary.¡¿ The third head spoke indifferently. Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°N-No, has the ritual already¡­!¡± ¡°Shit. Are we toote?¡± Ronan twisted his lips. They had hurried as much as they could, but it seemed they were toote. However, their immediate concern was not that. Inside the three gaping mouths of the Dragon King, white suns trembled. ¡¾Repent for rejecting my grace¡ª¡¿ ¡¾And disappear into the starlight.¡¿ This was really bad. The glowing spheres, filled with unimaginable power, seemed prepared long before they arrived. The third head finished speaking. ¡¾Farewell, trash.¡¿ ¡°Damn it, dodge!¡± Ronan shouted. Boom! The suns copsed, releasing three beams of light that converged in mid-air, exponentially increasing in size. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck, and their world turned white. ¡®We¡¯re dead.¡¯ For a moment, everyone felt certain of their death. The white light, ghastly in its purity, seemed like an eraser poised to wipe out their existence. Just as the light was about to engulf them¡ª ¡®Not yet.¡¯ In an instant, time seemed to stretch infinitely for Ronan. His heightened senses in the face of danger made the world slow down. The howling wind fell silent. Only Ronan could move normally in this slowed-down world. It couldn¡¯t end here. Instinctively, he drew his sword and gripped the hilt with both hands. Crimson light, as vivid as fresh blood, spread along the de. He swung with all his might, determined to cut through it all. The arc of his sword expanded a hundredfold, creating a massive crescent moon. Shing¡­! A ck line shed through the white world. Beyond the line, the night sky loomed as their only escape. Sound returned to its normal pace. As time resumed, Ronan shouted. ¡°Orsay!¡± ¡¾Don¡¯t order me!¡¿ Snapping back to his senses, Orsay spread his wings horizontally and darted through the gap. The narrow opening engulfed them. Aselle¡¯s bted scream echoed. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Shullifen gritted his teeth. It felt like riding aet through the sun. The destructive white light brushed their heads and Orsay¡¯s hind legs, disintegrating the ice armor into particles. After what felt like an eternity, the night sky finally appeared before them. The intensity of the light had turned Adren into a scene as bright as day. Ronan growled. ¡°We made it. You bastards.¡± ¡¾Impossible-¡¿ ¡¾This can¡¯t be!¡¿ Two of the heads cried out in disbelief. White remnants of light seeped from their mouths like smoke. They seemed slightly exhausted from the intense exertion. The new head spoke calmly. ¡¾Do not panic. We¡¯ll fire another shot immediately.¡¿ Unlike the previous heads, this one maintained a cool demeanor. However, their dragon wasn¡¯t one to be underestimated. Orsay¡¯s four wings exploded outward. ¡¾You think I¡¯ll let you!¡¿ Orsay¡¯s roar shook Adren. The fact that he owed his life to humans filled him with unbearable rage. He folded his wings and began a vertical dive. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 249 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 249: sh (2) ¡¾¡­Adren.¡¿ The Red Dragon Bnihardo muttered, her words disjointed and delirious. Her body was covered in the viscera and fluids of the outer-space monsters she had in. Various colorful fluids dripped from the tips of her wings, sticky like the saliva of an overheated cow. Yet, her red scales still shone beautifully. Even covered in filth, they retained their brilliance like rubies fallen into the mud. This was evidence that she bore the blood of Navardose. The elf next to her, Irainiel Lemation, tilted her head. ¡°Adren, suddenly? Feeling nostalgic?¡± ¡¾I never said I wanted to go. It¡¯s just¡­ something feels ominous.¡¿ Bnihardo nodded. She didn¡¯t know why her homnd, usually of no concern to her, suddenly came to mind. She had only spent a short time there during her youth. ¡°If it bothers you that much, take some time off to visit. We can hold things down here.¡± ¡°You speak as if it¡¯s a simple thing. After seeing all this, how can I leave?¡± Bnihardo scoffed. Her gaze swept across the battlefield. A vast, translucent barrier separated them from the depths of space, protecting them from the threats beyond¡ªthe Armor of the Stars. Inside the barrier, the corpses of countless monsters piled up. The grotesque remains were heaped so high they hindered movement and visibility. ¡¾How long will this go on? Even if it¡¯s a request from the Mother of me.¡¿ ¡°Well, it¡¯s a great way to spend our long lives. I¡¯m still enjoying it.¡± ¡°Lorotaruta, give me a cigarette.¡± The immortals, primarilyposed of dragons and elves, were taking a brief rest. They were stationed at the fortress of Drimore, erected at the border between the sky and the beyond. This stronghold, the only defense against the outer-space invaders, was having another busy day. The Armor of the Stars was thinning. With the increase in cracks and monsters, at least a dozen people had to stand guard at all times. More were needed when Navardose was asleep. ¡®I wonder if that kid is doing well.¡¯ Bnihardo chuckled as she thought of Ronan. He was a human who could easily handle the work of several people on the front lines. She wondered what he was up to now. Her gaze drifted down to a star glowing blue like a pearl. The homnd of all immortals and mortals. She wondered what drew so many creatures to it. She was lost in thought when someone shouted. ¡°They¡¯reing again!¡± ¡¾Damn it.¡¿ She clicked her tongue and looked forward. In the distant darkness of space, a ck tide was surging toward them. The relentless wave was a mass of countless monsters. ¡°The numbers are substantial¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we wake Lady Navardose?¡± ¡¾No need. She deserves some rest.¡¿ Sighs echoed from all around. It was thergest wave they had seen in a while. They could handle it, but it would be a struggle. Bnihardo was already estimating how many times she would have to breathe fire. She was still calcting when she noticed something. ¡®¡­What¡¯s that?¡¯ Her eyes narrowed. Something shiny was rapidly approaching the ck tide. It looked like aet with its long, white tail. Initially dismissing it as a natural phenomenon, her eyes widened as she observed further. ¡°What?¡± Even from a distance of what seemed like a hundred thousand steps, she could see it clearly. The horde of monsters was scattering. Like sheep fleeing from a wolf, they moved in a panicked yet orderly fashion. ¡®They don¡¯t even run from Lady Navardose¡¯s fire.¡¯ It was an unbelievable sight. She wasn¡¯t the only one puzzled. The renowned immortals gathered from all over the world were also captivated by theet¡¯s strangeness. A mustachioed man stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m curious. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t you be careful? We don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°I am Tamakan. Elf.¡± As Irainiel tried to stop him, the man retorted. Irainiel shrugged and stepped back. She was brave, but not brave enough to face an Earth Dragon who had once destroyed two nations single-handedly. Earth Dragon Tamakan stepped outside the Armor of the Stars. With cracks everywhere, he didn¡¯t need to find a passage. Just as he was about to polymorph into his true form, a bright light caught his eye. ¡°What?¡± Everyone turned their heads. The light from theet was growing stronger. The eerie white light swallowed all other celestial bodies, creating a concept of daytime in the ck space. Bnihardo felt a surge of unease and tried to speak. Boom! A shockwave burst from theet, expanding in a circr sh like ripples on ake. Monsters caught in the wave were torn apart. ¡¾What the¡­!¡¿ There was no time for dying screams. Bnihardo gasped. The expanding shockwave reached the armor. Boom! The invisible force struck the Armor of the Stars. ¡¾Grr!¡¿ ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on?!¡± The world shook. Cries of confusion erupted. Overwhelmed, the guards couldn¡¯t call out for theirrade beyond the barrier. As the light subsided, an eerie silence fell, so quiet they could hear the moon turn. Bnihardo was the first to speak. ¡¾¡­Tamakan.¡¿ One by one, the guards opened their eyes and froze. Tamakan had transformed into his true form and was dead outside the Armor of the Stars. A giant spear of light was impaled deep into his chest. ¡°A giant¡­?¡± Irainiel murmured. A giant, white from head to toe, stood atop Tamakan¡¯s massive corpse. The four wings sprouting from his back were as beautiful as a sculpture. The same white light emanated from his body as theet. ¡°What¡­ what is that?!¡± ¡°Defend the barrier!¡± Chaos spread like wildfire. They had in the outer-space monsters, but this neer was clearly not an ally. The immortals quickly assumed battle positions. The mysterious giant remained silent, watching them. Irainiel spoke softly. ¡°¡­Bnihardo.¡± ¡¾Yes.¡¿ Bnihardo nodded. There was no need for words; they both knew what needed to be done. The hesitant immortals began to charge the giant one by one. ¡¾Summon Mother. Immediately.¡¿ Shemanded. The giant¡¯s body slowly floated into the air. Light particles gathered in his outstretched palm, forming a long spear. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡¾You think I¡¯ll let you!¡¿ Orsay roared. His voice reverberated through Adren, shaking the very air. With his four wings fully spread, he looked like a flower blooming in the sky. ¡°They¡¯ve reached the top of the tower!¡± ¡°How did they get there?¡± The dragons guarding the perimeter turned their gaze. They had never imagined anyone would breach the tower from within. They hurriedly redirected their flight toward the Sky Tower, but Orsay had no intention of letting them interfere. ¡¾I¡¯ll kill you!¡¿ Orsay twisted his body in the air and began a vertical dive, resembling a hunting raptor. Ronan and the others gritted their teeth and crouched low. The fierce wind felt like it was tearing their faces off. Ronan¡¯s lips curled into a grin. ¡°This is intense¡­!¡± ¡°Eeeek!¡± The situation was dire, but Ronan couldn¡¯t help butugh. Aselle¡¯s desperate screams were swallowed by the wind. The gap between them and the tower¡¯s summit was closing rapidly. The Dragon King roared in anger upon seeing them. ¡¾Grovel on the ground-¡¿ ¡¾You insolent wretch!¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s three heads simultaneously opened their jaws. Three suns formed inside their gaping mouths once again. ¡¾Disappear.¡¿ The third head dered. The suns disintegrated, and three beams of light shot toward Orsay. This time, they had the chance to evade. Orsay twisted and turned, narrowly dodging the beams. The light brushed past them, illuminating the night sky brightly. In front of the power of Azidahaka¡¯s breath, Aselle¡¯s ice armor was like cotton candy inparison. ¡¾Like a rat-¡¿ ¡¾Running away!¡¿ No matter how powerful, it meant nothing if the attacks didn¡¯tnd. Orsay dodged the beams with paper-thin margins. The Dragon King, growing impatient, changed tactics. The three heads focused their gaze, and the beams merged into one. Paaa! The intensified light engulfed their field of vision. ¡°¡­This is dangerous.¡± Shullifen gritted his teeth. It was the same technique that nearly hit them earlier. Aselle¡¯s screams intensified, but Orsay didn¡¯t slow down. He increased his speed, charging directly toward the beam. ¡°Gyaaah! We¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°This madman, what are you trying to do?!¡± Ronan cursed, seeing no time to carve out an escape. He was about toment his decision to ride this lunatic when the surroundings suddenly changed. ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°This is¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The breath was gone, and the Dragon King¡¯s massive neck and body filled their vision. A sudden lightness in his stomach hinted at the use of spatial magic. ¡°B-Blink¡­!¡± Aselle gasped, realizing what had happened. Orsay had teleported them a short distance. The rushing light passed just above their heads. ¡¾Dirty tricks¡­!¡¿ The third head looked down frantically. Orsay was already at his throat. Aselle muttered an incantation, wrapping them in a thick barrier. Boom! Orsay collided with the Dragon King with the full force of his dive. ¡¾Grrk!¡¿ The Dragon King staggered. Blood spewed from his three heads simultaneously. The size difference between the dragons was as vast as between a human and an elephant, but Orsay¡¯s brute strength negated the gap. ¡°Graaah!¡± Their world turned upside down. Thankfully, they had braced themselves, avoiding biting their tongues. Three of the five protective barriers shattered upon impact. Ronan shouted. ¡°Shullifen, jump off!¡± Shullifenplied without a word. Ronan followed immediately. The ground was about ten meters below, but it was manageable. ¡°Aselle, hold on!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Y-Yes!¡± Aselle nodded quickly. Unlike the others, he did not jump off Orsay¡¯s back. Instead, he fused his shoes to Orsay¡¯s neck with ice, increasing his grip. This was part of their pre-battle strategy. Orsay was strong, but the Dragon King was a formidable opponent. With Aselle¡¯s support, they had a better chance. ¡¾Grrrrrr!!¡¿ ¡¾You dare-¡¿ ¡¾Make me bleed!¡¿ Six wings and four heads tangled like vines. Orsay bit into the neck growing from the right side. The Dragon King, initially staggered, regained his bnce and fought back. The battle of these two colossal dragons was beyond the realm of mere swordsmen. Ronan and Shullifennded almost simultaneously. Neb zier¡¯s white-robed followers surrounded them. ¡°You impious wretches havee¡­!¡± ¡°Hope you wrote your wills.¡± They were furious, not because their goal ofpleting the ritual was achieved, but because their work had been interrupted. Ronan and Shullifen naturally stood back-to-back. Ronan spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t fall behind this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± Shullifen replied calmly. Wind swirled around his drawn sword. Ronan smirked and gripped his hilt. The swordsmen had their own battles to fight. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 250 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 250: sh (3) ¡¾You arrogant fool-¡¿ ¡¾Get off me now!¡¿ The Dragon King roared. Orsay was stilltched onto his left neck, resembling a fierce beast rather than a noble dragon. The actioncked any sense of grace. Although the scales were tough, preventing the teeth from reaching the flesh, it was still an annoyance. Using his breath to shake Orsay off would have been easy, but their wings and limbs were tangled, making it difficult. ¡¾Fall!¡¿ Orsay raised his left arm. The ckened hand turned red as if it had been seared by mes. Smash! The hand, forming a short arc, struck the Dragon King¡¯s chest. ¡¾Gah!¡¿ The Dragon King tried to defend himself, but he was a moment toote. The ws slipped between the scales, causing internal injuries. Blood gushed from the Dragon King¡¯s three mouths. His massive body, seemingly immovable, began to tilt. Stepping back, he retreated to the edge of the summit. Aselle, still on Orsay¡¯s back, chanted a spell. ¡°D-Deep Frozen!¡± A bluish mana condensed at his fingertips and shot out. Crack! The cold energy hit the spot where Orsay¡¯s ws had pierced. The Dragon King felt something strange and roared in anger. ¡¾You little creature! How dare you-¡¿ ¡¾What did you do?!¡¿ ¡°Eek!¡± Aselle clung to Orsay¡¯s spikes in terror. Suddenly,rge ice spikes began to sprout all over the Dragon King¡¯s body. The rapidly growing ice resembled weeds pushing through cracks in the pavement. ¡¾Grr¡­?!¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s faces froze. His body was getting heavier quickly. The cold seeping through the neck wound spread throughout his body. All six of his eyes locked onto Aselle. It was unbelievable. Could that small human¡¯s magic really affect him? The Dragon King was confused when¡ª ¡¾Get off!¡¿ Seizing the opportunity, Orsay spread his wings and pushed him. Thud! The Dragon King, teetering on the edge, was shoved back. Losing his bnce, his foot slipped off the edge of the tower. ¡¾This can¡¯t be¡­!¡¿ ¡¾Well done. Let¡¯s go!¡¿ The Dragon King began to fall. Orsay,ughing heartily, gathered his strength. In an instant, his ckened body transformed into a human form. Thud! Orsay, now a man in ck, reached into his chest. Aselle, losing his grip, screamed. ¡°Kyaaaah! Argh!¡± Aselle clung to Orsay¡¯s side, screaming in terror. Unlike Ronan or Shullifen, Orsay wasn¡¯t gentle with him. The ice-enchanted shoes were Aselle¡¯s only lifeline. sh! Orsay pulled his hand from his chest. In his blood-stained right hand, he held a spiral spear. It was the secret weapon created to defeat Navardose. Orsay took a running start and leaped from the tower¡¯s summit, aiming the spear at the Dragon King¡¯s chest. ¡¾I¡¯ll pierce you and make you reveal Navardose¡¯s location!¡¿ Orsay shouted. The spiral spear absorbed surrounding mana, glowing with a dark light. Sensing the danger instinctively, the Dragon King narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t know what the spear was made of, but he couldn¡¯t afford to get hit by it. ¡¾¡­How insolent.¡¿ The third head sighed. Taking control of the body, he spread the heat stored in the Dragon Heart throughout the body. Crash! The ice that had restrained him shattered and fell away. ¡°H-he broke free!¡± Aselle gasped in shock. The Dragon King¡¯s hot blood melted the cold flowing through his body in an instant. Boom! Simultaneously, a pair of wings exploded outward. ¡¾Grr!¡¿ The golden-scaled wings were massive, filling the sky. Thud! Orsay, knocked away by the wind pressure, crashed into the tower¡¯s outer wall. Shaking off the ice, the Dragon King pped his wings. Large birds usually rely on wind and terrain to take off, but Adren¡¯s King needed no such help. With a single powerful p, he soared above the tower. ¡¾Ha ha¡­ The king of lesser dragons dares to show off.¡¿ Orsay, lifting his head, chuckled. Aselle, narrowly avoiding being crushed, whimpered. Shadows enveloped Orsay¡¯s body again, transforming him back into his dragon form. He roared as he took flight. ¡¾Roar!¡¿ The aerial battle began. The two great dragons ascended beyond the Sky Tower, rising above the clouds. Azidahaka, having the higher altitude, breathed out. Boom! Three beams of light descended upon Orsay. He circled the tower, dodging, but the beams followed his every move. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The attack was terrifyingly powerful, but it had a significant w: its range was too long. Dragonsing to aid the king were caught in the crossfire, falling from the sky. The breath, enhanced by the star¡¯s power, erased even their scales. ¡¾Your Majesty!¡¿ A familiar voice echoed. Aselle turned to see a dragon he recognized approaching. ¡°Na-Naransonia?¡± The dragon, covered in silver scales, was as beautiful as a moonlit sculpture. It was the same dragon that had collided with him and his friends. He thought she had been broken by her defeat to Ronan, but apparently not. She performed acrobatic maneuvers, dodging the beams. Naransonia quickly positioned herself between Orsay and the Dragon King. ¡¾Step aside, you whore of steel. If you dare stand in my way¡­!¡¿ Orsay roared furiously at the unexpected interference, ready to tear her apart. His red eyes burned with rage. But she ignored Orsay and turned toward the Dragon King. Spreading her wings, she shot dozens of steel spikes at him. ¡¾Forgive my disloyalty!¡¿ Crash! None of the spikes pierced the Dragon King¡¯s scales, bouncing off harmlessly. The Dragon King¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected betrayal. ¡¾Naransonia, what are you-¡¿ ¡¾Doing right now?¡¿ Rather than being angry, the Dragon King felt confused. Among all his loyal subjects, Naransonia held a special ce. For her to attack him, siding with that vile dragon, was beyondprehension. The rising fury blurred his vision. Naransonia continued speaking. ¡¾Your Majesty, please open your eyes! The evil ones¡¯ sorcery is corrupting your body!¡¿ ¡¾¡­What?¡¿ The Dragon King hesitated. Aselle, who had been watching, gasped. The once golden, shimmering upper body of the Dragon King was turning a pale white, as if the newly grown neck was taking root, attempting to seize control of his body. The third head growled. ¡¾Nonsense. If you intend to betray me, I¡¯ll kill you along with them.¡¿ ¡¾Wait-¡¿ ¡¾Hold on¡­¡¿ The other two heads started to speak, but the third head, acting on its own, unleashed a beam. Boom! The sky brightened as the white light capable of erasing everything in its path enveloped Naransonia. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°They seem busy up there.¡± Ronan nced up and shook his head. The thickyer of clouds rumbled as if charged with lightning. The sky briefly brightened like a lightning strike before darkness took over again. Ten minutes had passed since they parted with Orsay. The roars of the battling dragons echoed sporadically from the heavens. While the exact details of the battle were unclear, the aftermath was enough to shake the Sky Tower, indicating the ferocity of the fight. Ronan hoped that the Dragon King¡¯s breath, asionally piercing through the clouds, wouldn¡¯t strike directly above him. ¡°Hmm.¡± Shullifen nodded. Their bodies were freshly stained with blood. One of the cultists, retreating in shock, muttered in disbelief. ¡°This damned¡­ How could they¡­?¡± He was clutching his wounded side, intestines slipping through his fingers. The stench of blood was overwhelming. The Sky Tower¡¯s summit was littered with the bodies of Neb zier¡¯s followers. Among the sixteen corpses, two were bishops and three were Lycopos. Instead of focusing on defense as usual, they had charged and paid the price. The once imprable Protection of the Stars had been torn apart like paper by Ronan¡¯s swordsmanship. Shullifen¡¯s storm sword followed through the breaches, leaving their bodies mutted. Ronan, spinning his sword, spoke as if lecturing. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for relying on cheap tricks. Do you even remember thest time you trained?¡± ¡°Damn it, what have you done?!¡± A cultist, staggering from blood loss, charged with a scream. His movements were erratic, and his hand holding the sword trembled. ¡°Pathetic.¡± The idea that this was a branch leader was pitiful. The elf Brigia from the Baydian Mountains briefly crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. In hindsight, that elf had been genuinely formidable. Sighing, Ronan dashed forward. As their bodies passed each other, the cultist¡¯s fell apart into seven pieces. ¡°Heook¡­¡± ¡°Next.¡± Cries of shock erupted from all around. Ronan slowly scanned the area. The cultists he made eye contact with stepped back, their faces drained of color and the previous bravado gone. ¡°Come on, cowards. Are you too scared to fight?¡± Despite the anger and humiliation, the cultists couldn¡¯t bring themselves to step forward. With victory in their grasp, Ronan decided it was time to start the next phase. He pointed his sword at them and spoke. ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s yourst chance to live. Tell me how to stop the First Star from descending.¡± ¡°How¡­ how do you know about that?!¡± The cultists¡¯ eyes widened in shock. Ronan had no intention of answering, so he simply walked forward with his sword raised. The ritual seemed to beplete, but there might still be a way to stop it. This was the time to cling to even the faintest hope. With each step Ronan and Shullifen took, the cultists retreated further until they reached the edge of the summit. Despair settled on their faces, when a voice rang out from behind Ronan. ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡± The voice was both unfamiliar and chilling. Ronan felt a shiver run down his spine. He turned to see an elderly man, taller than him by a head, standing with his hands behind his back. His long beard reached down to his chest and seemed long enough to wrap around his forehead. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t noticed the man¡¯s approach. Mana shimmered around the old man¡¯s shoulders like a beacon, power second only to Cain and Abel. ¡°Hmm, ]nice sword.¡± As Ronan was about to speak, the old man muttered while stroking his beard. In his left hand was a familiar sword, one bearing the emblem of Garcia¡ªit was Shullifen¡¯s. ¡°How did you¡­!¡± Shullifen¡¯s brow furrowed. The sword that had been in his hand was gone. A chilling sensation ran down Ronan¡¯s neck. ¡°Damn it!¡± Sensing the danger instinctively, Ronan quickly moved back. Ssh! Blood spurted from a wound on his shoulder. A sharp cut marked his skin. ¡°Impressive reflexes.¡± The old man widened his eyes as if to ask how Ronan had dodged the attack. Ronan gritted his teeth. If he had reacted a momentter, he would have lost his arm. ¡°Shit, Ronan.¡± Shullifen urgently reached out. The sword in the old man¡¯s hand dissolved into wind and reappeared in Shullifen¡¯s grasp. He chuckled grimly. ¡°Heh. Interesting ability.¡± ¡°Fuck, are you a mage?¡± Ronan spat on the ground and growled. He had missed the man¡¯s movements for just a moment. Shullifen quickly raised his sword, ready for battle. The old man, looking between the two, spoke. ¡°I am Archbishop Alon Mondre of Neb zier. Your reckless defiance ends here.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 251 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 251: sh (4) ¡°I am Archbishop Alon Mondre. Your reckless defiance ends here.¡± The elderly man, who introduced himself as Archbishop Alon Mondre, stepped forward. His dark blue beard and hair flowed as if drawn from the depths of the ocean. His piercing, cold eyes showed no sign of softening despite the passage of time. Standing tall and staring at the two men, Alon radiated an innate nobility. His neatly trimmed eyebrows and overall demeanor gave him a resemnce to Shullifen. Ronan, examining him from head to toe, finally spoke. ¡°¡­You seem quite strong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m weak, even by my own standards.¡± Alon replied, ncing at Shullifen briefly. With a sigh, he continued. ¡°Especiallypared to the younger generation these days.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. You¡¯re¡­¡± Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. His usuallyposed eyes were now wide open. The cultists gathered at the edge of the tower began to stir. ¡°Archbishop! There¡¯s no need for you to intervene. We can handle this¡­¡± ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t need to intervene that things have reached this point?¡± Alon gestured to the surrounding corpses. The man who had spoken fell silent. It was toote for maintaining appearances. The contrast between the white robes and the red blood was stark. Alon clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re just in the way. Get down from here. Today is just the day to wee the First Star; there¡¯s still time before the important day.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Understood!¡± The cultists at the edge of the tower began to flee one by one. They looked like rats escaping a sinking ship. Ronan couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± He was beginning to feel like they were treating him like a park bench. Gripping his sword, Ronan swung a wide sh. Swoosh! The crescent-shaped sword energy split into hundreds of projectiles. ¡°Gah!¡± Each projectile was deadly. One of the cultists raised his hand. The Protection of the Stars, shimmering strangely, formed a barrier. However, Ronan¡¯s sword energy tore through the barrier. The cultists, facing imminent death, screamed theirst words. In that instant, Alon¡¯s figure disappeared and reappeared between the two men and the cultists. ¡°What the¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Alon held two blue swords, one in each hand. As Alon¡¯s arms blurred, a sound like crashing waves filled the air. sh! The sword energy aimed at the cultists exploded mid-air. ¡°You can¡¯t just kill my subordinates at will.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan, briefly stunned, swore. This time he saw it clearly. The old man didn¡¯t use any trick to take Shullifen¡¯s sword. Alon¡¯s speed was beyond perception, allowing him to intercept and slice through Ronan¡¯s sword energy. His rapid intrusion wasn¡¯t unnoticed; he was simply outrageously fast. ¡®That sword technique¡­ Where have I seen it?¡¯ One strange thing was the familiarity Ronan felt with Alon¡¯s technique. Where had he seen it before? As Ronan pondered, Alon continued speaking. ¡°You really do ignore the Protection of the Stars. It¡¯s hard to believe even while witnessing it.¡± ¡°¡­Who are you, really?¡± Ronan asked. No matter how strong an archbishop, this was too much. Was he also a dragon? Alon ignored Ronan¡¯s question and continued to speak on his own. ¡°But I¡¯m grateful for your existence. It¡¯s a wake-up call for the followers who grewcent, relying too much on the powers granted by the Great Star. Though it might be a littlete.¡± ¡°I asked, who are you?¡± ¡°What should I say¡­ The blessings and powers of the stars are like luxury items. They make things easier without dealing with the hassle. It¡¯s rare to find something as irritating as a paper cut while handling documents.¡± ¡°A paper cut?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just as stiff and bothersome as actual paper. Uselessly tough, annoying to handle, and if you¡¯re not careful, it can cut you.¡± A vein throbbed on Ronan¡¯s forehead. This man, who dodged Ronan¡¯s question and spouted nonsense, definitely deserved to die. Ronan gripped his sword. Boom! Suddenly, Alon¡¯s figure distorted. Ronan, sensing danger, raised his sword. ¡°Damn it, he¡¯sing!¡± Alon¡¯s movement was silent, like a ghostly wind. As Ronan and Shullifen prepared for defense, they collided. ng! The sharp sound of metal echoed at the top of the tower. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re notpletely useless.¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. Alon raised his eyebrows in amusement. Four des shed mid-air, sparking fiercely. Alon skillfully handled both swords, taking on Ronan and Shullifen simultaneously. Arrogance radiated from his every move. ¡°You old bastard, I¡¯ll use your beard to wipe my ass!¡± Ronan yelled. His de turned red. Shullifen¡¯s sword turned into a form of wind. Their intensified assault poured towards Alon. ng! The sounds of swords shing and wind slicing the air echoed sporadically. ¡°Sharp and fierce, indeed.¡± The two men¡¯s coordinated attacks left little room for error. But Alon slipped through their strikes like a mosquito through a door crack. Ronan¡¯s horizontal sh grazed his forehead, and Shullifen¡¯s wind de nicked his cheek, yet Alon remainedposed. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] It felt like fighting a giant mantis. Alon¡¯s swords moved with a fluidity that made them seem like extensions of his body. After hundreds of exchanged blows, the three men retreated momentarily. A few drops of blood hit the ground, but they all belonged to Ronan and Shullifen. Alon, alternating his gaze between them, spoke again. ¡°But you¡¯re still too young.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Not a drop of sweat marked his face. Spitting out blood-tinged saliva, Ronan readjusted his stance. Alon¡¯s skill wasn¡¯t just in his swordsmanship; he hadn¡¯t used the Protection of the Stars or any other powers yet, showcasing his monstrous abilities. ¡®He¡¯s different from Zaifa. A speed-focused type.¡¯ An intense silence followed. Shullifen, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. ¡°Ronan. Stay out of this fight.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is a grudge I need to settle by myself.¡± Ronan had no idea what was happening. Suddenly, Shullifen stepped forward, staring at Alon with a mixture of interest and disdain. Shullifen raised his sword and pointed it at Alon. ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick to catch on, unworthy descendant.¡± ¡°Descendant?¡± Ronan frowned. What was he talking about? Shullifen answered without turning his head. ¡°Yes. His former name was Alon Sinivan de Garcia. He was erased from our family for siding with demons, a man who forsook honor.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows shot up. He had heard that name several times during his time at the Academy. Alon was a member of the Garcia family, and until Shullifen was born, he was considered the greatest genius of the family. Moreover, he was one of the five most infamous traitors in the world. ¡®So, it wasn¡¯t just someone with the same name?¡¯ Ronan felt a chill run down his spine. The simrities in appearance and swordsmanship between Alon and Shullifen were not a coincidence. Although he couldn¡¯t remember all the details, he knew that Alon was the direct cause of the enmity between the two great houses of the Empire, Acalusia and Garcia. The story went that Alon had invited dignitaries from the other side to a banquet and attempted to kill them all. Whenever Elizabeth told that story, she would clench her fists and shake with rage. Alon spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh. As you age and grow older, you wille to think like me. My sin was merely striving to realize a vague desire.¡± ¡°Desire?¡± ¡°Yes. To be stronger than anyone else. Isn¡¯t that the dream of every warrior in Garcia who stands upon their sword?¡± Alon spoke calmly. If one didn¡¯t know his sordid past, his words might even sound usible. Shullifen twisted his lips. ¡°And so, you stabbed a sword into the back of Acalusia, who were like brothers to you?¡± ¡°That was the price of the power granted to me. And¡­¡± Suddenly, Alon¡¯s figure vanished from sight. Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. Enhancing his visual acuity, he saw Alon, now right in front of him, thrusting his sword towards him. He could see it, but that was all. In the slow motion induced by his heightened concentration, he stretched out his sword, but he couldn¡¯t match Alon¡¯s speed. ¡°This is quite a bargain, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°How pathetic that this is the future of Garcia. Farewell.¡± Alon finished speaking. Shullifen twisted his lips. Just as the blue sword was about to pierce his abdomen, a crimson light resembling a sunset suddenly shed behind him, pulling Alon backward. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see thating, old man.¡± Alon turned his head at the voice in his ear. Ronan, who had been standing more than ten paces away, was now right in front of him. Alon¡¯s eyes widened. Though he didn¡¯t understand what had happened, there was no time to figure it out. Both Alon and Ronan swung their swords simultaneously. Shlick! The sound of rending flesh echoed as Lamancha drew a red line across Alon¡¯s chest. ¡°Gah!¡± Alon gasped. Blood spurted onto the ground as Ronan found an opening and pressed his attack. However, Alon hastily retreated, avoiding a fatal blow. Though he managed to evade a killing strike, he still sustained considerable damage. ¡°How does it feel to be cut by paper, huh?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan smirked as he met Alon¡¯s gaze. Clippings of Alon¡¯s beard floated down like fallen leaves. Blood gushed from the wound on his chest. Alon¡¯s perpetuallyposed face was now twisted like that of a demon. Holding back his aura to surprise Alon had been a good decision. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Alon nodded. ¡°Indeed¡­ I must admit my mistake.¡± ¡°No more posturing. You¡¯re finished.¡± Ronan spun his sword in a circle. For swordsmen of their caliber, a battle could be decided in an instant. And this was such a moment. Ronan knew from the feeling transmitted through his sword that Lamancha had cut through Alon¡¯s internal organs and several bones, and in very critical areas. He felt a stinging gaze pricking his cheek. Ronan spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, man. He¡¯s not someone you can beat alone.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Shullifen readied his stance without a word. Without Ronan¡¯s intervention, he would have ended up in pieces on the pile of cultist corpses. They advanced slowly but steadily towards Alon, their guard up. ¡°Offer your neck quietly. You¡¯ve lived long enough, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­This is troublesome.¡± Alon muttered. He knew he couldn¡¯t handle both Ronan and Shullifen in his current condition. The roars and shes from the dragons continued to shake the night sky. The tension reached its peak. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this¡­¡± Alon licked his lips. Shullifen lunged forward, swinging his sword. The razor-sharp wind de shot towards Alon. To Ronan, it seemed like a perfect strike. But Shullifen¡¯s attack didn¡¯t reach Alon. ng! A familiar sound of collision rang out. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Both Ronan¡¯s and Shullifen¡¯s eyes widened. A strange shimmering barrier enveloped Alon. It was the Protection of the Stars, incredibly dense. Alon spoke. ¡°I need to deal with this disrespectful descendant of mine first.¡± ¡°What?¡± Bang! With a sudden burst of speed, Alon vanished from sight. Ronan quickly moved to intercept, but the archbishop wasn¡¯t targeting him. Alon, surrounded by the Protection of the Stars, struck Shullifen with tremendous force. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 252 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 252: sh (5) ¡°Ugh!¡± Shullifen was struck by the Protection of the Stars. He didn¡¯t have time to react. His body was flung beyond the edge of the Sky Tower. ¡°Damn it, Shullifen!¡± Ronan shouted. It felt like the situation was reversed fromst time. He immediately tried to use his aura to pull Shullifen back. Alon¡¯s voice quietly chanted. ¡°¡ªLet there be a storm.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, translucent wings sprouted from Alon¡¯s back. The air around thempressed rapidly. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That damn¡­¡± It was a familiar scene. Ronan hastily took a defensive stance but was a moment toote. Boom! A storm erupted from Alon, sweeping everything around him. ¡°Keuk!¡± Ronan was thrown back like he had been hit by a battering ram. Alon immediately jumped off the Sky Tower after Shullifen. ¡°Shit, wait!¡± Ronan cursed as he flew through the air. The power of the storm was unlike anything he¡¯d faced before. The way Alon could continuously use such powers was infuriating. But he couldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. If this continued, he would fall from the Sky Tower. Switching his core, Ronan activated two auras simultaneously. sh! Glittering roots sprouted from his feet, wrapping around his lower body. It was Dolon¡¯s aura, the first one he had stolen. Next, an image of arge feline paw enveloped his right arm. Varen¡¯s aura strengthened his arm until it bulged. ¡°You old demented bastard!¡± Ronan roared as he drove his sword into the ground. Scrape! A long line was carved into the top of the Sky Tower as his speed decreased. He finally stopped just before reaching the edge. ¡°Shullifen!¡± Debris fell behind his half-dangling heel. Barely avoiding a fall, Ronan rushed to where Shullifen had fallen. He looked down urgently but saw no sign of the two. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan bit his lip. He could guess Alon¡¯s n. Alon knew Shullifen couldn¡¯t break the Protection of the Stars and nned to quickly eliminate him and return. It was a truly viinous n. Ronan sighed deeply as he looked down the Sky Tower. ¡®When am I supposed to go down there?¡¯ Of course, he knew what he had to do. Even if Shullifen survived the fall, he would die if left alone. Deciding to leave future problems to his future self, Ronan was about to jump off the tower when he heard a voice from directly below. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ronan froze mid-jump. ¡®Is my hearing failing?¡¯ He listened again. Though he couldn¡¯t hear the voice again, he sensed someone moving and mana fluctuating below. What¡¯s going on? He quickly turned around and ran down the stairs. His footsteps echoed loudly as he descended. Reaching the lower floor, Ronan gasped at the sight before him. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Shullifen and Alon stood half a step apart, facing each other. Ronan had expected them to have fallen to the ground, but it seemed Shullifen had used wind magic to stop their fall. ¡°Ugh¡­ Keuk¡­¡± Blood was gushing from Alon¡¯s mouth. Shullifen¡¯s longsword had pierced his back. The cold, gleaming de protruded, scattering light. Blood trickled down the de, soaking Shullifen¡¯s hand. Alon seemed frozen in ce, likely because the sword had pierced his heart. Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. Despite the Protection of the Stars still surrounding Alon, Shullifen¡¯s body was blocked by the strange barrier, unable to move forward. But the sword, the Garcia heirloom, had pierced through the Protection of the Stars. Shullifen, staring into Alon¡¯s eyes, spoke. ¡°The past ends here.¡± ¡°How¡­ did you¡­¡± Alon said, his voice trembling. The sensation of the de piercing his chest felt incredibly real. Breathing heavily, he chuckled bitterly. ¡°No¡­ this is my punishment. For not resisting the temptation¡­ of momentary pleasure.¡± ¡°Punishment?¡± Ronan asked. Alon weakly nodded. ¡°Yes. As a Garcia who rose through the sword, I should have resolved things with the sword, even if it meant risking my life¡­ but I sumbed to the temptation of using external powers to easily deal with my enemies¡­¡± His cracked voice was full of regret. Despite everything, it seemed Alon still had some pride left as a warrior. But having given in to temptation, there was no room for leniency. There was no sympathy for someone who sold their soul to the bald bastards. ng. The swords in Alon¡¯s hands fell to the ground. The Protection of the Stars surrounding him slowly crumbled. The light faded from his dark blue eyes, which resembled Shullifen¡¯s. Shullifen confirmed that Alon was no longer breathing and pulled out his sword. Thud. The once towering figure crumbled to the ground. Even without knowing the full story, it was a pitiful end. As an archbishop, Alon held one of the top positions within the cult, yet he had fallen so easily. Ptu! Ronan spat on his corpse and wiped his mouth. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I swung the sword in desperation, and it went in.¡± Shullifen briefly exined the events leading up to the moment. Just as Ronan had suspected, Alon had nned to eliminate Shullifen, who couldn¡¯t break the Protection of the Stars, before returning to finish off Ronan. He had tried to stab Shullifen in the chest while in mid-air, and Shullifen had fought back with all his might, swinging his sword. He continued. ¡°As you know, Alon was a perfect fighter in both offense and defense. But in the moment he tried to kill me, he became like any other fanatic who wielded the barrier, neglecting his defense. Thanks to that, I was able to pierce his heart with my sword.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why he said what he did at the end.¡± Ronan nodded. If Alon had focused on pure swordsmanship instead of the barrier, his n to take them out one by one might have seeded. It was worth regretting. Biting his lip, Ronan muttered. ¡°¡­I almost died.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Shullifen sighed softly. Despite the anticlimactic end, Alon had been incredibly strong. The fact that he had managed to handle both him and the future greatest swordsman of the Empire by himself was astounding, even considering Shullifen¡¯s iplete growth. The realization sent chills down his spine. But now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on their narrow escape. There was still a crucial matter to address. Taking a deep breath, Ronan spoke. ¡°So how did you break the Protection of the Stars?¡± ¡°As I said earlier, it just went through.¡± Shullifen exined that he had simply swung his sword, and it had cut through the barrier. Unlike Ronan, he hadn¡¯t sliced through it effortlessly; it had felt like cutting through a very thick hide. Ronan frowned. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Damn it, think harder. Was there anything different from usual?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shullifen swallowed hard. Ronan impatiently ran his fingers through his hair. His heart pounded rapidly. It was the first time he had seen anyone other than himself, the Savior, or Abel break through the Protection of the Stars. He didn¡¯t know if Shullifen had met some unknown condition or if he had discovered a new power within himself. But one thing was certain: this could be a significant discovery that might save the world. ¡®We can fight against those bastards.¡¯ Ronan recalled the previous catastrophe. Despite the efforts of many strong warriors, the giants turned the world into a living hell in just twenty days. The main reason why the Imperial Army, the archmages, and even the dragons, known as the celestial creatures, lost to the pale bald giants was because they couldn¡¯t break through their damn barrier. No matter how powerful an attack was, it was useless if it couldn¡¯t prate the barrier, leading to a one-sided beating. ¡®What changed?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s mind raced. He needed to identify what had been different, to sort out his thoughts while he had some time. His heated mind reviewed everything from yesterday to today, from their arrival in Adren, the encounter with Orsay, the thrilling chase with the Dragon King, to the recent battle. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Suddenly, a difference struck Ronan¡¯s mind like a bolt of lightning. He lowered his gaze to Shullifen¡¯s sword. ¡°Did my blood get on that sword today?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shullifen raised an eyebrow. It was the only potential clue they had. It might be unrted, but it was said that the Savior, suffering from an illness, needed his brother Abel¡¯s blood to recover. Additionally, Cain, Abel, and Ronan himself could all cut through the Protection of the Stars and magic. It urred to Ronan that perhaps this mysterious power came from their blood. It might be a baseless spection, but it was worth trying. He was about to speak to Shullifen when¡ªBoom! the wall suddenly copsed, and a massive figure burst through. Alon¡¯s body was crushed with a sickening sound. Ronan cursed in shock. ¡°Shit, what is it now?!¡± ¡¾Cough, Cough!¡¿ A low, hoarse cough echoed through the room. The figure¡¯s body was covered in countless wounds. Seeing the torn wing membranes, Ronan blurted out in astonishment. ¡°Orsay?¡± It was undoubtedly the Dark Dragon Orsay. The wounds were gruesome, almost unbearable to look at, but the white ice encasing the injuries prevented further bleeding. Just then, a familiar face popped up from behind Orsay¡¯s thick neck. ¡°O-Orsay! You need to get up. If this keeps up¡­!¡± ¡¾Hehe¡­ I know. Mage.¡¿ Orsay replied with a cough. Seeing Aselle in a simrly battered state, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Aselle?¡± ¡°R-Ronan?! Shullifen? What are you doing here¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Why is she with you?¡± Ronan asked, his gaze shifting to the woman leaning against Aselle. It was Naransonia, the confidante of the Dragon King. She was unconscious, not opening her eyes. Her back was soaked with blood, indicating a severe injury. Ronan, unaware of Naransonia¡¯s involvement, couldn¡¯t grasp the situation. He was curious but had no time to ask. A voice like thunder echoed above them. ¡¾Cease your futile resistance.¡¿ The three people and the dragon simultaneously looked up. They froze in ce. Beyond the gaping hole in the wall, a massive dragon, possibly the secondrgest in the world, pped its wings, staring at them. ¡¾This is the end of the line for you.¡¿ Azidahaka spoke. His appearance had changed noticeably. Except for the middle and right heads, almost his entire body had turned white. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. The color was eerily simr to the skin of the giant he had seen before. Several dragons, likely his subordinates, circled around him. The strange currents swirling in the brightening night sky hinted that something other than rain might soon fall from the heavens. **** ¡¾¡­What on earth has happened here?¡¿ Navardose muttered. She had just woken up from a month-long slumber. The scene before her was too horrifying to behold. Inside the sky fortress of Drimore, dozens of corpsesy scattered. Corpses were amon sight. ying the outer space monsters was their duty and daily life. But unlike usual, the bodies lying before her now were not those of monsters but of the immortals who had fought alongside her. Herpanions, who once soared the skies together, and elves who chose the greater good over peace,y in pieces. Even her own blood rtives. Navardose¡¯s gaze turned to Bnihardo. ¡¾My daughter.¡¿ ¡¾M-Mother¡­¡¿ Bnihardo spoke. One of the few survivors, she was using her own body to plug a hole in the Star¡¯s Armor. It was a crack caused by the giant breaking through. Everyone had tried to stop him, but it was impossible. ¡°Kreeee!¡± ¡°Karruk!¡± Behind the crack, monsters had already gathered, forming another ck wall. It was thergest number of monsters she had ever seen. The sharp teeth and ws ttered against her scales, causing Bnihardo to groan in pain. She looked like the boy in the old story who tried to stop a dam from busting with his own body. Navardose, who had been staring nkly, gently gestured. An invisible force pushed Bnihardo aside. ¡¾M-Mother! The crack will¡­!¡¿ Bnihardo¡¯s eyes widened. As she had expected, the next moment unfolded as she feared. Boom! The monsters that had been clustered together poured in like an avnche. ¡°Kreeee!¡± ¡°Grrrr! Krrrek!¡± Indescribable screams echoed. The monstrous cloud, moving with grotesque movements, seemed ready to engulf Drimore at any moment. Navardose took a deep breath. ¡¾How dare you¡­¡¿ The atmosphere began to shift. The sound of wind being sucked in spread under the starlight. A glowing light, reminiscent of embers, swirled in her expanding me sac. ¡¾No way!¡¿ Bnihardo, realizing what was happening, shrank back. Navardose was preparing to breathe fire. Despite her injuries, she moved the survivingrades inside the fortress to safety. The moment the monstrous horde reached Navardose¡¯s sight, her mouth opened, unleashing a tidal wave of mes. Boom! The light was like the birth of the first light in the universe, illuminating a corner of space. ¡¾Ugh!¡¿ Bnihardo turned her head. She spread her wings wide to shield the others¡¯ retinas from burning. There were no dying screams. The me Dragon¡¯s mes engulfed the monsters in less than a second, incinerating thempletely. Navardose exhaled the remaining embers from her lungs and spoke. ¡¾Summon the children and seal the crack. I will go to Adren immediately.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 253 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 253: Advent (1) The dawn air was heavy. An unfamiliar current was seeping through the broken walls. Even the stars in the sky were painted in strange, unsettling hues. Ronan twisted his lips. The joints in his body ached, giving him a bad feeling. It seemed like something terrible could happen at any moment. But there was no time to dwell on vague forebodings. The Dragon King and his minions fluttering before him demanded his full attention. ¡®Why are they just standing there?¡¯ The strange thing was that the Dragon King and his minions were doing nothing. Just moments ago, they had been acting as if they would devour everyone alive, but now they were eerily still. The Dragon King was pping his wings in the middle of the sky, while his minions circled around him like hungry crows. Instinctively, Ronan sensed that if they tried anything foolish, they would attack immediately. Orsayy down, trying to regain his strength with his eyes closed. This was the first time such a situation had urred, and he had no idea what to do. First, it seemed they needed to figure out how they ended up in this situation. Ronan turned to Aselle and asked. ¡°Hey, why is that woman with you? And what happened to her wounds?¡± ¡°Sh-she joined us suddenly. She got hit by a beam and lost one of her wings.¡± ¡°A beam? Are you talking about that three-headed¡¯s breath?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Aselle nodded quickly. He briefly exined the situation after Ronan and Shullifen had jumped down. Hearing the news of Naransonia¡¯s insubordination, Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Attacked the Dragon King? Wasn¡¯t she the right-hand of that three-headed freak?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know the details. But it seems something is definitely wrong with the Dragon King.¡± Aselle exined that Naransonia hade to stop her lord, who was turning into someone else. About twenty dragons who followed her had also tried to stop the Dragon King, but they were all killed by the beams emitted by their lord. ¡°He¡¯spletely lost his mind.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He had suspected as much, but he didn¡¯t know it had gotten to this extent. There was no need to ask if Naransonia¡¯s attempt had ultimately seeded. The sight of the Dragon King losing color like a dead coral indicated a desperate situation. Even the mighty Dark Dragon Orsay couldn¡¯t defeat him. Recalling the battle with the Dragon King, Aselle spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°And, and the Dragon King is too strong¡­ He¡¯s getting stronger and stronger. W-we¡¯re all going to die¡­¡± ¡¾If you spout that kind of nonsense one more time, I¡¯ll eat you alive, mage.¡¿ ¡°Eeeek¡­!¡± Aselle flinched at Orsay¡¯s threat. Despite everything, it seemed they had grown somewhat closer during the battle. Suddenly, the Dragon King, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡¾I was contemting for a moment¡­¡¿ ¡°Contemting?¡± ¡¾About your worth. I thought I could gain a strategic advantage by taking Navardose and kin¡¯s minions hostage.¡¿ The third head spoke in a dry tone. Ronan, clutching his sword, lifted his chin and asked. ¡°So, have you reached a conclusion?¡± ¡¾Yes.¡¿ The third head nodded. Judging by the past tense, Ronan had a rough idea of what wasing next. Ronan, Aselle, and Shullifen quickly exchanged nces and took battle stances. ¡¾It seems you are indeed worthless.¡¿ ¡°I knew it woulde to this, damn it.¡± Ronan cursed. At the same time, the Dragon King¡¯s three mouths opened. Shooo¡­! A glowing mass began to form deep in his fiery red throats. ¡°I¡¯ll cut through with sword energy, so stay close and follow me.¡± Ronan said. Just as he was about to charge forward¡ªBang! Orsay, who had been hunched over like a sick man, shot towards the Dragon King. ¡¾Do you think you can do as you please?¡¿ ¡°Orsay?!¡± Their eyes widened. Orsay, with all four wings folded, resembled a ck spear as he surged forward. Aselle, still on his back, screamed. ¡°Aaaah!¡± The speed was astonishing. But the enemy seemed to have anticipated this move. The dragons circling the Dragon King blocked his path and fired their breaths. ¡¾Give up!¡¿ mes, lightning, blizzards, poison, and crushed rocks poured towards Orsay. The range was too wide to escape with a blink. ¡°B-Blizzard Armor!¡± At that moment, Aselle closed his eyes tightly and chanted a spell. Shhhh! A thick ice armor grew over Orsay¡¯s body. The armor, covering him from head to tail, bristled with sharp spikes like a cactus. ¡¾That¡¯s it, mage.¡¿ ¡°S-save me!¡± Orsayughed. He charged towards the dragons without slowing down. Sensing an imminent threat, the dragons tried to retreat, but Orsay was already upon them. It was the moment when the Dark Dragon collided with the wall of dragons. Thud! With a sudden burst, red flowers bloomed in the air. Wings, legs, and entrails were torn and fell like rain. ¡¾Arrgh!¡¿ ¡¾My wing¡­!¡¿ ¡¾Stop him!¡¿ Desperate screams echoed. Everywhere Orsay passed, mutted dragons fell like autumn leaves. But there were too many enemies to reach the Dragon King. ¡°That brute¡­!¡± Ronan bit his lower lip. Even Orsay couldn¡¯t handle this many at once. Someone needed to distract them. Ronan, thinking quickly, signaled to Shullifen. There hadn¡¯t been a real n since they failed to stop the Dragon King¡¯s ritual. They¡¯d have to rely on his wind. Shullifen epted Ronan¡¯s crazy proposal without much objection. Exchanging nces, they jumped out of the Sky Tower. Whoosh! They were plummeting helplessly. Flipping his body upwards, Ronan shouted with his hands cupped around his mouth. ¡°Over here! You senile lizards!¡± ¡¾Hmm?¡¿ Some dragons looked down. Ronan, drawing his sword, activated his aura. Paah¡­! As the sunset-colored light filled the air, a green dragon pping its wings was dragged before his eyes. ¡¾What the¡­ What is this¡­?¡¿ The green dragon¡¯s eyes widened. As they fell, Ronan and Shullifen swung their swords simultaneously. The sword shes crossed the dragon¡¯s neck. Swick! Its long, thin neck severed instantly. Blood spurted out, sshing onto their faces. One of the dragons, seeing this, shouted urgently. ¡¾There are others there too! Capture them!¡¿ Some dragons attacking Orsay began descending towards Ronan and Shullifen. Finally, Orsay broke through the encirclement and shed with the Dragon King. The roars of the two great dragons shook Adren. It didn¡¯t take long for the situation to reach its conclusion. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] The battle with Orsay ended in less than an hour. The sky, heading towards morning, was tinged with a faint light. The Dragon King stood over the ruined city. Screams and wails of people could be heard beneath the burning and crushed buildings. Suddenly, a human servant staggered towards him. ¡°Your Majesty¡­! Please help us. Suddenly, suddenly beams fell from the sky, and the city¡­¡± He clutched the Dragon King¡¯s hind leg,menting his tragedy. In the middle of the night, there was a loud roar, and then everything disappeared. Blood dripped from his severed leg. ¡°The city¡­ Ah¡­¡± Thud. The man fell onto the rubble, his body twitching a few times before going limp. Sizzling¡­ Blood trickled down the slope, extinguishing the embers. ¡¾Grrr¡­¡¿ The two heads fell silent, observing the man¡¯s death. They were the only parts of the Dragon King not yet stained white. This marked the hundredth time the Dragon King had witnessed his subjects plead for help and die. ¡¾You have gained the power you desired, so why do you hesitate?¡¿ The third head asked, not mocking but genuinely curious. ¡¾Adren is my kingdom. No king-¡¿ ¡¾Would destroy his own realm like this!¡¿ The two heads, grinding their teeth for some time, erupted in fury. Attachment, greed, and the pride of a crowned ruler fueled their anger. ¡¾I aimed to defeat Navardose, not to bring this ruin-¡¿ ¡¾Truly, this was not my intention¡­!¡¿ The indiscriminate breath attacks and wide-area spells had turned Adren into a hellscape. The third head hadmitted these atrocities after seizing control of the body at some point. The third head had used any means necessary to subdue Orsay, finding the other heads¡¯ints tiresome. ¡¾Silence. This is just part of achieving our goal. Once we¡¯ve dealt with the remaining pests, we will start the war against the Mother of Fire.¡¿ Ronan and Shullifen had not been captured yet. It was only a matter of time since the minions were diligently pursuing them. The third head nced upward and sneered. ¡¾This is your limit, Dark Dragon.¡¿ ¡¾Damn it¡­¡¿ Orsay growled weakly. He was confined within a massive sphere, with only his head and part of his body exposed. The sphere was made of various nts¡¯ vines, metal, and stone-like materials. Orsay had fought valiantly. He had killed over a hundred dragons in an hour, living up to the title of the Dark Dragon. His fury as he tore through his kin was awe-inspiring. But it wasn¡¯t enough to turn the tide. The Dragon King had used mind-control magic on his subordinates, and there were far more dragons in Adren than Orsay had anticipated. Moreover, the Dragon King, havingpleted the Neb zier ritual, had be several times stronger. Exhausted, Orsay had ultimately fallen and was now sealed in the heart of Adren. Rolling his eyes back, Orsay spoke to Aselle. ¡¾Flee, mage.¡¿ ¡°H-how could I do that¡­? You must get up!¡± Aselle was seated where Orsay¡¯s neck met his body. Fortunately, there was enough space for him to escape if he wished. Orsay shook his head. ¡¾It¡¯s toote.¡¿ ¡¾You understand well.¡¿ Suddenly, the third head¡¯s mouth opened wide. Mana from the area converged, forming a small sun deep in his throat. It was the familiar beam attack that turned everything it touched to ash. ¡¾This is the end for you. I¡¯ll be sure to send your regards to Navardose.¡¿ The third head spoke mockingly. Orsay chuckled. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move his body. It was like watching an arrow fly toward his heart. As the sun in the Dragon King¡¯s mouth began to coalesce into a beam, Aselle¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What¡­?¡± Suddenly, the sky brightened. ¡¾Hmm?¡¿ The three heads of the Dragon King looked up simultaneously. A colossal magic circle covered the sky,rge enough to engulf all of Adren. Within the multiple concentric circles, strange symbols wriggled as if alive. ¡°Wh-what is that?¡± ¡°Is it a spell cast by His Majesty?¡± The surviving, groaning humans looked up. The sky beyond the magic circle rumbled as if about to unleash a storm. The third head raised its gaze. The center of the magic circle slowly opened, revealing something white descending. ¡¾¡­A human?¡¿ The legs emerging from beneath the clouds were undoubtedly human, though several timesrger. What is that? The third head narrowed its eyes. The clouds dispersed, forming a giant hole as a fierce wind swept across the area, centered on the magic circle. ¡¾What¡¯s happening!¡¿ ¡¾The wind¡­!¡¿ Cries of confusion erupted. Dragons flying nearby lost their bnce and staggered. Some were flung into the Sky Tower by the sheer force of the wind. The wind roared, breaking the city¡¯s spires one by one. People outside clung to trees and mailboxes to keep from being blown away. ¡¾Grr¡­!¡¿ Even the mighty Dragon King struggled against the gale. He finally managed to lift his head. The owner of the legs had revealed its full form. ¡¾What is that?¡¿ The third head¡¯s face hardened. A giant white human, with two pairs of wings on its back, descended below the magic circle. ¡®I have a bad feeling.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell what the being was, but one thing was certain. Letting it be would lead to something troublesome. The third head immediately fired the beam at the giant. ¡¾Begone!¡¿ Boom! The beam of light tore through the air, hitting its target. The explosion covered the eastern sky with light. The explosion was so powerful that itpletely engulfed the sky with a bright light. A few seconds passed. As the smoke cleared, the giant remained unscathed. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ A spherical barrier around its body shimmered with strange colors. The beam must have been blocked by that. The Dragon King, baffled, began preparing a second beam. The giant, slowly surveying the surroundings, extended an arm. Light particles gathered in its palm. ¡¾What?¡¿ Orsay frowned, forgetting his own captivity. A spear five times his height soon materialized in the giant¡¯s hand. ¡°W-wait a moment¡­ Th-that¡­?¡± Sensing an instinctive dread, Aselle began to speak. Whoosh! The giant¡¯s right arm disappeared for an instant, a streak of lightning cutting through Adren. Thud! The spear of light impaled the center of the Sky Tower, not the Dragon King or Orsay. Despite its dramatic arrival, nothing happened immediately. Everyone, including the Dragon King and Orsay, stared in confusion. Booom!! Then, a massive explosion erupted from where the spear had struck. It sounded like a thousand lightning bolts striking simultaneously. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s eyes widened. The unreal surge of energy had obliterated the outer wall and severely damaged the structure. Drrrr¡­ The Sky Tower, which seemed capable of withstanding the end of the world, began to tilt. ¡°Th-the Sky Tower is copsing!¡± Cries of panic rang out. Thick smoke billowed, swallowing the moon and stars. ¡ºDuaru executes judgment.¡» A voice deep and resonant as ava-filled cave echoed above Adren. Light particles gathered in the giant¡¯s hand, forming a new spear. ¡ºAll is as He wills it.¡» [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 254 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 254: Advent (2) ¡ºAll is as He wills it.¡» The giant who called himself Duaru spread his wings. The fierce wind stirred the atmosphere once more. Dragons, stunned by the shock, gradually regained their senses. ¡¾Wh-what is that thing?¡¿ ¡¾It toppled the Sky Tower in one blow¡­!¡¿ The power was unbelievable. The Sky Tower was tilting. The structure, which had stood since the dragon city was founded and was thought to remain upright forever, was copsing. The Sky Tower was not just a tall structure. It was a symbol and pride of Adren, serving as the residence of countless dragons, including the Dragon King, and numerous servants. ¡¾This is absurd¡­!¡¿ They were confused about whether to look at Duaru or the copsing Sky Tower. Soon, they made a decision. The dragons split into two groups. ¡¾We¡¯ll deal with him. Stop the copse!¡¿ ¡¾Understood.¡¿ They divided their numbers, one group moving towards the giant and the other towards the Sky Tower to prevent its copse. Their movements were seamless, as if they had practiced in advance. In the dragon world, group actions were often seen as something only lower creatures did, but now was not the time for such trivial pride. The shadows of dragons filled the sky above the crumbling city. Duaru¡¯s form was surrounded by dozens of dragons. Explosive magic resounded with each destructive spell. Meanwhile, the other group reached the Sky Tower. The spot where the giant¡¯s spear had exploded looked like the side of a whale bitten by a shark. Though the damage was significant, the slow tilt gave hope that they could still prevent the copse. Dragons circled the tower. Their horns glowed the same color as their scales as they gathered magical power. Those who arrived first began their actions. Earth dragons, their bodies covered in rock and ore, stomped their feet. ¡¾The Sky Tower is our pride. Do not let it fall!¡¿ ¡¾Damn it, my eggs are still inside!¡¿ Rumble! Massive rocks, the size of mountains, rose from theke¡¯s surface. When the forest dragons spread their wings, thick and sturdy nts grew from all directions, wrapping around the tower¡¯s exterior. Each spell was of such high caliber that it could be considered an art. Each silent incantation manifested magic that supported or reinforced the Sky Tower. The stronger dragons directly pushed the tower or pulled the vines in the opposite direction of the tilt. The tower¡¯s immense size made their efforts seem negligible, but they could feel the tilting speed gradually slowing. After some time, the Sky Tower slowly came to a halt. ¡¾It stopped!¡¿ The dragons¡¯ faces brightened. Cheers erupted everywhere. Honestly, they thought they would fail, but they somehow managed. ¡¾What about over there?¡¿ ¡¾It¡¯s quiet. Maybe they¡¯ve already caught him.¡¿ The loud noises from the other side had ceased. Just as they finished their task and were about to turn towards Duaru, a beam of light shot through the air and struck the base of the tower. ¡¾This is!¡¿ The dragons¡¯ eyes widened in shock. It was the same light spear they had seen before. As they rushed to address the situation, an explosion urred. The radiance of the spear intensified, sending a pir of light shooting into the clouds with a roar and a spray of water. ¡¾Horrible¡­!¡¿ Dragons not caught in the explosion were horrified. The pir of light dissipated like mist. ¡¾Oh my god¡­¡¿ Nothing living remained inside theke, more than half of which had been blown away. Only floating scales and broken horns indicated that dragons had once been there. As the smoke cleared, the shattered wall of the tower came into view. The copse resumed. The Sky Tower began tilting much faster than before. It was now impossible to stop. Despair spread on the faces of the dragons who btedly looked towards Duaru. The white giant stood unscathed in the sky. At his feety the corpses of dragons, piled like mountains. The state of their bodies was so mangled it was hard to tell if they were dragons or chunks of meat randomly sliced for sale in a butcher¡¯s shop. A strange white smoke, seeping from the corpses, was being absorbed into Duaru¡¯s body. ¡ºCease your resistance, futile beings.¡» Duaru spoke. Dozens of light spears rotated around him at regr intervals. Silence fell. The dragons¡¯ reactions to the carnage were divided into two. ¡¾This isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m retreating¡­!¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯ll kill you right now!!¡¿ Seven out of ten dragons, enraged, charged forward, while three out of ten fled. Duaru raised his arm, and the light spears rotating around him shot out. In truth, their choices mattered little. Duaru¡¯s spears did not discriminate. It was merely a question of whether they were struck in the back or the chest. Thud-thud! The spears of light, slicing through the air, struck the dragons¡¯ bodies. The series of explosions that followed signaled the resumption of the massacre. The Dragon King, Azidahaka, watched the scene from a distance. The two heads not yet overtaken by the third screamed in rage. ¡¾The Sky Tower is copsing, and our subjects are dying-¡¿ ¡¾Why are you standing there in a daze!¡¿ Hell was unfolding. Loyal subordinates were dying without even a scream. Even if they managed to dodge the spears and approach, the strange barrier and the gales from the giant¡¯s wing ps prevented any damage to him. This was not what Azidahaka had envisioned. To the Dragon King dreaming of war, his subjects were meeting a pointless death. He needed to stop the tower¡¯s copse and save his subordinates. But the third head, which had seized control of the body, would not allow it. It quietly moved to a secluded ce, recovering the strength exhausted from fighting Orsay. Only after witnessing thest dragon charge at Duaru and explode did the third head finally speak. ¡¾It¡¯s about time. After all that rampaging, he should be sufficiently weakened.¡¿ ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ At first, the other two heads thought they had misheard. Their despair turned to shock. ¡¾You¡­ nned this-¡¿ ¡¾Did you let all this happen?¡¿ ¡¾Yes. Since I¡¯m the only one capable of hurting him, it¡¯s better to wear him down by exhausting the others rather than engage in a dangerous fight myself.¡¿ The voice was emotionless and dry. Azidahaka¡¯s two heads roared in anger. ¡¾You dare-¡¿ ¡¾Abandon even the slightest sense of duty!¡¿ ¡¾I find the term ¡®you¡¯ a bit irksome. I am you, Azidahaka.¡¿ However, only a cold sneer returned. Azidahaka tilted his head at the words of the third head. ¡¾¡­You im to be me-¡¿ ¡¾What do you mean by that?¡¿ ¡¾I say this because you consider me a parasitic fungus that has grown on your body. I am an undeniable part of you, born from your desire to defeat Navardose.¡¿ ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ ¡¾The power from that distant ce awakened me. To me, nothing matters except defeating Navardose, because that is what you desired. Do you understand?¡¿ The third head continued calmly. He imed not to be apletely new personality but one that originated from the Dragon King himself. The other heads, shocked, swallowed their words. They never imagined such a truth. The old adage about not being consumed by emotions felt more pertinent than ever. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Duaru, having nearly wiped out the dragons, now looked down at the surviving inhabitants of the city, holding a gleaming spear. The third head spoke abruptly. ¡¾Let¡¯s go.¡¿ Fwoom¡ª! Suddenly, the Dragon King¡¯s wings exploded open. A wind as strong as the giant¡¯s swept across the ruined city. The discolored scales scattered a pale white light, unlike their usual radiant golden hue. With a single p, the massive body soared towards Duaru. ¡¾Your impudence ends here!¡¿ The third head roared. A sun began to form in his mouth. With no other options, the other two heads also prepared to unleash their breaths. ¡ºYou dare.¡» Duaru, who had been about to throw his spear downward, raised his head. The overwhelming bulk of the Dragon King was approaching, ignoring the fierce wind from its wings. Boom! Soon, the Dragon King and the star¡¯s guardian shed in midair. Although the barrier remained intact, the sheer difference in size caused Duaru to be pushed back. Fwoosh¡­! Raising his right arm high, the Dragon King¡¯s hand began to glow. The immense mana concentrated in his palm warped the space around it like a mirage. It was a technique he had honed while fighting Orsay. As Duaru tried to regain his stance, the Dragon King¡¯s hand fell on his head. At that moment the white arc struck the barrier. Bam! Duaru¡¯s body was mmed into the ground. ¡¾Disappear!¡¿ Simultaneously, three streams of breath burst from the Dragon King¡¯s mouths. Boom! The amplified breath converged and enveloped Duaru. Thepressed air exploded from the heat, creating shockwaves. The third head, spewing the beam, was confident of victory. Thud! A spear of light flew through the beam and struck the Dragon King¡¯s side. ¡¾Gah¡­!¡¿ The eyes of all three heads widened. The torrent of breath stopped instantly. He felt the spear piercing his internal organs through his scales. A familiar voice echoed. ¡ºFutile being.¡» Rumble¡­ Duaru¡¯s body slowly rose from the hole in the ground. His ivory-white skin remained unscathed. ¡¾How¡­¡¿ It was impossible. The third head spoke in a trembling voice. But Duaru gave no answer and turned, flying away. ¡¾You¡­ there¡­¡¿ The third head tried to speak. Suddenly, the spear lodged in his side emitted a bright light. There was no time to react. Boom¡ª! The spear exploded, engulfing Azidahaka in a pir of light. **** ¡°Ah¡­ finally¡­¡± Bishop Pargene of the Northwestern Diocese knelt. The followers apanying him also knelt in reverence. Raising his head, he saw Duaru hurling spears from the sky over Adren. ¡°First Star, unleash your wrath.¡± Pargene spoke in a trembling voice. The prophesied advent of the star had begun. When the leader suddenly revised the n, it seemed foolish, but it had seeded. Using Azidahaka¡¯s inferiority and obsession was a stroke of genius. Standing up, Pargene spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Return to headquarters.¡± He was escaping with his subordinates afterpleting his mission in Adren. They had reached the edge of the ind, where an airship was waiting. Pargene, sensing something amiss, tilted his head. ¡°Hm?¡± There was no response from his followers. Turning, Pargene froze. Two battered youths stood side by side, ring at him. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± A fierce-looking youth raised a hand in greeting. Pargene gasped. He hadn¡¯t noticed their presence until now. The two looked like they had just crawled out of hell, their bodies covered in torn rags and numerous wounds. Blood, of unknown origin, smeared from head to toe, told the story of countless battles. The deep red hue indicated they had been drenched in blood many times. Who are these guys? As Pargene examined them closely, his face twisted in recognition. ¡°What are you doing here¡­!¡± He now realized they were the ones causing havoc at the Sky Tower. Finally, he noticed the surrounding devastation. He was the only one left alive. The cultist who had been praying with him were now headless corpses scattered around. Ronan spoke. ¡°We were being chased by eleven dragons. Next thing we knew, we were here.¡± ¡°Twelve.¡± Shullifen, who had been silent, corrected him. They had just fended off the pursuit sent by the Dragon King. Pargene, breathing heavily, spoke. ¡°You crazy bastards! Gale¡­¡± He was about to utter the incantation to activate his power when Shullifen flicked the hilt of his sword, sending a gust of wind slicing through Pargene¡¯s tongue. Shwik! His tongue, spinning in the air, fell to the ground. Pargene¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the fleshy piece. ¡°Ack¡­!¡± Blood spurted out. The pain of the cut felt like being seared with a hot iron. He wanted to faint, but his position as a bishop was not bought with money. Struggling to ovee the pain, he reached for the mace at his waist. But Ronan, already close, swung his sword. Swish! Pargene¡¯s head flew through the air, his body copsing onto the corpses of his followers. ¡°¡­This has turned into a real mess.¡± Ronan sighed, wiping off the blood. It seemed a lot had happened during their escape. He wondered where the Dragon King and Orsay were and why the Sky Tower had copsed. Ronan urinated on Pargene¡¯s headless corpse, just as he had done with his followers. Raising his gaze, he looked at Duaru. The smooth bald head confirmed it was the being he had encountered before. ¡°Long time no see.¡± It had been both long and short. Pulling up his pants, Ronan walked towards the city. The eastern sky was gradually brightening. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 255 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 255: sh (6) ¡¾¡­Grr, ugh.¡¿ Azidahaka¡¯s middle head opened its eyes. His vision was blurry as if shrouded in mist. The stale air was mixed with a thick, fishy smell. His head was stuck upside down in a wide space. His limp neck swung like an abandoned swing. Dark red blood dripped between his parted jaws. ¡®What¡­ happened to me?¡¯ Azidahaka groaned. He remembered charging at the giant with a breath attack ready. There was a sh of light, but he couldn¡¯t recall anything after that. He couldn¡¯t move. There was no sensation below his head, as if he were frozen. Although the third head had taken over most of his control, it was the first time he had lost all sensation. The other two heads were nowhere to be seen. Rolling his eyes sideways, he saw heads hanging like his own. They all seemed dead, but the faint twitching suggested they were still alive. ¡¾Where¡­ is this?¡¿ He needed to understand the situation first. Azidahaka slowly looked around. The unfamiliar surroundings made him wonder if this was Adren at all. It was an open, deste space like a za. The dark stone walls were covered in moss. It gave off the exact opposite impression of his golden, majestic residence. Somewhere, he could hear the sound of flowing water. Suddenly, his eyes widened. This was the sewer system beneath Adren. ¡¾¡­Ah.¡¿ Something seemed toe to mind. As he desperately searched his thoughts, a voice echoed from a corner of his vision. ¡°This is quite a masterpiece. Out for an inspection, are we?¡± ¡¾Hmm?¡¿ It was a familiar voice. Azidahaka turned his gaze. An old man stood there, hands behind his back, looking up at him. ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Azidahaka¡¯s eyes widened. Despite the human appearance, he easily recognized the being as a dragon. Moreover, the mana emanating from him felt incredibly familiar. It didn¡¯t take long for Azidahaka to identify him. ¡¾Alivrihe? Is it really you?¡¿ ¡°Long time no see, my friend.¡± Alivrihe smiled. The frown on Azidahaka¡¯s face deepened in shock. It had been nearly a thousand years since theirst encounter. The two dragons had spent time together shortly after hatching. He never expected to meet in such a ce. Blinking, Azidahaka spoke. ¡¾Why are you here? And what¡¯s with that old man¡¯s appearance? When did you enter Adren?¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Sorry to say, but it¡¯s easier to talk with you having just one head. Talking while looking up is tiresome, so I¡¯ll lie down here.¡± ¡¾¡­Your personality hasn¡¯t changed. Do as you wish.¡¿ Alivrihe indeedy down right there. He didn¡¯t care that he might be covered in the blood trickling from Azidahaka¡¯s mouth. Azidahaka, watching him in disbelief, spoke. ¡¾Do you know what happened to me? I can¡¯t feel anything below my head.¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s only natural. You¡¯re dying.¡± ¡¾What.¡¿ Azidahaka gasped. The notion of dying out of the blue made no sense to him. Alivrihe continued. ¡°Still, I mustmend your vitality. You are second only to Lady Navardose. To survive a direct hit from that monster¡­¡± ¡¾Monster? Ah¡­!¡¿ Azidahaka¡¯s face hardened. Memories buried in fog began to resurface one by one. The giant¡¯s advent and the copsing Sky Tower. The shocking deration of the third head that it originated from him. The attempt to turn the tide by using his subordinates as bait, ending in a catastrophic defeat. As he fell, he remembered the night sky shining a pale blue. He had collided with the ground and ended up with his head stuck in the sewer. Recalling everything, Azidahaka clenched his teeth. ¡¾Damn it¡­¡¿ He felt regret and frustration. However, no fighting spirit orpetitive zeal arose. Azidahaka sighed in resignation and gave a bitter smile. ¡¾It¡¯s all so futile.¡¿ He couldn¡¯t pinpoint where it all went wrong. Was it when he allied with the suspicious Neb zier? Or was it the moment he decided to defeat Navardose? He could hardly remember why he wanted to defeat Navardose in the first ce. Alivrihe, watching him intently, raised an eyebrow. ¡°You seem more subdued than I expected. Have you given up?¡± ¡¾You don¡¯t understand. ¡®It¡¯ is unbeatable.¡¿ Even Alivrihe¡¯s provocative tone didn¡¯t excite him. The despair from that time weighed heavily on him. Azidahaka vividly remembered Duaru, the giant who stood unscathed even after taking his full-powered breath attack. He hadn¡¯t seen his own pierced side, but it was undoubtedly in terrible condition. His darkening vision told him his life was indeed ebbing away. His old friend¡¯s words about him dying seemed no lie. Alivrihe nodded after a moment of silence. ¡°That¡¯s understandable. epting it is also a valid choice.¡± Alivrihe didn¡¯t scold Azidahaka. Stroking his beard, he spoke again. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°In that case, shall we talk about old times before you die? It¡¯s too precious a time to waste on meaningless regrets or interrogating why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡¾¡­Fine. It¡¯s all over anyway.¡¿ ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a good idea.¡± Azidahaka silently nodded in agreement. Everything was over, and the manner in which it ended didn¡¯t really matter anymore. Alivrihe, smiling faintly, began his tale. **** ¡¾Hey, mage.¡¿ ¡°Y-yes?¡± ¡¾Do you understand what that thing is doing right now?¡¿ Orsay asked, his voice echoing under the gradually brightening dawn sky. He was still trapped in the prison created by the Dragon King and his minions. The Dragon King had left Orsay behind to face the suddenly appearing giant. It was a perfect opportunity to escape, but the magical prisonposed of tough, sturdy nts and ores held fast no matter how much strength he exerted. Aselley limply in the space between Orsay¡¯s neck and torso. Even if he wanted to do something, he couldn¡¯t move due to his mana beingpletely exhausted. He turned his head in the direction Orsay was looking and spoke hesitantly. ¡°Uh¡­ uh.. maybe he¡¯s looking for something?¡± ¡¾Looking for something¡­ That might be the case.¡¿ Orsay nodded. Their eyes were fixed on the distant giant. After swiftly massacring hundreds of dragons, Duaru had stopped attacking and was now slowly circling over Adren. With the Dragon King¡¯s defeat, Adren¡¯s resistance had ended. Beneath Duaruy the split Sky Tower and the hell that had be Adren. The Sky Tower, now just a stump, had copsed and crushed the city beneath it. Amidst the smoke and mes rising from all directions, the previous splendor of the city was nowhere to be found. The screams and wails of the survivors echoed, a stark reminder that nothing is eternal. Aselle, still watching Duaru, spoke again. ¡°Why¡­ did he stop attacking?¡± ¡¾That¡¯s what I want to know. There are still many survivors.¡¿ Orsay frowned. Although resistance had ceased, there were still quite a few survivors amidst the ruins. However, Duaru hadn¡¯t attacked anyone since he defeated the Dragon King. It was in stark contrast to his initial, relentless onught that seemed like it would pulverize even a mouse. Would he just leave after wandering around like this? As they watched the giant with puzzled expressions, Duaru suddenly halted and extended his arm. Once more, particles of light began to gather in his grasp. ¡°He¡¯s starting again!¡± Aselle¡¯s face turned pale. A spear of light rapidly formed in Duaru¡¯s hand. There was no time to react. Boom!! Duaru swung his arm towards the ground, causing an explosion that shook the earth. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± Aselle let out a high-pitched scream. But the attack didn¡¯t end there. Duaru repeatedly threw spears of light at the same spot. Each time a deafening explosion rang out, pirs of light shot up, tearing through the clouds. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, please¡­!¡± Aselle covered his ears and curled up. Orsay frowned deeply. ¡¾¡­What is he doing?¡¿ He couldn¡¯t understand why Duaru was doing this. The ce where he was throwing the spears was just an ordinary forest. There were no buildings or inhabitants there. As he pondered Duaru¡¯s bizarre actions, feathers began to fall from beneath Duaru¡¯s wings. The shimmering feathers drifted down like cherry blossoms in the wind. It didn¡¯t take long to realize these were no ordinary feathers. The moment the first feather touched the ground, it glowed with a white light. From the light, a giant, about three meters tall, slowly emerged. It looked like a miniature version of Duaru, covered in light, with no discernible facial features. ¡°Grrr!¡± ¡°Wh-what is that?!¡± The giant, fully standing, let out a roar. Aselle shivered. Giants were rising wherever the feathers fell. A terrible premonition washed over him. Within minutes, the number of giants grew from dozens to hundreds. They suddenly scattered, leaving Duaru, who was still throwing spears, behind. Most headed towards the city, where many survivors were. Soon, anguished screams echoed from the direction the giants had run. ¡°Aaah!¡± ¡°What is this? Please, spare me¡­!¡± Aselle, turning towards the sound, froze in horror. The smaller giants were methodically hunting down the survivors. Their light-formed hands and legs kicked, stomped, and tore people apart. A giant¡¯s foot crushed a mother clutching her child. Seeing the burst of blood, Aselle screamed. ¡°S-Stop it!!¡± Any hope that non-resistance would save them was clearly mistaken. They needed to act, but Aselle couldn¡¯t muster any strength. He had exhausted all his mana in the battle with the Dragon King. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Tears streamed down Aselle¡¯s face. Fear and despair overwhelmed him, along with a sense of helplessness at witnessing the horror and being unable to do anything. ¡¾Damn it. That bastard ispletely insane.¡¿ Orsay, still watching Duaru, gritted his teeth. He seemed to understand what Duaru was doing. Aselle, not turning his head, asked. ¡°Why, what is it¡­?¡± Orsay didn¡¯t answer immediately. Suddenly, the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck. It wasn¡¯t the vibration of an explosion, but a fundamental tremor as if something colossal was moving deep underground. Boom! Another spear of light struck the ground, causing a massive explosion. The impact left a crater as if a meteor had hit. Orsay, sighing heavily, finally spoke. ¡¾¡­He¡¯s nning to bring down Adren as a whole by destroying the floating stone at the center of the ind.¡¿ [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 256 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 256: sh (7) Rumble¡­ The sewer shook violently. The tremors were caused by Duaru¡¯s bombardment, but Azidahaka, having lost all sensation, did not notice. They were deep in their old conversations. Alivrihe¡¯s face suddenly grew serious, having sensed the situation. Azidahaka noticed the break in their conversation and asked. ¡¾Alivrihe?¡¿ ¡°Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.¡± Alivrihe offered an awkward smile. He stroked his beard a few times and continued. ¡°I can still see the day you ascended to the throne clearly. It was a time of great confusion because Lady Navardose stepped down without naming a sessor. That was already centuries ago.¡± ¡¾Has it really been that long?¡¿ ¡°Time always seems to pass quickly in retrospect.¡± Reflecting on the past, Azidahaka chuckled. It felt like just yesterday, but upon counting the days, it was indeed a distant past. Adren was plunged into chaos without a ruler. Managing a city of proud dragons and their minions was no easy task, much harder than running a human city. Apetent leader was indispensable. After much deliberation, the dragons decided to elect the strongest as their ruler, a traditional and straightforward method. Azidahaka spoke. ¡¾They were all weaklings. None were truly worthy except me.¡¿ ¡°Haha¡­ That might be true.¡± All dragons who thought themselves powerful fought fiercely to be the ruler of dragons. Azidahaka was among them and emerged victorious. Alivriheughed heartily. ¡°In the end, it was the right decision. Not just because of your strength but because you were wise. You managed everything so well that it seemed like you didn¡¯t even need three heads.¡± ¡¾¡­Shut up.¡¿ ¡°Alright, alright. My apologies. Anyway, after that, you¡­¡± The conversation flowed with stories of old times, helping them momentarily forget their dire situation. Having traveled the world together for decades, they had countless stories to share. Alivrihe spoke. ¡°It¡¯s often said that a dragon born with multiple heads is an incredible omen. Much rarer than those with multiple wings. To be honest, in my younger days, I felt honored just to be your friend.¡± ¡¾You were different from the other fools.¡¿ Azidahaka confirmed. Indeed, Alivrihe was one of the few he considered his equal. He was the most brilliant in his n, after all. ¡°Thank you for saying that. Do you remember when we went to seek guidance from Lady Navardose during our wandering days? Not to kill her, but to ask what we should do with our lives.¡± ¡¾I think I do¡­¡¿ ¡°Do you remember what she said to you back then?¡± Azidahaka fell silent at the sudden question. It was so long ago that his memory was hazy. Navardose had said something while patting his head. ¡¾No.¡¿ ¡°I remember clearly. She said you would either be a great king who saves and leads many, or a wicked dragon who would terrify the world. From what I see now, you seem closer to thetter.¡± ¡¾¡­What are you trying to say?¡¿ ¡°I¡¯m just curious. How did someone as noble as you end up like this?¡± Alivrihe asked. A heavy silence fell. The increasingly heavy eyelids signaled the approach of death. Since it was the end, Azidahaka figured he might as well speak frankly. He broke the silence. ¡¾¡­I hated being second.¡¿ ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡¾I turned Adren into a golden city. I restored order and created an environment where our kin and their servants could livefortably. I never neglected the duty of ruling entrusted to me.¡¿ ¡°No one can deny that. Adren¡¯s prosperity was your achievement.¡± Alivrihe nodded. Indeed, the influence and respect dragonsmanded in the world werergely due to Azidahaka, the second dragon lord. ¡¾Despite that, my subjects and people respected the Mother of Fire more than me. It bothered me. So, I decided to eliminate her.¡¿ ¡°¡­I find that hard to understand. Respect for Lady Navardose was inevitable.¡± Alivrihe frowned. The reason was pettier than he had anticipated. To think he allied with Neb zier over such a thing. ¡°Most of your subjects deeply respected you too. You were a decent king.¡± ¡¾I knew that. I knew, but¡­¡¿ Azidahaka spoke with difficulty. His dimming vision had already been overtaken by darkness. In a world losing even its sounds, he spoke. ¡¾I didn¡¯t want to lose to that ¡®inevitability¡¯¡­¡¿ ¡°Hmm.¡± Azidahaka, trailing off, let his head fall. Alivrihe sighed quietly. The middle head, which had been moving its lips, went limp. Who knows how much time passed? Azidahaka, who had seemed dead, suddenly opened his eyes and coughed up blood. ¡¾Grrk-!!¡¿ ¡°Damn. Now it¡¯s on me.¡± Alivrihe clicked his tongue. Although he quickly dodged, he was still sttered with a good amount of blood. Azidahaka, in a mix of surprise and confusion, stammered. ¡¾Grr, what is¡­!¡¿ Suddenly, the sensation returned to his body, and pain radiated from his side. The once faint sound of water grew louder. His vision, now clearer, showed the dreary sewer. Thud! Thud! Tremors from somewhere deep shook the air. The growing pain soon became unbearable. His clenched teeth broke from the pressure. Azidahaka writhed like a worm on wet ground. Alivrihe watched and chuckled. ¡°Looks like someone above is trying to heal you.¡± ¡¾Heal¡­ me?¡¿ ¡°Why so surprised? You were a good king. It seems others think so too.¡± Azidahaka¡¯s eyes widened. He realized he could move his body. Something like vines gently wrapped around his neck, pulling him up. Alivrihe¡¯s figure slowly receded. Azidahaka wanted to ask many things to his long-lost friend, but the pain was too overwhelming. ¡°Goodbye. Think about why you were born with two heads.¡± ¡¾Ali¡­ vrihe¡­¡¿ ¡°I don¡¯t believe it was to hold twice the hate and jealousy.¡± Alivrihe waved. As Azidahaka tried to speak¡ªBoom! The pulling force grew stronger, and the scenery changed. His three heads were yanked out of the ground. ¡¾Ugh!¡¿ Azidahaka gasped. The cool air filled his lungs. He saw enormous vines wrapped around his upper body. Familiar voices came from behind. ¡°Your Majesty! My goodness¡­!¡± ¡°Are you conscious?!¡± Azidahaka turned. The first thing he saw was Naransonia, the steel dragon. Around her were a dozen or so dragons who were his close aides. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ They were biting or holding the vines attached to his body. They had evidently rescued and healed him from the sewer. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Understanding the situation, Azidahaka looked down. There was a horrendous scar on his side, a hurriedly treated wound from the giant¡¯s attack. Naransonia spoke. ¡°Your Majesty. We did our best, but it was too severe for a full recovery. Please transform into a smaller creature and escape from Adren.¡± ¡¾¡­Escape?¡¿ ¡°Yes. It seems that giant intends to bring all of Adren down by attacking the floating stone at the center of the ind.¡± Naransonia¡¯s left wing was neatly severed¡ªa wound from his beam attack. Bringing down Adren? Azidahaka asked in bewilderment. ¡¾What do you mean? You¡­¡¿ ¡°We must protect the servants. We will buy some time, so please escape. Luckily, he¡¯s not paying us much attention.¡± Hearing this, Azidahaka looked up. He saw Duaru in the distance, still throwing spears at the ground. On the surface, pale giants were roaming, ughtering survivors. The remaining dragons fought back, but they struggled due to the giants¡¯ toughness and sheer numbers. ¡¾I¡­¡¿ Azidahaka¡¯s voice was low. The conversation with Alivrihe reyed in his mind. A great king or a wicked dragon? He couldn¡¯t tell if it was real anymore. He tried to speak. Suddenly, the third head, which had been unconscious, opened its eyes. ¡¾¡­Was I knocked out?¡¿ ¡¾You¡­¡¿ The middle head red at it. The third head, without a word, surveyed the surroundings. Quickly assessing the situation, it spoke in a cold voice. ¡¾Hmm¡­ This isn¡¯t good.¡¿ ¡¾What do you mean?¡¿ Suddenly, two wings slowly unfurled. Thankfully, they were undamaged. After a pause, the third head spoke. ¡¾There¡¯s no chance of winning. We must retreat and regroup.¡¿ ¡¾You heard about Adren falling. If we flee, who will protect the remaining people?¡¿ ¡¾That¡¯s for the remaining ones to figure out. You know as well as I do that we can¡¯t win this.¡¿ Azidahaka¡¯s middle head hardened with resolve. The dragons, including Naransonia, remained silent. The third head continued. ¡¾And who knows? Navardose might deal with that thing. Knowing her nature, she would surely intervene. After she weakens from defeating that monster, it¡¯ll be the best time to strike.¡¿ ¡¾¡­Are you serious?¡¿ ¡¾Of course. Don¡¯t ask again.¡¿ The third head ended the conversation decisively. He looked down at Naransonia and spoke. ¡¾Buy us some time. You have some wits about you.¡¿ ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Naransonia nodded. She had proposed the same strategy, so there was no disagreement. At that moment, the middle head called out. ¡¾Hey.¡¿ ¡¾What?¡¿ He knew what he had to do. As the third head turned with irritation, the middle head suddenly lunged and bit its neck. ¡¾Graaah! What are you doing?!¡¿ The third head roared. The middle head didn¡¯t answer, only tightened its grip. The sharp teeth pierced the scales, blood spurting out. ¡¾Grrr¡­!¡¿ The middle head groaned in pain. Though their personalities were different, they shared the same body, so the pain was mutual. He spoke through gritted teeth. ¡¾I was foolish. No matter how much I wanted to defeat Navardose, I shouldn¡¯t have let you in. Disappear now!¡¿ ¡¾Grr¡­ Yes, it was destined to end this way. You¡¯ve saved me the trouble¡­!¡¿ The third head twisted its body, biting the middle head¡¯s neck. Two hands gripped his horns and face, exerting tremendous force. ¡¾Grrk!¡¿ ¡¾Fool. Don¡¯t you realize this body is now mine?!¡¿ The third headughed maniacally. As expected, the one in control had the advantage. All the middle head could do was endure the pain and hold on with all his strength, sinking his teeth deeper to avoid being thrown off. Dignity as a king was long abandoned. His subordinates watched helplessly as their king fought himself. The bnce tipped in favor of the third head. An indescribable sensation tickled a corner of the middle head¡¯s nerves. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ It was a sensation deeply familiar since birth. The middle head¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. ¡¾¡­The fool is you.¡¿ ¡¾What?¡¿ The third head frowned. He assumed it was a desperate attempt to buy time and tightened his grip. The middle head spoke again. ¡¾Not even counting your own heads¡­¡¿ ¡¾How foolish.¡¿ Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice echoed from behind. The third head¡¯s scales bristled. As he turned his head, the right head lunged from the blind spot, biting his pale neck. ¡¾Aaaah!¡¿ Blood sprayed into the air. The third head involuntarily released his grip. The middle head seized the opportunity, biting deeply into the underside of the third head¡¯s jaw. ¡¾My mistake-¡¿ ¡¾I correct it here.¡¿ ¡¾Wait! Don¡¯t you want to defeat Navardose?! With our power, we can! Once that monster is gone, nothing can stop us!¡¿ The third head, immobilized, screamed desperately. It was a pitiful sight, unlike his previous demeanor. The middle head spoke coldly. ¡¾I don¡¯t need-¡¿ ¡¾That anymore.¡¿ ¡¾Hold on¡­!¡¿ The second head finished the statement. As the third head tried to speak, the two heads bit into him simultaneously and pulled back. Shrrip! The pale scales tore, and the third head was ripped apart. ¡°Your Majesty¡­!¡± The dragons watching widened their eyes. Blood poured onto the ground. The middle head, now the left, shook its head. Thud! The shredded third head rolled on the ground. ¡¾Ugh!¡¿ ¡¾Grr¡­!¡¿ The body, once pale, regained its beautiful golden hue. Despite the intense pain, there was no time for rest. Fwoosh! Azidahaka spread his wings explosively and soared into the sky. His powerful voice echoed over Adren. ¡¾Hear me! All who dwell in the City of Dragons, heed mymand!¡¿ ¡¾Defeat the intruder and prevent Adren¡¯s fall!¡¿ **** ¡°Get away!¡± ¡¾Stand back!¡¿ Aselle screamed, swinging his arm. An invisible force repelled the giants of light. But it wasn¡¯t enough to kill them, and they quickly rose again. ¡°Grrr!¡± A massive, dark tail descended on the giants, smashing them. The spot where the tail had struck was now filled with remnants of light. ¡°Th-they keeping! What do we do¡­!¡± Aselle cried, nearly in tears. They were surrounded by dozens of giants shortly after Duaru scattered his feathers. They were fighting desperately with the remaining mana and Orsay¡¯s exposed tail, but they were reaching their limit. ¡¾It seems this is the end.¡¿ There was no way out. No matter how many giants they killed, more kepting, closing the circle tighter. Orsay spoke in a resigned tone. ¡¾Too bad, mage. You could have survived if you had left me.¡¿ ¡°How could I do that¡­!¡± ¡¾Why not?¡¿ ¡°We, we fought together¡­ I could never abandon arade¡­¡± Ha! Orsay chuckled. The audacity of a human equating themselves to a dragon. It was infuriating and presumptuous, yet oddly pleasing. ¡¾Arade, you say.¡¿ Orsay¡¯s lips twisted. If he had known earlier, he could have had much more fun. Now it was toote. The giants were upon them. A single punch could bring down stone walls; a gruesome death was imminent. Adren¡¯s fall was inevitable, and a terrible death awaited. ¡°Nngh¡­!¡± ¡¾Grrr-!!¡¿ Bracing for their final stand, the dragon and human roared theirst defiance. Suddenly, dozens of red lines shed across the giants. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The giants paused. Aselle and Orsay widened their eyes. The giants, sensing something wrong, turned. Fwoosh! The lines expanded, and their bodies exploded, crumbling into light. ¡¾What is this?¡¿ ¡°Grrr¡­!¡± The giants dissolved into light, disappearing like a mirage. From where the light had settled, a young man emerged. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°R-Ronan!¡± ¡°There you are.¡± A familiar face. Tears welled in Aselle¡¯s eyes. Ronan, covered in blood, looked more determined than ever. Instead of answering, Ronan swung his sword. Shwip! The radiant sh cut through both material and magical bindings, shattering their prison. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Thud! Freed, Orsay copsed to the ground, Aselle on top of him biting his tongue. Unable to move, Ronan spun his sword and spoke. ¡°What are you two doing here? You look pathetic.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 257 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 257: sh (8) ¡°What are you two doing here? You look pathetic.¡± ¡°R-Ronan¡­!¡± Aselle cried, tears streaming down his dirty cheeks. Ronan¡¯s appearance, cutting through the giants of light, was as dramatic as the dawn breaking over the mountains. ¡°You¡¯re safe.¡± Another familiar figure emerged. Shullifen, maintaining his usual dignified demeanor, had also survived. Aselle buried his face in Orsay¡¯s neck, sobbing loudly. ¡°Shullifen¡­! Thank goodness¡­¡± Both of them looked worse for wear. Their bodies were covered in blood and wounds, evidence of their harrowing ordeal. Orsay, who had been silent, finally spoke. ¡¾¡­I thought you were dead.¡¿ ¡°Yeah, it was a hell of a time.¡± Ronan spat on the ground. He and Shullifen had been relentlessly pursued by the Dragon King¡¯s minions, making for a very unpleasant time. Evading eleven dragons, driven by blind loyalty, was no easy task. Ronan looked around. ¡°You guys look pretty worn out. They¡¯re not that strong, just a lot.¡± The giants of light, now reduced to fading remnants, had been shredded by Ronan. He kicked at the feathers on the ground¡ªthe framework of the giants. These were Duaru¡¯s feathers. Using feathers to summon creatures was a technique used by those bald-headed bastards when fighting numerous opponents or when they wanted to obliterate all life in a target area. Aselle, feeling guilty, bowed his head. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I used up all my mana. Orsay too¡­¡± ¡°You did well. But next time, prepare better. Ahaiyute, that bastard¡¯s minions are a whole different level from these.¡± Recalling his past life¡¯s battles, Ronan grimaced. Looking at Doaru, it seemed not all giants were on the same level. Ahaiyute had turned battlefields into hellscapes with far more formidable summons. Ronan could only specte about Duaru¡¯s spear-handling skills. Orsay tilted his head. ¡°Ahaiyute?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend of that bastard.¡± Ronan answered, nodding towards Duaru. High up in the night sky, Duaru was now just a white dot indistinguishable from a star. ¡®How am I supposed to bring him down again?¡¯ Ronan clicked his tongue. At such a height, even his aura couldn¡¯t reach. Just as he was about to say something, a loud wail echoed around them. ¡°Graaah!¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Suddenly, the ground shook with the approach of more giants. Aselle, startled like a rabbit, gasped. ¡°Hieekk!¡± ¡¾This is tiresome.¡¿ Orsay frowned. More giants, twice as many as before, were thundering towards them. Ronan, scratching his head irritably, looked at Shullifen. ¡°Shullifen.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shullifen silently reversed his grip on his sword. Storm aura began to envelop the de. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he drove the sword into the ground. Boom! Dozens of massive whirlwinds erupted from the earth. ¡°A-amazing¡­¡± Aselle¡¯s eyes widened. Shullifen¡¯s abilities had grown significantly. The whirlwinds formed a giant barrier around them, slicing through any giants that tried to break through. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Unable to pass through, the giants disintegrated into particles. For now, they seemed capable of holding off the current wave. Ronan patted Shullifen¡¯s shoulder and turned to Aselle and Orsay. ¡°Now, tell me what happened while I was gone. What¡¯s causing these tremors?¡± ¡°Um, so¡­¡± Aselle nodded. He exined the events that had transpired in Ronan¡¯s absence: the copse of the Sky Tower, the Dragon King¡¯s fall, and Duaru¡¯s sinister n. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Bringing down Adren? What the hell does that mean?¡± ¡°Th-that¡­¡± Aselle stammered, turning to Orsay, the only one who knew the full story. Rising slowly, Orsay spoke. ¡¾What it sounds like. At the center of Adren¡¯s foundation is a massive floating stone. These tremors are from the damage it¡¯s sustaining.¡¿ ¡°A floating stone? Like the ones in airships?¡± ¡¾Yes. It¡¯s a unique treasure, said to have been recovered by Navardose. That monster ns to destroy it, causing the dragon city to crash.¡¿ ¡°Shit.¡± Ronan chuckled bitterly. No wonder the tremors felt so unusual. That was why Duaru kept throwing spears at seemingly empty spots. ¡¾That monster senses the floating stone¡¯s presence. Despite the many protective spells on it, such destructive power will break through eventually.¡¿ Shullifen¡¯s face hardened. The situation was more dire than he had thought. If Adren fell, it would shatter into pieces, and the proud dragon city would be a yground for the stupid fish. It was almostughable, but it was something that could not be allowed to happen. Ronan asked. ¡°Is there any way to stop it?¡± ¡¾None. Injecting mana directly into the floating stone might slow its descent, but it would only be a temporary fix. We need to stop the destruction itself.¡¿ The group looked up at Duaru. Each spear throw intensified the tremors. Boom! Another pir of light shot up, piercing the night sky. Moreover, Duaru kept scattering feathers, increasing the number of giants spreading across Adren like a luminous gue. ¡°This won¡¯t be easy.¡± Ronan frowned. Prating the encirclement would be no simple task. But there was no other option. After gathering their heads together, they began to n. Ronan was the first to speak. ¡°Orsay. Firstly, can you transform into a human?¡± **** The stars were almost gone. The sky, more blue than ck, heralded the dawn¡¯s arrival. Whether Adren would see the sun was uncertain. Ronan nced back and clicked his tongue. ¡°They just keeping.¡± The severed bodies of giants disintegrated into light. They had cut down at least three hundred just to get this far. ¡°How much further?¡± ¡°Just a bit more.¡± Orsay, now in his human form, answered. Aselle, limp and tired, was draped over Orsay¡¯s shoulder like a basket. He murmured. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ for always being such a burden¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± The group exchanged nces and resumed their steps, making their way through a park filled with broad-leaved trees. Every step through the fallen leaves produced a faint rustling sound. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Their n was tounch a surprise attack. They would get as close to Duaru as possible, with Aselle and Shullifen creating a distraction, while Orsay and Ronan would strike. The n was simple, almostughably so, but they had no other choice. ¡­Boom! ¡­Crash!! The closer they got to Duaru, the louder the explosions and shes of light became. The vibrations from the damaged floating stone were now a constant, chronic headache shaking Adren. Duaru seemed unaware of their approach. Or perhaps he just didn¡¯t care. After about ten more minutes of walking, the forest abruptly ended, revealing an open space. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. A massive crater,rge enough to bury a million people,y before them. Boom! At regr intervals, spears of light crashed into the depths of the crater. Soon the light subsided. At the bottom of the crater, something smooth and round peeked out. It glowed faintly with a beautiful coral hue. Even the exposed part was enormous, likely asrge as the dormitory Ronan stayed in. Orsay pointed at it. ¡°We¡¯re here. That¡¯s the floating stone.¡± ¡°The floating stone? That?¡± Ronan chuckled in disbelief. He had heard it was big, but this was beyond imagination. It made sense though; such a stone was needed to lift all of Adren. Ronan frowned as he looked at the stone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°It looks like it¡¯s about to break.¡± The protective spells had long since failed. The smooth surface of the floating stone was already marred with damage. Each spear that struck it widened the web of cracks. Looking up, Ronan saw Duaru hovering almost directly above. The distance was vast, but it was a direct path with minimal unnecessary movement. At that moment, Aselle noticed something strange and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan followed Aselle¡¯s gaze. Tiny firefly-like objects floated around Duaru. He had seen something simr when fighting Ahaiyute. Realizing what they were, Ronan cursed. ¡°Oh. Fuck.¡± The fireflies were actually winged giants of light. Among the creatures born from the feathers, some could fly like their master. Instead of aiding in the destruction, they were creating an aerial defense around Duaru. Ahaiyute had used them for killing, an annoyingly meticulous tactic. ¡¾Raaaaargh!!¡¿ Suddenly, a dragon roared and took to the sky from the outskirts of the city. It was a sizable blue dragon. Judging by the fury and sorrow in its voice, it had lost someone precious. ¡°Reckless.¡± Ronan bit his lip. The dragon, enhanced with various spells, flew straight at Duaru. The giants of light surrounding Duaru intercepted it. Boom! The dragon managed to break through the defenses. ¡¾Graahhh! Let go of me!¡¿ But several giants clung to its body like barnacles. No matter how it shook or breathed fire, they held on. Its flight slowed noticeably. Duaru, turning, hurled a spear at the dragon. ¡¾No¡­!¡¿ ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Aselle squeezed his eyes shut. Boom! The spear struck the dragon¡¯s chest, exploding with a sh of light. The dragon¡¯s mangled remains plummeted to the ground. The giants of light also vanished, but Duaru kept scattering feathers, rendering it pointless. ¡°This is bad.¡± Shullifen muttered. Everyone¡¯s faces hardened. Aselle spoke in a panicked voice. ¡°Wh-what do we do? If this keeps happening¡­!¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. He hadn¡¯t anticipated aerial defenses. The difficulty of breaking through on Orsay had just multiplied. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll have to break through, no matter what.¡± Ronan, after a moment of silence, spoke decisively. It would have been much easier with more people, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. As he was about to signal the start of the operation, a voice called out from behind. ¡°What¡¯s this? Everyone¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The group turned almost simultaneously. About twenty steps away stood a massive figure. Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± The neer had an incredibly peculiar aura. The face atop broad shoulders was as beautiful as a marble sculpture. The flowing blond hair was reminiscent of a lion¡¯s mane. It was hard to tell if they were male or female. Who is this guy? As Ronan looked him up and down, he took a sharp breath. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± ¡°What the¡­!¡± Shullifen, standing nearby, also reacted strongly. They had been so preupied that they hadn¡¯t noticed immediately. The mana radiating from the stranger¡¯s shoulders was the same they had felt countless times in the Sky Tower. Shing! Ronan and Shullifen drew their swords and stepped back. Orsay already had the spear drawn from his chest. Aselle, thest to recognize the stranger, turned pale. ¡°Eeek! You¡¯re¡­!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t go ahead. It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Just as Aselle was about to let out a shrill scream, familiar faces emerged from the bushes behind the stranger. A young woman with iron-gray hair that seemed as strong as steel appeared. Aselle turned and gasped again. ¡°Na-Naransonia?¡± ¡°You guys¡­?!¡± Naransonia stopped. Behind her were several oddly dressed humans. It wasn¡¯t hard to realize they were all dragons in human form. Pointing his sword at the stranger, Ronan growled. ¡°What are you doing here, Dragon King?¡± ¡°Lower your swords. We mean you no harm now.¡± [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 258 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 258: sh (9) ¡°Lower your swords. We mean you no harm now.¡± The Dragon King spoke. The voice was a bizarre blend of male and female tones emerging from one mouth. Ronan had expected him to appear like a two-headed ogre when polymorphed into a human, but the reality was different. Ronan scoffed and gripped his sword hilt tighter. ¡°How do I know I can trust you?¡± ¡°You must not have heard my promation.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t respond. In truth, neither he nor his group had heard the Dragon King¡¯s promation, being on the outskirts of Adren. Aselle, who had seen the Dragon King get shot down by Duaru, stammered a question. ¡°How¡­ how are you still alive? You were definitely¡­¡± ¡°The advice of an old friend and a bit of grace I extended saved me. Many things have happened in a short time. Now, my purpose and that of my followers is to eliminate that intruder.¡± The Dragon King looked up at Duaru. His bloodshot eyescked their former arrogance andposure. It seemed something significant had happened. However, Ronan wasn¡¯t about to lower his guard just because of his words. He had suffered too much to be so easily convinced. After all, most of the disastrous events in Adren had been orchestrated by this two-headed creature before him. Suddenly, Naransonia, who had been quietly listening, interjected. ¡°If it¡¯s alright, I can exin that part. May I, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Permission granted.¡± With the Dragon King¡¯s nod, Naransonia stepped forward. Her clothes were still stained red from the severe injury she had sustained when her wing was cut off. She had been near death when they found her, but she had miraculously recovered enough to move around briskly. Standing in front of Ronan¡¯s group, she began to speak. ¡°First, I must thank you. You saved my life. Valgenia¡¯s Steel, Naransonia, extends her gratitude to you.¡± ¡°Why the sudden formality?¡± ¡°One must give credit where it¡¯s due. As for our situation¡­¡± Naransonia calmly began to exin the circumstances. As Ronan listened, his eyebrows raised. Their n was surprisingly simr to his own. They had polymorphed into humans tounch a surprise attack on Duaru. While they could have transformed into smaller animals, their current forms were optimal for dealing with the giants of light and rescuing citizens. ¡°His Majesty has fully awakened. I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overestimating yourself? Frankly, you¡¯re not someone I¡¯d easily trust.¡± ¡°My pride would not allow me to lie to those who saved my life.¡± ¡°¡­Heh.¡± Ronan snorted. Naransonia¡¯s ice-blue eyes were steady and unwavering. After a moment of holding her gaze, Ronan lowered his sword. From the earlier gratitude and her demeanor now, it was clear she was sincere. A dragon, especially one in the Dragon King¡¯s inner circle, wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this without a very good reason. Besides, Ronan had once defeated her, adding to her credibility. Putting his sword away, he addressed the Dragon King. ¡°Then it seems we have the same objective.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s fortunate, as we were short on strength.¡± The Dragon King nodded. Ronan¡¯s gaze turned to the dragons behind him. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say.¡± There were far more of them than he had initially thought. The line of polymorphed dragons stretched deep into the forest. Over two hundred dragons had gathered after hearing the Dragon King¡¯s call. Admittedly, they didn¡¯t look to be in great shape. They had all suffered significant damage, either directly or indirectly, from Duaru. But their vertically slit pupils burned with determination to eliminate the intruder and protect their homnd. Normally, such emotions would be foreign to the immortal dragons. Ronan¡¯s expression brightened. ¡®With this force, we might have a chance.¡¯ There was a slim hope they could break through that damned defense line. He organized his thoughts and then spoke. ¡°I understand your n is also a surprise attack. So, how do you n to break through that defense line? Let¡¯s say we can handle the minions.¡± Ronan pointed at Duaru with his index finger. Hundreds, if not thousands, of giants of light swarmed like clouds. Behind them, the Protection of the Stars surrounding Duaru was far stronger than anything the Neb zier could muster. This was the real deal. After a pause, the Dragon King shook his head. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t have a solid n. But if we concentrate all our firepower on a single point, we might break through.¡± ¡°Damn it, do you n to start a barbecue joint? If that would work, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡± Ronan spat out a curse. Their resolve was matched only by their recklessness. The expressions of the subordinates around them grew hostile, but the Dragon King restrained them. ¡°¡­Then what do you suggest?¡± ¡°There is one way. It¡¯s very dangerous, though.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Tell us.¡± The Dragon King insisted. Orsay, watching the scene unfold, chuckled dryly. The absurdity of the situation had dulled his irritation. Is this really the Azidahaka he knew? Naransonia¡¯s im about him having fully awakened didn¡¯t seem to be a lie. Ronan nodded heavily and began to speak. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] ¡°Alright. Everyone, gather around.¡± An impromptu alliance was formed. The main forces gathered around Ronan. The unprecedented disaster of Duaru¡¯s descent had even suppressed the dragons¡¯ innate arrogance and superiorityplex. Ronan began to exin his n as clearly and concisely as possible. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you, human?¡± There were murmurs of disbelief throughout the exnation. But Ronan¡¯s serious expression, along with the support of the Dragon King and Naransonia, quelled the confusion. Not to mention the ferocious killing intent emanating from Orsay¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Finally, not everyone can go. We need some to stay back to manage the situation if the floating stone is destroyed or things go wrong.¡± ¡°Hmm, we¡¯ll need to split into two groups.¡± There was no time to waste, so the meeting ended quickly. The humans and dragons split into two groups: the assault team to attack Duaru and the support team to handle the aftermath. Even as they prepared, Duaru¡¯s spear continued to strike the floating stone with a thunderous roar. With everything ready, Ronan took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡¾Begin.¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s voice echoed in everyone¡¯s minds. At the same time, the dragons in the assault team began to swell. Various scales covered their skin, and horns sprouted from their heads, creating a grand spectacle. Suddenly, another head grew from the Dragon King¡¯s shoulder. Ronan squinted at the dragon¡¯s transformed form. ¡°¡­Where did you sell one of your heads?¡± ¡¾At a great cost-¡¿ ¡¾I removed it.¡¿ The Dragon Kingughed, a hint of fatigue in his self-deprecating smile. As a human, it wasn¡¯t apparent, but the wound Duaru inflicted on his side was far more severe than Ronan had imagined. It was a wonder he was still standing. Ronan held back his words and chuckled. ¡°Impressive.¡± Ronan murmured, lightly cutting his forearm with his sword. Blood welled up from the thin wound. The two people beside him drew their weapons as well. **** Duaru looked down at the ground. Each p of his four wings generated a powerful wind that pushed away the surrounding clouds. From his high vantage point, the entire view of Adren was visible. The City of Dragons, engulfed in mes and screams, was heading towards destruction. ¡°Gooo¡­¡± ¡°Gooot!!¡± Over a thousand giants of light surrounded him like a moat. They acted as sentinels and executioners, taking care of the defenses while Duaru focused on destroying the floating stone. New giants of light were continually being born from the feathers that fell from him. Boom! The spear he threwnded on the floating stone with a deafening roar. Duaru mechanically checked the damage and extended his arm again. Light particles gathered in his hand, forming another spear. He aimed at the same spot and threw it, the spear striking the floating stone like a bolt of lightning. Boom! Another sh of light erupted. As the light and smoke cleared, arger crater and more cracks appeared on the floating stone. It looked like it would only take a few more strikes to break it. The sinking ground of Adren testified to this. Light gathered in his hand again as he prepared to throw another spear. Just then, a deafening roar echoed across the sky. ¡¾Raaaaar-!!¡¿ Duaru paused momentarily. The giants of light began moving restlessly, unable to pinpoint the direction of the sound. As they searched for the source, torrents of different colored elements shot out from the surrounding forest. Boom! Fire, lightning, ice, and other elemental attacks hit the startled giants directly. ¡°Goooot!¡± ¡°Gaaah!¡± The sheer firepower was overwhelming. The giants that couldn¡¯t evade or defend themselves were annihted, their forms dissolving into light. The sky, painted in various hues, was filled with fiery heat waves and frostden winds. The giants barely had time to recover. ¡¾Now!¡¿ The Dragon King¡¯s booming voice shook the night sky. Hundreds of dragons burst through the forest canopy, their shadows stretching across the ground under the moonlight. ¡¾Expel the intruder from Adren! Protect our home!¡¿ ¡¾Leave none alive!¡¿ Boom! The dragons roared as they unleashed their breath attacks once more. Elemental torrents rained down on the giants from all directions. This time, the giants were better prepared. They formed ranks, using each other as shields to block the attacks. ¡°Graaaahh!¡± The giants roared back, their outlines distorting violently with rage. Although the ambush had reduced their numbers, there were still countless giants left in the sky. ¡¾Raaaar!¡¿ ¡°Goooot!¡± Neither side showed any signs of slowing down. The dragons knew their breath attacks were only mildly effective, and the giants had no reason to retreat. Light spears and swords formed in the hands of the giants. ¡¾Kill them all!¡¿ Mahakadia, known as the second fastest dragon in Adren, folded her wings and increased her speed. She spearheaded the meleebat by piercing through a giant¡¯s chest with her horn. Boom! In the sky over the Adren, where doomed was approaching, the two forces shed. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 259 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 259: sh (10) ¡¾Don¡¯t retreat!¡¿ In the sky over the Adren, where doomed was approaching, the two forces shed. The battle between the dragons and the giants of light had devolved into a chaotic melee, too brutal to watch. Whenever the dragons¡¯ teeth mped down or their ws swiped, the giants¡¯ bodies were torn apart. ¡¾Eliminate as many as you can! Pour out your breath!¡¿ ¡°Goooork!¡± Various spells and the dragons¡¯ signature breath attacks were unleashed without reserve. The elemental storms pouring from their gaping maws disyed the destructive power befitting the mightiest race. Yet, the army of giants of light charged on undeterred. Although the dragons had the upper hand in individual strength, the giants¡¯ sheer numbers were overwhelming. Boom! A wave of me from Mahakadia¡¯s mouth swept through the giants. Those engulfed by the fire vanished like melting snow. ¡°Goooork! Gooork!¡± ¡¾Wretches, I¡¯ll burn you all to ash!¡¿ Mahakadia shouted. With her moon-white scales, she was one of the vanguard leaders in this battle. She was doing her part by tearing through the swarming giants like a tornado. Thanks to her incredible speed, Mahakadia maneuvered through the enemy ranks as if it were her domain. Thrust! She speared five giants at once with her horn, muttering to herself. ¡¾Naransonia, this time, I¡¯ve won.¡¿ She smirked, thinking of her rival who was in the support team. As the second fastest dragon in Adren, Mahakadia had always envied Naransonia, the fastest. But this morning, her wish to be the fastest dragon had unexpectedlye true. She gritted her teeth, recalling Naransonia¡¯s severed left wing. ¡®Stupid girl. Of all things, why did you have to lose a wing?¡¯ Naransonia could no longer fly, thanks to an injury inflicted by the very Dragon King she served. While Mahakadia would now hold the title of the fastest dragon, the victory didn¡¯t feel sweet. A sudden, inexplicable rage welled up inside her. As she prepared to vent her frustration by breathing fire again, a sharp pain engulfed her. ¡¾Aaargh¡­!¡¿ Something sharp pierced between her scales. She whipped her head around to see a giant clinging to her back. ¡°Gooh.¡± Its faceless visage conveyed no emotion. The giant twisted a luminous dagger into her back with mechanical precision, causing blood to spurt out. Gritting her teeth until they threatened to break, Mahakadia roared. ¡¾Grr¡­ how dare you!¡¿ Crunch! She bit off the giant¡¯s head, its body dissipating into light, but the wound remained. ¡¾Hah¡­hah¡­!¡¿ Mahakadia staggered. The amount of blood gushing out was rming. Nearby giants swarmed like sharks. Slowed and deep in enemy territory, she was quickly surrounded without much resistance. ¡¾¡­!¡¿ Dozens of giantstched onto her. Looking like bread covered in mold, Mahakadia could not bear the weight and plummeted to the ground. As consciousness faded, she wondered who the third fastest dragon might be. Even as she fell, the giants continued to sh at her, causing her to spray blood like a fountain until she hit the ground. Thud. The giants peeled off her body and flew back into the air. ¡¾Damn them!¡¿ A green dragon poured acid over the giants clinging to her corpse. Sizzling sounds filled the air as the giants dissolved, screaming in agony. Mahakadia¡¯s body was irreparably damaged, but no one had time to care. Simr scenes were ying out all over. Each dragon¡¯s death signified the end of an era, but there was no time to mourn. Giants in formation stabbed their spears into the belly and neck of the green dragon, who, with hisst breath, spat out more acid while screaming. ¡¾Don¡¯t stop¡­! Focus on killing them¡­¡¿ sh! More giants flew in and decapitated him. Another era ended, but again, there was no mourning. A lightning spell tore through the giants standing there. The air was filled with screams and roars. Dragons exhausted from the battle were falling from the sky. The army of giants of light was being annihted. Watching the massacre, Duaru muttered softly. ¡º¡­How foolish.¡» He couldn¡¯t understand their desperate struggle. The city was beyond destroyed, and even their pride and symbol, the Sky Tower, had been utterly demolished. Countless dragons and their servants had died pointlessly. By now, their futility should have been seared into their bones. ¡ºSalvation.¡» He had indulged in sentimentality long enough. Turning his gaze back to the floating stone, Duaru gripped his spear again. Even amid the battle, he continued throwing spears at his target. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. Adren was already plummeting at a significant speed. The increasingly distant ground confirmed this. The defensive magic surrounding the floating stone had long been destroyed. A faint, pale energy rose from all over Adren, seeping into his body¡ªthe souls of those he had killed. He thought about the next ce he would destroy after Adren¡¯s fall and raised his arm for what would likely be the final strike. ¡¾Raaaahhh!!!¡¿ Just as the spear left his hand, a thunderous roar erupted. **** [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] The starry sky was fading. Wispy clouds rose beyond the city¡¯s boundaries. Adren, which had been slowly descending, was now plummeting at a speed that could only be described as freefall. ¡°Ugh! Cough!¡± Naransonia coughed. Her shoulders heaved with each breath, blood spreading from the wound on her back where her wing had been torn off. Moving beside her, Aselle asked worriedly. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ yes. No problem.¡± Naransonia wiped the blood from her lips and nodded. Despite her paleplexion, indicating clear distress, Aselle couldn¡¯t bring himself to point it out given the urgency of the situation. ¡°If we can¡¯t stop the fall, we need to save as many people as possible. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Y-yes, but¡­¡± Aselle stammered. Behind Naransonia, the dragons assigned to the rescue team were busily following. Their pallid expressions mirrored Naransonia¡¯s, a result of overexerting their mana. ¡°If only¡­ if only I had more strength.¡± Aselle muttered, clenching his eyes shut. The rescue team had failed to stop Adren¡¯s descent. They had tried to get close to the floating stone to infuse it with mana and cast protective spells, but each attempt was thwarted by Duaru¡¯s relentless spear attacks, making all efforts futile. While the oue was anticipated, facing the harsh reality was disheartening. However, there was no time for despair. They had swiftly changed their strategy and were now heading towards what had been the city center. Since they couldn¡¯t save the city, the objective was to rescue as many lives as possible. So far, they had destroyed over a thousand giants of light. Naransonia looked back at her fellow dragons and asked, ¡°How many can we save?¡± ¡°At most, a few hundred. The fall is happening faster than expected.¡± ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Naransonia bit her lip. She knew, despite their efforts, most of the citizens would perish with the city. The rescue team was woefully understaffed to evacuate everyone in Adren. After a moment of silence, Naransonia spoke again. ¡°Do as much as you can. Use every airship docked and bring back survivors. Move in groups of three.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The dragons, shedding their polymorphed forms, swelled in size. They took off, dispersing in coordinated movements following Naransonia¡¯smands. She resumed her pace immediately. As they hurried along, Naransonia spoke up. ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Us dragons. We boast so much, yet we can¡¯t even save the servants who pledged loyalty to us.¡± Naransonia smiled bitterly. Aselle, hesitating, nced in the direction of Duaru and said, ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s the same for any race. Against such a being¡­¡± The battle raged on above them. Unfathomable roars echoed across the ind. The dragons and giants of light were entwined in a hellish conflict. Duaru was a force of nature, an unstoppable cmity. Hearing Aselle¡¯s words, Naransonia slowly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. In the face of an unprecedented disaster beyond our control, even we be no different from mortals. I wonder if we had managed to scrape away our inherent arrogance, would things have been better? Now¡­ I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Naransonia¡­¡± ¡°My musings have gone on too long. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you and your friends out safely. I swear it on my pride.¡± Naransonia forced a weary smile. That marked the end of their conversation. As they walked in an awkward silence, a metallic ng sounded beneath them. Aselle, noticing the change in the ground¡¯s texture, looked down. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Aselle raised his eyebrows. The grass and soil had disappeared, reced by a metallic surface. It took him a moment to realize they were standing on a huge disc. The disc felt distinctly out of ce. It was about half the size of Philleon¡¯s grand za, without a single scratch on it. Naransonia spoke up. ¡°This must be the rock from the top of the Sky Tower. It flew all the way here.¡± ¡°The rock? Oh¡­!¡± Aselle eximed softly. He recognized it now¡ªthe tform the Dragon King had stood on during rituals. He couldn¡¯t believe this massive piece had broken off. The surface of the disc was marked with an intricate andplex magic array, likely used for the Dragon King¡¯s rituals. Aselle¡¯s eyes widened as he scanned the array. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± An idea shed through his mind. It was risky and reckless, but worth a try. Suddenly, Aselle rushed forward, tracing the magic array with his hands. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just a moment. This could¡­¡± Naransonia questioned him, but Aselle didn¡¯t answer. His intense focus blocked out all surrounding noise. In his narrowed vision, only the massive magic array and its intricate patterns and structures remained vividly clear. ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­ if I can channel the flow¡­ and use this as a catalyst¡­¡± ¡°Mage, what are you trying to¡ª¡± Naransonia was about to urge him again when Aselle stood up and grabbed her sleeve. ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°What?¡± He didn¡¯t stammer. Naransonia frowned, watching Aselle mutter quickly to himself before speaking clearly. ¡°¡­We might be able to stop it. The fall. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 260 [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 260: Conclusion Just as Duaru was about to throw his spear, a roar like a thousand thunderps echoed. ¡¾Kraaaa-!!!¡¿ The echo reverberated, turning into a wave. Some of the injured giants couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and vanished. Duaru lowered his gaze. The owner of this voice couldn¡¯t possibly still be alive. As soon as his gaze reached the ground, Boom-! The barrier of giants shattered, and a massive two-headed dragon burst forth. The Dragon King¡¯s wings moved effortlessly, even with hundreds of giants of light clinging to them. ¡ºYou¡­¡» ¡¾Stop right now-¡¿ ¡¾You demon!¡¿ The Dragon King roared again. All the giants clinging to him fell off. Duaru¡¯s eyes twitched ever so slightly. At that moment, the right head lunged forward with its jaws open. Boom! A beam of light, reminiscent of the summer sun, erupted. ¡°Gooooar!¡± Despite the great distance, the beam crossed the night sky without wavering. Dozens of giants of light formed a defense, but they were obliterated without even slowing the beam down. Just as the beam reached Duaru¡¯s position, Boooom! A massive explosion brought daylight to Adren. Long shadows stretched across the battlefield. Dragons and giants alike flinched. ¡°Grr?!¡± ¡¾Your Majesty¡­!¡¿ The dragons gasped in awe. It was the power fitting of the ruler of Adren. Within seconds, the sh subsided. The Dragon King¡¯s face contorted. ¡¾¡­How can this be?¡¿ Duaru stood unscathed, enveloped by a bizarrely colored spherical barrier. He spoke in an emotionless voice. ¡ºKing in a cage, why do you persist in such futile efforts?¡» Duaru could notprehend the Dragon King. Somehow surviving a direct hit from his spear, the Dragon King was in worse shape than during their first encounter. The once radiant golden scales had lost their luster, now resembling withered leaves. Blood still seeped from the hastily patched wound on his side. It was evident that the Dragon King was enduring great pain. The Dragon King did not answer Duaru¡¯s question. Instead, he roared with the pride of a king. ¡¾What is futile and what is worthwhile-¡¿ ¡¾I, decide!¡¿ The right head opened its jaws again. Seeing mana gather in its throat, Duaru silently raised his spear. Despite being the leader of the most superior race on this star, he was proving to be just another inferior being. As the Dragon King prepared to unleash another beam, Duaru¡¯s arm vanished from sight. In his weakened state, the Dragon King couldn¡¯t track the trajectory of the iing spear. ¡¾Tch¡­!¡¿ Whoosh! Just as theet-like light spear was about to pierce the right head¡¯s forehead, a shadow darted along the neck. In the blink of an eye, the shadow reached the crown of the right head, intersecting with the spear. Sshs! The spear split in two, narrowly missing the Dragon King. ¡ºHmm?¡» Duaru paused. The shadow that had sliced through the spear regained its stance. Booom! The divided spear exploded near the Dragon King¡¯s wings. Having evaded death, the Dragon King cheered. ¡¾That¡¯s it!¡¿ ¡°Phew¡­¡± Shullifen steadied his breath and gripped his sword. The Dragon King wasn¡¯t the only one who had gambled his life. For a moment, Shullifen¡¯s sword had be blisteringly hot from intersecting with the light spear. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe it worked.¡± Shullifen murmured. The once blue de was now stained with dried red. It was Ronan¡¯s blood, applied by him. Instead of basking in the aftermath, Shullifen refocused. A storm of aura began swirling along the de. Just as Duaru was about to speak. ¡¾Leave my city at once-¡¿ ¡¾Disappear!¡¿ The Dragon King roared again. st! The right head, fully prepared, unleashed an even stronger beam of light across the night sky. ¡º¡­Futile effort.¡» Duaru muttered. Even though the spear was cut, the Protection of the Stars remained intact. As he extended his hand, lights gathered to form another spear. Just then, Shullifen, silently concentrating, swung his sword. Whoosh! The aura of the storm, tinged with crimson from Ronan¡¯s blood, shot towards Duaru like a massive arrow. The arrow, moving faster than the Dragon King¡¯s beam, struck the Protection of the Stars. Crack! The condensed wind exploded, creating an eerie shattering sound. ¡ºWhat¡­¡» Duaru froze. The protection wasn¡¯t broken, but spiderweb-like cracks spread across it. An impossible urrence. Mana was seeping in through the cracks. It wasn¡¯t until he felt the heat of the approaching beam that Duaru realized something had gone wrong. For the first time, a hint of confusion flickered across Duaru¡¯s face. Just as he hurriedly spread his wings. Boooom! The beam enveloped him and his barrier. ¡¾It hit!¡¿ The watching dragons shouted in astonishment. The beam extended towards the stars. Having unleashed all his power, Shullifen steadied his breath. He had clearly seen his strike leave cracks on the Protection of the Stars. Ronan¡¯s hypothesis, proposed during their fight with the Archbishop, had been proven. His blood, when applied, could stand against the power of Neb zier and the giants. ¡°¡­Not bad.¡± He murmured quietly. Soon, the light subsided. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ There was nothing where Duaru had been. The Dragon King¡¯s eyes widened. Only a few falling feathers marked the spot. ¡¾Look, human-¡¿ ¡¾We did it!¡¿ The Dragon King shouted, unable to contain his excitement. It seemed as though Duaru had met the same fate as other enemies struck by his beam¡ªtotal obliteration. However, Shullifen remained silent. Something felt off. If Duaru were truly dead, the behavior of his summoned giants of light should have changed. Just as he was about to warn them¨CWhoosh! A light spear suddenly flew from a blind spot. Shullifen shouted. ¡°Danger!¡± ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ The Dragon King, sensing the threat toote, turned his head. The light spear struck his left hind leg. Before he could react, Boooom! An explosion, apanied by a sh, erupted with a deafening roar. ¡¾Kraaaah!!¡¿ A harrowing scream burst forth. The sturdy leg was obliterated. The torn wound spewed blood. The Dragon King¡¯s belly was ravaged, seemingly on the verge of spilling his entrails. His exposed flesh was a deep crimson. The Dragon King¡¯s massive body staggered. An all-too-familiar voice echoed from the direction the spear came. ¡ºImpressive.¡» Shullifen turned. Duaru was looking down at them. He had descended to a much lower altitude. The Protection of the Stars still surrounded him. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Though intact, the barrier bore the cracks Shullifen had made. Within, a faint burn mark marred Duaru¡¯s chest. ¡ºThis is the first time I have been wounded. Stand proud.¡» Duaru spoke, his praise carrying a hint of sincerity, but neither Shullifen nor the Dragon King responded. The oppressive weight of the situation made even breathing difficult. ¡ºHowever, this ends here.¡» Duaru continued, his voice unyielding. Words flowed from his slightly parted lips in anguage unknown to any being of this world. The starlight in the dawn sky intensified. Swaaa¡­ Particles of light gathered from all directions, forming dozens of spears around him. ¡¾¡­My god.¡¿ ¡ºDespair, great warriors. For you shall protect nothing.¡» There was no way to counter this. Just as the Dragon King was about to speak, the spears, each aimed at different targets, wereunched simultaneously. The sight of the white spears showering down resembled a beautiful meteor shower. The spears embedded themselves in the bodies of the dragons embroiled in battle. ¡¾Keuh!¡¿ ¡¾Argh!¡¿ There was no time for death cries. Booom! A chain of explosions apanied by shes of light turned the night into day. The Dragon King¡¯s face hardened at the sight of the suddenly brightened night sky. ¡¾Stop this at once!¡¿ The Dragon King roared. His staggering form charged towards Duaru. Several redirected spears shot towards the Dragon King. Shullifen, gripping his sword, dispersed the de into a form of wind. aash! With a swing, he cleaved three of the spears in half. But three more remained. The Dragon King narrowly dodged the remaining spears with nimble movements unbefitting his massive size. Catching his breath, he looked up. Another dozen spears were already descending towards him. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Exchanging nces with the Dragon King, Shullifen bit his lip. Despite the distance still remaining, they seemed to have reached their limit. Taking a deep breath, the Dragon King¡¯s left head shouted loudly. ¡¾It¡¯s frustrating, but this is as far as we go!¡¿ ¡ºHmm?¡» ¡¾Now, execute that grand n of yours! Everything depends on your sess! Arrogant Dark Dragon, and¡­¡¿ Duaru tilted his head, puzzled. It sounded more like an order than a final plea. Even as the spears rained down, the Dragon King did not slow his charge. After a brief pause, the Dragon King¡¯s voice boomed once more. ¡¾Ronan!!¡¿ At that moment, the Dragon King¡¯s right head, which had been silent until now, opened its jaws. Two dark shadows shot out, propelled by his tongue. One was a young man with a fierce gaze, the other a pale, handsome man with long hair reaching his waist. Shedding his ck coat, the pale man roared. ¡¾I was growing tired of enduring this stench!¡¿ Simultaneously, Orsay¡¯s body expanded rapidly. A massive ck dragon materialized in the sky. Fwoooosh! The four wings spread explosively, generating a powerful gale. Leaping onto his head, Ronan swung his sword horizontally. ¡°Hup!¡± The crimson Lamancha carved a wide arc. sts of condensed sword energy shot out in a fan shape. The number of sts matched the thirteen iing spears. Just before the spears reached the Dragon King and Shullifen, Booom! The urately aimed sts intercepted the spears. ¡ºWhat¡­¡» Not a single spear hit its mark, exploding harmlessly in midair. Duaru¡¯s eyes widened in genuine surprise, unlike his previous reaction to Shullifen¡¯s strike. ¡°Enjoying yourself, huh? You bald-headed bastard.¡± Ronan growled. The sacrifices made to get here were too many. Regaining hisposure, Duaru raised his arm again. ¡ºVanish.¡» Swiiiish! Hundreds of spears aimed at Ronan and Orsay, far too many to intercept. But Ronan remained unfazed. He had anticipated this, and thanks to the efforts of the Dragon King and Shullifen, they had closed the distance sufficiently. Orsay folded his wings and roared. ¡¾Here we go!¡¿ Instead of responding, Ronan gripped his horns and lowered his stance. Just as the leading spear was about to pierce them, Orsay and Ronan¡¯s forms became shadows, scattering. Pop! They reappeared outside the range of the spears. Once again, a look of bewilderment crossed Duaru¡¯s face. Pop! Pop! Pop! Orsay continued to use Blink, rapidly closing the gap. Ronan shed at any spears that came too close. They were now close enough. Ronanunched a strike at Duaru¡¯s feet. A red crescent moon shot towards him. ¡°Fuck off!¡± ¡ºFoolish.¡» Duaru gripped his spear. Compared to the Dragon King¡¯s beam or Shullifen¡¯s storm, this attack was insignificant. He assumed it would have no effect on him or his Protection of the Stars. He didn¡¯t bother to defend or dodge, instead raising his spear. Ronan¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°You idiot.¡± ¡ºWhat?¡» Duaru hesitated. In that moment, the crescent moon tore through the Protection of the Stars and pierced his left shoulder, spraying blue blood. ¡º¡­!¡» Duaru¡¯s usually stoic face twisted in pain. The blood sttered on Ronan and Orsay. An arm, severed from his body, fell into the night sky. ¡ºThis¡­ cannot be.¡» The confidence vanished from Duaru¡¯s face. Something had gone terribly wrong. As he tried to assess the situation and pull back, suddenly, he was enveloped in a red glow, reminiscent of a sunset. ¡°Sorry, but at this distance, I can reach you.¡± Ronan said. Duaru¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The young man who had been far away was now right in front of him. ¡ºHow¡­¡» Duaru swung his spear in a panic. Ronan¡¯s arm vanished from view. Though their speeds wereparable, Ronan evaded the spear with featherlight movements. He never forgot how to fight an opponent he had faced before. Ronan murmured. ¡°Children of the stars share their senses, right?¡± ¡ºKugh¡­!¡» A blue line appeared on Duaru¡¯s neck. Ronan¡¯s swordpleted its arc and returned to its original position. The dragons, including the Dragon King, watched in breathless silence. ¡°Come on if you want to die.¡± Ronan spun his sword and muttered. ash! Duaru¡¯s head soared into the sky. The dawn breaking over the horizon cast light upon Adren. [Trantor ¨C Peptobismol] Chapter 261 261. Probation (1) #261 ¡°This is the end. Is this enough?¡± The morning air was cold. In the distant sky, starlight like debris was twinkling. Returning to her original form, Naransonia threw a broken stone pir away. thud! The pir flew in a parabolic arc andnded on top of a mountain of rubble. All the fragments that once made up Adren had been removed by her. ¡°yes. I think it will. thank you.¡± Asher bowed his head. He was busily walking around on the disc and rubbing the letters or pictures written on the magic circle with a jade stone to correct it. With this, all the obstacles blocking the disk disappeared. The magic circle used in Neb zie¡¯s ritual was revealing its intact form. Asher, who had just discovered the magic circle, asked Naransonia to remove all the debris from the disk. Naransonia wondered what nonsense that was, but eventually granted his request. Adren was still falling. Even she couldn¡¯t understand why she had invested her precious little time on this little human mage instead of saving lives. ¡®Did I shed too much blood?¡¯ Did he want to catch the straw even though he knew it was impossible? If someone asked me why I did that, I had no choice but to answer that it was just because I felt I had to do it. ¡°¡­it¡¯s done.¡± At that moment, Asher, who scraped a letter from the floor, stood up. His mana had not fully recovered yet, so his body had no strength. He put down the stone and sat cross-legged at the center of the magic circle. Naransonia asked. ¡°So what exactly are you trying to do? Can you prevent a fall with this magic circle?¡± ¡°If you are lucky. It¡¯s a new form, but it¡¯s basically a condensing/discharging circuit. While concentrating external magic power on the target, a part of it is signalized and released. It¡¯s powerful, but the structure itself is simple, so I thought I could use it with a little tweaking.¡± Asher never stuttered while exining the magic circle. He said that he modified the magic circle, leaving only the power-gathering effect and removing the signal-emitting function. ¡°Emission and coagtion¡­what?¡± Naransonia frowned. She didn¡¯t understand most of the jargon that came out of Asher¡¯s mouth. However, he seemed to know what Asher was trying to do. she asked. ¡°So¡­ are you saying you want to recreate the ceremony His Majesty did?¡± ¡°yes. We have to start before the stars go downpletely. That¡­ can I ask you one more favor?¡± Asher said. Beneath the long eyshes, the twinkling eyes sunk heavily. Naransonia tilted her head. ¡°What do you mean, please?¡± ¡°No matter what happens, please don¡¯t stop me.¡± The young voice was full of determination. Naransonia hesitated for a moment. It was as if his momentum had changed and he had be apletely different person. She unconsciously nodded. ¡°¡­it is.¡± ¡°Ehehe¡­Thank you.¡± Asherughed. There was an iprehensible aloofness in his clean, unblemished smile. Something that can reveal even a person who has given up everything. For an instant, Naransonia¡¯s brow twisted. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t¡­¡± Asher closed his eyes before she could say anything. The young genius was once again immersed in a world of selflessness, where only he and his magic existed. Singing incantations began to flow from between her small lips. The starlight that had been setting above their heads grew brighter. The surrounding atmosphere and mana swirled and gathered into one point. ¡°This¡­!¡± Naransonia¡¯s eyes widened. Mana far exceeding the total amount he could contain was being sucked into that little human body. The cluster of light that spread out around Asher illuminated the magic circle like molten iron poured into a mold. he opened his mouth slowly. ¡°I will begin.¡± Jureuk. A thin stream of blood flowed down Asher¡¯s nostrils. **** ¡°If you want to lose,e see me.¡± Duaru¡¯s head fell off his body. Blue blood soaked the sky. Orsay¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. ¡¾You bastard¡­!¡¿ I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I saw it. I hoped, but I really cut it. The headless body began to fall. Ronan, who was catching his breath, wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. ¡°¡­after.¡± The touch of the blue blood he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time was like a dog¡¯s dick, no different from his previous life. Douaru¡¯s head, which had been spinning and rising, began to fall. For an instant, Ronan and his gaze met. [How¡­how¡­] Duaru¡¯s eyes were still wide open. Instead of answering, Ronan made a rude gesture. There was no reason to exin that. [¡­Ah.] Douaru¡¯s head fell to the ground along with his torso. The movement of the light giants, who were engaged in a melee, stopped. The eyes of the puzzled dragons were focused on one ce. ¡¾Floating and Falling! Humans did it!] ¡¾What is it really? What happened to His Majesty and the Demon Dragon?] ¡¾My God¡­!¡¿ No one was astonished. Even if all the dragons of Adren rushed at it, the monster that had not been able to inflict a single wound was falling headlong into a headless corpse. The images of Ronan and Orsay staying in the sky looked like statues erected by a great master. ¡¾Kahiah !!¡¿ ¡¾Kerhuoh-!¡¿ The pure emotions have been supported in their hearts. The dragons spread their wings and roared instead of apuding. The dawn that had just risen was dyeing the ruins of Adren golden. ¡°¡­joy.¡± Schlieffenughed. Even he, who was always cold-hearted, could notpletely suppress his overflowing emotions. He, who was crossing his arms above the dragon king¡¯s head, looked up at the sky and closed his eyes once before opening them. However, the person who should be most happy was not showing any reaction. Suddenly, the Dragon King¡¯s voice rang out. [¡­Hey, polite swordsman-] [Is the monster dead?] Schlieffen looked down. The Dragon King was slowly lowering his altitude, staggering as if he were drunk. Damp blood was still dripping from his left hind leg and down his stomach. The four pupils were cloudy, as if a film was stuck. The scales, which were originally withered, were even more faded. Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡¾Hahaha¡­ Judging by the reaction-¡¿ ¡¾I guess so¡­¡¿ The Dragon King muttered in a low voice. In his hazy vision, only the blue of the sky and the dark green of the golden forest at dawn were entangled and spread abstractly. Schlieffen, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­how did that happen?¡± The condition was deteriorating too quickly. I thought it was overkill, but I had no idea it would be this much. ¡°your majesty?¡± Schlieffen asked again, but the Dragon King did not answer. It wasn¡¯t really to gain weight, it was simply because I couldn¡¯t hear his voice. The sound was not good. The air he inhaled and exhaled tasted like blood. He didn¡¯t even know how to p his wings. However, the sense of mission toplete his duties as a king was moving his body, which had reached its limit. I couldn¡¯t stop until I saw that all the servants and people who fought together were safe. The floating stones were notpletely destroyed, so there was still a chance. ¡¾Let¡¯s go back¡­ yet-¡¿ ¡¾Can be obtained¡­¡¿ The Dragon King was descending. Duaru¡¯s mouth opened slowly as he suddenly fell. A small chant leaked out that no one could hear. ¡ºHis¡­ as he wishes¡­¡» No one heard it. But change has certainly happened. Almost reaching the ground, Duaru¡¯s body creaked and stretched out his arms. As the photons around him converged, a spear made of light was squeezed into his grasp. Compared to before, it was absurdly small. If the existing spear blew away the entire mountain, this would have been fortunate enough to destroy just one farmhouse. It didn¡¯t seem to make any sense. However, he still had one thing left to break. Duaru, who aimed very slowly at the target, swung his arms. Shiiik¡­ The spear of light that left his hand flew powerlessly. Finally, the torso and head, which had been plummeting, hit the ground. Poo-! Bone and flesh were torn as if exploding, and blue blood gushed out. The light in Duaru¡¯s eyes, whose five bodies had been divided,pletely went out. hooked! At the same time, the flying spear pierced a crack in the floating stone. Ronan, who noticed the change btedly, turned his head. ¡°what¡­!¡± It was the car he was about to shout. Kwaaaaaaang-!!! With an explosion that turned the ground upside down, a huge pir of light shot up. The floating stone, which was almost broken, waspletely destroyed. The mana that was pulsating inside the floating stone created a huge ripple and spread out in all directions. ¡¾What is it?!¡¿ ¡¾Everyone be careful!¡¿ The dragons were agitated. Rumble! The ground in Adren was shaking like a wave. As the descent elerated, the ground was rapidly receding. Seeing the scene, Ronan spat out a curse. ¡°This bastard will go to the end¡­!¡± It was careless. I didn¡¯t expect it to move even though my neck was cut. Ahayute, that bastard was also dead, but he was like a terrible child. Even after the death of their master, the light giants did not disappear. It turned violent as if it were making a final outburst before dying again. They started attacking the dragons again, running wild like a swarm of angry bees. ¡°Gooooh clothes!!¡± ¡°Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!¡± However, the fighting did not resume. Now, the dragon side did not have to waste time fighting the giant. The Dragon King, who grasped the situation, shouted loudly. ¡¾Kuhh¡­ The floating stone is broken-¡¿ ¡¾Retreat! Everyone with wings, start saving lives!] Blood poured out of the mouths of the two heads. The frozen dragons regained their sanity one by one. Hundreds of dragons ignored the giants and started flying towards Adren. There was no way to do anything other than the floating stone was destroyed. As the Dragon King said, he had to save as many lives as possible before everything was destroyed. When Ronan suddenly heard the word life, someone¡¯s face passed by in Ronan¡¯s mind. ¡°Assel.¡± Asher was the only one in the group who had fallen into the water tank. And as far as he knew, Asher did not have enough mana left to protect his body. After reciting his friend¡¯s name, Ronan eximed urgently. ¡°Damn Orsay!¡± ¡¾I know!¡¿ Orsay dived. He broke through the swarm of light giants by using Blink continuously. pop! pop! pop! The shapes of Orsay and Ronan were scattered and reappeared in the shadows. ¡°?? ?????!¡± ¡°Goaaah!¡± Ronan did not stop swinging his sword even when he was hit by a wind that made it difficult for him to open his eyes. The dismembered bodies of the giants turned into light and disappeared. In the blink of an eye, Orsay reached the town where Asher was supposed to be. A familiar voice came to Ronan¡¯s ears as he scanned the ground. ¡°Stop! Can¡¯t you hear me? I mean quit!¡± ¡°¡­Naransonia?¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. In the middle of the city, Naransonia, who had changed to her true form, was screaming loudly. ¡°Do humans really want to die?!¡± Asher was sitting cross-legged in front of her. At the feet of the two, the magic circle seen from the top of the Sky Tower was shining in pure white. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t just because Asher¡¯s hips were floating about 1m off the floor. Seven streams of blood flowed from his pale face. Nose and mouth ears and eyes too. The tiny body was shaking as if it would explode at any moment. The sparkling mana unique to Neb sh was thickly spread everywhere. I don¡¯t know what the hell he¡¯s doing, but I had to stop him. Ronan shouted at this with a loud voice. ¡°Assel!!¡± ¡¾Wizard!¡¿ Orce dived. It was the moment he tried to activate Blink once again. Suddenly, a huge magic circle spread across the dawning sky. With the sound of the hook scraping the ground, Adren¡¯s fall stopped. Chapter 262 262. Training (2) #262 Asher was looking at the stars with his eyes closed. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. I only vaguely remembered the fact that I had activated the magic circle to prevent Adren from falling. The body was still, but the mind was not. His soul thrashed, thrown into a storm of stars and dust shadows. The strange colors of the neb licked my skin, and the swirling cluster of stars whispered in my ear anguage I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡®Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­!¡¯ Asher twisted his body and screamed. However, his voice couldn¡¯t escape from his mouth and only resonated in his head. It was as painful as squeezing my brain with a rag. It was in the middle of sinking deep into a world that consciousness had never seen before. ¡ºDouaru has disappeared.¡» ¡ºAll the spirit bodies that made up the body have disappeared.¡» Some people¡¯s conversations were overheard. The unbearably loud voice wasing straight into the soul, not through the eardrum. Asher was forced to focus on their conversation because he couldn¡¯t stop it even if he wanted to cover his ears. ¡°No way. I¡¯ll chase right away.] ¡ºSignal can¡¯t reach. It¡¯s impossible until you open the door from there.¡± Spirit body? signal? It was in the midst of being confused by a series of words that were difficult to understand. The sight, which had fluctuated randomly for an instant, was fixed. Asher¡¯s eyes widened. The darkness full of stars disappeared, and the pure white earth spread out before my eyes. ¡®W Where is this?¡¯ It was an unreal sight. There was no vitality to be found in the endlessndscape. The ground was all covered with grass the color of earth and stone, a hideous white. The wind blew, but no sound could be heard. Every time the chilly wind blew, the des of grass swayed in unison. Like the ground, the sky with white clouds seemed to have been covered with lime. asionally, whenever a sh of lightning urred, a magic circle like the one seen in Adren appeared and disappeared on the surface of the cloud. Suddenly, Asher, who was looking at the sky, froze. ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯ Giants resembling Duaru were walking around. At least four and as many as eight wings pped on their broad backs. The giants were wandering around as if drifting in the white sky, or disappearing oring out of the inside whenever a magic circle appeared. Usually, one person went in and out, but there were times when several people went in and out at the same time. Is that a door leading somewhere? Are they going to destroy another world like Duaru did? Asher, who had hardened, was in the middle of appreciating the bizarre sight. One of the giants who was pping its wings in ce opened its mouth. ¡ºSomeone is spying on us.¡» ¡ºWhat did you say now, Ahayute?¡» ¡ºWait.¡» The giant slowly turned his head and looked in the direction where Asher was. His eyes widened. It must have blocked the transmission of signals to the outside, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how it detected the presence. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the point now. The giant who was looking around slowly began to approach Asher. Asher¡¯s breathing quickened each time the distinctive face came closer. ¡ºAbout here.¡» The giant¡¯s outstretched hand was about to cover his face. Kwajijik! Suddenly, cracks began to appear in my vision. Feeling something strange, the giant quickly tried to snatch it, but Asher¡¯s consciousness was already thrown out of their realm. ¡®Aaaaaaagh!¡¯ Asher screamed silently. The body that had escaped from the realm of the giants was flying at high speed. The scenery that had passed so far was being reproduced in reverse. As I crossed the unfathomable cluster of stars, a familiar voice rang in my ears. ¡°Yumma! Asher!¡± ¡°Hyaaaaaagh!¡± Asher opened his eyes. The cold morning air rushed into his lungs. The whole world looked red because of the blood in his eyes. I closed my eyes tightly to squeeze out the blood before I could properly look around. Familiar celestial bodies were embroidered in the sky overhead. Asher¡¯s gaze, looking around in bewilderment, turned to the person holding his shoulder. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind, you bastard? ok?¡± said Ronan. It seemed like a very long time ago. People, including Orsay Naransonia, surrounded it. Instead of answering, Asher slowly reached out and touched Ronan¡¯s ear. The tactile feel of the soft but slightly hard cartge was telling me that this ce was real. Asher, who recalled what he was doing, opened his mouth. ¡°Audren¡­?¡± ¡°Tell me what are you doing? You did it man.¡± Ronan extended his index finger and pointed at Adren¡¯s sky. A magic circle so vast that it could not be seen at a nce covered the sky. From the inside, a huge chain stretched out in four directions that seemed to be capable of binding Navardoze as well. The chain made of a mixture of telekinesis and sparkling mana was visible only to Ronan and Asher. The hook at the end of the chain was firmly embedded in the ground of Adren, preventing it from falling. The night sky no longer receded. The sense of oppression of the world was gone. Asher sighed lightly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± If I pushed myself a little more, my mind would be destroyed. Asher, who had been quietly watching the scene, smiled bashfully. ¡°¡­ehehe.¡± It was a wlessugh, as always. Ronan didn¡¯t bother asking what the hell he had done to Asher. Above his slender shoulders, the sparkling mana unique to Neb ge was blooming like a haze. Hearing Naransonia¡¯s exnation, he knew that Asher had drawn the power of bald heads. Even the dragon king couldn¡¯t handle it, and he pulled the magnificent power that was delivered over several days at once. With only one determination to prevent Adren from falling. There was only one thing Ronan could say to such a person. ¡°Crazy. You really are a spoiled bastard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so dizzy¡­¡± Ronan ruffled Asher¡¯s hair. Asher shook his head following the gesture and let out a helplessugh. The people around me, who were dumbfounded, started talking in earnest. ¡¾I can¡¯t believe it. That human did it alone?] ¡¾The ceremony His Majesty did¡­¡¿ ¡¾I¡¯ve seen countless geniuses, but this is the first time ever.¡¿ Even dragons who have lived for at least hundreds of years were astonished. I had never seen or heard anything like this. An individual stopping an ind falling from the sky. It was doubtful whether even Lorhorn, known as the supreme wizard, could do such a thing. ¡°Now we just have to deal with them.¡± Ronan raised his gaze to the sky again and clicked his tongue. The crazy giants of light were rampaging like locusts. Still, if we all worked together, we would be able to do anything. ¡¾I was genuinely amazed. Wizard.] ¡°Mrs. Orsay¡­¡± Then, Orsay walked forward through the crowd. Although he looked tired from the aftermath of the battle, his arrogant and majestic spirit was still there. There was literal respect in his eyes as he looked at Asher. ¡¾Even if the empire is burned, only you will be saved. As long as it doesn¡¯t disturb me.] ¡°To burn the wealth¡­that¡¯s¡­Kah!¡± It was the car Asher was trying to answer. His body shook and blood gushed out of his mouth. Surprised people flocked to it. ¡°Assel. Yumma.¡± ¡¾what. Why are you doing that?] Ronan hugged his staggering body. Orsay¡¯s dry face was also perplexed. Asher spit out the blood in his mouth and stammered. ¡°Huh¡­ I guess¡­ I wascking a bit.¡± ¡°Not enough?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I should have put it on track at least by force¡­ At this rate, it will crash again¡­¡± ¡± ¡­fall?¡± Hearing Asher¡¯s words, Ronan frowned. At that moment, Adren, who had been stationary, shook like an earthquake. A rumble¡­ The roar of a wild beast sent people into confusion again. When I raised my head, I saw chains and magic circles that were flickering as if they would disappear at any moment. ¡°I have to¡­ stop it.¡± Asher stumbled and stood up. He started walking toward the center of the magic circle, leaving Ronan and Orsay behind. Ronan urgently grabbed his arm. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop right now? do you want to die?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ Put it on a certain track and you¡¯ll be fine. Just a little more¡­¡± ¡°Do you think your body can handle the damn thing right now?¡± Power went into Ronan¡¯s hands. There were even some reckless things. ording tomon sense, there was no way that humans would be fine with the power of the bald heads. Even the dragon king couldn¡¯t handle his strength and ran out of control, causing an ident. How long could Asher, who is smaller than his ws, endure? This was another matter of talent. Orsay nodded as if agreeing. ¡¾Don¡¯t overdo it, mage. You have already done enough.¡¿ ¡°Get on quickly. Because you bought me time, I¡¯ll be able to get more.¡± Ronan would never have seen his friendmit suicide. I would rather have crashed this city. Asher, who had been looking at him quietly, murmured softly. ¡°¡­Please forgive.¡± ¡°what?¡± It was the moment Ronan tilted his head. Wow! Suddenly, an invisible shockwave exploded around Asher. ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ It was a tremendous power. Ronan and Orsay, as well as the dragons surrounding them, were all bounced off from a distance. bang! Ronan stopped only after hitting his back on the exterior wall of a building. ¡°You bastard with no blood on his head!¡± Ronan jumped up as if to bounce. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to guess Asher¡¯s intentions. He immediately drew his sword and tried to pull Asher with an aura, but his form was already covered by the ice barrier. ¡°I can¡¯t stop right now!¡± The mana-enhanced thighs swelled to burst. bang! bang! bang! Ronan, who had reached the magic circle with only three leaps, scattered sword strikes. The ice, which never melts or breaks, shattered and crumbled. ¡°Assel!!¡± cried Ronan. Asher was already sitting cross-legged in the center of the magic circle. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he approached him. A veil shimmering in bizarre colors covered Asher¡¯s surroundings in a hemispherical shape. ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± My mind went white. Although weak, it was unmistakably the blessing of the stars. A power that no one can use even inside the Neb ze. I had no idea what experience I had to use this. If it wasn¡¯t for Ronan, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to break through. I could feel Asher¡¯s will to solve this matter without fail. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± However, Ronan swung the sword without hesitation because if he lost his life, everything would eventually be useless. Awesome! The protection of the stars copsed with the bted sound of the bell. It was the car he reached out to Asher. Asher¡¯s gaze turned and met Ronan¡¯s. ¡°¡­Ronan. Let me finish.¡± Chapter 263 263. Probation (3) #263 ¡°Ronan. Let me finish.¡± The eyes of the two met. His hand, which was trying to grab Asher, stopped in the air. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± Asher did not cry orin as usual. Blood that had stopped flowing down his little nostrils. ¡°You know, Ronan. Adren is an important base¡­ The power of dragons is absolutely necessary to fight an enemy who wields such terrifying power. And you can save thousands and tens of thousands of people, but if you don¡¯t save them¡­ I will live with regret for the rest of my life.¡± Ronan knew that a little bit of that would run down his mouth, ears and eyes. Except for the bleeding, the condition was not very good. Her rapid breathing was so thin that it was barely perceptible, and her pale face and convulsive body looked like someone suffering from a terrible fever. But Ronan couldn¡¯t reach out any further. I had to hit him on the head right away to knock him out and put him on his shoulder, but I couldn¡¯t. Despite being congested, Asher¡¯s beautiful eyes were burning with determination. It was a gaze that no one could stop and should not block. Asher, who was silent for a moment, continued. ¡°¡­Ronan. Do you remember what you used to say?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°When someone asked me why I did that¡­ I always answered the same thing. I just said ¡®because I had to¡¯¡­I thought it was so cool¡­¡± Asher gave a bashfulugh. Blood flowed down the corners of his eyes. Ronan couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°This is such a moment, Ronan. Now is the time to do what I have to do. Just as roles are set in a y, it seems that each person¡¯s role is set in life.¡± ¡°Assel.¡± ¡°The past three years have been the best days of my life. It was like a dream every day. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have lived a life of pickpocketing with magic while being dragged by Hans¡¯ gang. That miraculous time existed just for today.¡± Asher, who said that, never stuttered. As he took a deep breath, the sparkling mana floating around began to swirl and gather in earnest. Asher¡¯s body was slowly rising into the air. He smiled again and closed his eyes. ¡°Then I have no regrets.¡± It was the car Ronan was about to say. As Asher concentrated his mind, the stagnant mana began to turbulent. The flickering magic circles and chains became clearer, and the sound of breaking rocks resonated loudly. Kagagagak! The brakes were applied to Adren, who was falling again. ¡°This tiny little bastard¡­¡± The vibrations were quickly fading. Ronan bit his lower lip. I don¡¯t know why, but my eyes were blurred. Is it a drop of sweat? Or did it just drop a drop of rain on my face? ¡¾What are you doing without stopping right away!¡¿ At that time, Orsay flew through the air and stopped in front of Ronan. He growled fiercely and was about to reach out to Asher. Chow! Ronan drew his sword and pointed it at Orsay¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡¾¡­has she gone mad?¡¿ Orsay¡¯s expression suddenly distorted. Suddenly, I couldn¡¯t understand why this person was doing this. A pair of curved horns rose above his head. A life where it was difficult to even breathe spread around Orsay. ¡¾Move away.¡¿ ¡°I won¡¯t tell you twice. Don¡¯t touch my friend.¡± But Ronan didn¡¯t blink an eye. The de aimed at Orsay¡¯s neck was stable enough to ce an egg on it. [How dare you¡­!] Orsay gritted his teeth. Normally, I would have torn it to shreds at once, but I couldn¡¯t. From Ronan now, pressureparable to that of the first emperor who defeated him in the past was emanating from him. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if his head ran away after he rushed at it. He remembered the image of Ronan who cut Duaru with a single knife. Cold sweat broke out on Orsay¡¯s palms. Asher, who heard their voices, murmured in a low voice. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± It was a word for everyone. Both Ronan, who respected his wishes, and Orsena, who worried about him, werepletely grateful. Gradually, I felt that the strength I had pulled earlier was draining. Now was the time to really go. hi. Guys. Asher, chanting in his head, closed his eyes. It was the moment his consciousness was about to set out on a journey to the far side again. Hwaaaaaagh-!! Suddenly, a red light reminiscent of the end of the world burst overhead. ¡°what?!¡± ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ The heat reminiscent of a midday desert poured down. Everyone except Asher raised their heads at the same time. Ronan and Orsay¡¯s eyes widened. A sea of mes raged above the sky in the distance. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­The old house!¡± All of the light giants were swept away by the mes. Even the scream of death did not remain properly. The mes, intense enough to make one mistake whether the sky was originally that color, burned in convection without fading over time. In the feast of light and heat that is hard to even open your eyes, the traces of the giants disappeared without leaving any traces. ¡°Ouch!¡± At that time, Asher, who was floating in the air, fell on his butt. The tremendous light and heatpletely broke Asher¡¯s concentration. The sparkling mana scattered like mist. ¡°If this is the case, Adren¡­!¡± Asher, who had not lost consciousness by a short distance, eximed urgently. I was so surprised that even the existing magic was canceled. The huge magic circle and chains were disappearing like ashes flying away. ¡°¡­uh?¡± But something was strange. Adren did not fall even though all magic was dispelled. Rather, it floated peacefully in the air like a small boat on a calmke. ¡°Damn¡­what the hell happened?¡± Confused survivors began to mumble. I couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened. Suddenly, Ronan, who was staring at the sky with a dumbfounded expression, frowned. ¡°Wait the fuck, why do you keeping down?¡± A sea of mes that burned the giants was pouring over their heads. The sound of fire swallowing the air resounded ferociously. It was a range that reached almost to the horizon, so it was absolutely impossible to avoid it. ¡¾Everyone stay calm!¡¿ ¡¾Where has His Majesty gone?!¡¿ ¡¾Take the citizens on your back!¡¿ Embarrassment erupted from everywhere. Several dragons rushed their breath toward the sky, but nothing changed. The me continued its descent, consuming everything. there was no answer to this I had to cut the fire and destroy it or dig the ground and hide. Grabbing the hilt, Ronan grabbed Asher with the other arm. ¡°Nimi. Hold tight.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Asher groaned, sticking out his tongue. It was a car they were about to get into action. Spot! Suddenly, the space in front of me turned upside down and a certain boy jumped out. The boy, who appeared to be only fifteen years old, was wearing a gaudy robe that was inappropriate for his age. The dainty features were familiar somewhere. Ronan and Asher, who met his eyes, sighed. ¡°you are¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone.¡± the boyughed A smile that felt both innocence and dignity at the same time was definitely something I remembered seeing before. Ronan, recalling the past without difficulty, opened his mouth. ¡°Lorhorn?¡± ¡°I am so sorry that I amte. It took too long to catch up¡­Now rx.¡± The boy didn¡¯t deny it. He was the great wizard who sealed the giant Nirvana in his previous life and Lorhorn, the owner of the Twilight Mage Tower. I¡¯ve often heard about him, but it was the first time I¡¯d met him in person since the incident in Rodn. Asher, who was frozen, opened his mouth. ¡°How is the Great Archmage here¡­?¡± ¡°Because something big happened beyond the sky. in many ways. Let¡¯s block that one for now.¡± Suddenly, Lorhorn raised his arms toward the sky. Enormous mana began to fluctuate around him so much that the space seemed distorted. Before long, dozens ofyers of shields were created and covered Adren. Paaa-! The translucent force field broke and melted away, blocking most of the terrifying mes. All sorts of ice magic poured into the parts where fire leaked through from time to time. Even if each one wasn¡¯t good enough, it was the highest level magic that exceeded the 7th circle. The heat that burned the sky faded away only after being bombarded with indiscriminate cold air. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­!¡± Asher eximed with his mouth wide open. I¡¯ve seen it before, but the nickname of a great wizard was by no means an exaggeration. At that time, Lorhorn looked back at Asher and smiled. ¡°I saw a good performance. Asher.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fire activity¡­ I couldn¡¯t even do it properly after all¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry Kratyr, but it looks like you¡¯re next. I think I have to y a big role in the series of events.¡± ¡°Are you taking on a big role?¡± Asking that, Asher was back with a stutter. Ronan let out a sigh of relief. To be honest, I was very worried that Asher would lose himself because of contact with bald people. Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu¡­ Suddenly, Adren started shaking again. However, this time it was not a fall, but a vibration caused by an ascent. Adren was rising rapidly as if he was picking up something huge with his hands and lifting it up. The dawn sky was approaching over the ruined city. Ronan asked. ¡°Did you do this too?¡± ¡°no. No matter how much I am, I don¡¯t have enough strength to lift this.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°He knows him well. This is how Adren wees the previous king after a long time.¡± Lorhornughed like an old man. Upon hearing that he was the previous king, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Why couldn¡¯t I have remembered it right away? There is only one person in the world who can handle fire like that. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice resounded loudly above the people¡¯s heads. ¡¾I¡¯m toote. Children.] ¡¾This voice¡­!¡¿ Orsay¡¯s scales stood up. The faces of the other dragons, including Naransonia, suddenly brightened. Every dragon living in Adren knew her voice. Hwaaak! In an instant, a huge shadow appeared in front of Adren, who soared at a rapid pace. ¡°I narrowly saved it. Really close.¡± Lorhorn politely bowed. Ronan slowly raised his head. The red dragon, huge enough to fill the field of view, was looking down at Adren, pping its wings. Even the dragon king, who had thought his size was good, looked like a child. Why did you think they were the same size? Every time it pped its wings, Lorhorn¡¯s defenses were shaking as if they were about to be ripped off. The overwhelming gigantic body glowed bright scarlet in the light of dawn. There were red dragons flying around that were much smaller than him, but gigantic enough in absolute terms. Ronan, who met her eyes, opened his mouth. ¡°Navardoze.¡± Chapter 264 264. Probation (4) #264 ¡°Navardoze.¡± Ronan opened his mouth. Navardoze lowered his gaze and his eyes met. A soft, majestic voice rang out again. ¡¾Nice to meet you. Aya.] ¡°Me too. whopping.¡± Ronanughed incredulously. He said he waste, but it was amazing timing. If I had been a littleter, I would have lost Asher. Navardoze, who looked around, continued. ¡¾Where did that monster go? Did you go to cause another destruction?] ¡°Ah. I killed them.¡± ¡¾What?¡¿ ¡°It¡¯s literally. I cut my throat with a knife.¡± Ronan pretended to cut his own throat with the de of his hand. Navardoze¡¯s face hardened. Roaring! For a moment, her body seemed to be engulfed in mes, and then it dispersed like smoke. The sky that had been hidden by the giant body spread out in front of me. Navardoze, who was polymorphed into a human form, stood up. Still attractive, the dragon married woman was wearing abat uniform different from what she had seen in Phileon. she said, moving closer to Ronan. ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ Calm down.¡± Ronan involuntarily backtracked. The pockets of me approaching with her feet felt more menacing than any beast of prey. If you touch it, it will definitely burn you. Driven to a corner, he opened his mouth. ¡°So¡­where should I start talking about it.¡± The situation was over anyway, so I thought I could exin it in detail. The ground, fixed as if nailed to the sky, showed no signs of falling again. After all, I should start with the reason I came to Adren. Ronan, who had organized his thoughts, was trying to get out of luck. ¡¾I-Bardoze-!!¡¿ ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, a loud cry rang out from the side. The flesh that seemed to pierce the skin with an awl came out like an explosion. ¡°ah. Fuck.¡± Ronan involuntarily spat out curse words. The ck mana he had seen throughout this journey was overflowing over Orsay¡¯s shoulders. Come to think of it, I forgot about it for a while. The ultimate purpose of Orsay¡¯sing to Adren. He pulled out the spiral spear and was holding it. Orsay, who held the spear a few turns, aimed at Navardoze and shouted. ¡¾You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment! I will kill you on the spot and destroy Balon!] ¡°You¡­ are that demonic dragon. You are younger than I thought.¡± Despite Orsay¡¯s terrifying sentence, Navardoze¡¯s face showed no trace of tension. Her kinsmen hovering in the air raised their scales. ¡¾mother! It¡¯s dangerous!] ¡°It¡¯s okay, stay still.¡± The children shouted urgently, but Navardoze himself remained calm. She didn¡¯t do anything with her hands behind her back. Suddenly, the new model of Orsay disappeared from sight. Hey profit! He came right in front of me in an instant and threw out his spear. [Die!!] It was an incredible momentum. The Spiral Spear, which was full of Orsay¡¯s mana and murderous energy, seemed to have been cut from a part of the lightning rather than a weapon. Pooh! Orsay¡¯s spiral spear, which had been flooding in, was stuck in the middle of her chest. Navardoze smiled. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ ¡°The greeting is rough. child.¡± Orsay¡¯s eyes widened. The spear stuck, but did not prate. Orsay¡¯s de, which had taken the lives of countless people so far, could not even tear off the clothes worn by Navardoze, but ¡®entered¡¯ deep in his heart. ¡°oh my god.¡± ¡°Wow wow¡­¡± Ronan and Asher covered their mouths with their hands in admiration. It was an ambiguous admiration with two meanings. How could the skin be so tough? How could a spear prate that deep without prating the skin? The two of them were in the middle of a dirty imagination. Navardoze lowered his gaze and tapped the spiral window. She snorted in interest. ¡°Hmm¡­but this is quite useful. Is it made of your bones?¡± [This can¡¯t be like this! What did you do!] ¡°I will appoint you to the vanguard. This rudeness will be passed on to me, so take a break.¡± [Damn it¡­] Orse was about to shout something. Navardoze shook his upper body with his waist as an axis. Fuck! An invisible force struck Orsay. ¡¾Gagging!¡¿ There was no time to say anything. Orsay bounced off like a giant rhinoceros. His body, which had been flying in a straight line, crashed into the pile of debris of the Sky Tower. Kwaaang! Dust exploded with a loud roar. ¡¾Don¡¯t believe it¡­¡¿ ¡°Didn¡¯t you pass out? You deserve your name.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before the dust settled and his figure was revealed. Trapped deep in the rubble, Orsay looked like some kind of grotesquely shaped fossil. fluff. His twitching head immediately fell. ¡°Oh Orsay¡­¡± Asher sighed, holding onto Ronan¡¯s sleeve. It was a truly ugly defeat. It was as if Ronan had been beaten to the chest, as he had jokingly said before. ¡°¡­You bastard.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue in a pitiful way. Orsay,pletely unconscious, could not answer. I already knew that there was a huge difference in skill. He knew that Orse had exhausted his stamina through several battles. Still, I didn¡¯t expect it to stretch out in one room. After brushing off the dust on his chest, Navardoze looked back at Ronan. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s continue the story.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Ronan groaned. He exined in detail how he came to Adren, the process, and the events leading up to Duaru¡¯s death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what I said, but I¡¯m going to find out if there¡¯s anything left in thisnd that can be undone. See youter.¡± ¡°Do it.¡± Lorhorn flew toward the city with a greeting. As the conversation progressed, he and the empty-handed dragons scattered across Adren to rescue the wounded and put out fires. Only Asher and Orsay, who had fallen into the rubble, remained to listen to their conversation. ¡°¡­As expected, it was rted to those fanatics. I gave orders to my Ajidahaka to kill them, but I would have thought they would have joined hands.¡± ¡°Even though I realized my mistake in the end and worked hard.¡± Ronan, who had been talking for a while, concluded his words. Since the story had been so long, a clear morning had already dawned in Adren. The sunrise over the horizon was beautiful. The water scales of the ocean that stretched far away from my feet were breaking in the same color as the sunlight. Navardoze, who was brooding over the conversation, said with a serious expression. ¡°I have to take responsibility. Where is Ajdahaka?¡± ¡°hmm? Come to think of it¡­¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. Come to think of it, the Dragon King hadn¡¯t been seen for a long time. At that time, Asher, who was breathing quietly, pointed somewhere with his index finger. ¡°That¡¯s over there. I can feel the presence there.¡± ¡°Oh thank you. Anyway, you¡¯ve be a stutterer again, Asher. It was a little cool earlier.¡± Ronan smiled. It seemed that he would never forget the sight of Asher, who drew the magic of the stars and prevented Adren from falling, until he died. It seems like yesterday that we robbed the goblin vige together, but when did it be so big? Asher, who took the joke seriously, giggled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I really need to fix it¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This is because it tastes like teasing.¡± Ronan patted Asher on the back. In the past, corrections were forced in the sense of not being looked down on, but now there is no particr need for that. Who would look down on a wizard who could stop an ind from falling naked, saying that he stuttered a bit? Ronan and Navardoze followed Asher. It didn¡¯t take that long. The three of them stopped in the middle of the forest where they fought Duaru. Upon discovering Ajidahaka, Ronan narrowed his brows. ¡°¡­Ajdahaka?¡± ¡¾Ah¡­are you here?¡¿ The left side of Ajidahaka¡¯s head weakly opened its mouth. He was lying on the ground like a stranded ship. Around it, dragons who seemed to be close to Schlieffen and Naransonia were lined up with crying faces. ¡°Were you here too?¡± ¡°okay.¡± Schlieffen nodded at Ronan¡¯s question. Like the others, his expression was not very good. Ronan was able to recognize without difficulty that they had gathered to guard his deathbed. Ajidhaka continued without turning his head. ¡¾I should praise you guys for your work¡­ but as you can see, I couldn¡¯t because I was in bad shape¡­ If you search the ce where the Sky Tower copsed, you¡¯ll find the treasure Jim has collected, so take whatever you find¡­ It was a voice like plowing through a droughty field. The right head, which is responsible for the woman¡¯s personality, was hanging down with her eyes closed as if she had already died. Blood was still flowing from the open wound on his side and the amputated leg. Ronan licked his lips and let out a sigh. ¡°okay. ept it thank you But I have a guest you need to meet.¡± ¡¾Guest¡­?¡¿ Ajidahaka lifted her head with difficulty. Navardoze stood there without saying anything. Finally, Ajidhaka, who met her eyes, stiffened like a stone statue. After being silent for a moment, Navardoze opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Ajdahaka.¡± ¡¾¡­That¡¯s right.¡¿ ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say to me?¡± ¡¾A lot¡­a lot¡­mmm.¡¿ Kung! Ajidhaka, who had staggered precariously, lowered her head again. He copsed with his chin smashed right in front of Navardoze, and said with a tone of regret. ¡¾Please forgive the rudeness¡­ The fire of the beginning.] ¡°It¡¯s okay. The whole story of the case is well known. They concocted a great plot.¡± ¡¾¡­I won¡¯t deny it. Jealousy covered my eyes and envy blocked my ears. It is all my fault that the once brilliant Dragon City has be this way.] ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice to see you admit it. Do you know why I am here?¡± ¡¾A failed revolutionary is nothing more than a traitor. I ept it.] Ajidahaka meekly admitted her mistake. Navardoze gently raised his hand. Those who saw the scene froze. It was a light movement, but the meaning conveyed was never like that. ¡¾Your Majesty!¡¿ The people gathered here knew what she could do with just one wave of her hand. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to burn a dragon that couldn¡¯t move without a trace. Ajidhaka, who had been breathing quietly, opened her mouth. ¡¾Do not move. Naransonia¡­I¡¯m just taking responsibility.] [Ha-oh-ah¡­!] Naransonia, who was about to jump out from behind, stopped. Blood was flowing under her clenched fists. I could see that the other subordinates couldn¡¯t bear toe out and were in agony. Navardoze looked around at them and shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°You have good servants.¡± ¡¾For me¡­it was too much.¡¿ Ajidahaka raised the corner of her mouth. Navardoze¡¯s hand rested on his forehead. Naransonia and other aides let out silent screams. Ajidahaka closed her eyes and spoke as if pleading. ¡¾Mother of Fire¡­others¡­my men¡­are innocent. Please, I want you to finish it with one neck.] ¡°Sorry, but that must be difficult.¡± ¡¾What can I do¡­ can¡¯t I?¡¿ ¡°Yes.¡± Navardoze nodded coldly. Ajidahaka¡¯s face was filled with despair. Apparently, she also intended to hold the subordinates who sympathized with Ajidahaka ountable. The hand on her forehead was slowly getting brighter. Now, the primordial fire would turn his body into ashes. Ajidahaka, who could not protect his subordinates in the end, was about to say something. Suddenly, Navardoze smiled. ¡°You have two heads.¡± At the same time, the light that bloomed from Navardoze¡¯s hand suddenly became stronger. It was not a me to burn. Ajidahaka¡¯s eyes, which had been closed, opened. [What¡­] His body was wrapped in a warm glow. The cold blood was heating up again. The wounds on his nks and amputated hind legs were healing quickly. ¡°Four wounds¡­!¡± The dragons around them exploded in bewilderment. Ronan and the others were also watching his recovery as if possessed. No matter how much time had passed, the right head, which had been lying dead, slowly raised its head. ¡¾¡­the primordial fire. Me-] ¡¾Why are you saving me?¡¿ ¡¾I will never-¡¿ ¡¾I havemitted an unforgivable sin¡­¡¿ Again the voices of men and women resounded. The withering scales were shining more brilliantly golden than when they first met him. Navardoze nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not that only death can take responsibility. Besides, you still have work to do. It¡¯s hard work, but if you do it with the thought of washing away your sins, you won¡¯t feel unfair.¡± ¡¾What is it ?¡¿ Ajidahaka tilted her head. Raising his hand, Navardoze pointed to the sky and said. ¡°You must have read the letter I sent you. High up in the sky is a fortress called Dreemur. Most of Adren¡¯s dragons, including you, should go there. That should be enough to handle my absence.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to the story. It was unimaginable that Navardoze would leave Dreemur. Navardoze looked back at him and nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re going into an all-out offensive.¡± Chapter 265 265. Probation (5) #265 ¡°Yes. We¡¯re going to go on the offensive.¡± ¡°Are you a gunman?¡± His voice was serious. At the sudden im, Ronan and Ajdahaka both expressed their doubts at the same time. Navardoze continued. ¡°Just listening to you, I was convinced. That Duaru is a being from the sky beyond, just like the monsters we ward off in Dreemur. But unlike other monsters, it doesn¡¯t seem toe looking for itself unless someone calls it.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Ronan affirmed. I knew it before, but this incident made me convinced. The giants can¡¯te unless they send a signal from Neb zier. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to take this opportunity to eradicate itpletely. If a lot of giants like that came down, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. As soon as I leave Adren, I will call a meeting in my name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± Ronan whistled. It was a strategy to kill all the door makers before doing more nonsense. In fact, it was simr to what Ronan had done so far, but it was meaningful that Navardoze directly participated in the subjugation. If this had gone wrong and Ajdahaka had died orpletely corrupted, it would have been impossible. ¡°I just want to finish it as soon as possible. My absence will be fatal in defending Dreemur.¡± ¡°I think so. There is something I really want to show you.¡± right! Suddenly, Ronan snapped his fingers. I almost forgot about it and moved on. He turned to Asher and asked. ¡°Assel. can you write now? The protection of the stars.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult right now. If I see a star that will give me strength, I will at least try¡­¡± Asher said with a face of disrespect. When the sun rose in the morning, no more stars could be seen in the sky. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s possible. This fuck. ¡± Ronan chuckled. I asked just in case, but it seemed like it could be used without a real magic circle. Like a dirty genius. It seemed that the celestial bodying into view was the condition for operating the sparkling mana. If so, can it be used only on clear nights? A gust of wind passed through Ronan¡¯s head, who had been touching his chin for a moment. ¡°Ah, would you like to use my strength at least once?¡± ¡°huh?¡± After saying that, Ronan switched the core. The pulse rate changed, and the heart began to emit sparkling mana. Asher¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°How do you think it will turn out?¡± Ronan asked. It was a good idea to reconsider. Asher, who had been looking at him up and down, quickly nodded. ¡°Yes. I think that¡¯s enough. So¡­¡± Suddenly, Asher put his hand on Ronan¡¯s chest. Suaaaaa¡­the sparkling mana oozing from Ronan¡¯s heart began to be absorbed by him. It was like being sucked by a giant mosquito. Seeing the hand gesture without hesitation, Ronanughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it on Marjater? As an excuse to extract bad mana.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do something like that! It¡¯s almost over now, so stay still¡­!¡± Asher¡¯s face turned red like a carrot. Finally, after absorbing enough mana, he let go. Ronan could feel that about 20% of the mana flowing through his body was drained. ¡°Huh!¡± At that time, Asher, who had been muttering a spell, waved his hand in the air. Wow! Between Navardoze and the two of them, a t and tall force field rose like a wall. The translucent membrane was glistening with its own bizarre color. ¡°oh my god.¡± For the first time, astonishment settled on Navardoze¡¯s calm face. The biggest reason to make them menacing enemies that Neb zier used was shimmering in front of his eyes. said Ronan. ¡°Take an attack. Something light.¡± ¡°attack? You mean here?¡± ¡°yes. I have something I want to show you.¡± Ronan smiled and nodded. Asher¡¯s face hardened as he felt an ominous foreboding. Navardoze, who was dumbfounded, raised his hand. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­!¡± It was before Asher could say anything. A red light formed on Navardoze¡¯s index finger, and it shot out as it was. Quaaaaaa-! The thin beam of light hit the defense shield directly as a ripple of me that could easily burn dozens of farmhouses. ¡°Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡± My entire field of vision turned red. Asher let out a shrill scream. The waves of fire that collided with the shield split on either side of him and rushed wildly. Soon after, the fire faded, and the blessing of the star appeared, intact and unscathed. ¡°It really is that shield. That¡¯s great, wizard.¡± ¡°Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Navardoze admired. Asher was weeping, shaking his legs like a newly born antelope. Wiping the tears from his red eyes, he shook his head. ¡°Huh, thank you¡­¡± ¡°This is important. Take a good look.¡± Suddenly, Ronan approached Schlieffen. Sensing his intentions, Schlieffen silently drew his sword. Ronan pulled lightly with his forearm resting on his de. A few droplets of blood seeping from the cut¡­ seeped into the de. ¡°Show me once.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Navardoze frowned. I couldn¡¯t figure out what he was even harming himself to show. At that time, Schlieffen, who had approached the protection of the stars, swung his sword. Awesome! A white line was drawn across the curtain. At the same time as he was delivered, the protection of the stars shattered like thin ice. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Navardoze¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan raised his index and middle fingers to make a V sign. ¡°It¡¯s the greatest discovery ever.¡± ¡°This¡­ this is amazing. I was still thinking about a strategy to destroy that defense¡­¡± Judging from the reaction, he seemed really surprised. Mumbling to herself, she approached slowly. Navardoze, who was looking at the three people alternately with eyes that would die pretty, hugged them at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s outrageous. Really proud Surely this discovery will save the world.¡± ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°Hey, Fire Dragon¡­!¡± Asher, whose face waspletely buried, moved his arms and legs. Even Schlieffen, who was always cold-hearted in front of the ruthless Yanggam, could not hide his embarrassment. ¡®The best.¡¯ Only Ronan closed his eyes and savored her embrace. The red dragon¡¯s body temperature, which is much higher than that of a human, warmed up the cold body of the wind. The fatigue umtedst night seemed to melt away like snow. ¡®Look at me just once, Adeshan. It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ He expressed his apology to his lover who was longing for him in Phileon. In any case, it was clear that this discovery would change a lot. Suddenly, Ajidahaka, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, interjected. ¡¾Then I will leave soon to prepare-¡¿ ¡¾Thank you for your mercy. The fire of the beginning.] ¡°Yes. If you get covered in the blood of disgusting beings, you won¡¯t even think of nonsense. Do not wish me luck.¡± Navardoze smiled and waved his hand. Ajidahaka bowed her head and turned her steps. He was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and asked a question. ¡¾Why did you-¡¿ ¡¾You saved me?¡¿ ¡°You seem to have a lot of regrets. Didn¡¯t I say it was because I needed the strength of you and your men?¡± ¡¾I¡¯m sorry for asking repeated questions. But the you I know is not one who covers evil deeds with charity-] ¡¾I want to know the real reason.¡¿ Ajidhaka said. The agony of life was felt in the two voices. He still had no idea why he hadn¡¯t been reduced to ashes. Navardoze, who only slightly turned his head while embracing the three, opened his mouth. ¡°It really is nothing. It is because you did not neglect your duty.¡± ¡¾Duty?¡¿ ¡°Yes. No matter what anyone says, you were the king of Adren. I did not forget that fact and faithfully performed the king¡¯s duty until the end. The duty not to abandon the people.¡± ¡¾It was¡­ taken for granted.¡¿ ¡°That taken-for-granted attitude also helped save your life. Common sense is a value that is harder to preserve than you might think. How did your curiosity get resolved?¡± Upon hearing the question, Ajidhaka fell silent. The sound of the wind was loud because no one was talking. After a moment of silence, he nodded. ¡¾¡­exactly. Thank you for your reply.] ¡°Even if you finish your work in Dreemur, you will continue to be the king of Adren. Leave as soon as you are ready. Please fulfill the prophecy I gave you when I was young.¡± [Huh¡­I thought he remembered that.] Ajidahaka quietly admired. It was inevitably referring to the prophecy he had heard with Alibrihe that he would be either a great king or an evil dragon. ¡¾Your face-¡¿ ¡¾I won¡¯t insult you.¡¿ After answering that, Ajidahaka looked back at Ronan and the others this time. The left head met Ronan¡¯s gaze and continued. ¡¾You must remember Jim¡¯s words. Take as much as you want-] ¡¾Saviors of Adren.¡¿ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll scrape even the cracks.¡± Ronan giggled and waved. Ajidhaka turned his back, leaving two smiles behind. Naransonia and other aides followed suit. The way he walked with a limp looked very pitiful. Asher said in a worried tone. ¡°Is it okay¡­?¡± ¡°of course. He¡¯s not just a king, he¡¯s the king of dragons.¡± Ronan nodded without hesitation. Ajidhaka was a really good ruler. The very fact that he gathered the high-nosed dragons together and yed the pivotal role proved hispetence. ¡°He¡¯s a guy who can bend but won¡¯t break.¡± The stunned Orsay was not with them. Judging from what Navardoze said, it seemed highly likely that he would be at the forefront of the subjugation force in Neb Climb. Ronan thought it was a pretty good arrangement. If the world¡¯s mightiest people were to bepared to weapons, it would surely be a spear sharp enough to fit within five fingers. After a long hug, Navardoze asked while stroking their heads. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to do a little cleanup with the kids. Can I not ask for it?¡± ¡°yes. I have a boat borrowed from Itargand. Let¡¯s go back on that.¡± ¡°Ah, that child helped you. Do it.¡± Navardozeughed. The aspect of the dragon that set the sky on fire with a friendly smile was nowhere to be found. Ronan¡¯s party, who had parted ways with her, stood still and did not move as if they had promised. The afterglow of the short but long journey and the battle ahead were making them immerse themselves in thoughts day by day. ¡®The situation haspletely turned upside down.¡¯ The clear sunlight was beautiful. Ronan, who was organizing his thoughts, clenched his fists. It was hard to believe that all of this happened in just one day. One night in Adren has yielded resultsparable to those of the past three years. The original purpose was to obtain the blood of cult leader Abel, but that was enough to push back for a while. Stopped Neb zier¡¯s plot. The first to kill the archbishop and the winged bald head, one of the best. The dragon king, who had plotted evil, became a new person. Asher has awakened into a true killing machine, and the Fire Mother has dered that she will spread her wings topletely obliterate Neb gie. However, no matter what anyone said, the biggest profit was the information that blood could be used to destroy the protection of the stars. If anyone asked, Ronan could speak confidently. The destroyed city and the deaths of those killed by Duaru were never in vain. Your sacrifice was worth more than anything else. said Ronan. ¡°It has been a long night. right.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Asher nodded lightly. Ronan, who had twitched his lips, turned his head. A city in ruins and a destroyed Sky Tower. The bodies of the dead gathered in one ce came into view. At the site where Duaru bombed, a huge pit was dug like a fallen star. The wind from the distant sky smelled of ash and dust. Ronan, who had been watching the scene quietly, opened his mouth. ¡°You have suffered a lot.¡± The day in the dragon city is over. Soon, they brushed off their thoughts and took the goods of Ajdahaka scattered around them. As I had dered beforehand, I did not scrape together even a single piece of gold. It will take a lot of money to restore Adren. Fortunately, Itargand¡¯s sloop was quietly moored inside the gullet of Adren. After properly preparing and saying goodbye, the party immediately returned to the system. In the end, because Navardoze, who couldn¡¯t ovee his worries, came to help in the middle, Ronan and his party were able to step on Phileon¡¯s correction in just two days as a result. **** ¡¾Hmm?¡¿ The sky was clear. Ajidhaka and his servants were about to fly towards Dreemur. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°You look very ufortable walking.¡± ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Ajidahaka turned her head and her eyes widened. An old man I had seen many times stood with his hands behind his back. He opened his mouth while looking at Ajdahaka and Naransonia alternately. ¡°Don¡¯t you need a prosthetic leg? You can make wings too.¡± Chapter 266 266. Isn¡¯t this kind of good sometimes? #266 ¡°Ugh¡­ damn¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. My head felt heavy as if my brain had been soaked in water. When I turned my body, which was lying on my side, I saw the familiar wooden ceiling and twenty daggers stuck in the shape of hearts. ¡°That¡¯s another idiot¡­ugh!¡± Ronan, who was trying to get up, covered his mouth and retched. Fortunately, the contents did note out. Every time he inhaled and exhaled, he smelled of alcohol. He staggered and stood up from his seat, leaning against the wall. Ronan desperately remembered the sparsest night. As soon as he returned from Adren, he suffered from overwork, and it was not until the second evening that he was able to reunite with Adeshan and the members of the limited-ss adventure club. People held a party to wee Ronan and Asher Schlieffen back from an eventful journey. Itargandh, whom Marya provided food and drink, and lent a boat, took care of the business. The number of people was not small, but the building was sorge that it was not difficult for everyone to y together. The foam of the beer rising every time the ss was bumped reminded me of the foam of the waves on a sunset day. ¡­I remembered exactly that far. Ronan, who looked around, stuck out his tongue. ¡°You drank, unfortunately.¡± The inside of the club building had turned into a mess as if a bomb had exploded. There were puddles of vomit and alcohol all over the ce. The leftover snacks were cold like frozen corpses. There were four or five huge kegsrge enough for a person to fit in, but all of them were empty. Most of the drinking sses on the floor were smashed. I¡¯m not sure, but I remembered that Marja, who was probably drunk, couldn¡¯t control her grip and continued to eat. At that time, a moan that could have been heard came from Ronan¡¯s feet. ¡°Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a fucking surprise.¡± Ronan lowered his gaze and spat out a curse. Braum overturned his great shield andy inside it. It seemed that something that fit his body could be used as a coffin and buried. His beard-covered face still suited a lumberjack rather than a knight. ¡°How can there be no one who is fine¡­¡± A sigh came out of nowhere. Other members could also be found not far away. Schlieffen, the noble duke of Grancia, was asleep with his head buried in the cork board where maps and posts were pasted. In his hand, who had fallen down while standing, was clutching a sack of chalk he did not know where he had obtained. Above the map of the Empire, Irill¡¯s portrait was drawn in a delicate style. ¡°¡­Among that time, you drew well.¡± Ronan shook his head. I had seen all kinds of truths during my life as a punishment soldier, but this was the first time I had ever received an injection like this. It¡¯s like a crazy person. He smirked as he staggered toward the kitchen. ¡°You did it. Asher.¡± ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhhhh¡­¡± Asher and Marja were lying on the floor like the others. Asher was moaning in agony while being held in Marya¡¯s arms. Her aggressive chest was thoroughly preventing Asher from breathing normally. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Eup¡­! Ugh¡­!¡± Whenever Marya tossed and turned, Asher¡¯s body moved as well. It felt like hugging a favorite doll or pillow rather than a hug between lovers, but they seemed happy anyway. ¡°Hee hee¡­ unni¡­ you¡¯re too bold¡­¡± ¡°Why is he like this again?¡± Elizabeth, the daughter of Akalucia, was asleep leaning against the stairs with her hair in pigtails (I don¡¯t know why). It was quite unpleasant to mumble Adeshan¡¯s name while drooling. Vampire Ophelia was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, I remembered the reason. On the first day after returning from Adren, Ronan told her a secret about his blood. She is the most bloody race in the world, and she was originally a woman with a strong researcher temperament. ¡®It was almost an obsession.¡¯ Ophelia took responsibility and left for her castle to find out how to use the blood. He drew a lot of blood to use as a sample, but maybe that¡¯s why he seemed more drunk than usual. [Cheukeoeoeoeok! Keouk!] ¡°Bye woo woo woo woong¡­¡± Itargand was away from the training ground outside the building, transformed into his true form. His shiny scales were scrawled with scribbles presumed to have been made by members of the club. Sita was sleeping curled up on his broad back. ¡°¡­yed well.¡± Ronan, who suddenly looked around at them,ughed. I didn¡¯t feel too bad. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re usually only focused on work and schoolwork, so this time it seemed like the reins were properly released. ¡®Sometimes it has to be like this.¡¯ After ying to the fullest, it was time to start the day again. I sent the materials I hadpiled overnight the other day ago to various ces, so there should be some kind of response by today. He was on his way to the bathroom to wake up with a face wash. Suddenly, someone¡¯s face passed in front of my eyes. Ronan stopped in ce. ¡®What about Adeshan?¡¯ Come to think of it, I forgot the most important person. Adeshan was nowhere to be seen. I definitely remember getting drunk and coquettish. ¡®Did I go back first?¡¯ Being the student council president, I thought that might be the case. It was the moment Ronan was about to move. Suddenly, a delicious smell wafted from the kitchen. ¡°This is¡­¡± Even while my stomach was upset, my appetite rose. It was the smell of mussels and other seafood cooked in soup. Ronan walked towards the kitchen like someone possessed. The sound of boiling water was approaching. When I opened the door, I saw Adeshan standing in front of a pot with an apron on. Her long, straight hair that reached her waist was floating in a mess. After staring at her for a long time, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Adeshan.¡± ¡°Oh Ronan. Woke up?¡± Adeshan looked back at him and smiled. It was a kind smile that I never get tired of no matter how many times I see it. ¡°What are you doing in the morning? You must be tired.¡± ¡°Yes. It just seems like everyone is having a hard time. I thought it would be nice to clear up my stomach a little.¡± ¡°her.¡± Ronan chuckled. He must have had a drink together, but thisdy did not seem to have a hangover. Putting down thedle, she continued. ¡°You sleep more. There is still a little left to bepleted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Okay. gotta get up soon Anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°huh. really. But if you¡¯re not sleepy, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you¡­¡± Suddenly, Adeshan dragged his tongue. The atmosphere was unusual as the face was slightly flushed. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That¡­ rememberst night?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you make a mistake?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a poem mistake, is it a mistake¡­? That¡­ you know, but when I drink, do I have to do whatever I want? You be arbitrary. So¡­¡± Adeshan was constantly looking around to see if anyone was awake. Like a child watching his parents¡¯ reaction after making a mistake. When Ronan didn¡¯t say anything as he recalled the memory, she began to mumble at an iprehensible speed. ¡°But honestly, it was your fault too. First of all, it¡¯s against thew to take off your jacket because you¡¯ve met for the first time in a long time¡­ and it¡¯s suddenly hot¡­ No, no. it¡¯s my fault too As an elder, it¡¯s really ah¡­!¡± ¡°Umm¡­st night.¡± Ronan scratched his head. Only fragmentary cross-sections remained sparsely, but nothing came to mind. I guess I just drank and stretched out. Having finallye to a conclusion, he opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I guess I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°¡­really?¡± ¡°yes. really.¡± ¡°Haaaaa¡­! That¡¯s it. I¡¯m d yes.¡± Adeshan let out a sigh of relief. The worry disappeared from her face. Ronan tilted his head at the iprehensible action. ¡°¡­what is what.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand English. Without a word, he grabbed Adeshan¡¯s chin, pulled him, and kissed her lightly. Her eyes widened. There was no particr reason, I just wanted to do it. ¡°I missed you.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Adeshan lowered her head in embarrassment. Before long, their eyes met again. It was a car that was getting closer again. Someone¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°I was excited when I got back. Anyone who sees them will know that they are newlyweds.¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Adeshan shrugged in surprise. Dishes collided with her spilled out. Reaching out with animalistic reflexes, Ronan barely caught the te that was about to crash to the floor. ¡°Damn, you were surprised.¡± ¡°I have no intention of interfering, but it would be better to cover the time and ce. If rumors spread that the student president of Phileon Academy is having a promiscuous rtionship with a normal student¡­ it would be so much fun.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I thought no one was there.¡± Ronan, who was giggling, turned his head. Nabi Rose, in uniform, was standing at the doorway of the club building, arms crossed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Instructor.¡± ¡°Your cooking skills aren¡¯t bad. It¡¯s even rude to throw a party without the master.¡± ¡°Why are you being so childish, really? You were on a business trip until yesterday.¡± She was eating leftover chicken legs for a snackst night. Adeshan, who encountered Butterfly Rose, made a hand gesture as if chasing an insect and opened her mouth. ¡°What a promiscuous rtionship! We don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I know. you can¡¯t do that So, did you get a mosquito bite on your neck, Adeshan?¡± ¡°hot¡­!¡± Adeshan sighed. Her face, which had been red before, became even hotter. Adeshan quickly covered his neck with the palm of his hand, but Ronan had already looked away. Just as Butterfly Ros¨¦ said, there were one or two red marks on the long, white nape of her neck. ¡°This this¡­ so this¡­!¡± ¡°What a big mosquito. It¡¯s still cold, but it¡¯s strong.¡± Nabi Roseughed and made fun of Adeshan, as if she were going to die for fun. Ronan¡¯s face hardened like a stone statue. Damn did I do that? ¡°¡­sorry.¡± In the end, unable to ovee her shame, Adeshan lowered her head. It seemed like he knew why he asked aboutst night. Ronan whispered. ¡°What have I done? I can¡¯t believe this and that¡­¡± ¡°Shh quietly¡­!¡± Adeshan cautioned him by bringing his index finger to his mouth. It seemed that he had made a serious mistake while drunk. Butterfly Roze, who finished the fifth chicken leg, continued. ¡°What kind of nonsense is this? As soon as you are ready,e to Phileon za.¡± ¡°I see. Just the two of us?¡± ¡°Everyone here. The principal seems to have something to say to the entire school.¡± ¡°Eh? The whole school?¡± Ronan and Adeshan tilted their heads. It was very rare to convene all students except forrge events such as graduation ceremonies and festivals. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Because it¡¯s a sudden thing. Anyway, I told you to gather by noon, so know that.¡± Nabi Rose said that she hade to deliver that information in the first ce. She made Adeshan¡¯s face redden once more with a rather vulgar joke, then turned her back. Ronan, who was dumbfounded, opened his mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± Adeshan shook his head. Even she, the student council president, didn¡¯t seem to have received anything. Anyway, it had to be done, so Ronan woke up all the members and headed to the sink. ¡°It¡¯s good that you epted a kiss from this guy.¡± Seeing himself in the mirror, Ronan smiled. As expected, a caveman stood there. If I were Adeshan, I think I would have run away screaming. He took off his shirt to wash his hair. Suddenly, something strange came into Ronan¡¯s eyes as he was getting water in the basin. There were marks from the corbone to the nape of the neck that looked like mosquitoes had bitten them. Quite a lot too. ¡°¡­what is this again?¡± Somehow it looked quite simr to what was left of Adeshan¡¯s neck. After washing up in less than five minutes, Ronan immediately moved on. All the students were already gathered in the za of Phileon Academy. Chapter 267 267. Congress (1) #267 ¡°There are too many of them.¡± The sky around noon was clear. Ronan, who was looking around the za, narrowed his brows. When he and the other members arrived, Phileon¡¯s za was already full of students. The students who were suddenly summoned were buzzing. ¡°Huhmm¡­what the hell is this?¡± ¡°Hick¡­! I can¡¯t breathe¡­ Marya¡­¡± Marya yawned and muttered as she hugged Asher. The consciousness of the members who were not sober was still halfway in a dream. They barely washed their faces and were called out by Ronan. Schlieffen brushed his bangs and sighed. ¡°¡­to be rude like drinking too much. Shame on you.¡± ¡°Huh, the little duke of Grancia is also very tainted by the secr world. Losing your dignity is something we couldn¡¯t even dream of in Akalucia.¡± ¡°Eri. Why is your hair tied back?¡± ¡°omg¡­!¡± It was in the midst of their chatter. Whoops! Suddenly, the space in front of the podium was overturned, and an old man with a long beard walked out. It was Krava Kratir, the principal of Phileon Academy. Seeing him again after almost a month, he had a longer beard. I could see dark shadows around my eyes, probably because I hadn¡¯t slept the night before. Kratyr opened his mouth. ¡°Nice to meet you, everyone. It was a sudden call, but I am grateful for gathering like this. I have something very important to tell you, so could you please be quiet?¡± right! When Kratyr snapped his fingers, a ripple of mana spread around him. At the same time as the attention of the students was focused, the za became quiet. Kratir paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°From today, Phileon Academy will be closed indefinitely. Students who wish to be supported and protected by the academy may remain, but if possible, please return to your home and be on your guard.¡± ¡°what?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Adeshan and members next to him showed simr reactions. It was very embarrassing news that Phileon, which had been operating normally even when the system was wrapped in winter for a year due to the witch of winter, was suddenly closed. I wanted to be joking, but Kratir¡¯s expression was more serious than usual. The silent students began to hum again. One of the seniors raised his hand and asked a question. ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s hard to give you an answer this time. However, I would appreciate it if you would understand that this is the conclusion that the principal and faculty havee to after in-depth discussions for you. The manager of each dormitory will inform you of the details, so please keep that in mind.¡± After that, several more questions were asked, but the only reply was that they could not give detailed information due to circumstances. Kratir turned his back, leaving behind the words that Phileon would be responsible for the tuition fees and the sses he missed. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start the homing formalities. Students, please move ording to the instructions of the guide!¡± As soon as Kratyr left, guides appeared from all over the za. They led the confused students to their respective areas. Asher stuttered, unable to ept the situation properly. ¡°What is it? School closure?¡± ¡°This is unusual¡­¡± Marja¡¯s eyes narrowed. A look of bewilderment was evident on the faces of the other members. They were in the midst of drifting here and there, being hit by crowds. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in Ronan¡¯s head. [Ronan-kun. I¡¯m sorry, but could youe to the principal¡¯s office right now?] ¡°Kratir?¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. It was the unmistakable voice of Kratyr. Almost at the same time, Asher and Adeshan, standing on either side of him, flinched in surprise. Asher, who was looking around like a meerkat, turned to Ronan and asked. ¡°Ro Ronan¡­you too?¡± ¡°ok. heard.¡± ¡°I heard it too.¡± Adeshan also sighed. At that moment, Schlieffen, who had been still, started walking toward the principal¡¯s office. Ronan asked. ¡°You too?¡± Schlieffen nodded silently. Judging from the fact that he was holding his head with one hand, he still had a hangover. All four of them heard Kratyr¡¯s call. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re up to something.¡± Ronan, who looked at them alternately, twiddled his chin. All of them were people who made a revolutionary contribution against Neb gie. The fatigue umted in Adren was still there, but there was no other choice. I had a feeling that something big was about to happen. He patted Asher and Adeshan on the back and said. ¡°good. Let¡¯s go.¡± **** The four of them moved towards the principal¡¯s office. Contrary to expectations, it did not take long to get out of the za. Phileon¡¯s students made a way for them, avoiding them who are now celebrities. ¡°Come on guys. You came faster than expected.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a surprise.¡± Ronan, who was about to grab the doorknob of the principal¡¯s office, spat out a curse. Suddenly, as if the wind had blown, the door swung open. Kratyr was wandering around the room with his hands behind his back. It was very sad that he looked like an old dog. Ronan asked. ¡°What happen? Why did you take a leave of absence all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You did well to call ahead. I could have been in big trouble if I went that way.¡± ¡°yes?¡± A random answer came back. Kratyr looked the four of them up and down and let out a sigh of relief. Hearing the iprehensible words, Ronan frowned. ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden? I still washed my hair, but it¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°That is not enough.¡± right! Kratyr snapped his fingers. As soon as their school uniforms were straightened out without any wrinkles, the stains on them were all gone. There was no more lingering smell of alcohol. ¡°oh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ll go and exin all the details, so gather here.¡± Kratyr motioned for her toe closer. you did that Kratyr, seeing that they were within range of the magic, snapped his fingers once more. right! The space turned upside down with a cheerful sound. My vision seemed to darken for a moment, and then an unfamiliarndscape unfolded before my eyes. Even if it was the lobby of a decent building, the space was so wide that it was believed to be made of ck ore of unknown material. Asher unknowingly shrugged his shoulders. ¡°W Here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret meeting room located in Phileon. You can never get in in the usual way.¡± Kratyr replied. I looked everywhere, but I couldn¡¯t find a door or window. Although the site was sorge, I didn¡¯t know that it had such facilities. In the middle of the room was a table long enough to be turned over and doubled. There were a hundred chairs in front of the table, and all but six were upied. However, all of their faces were familiar. Seeing a familiar face, Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s my ce, cat. Get rid of that hairy ass.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be picky, just sit around. You can¡¯t beat me because I¡¯m trying to argue about such trivial things.¡± ¡°this guy!¡± The first thing that caught my eye was the two swordsmen bickering. Zaifa stretched, ignoring Nabi Rose. The people next to her were enraged and stopped her from trying to draw Daetaedo. ¡°Calm down. Lord of all things! I will give you my seat!¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan¡¯s brow narrowed. If his eyes weren¡¯t wrong, two of the curlers had crown-like caps on their heads. Adeshan said in an admiring voice. ¡°They are Lords of Fail and Tansien. Why are you in a ce like this¡­¡± ¡°What are you really a king?¡± Adeshan groaned. Ronan let out augh as if he was stumped. If it¡¯s a fail, it¡¯s a kingdom at the southern end, so why did youe all the way here? At that moment, Jaifa met Ronan¡¯s eyes and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ronan. In the North, they were greatly indebted. Thanks to you, I was able to give my son a proper funeral.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d. How are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Killing fanatics is my life¡¯s pleasure.¡± Jaipa nodded. He said that after parting ways with Ronan in the North, he took down dozens of Neb zier¡¯s branches with his men. I thought I would be in a sense of loss because of my brother¡¯s betrayal and the fact that I buried my son twice, but I was relieved that I hadpletely regained my strength. Suddenly, Kratir looked at the seat of honor and said with relief. ¡°Fortunately, you haven¡¯te yet. Come sit down.¡± ¡°I see. But you know you haven¡¯t answered any of my questions yet, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was in such a hurry that I had no idea what to do. The simple exnation for the reason for the closure is to prevent students from being harmed in the uing war.¡± ¡°A war? Oh no way¡­¡± Ronan faintly eximed, recalling what happened in Adren. Except for Adeshan, the two seemed to have noticed to some extent. Kratyr nodded silently. ¡°okay. The time hase. I really need to sit down now.¡± Ronan, whose curiosity was satisfied, did not ask any further questions. The seats for Ronan, Asher Schlieffen, and Adeshan were high enough to be right next to the seat of honor. When I sat in the chair, I finally saw the magic circle engraved on the walls and ceiling of the meeting room. The tight design was all for security. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang from the other side. ¡°Hello¡­ Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ophelia?¡± Ronan, who was looking up at the ceiling, hurriedly lowered his gaze. A familiar girl was sitting in the seat across from me and looking at me. The silver hair and red eyes were still beautiful. ¡°Are you here too?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Originally, the night n doesn¡¯t step on thend of the empire, but it¡¯s just a case¡­¡± Around Ophelia, pale-skinned handsome men and women were sitting in a row. It wasn¡¯t too hard to figure out that they were all vampires. Suddenly, the man sitting to her left giggled at Ronan. ¡°Yourplexion has improved. Snack. It looks like you¡¯ve been eating well.¡± ¡°Balzac.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. This was the first thing I had seen in a really long time. The vampire who lost his left eye had lost a bet with Ronan for the essence of the blood in the past. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just following the will of the n. As lovely Ophelia said, it¡¯s not normal.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Come to think of it, are you okay now?¡± Ronan, who was reflecting on the events of the time, looked at Ophelia and Balzac alternately. Compared to then, the sense of distance had narrowed considerably. Balzac, who murdered Ophelia¡¯s sister, couldn¡¯te within five steps of her, despite his fervent admiration for her. The face of Ophelia, who hated seeing insects, is still clear, but have they reconciled? she nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah¡­the misunderstanding was cleared up a while ago.¡± ¡°misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t exactly Balzac who was to be hated¡­ It was the fanatics¡¯ fault that my sister went mad.¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice fell. A mortal-thinning death was about to spill over her shoulder. Suddenly, the man sitting to her right raised his hand as if to restrain her. ¡°Do that. Ophelia.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Life subsided. Ophelia bit her lower lip once and closed her eyes. To be able to give orders to that princess seemed like a person with a fairly high status. The unknown man turned to Ronan and smiled sadly. ¡°Isran von Warsaw. I¡¯ve heard a lot about it, but this is the first time I¡¯ve actually seen it.¡± ¡°Warsaw? You can¡¯t¡­¡± The man¡¯sst name was the same as Balzac. Ronan, who was shaking hands, paused for a moment. Inside his ck tailcoat, an inexhaustible force pulsated. It seemed that even if Ophelia and Balzac¡¯s mana were multiplied, it would not reach this level. If this is enough, I¡¯ll fight Orsay. Ronan, instinctively aware of his true identity, twisted his lips. ¡°¡­The Grand Duke of Shadow?¡± ¡°Oh do you know me?¡± A man named Isranughed, exposing his fangs. I wondered, but it was the same. He was the Grand Duke of Shadow, the lord of vampires who ruled the world of night, which he had heard countless times about from Ophelia and Balzac. ¡°Please, please. The hero who saved the dragon city.¡± ¡°¡­me too.¡± Contrary to the expectation that Isran would be a madman like Balzac, he was a very polite man. Except for them, the meeting room was filled with all sorts of strongmen. Faculty members of Phileon, including Baren and Jarodin, and Mage Masters such as Aun F, the previous swordsman who was in charge of the Elders in the Festival of Swords. In fact, it was the ce where the continent¡¯s best powers gathered. ¡°I really got them all together¡­¡± ¡°Amazing. After all, is the organizer important?¡± Asher, who could not stand the overwhelming power, swayed and muttered. Schlieffen also did not hide his admiration. Adeshan, who didn¡¯t know anything yet, was quietly holding hands with Ronan under the table. It was the moment the clock on the wall pointed to noon. Roaring! mes shot up over the empty table, and a voluptuous woman appeared. ¡°Ohh¡­really¡­¡± Navardoze was wearing the dignified uniform he would have worn during his rule over Adren. The rather noisy meeting hall suddenly became quiet. she said, looking around at the attendees. ¡¾It looks like everyone has gathered. Perhaps I am notte?] ¡°I am notte.¡± ¡¾Thank you, Ronan. It¡¯s only been two days, but it¡¯s nice.] Navardoze smiled. Almost everyone in the conference room¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of Ronan having a casual conversation with the Fire Mother. She brushed her hair once and opened her mouth. ¡¾Then let¡¯s start the meeting right away. The agenda is to eradicate Neb ge.¡¿ Chapter 268 268. Meeting (2) #268 ¡¾Then let¡¯s start the meeting right away. The agenda is to exterminate Neb zier.] Navardoze¡¯s voice echoed throughout the meeting room. The atmosphere waspletely different from when he was dealing with Ronan and his party. Participants stood up straight and listened to her words. ¡¾I think you all know about the tragedy that happened in Adren five days ago. The Dragon City, which boasted of splendor, waspletely ruined. If it weren¡¯t for those who fought with their lives, the giants would probably have turned their spears to the maind.] Navardoze briefly summarized the events at the time. The faces of the participants slightly distorted. Even though I heard the news before the meeting, I couldn¡¯t hide my embarrassment. Duaru¡¯s descentpletely turned the continent upside down. In the past, in the Festival of Swords, a member of the Neb gie named Darman had transformed into a pseudo-giant, but this time it was on a different level. Dragon King Ajidhaka lost a leg and more than three-thirds of the resident dragons were killed. The most powerful city and country in the world has been reduced to floating ruins. ¡¾I feel responsible. No matter how much I was fulfilling other duties, I neglected it too much. I called you to take this opportunity topletely eradicate that group of fanatics from the continent . At that time, a familiar old man raised his hand and asked a question. It was Alogin, the elder of Farzan, whom Ronan knew well. I could still see the mortally wounded and giggling figure at the top of Parzan, but fortunately it seemed to bepletely fine now. ¡°After the Festival of Swords, the elders and I sent a message to the whole continent to beware of fanatics. In fact, many countries and groups, including the Empire, listened to our opinions andunched a sweeping sweep. But, at some point, it reached its limit.¡± ¡¾Is it because of that shield?¡¿ ¡°Yes.¡± Alogin affirmed. A few nodded their heads in agreement. As he said, almost all subjugation forces were going through difficulties. It was because Neb sh wasn¡¯t just a group of idiots. For a few days when the preparations were not done properly, they had some effect, but after some time, they began to prepare a system to counter the opposing forces in earnest. The biggest change was that among the general believers, there were now those who could handle the blessings of the stars, albeit weakly. The so-called ¡®shell¡¯ special forces were deployed in groups of at least two or three, regardless of the size of the branch. The subjugation party had to change troops until the protection was exhausted, which led to too great a loss. Zaifa murmured softly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Just cutting it off when the shield disappears for a while.¡± ¡°Shut up. cat.¡± Nabi Rose, who reached behind the chair, pulled his tail. Of course, if there were monsters like Jaipa or Nabi Rose who independently mastered the destruction method, the unnecessary damage could be reduced. However, those with such skill and skill were one of the few on the entire continent, and even that had its limits. Most of those who faced the protection of the stars either fled or were annihted without being able to break through the defenses. Navardoze nodded. ¡¾okay. Some of them use magic to block our attacks unconditionally. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use a lot of troops at once. After being surrounded by them, if you are attacked intensively, it will be the end.] ¡°Yes. Many died that way.¡± ¡¾I express my condolences to the deaths of those who were brave. But you can be a little happy today. The reason I summoned you is also to share and develop a way to defeat that trick.] ¡°Yes? What is that¡­¡± Alogin¡¯s eyes widened. Navardoze smiled meaningfully. She looked back at Ronan and Asher. ¡¾Children. Can you show me just one more time what you showed me?] ¡°There is nothing difficult.¡± Ronan nodded happily. He rose from his seat with Asher, who was desperately holding back his hups. Some people who saw Ronan¡¯s face started to stir. ¡°What is that, isn¡¯t that Phileon¡¯s school uniform? Are they the ones who caught the giant?¡± ¡°¡­Right. that child.¡± ¡°I heard that the young man defeated the monster that appeared in the holy ground of Farzan, so I can¡¯t imagine he was that young.¡± Most admired, but some were suspicious. Suddenly, Adeshan tugged at the hem of Ronan¡¯s clothes. He tilted his head. ¡°hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± [There are suspicious people.] Adeshan conveyed his meaning through voice instead of voice. The mana of the shadow was oozing out little by little over her shoulder as she scanned the participants. It must have felt something. ¡°ah.¡± Ronan, who btedly realized the reason, sighed. He hadn¡¯t even thought that there might be a spy for Neb zie among them. Adeshan¡¯s ability should have been able to catch the spy without difficulty. Satisfied with having a capable lover, he was about to propose a search operation to Navardoze. She smiled softly and opened her mouth. ¡¾for a moment. Before that, there are things to do first. What is Is?] ¡°I checked.¡± Navardoze turned his gaze and looked at the Archduke of Shadows. He, who had been silent all along, nodded. A calm voice escaped from between the archduke¡¯s parted lips. ¡°As you said by transmission, I was keeping an eye on the number of people gathered here. Indeed, when the story of the shield came out, there were people who panicked more than necessary. The sound of my roughened heart still lingers in my ears.¡± ¡¾As expected. Who are they?] ¡°These are the ones with a red circle on their heads.¡± Suddenly, the Grand Duke of Shadow raised his index finger upward. An orb of blood slithered up on his finger and scattered across the conference room. ¡°Why is this thinging here?¡± ¡°What¡­.¡± Unhmm¡­ The blood that had been dividednded on the heads of thirteen people. Three soldiers and one wizard. I don¡¯t know what position the person wearing the crown would hold, but there were seven ministers who looked high anyway. Adeshan, who was examining their faces, muttered in surprise. ¡°¡­all right. It¡¯s those people.¡± ¡°Oh, I almost got fucked.¡± Ronan involuntarily spat out curse words. I never expected that there would be so many traitors. It must have been urate since it was cross-validated by Adeshan. The need to make search proposals haspletely disappeared. Navardoze, who was examining them one by one, spoke coldly. ¡¾It¡¯s disappointing. If you have something to say, do it now.] The conventional benevolence was not to be found in the stern expression. The nominees who were breathing heavily began to open their mouths one by one. ¡°This is a ridiculous nder! Mother of fire, do you believe those mosquitoes?!¡± ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t stand it. Kratyr! Send us back immediately!¡± ¡°This is an outrageous misunderstanding. boo please give me a chance to defend myself¡­!¡± Different reactions came back. The other participants looked at them with a moderate mix of contempt and pathetic shock. The Shadow Grand Duke said. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± ¡¾Do whatever you like. Because they are the ones who will change anyway.] ¡°Aha. If so.¡± The Shadow Grand Duke smiled. Sharp eyes bent, and the vampire¡¯s unique red light shed. It was in the midst of the nominees raising their voices and iming their innocence. Suddenly, darkness descended across the conference hall. ¡°What is it?!¡± ¡°Hey, someone turn on the lights!¡± Confusion erupted everywhere. Darkness obscured his vision, making it impossible to see an inch ahead. Ronan noticed that the voices of the nominees were disappearing one by one. Maybe five seconds passed. The light returned to the chaotic conference hall. ¡°What happened to this¡­ Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡± Almost simultaneously, Asher¡¯s scream rang out. He hugged Ronan next to him and continued to let out a shrill scream. Schlieffen¡¯s face, which had maintained hisposure all along, was distorted for the first time. ¡°what¡­!¡± All thirteen renegades were disyed on the table as mummies with only bones and skin remaining. There wasn¡¯t even a single drop of blood left under the white skin. The sunken eye sockets were staring at the remaining people. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I ate. Thank you for your consideration, primordial fire.¡± The Shadow Grand Dukeughed. He was sitting in the same seat and in the same posture, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. Navardoze said. [I am truly grateful. I like that you always get things done quickly.] Tak! Navardoze lightly snapped his fingers, and all the mummies disappeared like paper burning. Tension that made it difficult to even breathe properly weighed down the meeting room. Ronan looked at the two immortals, speechless. It was trying to understand why Ajidahaka asked her why she saved him. ¡®I¡¯m d I¡¯m not the enemy.¡¯ I wondered if it was because of this reason. After all, in my previous life, I probably didn¡¯t burn and kill a giant by myself. After confirming that there were no more defectors, Navardoze looked back at Ronan. ¡¾I¡¯m sorry. I think I can do it now.] ¡°¡­That seems to be the case.¡± ¡¾I¡¯m sorry that you continue to abuse me. Cheer up just one more time and show those gathered here that there is still hope.] Ronan sighed. That was a very nice thing to hear. Her eyes, sharp as if cut, were kindly rxed, just like when she stroked her hair again before she knew it. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. what a hard thing this is Asher, let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . Are you the scariest here?¡± Asher was openly weeping now. Ronan, who managed to appease Asher, demonstrated how to use his own blood to break the protection of the stars, as he had done before in Adren. Schlieffen and Adeshan became teaching assistants. Ronan, who smeared Adeshan¡¯s whip with blood, opened his mouth. ¡°great. Now you just have to swing it.¡± ¡°This way?¡± As soon as Adeshan swung his arm, the flying whip struck the protection of the stars. Kwajangchang! The bizarre shimmering curtain shattered and shattered. Asher shook his head and screamed. ¡°Quaaaaaagh!¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. The barrier, which could not be broken no matter what I did, was crumbling as if it were ss. She and Schlieffen tried to destroy the protection of the stars with a sword and whip stained with Ronan¡¯s blood. ¡°My God! really!¡± ¡°¡­Am I dreaming?¡± Every time Asher raised the protection of the stars or the two of them destroyed it, astonished exmations erupted from all over the meeting room. Even strong men with high self-esteem, such as the Grand Duke of Shadow and Zaifa Balzac, could not hide their surprise. Navardoze, who smiled with satisfaction, looked back at a corner of the conference hall and said, ¡¾how is it. Can you see some hope now?] cksmiths and technicians, led by Doron, were gathered. Katan from the Aurora Skal, who had forged Ronan¡¯s sword to the aurora, also upied one ce. They were appreciating the miracle unfolding in front of their eyes. Because she was so preupied, she couldn¡¯t even answer Navardoze¡¯s question, but she generously passed it on. said Doron. ¡°¡­what do you think? Didican.¡± ¡°Tell me what to do.¡± Didikan, a werewolf next to him, nodded. He was essentially a cksmith, but he was also a brilliant researcher. ¡°I am proud that they are my friends. really.¡± The idea to use that blood for many people was welling up in his gloomy head. Navardoze continued. ¡¾You should go head-to-head with the children of the night. With those who deal with blood, you will surely be able to find an answer.] ¡°Keep in mind.¡± ¡¾good. Then we will resume the meeting. If you have a good idea, don¡¯t be afraid to present your opinion.] Navardozeughed. As soon as the words were concluded, dozens of participants raised their hands. The great conference that transcended races soon came to an end. Participants returned to the ce from which they came after being assigned their respective tasks. **** The moon was bright. There were scattered clouds in the sky, but not enough to block the halo of heavenly bodies. Fortress Orculus, where the headquarters of the Southeast Diocese was located in Neb zie, stood out in the twilight of thatte night. ¡°You mean we lost contact again? The Manta branch this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Damn what happened. Do you think it makes sense to lose contact with ten branches in three days?¡± The subordinate who came to report shuddered and bowed his head. Ramirinth clicked his tongue. The bishop of the Southeast Diocese has been under extreme stresstely. Contact with nearby branches was being lost. At first, only the small branches lost contact and did not take it seriously. It was a fairlymon case for the decoy branch to be subjugated, and it was also intentional for the loss of the opponent¡¯s troops. However, since yesterday, contact with medium-sized branches, which have more than 500 members, has also been cut off. It was difficult to understand because there were at least two branch heads who were directly gifted with authority by the religious leader. Who dares to deal with the elite who deal with the power of the stars in earnest? asionally, news came that a monster like Jaifa had killed the branch manager, but such cases were extremely rare and were close to a fluke. Ramirins, who shook his head roughly, instructed his subordinates. ¡°Reinforce your boundaries. The headmaster is not in a good mood because of what happened in Adren, so do your best to prevent any incidents from happening.¡± ¡°I see!¡± The subordinate hurriedly withdrew like a dog whose butt was kicked. He was rather usable in bed, but his normal guts were terribly poor. She let out a deep sigh and sat down on the chair as if copsing. ¡°What the heck¡­¡± Recently, the atmosphere in the organization has calmed down. It was after the advent of Adren was stopped. The leader, who failed to produce the expected results, was enraged and purged many of the people in charge at the time. ¡°¡­Some neers came in.¡± I felt like I needed to change my mood a bit. It was the car she was about to call a few male followers into her room. Suddenly, a tearing scream rang out from outside the door. ¡°Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± It was the voice of a subordinate who had just left. Ramirinth hurriedly ran out. Turning the corner, her eyes widened. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± A dizzying smell of blood stung my nose. The hallway was covered with corpses. Hundreds of corpses d in white robes were strewn about. ¡°Chief of Ulcanto¡­¡± She muttered dumbfounded as she met eyes with a corpse. The Ulcanto branch manager, who skillfully handled the power of the stars and waspetent in many ways even at night, was a corpse with only the upper half of his body remaining. A woman¡¯s voice echoed from across the hallway. ¡°Are you the head of this ce?¡± ¡°you.¡± Ramirinth sighed. There was a woman who could not be known by any person living in the same era. Wiping off the blood on Daetaedo, she spat it out. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°A butterfly rose?¡± It was the former swordsman Nabi Rose. It was the car Ramirins was about to say. Sensing that she was about to die, she hurriedly threw her back. Shih! The crescent-shaped de of sword passed over Ramirinth¡¯s chest. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± ¡°Put your head out.¡± Nabi Rose, who sprayed sword energy, immediately spurred the ground and closed the gap. Ramirins gritted his teeth. When she straightened her posture, Nabi Rose was already swinging her sword. ¡°You stupid thing, do you think I¡¯m the same as the other thugs?!¡± However, Ramirinth did not avoid it. She had the means to destroy this desperate moment and counterattack at the same time. Ramirins raised her arms. At the same time, a force field that appeared along with a wave of mana rose in front of my eyes. It was the blessing of the stars that made her an undefeated fighter that she had received since she was 20 years old. It was the car Ramirinse, who had been distracted from defense, was preparing for a counterattack. Sugak! The de, which tore through the force field, passed through her neck. ¡°uh?¡± I didn¡¯t even have time to figure out what was going on. Nabi Rose¡¯s face was as calm as always. Ramirinth¡¯s head shot into the air. Poo-! The head bounced off the ceiling and hit the floor again. That was the end. Nabi Rose wiped off the blood on the de. Her face was shining in a dusky crimson color, not the usual dark green. ¡®He¡¯s tougher than I thought.¡¯ Nabi Rose, who had cut down the enemy, twisted her hands around. It took a lot more power than I thought. Ronan, who sliced through the protection like tofu, was just amazing. ¡°It¡¯s diluted, so there¡¯s nothing we can do¡­¡± Muttered, Nabi Rose entered the bishop¡¯s room where Ramirinse was. Behind therge bed, strewn with all sorts of vulgar gadgets, was a huge window. Nabi Roze swung his sword toward the window. Kwajangchang! The windows were shattered and the moonlight poured in. An inaudible sound began to be heard. ¡°Quaaaaagh!¡± ¡°Save me! please!¡± Screams erupted from all over the fort. Inside the broken gates, the imperial army was pouring in like a tide. The followers of Neb zie were systematically ughtered without resistance. ¡°At this rate, it will be over soon.¡± Nabi Roze muttered while watching the scenery. Starting today, arge-scale sweeping operation has begun. It was exactly two months after the tragedy of Adren. Chapter 269 269. Extermination (1) #269 The sun could not be seen above the gloomy sky. Columns of smoke rising from everywhere mingled with the dark clouds, adding to their turbidity. The sound of shing weapons, screams, and shouts were entangled noisily on the ins blocked by the ceiling. ¡°Don¡¯t back down!¡± ¡°If we break through here, the eastern part will be over! Push!¡± In the meantime, the officers¡¯ shouts echoed. Allied forces gathered under the banner of Tadora, Neb sh, covered the ins. At its center, the Pansia Fortress, once called the Horn of the East, stood firm. It was one of thergest branches on the side of Neb sh, along with the Felgrand Mountains, which were being attacked simultaneously in the far north. Two months since the sweeping operation began. Neb zier, who was on the defensive, changed the strategy by abandoning the small and medium branches and concentrating forces intorge branches and entering a desperate fight. After confirming that the soldiers were not advancing despite orders, the officer shouted again. ¡°Form up! Don¡¯t you want to drive them out of ournd!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bunch of radishes. How could that¡­!¡± But the soldiers did not advance. Even in a situation where they had a perfect victory, they could not find confidence in them. Neither apetentmander nor the catapults constantly firing boulders at the fort gave them courage. It was because the defenders guarding the gate were too strong. Regardless of the presence or absence of the protection of the stars, strong ones existed. Recently, the trend of relying solely on authority has be prominent, but Neb gie is definitely a group that boasts a long history. Prisoners in white heavy armor shouted provocatively. ¡°Come on, cowards!¡± ¡°Did you just try to break the church to this extent!¡± It was the Archbishop¡¯s bodyguard. There were only twenty of them, but it was impossible to prate. The elite soldiers who had defeated countless enemies as the vanguard of Neb zie were showing their true value even in Mercury. Troops who rushed in because they could not ovee the pressure were terribly killed as they crossed the defense line. The most feared of them all was Archbishop Pantasion. The huge Weirdeer standing at the forefront of the defending army roared at the allied forces. ¡°You ignorant fools, howe you don¡¯t realize that nothing will change in the end!¡± There were twelve exceptionally strong members of the Order, and they were called Archbishops. The booming voice swept across the battlefield like ripples on ake. The approaching soldiers hesitated and retreated. Hundreds ofrge, dismembered corpses were strewn about him like a mountain. ¡°It is a monster.¡± ¡°How do you catch something like that¡­!¡± The muscles that covered his entire body seemed to rip through his armor and pop out. The head of a stag resting on a huge body was like the head of a god worshiped in some religion. In Pantasion¡¯s hand was a huge double-edged axe. The gigantic de, 2m in diameter, was ravenously scattering spirits even though it had drunk the blood of two knights. The protection of the stars had long since disappeared due to the shelling at the beginning of the war, but that didn¡¯t matter. None of the allied forces surrounding Pantasion thought they were ¡®siege¡¯. ¡°archbishop¡­!¡± Themander-in-chief clenched his fists. Blood flowed from the spot where the nail had been dug. The longer the fight, the more unfavorable the war situation was. The number of people was overwhelminglyrge, but it was because only the troops were being consumed without any significant results. At this rate, there was a possibility that the demoralized soldiers would run away. It was a pity that there were nine more such monsters in the future. He checked his pocket watch for the hundredth time and twitched his lips. ¡°Is it still a long way¡­!¡± ¡°Did you think you could win without power?!¡± Pantasion shouted again. Weirdeer¡¯s unique mildness could not be found in him who wielded the ax with one hand. The allied forces only retreated and did not approach further. His morale waspletely broken, and the sight of him losing his will to fight was devastating. Pantasion, who was watching them, winked at his subordinates. ¡°I guess I can do it soon. Killing themander will disintegrate them too.¡± ¡°I was just waiting for that word.¡± The guards wore a fishy smile. The time has finallye. They were only defending the designated line of defense and not advancing further. It was Pantasion¡¯s strategy for a counterattack. It was an intention to destroy the troops by storming them when they were careless. If I killed all themanding staff, I wouldn¡¯t be able to help them, no matter howrge they were. ¡°When I signal, we set off.¡± Pantasion murmured softly. The men with their weapons raised nodded. The deer¡¯s glimmering eyes aimed at themand center in the distance. It was the moment he was about to run off the ground. Kwaaang-!!! Suddenly, the gate behind Pantasion exploded. ¡°Gagging! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaa!!¡± Fragments of rock flew ferociously. Some of the prisoners were hit in the back or back and fell down. Pantasion¡¯s eyes hurriedly turned around and widened as if they were about to pop out. From within the dust, a huge dark shadow was approaching with strides. ¡°you¡­!¡± ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Sword Saint.¡± Themander-in-chief let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the work was done before it was toote. A huge wear tiger appeared through the sunken dust. It was Zaifa Turgeng, known as the strongest swordsman of all time. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a little better after washing it with blood. The sewers are no ce to walk.¡± Jaifa said to herself. Fifteen elite soldiers were following him. Themando¡¯s mission, led by Zaifa, was to infiltrate the fort¡¯s drains and destroy the west gate from the inside. ¡°blood¡­?¡± Foreboding, Pantasion¡¯s hair stood on end. His gaze suddenly turned to the inside of the castle gate. The inner sanctuary, which should have been preparing for evacuation, had turned into a bloody hell. All the believers who were in charge of production and chores, so to speak, the role of vigers, were brutally murdered. A trembling voice flowed from Phantasion¡¯s parted lips. ¡°You bastard¡­what the hell are you doing¡­!¡± ¡°I pulled some weeds.¡± Jaifa replied indifferently. He sliced up any believer he encountered, regardless of gender or age. Pantasion shouted as if protesting. ¡°To make people withoutbat skills like that, are you still a swordsman!¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Zaifa threw something instead of replying. Took. A mass flew through the air andnded in front of Pantasion. Veins like tree roots began to bulge on his neck. ¡°oh¡­! Ohhh!¡± ¡°He looked quite like you. Although my skills were poor.¡± Jaipa brushed off the blood on her sword. Pantasion, who knelt down on one knee, picked up the lump. Immature antlers grew above the deer¡¯s head. He was the only son of Pantasion, who turned 20 this year. Jaifa continued. ¡°I have no intention of showing any mercy to you scumbags. Now that you have tasted hell alive, I will really throw you into hell.¡± ¡°Zaipaaa!!¡± Pantasion roared. Zaifa silently grabbed the moon sword. The giants on both sides fired at each other at the same time, whoever came first. Zaifa and Pantasion collided exactly in the middle. Kaaaang-! A cracking sound resounded through the sky. ¡°Kill them all!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let even one of them live!¡± There were no weapons to be wielded. Every time the sword and the ax collided, a metallic scream erupted. Jaifa and Pantasion were lightly handling the two giant siege weapons as if they were daggers. ¡°My God.¡± ¡°Is that the Sword Saint¡­!¡± Consternation erupted from all corners of the Allied Forces. The battle between Archbishop Pantasion and Zaifa did not seem like something that would happen in real life. All they could do was watch, overwhelmed, in a fight that wouldter be legendary. It was in the midst of a series of twenty sums. ¡°hmm!¡± bang! Suddenly, Zaifa kicked off the ground and took off. The ax that aimed for his neck flew horizontally through the air. Pantasion immediately withdrew his weapon, but for Zaifa, that moment was enough time to win. ¡°Your ax is heavy, deer!¡± Jaipa swung forward and swung the moon sword. The de, which had only been blocked by the axe, cut flesh for the first time. Awesome! As soon as hended, Pantasion¡¯s right arm shot up into the air. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± Pantasion frowned. Chow ah! Fresh blood spurted out and soaked Zaifa¡¯s face. The joy and sorrow of the allied forces and believers who watched the battle crossed each other. Losing a limb in a confrontation between people of equal skill was virtually no different from the end of the game. ¡°hmm?!¡± However, it was a story withinmon sense. Pantasion did not back down at all and charged forward with his horns. Zaifa, who had been hit with precision, bounced off as if hit by a battering ram. His body flew in a straight line and collided with the wall a hundred paces further away, creating a roar. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± ¡°die!¡± Immediately, Pantasion¡¯s double-edged ax flew in the same trajectory. Zaifa, who was pinned to the wall, barely twisted her body. Wow! A roar rang out once again. As I nced away, I saw an ax de that had cut off part of my beard and was stuck in the wall. Zaifaughed as if he was having fun. ¡°Guts is useful.¡± ¡°I will chew your liver and swallow it!¡± p! Pantasion spread his palms and the ax returned to him. Jaifa stood up. The saliva he spat out was mixed with thick blood and a few white teeth. Certainly, there was a reason why the Allies struggled. As he stared at Phantasion, he sighed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°There is no point in begging for your life now. I will give you the most painful death!¡± ¡°Did you say Phantasion? I wanted to fight a little harder with you.¡± Jaifa¡¯s voice was dripping with regret. Phantasion narrowed his forehead. ¡°what?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Because this is a war, not a game.¡± Zaifa muttered an iprehensible sound once more. It was the moment when Pantasion, who made a decision as a means to buy time, was about to rush. Suddenly, a whistling sound came from his side. ¡°What¡­¡± Pantasion turned to the direction of the sound. A certain human youth was rushing towards him. The hand of the young man in the dark blue uniform was clutching the hilt of the sword. Although he was small, his movements were unusual. It was the car that Pantasion was trying to rotate his body after his head. Chow ah! Blood spurted up his side as he felt the wind brushing his skin. ¡°Grancia!¡± Pantasion¡¯s eyes widened. Even though it didn¡¯t touch, it was cut by the wind. The moment the blow hit him, he was able to infer the opponent. Facing Schlieffen, he eximed in rage. ¡°A-song-i-ga-!¡± Phantasion raised an axe. Even if he lost an arm, he couldn¡¯t even imagine losing to such a fledgling. He was about to m Schlieffen in the head. Quasac! A strange sound came from the wound on his side that had been cut a while ago. ¡°This is¡­¡± Pantasion, who looked at the injury, flinched. The cut from the sh had turned blue. Body tissue that should have stopped bleeding while self-repairing was frozen and copsing. Schlieffen, who dug in without missing a gap, fired another sh. Viscount Chow! Blue lines were drawn all over Phantasion¡¯s limbs, and the wounds froze. It was only then that the sword in Schlieffen¡¯s hand caught my eye. The de of the longsword, which had a cial bluish color, was engraved with magical characters that had been used since ancient times. Pantasion recited like a sigh. ¡°Pale Road¡­!¡± ¡°No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a wasteful sword for a kid.¡± Jaifaughed. There was no one who did not know the name of the sword among those who ate the knife. The Pale Road, one of Doron¡¯s seven masterpieces and a sword with the bitter cold, was the treasured sword of the Grancia family. Schlieffen inherited the Pale Road while participating in this sweeping operation. Phantasion, who came to his senses btedly, struck down the ax he had raised. bang!! The de was driven deep enough to crack the ground. However, Schlieffen avoided the sh by a single piece of paper. He raised his sword in a rather obvious motion and was stabbed, but Phantasion, whose motion was slow, could not respond. hooked! The Pale Rod gently dug under Phantasion¡¯s chin. ¡°Mueeouk!¡± The tip of the sword protruding from the roof of his mouth was scattering a cool blue light. It was just as Phantasion was about to kick Schlieffen with his knee. Puppy-! As Schlieffen twisted the de, his frozen muzzle shattered. ¡°Archbishop!!¡± The guards were astonished. Pantasion¡¯s teeth stuck to his gums and fell apart. The tongue, which had been fragmented into dozens, flew through the air. The cold air prated through the cross section and eroded Phantasion¡¯s brain. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Pantasion¡¯s motion stopped for a moment. Schlieffen did not miss that opportunity. Quickly gathering strength, he twisted his waist and raised his sword. Kagagak! A razor-sharp wind surged up from scratching the ground and hit Pantasion. His eyes widened as he felt the de sh through his body. ¡°¡­you.¡± Phantasion¡¯s movement stopped. The face of Schlieffen, who looked down at him with his gaze down, was expressed without a slight movement. A silence fell over the battlefield. The ax fell from Pantasion¡¯s hand. Chow ah! A line drawn from his heart to his left trapezius widened and a fountain of blood gushed out. thud¡­! The Weirdeer¡¯srge body, which was slowly leaning, fell to the floor. ¡°Okay, got it!¡± ¡°The morning star of the empire kills that monster¡­!¡± ¡°Long live Swordsman Jaipa!! Long live Grancia!!¡± Pantasion didn¡¯t move anymore. Despair appeared on the face of the SS. The shouts of the allied forces resounded as the sky departed. This was the second time Schlieffen had killed the archbishop. He could have been a little happy or proud, but he didn¡¯t say anything and just wiped the blood off the de. he asked, turning to Jaifa. ¡°Have you ever done more?¡± ¡°Now your eyes are a little more useful.¡± Jaifaughed. The dark blue eyes shook like a storm that would sweep away everything. It was amazing when he had grown so much. After starting the full-scale sweeping operation, Schlieffen was getting closer to the Sword Master faster than anyone else. He said, pointing towards the Allies. ¡°does not exist. They should have something to do too.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Good job. And prepare as soon as possible to officially challenge the position of the Sword Saint. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Schlieffen shook his head. After dealing with the SS, the allied forces began to enter the castle. The sound of footsteps and screams that echoed without intervals signaled the end of the long fight. **** ¡°Nimiral. How much do I have to squeeze out today?¡± Ronan sighed. I lost a lot of blood, so my head was dizzy. Beside him, the mechanism Didican devised was spinning with a strange sound. A small tube was stuck in Ronan¡¯s right arm. Every time the machine started, red blood was going up in the tube. He was lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling of the dark barracks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± A familiar cry was heard. Suddenly, the tent was pulled back, and a huge ck head burst out. Ronan widened his eyes. ¡°Sita.¡± ¡°Byeom wooung¡­¡± ¡°Yes. okay. are you okay. don¡¯t worry.¡± Sheeta worriedly rubbed her face against Ronan¡¯s cheek. Ronan stroked Sheeta¡¯s hair. Now, even if I spread my palms wide, I couldn¡¯t fully grasp my head. In just two months, Sheeta had grown to a size that even a small dragon would believe. It was because he drank so much blood in many ces. It was in the midst of his soothing Sita. ¡°Ronan. Are you inside?¡± ¡°yes. Come in.¡± Suddenly the entrance to the barracks opened wide and pale men walked in. It was the Shadow Grand Duke and his subordinates. Ronan, who just raised his head while lying down, shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°What happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m busy. I think you¡¯ll have to step in.¡± Chapter 270 270. Extermination (2) #270 ¡°I think you should step up.¡± The Shadow Grand Duke said. The shadow cast over his pale face was impressive. He seemed to be going through a lot of difficulties even though he was a man who took care of himself. Ronan, who was lying down, raised his upper body. ¡°What is it, did the teachere out?¡± ¡°no. Two Archbishops appeared. We couldn¡¯t even break through the defenses. The damage to our allies is not the only one.¡± The Shadow Grand Duke briefly exined the situation. It is said that two archbishops suddenly appeared from the depths of the mountains, and the allied forces took three of the upied bases. Ronan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s been quiettely, but you finally came out. But I didn¡¯t drink it, but applied it and hit it, but it doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°okay. Even if I hit it with a sword coated with the undiluted solution, it didn¡¯t even leave a single scratch.¡± The Shadow Grand Duke clicked his tongue. It didn¡¯t show, but I could see that his pride was very hurt. After all, like Orsay, he was a man who lived his whole life unaware of defeat. said Ronan. ¡°I must go. Anyway, since it¡¯s undiluted, it feels a bit strange. I¡¯m not even Juice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr to us. What¡¯s worse anyway is that they¡¯re buying time. There must be secret passages all over the mountains, but at this rate, I might miss many of them.¡± The Archduke was worried about the possibility of Neb zie¡¯s escape. It was enough. Even if the leaves and stems are burned, the roots remain alive. Ronan stood up. ¡°Call me a little faster.¡± Whoop! He pulled out the tube that had been stuck in his arm. Didican said that it would be a big problem if you carelessly pulled it out, but it didn¡¯t matter because the wound healed quickly. The blood that had been flowing for a while stopped immediately. ¡°thanks.¡± ¡°Come on. I was still frowning, but it turned out well.¡± Ronan followed the Prince of Shadows out of the tent. A cold north wind blew in. Allied barracks and the Felgrand Mountains, engulfed in war, unfolded in front of them. The Felgrand Mountains, which were being attacked at the same time as the Eastern Pansia Fortress, were one of thergest branches of the Church. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire rugged mountain range covered with rocks and conifers was the fortress of Neb zie. ¡°Dirty bastards.¡± Ronan spat out a curse. I was wasting more than 15 days here alone. All kinds of shouts and screams were mixed in the darkness of the night. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s not too far north, though.¡± After saying that, Ronan put on his coat. Being in the north, the temperature was low even in early summer. Every time he spoke or breathed, white breath came out and crumbled. Still thinking of Heiran and the sea of ghosts made my balls shrink. It is a sea of ghosts. Suddenly recognizing that the savior¡¯s lifespan was short, Ronan twitched his lips. ¡®About half a year left.¡¯ In order to save the world perfectly and learn the secret of birth, the savior had to be saved. And in order to save the savior, the blood of Abel was needed. Although he was exchanging letters with Elcia on a regr basis, there was no particr improvement in his symptoms. Fortunately, at this rate, it was likely that he would reach the religious leader sooner orter. The cksmiths who coborated with the vampires figured out how to use Ronan¡¯s blood in addition to applying it to their weapons, and they were actually making great progress. The Shadow Grand Duke said. ¡°Then we will go first.¡± ¡°ok. Don¡¯t die and wait.¡± Ronan waved his hand. The body of the Shadow Grand Duke was wrapped in darkness and disappeared. Would you like to go then? When he turned his head, he saw Sheeta sitting quietly looking down at him. ¡°Subtract.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to look up. Who wants to grow up like this?¡± Ronan smiled. Although he grew enormously in size, his bright eyes still had a cute taste. Seeing Ronan¡¯s eyes, Sheeta lowered her head on her own. Ronan, sitting on the long neck, said while stroking the soft fur. ¡°let¡¯s go. friend.¡± ¡°Knock it!¡± Sheeta spread her four wings and flew up. Despite its massive size, Sheeta¡¯s takeoff was ghostly calm. The soldiers in the barracks cheered in unison. ¡°Oh, are you going directly!¡± ¡°Okay, give me a shot ande!¡± To them, Ronan was already more than a hero. Regardless of ss or position, there was no one who did not know Ronan¡¯s name. Ronan responded to his encouragement by lightly raising his hand. Hwaaak-! Sheeta, who had reached the edge of the mountain range with just one p of her wings, roared loudly. ¡°Pal-haaa-!¡± At the same time, blood sprinkled across the mountain range began to flow to Sheeta. Countless drops of blood shot up into the sky, just like rain falling backwards. It was the secret to explosive growth. The war cost a lot of blood, and it was all Sheeta¡¯s. Sheeta¡¯s ck, fluffy feathers gorgedly absorbed all the blood, but they did not get wet and remained shiny. After the absorption, Sheeta smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Pal ha ha!¡± ¡°Eat in moderation, man. What if I get bigger here?¡± Ronan lightly pinched Sheeta¡¯s neck. Of course it wasn¡¯t sincere. It¡¯s already toote to raise them at home, so what if they grow up? Ronan and Sheeta arrived at their destination in less than five minutes. High up in the air, the center of the mountain range was clearly visible on the horizon. The Shadow Grand Duke was waiting in the air with his subordinates. Dozens of vampires in ckbat uniforms lined up around the Archduke. He greeted Ronan. ¡°Have youe?¡± ¡°yes. It seems pretty sturdy.¡± Ronan looked down at his feet and whistled. It wasn¡¯t like he called himself for nothing. The center of the mountain range was covered with the protection of a star that was different from anything I had seen before. The hemispherical curtain was shimmering in an intermediate color between purple and red. Even with the naked eye, it seemed thick enough to be indestructible by normal means. Ronan asked. ¡°Do you have more troops to rush in?¡± ¡°The 1 4 12mander and his subordinates are in charge of the siege. You¡¯ll probably be able to enter as soon as the shield is destroyed. I managed to avoid being caught by their detections and deployed my troops.¡± ¡°aha. Adeshan is gone.¡± Ronan nodded. The 4th Field Commander referred to Adeshan. Showing remarkable prowess in mock battles despite her young age, she was appointedmander of the Allied Forces shortly after the clearing operation began. Although the number of troops in charge was small, the units she led boasted the highest win rate among allied forces. It was a history that had not yet happened here, but there was no way the talent used to be a general could go anywhere. Ronan, feeling somewhat better, looked back at the Grand Duke and said. ¡°Then let¡¯s go right away. Follow me.¡± ¡°Wait, so reckless¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to get rid of one, so catch the other one.¡± fault! Suddenly, Ronan jumped off Sheeta¡¯s back. As if waiting, Sheeta¡¯s body bent down with her wings folded. ¡°wait!¡± The vampires, who were dumbfounded for a moment, also began to descend after him. With his hand on the hilt of his sword, Ronan looked down at the rapidly approaching mountain range. The sound of the wind howling in my ears was harsh. A man and a woman in extravagantly colorful robes caught my eye in the back of the turbid station field. ¡°Fucking bastards.¡± Suddenly, a fire broke out. If it wasn¡¯t for those things, he would be enjoying the Fairy Night Festival in Phileon by now. Giggling stupidly with friends or gazing at the stars with Adeshan in her festive attire. Ronan gritted it. I couldn¡¯t even fathom how many people would have been deprived of their daily happiness. Arriving in front of the tent, he pulled the hilt of the sword. Sugak! As La Mancha drew a cheerful arc, the star¡¯s protection shattered. ¡°what¡­!¡± The eyes of the Grand Duke of Shadow widened. Archbishop Alicia, who sensed the change, hurriedly raised her head. The protection of the stars that he had trained all his life was crumbling. ck shadows were pouring over their heads. ¡°Wait kasis!¡± It was the car she was about to shout. Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Ronan¡¯s sword, descending with a red tail, shed Archbishop Kasis from the top of his head to his groin in one blow. **** ¡°¡­As expected, it can¡¯tpare to the original. Like you said, I should have called you earlier.¡± The Grand Duke of Shadow eximed. Even the high-nosed vampires couldn¡¯t hold back their admiration. The section that had been stagnant for four days was cleared in just two hours. Ronan groaned. ¡°You said that. Call me early.¡± He was kicking a corpse strewn at his feet, covered in blood. It was a guy named Kasis who was cut in half at the same time as the war started. The notorious archbishop, who ate more than a thousand allied soldiers, has been reduced to a teaching aid that, no matter how long or long he flies, is useless against surprise attacks. The allied forces rushed in as soon as the protection of the stars was broken. Archbishop Alicia fought desperately, but could not stand the onught of Ronan and the Prince of Shadows and retreated deep into the mountains. The long, long siege of Felgrand was also running towards the end. ¡°hey. Quite right.¡± ¡°Balzac.¡± Then a familiar voice came from behind. Ronan turned his head and shrugged his eyebrows. Balzac, the younger brother of the Grand Duke of Shadow, was approaching with a tter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to admit it. you are stronger than me now I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the kid from before.¡± ¡°That is an honor.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stop drawing blood and go to the front line? I think it will make things easier that way.¡± ¡°If these bastards aren¡¯t scattered all over the continent, they¡¯ve done that long ago.¡± Ronan shook his head. As Balzac said, Ronan was like a spear that pierced any shield. Of course, if he fought on the frontlines, good results woulde out, but the location of the headquarters of the religious leader was unclear to adopt such a strategy. ¡®We have to pull out the roots.¡¯ Therge number of still extant branches also made it impossible to use the strategy. Allied forces who did not receive the diluted solution using Ronan¡¯s blood could not prate the protection of the stars. Contemting something, Balzac snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, didn¡¯t you say you have a sister? Why don¡¯t you leave the blood drawing to her?¡± ¡°what?¡± For an instant, Ronan¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Adeshan, who was watching the conversation between the two nearby, sighed. Somehow, I had an ominous feeling. ¡°it¡¯s okay. Since your body is small, there won¡¯t be much blooding out.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and try? If it was your blood rtive, it would have the same effect. The more blood avable, the better the situation.¡± ¡°Tell me about your sister. I told you before the fight, Navardoze-nim.¡± Ronan took a deep breath and opened his mouth. There were veins on his forehead, but this was enough to keep hisposure. Balzac smacked his lips at the stubborn refusal. ¡°is it. Too bad.¡± ¡°I am enough alone. After resting, let¡¯s follow suit.¡± ¡°It is. But I¡¯m really sorry. I was wondering what your sister¡¯s blood tasted like hahahaha!¡± Suddenly, Balzac burst into a heartyugh. Something snapped in Ronan¡¯s head. I knew with my reason that it was a joke, but my hand was already gripping the hilt. ¡°hey.¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± For an instant, Ronan stopped. As Balzac turned around, his sword was drawn out. It was the moment when La Mancha, which flew in at a speed beyond recognition, was about to cut Balzac¡¯s tongue. Suddenly, someone hugged Ronan from the side. ¡°Ro Ronan!¡± ¡°¡­Adeshan?¡± Ronan¡¯s arm stopped. Adeshan was looking at him with an awkward smile. Balzac¡¯s eyes widened. The sword that was clearly in the scabbard was shining brightly in front of his face. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why the sword was pointed at him. It was the car that Balzac was about to argue with in an angry voice. The silent Grand Duke of Shadow opened his mouth. ¡°Shut up. Balzac.¡± ¡°older brother?¡± ¡°Because the 4th Field Commander saved you. I apologize on behalf of my brother Ronan¡¯s rudeness.¡± Suddenly, the Grand Duke walked in front of Ronan and lowered his head. Ronan swept his bangs once and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. A person who is equal to a grand duke.¡± ¡°Will you ept my apology?¡± ¡°of course. I was so excited too.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The Shadow Grand Duke smiled. He headed to the corner with Balzac, who was making an expression that he would die of regret. Taking a deep breath again, Ronan looked back at Adeshan. ¡°¡­thank you. I have to kill this guy¡¯s personality.¡± ¡°No, it could be. A letter came and I came to deliver it.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± ¡°huh. In the ind¡­would you like to see it?¡± Adeshan smiled and took out an envelope from his bosom. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as he received the letter. ¡°¡­Is that a letter from your sister?¡± Chapter 271 271. Extermination (3) #271 ¡°Did your sister send it?¡± Ronan opened the envelope. Soon after reading the letter, he smirked. Adeshan let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the anger hadpletely disappeared from his face. ¡°thank god. You seem to be feeling a little better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a letter from my older sister, but I can¡¯t read it frowning. Thanks for telling me.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes were dripping with love. It was an expression he rarely showed except when he was with himself. Adeshan, who was watching this, smiled involuntarily. ¡°You really like Irill.¡± ¡°sure. Why, as Adeshan knows, I have no parents?¡± For a moment, Adeshan was speechless. I didn¡¯t know how to react to these words. Even though Ronan himself was talking casually. When Adeshan was silent, he opened his mouth. ¡°When you think about it, it¡¯s a pretty damn good seller. My mother died when I was young and I have never seen her face properly, and my father is asleep at the edge of the North with the secrets of the world. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know much about maternal love or parental love.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°But I never felt dissatisfied orcking about it. Because I had an older sister. Even though I behaved meanly as a kid, it wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t receive much love, it was because my natural temperament was dirty.¡± Ronan giggled. Adeshan also raised an eyebrow. After confirming that the protection of the stars had disappeared, the second team was entering the mountain path. ¡°My older sister always raised me with love and sincerity. I felt it from the moment I circled Nimburton on the back of a swaddle. He was too much for a bastard like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s until you say that.¡± ¡°no. Really.¡± Ronan shook his head. He told me a few anecdotes from his childhood with Irill. ¡°Once, I used a group because I wanted to see Orsay, the magic dragon from the fairy tale. It was okay to say that we could meet in a dream, but my sister didn¡¯t. What do you think he would have done?¡± ¡°Um¡­well? Did you draw a picture for me?¡± ¡°It was simr, but a little different. My sister made a really convincing Orsay makeup while cutting down on her sleep throughout the month. And he surprised me by wearing it and walking around.¡± Recalling the memory of that time, Ronan smiled. Even if you think about it by adult standards, it was a makeup with great care. The four wings were made from real raven feathers. Adeshan covered his mouth in admiration. ¡°wow.¡± ¡°And I went into the room without pretending to be surprised. At that time, my interest in Orsay had already cooled. Even after that, I never paid attention to that makeup.¡± ¡°¡­wow.¡± Adeshan admired once again. A little different feeling than before. Seeing her expression, Ronan smiled bitterly. ¡®He really was a bastard.¡¯ The more he looked back, the more he realized that he was a Holo child with no answer. I couldn¡¯t understand why I was bothering my sister who changed poop diapers. He had never done anything pretty, but Iril always gave him infinite love for free. Until right before he ran out of the house without saying a word. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back. Ronan, who muttered in his mouth, continued. ¡°It¡¯s a little wordy. I guess he just wanted to show off his favorite tee.¡± ¡°huh. It feels good enough.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that. Anyway, that¡¯s all. I want to make her as happy as she is.¡± Ronan concluded. In fact, Iril¡¯s happiness was one of the biggest driving forces behind his decision to save the world. Tragedy was out of ce for my lovely sister. ¡°Oh, can I go to Jedo for a few hours tomorrow?¡± ¡°huh? That¡¯s fine, of course, but why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, but I guess tomorrow was my birthday. My sister said let¡¯s spend it together for the first time in a while.¡± Ronan showed the letter from Iril. On the parchment, there were letters that wriggled like bugs. At the bottom of the specialist¡¯s message to return home because tomorrow is his birthday, there was a postscript that he had already prepared a gift. It¡¯s been a long time since I forgot about birthdays, so Ipletely forgot about it. Adeshan nodded. ¡°That should go. After all, if you upy Felgrand, you will have a break. I¡¯ll tell you well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Is there anything wrong with you, senior?¡± ¡°huh? Mmm¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Adeshan hesitated. She has recently been experiencing hallucination-like symptoms. The voice of an unknown woman that has been heard in my head ever since I went to the North with Ronan is getting louder day by day. I wanted to talk about it, but I was worried that talking for nothing would take up a lot of time. Even if the war situation waspletely tilted, it was still in the middle of the battle. It was the car she was about to say. ¡°hey. I guess I¡¯ll have to retreat.¡± ¡°Mr. Balzac?¡± Suddenly, Balzac approached from behind and started talking. There were bruises all over his pale face. It seemed that he was being dragged away as an education by the Grand Duke of Shadow and was beaten with excitement. Ronan asked. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I just got a telegram from the East. They say that the 2nd Corps led by Jaipa captured the Pansia Fortress. The falcons are finishing up and are on their way here.¡± ¡°Aha, did you finally eat Pansia? If that¡¯s the case, you should jump out.¡± Ronan nodded. After exchanging nces with him, Adeshan hurriedly ran in the direction of his unit. Before long, her voice resonated in my head. [Notified by the 4th Field Commander. The entire army must retreat immediately to the outside of the Felgrand Mountains. repeat Commanders who hear this transmission lead their troops and immediately evacuate the Felgrand Mountains.] The transmission containing the shadow¡¯s mana spread throughout the military camp. The Allied offensive, which was approaching its climax, stopped in an instant. Theypletely changed their posture and began retreating. The allied vanguard, which was about to enter the depths of the mountains, soon turned back. ¡°The old bastards are leaving!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± The believers who were preparing for the final battle spat out embarrassment. It was an unknown group. Now, if only two bases were captured, the whole of Felgrand would fall into the hands of the allied forces, but I couldn¡¯t understand how things went smoothly like that. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Archbishop Alicia frowned. After being defeated by Ronan and the Grand Duke of Shadow, she was taking care of herself at the base. A subordinate approached and asked a question. ¡°Should I follow you?¡± ¡°¡­no. we are at a disadvantage Just focus on moving supplies and personnel.¡± Alicia shook her head. I don¡¯t know why, but it was really fortunate. The existence of Ronan, who unconditionally cut down the protection, was no different from a thunderbolt striking the dry sky. If there were no other Archbishops, if they fought a clumsily, they could see more blood. ¡°What the hell is the teacher doing¡­¡± she murmured softly as she brooded over her defeat. Even though the organization was in a desperate crisis, the leader had not been seen for a month already. At first, I thought he was away because he had a n for something, but now even that belief was shaking little by little. ¡°¡­everything ording to the will of the stars.¡± But I couldn¡¯t give up here. It was that teacher, no one else. As much as he had done well so far, he was sure to lead the church to the correct answer. mate. Alicia, who had strengthened her faith by hitting her face with her palms, stood up. It was the car she was trying to give orders to her subordinates. The believers standing guard at the eastern watchtower screamed. ¡°Something ising from north of Boo!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah¡­my God, look at the sky!¡± The surroundings were getting more and more noisy. Alicia looked east and raised her head. And, like everyone else, it froze. In the sky above the horizon, seven gigantic dragons were flying in formation. ¡°what.¡± It was every unit in charge of the firepower of the allied forces. Now that the power has been weakened and the protection of the stars has disappeared, there was no means to stop them from the side of Neb sh. Itargand, who was in charge of the vanguard, roared with his mouth wide open. ¡¾Big ah ah-!!!¡¿ The youngest son of Navar apprentices out the hottest fire of the seven even though it is small. The mountain range vibrated at the loud voice. A look of despair crept over Alicia¡¯s face. The scales of the seven dragons were all sparkling red reminiscent of rubies. The creatures of God, who inherited the blood of Navardoze, were known to be the most powerful of all dragons. ¡°Is this why you suddenly returned¡­!¡± It seemed that he knew the reason for the sudden retreat. The seven dragons spewed fire from the moment they entered the mountain range. Quaaaaaa! Red-yellow mes poured down like molten iron and began to burn strongholds that the Allies had yet to reach. ¡°Run away too! Go inside the citadel!¡± te¡­!¡± ¡°Miss Alicia! The protection of the rice stars¡­!¡± Screams erupted from everywhere. Despite the appeals of the followers, Alicia was unable to activate the blessing of the stars. Once destroyed, it took more time to regenerate again. The dragons reached overhead in no time. Itargand, who was scanning the ground, shouted in an angry voice. ¡¾Abandon hope! Bug-like bastards!] At the same time, the sky turned red. Torrents of me rained down on Alicia¡¯s head. The followers cast defensive magic as if in a hurry, but it was only to hold out for a few seconds. Alicia looked up at the sky and let out a mischievousugh. ¡°This is too much.¡± Wow! mes covered the citadel with the sound of a thousand forests burning at the same time. The fire, which dposed organic matter in the blink of an eye, prated the interior of the building and burned up all the troops and supplies that were evacuating. Not even a scream remained in the ce where the dragon¡¯s fire swept through. As a cold wind from the north swept across the mountains, a pile of ashes mingled with fire erupted. The Felgrand Mountains, which were in charge of the northern pir, fell into the hands of the allied forces. **** It was a crisp noon. Clouds like flocks of sheep were drifting in the sky over the inds. An early summer breeze was blowing through the half-open windows. ¡°It¡¯s finally today.¡± The temperature was high, but it was not hot because there was no humidity. Iril smiled as he looked out the window. It was the perfect day to celebrate the birthday of my beloved brother. ¡°I want to see you soon. My little brother.¡± Erill murmured. I couldn¡¯t see Ronan¡¯s face because he¡¯s been busytely. Even friends like Asher and Schlieffen. A lot of food wasid out in front of her so that her legs would break. Twenty dishes, including the potato stew in the center of the table, were all made by her herself. It took a lot of work, but considering Ronan¡¯s face, it wasn¡¯t difficult at all. Besides, today was not an ordinary birthday, so it was right to give more strength than usual. The gift she prepared today had a much deeper meaning than usual. Wiping her hands on her apron, she suddenly snapped her fingers. ¡°I almost forgot the most important thing.¡± Suddenly realizing that he hadn¡¯t taken out his present, Iril went into his room. She stopped in front of the bed and bent her back as if she were lying face down. Deep down there, I saw a box containing blood needles. ¡°Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?¡± Iril reached under the bed and gritted his teeth. No matter how hard I tried, the box barely touched my fingertips, but I couldn¡¯t catch it. After struggling in that position for a while, Iril finally got up. ¡°Whoa¡­ Did I put it in too deep?¡± She muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It seemed that the entire bed had to be moved. With her sleeves rolled up, she was about to get back into action. smart. Suddenly there was a knock on the door from the front door. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go now!¡± Illil eximed. The light knock on the door was familiar. You said it might be a littlete, but you came rather quickly? She smiled brightly and opened the front door. ¡°Ronan! Come on! I¡¯m very hungry¡­ Huh?¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. There was no one outside the door. Only the strangely deserted street remained, lying face down in silence. ¡°¡­what?¡± Illil tilted her head. I definitely felt the presence, but I guess I was mistaken. thud. It was the moment she turned around after closing the door without thinking. ¡°I heard wrong¡­Kyaaaaaaaa!!¡± A shrill scream escaped from Iril¡¯s mouth. The whole house was turned into a sea of blood. Dozens of men in ck were lying on the floor, headless corpses. ¡°This¡­ what the hell¡­¡± The smell of blood stung his nose. Lily covered her mouth with both hands. All of the men¡¯s clothes had the Balon Empire¡¯s pattern drawn on them. At Ronan¡¯s request, they were elite agents directly under the imperial family who were dispatched to escort Iril. No one was alive. The blood gushing from the cut in the neck was unrealistically red. She was breathing heavily and was about to sit down. A man¡¯s voice came from the table. ¡°nice to meet. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve actually seen it.¡± ¡°omg¡­!¡± Irill, who hastily turned his head, froze. Someone was sitting at the table, obviously empty. The white-haired man was deftly eating the potato stew she had made. ¡°You are good at cooking. It¡¯s good that there¡¯s no bleeding so far.¡± ¡°Oh Dad¡­?¡± Iril dragged his horse by the tail. The man¡¯s appearance was very simr to the father she remembered. However, there was a difference in the fundamental feeling. I couldn¡¯t find the gentleness of my father in the eyes of the man who resembled the sunset. Illil, barely breathing, asked. ¡°¡­no. Who are you all?¡± ¡°As expected, he was my brother¡¯s blood rtive. If so, this must be a historic encounter. You may already know, but I¡¯ll introduce you formally.¡± The man who had been eating the stew suddenly stood up. Scratching his head, he approached Illil and opened his mouth. ¡°My name is Abel. ¡± Chapter 272 272. Heist (1) #272 ¡°My name is Abel. I am the leader of Neb zie.¡± ¡°¡­Neb sh?¡± ¡°okay. Have you ever heard of it?¡± Abel asked. Iril didn¡¯t answer and backed away slowly. Every time his heel touched the ground, pools of blood spurted out. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s amazing. I never thought that boring person would meet a woman and even have a child. Besides, it looks like I met a great beauty.¡± Abel said in a voice mixed with admiration. His gaze was fixed on Iril¡¯s face. Even though she had lived for an immeasurably long time, she was by far unrivaled in beauty. Took. Iril¡¯s back hit the wall. There was nowhere else to retreat. After barely regaining herposure, she opened her mouth. ¡°I know. Neb zie.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°They are bad people. They say that they are trying to destroy the empire and the world¡­¡± Iril dragged his words. No matter how much I¡¯ve lived in peace, I knew that much. Because Ronan and Schlieffen have always warned of their danger. It was because of the viins that his beloved brother could note home well. Abel scratched his head. ¡°They¡¯re bad people¡­ I¡¯m not saying anything wrong.¡± Abel stopped following Lee and stood still. Hisposure even aftermitting such a massacre in the heart of the system gave an idea of his skill. Abel, who was eating food on the table, continued. ¡°Precisely, it is not destruction, but stepping up for evolution. It is simr to how a bird breaks an egg to fly. Your stupid father didn¡¯t understand until the very end.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s your rtionship with Dad?¡± Suddenly, Ill¡¯s gazended on his face. No matter how many times I looked at them, they were very simr. It seemed clear that he had some sort of rtionship with his father. Abel said, ying with his silvery white hair. ¡°There is no need to hide in this yard. I am Cain¡¯s twin brother.¡± ¡°Twins?¡± ¡°okay. So¡­ in terms of human family rtionships, I would be your uncle.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s an uncle¡­¡± Iril¡¯s face hardened. I never expected in my wildest dreams that my rtives would remain. ¡°What is the purpose? Why the hell are you doing this?¡± My legs were still wobbly, but I could now look them in the eyes and talk. I looked around quickly in the middle of the question, but I didn¡¯t see any tools that could break the situation. After a moment of silence, Abel opened his mouth. ¡°That is to take you. It¡¯s going to be a long story, so let¡¯s go and talk about the details.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking me¡­?¡± ¡°okay. I think I¡¯m really d I found you even now. A kid named Ronan is also unusual, but I think you inherited the most dangerous of your older brother¡¯s abilities.¡± ¡°¡­ability?¡± It was an unfamiliar sound. Abel¡¯s expression suddenly became serious. He lifted the robe that covered his body, revealing the sword at his waist. ¡°Your power is dangerous, Lee. You can tell just by looking at how I only now recognized your brother and sister¡¯s identity. If I had known it sooner, I would have nipped it in the bud ten years ago.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Erill shrugged at the menacing tone. Throughout the story, Abel fidgeted with the hilt as if he were going to pull it out at any moment. The elegant scabbard was spotless white like ivory made of snow. Abel turned and came towards her. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te near me¡­!¡± Illil shook his head quickly. But Abel did not stop. It was the moment he stretched out his hand as he strode forward. Iril, who was breathing heavily, shouted as if squeezing it out. ¡°Ah! go away!!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It was a desperate yet clear voice. A shapeless wave erupted around her. Abel, who was approaching suddenly, stopped moving. He repeated Iril¡¯s cry softly. ¡°go away.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. Abel froze as he stretched out his arm. Except for the trembling eyes, it was almost believable even if it was a wax doll. ¡°I have to run away too¡­¡± It was an unknown situation, but it was a golden opportunity. Iril, who had been creeping along, ducked under his frozen arm and slipped away. ¡°Who isn¡¯t there?! help!¡± cried Erill. However, no answer came back from the deserted street. After running away from the corpses, she was about to grab the doorknob. Abel¡¯s eyes, which were suddenly blurry, returned to focus. ¡°¡­what a damn girl!¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Abel reached out and grabbed Erill¡¯s hair. Then he pulled it straight and pped it. m! After a rough bounce, she was doomed to a pool of blood. ¡°Ouch!¡± My head was dazed, probably because the blow was so strong that my head was bent. Illil raised his head, clutching his face. A lingering pain wasing through. A drop of bright red blood flowed from his chapped lips. I felt a soft touch on the back of my back. Turning her head, she realized that she was sitting among the headless corpses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± Illil hurriedly stood up. Abel was breathing heavily, staring back and forth between his palm and her face. Sweeping his bangs once, he opened his mouth. ¡°Whoa¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Stop without me noticing.¡± I could feel that he was really embarrassed by the way he spoke. Iril red at him wordlessly. It was the first time I had ever been stabbed by someone. ¡°Even though I was careful, I almost got caught again. After all, your power is too dangerous.¡± ¡°Power¡­I don¡¯t know that.¡± Iril started backing toward the kitchen again. The white dress Ronan had given her was dyed red. ¡°I guess so. If you could control that power, I would never have found your brother and sister. Have you ever felt strange in your life? You were born with such beauty, so why has no one touched you until now? Why did peaceful days continue as if they were natural?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because people are kind¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be funny. The nature of the human race is not that good. The secret to your brother and sister¡¯s serenity is that you found life with the bugs beautiful.¡± said Abel. There was an inexplicable madness in his exasperated tone. Having managed to control his emotions, he started walking again. ¡°It¡¯s been a long chat. Let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°I hate poetry¡­!¡± Iril reflexively picked up the cleaver from the cutting board. The two hands holding the hilt were trembling. Seeing this, Abel snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. What are you doing with those trembling hands?¡± Abel reached out, ignoring her. Irill closed his eyes and swung the cleaver. ¡°Oh, don¡¯te!¡± It was embarrassing to even call it an attack. It was only natural for a girl who had been farming all her life. Abel let out a small sigh and sneaked back behind her. Tak ! ¡± Iril¡¯s body copsed forward, and Abel held her up as she was about to copse. Even though she was unconscious, her fern-like hand still held on to the hilt of the cleaver . Seeing this, Abel chuckled. Even though it was diluted, the blood looked like it couldn¡¯t be faked. Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t be good to carry it around and get stabbed. The moment he tried to snatch the cleaver from Irill¡¯s hand . The kitchen knife in her hand elerated rapidly and disappeared from sight . Abel tilted his head, and at that moment a red line was drawn across his cheek. The bted bitterness was warning him. Just as Abel was about to say something, the attack came again. He reflexively turned his head away. Shhh! A sharp kitchen knife razed his nose just barely . The arm he was holding loosened, and the crouched Illil broke free of his restraints . Abel noticed it btedly, but Iril had already escaped his restraints. After taking three steps out, she fixed the knife again. Unlike before, she was holding it with one hand, but she couldn¡¯t see a gap. ¡°¡­It¡¯s scary . Were you hiding your skills?¡± Abel asked, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen blood in hundreds of years. But there was no answer. Iril¡¯s eyes were unfocused. Her long, thick hair hung down like willow leaves and hid her face. ¡± Abel scratched his head. The eyes as beautiful as the sunset were nowhere to be seen. He must have lost consciousness . He didn¡¯t know what had happened, but the task hadn¡¯t changed, and Abel put his hand on the hilt and muttered, ¡°I¡¯d like to take him away without seeing blood.¡± Abel clicked his tongue and pulled the hilt of the sword. The sparkling mana that rose around him hurled like a gust of wind. me it ! .¡± Smart, Ronan knocked on the door and said, Maybe it was a day when a lot of merchants came in, so the streets of Jedo were more crowded than usual. ¡°What is that? A dragon?¡± ¡°Wow. Cool.¡± All the eyes of the passers-by were on Sheeta. Sitting under the blue sky, Sheeta was reminiscent of a giant tree growing in the middle of the city. Fluffy hair and a face that still remained cute made them scream that a monster had appeared and run away. Sheeta, excited at the thought of seeing Ilil, smiled and cried . ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. I had something to wrap up all of a sudden. But I came as soon as possible.¡± It was quiet inside the front door. Ronan, feeling a little sorry, apologized. He was about twenty minuteste from noon due to finishing work in the Felgrand Mountains. So, in Ronan¡¯s hand, he had a bunch of daffodils, Erill¡¯s favorite . It was meant to be an apology, and it was picked because he wanted to see his sister¡¯s happy face after seeing flowers for the first time in a while. Ronan knocked on the door again, wondering if he hadn¡¯t heard, but this time there was no answer . Ronan opened the door. The front door was open as usual. The clean interior as always caught my eye. ¡°Sister?¡± Kung. When I closed the front door again, the outside noise was drastically reduced. No one was inside. I smelled something delicious, so I turned my head and saw a table full of food. It looked like Irill had set up a birthday party. Potato stew in the center . It was clear from what was ced in the kitchen. Ronan, who was suddenly looking around the kitchen, narrowed his eyes. ¡°Something is strange¡­?¡± I kept feeling strangely ufortable. It was definitely our house without my sister, but something was strange. Suddenly, his gaze touched a kitchen knife ced in a corner of the kitchen. ¡°Hmm? ¡± There were several drops of red blood on the knife. Ronan¡¯s face stiffened as soon as he saw them . It seemed that he knew the identity of the sense of incongruity. Ronan reflexively pulled the hilt of the sword. ¡°Chang-G-Rang! ¡± It was an illusion magic of a very high level. Sheeta, who was looking at the interior from the window, burst into amazement. Eventually, Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out at the real appearance of the house that appeared. ¡°What the fuck is this. ¡± Chapter 273 273. Heist (2) #273 ¡°What the fuck is this.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out. An indescribable horror unfolded. The tidy house had turned into a mess as if a typhoon swept through it. Headless corpses were scattered all over the house. They were all bodyguards sent by the emperor. The bloodstains scattered randomly throughout the house were coagting into a sticky consistency. The furniture, which Irill and Schlieffen had picked out one by one, had been dismembered. The most notable thing was the scars on the floor, walls and ceiling. The rough yet sharp traces reminded me of the scene where two huge beasts ran amok. ¡°This¡­ what the heck¡­¡± It was as if my eyes were spinning. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly as if my chest had been pressed by a rock. I thought it was a nightmare, so I clenched my fist hard enough to bleed, but there was no change in the scenery I was looking at. It was in the midst of Ronan¡¯s attempt to regain hisposure as much as possible by washing his face dry. Suddenly, his gazended on a corner of the house. The fabric, which I had seen many ces, was torn and scattered. ¡°no.¡± Ronan involuntarily recited. The pure white hem was undoubtedly from the one-piece dress my sister liked to wear. It was something he bought for himself at a clothing store when I invited him to Jedo the day before entering Phileon. ¡°no. no.¡± The face of Iril, who smiled brightly saying that he would wear it for the rest of his life, was good in his eyes. Ronan¡¯s head turned white. p. A daffodil fell from his hand and fell into a puddle of blood. ¡°sister!!¡± Out of breath, Ronan shouted and ran. He searched every room in the house in less than a minute. However, Iril was nowhere to be seen even after looking at the underground shelter. ¡°This¡­!¡± Instead he found something else. It was so weak that it took me a while to find it. The sparkling mana, the symbol of Neb zie, was finely smeared all over the house. The moment he saw the flickering mana of dust, something in Ronan¡¯s head was disconnected. Goo Oh ¡­ intense life over his shoulders began to boil. ¡°Neb¡­ rge.¡± In my two lives, I had never felt such an intense murderous intent. Ronan grabbed the hilt. The disappearance of my sister was, of course, their fault. Had I been kidnapped? I hate to imagine, but could it be that he was already murdered? The anger that rose above the swamp of despair was clouding his thinking. The limbs of all prisoners will be cut off. Eyeballs and fingernails will be plucked out and sent to the bereaved. At least one of them will be able to spit on his sister¡¯s whereabouts. If you want to see hell, you have to do it. It was the car Ronan, who had made such a resolution, strode toward the front door. Something pulled at his cor from behind. ¡°Subtract.¡± ¡°¡­Sita.¡± Ronan stopped in ce. Sheeta put her head through the window and bit the hem of his clothes. Big, red eyes were staring at him. ¡°Byaaah¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the words, but I seemed to understand what Sheeta was talking about. Mypanion, who had been with me for three years, was asking with his eyes what you should do now. ¡®This bastard.¡¯ Ronan twitched his lips. Come to think of it, Sheeta must have felt the same pain. Aftering to Phileon, it was Sheeta who had spent more time with Iril than herself. I used to follow her almost like a mother while receiving lots of love. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± His nose swelled up. Suddenly, an unbearable amount of shame came upon me. Even animals that can¡¯t speak know how to control their emotions. Ronan¡¯s vision, blurred by anger, returned to normal. He nodded his head, wiping away the tears he had unknowingly shed. ¡°okay. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Sheetaughed. Ronan admitted he was overexcited. I almost foolishly messed up. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stay calm.¡± Ronan took a deep breath. Like Sheeta advised, it was still too early to despair. Nothing has been revealed yet except for the traces of his fight with Neb zier and the disappearance of his sister. ¡®Since there is no body, there is a high possibility that he did not kill him. Is the hostage-taking the goal?¡¯ First, I had to figure out Iril¡¯s whereabouts by going through the clues one by one. Even the culprit if possible. It was the car he was groaning with his eyes closed. Suddenly, the existence of a certain tool crossed my mind. ¡°Blood needle.¡± Ronan muttered. A valuable magic tool that points to the owner of the blood on the needle. It was an object used when chasing Barca Turgeng in the north. Adeshan could have tracked down his sister if he used the blood needle he had. Assuming, of course, that there is Iril¡¯s blood on the scene and that she is still alive. There was no time to think about what to do once it was decided. Ronan first took out a magic tool formunication. Soon after blowing mana into the shell, Adeshan¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Oh Ronan? what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Adeshan. My sister is missing. I think I was kidnapped by Neb ge.¡± ¡°what?! Suddenly, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Sorry I¡¯m busy, but send me some reinforcements. Schlieffen Don¡¯t tell that bastard. Because he wille running even after fighting a dragon.¡± After Ronan said that, he cut off themunication. I¡¯m sorry to Adeshan, but I didn¡¯t have time to exin even the smallest details. Ronan put his hand on Sheeta¡¯s head. ¡°Sita. Please do me a favor.¡± ¡°Did you get it?¡± ¡°Sort the blood of the people here. Don¡¯t miss out on one.¡± Ronan stretched out his finger and pointed at the corpses strewn about the room. Sheeta nodded happily. Faaaaa¡­! Red eyes shone brightly. Bloodstains scattered all over the scene began to rise in the form of drops. Ronan said in a worried voice. ¡°good. Be careful not to mix them up.¡± ¡°Kyanbat.¡± Sheeta snorted as if not to worry. Red eyes twinkled once more. The tangled blood began to separate into dozens of branches. ¡°¡­you¡¯re good.¡± Ronan eximed slightly. I wondered when my skills improved so much. There were at least dozens of people, but Sheeta did an borate separation. Before long, the bloodstains were all gone and twenty-four spheres floated over the living room. The spheres of blood were each of different sizes. Taking a deep breath, Ronan began examining the spheres one by one. Please have your sister¡¯s blood. But hopefully not too many. It was about five minutester. ¡°shit.¡± Ronan frowned. Iril¡¯s blood was nowhere to be seen. If it existed, you would be able to notice it by the shape of mana, but it was the same no matter how many times you looked at it. he asked Sheeta. ¡°¡­isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Panuuuuu¡­¡± Sheeta groaned as she lowered her head. There was no way Sheeta, who was helping her older sister, would not have noticed it. First of all, the first operation was a failure. Ronan, who was muttering to himself, spat out curse words. ¡°No fuck. Still, it¡¯s too early to give up.¡± ¡°Ppa!¡± Sheeta pped her wings in agreement. The screams of passers-by echoed with the sound of the strong wind, but there was no time to pay attention to such things. Ronan opened his eyes again and began observing the bloody orb. ¡®One of these is the criminal¡¯s blood.¡¯ We fought like this, but it was even weirder if we didn¡¯t shed a single blood. It was a scar that would never remain if the intruder had cut the guards by an overwhelming gap. A few more minutester. ¡°uh?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. There was one more sphere too small to see. He winked, and Sheeta raised the sphere to Ronan¡¯s eye level. ¡°This is¡­ I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Ronan instinctively noticed that this was blood on the cleaver. A drop of blood the size of a thumb nail was shining in a slightly different color from the other spheres. ¡®Where did I see this?¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed. I hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier because I was excited, but I felt something familiar. It was while he was touching his face. ¡°no way¡­!¡± In an instant, goose bumps ran through my body. Memories of the past floated to the surface. The appearance of the blood glistening in front of my eyes had definitely been seen in the memory of the savior. Notpletely red, but slightly purple blood contained sparkling mana. Ronan, barely breathing, opened his mouth. ¡°Abel.¡± It was the blood of Abel, the religious leader he had been searching for so long. Ronan unknowingly fiddled with his neck. Even though it happened in the image world, the sensation of his throat being cut by his sword was still vivid. ¡®This crazy bastard came directly? To kidnap my sister?¡¯ Come to think of it, the knife marks that covered the interior were also familiar. It was Abel¡¯s sword scars, unmistakably smeared with malice in every stroke. Suddenly, a question raised its head. ¡°Then who did that?¡± Ronan¡¯s gaze was focused on the sword marks of the one who fought against Abel. Even from his picky point of view, it was an amazing swordsmanship. Abel. So, like the savior¡¯s sword, the design wasn¡¯t perfect. However, the anomalous and sharp were never pushed by Abel¡¯s sword. I¡¯m sorry to the emperor, but there shouldn¡¯t be a great person among the guards who can use this kind of swordsmanship. If so, it means that a third person intruded, but if this happened, my head hurt again. Who the hell are you? How could you not shed a drop of blood against Abel? ¡°Pyaaaaaa!¡± ¡°ok?¡± It was the moment when Ronan was thinking about this and that. Suddenly, Sheeta let out a cry as if to look over there. Sheeta was staring at Iril¡¯s room, where the door was open, with her hair pulled back. ¡°what¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been in the middle of a long time.¡± ¡°Pal-ha-ha-ak!¡± Ronan shrugged. However, Sheeta went up to his sleeve and expressed her intention to go to Iril¡¯s room. It was an iprehensible action, but Ronan did it once. ¡°¡­Shit.¡± Entering the room, Ronan gritted his teeth. The tidied room smelled like Iril¡¯s hair. His nose grew cold again, but Ronan struggled to shake off his sadness. It was the car he was looking around the room. ¡°hmm?¡± Suddenly, an unnatural trace was caught in his field of vision. There were only bread crumbs on the floor in front of the bed. It was as if the delicately shiny thing had just fallen on its face. ¡®if.¡¯ Ronan pushed the bed with a feeling of just in case. Then a small box appeared. Unrecognizable characters were engraved on the surface of the stone. ¡°This¡­¡± The strange atmosphere was something that in many ways did not go well with Leel. Click. After picking up the box, Ronan tightened his fingers and the box opened without much resistance. His eyes widened as he looked inside. ¡°¡­Blood needle?¡± A mechanical device resembling apass was ced inside the box. It was a needle that tracks blood. It was much more luxurious than the one I was using when chasing Barca, but the fundamental design was the same. But what really surprised Ronan was not the existence of the blood needle. On the inside of the box was an inscription in amonnguage. Ronan read it slowly with his eyes. [My son. Celebrating Ronan¡¯sing-of-age ceremony.] -Cain. It was a little lumpy, but it was recognizable enough. It felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer. Is this what your father left behind? The blood needle¡¯s red needle was pointing north, where the Sea of Ghosts was.ing-of-age ceremony. My sister¡¯s assurance that she prepared a special gift. Pieces of information floating around in my head wereing together one by one. It was the car he was trying to say to Sheeta. Kwaaang! Suddenly the front door burst open and a man ran in. The face of the man in the dark blue uniform was white as if he would faint at any moment. Ronan, who met his eyes, opened his mouth. ¡°Have youe? Schlieffen.¡± Chapter 274 274. Robbery (3) #274 ¡°Are you here? Schlieffen.¡± said Ronan. I told him not to tell me clearly, but he seemed to have heard and came to me. As expected, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. As he looked around the room, Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened like a stone statue. ¡°what¡­!¡± The bloodstains were all gone, but it was still a terrifying sight. Headless corpses and knife marks everywhere made it hard to believe that this was the same ce Erill and I spent time in. Schlieffen¡¯s mouth opened slowly. ¡°¡­Ms. Lee.¡± The sight of him chanting while looking into the sky seemed like a person who had lost everything in the world. Maybe because her skin was pale, her reddened eyes were more visible. The cool-headed aspect that was basically there has long since disappeared. ¡°Ronan.¡± Schlieffen btedly turned his head. It was the moment when he staggered and stood in front of Ronan. bang! The door that had been closed with the recoil opened again, revealing Adeshan. ¡°Sch Schlieffen! If you suddenly leave the battlefield¡­ Ah?!¡± And her face also hardened. Judging from the situation, it seemed that the two of them were in the same ce when theymunicated. Adeshan covered her mouth with the palm of her hand and turned to Ronan. A trembling voice leaked out through the cracks between the fingers. ¡°Ro Ronan¡­this is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as I said. Thank you foring quickly.¡± Ronanughed awkwardly. Outside the entrance, arge number of people could be felt. ording to Ronan¡¯s request for support, it seemed that the pursuit party was brought. Seeing that Kratyr¡¯s voice was mixed in, it seemed toe from space magic. A terrible silence fell. Adeshan quieted the buzzing pursuers with an electric sound. Schlieffen was the first to speak. ¡°¡­exin the situation.¡± ¡°I know how you feel, but calm down. Your hair keeps standing up.¡± Ronan twisted his lips. It was difficult to breathe normally. Above Schlieffen¡¯s shoulders, a lifelike shimmering bodyparable to that of Zeifa or Orsay was rising. A slow but heavy wind drew a whirlwind around him. ¡®It¡¯s almost the same as back then.¡¯ The wind seemed ready to turn into a storm and sweep the inds away at any moment. Adeshan¡¯s face went white. In terms of momentum alone, it was on a level simr to that of Schlieffen during the Continental First Sword, which he had met in his previous life. Could this be cold anger? Ronan opened his mouth again. ¡°You know it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Hearing this, Schlieffen gritted his teeth. aww A cracking sound could be heard from here. Before long, life eased and the turbulent wind died down. It was still creepy, but Ronan knew it was his best. Still, as a well-educated child, he was better at controlling his emotions than himself. said Ronan. ¡°It¡¯s a situation and there¡¯s nothing to exin. Because it¡¯s just what I said. The only thing I haven¡¯t been able to tell you is that the guy who dragged my sister away is the head of Neb zie.¡± ¡°A school leader?!¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Schlieffen¡¯s face stiffened again. He licked his lips like an anxiety patient and asked Ronan. ¡°¡­Life and death?¡± ¡°Not sure. But he¡¯s probably still alive.¡± Ronan came first and shared the information he found out. When they heard that there was no trace of Iril¡¯s blood at the scene, the two men¡¯s expressions softened just a little bit. Of course, the information did not guarantee Iril¡¯s safety, so the need to hurry was still the same. After the exnation, Ronan turned to Adeshan and said. ¡°right. Do you have blood needles now? The one I used to catch Barca in the North.¡± ¡°huh? Yes, there is, but¡­why?¡± ¡°please. I need.¡± Ronan held out his hand. His calm expression was more serious than usual. Adeshan, who was rummaging through her arms, quickly found a blood needle and handed it to him. ¡°W Here¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ronan expressed his gratitude. After the death of Barca, the target disappeared, and the blood needle was spinning in ce. p. He opened the lid and erased Barca¡¯s blood. The needle has stopped rotating. Ronan brought the needle to the sphere made of Abel¡¯s blood. Sahah ¡­ again, the red -colored needle moved and started to point to the west. ¡°This¡­?¡± ¡°It is stained with the blood of the religious leader. Fortunately, it seems to be still within range.¡± ¡°What?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. The content was shockingpared to the insipid tone. I never thought I¡¯d saved the religious leader¡¯s blood beforehand. Ronan, who handed the blood needle back to Adeshan, said in a stern tone. ¡°If you hurry up, you might be able to catch up with the naked eye. If you¡¯re lucky, you might even find their headquarters. Instead, no matter what happens, don¡¯t fight head-on. It¡¯s different from the opponents I¡¯ve fought before.¡± Ronan, recalling memories of the past, twitched his lips. He remembered the image of Abel single-handedly overpowering Elcia and Alibrihe. I couldn¡¯t forget the divine sword skill that handled the protection of the stars as if it were my own limbs and cut down the high-ranking wind spirit Hi-Lan with a single knife. Moreover, since about a thousand years had passed since then, he must have be much stronger. He must have umted countless knowledge, so in some ways he was a much more difficult opponent than the giant. ¡°Okay, okay¡­but Ronan, aren¡¯t you going?¡± Suddenly feeling strange, Adeshan asked. Ronan¡¯s tone was like that of a parent giving a warning to a child on their first errand. Ronan shook his head. ¡°yes. I have a ce to go to for a while. It¡¯s a ce you must visit to save your sister. It probably won¡¯t take long.¡± said Ronan. It was a decision made as rationally as possible. If Abel had the intention of kidnapping Iril and keeping him, it would be difficult to get him through normal means. At times like this, I had to be more chill. If she acted like Sheeta had taught her, she would ruin everything. Ronan put his hand in his pocket and fiddled with another blood needle left by his savior. After organizing his thoughts, he suddenly grabbed Schlieffen¡¯s shoulders and said. ¡°Schlieffen.¡± Schlieffen did not answer. He just shifted his gaze and looked into Ronan¡¯s eyes. he continued. ¡°You promised me two years ago. I will definitely protect my sister.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± ¡°That is still valid. Even if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll let you protect it, so I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± The moment he heard that, Schlieffen¡¯s eyebrows twisted. It felt like something was groaning from the depths of my chest. Ronan turned his head away from him, who was about to say something, and looked at Adeshan. ¡°I will try something. Heed my words not to fight with the principal.¡± ¡°Ughhh.¡± ¡°Then I will go.¡± Adeshan groaned. Ronan, who was rummaging through his inner pocket, took out a small box. When the lid was opened, dozens of rolled up scrolls were revealed. Ronan took out one of them and untied it. The scroll that Elcia gave as a gift in the past had the ability to take the caster to the distant sea of ghosts. Thinking about it again, this was more correct than rushing and messing things up. Ronan poured Abel¡¯s blood into a small sapper. Then I went out the window and got on top of Sheeta¡¯s neck. Remembering the savior¡¯s face, he murmured softly. ¡°I guess the mold didn¡¯t grow in my brain because I had a long fight against the disease.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Sheeta cried in response. At the same time, Ronan opened the scroll. The magic circle imprinted on the paper emitted light and distorted the space. Paaa¡­! Ronan and Sheeta could no longer be found where the halo of light appeared and disappeared. **** Headquarters of Neb zie. ¡°Terrible. Did you go all the way to Felgrand after all?¡± ¡°Now the limit. Where did the teacher go¡­¡± The conference room was noisy. The seven archbishops were having a heated discussion about the church, which was increasingly on the defensive. The presence of the remaining six empty seats touched me more desperately today. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what to say, but haven¡¯t you really abandoned the church?¡± ¡°Please refrain from sphemy, Archbishop Anaquiel. You know you¡¯re not like that.¡± ¡°Please, I hope my words are dismissed as slips of the tongue. I still thought you would see the face of Phantasion when he died¡­¡± Anaquiel murmured. It¡¯s already been a month since I saw the leader¡¯s face. It was like having a terrible nightmare every day. From a certain moment, those who were ignorant and blind were able to destroy the protection of the stars. If those who were skilled in handling powers came forward, they could gain the upper hand, but the number of such talented people was limited. The allied forces, led by Navardoze and the Empire, drove the Church to the edge of the cliff in an instant. The series of defeats and deaths of members of the organization were gnawing away at the spirit of the archbishops, who had overwhelming strength. They sighed deeply and were about to resume the meeting. bang! Suddenly the door to the conference room opened and a familiar man walked in. ¡°Nice to meet you. How have you all been?¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The archbishops¡¯ eyes widened as if they would pop out. bang! Archbishop Le-Tansier was the first to get up from his seat. ¡°Meet the headmaster!¡± Other archbishops followed. It was a face I hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time. Abel, who returned after a month, was carrying a human woman on his back. he said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t show you my face these days. I¡¯m busy preparing something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, since you¡¯re back now, Master. But that on your face¡­ is it a wound?¡± Le Tancier, who was examining the leader¡¯s face, widened his eyes. On his left cheek, a scar that looked like a knife was drawn obliquely. Abelughed and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a lesson learned.¡± ¡°Lesson?¡± ¡°okay. The lesson is that the child of a beast is a beast no matter how mild it may look. It¡¯s scary.¡± Recalling what had happened in the inds, Abel giggled. The fight with Iril, who was holding a cleaver, was over in less than a minute. Except for the wound, he suffered no damage, but the important thing was that he hadpeted more than a hundred times, and he was injured in the end. Abel asked. ¡°What about Alibrihe? Still no answer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ipletely lost contact with Adren¡­ to the point where I think he may have lost his life at that time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case¡­ It seems he¡¯s decided to betray the Church. Like a foolish old man.¡± Abel smiled bitterly. I expected it, but it was a bit disappointing when it actually happened. I thought my heart waspletely broken, wasn¡¯t it? He looked at the archbishops in turn and tilted his head. ¡°But I can¡¯t see Alicia. Are you on duty?¡± ¡°¡­Alicia died four days ago. With Kasis. I was attacked by a man named Ronan and Navardoze¡¯s blood rtives.¡± She exined the tragedy that had urred in the Felgrand Mountains and the Pansia Fortress. Four archbishops lost their lives during Abel¡¯s absence. Abel shrugged his eyebrows when he heard that even Phantasion had been killed in battle. I can¡¯t believe that even the deer got hit. It¡¯s quite a lot of kids who are wondering if it¡¯s the morning star of the empire. My hands were itching, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Abel nced back at Iril and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is a big deal. Among the archbishops, Alicia was the most delicate, so I tried to entrust her¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean by that¡­¡± Letansie tilted her head. I couldn¡¯t guess what the words meant. Abel, who suddenly moved his gaze to her, let out a light sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You¡¯ll take care of it until you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°yes? ¡°Receive. Be careful. never get hurt.¡± Instead of answering the question, Abel handed her the eril he was carrying. Hand movements were meticulous, as if handling precious metals. Iril, who had lost consciousness, was soundly asleep. ¡°this person is¡­?¡± Seeing this, Le Tansie¡¯s eyes widened. The most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life was right in front of his eyes. The white hair was very simr to that of the religious leader he worshiped. said Abel. ¡°Take good care of her. She will be our saint.¡± Chapter 275 275. Iril (1) #275 It was dusk. The early summer sunset was melting over the sea of trees. Adeshan¡¯s voice suddenly resounded in Balzac¡¯s mind while he was flying. [This is the 4th Field Commander. Please report Balzac¡¯s situation.] [No change. I¡¯m flying west.] Balzac answered after hearing the transmission. He was flying while transforming into a giant bat with a wingspan of 4m. There was nothing unusual, so there was nothing to report. [Has confirmed. If there is anything unusual, please contact me right away.] [That¡¯s right.] The conversation ended with Balzac¡¯s answer. He grunted as he looked at the scenery unfolding under his wings. ¡°Damn it, how long do I have to go?¡± The sea of trees went on and on and there was no end in sight. The water surface, made up of branches and leaves, rippled whenever the wind blew. It was Paradise Forest, known as the smallest forest on the continent. The smell of damp vegetation tickled his nostrils. Balzac was apanied by about thirty gloomy birds, such as bats and ravens. All were vampires like him. They were in the process of performing their mission as the lead chasing team chasing Abel, who was capable of fast flight and could hide his presence. The subordinate who was flying right next to him opened his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you d you got the right direction? It¡¯s great to extend the range to such a long distance.¡± ¡°joy. It¡¯s weird not being able to.¡± Balzac snorted. He lowered his gaze and looked at the blood needle hanging in his neck. Abel¡¯s bloodstained needle was still pointed westward. They were fortunate enough to bring the target within range of the bloodline after hours of pursuit. Balzac¡¯s excellent blood handling skills increased the blood needle¡¯s detection range by several times. They were flying for another hour or so. ¡°Everyone stop.¡± Suddenly Balzac stopped. The bewildered subordinates pped their wings and applied the brakes. The subordinate I spoke to earlier tilted his head. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°The needle started to circle. I missed it.¡± ¡°yes?¡± The subordinate who asked the question widened his eyes. A spinning needle meant that the pursued target was dead or out of range. There was no way he would die suddenly, so in this case it was right to see it as thetter. ¡°It can be. It is impossible without even moving in space.¡± ¡°It looks strange to me. wait and see.¡± Balzac frowned. No matter how you look at it, the situation was unnatural. The range he had amplified was not lost as long as the target did not leave the continent. It was clear that there was some trick. He slowly began to look around. Andscape with no difference was unfolding. The sea of water was still green, and the green horizon was still in sight. ¡°hmm?¡± Suddenly, Balzac¡¯s gaze turned downward. Ake, neitherrge nor small, caught my eye. I didn¡¯t even notice it because it was right underneath. The reflection of the sky was clearly reflected on the calm surface of the water. His eyes, which had been staring at theke suddenly, narrowed slightly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Something was strange. In contrast to the spotlessly clear sky overhead, grayish-white clouds drifted in the sky reflected on the water. I didn¡¯t see it wrong. Thepass was still spinning. The vampire who inherited great blood soon drew a conclusion. he ordered his men. ¡°Everyone enters theke.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°Just in case, pay attention right before you touch the water. I will go first.¡± ¡°Please wait!¡± Balzac concluded his words firmly. He suddenly folded his wings and began to dive. The hurried subordinates closed their eyes and followed him. with a plop! It was the moment when Balzac¡¯s body waspletely submerged in theke. Suddenly, the world flipped upside down and his head broke through the surface of the water. Chow ah! Balzac took flight, scattering spray. Above her head was the sameke as the one she saw when the twilight sky came in below her feet. There was no smell of grass in the dry air. Before long, the vampires who had followed him tore up the surface of the water. Their eyes widened wide as they witnessed apletely unexpected scene. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Paradise Forest had turned into a deste field. The strong and dense forest disappearedpletely, leaving only a few trees that had turned white from leaves to trunks. Nearly everything in sight, from the short grass to the strewn branches of the muddy sand, was tinted with a ghostly, pale white. Go oh oh¡­ the sound of the wind reminiscent of a homing and the mist flowing on the ground added to the gloomy atmosphere. someone shouted ¡°Look over there!¡± Balzac looked back in the direction his subordinate was pointing. His eyes widened wide. A huge castle rose in the distance in the field. The outer wall of the fortress with dozens of spires like thorns was white, not much different from the surroundingndscape. It was recognizable even without additional exnation. What the Allies had been looking for throughout the war was right in front of them. ¡°¡­the head office.¡± muttered Balzac. The blood gauge needle, which had stopped spinning before I knew it, was pointing to the castle. It seemed highly likely that the leader and Illil were there. His expression darkened. It was good to find it, but it seemed that it was not easy to attack. The Pale Castle looked stronger than any structure Balzac had ever seen. the subordinate asked. ¡°Do you enter?¡± ¡°¡­no. We hide our presence and proceed with the search.¡± Balzac shook his head. He remembered Adeshan¡¯s words not to fight pointlessly during the chase. After all, the first goal was to secure the location of the hostages. [Track. I found the headquarters of Neb zier.] Balzac immediately sent a telegram to Adeshan, but no answer came back. It seemed thatmunication with the outside world was cut off after crossing theke. Should I tell you directly? It was the car he was trying to appoint a subordinate to act as herald. A man¡¯s voice echoed from beneath his feet. ¡°You¡¯vee all the way here.¡± ¡°hmm¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t feel any presence at all. Balzac hurriedly lowered his gaze. A middle-aged man was looking up at himself with his hands behind his back. ¡°It was nice to take a walk in the garden after a long time. So, do you like the scenery?¡± ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± Balzac¡¯s eyes widened. He was a familiar, yet unusual man. Her hair was pale white like the light of the stars, and her eyes were tinged with scarlet, reminiscent of a sunset. The face that gave a sharp impression resembled Ronan¡¯s like a parrot. Balzac hurriedly checked the blood needle. The needle, which was pointing at the Pale Fortress, changed its position slightly and was aiming at the middle-aged man. The meaning was clear. Balzac, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°Chief.¡± ¡°Oh, you know that?¡± Abel shrugged his eyebrows. A drop of cold sweat ran down Balzac¡¯s temple. I could instinctively feel that I would never win. [Everyone retreat.] Balzac sent a telegram to his men. A look of bewilderment appeared on their faces. I had to stay calm. Balzac took a deep breath and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Where are the hostages?¡± ¡°hostage? Ah, if you¡¯re talking about that child, he¡¯s resting in that castle.¡± Abel raised his thumb back and pointed at the citadel. Balzac clenched his fists. Indeed, it was as expected. It would have been a perfect finish if he could return safely. The men couldn¡¯t bear to leave Balzac behind. those idiots Balzac was about to give the order to retreat again. match! Abel, who had been silent all along, pped his hands. ¡°Okay, now that your curiosity has been answered, it¡¯s time to die. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been a guest, so it¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°what?¡± Balzac¡¯s eyes widened. At the same time, Abel snapped his fingers. Chow ah! A huge hemispherical force field covered them. ¡°What is this!¡± ¡°It is the protection of the stars!¡± The vampires burst into embarrassment. The transformation into a flying beast was released one by one and began to return to its original form. A few people btedly tried to enter theke, but the stationmaster was already filling up the surface. ¡°The escape route is blocked!¡± ¡°Even the original solution won¡¯t damage it¡­!¡± It was the blessing of the stars he had seen before. The subordinates applied or drank Ronan¡¯s blood to their weapons and then attacked, but the field was not scratched. The level itself seemed to be different, perhaps because it was from a religious leader. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Balzac twisted his lips. Things were not very good. As he sorted out what he could do in his head, he growled lowly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. fight.¡± Balzac, who had canceled his transformation, cast a shadow over his body. A huge beast made of shadows appeared. It was a skill that was burdensome, but now it was not enough even if I put all my effort. The agitated vampires¡¯ eyes suddenly calmed down. ¡°Looking back, I was so frightened. I haven¡¯t even tried it yet.¡± ¡°If we decide quickly, we might be able to catch it¡­¡± They quickly regained theirposure. Due to the situation, they had forgotten about it for a while, but like Balzac, they were nobles of the night who had lived hundreds of years. The light in his eyes that had faded shed again, and his sharp fangs began to spray life. The vampires, ready for battle, were about to attack. ¡°You don¡¯t have to try. Mosquito friends.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s already over.¡± said Abel. Suddenly, Balzac noticed that a sword was in his hand. ¡®When was it picked?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even see anything kicking. p. The lead Abel turned his back without a word. The vampires, unaware of the situation, rushed in unison. ¡°Kyaaaaaagh!¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Balzac was about to shout something. Hundreds of red lines were irregrly drawn over him and other vampires. ¡°ah?¡± Balzac¡¯s eyes widened. An eerie sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu crept up. The feeling of being sliced by an invisible sword had never been felt before in a battle with Ronan. ¡°okay. This is normal.¡± Abel murmured. After touching the wound on his cheek once, he started walking towards the castle again. The vampires stopped in mid-air due to the bted pain. The lines drawn over her body were getting clearer and clearer. Suddenly, the faces of some people shed in my mind. Jarodin and Ronan, who couldn¡¯t decide between the sexes in the end, are the irreceable brothers and the subject of respect, the Grand Duke of Shadow. And¡­ ¡°Ophelia.¡± Balzac muttered softly. Poo-! At the same time, the ce where the sword had passed widened, and the body of him and the vampires copsed as if they were exploding. No matter how great the regenerative power was, there was no way to do anything if the body disintegrated into hundreds of pieces. The 30-man chasing party turned into hot blood and drenched the deste garden. ¡°To be pushed behind by those things¡­ I guess I need to pay attention.¡± Abel clicked his tongue. I didn¡¯t care because it was all over anyway, but I thought I needed to reinforce my strength at least for my pride. The sound of footsteps grew farther and farther away, and then silence fell. The veil made up of the blessings of the stars disappeared after about an hour. how much more time has passed A small bat lifted its head from the spot where the flesh was scattered. ¡®I must tell¡­¡¯ It was a bat with a scar on one side of its eye like a vampire. A blood needle hung from her slender neck. Pong! The bat, staggering and crawling, threw itself into theke. **** ¡°Uh fuck it¡¯s still filthy cold.¡± ¡°Pumpah¡­¡± Ronan murmured. Sheeta nodded as if agreeing. A starry night sky stretched overhead. The bitter cold, like when Adeshan and I came together in the past, was seeping into his bones. A pr light reminiscent of a pleated skirt shimmered in the far-off sky. My stomach felt nauseous, perhaps because of the aftereffects of moving through space. Looking around, I saw the entrance leading to Elcia¡¯sb had risen in the middle of the ice. ¡°Elcia. I¡¯m here.¡± Bang bang. Ronan approached the entrance and knocked on the door. No matter how many times the entrance was built with ancient technology, it didn¡¯t seem like a building from the same world. Ronan, who was waiting with his arms crossed, tilted his head. ¡°Elcia?¡± No response came back. It was a big deal when I didn¡¯t have time. Did you even go out? ¡®It¡¯s impossible to cut through the door.¡¯ If it did, it would lose its role as a ce of residence. Ronan¡¯s eyes, scratching his head, suddenly turned to the mechanism next to the gate. The numbers from 0 to 9 were shining neatly on the iron te that was as polished as ss. ¡°Obviously¡­ did you do this?¡± Ronan remembered how Elcia used to open the door by pressing the numbers. He managed to retrieve his memory and entered the numbers one by one. What I saw once, I couldn¡¯t forget it, so I thought it would be something. It was the moment my frozen fingers entered the 24th number. Chunk! The door opened with the sound of a mechanism engaging. A staircase that looked like a monster¡¯s throat appeared in front of me. ¡°¡­are you going in?¡± said Ronan. Again, no answer came back, so he slowly moved down the stairs. Somehow, it didn¡¯t feel right. Chapter 276 276. Leel(2) #276 ¡°I want to go in?¡± said Ronan. Somehow it didn¡¯t feel very good. After not hearing Elsia¡¯s answer, he moved down the stairs. The moment I stepped on the first square, the door started to close by itself. Shocked by the sound of the wind blowing, Sheeta pulled her hair back. ¡°Have you got it?!¡± ¡°You are well guarded. If it¡¯s too cold, you can go down south and wait.¡± Ronan nced back and waved his hand. It was too big for the size of the doorway, so we couldn¡¯t fit in together. ¡°Ppamba!¡± ¡°okay. Don¡¯t go.¡± Sheeta smiled broadly, as if asking what she was so worried about. Unlike the first time when he shivered in the cold, he seemed to have adapted to it. Ronan, who felt relieved, took a step. I felt it the other day, but the stairs were really deep. To the extent that I wondered if I would go to the ce where theva flows. On the ceiling of the hallway, which stretched from where the stairs ended, strangely-shapednterns were lined up and shining. ¡®It¡¯s a very strange ce to see again.¡¯ It was said that the light source, which looked like a fragment of the sun was brought and attached, was made of a material that seemed to be a light emitting diode or something. Did you say that it was a ruin made at the time when mankind was the most brilliant civilization? I really thought it was worth it. However, there was no time for sentimentality, so Ronan diligently moved on. Thest time I came, I was able to avoid getting lost thanks to a rough understanding of the structure. Finally reaching the savior¡¯s room, he spat out a curse. ¡°¡­Fuck. I don¡¯t know the password here.¡± The iron door to the room where the savior was fighting was firmly closed. A slightly moreplex iron te than the one seen at the entrance of the ruins was attached to the side of the door. ¡®Fucked.¡¯ I would have remembered it if I had seen it once. However, because it was covered by Elcia¡¯s shoulder, I couldn¡¯t see a few numbers. Judging from the fact that there was quite a lot of beeping, it seemed like there was enough room for 30 seats. ¡°Where the hell did this woman disappear to?¡± It was a disaster. Ronan put his hand on the hilt. The thought of just cutting down the door crept up. The year¡¯s probation, which was nearing its end, was making him impatient. Even aftering this far, Elcia¡¯s presence was still undetectable, and Abel¡¯s blood was in his inner pocket. Thest time Ronan came, he had seen Elthea attempting to cure the savior with her own blood. It was an overly groundless confidence, but I felt like I could do something the same. The method would be simr, but wouldn¡¯t it work somehow? It was the car he had been contemting as he tapped the hilt. -Quaaaaaang-!! ¡°Nimi is a surprise.¡± Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded from the ceiling. The hallway shook slightly, and the dust attached to the ceiling fell off. ¡°what?¡± Ronan frowned. It was a pretty big explosion. The scale of the shock could only be guessed from the fact that it had reached this far. The deep location was also a location, but wasn¡¯t it a structure that was installed to protect seeds or something from external threats in the first ce? ¡®It¡¯s not a volcano.¡¯ It was unusual. It didn¡¯t seem like a natural explosion. Ronan¡¯s mana-enhanced thighs swelled to burst. bang! After estimating the location of the bomb, he ran out into the hallway. bang! bang! Every time he hit the ground, the scenery around him changed rapidly. The hallway was long and wide, but it didn¡¯t take long to reach the destination thanks to the leg strength strengthened with mana. ¡®Here.¡¯ Ronan stopped. I could feel mana pulsating across the ceiling. Mana, the same as the wavelength felt in the explosion, contained the unique sparkle of Neb sh. It wasn¡¯t Elcia¡¯s. There was also a faint noise, as if many people were entangled in a fight. ¡°What kind of bullshit are you doing again?¡± Ronan growled. I don¡¯t know the details, but it seemed that the miscreants were doing a bad job. Would Barca want toe to the end of the continent and do this? Fortunately, it was close to the ground, so I thought I could do anything. Ronan tugged at the hilt. The sword body of La Mancha, already dyed in crimson, appeared. A little while ago, I was worried that it would lose its function as a hiding ce, but thinking about it again, it was enough to fix it. **** ¡°Surrender traitor!¡± Archbishop Pasgarde eximed. Mana swirled wildly and gathered into his grasp. He was engaged in arge-scale battle in the middle of the frozen sea. Traces of his magic were scattered all over the snowfield. The deep and wide pit was like a ce where a star fell. The followers who came together to the sea of ghosts were chanting defense spells beside Pasgarde. ¡°Go away, brutes!¡± ¡°Ke-huong!¡± It was to rece the Archbishop, who only focused on attack. Hundreds of translucent beasts surrounded the barrier and attacked. Every time the lower-ranking spirits swung their ws, the top of the shield was cracking a little. ¡°Trust the archbishop and endure!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t back down!¡± However, there was no sign of concern on the faces of the believers. It was because he believed in the archbishop¡¯s ability. Pasgarde touched the ground with her left hand as if to repay the trust. Wow! An explosion urred around the shield, and the spirits disappeared at once. he shouted again. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to surrender right away, I¡¯ll give you another shot. Lower your head even now!¡± An angry cry echoed over the snowfield. Elcia didn¡¯t answer. She stood right next to the magically created pit, her gray-white hair flowing. ¡°¡­It¡¯s difficult.¡± Elcia muttered. Things were getting worse and worse. But she couldn¡¯t back down, so she chanted a low-pitched incantation. A red magic circle was drawn behind Elsia, and a rednd turtle slowly walked out. It was impressive to see a huge body with a body height of up to 3m. She said. ¡°please. Bayardo.¡± ¡°Huaaam¡­¡± It was Bayardo, a high-ranking fire spirit. Bayardo, who was staring at Elcia while blocking her way, opened her mouth. Aaaaaaang!! The mes that swirled deep in the huge throat poured down towards the passagarde. ¡°Do something useless!¡± Pasgarde eximed. Having amplified the mana in his body, he stretched out his hand toward Elcia. The space around her seemed to narrow to a single point, and then a great explosion urred. Kwaaaaaang-!! A merciless roar shook the frozen sea. The north wind blew away the smoke, and Elcia¡¯s figure was revealed. Bayardo, who suffered damage beyond the limit, was being reverse summoned and was disappearing. ¡°Cough Coke¡­!¡± ¡°ha ha ha! You look ridiculous. A traitor who turned his back on the church and survived on our own!¡± Pasgarde burst into madness. A station field shimmering in bizarre colors surrounded Elsia. It was the blessing of the stars that he received directly from the savior in the past. ¡®It¡¯s really dangerous.¡¯ She bit her lower lip. I didn¡¯t expect to go all the way to the high-level spirits at once. Even if the opponent was a wizard who had served as the tower owner of the Dawning Mage Tower in the past, it was not something that would be pushed back to this extent. I was in poor physical condition because I had stayed up all night for almost 15 days to devote myself to research. There was not enough mana to call Hiran, and the halfway weakened spirits couldn¡¯t use their power properly. The surprise attack at the beginning of the war was also fatal. Caught in the first explosion, her clothes were fluttering in rags. surrender. surrender Elcia, who was repeating that word, looked back at Pasgarde for the first time. she opened her mouth ¡°I will refuse.¡± ¡°under!¡± Seeing Elcia chanting the spell again, Pasgarde snorted. Still, since he was an old boss, I tried to treat him preferentially, but the negotiations seemed to have gone awry. ¡°Come on, then I¡¯ll blow it up without a trace!¡± Rather, it was a good thing. Such a filthy traitor should have turned to dust and disappeared. It was the car he was about to chant the special explosive magic spell once again. Chew! Suddenly, a red light shed at my feet. ¡°Ugh what?¡± It seemed that something had passed quickly before my eyes. It was the moment when he opened his eyes that he had closed without even realizing it. The severed left arm caught my eye. ¡°¡­uh?¡± Pasgarde¡¯s eyes widened. It was difficult to figure out what had happened. The mana that was gathering around the left hand was dispersing powerlessly. ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¡°Archbishop!¡± The believers burst into bewilderment. Blood spurted from the cut surface soaked the snowy field. Did Elcia do it? You obviously used defensive magic? A burning pain wasing. Realizing the reality, he was about to scream. Poo-! Once again, a red light shed at my feet, and something sharp passed through my neck. Pasgarde¡¯s body and head were separated. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± There was no will. Only then did some followers notice that something had risen from the ground and raised their heads. Two red crescent moons were flying through the distant sky. ¡°That one?!¡± Before long, they were able to notice that the true identity of the crescent moon was the sword. The panic-stricken followers were contemting whether they should pay more attention to the Archbishop¡¯s severed head or an unknown enemy attack. bang! bang!! Seven sword des, identical to the previous one, surged up through the ground. ¡°Quaaaaaagh¡­!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± A total of nine red crescent moons shot toward the night sky. Dismembered bodies danced in the air. A huge sword de with a width of 5m cut down everything in its path. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Elcia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She hadn¡¯t done anything yet. Even if I chanted the order, the timing would have been toote. Rumble¡­! The ice floor was copsing. A shadow rose above the copsing ground. Seeing the devastation at his feet, the young man narrowed his brows. ¡°eww. dirty.¡± It was like an overturned saucepan. It is true that I shot the sword in anticipation of what was on top, but the amount wasrger than I thought and it was cut more finely. Seeing the young man¡¯s face, Elcia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Ronan-sama?¡± ¡°What is it, Elcia?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. There was a woman who had been looking for so long and could not be found. fault! Hended in front of Elcia, ignoring the screaming followers. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­I just want to ask.¡± Elcia was still staring at him dumbfounded. He seemed to be confused as to whether this was a dream or reality. Ronan reached out and brushed Elcia¡¯s messy hair. ¡°Ppa-aaa-!!¡± Suddenly, a familiar cry echoed overhead. Ronan raised his head andughed. Sheeta was flying, pping her four wings. ¡°Coming soon.¡± Ronan smiled. The miscreants should have been left to Sheeta. Come to think of it, no one seems to be particrly strong, but I wondered who caused the explosion. ¡®I don¡¯t think Elcia did it.¡¯ In many ways, there were many questions. But what Ronan had to do now was decided. After wiping the blood from his face, he said to Elcia. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯ll deal with it quickly. I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry.¡± ¡°¡­I guess I need an exnation of what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°There is no need to speak at length. Come on, take it.¡± Ronan, who was rummaging through his inner pocket, pulled out something. The small bottle was smeared with protection magic. Inside the transparent ss, a liquid with a slightly purple tint was sshing around. ¡°no way.¡± For an instant, Elcia¡¯s face hardened. It didn¡¯t take long to notice the identity of the liquid. His breathing, which had not been disturbed even in the battle with Pasgarde, was quickening. Her mouth fell open. ¡°¡­¡­Really saved. you.¡± Chapter 277 277. Leel(3) #277 ¡°Oh my gosh. Did you do it again?¡± Abel opened the door and clicked his tongue. I wondered if the smell of blood from the corridor stung my nose, but it was as expected. The room prepared for Iril had turned into a nightmare-like hell. ¡°It¡¯s not even shy.¡± All of the escorts and attendants had been torn to pieces, decorating the room with blood and entrails. I tried to get the best furniture and clothes, but all of them were stained with blood and were ruined. Iril was sound asleep on his knees in the middle of the room. Her hair and skin were so pale that the stained blood was more visible. A sack of fruit peelers was clutched in her slender hand. There was only one survivor besides her. It was Bishop Olivia, who was ordered to take care of Iril along with Letansie. She shut herself in the corner of the room, sobbing at her severed wrists. said Abel. ¡°You tried. Olivia.¡± ¡°Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh, Master¡­!¡± Olivia staggered to her feet. The wound was not just a severed wrist. The cuts all over her body were deep enough to reach her bones. Unconscious, Iril killed everyone in the room in seconds and crippled himself. A voice mixed with resentment escaped from between her parted lips. ¡°That is a monster. It¡¯s out of control¡­ where the hell are you going to use it¡­?¡± ¡°Looking at someone else¡¯s nephew and calling it a monster. Too much.¡± ¡°It must be killed. Boo will surely be an enemy of the Church if left alone. yes?¡± Abel didn¡¯t answer. Obviously, he said he would make Irill a saint of the church, but Olivia, who had be an asshole, couldn¡¯t afford to think about that. said Abel. ¡°So if you don¡¯t lose consciousness, you¡¯re just an ordinary girl. Honestly, in this case, it¡¯s probably your mistake. I lost consciousness while trying to force myself to do something, and this must have happened. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nothing in particr¡­¡± ¡°Then what are the handprints on my nephew¡¯s neck? huh?¡± Abel murmured coldly. Olivia¡¯s face hardened. As he said, there were clear handprints on Iril¡¯s neck that seemed to be strangled. ¡°Please forgive me. The wind struggling so much¡­¡± Olivia, who btedly admitted her mistake, was trying to make an excuse. A red line ran across her neck as her head fell. Pooh! Blood gushed from the cut and soaked Abel¡¯s face. ¡°Huh¡­just a little more, but why is everyone not listening?¡± Abel sighed. Wiping off the blood from the knife, he led the way. Apart from the story of the final chapter, which progressed steadily, the work seemed to be strenuous. ¡°Keek kek!¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± Just then, a violent coughing sound came from behind. Abel turned his head. Iril, who had just woken up, was clutching his neck and coughing. ¡°Cough Coke¡­ This is it!¡± ¡°It is your work. After all, blood can¡¯t be faked.¡± Iril, who was looking around, drew in a sigh. She did not realize that it was she who had perpetrated this massacre. Instead of scolding her, Abel smiled kindly. ¡°I¡¯ll call the doctor right away. You can¡¯t get cold, so wash first and change into new clothes. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll have a new room ready for you soon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I want to talk to you guys about¡­please send them back.¡± Erill said in a trembling voice. Now it was slowly reaching its limit. I didn¡¯t need anything, so I just wanted to be with my brother. Tears dripping down her cheeks, she murmured involuntarily. ¡°Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Of course I will send you back. When work is done, that is. Don¡¯t be so mean, listen to me, lil. After all, the world will soone to an end.¡± Suddenly, Abel started stroking Iril¡¯s hair. It was a careful movement, as if touching a precious treasure. ¡°Originally, everyone would die in fear and despair, but with you it is different. You are the only one who can give them a peaceful death. Do you have any intention of taking care of the world with your kindness, which only epassed your sister and the people around you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Illil shook her head slowly. I always couldn¡¯t understand a word this man said. Either way, Abel continued. ¡°If you are, it is possible. if it¡¯s your strength Now, the object that willplete you as a saint has beenpleted.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Erill tilted his head. right! Suddenly, Abel snapped his fingers and the closed door opened. Archbishop Le Thancier walked in step by step. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. In Le Tancier¡¯s hand was a luxurious cushion. Above it, a small tiara scattered a brilliant light. The jewels in which the eggs were embedded were sparkling cool white like the starlight in the night sky. It was beautiful, but it didn¡¯t feel very good. **** ¡°Then the location of the savior was not discovered. You were just unlucky.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. fortunately out of misfortune Apparently, since a talented person who could have been a bishop has died, it seems that the church hase out with an investigation.¡± Elcia nodded. The two of them were talking about what had been pushed while waiting for a while. The current subject was the reason Archbishop Pasgarde had suddenly made his way to the Sea of Ghosts. ¡®You¡¯re messing around until the end. It¡¯s like a fucking cat.¡¯ Ronan clicked his tongue in disgust. The pursuit team led by the archbishop was dispatched to investigate Barca¡¯s sudden death. If Elthea hadn¡¯t been quick to intercept or had been defeated, the savior would have been in. ¡°¡­It seems to being to an end soon.¡± Elsia, who was looking at the snowy field, murmured. The mess caused by the Archbishop¡¯s attack was quicklying to an end. The followers of Neb zie who were still alive were being wiped out one by one by Elsia. A gruesome scream rang out sporadically. ¡°Ahhh! help me!¡± ¡°Eh Elthea-sama, please have mercy¡­Keoouk!¡± There were so many spirits that Ronan didn¡¯t even need to step out. The spirits incarnated as bodies of ice mercilessly tore apart believers who begged for their lives or fled. ¡®This woman is not normal either.¡¯ There was no change in Elcia¡¯s face as she watched such a tragedy. Contrary to his harmful-looking appearance, he had no mercy in his hands, which was truly like a former high-ranking official of Neb zie. Sheeta was circling the air, absorbing the blood that was scattered everywhere. ¡°Pal ha ha!¡± Sheeta, who was full and in a good mood, burst intoughter. Seeing that the drops of blood were constantly being made, it seemed like it would take quite some time. Elcia, who was looking at Sheeta, opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a dream. You take a precious child with you as apanion.¡± ¡°Yeah what. I happened to see it.¡± Ronan nodded. Come to think of it, it has been a very long time since I heard the word dream bird. ¡°Your appearance and abilities are very unusual, but what about your parents?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I gave birth to a little furry named Marfez, but he wasn¡¯t such a monster.¡± Ronan shrugged. It¡¯s already been three years since I met Sheeta, but the secret of his birth was still shrouded in a veil. A supreme fantasy species that is born under the influence of its surroundings. Until recently, Baren had been conducting research rted to the dream bird, but he was unable to uncover the secret. ¡®I¡¯m curious.¡¯ Ronan licked his lips. It was a topic worth digging into next time the opportunity arises. At that time, an ice golem that was doing restoration work waved at the two of them. ¡°Gooooooo!¡± ¡°ah. Looks like it¡¯s done.¡± The floor crushed by the sword was restored without a single scar. It was possible because she was an elemental sage who could handle elemental spirits freely. Elcia pointed to the temporary doorway and said. ¡°Come on in. I don¡¯t have much time.¡± Elcia moved with frequent steps. Ronan followed her without a word. The small passage left on purpose was closed the moment Elcia and Ronan entered the ruins. Elcia, who was going down the steep stairs, opened her mouth. ¡°By the way, how did you get into the ruins? Did you break down that doorway too?¡± ¡°Please. I just entered the password.¡± ¡°¡­24 digits?¡± ¡°yes. I¡¯m not bragging, but I peeked at you pressing it the other day.¡± Ronan scratched his head as if he had no face. Elcia was dumbfounded. Isn¡¯t the important thing now that you saw the code? ¡°¡­okay. Anyway, I¡¯m d you came before it¡¯s toote. Recently, my savior¡¯s condition has been getting worse.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°At this rate, it was difficult to endure for a month. How fortunate that you came¡­¡± Elcia¡¯s voice was mixed with sadness and relief. She exined that the Savior¡¯s condition had worsened over the past month. Originally, the reason why he was pushed back by his opponent, Pasgarde, was because he worked tirelessly day and night for the salvation of the savior. Ronan asked. ¡°Why did that happen all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Perhaps Abel has be stronger. No matter how much it is, it¡¯s enough to affect the wounds I received a thousand years ago¡­ It¡¯s dangerous at this rate.¡± ¡°Can I find a savior?¡± ¡°If this is really Abel¡¯s blood.¡± Elcia nodded. Even in the midst ofplex emotional changes, her eyes were full of confidence. The two soon arrived at the savior¡¯s room. Pushyiik¡­ With the sound of wind blowing, the iron door opened to the left and right. ¡°¡­shit.¡± Seeing the savior, Ronan swears. He was still encased in a ss coffin. As Elcia said, the wound on her chest had noticeably deteriorated. The stain, which was expanding from the stab wound, now covered the entire upper body. I honestly thought he was dead. Fortunately, foaming out of his nose and mouth indicated that he was breathing. Elcia, wearing a white coat, started operating various mechanical devices. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to want to waste a second of her time. It was unclear whether it was because of the savior or if he was taking Ronan¡¯s situation that his sister was captured into ount. Seeing the determined expression on his face, Ronan nodded. ¡°believe.¡± Taking a deep breath, Elcia immediately started treatment. As Ronan expected, the process was not very different from thest time. Abel¡¯s blood and the drug she developed were flowing into the savior¡¯s body. ¡°Please¡­¡± Elcia bit her lip. Ronan looked at the savior once again and clenched his fists. If you¡¯ve slept that long, get up soon, mister. That your daughter was taken. It was the moment when thest drop flowed into the savior¡¯s body. His eyelids, which had been closed all along, opened and his sunset-colored eyes appeared. Elcia hesitated and stepped back. ¡°Old savior¡­can you hear my voice?¡± Her slender shoulders were shaking unsteadily. Elcia asked in a trembling voice. Her eyes were wet, as if they would spill water at any moment. The answer has not yete back. Ronan suppressed his emotions by clenching his teeth. Up to this point, it was the same asst time. It was the car Elcia was about to say something again. The savior¡¯s lips, which seemed to be closed forever, slowly opened. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± ¡°iced coffee¡­!¡± Elcia¡¯s eyes widened. Tears that had been stagnant spilled out. Ronan hurriedly ran over and caught her as her legs gave out and she was about to fall. ¡°Damn, are you okay?¡± ¡°I am¡­ I am¡­!¡± Elcia started to sob. I didn¡¯t know that he was a person who could make such a colorful expression. Ronan¡¯s gaze stayed on the savior even as he supported her. The savior who suddenly met eyes with Ronan continued. ¡°It¡¯s been a while¡­my son.¡± The moment he heard those words, Ronan¡¯s body stiffened. My brain turned white as if lightning had struck it. What should I say at a time like this? Thoughtful, Ronan bowed his head. ¡°¡­Hello.¡± Chapter 278 277. Savior (4) #278 ¡°¡­Hello.¡± Ronan bowed his head. The savior smiled softly. I think I¡¯ve done well so far, but the problem is, I can¡¯t think of anything else to say. ¡®It¡¯s filthy awkward.¡¯ She gave Elcia a sneak peek, but she didn¡¯t have time to look at Ronan¡¯s face as she sobbed eagerly in joy at the resurrection of the savior. ¡°Heh¡­Huh¡­Finally¡­¡± ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Ronan twitched his lips. After greeting, the savior did not say anything and just looked at himself. Damn, do you have anything you want to say to your son whom you haven¡¯t seen in a long time? Ronan, who was scratching his head, got lucky. ¡°Uh¡­how are you feeling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much better. Much better.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes. It seemed to have improved from before, but there was no change in the fact that being alive was a mysterious fatal wound. Through a hole the size of the child¡¯s head, he could still see the scenery behind him. ¡°Hmm, it would be correct to say that we have passed the critical hurdle. It has healed to the point where self-healing is possible, so now all it takes is time.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m d.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you really came to get Abel¡¯s blood¡­ I can¡¯t help but respect your courage and strength.¡± said the savior. As he said, the wound was slowly healing. I was relieved to think that I hadn¡¯t been in vain. However, there was one part that stung my conscience. Ronan replied coolly. ¡°Then I just picked up what had fallen. I don¡¯t know who hurt the monster.¡± ¡°is it. If it wasn¡¯t you, that kid who would definitely be here would have done it.¡± ¡°what? Are you my sister?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. I couldn¡¯t figure out what this meant. As for my older sister, she was the one who asked me out because she was afraid to twist the chicken¡¯s neck. Even though he acted confidently by saying he would cook meat for me, I could still see him tearing up when something happened to bleed. That such a person engaged in a sword fight with the Neb zie cult leader and even wounded him? Rather, it was easier to imagine Asher pulling Marja with her telekic powers and hitting Keith. The savior continued. ¡°Your sister¡­ so Iril has a much stronger blood than you. Of course, you are superior in terms of individual strength, but that child is also at the level of defending himself.¡± It was a calm voice, as if exiningmon sense. Ronan was still trying to imagine the image of Iril stabbing with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°It is true. It¡¯s just that Mujae didn¡¯t have a chance to wake up thanks to the child¡¯s other abilities. I wished I wouldn¡¯t wake up forever¡­¡± ¡°¡­let¡¯s just say that. That¡¯s right, I have something to ask you.¡± Suddenly, Ronan snapped his fingers. Hearing the shocking news all of a sudden dyed getting to the point. There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask and a lot of things that were overdue, but now was the time to focus only on saving Ilil. It was the car he was trying to exin. ¡°There is no need to exin everything. I¡¯ve already seen it all I¡¯m guessing Erill was kidnapped by my foolish brother? You¡¯re here to ask for advice.¡± ¡°What, how did you know that?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. Come to think of it, the conversation just before was a conversation that couldn¡¯t be established if you didn¡¯t know what happened to Irill. The flow was so natural that I didn¡¯t even notice it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My eyes were closed but my ears were open. I remember all the conversations you and Elcia had in here.¡± ¡°her.¡± Ronan chuckled. I didn¡¯t expect to be conscious even in the ss coffin. Of course, the good news was that I didn¡¯t have to borate. The savior salivated. ¡°Hmm¡­ Anyway, if Abel took the kid, things aren¡¯t going too well. The purpose is also the purpose, but since he must have taken them to the general headquarters, he will have to deal with Abel and the archbishops at once¡­¡± ¡° Exactly. What can I do? Even better if you tell me how to stop the winged bald heads.¡± ¡°¡­I have to get out of here. Elcia, take me out.¡± ¡°yes?!¡± Elcia¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden request of the savior. Tears were still clearly visible on his white cheeks. sheshed out quickly. ¡°Haha, but the wound hasn¡¯t fully healed yet. If you overdo it¡­¡± ¡°Come on. There is no time.¡± The savior said firmly. There was a spleen beauty on his pale face. Is it because your only daughter was kidnapped? Elcia, not knowing what to do, eventually nodded. ¡°¡­all right.¡± She walked to a corner of the room and operated aplex-looking mechanism. Pushyiik¡­ The liquid inside the ss tube settled and the doorway opened. ¡°Ah, how long has it been since you put your feet on the ground¡­¡± The savior, who was moving his limbs back and forth, stepped forward. It was the moment he came out of the ss coffin. widely! His bony legs twisted and his body tilted. ¡°this.¡± ¡°Old savior!¡± Elcia screamed. Ronan hurriedly stretched out his hand. Fortunately, I was able to catch it before my body hit the floor. he asked in a worried tone. ¡°Damn, are you okay?¡± ¡°okay. It must have been a long time since I moved, so my muscles were surprised. Thank you.¡± The savior nodded. He staggered to his feet like a newborn deer. Elcia, who hastily ran over, draped a thick robe over his naked body. ¡°Wear this. You shouldn¡¯t even catch a cold.¡± ¡°okay. Thank you.¡± Ronan¡¯s brow narrowed. I doubted whether I should put it back in a ss tube and pickle it right away. Even though I couldn¡¯t help it because I was okay. The savior, facing Ronan, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­then I must answer. It is impossible for you now.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°Abel is strong. much more than you can imagine. You, of course, and even if Navardoze came forward, you wouldn¡¯t be able to win.¡± It was a resolute tone like a veil. If this was going to happen, I couldn¡¯t understand why the fuck he said he woulde out. He said, brushing his bangs roughly. ¡°I know that damn thing. So I didn¡¯te to you to ask how to screw him up.¡± Veins appeared on Ronan¡¯s forehead. I came here to find an answer, but since I said something obvious, I got angry. Elcia, who had been listening to their conversation, approached cautiously. ¡°Lord Ronan. Say a little¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please take a look, Elcia. I was quiet because my sister was in a hurry. To be honest, from my point of view, this person is more like a bastard who abandoned her mother and siblings than a respectable father. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t even go away. I put a lot of curses that normal humans can¡¯t handle and bounced off.¡± Ronan growled. The resentment that had umted over the years was burning brightly. In fact, Ronan would have given the savior a punch to the face or stomach even if he was in slightly better physical condition. With something very sweet. Realizing that this was not the ce to intervene, Elcia kept her mouth shut. The savior next to him smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly wrong. Certainly I was far from a good father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you have a conscience. By the way, I managed to meet my mother even though I had been suffering for a long time. Weren¡¯t you sick then?¡± Ronan asked. It was strange when I thought about it. Is it possible to seduce a mother and have a child by saying that she was sick enough to put her foot in a ss coffin five years ago? The savior shook his head. ¡°It hurt. But sometimes love makes you forget even the pain of death.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°You too will understand someday. One of the truths I realized after wasting a long life is that there is no stronger force in the universe than that.¡± His voice was serious. The savior said that he met his mother by chance while fighting an illness and settled in Nimburton for a while. It was also something to live for a long time to have such a family conversation. ¡°Above all¡­ your mother was so beautiful. Enough to blow away the rest of my life.¡± ¡°That makes some sense.¡± Ronan smiled. Well, anyone who knew Iril¡¯s face would easily be able to figure out why the young man was overreacting. There was an awkward silence for a while. The savior, who was reflecting on his memories, opened his mouth. ¡°Then let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Go. Where?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we defeat Abel and save my daughter?¡± ¡°What, didn¡¯t you say you could never win before?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was different from what I had just heard. The savior shook his head. ¡°To be precise, I said that you couldn¡¯t win as of now. There are ways to increase your odds.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk about that as we go. Please carry me on my back.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°hurry. I have to walk for quite a long time, but I think I won¡¯t be able to get there in my current state.¡± The Savior exined that in order to even have a chance of winning, you had to go to a specific location somewhere in the Sea of Wraiths. It was so shameless that Iughed out loud. It was absurd, but once you believe it, it¡¯s worth it, so Ronan lowered his back and squatted in ce. ¡°What is¡­¡± ¡°Ouch¡­don¡¯t take care of me.¡± The savior was carried by Ronan without hesitation. Somehow, the more we talked, the more people seemed to be different from what we expected. Perhaps because he was confined in a ss coffin for a long time, the savior felt very light. Tapping on the back te, he said admiringly. ¡°Your back is wide.¡± ¡°¡­Heng.¡± Ronanughed. I couldn¡¯t exin how I feel right now. It wasn¡¯t very good, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. The savior, who had settled down, said to Elsia. ¡°Elcia. keep your seat It won¡¯t take that long.¡± ¡°I will follow your will.¡± Elcia bowed her head. She was looking at the two of them with a mixture of emotion and concern. The savior who directed Ronan as if he were handling a horse opened his mouth. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± **** Unexpectedly, the road to the secret location led to the ruins. After leaving the room, Ronan followed the savior¡¯s instructions and moved on. The two climbed down adder to a small room that looked like a food warehouse in the most secluded part of the ruins. ¡°How far did it lead?¡± ¡°Deep¡­ to the very depths. Are you tired?¡± ¡°Not really. I just asked because I was curious how long it would take.¡± Ronan snorted. It wasn¡¯t really difficult or difficult at all. After climbing down thedder for about 30 minutes, this time a long and steep slope came out. ¡°¡­It¡¯s filthy cold.¡± Even his breath seemed to freeze. The deeper I went, the colder it seemed. It was surprising that there was a ce like this in the sea of ghosts. Contrary to what I said earlier, the savior remained silent on the way. It seemed that he was nervous because his expression was not very good. After going down the slope for a long time, Ronan asked a question. ¡°So what is that method? How can I beat Abel now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You can feel the magic of Vajra and the heat of the primordial embers in your heart. It¡¯s really refreshing to do Haeju in this way.¡± ¡°yes? What is that all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Ronan. I know you¡¯ve tried everything to get rid of the curse. Even so, half of the curse still remains in your body.¡± Ronan sighed. I didn¡¯t expect that the curse story woulde out here. The savior left him embarrassed and continued. ¡°I am going to get rid of that.¡± Chapter 279 279. Savior(5) #279 [Adeshan. Dangerous.] ¡°Heo-eok!¡± Adeshan opened her eyes. She hurriedly raised her head and looked around. The view of the barracks surrounded by his desk and tactical map tent came into his eyes. ¡°¡­here is?¡± It was only then that Adeshan realized that he had fallen asleep on his desk. His limbs werenguid, as if they had been burned by water. I tried to close my eyes for a while, but it seemed that I was sleeping deeper than I thought. A faint light shone through the cracks in the tent. Judging by the chirping of birds, it seemed that the day was bright. It had been a day since Erill had been kidnapped. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± she drool after washing her face dry. Following yesterday, it was the same today. The voice of an unknown woman echoed in my head. ¡®What do you want to say?¡¯ After I went to the North with Ronan, it seemed like I was talking to him once a day. The woman said the same thing every time. There were warnings saying it was dangerous or advice that we needed to be a little more calm. In the beginning, it was difficult to even hear the voice properly, but somehow the symptoms were getting worse. The arm he had been using as a pillow was wet with cold sweat. It was the moment when she just woke up. The entrance to the tent opened and a familiar boy walked in. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Her red hair, like a tulip, caught my eye even in a hazy mood. She said. ¡°Assel? Why are you here¡­¡± ¡°I came to hear the news that Iril-nuna was kidnapped. I was wondering if there was anything I could help with¡­ I heard the situation, so you don¡¯t have to exin.¡± Asher said he had just returned from the southern front. Recently, I was able to vacate my seat thanks topletely breaking Neb zie¡¯s momentum. The wizards, including him and Lorhorn, did not stay in one ce and toured the battlefield to support their forces. ¡°Did you have a bad dream? Theplexion¡­¡± Asher suddenly asked with a worried expression. Adeshan¡¯s condition was worse than expected. Her darkened eye shadows and frizzy hair testified to her hard work. Adeshan shook his head. ¡°are you okay. Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Ill-noona will be fine.¡± Asher stuttered. Adeshan asked in a strangely confident tone. ¡°Did you see something again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­I just had a feeling it might be like that. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s still alive. yes.¡± ¡°Haha¡­if you feel that way, I¡¯m a little relieved.¡± Adeshanughed helplessly. And he let out a small sigh of relief. Sometimes Asher¡¯s arguments based on intuition would be correct with high probability. It was an ability that he had developed aftering to see the world of giants in the city of dragons. Suddenly, I remembered the first time I went to see Iril with Ronan. I still can¡¯t forget the friendly smile on his face and the way he stroked his brother like a child. It seemed really friendly. Twisting her lips, she muttered softly. ¡°¡­Please, I hope so.¡± I couldn¡¯t even fathom the mental pain Ronan was going through. The absence of more than a day was also amplifying concerns. Of course, I believed in Ronan, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry enough to die. ¡®I can¡¯t be like this.¡¯ But it was impossible to remain helpless forever. As always, I had to do what I could. An hour of sleep is enough. After adjusting her clothes, Adeshan stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go out at once. Until Ronanes back, we can do our best¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± It was the car she was about to say. Suddenly, a cracking voice came from behind. Startled, Asher jumped up from his ce like a cat. ¡°Hehehehe!¡± ¡°Bar Balzac?!¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as he followed suit and turned his head. Balzac, the younger brother of the Grand Duke of Shadow, was staggering and gasping for breath. Blood dripping from all over his body didn¡¯t look very good. Long, red lines that looked like stab wounds were drawn all over her body, including her face and limbs. ¡°What the hell happened? All potions right now¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ take it.¡± Adeshan took out emergency medicine and tried to bring it up, but Balzac shook his head to dissuade him. He stretched out his arm and held out something. The bloody needle was ced on Adeshan¡¯s palm. ¡°This¡­!¡± ¡°In the middle of Paradise Forest¡­there is an entrance to their headquarters. It¡¯s an unnamedke¡­you¡¯ll know it right away when you see it.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. Balzac described exactly what he had seen on his reconnaissance. Encounter with Neb zie¡¯s Headquarters and the cult leader. Andpatriots ughtered in an instant. ¡°All¡­ returned to the shadows. No one survived¡­¡± Balzac dragged his horse. I would have liked to talk in a bit more detail, but he didn¡¯t have much time left. dump. Balzac, staggering, finally sat down in his seat. He survived with the essence of fresh blood remaining in his body and managed to fly, but it seemed that this was the end. ¡°Calm down! Balzac!¡± Adeshan supported him. Balzac¡¯s head,pletely exhausted, swayed as she rocked it. He used to say that he would rather die than receive help from humans, but at this point, nothing mattered. A choked voice escaped from between her parted lips. ¡°Be careful¡­a cult leader is a monster you can¡¯t even imagine. Neither my older brother nor Navardoze can win¡­¡± ¡°You can live with blood, right? Come on, drink my blood!¡± Adeshan rolled up his sleeves and held out his arm. I thought this would be the feeling if I had a conversation with a candle right before it went out. However, Balzac refused even that offer following the potion. The five senses that had been lost long ago were telling us that the end was approaching. ¡°Hehe¡­it¡¯s dark.¡± Balzac muttered softly. Took. The staggering head fell. Adeshan called his name once more, but no answer came back. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Asher wept. There was no room for revival in the pupils whose light hadpletely faded. For a vampire¡¯s second-inmand, the end was too futile. Adeshan, who had been silent, opened her mouth. ¡°¡­calm down. I will gather people right now.¡± Unlike Asher, she quickly regained herposure. Balzac¡¯s sacrifice could not have been in vain, and a fieldmander was in a position to do so. Concentrating her mind, she was about to send a telegram to everyone. kang! kang! kang! The rm bell, which only sounds in case of emergency, rang loudly. Adeshan turned his head. The soldiers¡¯ cries followed. ¡°Ha there¡¯s something in the sky!¡± ¡°emergency! emergency! It¡¯s not your magic!¡± The sound of stamping feet and carrying weapons spread like wildfire. The two men, seeing each other¡¯s faces once, hurriedly ran out of the barracks. The cool morning air brushed his bangs. The soldiers moving in perfect order and the war horses running rampant with their front legs caught my eye. Asher¡¯s face turned white when he looked up at the sky. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Two huge magic circlespletely covered the barracks. Geometric patterns and unknown letters arranged in a circle were wriggling as if they were alive. ¡°¡­no.¡± It was a magic circle that I had seen many times. Asher groaned in despair. The second advent was about to begin. **** ¡°I want to get rid of that curse.¡± ¡°¡­a curse?¡± Hearing the savior¡¯s words, Ronan raised his eyebrows. Come to think of it, I forgot about it for a while. Usually, if you put a curse on it, it could be lifted. Trying to suppress his emotions, he asked again. ¡°All that remains? really?¡± ¡°okay. However, in my current state, it is impossible. For perfect Haeju, you have to go to the source.¡± ¡°Source¡­? What else is that?¡± ¡°This is where we are going now. We are almost there. I¡¯m not feeling well, so please speed up a little bit.¡± The savior tapped Ronan¡¯s butt as if he were a coachman. To be honest, it was embarrassing to the point of not knowing why, but the fact that there was a possibility of escaping the damn curse was well worth the time. Oh yeah. let me go quickly Ronan¡¯s mana-enhanced thighs swelled to burst. bang!! As he spurred on the icy floor, the savior¡¯s neck was thrown back. ¡°Keoouk!¡± ¡°Hold tight!¡± No further conversation ensued. Each time Ronan hit the ground, the gap of tens of meters was shortened. ¡°Oh¡­ a foal¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t hear you!¡± It sounded like the savior was swearing at something behind him, but his feeble voice was lost in the roaring wind. Before long, Ronan, who had reached a dead end, stopped in ce. ¡°Whoa, are you here?¡± ¡°Huh¡­Huhhhh¡­yes¡­¡± The savior nodded. He was grateful that his neck had not been broken by the wind pressure. Ronan looked up at the gate in front of him and frowned. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t feel very well.¡± The huge stone gate was high and wide enough that even a dragon could walk through it. Adren¡¯s immigration counter seemed to be about this size. All kinds of beings considered sacred, such as gods, angels and animals, were engraved in relief on the door, which seemed to have been aged for at least ten thousand years. Ronan tilted his head. ¡°Why are there so many pieces?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the role of suppressing the energy inside so that it doesn¡¯te out. In themon sense of the present age, it is simr to a magic tool.¡± the savior replied. When he turned around, his face was stiff as if he had been frostbitten. Are you afraid? The savior, who had closed his eyes and was breathing, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go in now. Put your blood on the door.¡± ¡°Blood?¡± ¡°okay. maybe it will Because you are my only blood rtive in the world¡­¡± The savior grumbled. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but Ronan did as he was told. It¡¯s nothing to do with drawing blood. As I bit my thumb tightly with my fangs, red bells formed. That was the moment when he rubbed drops of blood on the stone surface. -Koo-gu-gu-gu-gung¡­! The stone gate groaned and began to open. The air rushed in with an indescribable smell. At the same time, Ronan¡¯s forehead crumpled. ¡°What the fuck¡­!¡± My eyes were hurting. The hallway leading to the inside of the stone gate was sparkling enough to say it was brilliant. The most concentrated Neb zie mana he had ever seen was floating in the old air. said the savior. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Do I look real now?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be surprised already. Let¡¯s go ahead.¡± Ronan slowly moved his steps inside the stone gate. It seemed like this would be the feeling if I walked through a tunnel made of the Milky Way. thud! As soon as I crossed the doorway, the stone door was closed. There wasplete darkness, but there was no problem seeing the surroundings because the mana was so shiny. Fortunately, this hallway wasn¡¯t too long. After walking for about ten minutes, an open space opened up in front of me. At the center of it, there was arge block of ice that seemed to have been moved from a cier floating in the sea off Heiran. Ronan¡¯s eyes, which reflexively looked at the ice, widened as if they would pop out. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Something huge was buried in the ice. It had the shape of a gigantic human and seemed to have died long ago. His muscr body, as beautiful as the sculpture of a master, was all pure white. The only head protruding above the ice had its eyes closed. There were as many as four pairs of wings, broken in a mess and trapped in the ice. ¡°giant.¡± Ronan involuntarily recited. There was no doubt that there was a giant in front of him. A being from the sky above the sky, like Ahayute and Duaru. I wondered why something like that was here. My head was dizzy and I thought I was going to vomit. The savior, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth. ¡°okay. It is what people call a giant. An invader from a faraway universe¡­it has now lost all its souls and is only a shell, but it still possesses terrifying power.¡± ¡°Nimi¡­what the hell happened in the past?¡± ¡°Let me tell you now. The identity of the bizarre Mujae you were born with and the ns of your foolish brother. Why did this happen?¡± The savior nodded slowly. His face as he gazed at the giant contained all the joys and sorrows of human beings. ¡°It all started here.¡± Chapter 280 280. Savior (6) #280 ¡°Don¡¯t look at me lightly. Because I can do it too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Cain. What kind of whale are you catching?¡± The man who sneered at him tousled Cain¡¯s hair. With a thick beard and thick forearms, he was the father of Cain and the best hunter in the vige. The 12-year-old son, like all boys of his age, was trying to prove his worth by aplishing heroic feats. ¡°What are you going to do if I catch Mr. Wu?¡± ¡°Keuugh¡­ Then I¡¯ll give you the egg of the golden dragon in the warehouse. It¡¯s a pity, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°There is nothing but dried fish and firewood in the warehouse! Who do you know as an idiot?!¡± ¡°Okay. It sounds like you were foolish, simr to a 10-year-old boy who catches whales. Oh, I¡¯ll also take care of the fairy I caught in the sea a while ago. Ha ha ha!¡± The man grabbed his stomach and burst intoughter. Theughter was as loud as its size, and the whole house reverberated. Cain, who was blushing, opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s see. They will definitely catch a whale bigger than our vige.¡± ¡°Cain. If something like that gets caught on a fishing hook, we all die. honey. Dry this guy off.¡± The man stoppedughing and looked around the corner of the room. A pregnant woman was sitting by the warm stove. She was stroking her swollen belly with each rocking chair creak. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t act like that, you will be a good older brother. Cain.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The woman smiled kindly. In the corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons, scarlet eyes like hers twinkled. Hearing his mother¡¯s words, Cain frowned. I waspletely punctured. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. What does being unborn have to do with me¡­¡± ¡°There is a time for everything. You will surely be a great hunter like your father in a few years. Even now, your ability to dismantle prey is the best among your peers.¡± ¡°¡­Heng Even if you bring all the people in my vige, not my age, it won¡¯t work for me.¡± Cain stuck out his tongue. In fact, he was exceptionally good at swordsmanship for his age. To the extent that he finished grooming the seals, which he had never done before, faster than his father. ¡°that¡¯s right. Admit it. I took a peek at it the other day and it looked like a little devil. I think he handles a knife better than myte grandfather.¡± His father, who had been teasing Cain all along, nodded as if in agreement. Cain puffed out one cheek and red at him. ¡°What is the devil to my son? The devil.¡± ¡°Uhuhu, please teach me well when my younger brother is born. Come to think of it, have you decided on a name?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± asked the mother. She had offered to give the soon-to-be older brother Cain the right to name his younger brother. Cain, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Abel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Abel. That¡¯s a pretty name¡­ah.¡± The woman who was talking suddenly stopped. I felt something tap on the inside of my stomach. Seeing her reaction, her father widened his eyes. ¡°Is it full?¡± ¡°yes. I guess you liked it. What does Cain mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just built it roughly.¡± Cain turned his head. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a rough build, it was something I had been thinking about day and night since I heard the proposal. A little embarrassed, he picked up the harpoon lying in the doorway. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d you liked it. I¡¯ll go fishing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s sote. Where are you going?¡± bang! Cain pretended not to hear and ran out of the house as if running away. Looking at the closed door, the mother sighed. ¡°That child is really¡­¡± ¡°Leave him alone. You don¡¯t want to look down on your brother. I haven¡¯t even been born yet, so who do I look like?¡± ¡°well. I don¡¯t know about anything else, but being dishonest definitely resembles you.¡± ¡°Kuhm¡­is that so?¡± The man stroked his beard arrogantly. He leaned down and stroked his wife¡¯s stomach. ¡°No matter how you look at it, your brother is a great person. Abel. Really, I might catch a whale bigger than the vigeter. No matter what anyone says, he is my son.¡± ¡°Look at that.¡± the womanughed The howling of the north wind could be heard through the wooden walls. Cain, who was trudging through the snowy field, raised his head. ¡°¡­My little brother.¡± The cloudless night sky turned into a sea of stars and swayed. Inside the Milky Way across the field of view from east to west, colorful nebe scattered mysterious colors. The asional falling meteor drew a thin sh. Although he couldn¡¯t see the aurora borealis, Cain, who likes to look at the stars, rather liked a day like today. When I turned my head slightly, I saw a vige that was already far away. You won¡¯t hear it if it¡¯s this far. Closing his eyes and putting his hands together, he chanted toward the sky. ¡°Star. please. Please let my little brother be born healthy. Please let my mother give birth without getting sick, and my dad¡­it¡¯s a bit annoying, but he¡¯s still a good person, so let the hunt go well.¡± It was a wish my mother had made every day since she was pregnant. Although he acted harsh, Cain loved his family more than anyone else. A kind mother and a strong father also fell into that category. ¡®First, I have to teach you how to handle a knife. I¡¯ll teach you how to fish, look at the stars and find your way.¡¯ Cain smirked as he imagined the near future. Although he didn¡¯t show it, he was ready to be a respected older brother. There were already small tools made for his brother in his secret storage. ¡°¡­Shall we go back soon?¡± Cain, who had been praying for a long time, got up. It was in the middle of brushing off the snow on my knees. Suddenly the world brightened up. Strangely, he raised his head. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Cain¡¯s eyes widened. A shiny mass was falling obliquely. The burning mass, setting the atmosphere on fire, was reminiscent of a star shining in the night sky. ¡°Oh, no!!¡± The problem was that the strange star was falling precisely towards the vige. Cain¡¯s face went white. He threw down the harpoon and started running, but the star was already close enough to touch the vige. The shadows of the long rows of houses stretched to their feet. The vige bathed in light was disintegrating. It was the car Cain was about to shout. Kwaaaaaaang-!!! With a roar that seemed to turn the world upside down, Cain¡¯s consciousness was cut off. **** ¡°¡­are they all dead?¡± Ronan, who was listening to the Savior¡¯s past, couldn¡¯t stand it and asked a question. Even with the giant¡¯s corpse in front of him, he concentrated without realizing the passage of time. Maybe it was because he had lived for a long time, but he had an extraordinary ability to solve the story. ¡°okay. No one survived. Except for me, who was far away from the scene.¡± The savior nodded. It was a story from the distant past, but I still felt like I could see the situation at the time clearly when I closed my eyes. The eyes that fluttered between the eyshes were wet with sorrow. ¡°Damn it.¡± Ronan twitched his lips. It was already past, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel dirty. Suddenly, a thought passed through his mind. ¡°wait for a sec. Then, what the hell is your rtionship with Abel? Did you say that you and your father are twin brothers?¡± ¡°It may or may not be true. Anyway¡­ I feel pretty weird when I hear it.¡± ¡°ok? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You just called me father for the first time.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The savior smiled. Ronan frowned. It was never intentional and it was a name that came out of nowhere. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he spat out. ¡°Sheesh, so what happened after that?¡± ¡°I was going to tell you right now. So¡­¡± **** ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Cain opened his eyes. My body felt cold as if I had juste out of a swim. I remember until the star that fell from the night sky collided with the vige, but I couldn¡¯t remember what happened after that. ¡°The vige is¡­ Ugh.¡± Cain, who was about to stand up suddenly, gritted his teeth. Unbearable pain rose like fire all over the body, especially in the leg. He lifted his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and sighed. ¡°All legs¡­!¡± Both legs were twisted in bizarre ways. A white bone, presumably a shin, protruded through his pants. Even though it was his own body, he was about to vomit. Cain let out a scream at the bted, full-blown pain. ¡°Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡± It was so painful that I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. If I couldn¡¯t stand it and twisted my body, more excruciating pain came. Urine leaked from the exhausted dder, staining his pants. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Cain passed out and woke up several times before being able to regain hisposure. The body that has reached its limit has reached the point where it is not conscious of pain. Suddenly, the faces of my parents passed before my eyes. ¡°Oh Mom¡­Dad¡­¡± Cain, who came to his senses, shouted out the names of his family. But no answer came back. Despair hung over his face as he looked around. ¡°Oh, no. no¡­!¡± He fell into a wide and deep pit. It didn¡¯t take long to figure out the situation. This is where the vige used to be. Starlight filtering through the hole, which looked like a small dot, showed how deep the pit was. It was a miracle that he fell from that height and survived. Of course, even though I barely survived, I didn¡¯t feel very happy. Scattered around Cain were fragments of what once made up the vige and its inhabitants. A broken girder. A charred piece of bone. A harpoon my father used and a box I saw a lot. ¡°This is¡­¡± Cain¡¯s eyes met the box, and he clenched his fist. Inside the half-open box were small fishing rods and small tools such as pocket knives. These were things he had prepared for his brother. ¡°Ah¡­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa of ah¡­¡± Her vision became hazy as if it were fogged up. A squeaky voice escaped from his mouth as he hit his head on the ground. ¡°Abel¡­!¡± It felt like my heart was being shattered. The younger brother was not even given the right to be born. Now, they couldn¡¯t go fishing together or show off how to dismantle their prey beautifully. ¡®star. A damn star.¡¯ aww A cracking sound echoed from the inside of Cain¡¯s mouth. The anger that bloomed at the end of the sadness was consuming him. The days of praying toward the stars every day made me feel extremely regretful. ¡°uh.¡± He was scratching the floor until his fingernails came off. All of a sudden, my eyes spun around, and my body lost all strength. It seemed that too much blood had been spilled. I see You¡¯ve taken my family, so you¡¯re taking me onest time. At this point, instead of tears, I burst intoughter. Cain giggled and closed his eyes. My leg was broken anyway, so I couldn¡¯t do anything. It was a car in which consciousness was blurred. ¡°You¡¯re upset.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Cain opened his eyes at the sudden voice. It was a low, thick voice like the deep sea where whales live. A movement that had not been noticed until just now wasing from the depths of the hole where the stars did not reach. ¡°¡­Is anyone there?¡± Cain spoke, but no answer came. After thinking for a moment, he turned around. His legs werepletely disabled, but he managed to move his arms. ¡°Heh-huh¡­heh-uh-uh¡­¡± Cain started to crawl with both arms in the direction the voice came from. Every time his broken leg dragged on the floor, there was a grinding sound. The blood flowing from the wound was making a red path, but the nerves died anyway, so there was no problem with moving. Cain himself couldn¡¯t understand why he was doing this. I know better than anyone that there is no hope of surviving. ¡°This¡­!¡± Not long after, Cain¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. For a moment he suspected he was hallucinating. A man as huge as a mountainy dead, impaled on a wall of ice. The snow-white giant had four pairs of wings hanging from its back. There were burn marks all over the wings and skin. Cain instinctively realized that this giant was the star that had just fallen. Blood was pouring from his body, as if he had been injured in the fall. Blue and thick like the sea, it seemed far from the blood Cain had known before. The blood that flowed down his toes formed a puddlerge enough to believe that it was a small spring. I had never seen anything like this. Cain suppressed his rapid breathing and finally opened his mouth. ¡°¡­hey?¡± No answer came back. He had been alive until just now, but seemed to have just stopped breathing. Cain moved right up to the puddle and took his seat. Kim was blooming in the blue spring. ¡°What the hell¡­what is this¡­¡± It reminded me of a hot spring that didn¡¯t cool down even in the fierce cold. It was the car Cain was looking at the giant with his upper body up. Suddenly his vision darkened and his body leaned forward. ¡°uh?¡± There was nothing to do. with a plop! Cain¡¯s tiny body fell into a puddle. Even if you pour oil on your body and set it on fire, it doesn¡¯t seem to be this hot. He suddenly swallowed blue blood and screamed. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± But no sound leaked out. His body continued to sink into the depths of the pool. In the midst of the green world, a thought passed through Cain¡¯s mind. ¡®I want to go back.¡¯ The flickering sight finally turned off. . . . ¡°brother. wake up.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Cain heard someone¡¯s voice and opened his eyes. My mind was hazy, as if I had woken up after a long sleep. The wind brushing my cheeks smelled like the sea. Raising his upper body, he raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­uh?¡± My body didn¡¯t hurt anymore. When I lowered my gaze, I sawpletely intact limbs. The wounds that had been engraved all over the body hadpletely disappeared. In front of his eyes, the pit he had just been lying in was opening its mouth. I couldn¡¯t even fathom how deep the bottom was invisible. It was to the point where I thought that everything up until now had been a dream. Suddenly, a young voice came from Cain¡¯s side. ¡°brother. I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°what?¡± It was the same voice as before. Cain hurriedly turned his head. A young boy, apparently not even ten years old, was squatting, staring at him. ¡°You, you¡­¡± ¡°Now what are we doing? huh?¡± Cain froze. The boy¡¯s appearance perfectly resembled himself. White hair and scarlet eyes were an impossible element without blood. I felt my heart beating fast. Cain, who was taking a deep breath, exhaled without even realizing it. ¡°¡­Abel?¡± Chapter 281 281. Savior (7) #281 ¡°¡­Abel?¡± Cain unknowingly spat out. The boy in front of him looked so much alike that he could believe he was a twin. The sniffling boy grabbed his cor and asked. ¡°brother. I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°What the hell is this¡­ not. Now wait a minute¡­!¡± Cain hurriedly took off his coat and put it on the boy. I don¡¯t know what happened, but I couldn¡¯t turn away from the child who was thrown into this cold. The boy in the overcoat pped his surplus sleeve and said. ¡°The clothes are so big¡­sniffly. And it¡¯s still cold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Be patient. I¡¯ll warm you up right away.¡± Strangely, I didn¡¯t feel the cold even after taking off my coat. Cain took the boy¡¯s hand and settled in the ruins, where the walls and roof remained to act as windbreaks. He built a campfire using scrap materials and whale oil. The boy sitting across from Cain with the bonfire in the middleughed. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s warm. Thanks bro.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, but well¡­but let¡¯s ask one thing.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Cain asked. It was too big a problem to ovee. The boy, who had put his hands together and blew, tilted his head. ¡°Why are you asking such a thing all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just answer me. Do you¡­do you know what my name is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange today bro. It¡¯s Cain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Cain¡¯s eyes widened. He hadn¡¯t told the boy his name yet. It was getting more and more difficult to figure out what was what. ¡°Then what is your name?¡± ¡°Abel. brother. Are you really okay?¡± ¡°How¡­then what about mom? What¡¯s your father¡¯s name?!¡± Cain got up from his seat excitedly. The terrified boy shrugged. He answered Cain¡¯s ensuing questions in a trembling voice and didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Cain, who slowly backed away, muttered to himself. ¡°This¡­ this is nonsense.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so scared hyung¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°no. Something is wrong with this¡­!¡± My head was dizzy. The intense pain was gone, but a new sensation was engulfing her body. It felt like something other than blood was flowing through my veins. Cain, who had been washing his face dry several times, spurred on the ruins and ran out. ¡°no!¡± ¡°brother! Where?!¡± The boy cried out, but Cain did not answer. The bright starlight was still pouring overhead. He started running toward the pit he had fallen into. ¡®After I fell into that puddle.¡¯ Cain¡¯s thoughts were spinning hundreds of times faster than usual. He came to the conclusion that all the mysterious things that happened to him happened after he fell into the giant¡¯s blood. Even the thought of wanting to go back right before drowning. The pit was still gaping in the center of town. Cain stopped in front of him. Even though I ran for a long time with all my strength, I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡®I want to go there once again.¡¯ Thinking so, Cain closed his eyes. It was the same procedure as when returning to the vige. Soon the wind died down. He opened his eyes three secondster and sighed. ¡°¡­oh my god.¡± Cain was in the puddle he had fallen into. The giant was still stuck in the ice wall. The blue blood was still bubbling and steaming like hot spring water. ¡®What I wanted came true.¡¯ It seemed like he knew something. Cain hoped to return to the vige again. This time, he didn¡¯t close his eyes. Then, the surroundingndscape twisted as if it were crumbling, and a ruined vige unfolded before my eyes. When he imagined the puddle again, he returned to his original position. I wished I had a fishing rod, and this time the same fishing rod I had drawn in my head appeared out of the air. Having concluded, Cain clenched his fists tightly. ¡°With this ability. Mom and Dad too¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it when I did it. What was hoped for came true. The boy iming to be Abel must have been the embodiment of his wish to see his younger brother. There was no need to hesitate any longer. Taking a deep breath, Cain pictured the restored vige and his parents warmly weing him. It was the moment when he opened his closed eyes. ¡°also¡­!¡± He was standing in the middle of a perfectly intact town. Tears streamed down Cain¡¯s cheeks, overflowing with emotion. Therge pit disappearedpletely, and friendly streets and buildings took its ce. ¡°mom! dad!¡± The strange kid who imed to be his younger brother had long been erased from his mind. Cain ran home without even thinking to wipe away his tears. My father would tease me that a grown man sucks, but that didn¡¯t matter anyway. From today on, I will never lie. Whenever I think of unfamiliar words like I love you or I like you, I will do it right away. bang! Cain arrived at the front door and opened the door. His eyes widened. ¡°¡­uh?¡± There was no one inside the building. Dad¡¯s harpoon, mother¡¯s rocking chair, and even the firewood burning in the firece were still intact, but the parents were nowhere to be seen. ¡°There¡¯s no way this could happen¡­?¡± Noticing how quiet the surroundings were, Cain stepped out of the house. Not only passers-by, but also the sled dogs and reindeer that brought life to the vige were nowhere to be seen. I checked the houses one by one, but none were upied. Suddenly, an ominous thought passed through Cain¡¯s mind. ¡®Could it be that the dead can¡¯t be revived?¡¯ Breathing became rough and a cold sweat broke out. It couldn¡¯t be. It shouldn¡¯t have happened. What he casually said about going fishing shouldn¡¯t be thest conversation he had with his family. ¡®okay. It¡¯s not enough blood.¡¯ Cain, who was breathing heavily, snapped his fingers. He immediately used his wish to return to the pool. He knelt down and murmured softly. ¡°Wait. Because I will save you.¡± Cain scooped up the giant¡¯s blood with both hands. The liquid dripping from the inside of his palm was shining in a color not found on the ground. As soon as I took a sip, a burning pain hit my esophagus. ¡°Oooh¡­!¡± It was different from when I was drinking unconsciously and unknowingly. But I couldn¡¯t stop. He scooped up the blood with his hand and drank it, but then he shut his mouth and began to gulp. Every time the giant¡¯s blood trickled down his throat, his senses grew sharper. After drinking until he couldn¡¯t drink any more, Cain closed his eyes and prayed. please return it **** ¡°¡­Looks like it didn¡¯t work out after all.¡± said Ronan. It was because the savior who was talking in the middle of the story suddenly shut up. Behind his eyes resembling the sunset, the scenery of the day when everything started and ended was being reproduced. The house is empty no matter how many times you pray. The indescribable taste of blue blood. In the end, a boy screams while sitting at the entrance of a vige where no one can be saved and only the buildings remain intact. The savior nodded. ¡°okay. No matter how hard I tried, it didn¡¯t work. To bring the dead back to life.¡± ¡°Damn it. Then what is that Abel guy? He was dead, but he appeared alive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve lived for an immeasurable number of years, but only Abel survived with this ability.¡± The savior twitched his lips. He eventually epted Abel as his own brother. In fact, he knew that he was just a suspicious boy who called himself his younger brother, but he had no time to argue with Cain, who had lost everything. ¡°Since then, I have traveled all over the world with Abel. Until that day when I was stabbed in the back on a cliff. Now that I think about it, we¡¯ve been together for a really long time.¡± ¡°It sounds boring. Come to think of it, father, he drank the blood of a giant. Even so, how did a guy named Abel live so long?¡± ¡°I do not know. Abel is not old or sick like me. At some point, he suddenly started using the power of a giant. As if it were an alter ego born from my body.¡± The savior exined that he did not know Abel¡¯s identity. People who reached the pinnacle of technology in the past developed a biological cloning technology called ¡®clone¡¯, but they said that they could not reproduce the original object to this extent. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he secretly drink the blood of a giant too?¡± ¡°no. Abel doesn¡¯t know. No one knows except you and me. I was young at the time, but I knew at least that this power was dangerous.¡± said the savior. He said that everyone, including Abel and Elsia, did not know about this ce. He hid it deep inside the original body, but he said he was able to keep it a secret because he hoped that this ce would not be discovered. No matter how many times I heard it, it was a fraudulent ability. Suddenly wondering, Ronan asked a question. ¡°But why did you help people through such hardships when you have such ridiculous abilities? Wouldn¡¯t it be over if we prayed for peace without having to create a religious order?¡± ¡°Even if this seems omnipotent, it is not necessarily so. There are clear limits, you can¡¯t kill or revive creatures, and if you overuse it, you¡¯ll get sick and fall into a long sleep. At least for decades of sleep.¡± The savior smiled bitterly. He told an anecdote about how he once used his powers to preserve a country that was supposed to perish, and then fell asleep for nearly a hundred years. I added that when I woke up, the country was destroyed. ¡°her.¡± Ronan chuckled. Certainly, as powerful as it was, the side effects were serious. The savior who got off Ronan¡¯s back continued. ¡°And that¡¯s the power Erill inherited from me.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°The power to make your wishese true. It¡¯s one of the most powerful abilities I¡¯ve gotten from drinking blood. Even Abel, who can copy most of what I do, could not copy this power.¡± The savior¡¯s voice became serious. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Suddenly, the memory of the mental world that I saw at the time of Haeju in the past shed through my mind. The savior had put a far greater amount of curses on Iril than on himself. ¡°There must have been a reason you cursed your sister.¡± ¡°okay. It was to keep Abel from finding out, but it was also to prevent him from using the desired power unknowingly and wasting his lifespan. However, even if you try to suppress it by casting twenty curses, it will gradually affect those around you.¡± The savior groaned. He asserted that it was thanks to her ability that Ronan and Irill did not suffer any change while growing up. The kind-hearted Iril prayed for people¡¯s goodness, peace, and happiness for his younger brother, and it came true. Until Ronan bumps into Neb ge in earnest and gets caught up in his fate. ¡°If so, the dog kidnapped his sister ¡­!¡± ¡°okay. You noticed my daughter¡¯s strength. I¡¯m sure he will use it to achieve his own disgusting goals.¡± The savior¡¯s voice lowered. Ronan almost grabbed the hilt of the sword because of the killing spree that spewed out in an instant. From the stiff forehead, there was no trace of remnant until now. ¡°A foolish younger brother always wraps his words around evolution and opening new horizons. But to exin the truth simply¡­¡± The savior dragged his horse. The identity of ¡®The Descent of the Star¡¯, which had been heard countless times while messing with Neb zie, was about to be revealed. Finally he spoke. ¡°They¡¯re trying to kill everyone living on this and have them absorbed by the giants. A soul in a body.¡± Chapter 282 282. Savior (8) #282 ¡°I failed this time too. brother.¡± said Abel. Like Cain, he was grown up and had the appearance of a young man in his twenties. In his well-trained hands, he held a longsword that was covered in blood and grease. ¡°brother?¡± When there was no answer, Abel asked back. Cain and Abel¡¯s faces, exposed to the intense light, were as hot as spear des that had just been taken out of the mould. Cain, who was staring nkly at the front, muttered in a low voice. ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± It was a hollow voice like a dusty chopping board. Dozens of mushroom clouds were blooming one after another on the horizon. Pirs of fire, dust and radioactive material looked like huge towers connecting the sky and the ground. Fallout like volcanic ash fluttered down. When a mushroom loses its shape and scatters, new mushrooms grow from a short distance away, wiping out everything in the area. The breath he inhaled tasted like iron. Cain clenched his fists in silence. He remembered all the names of cities and towns dissolving in mes. ¡°Now that I am awake, I can speak. While my brother was asleep, many countries sent troops. I thought he was going to bring me food, but he wasn¡¯t. It was to steal his older brother¡¯s ability. Do you know where the troops were most actively dispatched?¡± ¡°Is it the Dainhar Empire?¡± ¡°okay! It is the country that my brother cherished and loved so much. I even used my wish to prevent the destruction caused by natural disasters. What the hell is this like?¡± Having said that, Abel plunged his sword into his feet. Kwajik! As the sharp de prated the mechanism, sparks flew out. Soldiers armed with all kinds of heavy weapons andbat machines were piled up like a mountain at their feet. It was an enemy that Abel cut down to protect Cain, who had all fallen asleep and was helpless. Cain did not answer this time either. As Abel said, he had just woken up from a sleep of hundreds of years. It was the price to pay for preventing a supervolcano that would normally have wiped out most life on earth. Kwaaaang-! Again a mushroom cloud rose above the location of the empire¡¯s capital. In the end, again, mankind destroyed itself. Abel brushed his bangs and sighed. ¡°brother. Let¡¯s stop now.¡± Doing meaningless free service along with Cain was now the limit. No matter how many people you help. Even if they tried to revive civilization, they eventually faced a self-destructive ending. The silent Cain shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s start as soon as the explosion subsides. There will still be survivors in the bunker.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°okay. Can¡¯t we just leave it like this? In the ce where the fire goes out, the buds are supposed to bloom again.¡± Cain said. Since leaving his hometown, he has dedicated his life to the advancement of mankind. It was an action that started from the thought of how people could not let their precious ones go away. To do so, war, disease and unintended idents had to be eliminated. Cain thought that the answer could be found in amunity called a nation. Abel sneered as if it were absurd. ¡°brother. Dainhar upied 70% of the world andunched a ball of metal into space. How long do you think it will take to get back to that level?¡± ¡°It will be faster than now. We also have umted experience.¡± Cain groaned. The Dyinhar Empire was the closest country to his utopia. They conquered most diseases, developed energy sources that did not harm the environment, andunched spacecraft. They were the first to gather people from all over the world and hold a meeting. Cain was sure that his goal could be achieved if peacested only a few hundred years. Abel, who was scratching his head, opened his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, listen bro. Because I have a better idea. I made an amazing discovery about 40 years ago.¡± ¡°A surprising discovery?¡± ¡°huh. It wasst observed by Dainhar¡¯s expedition. Would you like to see it?¡± Having said that, Abel pulled out a small mechanism from his pocket. Inside the t screen, a video of a city being destroyed was ying. Winged giants flew across the sky and threw spears of light at the ground. The civilization, which seemed to have just reached the modern level, was unable to offer any resistance to the giants. People who looked like citizens were screaming and running away. The video ended with the giant throwing a spear at the expedition team that was filming. ¡°This¡­!¡± Seeing the devastation, Cain sighed. He was undoubtedly a giant. It was the first time I had seen it since leaving my hometown in the distant past. ¡°Are you done? But the important thing is from now on.¡± Abel tapped him with his elbow. At that time, the giants who had annihted any life within sight suddenly spread their wings wide. At the same time, a pale gas-like substance was extracted from the bodies of the victims and began to be sucked into the bodies of the giants. It wasn¡¯t too hard to notice that it was a soul. Cain said. ¡°¡­Are they absorbing souls?¡± ¡°okay. From my personal research, it seems that their bodies are made of souls. By invading the where intelligent beings live and absorbing their souls, they increase their power.¡± Abelughed. He had alreadypleted some research on giants. Abel¡¯s eyes twinkled and he smirked, just like an excited child. ¡°This is the answer bro. We have to be higher beings. You have to throw off your passions along with your body and be an overwhelming predator and roam the sea of the stars.¡± ¡°The jokes have grown in just a few hundred years. Abel. Didn¡¯t you mean to kill everyone on this?¡± ¡°What is it like? It¡¯s just a procedure to reach paradise. It¡¯s a world without the ephemeral deaths that you longed for.¡± Abel spread his arms in protest. Another nuclear explosion cast a backlight behind him. It was the car Cain was about to answer. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°Me and my brother, why can we use the power of giants?¡± In an instant, Cain¡¯s face hardened. Raising his index finger, Abel concentrated his strength on the tip of his finger. Sparkling mana formed like dew, and a sphere made of the blessings of the stars was created. ¡°You¡­how did you¡­¡± Cain¡¯s eyes widened. What Abel was dealing with was undoubtedly the power of a giant. Could it be that you found him and drank his blood? It can¡¯t be. ¡°Since the day I can write. The powers they use are the same as those of my brother and I. Which means we have something to do with giants.¡± ¡°¡­what do you want to say?¡± ¡°I mean, if you know the truth, please tell me. Unlike my older brother, I have no memory before I was 10 years old. What happened?¡± Abel approached and grabbed his shoulders. Cain was breathing heavily without saying anything. Abel continued. ¡°We can do it bro. that it can make people better. You don¡¯t have to go through this suffering any longer.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s gotten weird. Abel.¡± ¡°no. What¡¯s weird is my brother Looking at you, you seem to know something. Please tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. Even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Why the hell are you holding back? Speak quickly!¡± Suddenly Abel shouted. In his eyes, a mixture of thousands of years of madness and rage pulsated. Power went into the hand holding both shoulders. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Cain closed his eyes tightly and threw a fist. Embarrassed, Abel drew his sword, but Cain¡¯s fist was thrust right into the center of his face. **** ¡°So how did it go? Did you win?¡± Ronan asked. There was a lot of talk about something shocking, but now the only thing that mattered was that Abel had been beaten up. The savior nodded. ¡°okay. After spending about a year in bed, he recovered to the level of his original life.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s it. He was a man who did it when he did it.¡± ¡°It was around that time that we became awkward. He never called me brother again.¡± His voice was somber. Only then did Ronan understand why Abel, whom he had met in the image world, treated the savior like a superior. I hope something like that happened. ¡°Anyway¡­you can drink this. I¡¯m d it didn¡¯t dry outpletely.¡± The savior, who was licking his lips, beckoned. His finger pointed to the stagnant pool beneath the giant¡¯s feet. The giant¡¯s blood, which was so much that it could be used as a hot spring, was now so dry that not even a single bowl of it came out. Even that, Ronan cut the heart of a giant with a sword and squeezed it out. ¡°If I drink this, will all my curses be lifted?¡± ¡°If you go through the ceremony, that is. Five won¡¯t do it all at once, but it will gradually disappear in a quick time.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Ronan got down on one knee in front of the puddle. His own face was visible through the glistening blood. No matter how many times he looked, he resembled a savior. Ronan, who suddenly looked down at the puddle, said without turning his head. ¡°I must say this. You are wrong.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°Humans are not animals that live as babies all their lives. I agree with the Abel son of a bitch when he insists on letting them grow on their own. I¡¯m sure my father would have helped me to make faster progress, but I wouldn¡¯t have to have to.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice echoed through the pit. The savior raised his eyebrows. ¡°Suddenly, that¡­what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Even if I drink this and regain my strength, I will not live like my father. My calling ends with killing those bald heads and rescuing my sister.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The savior¡¯s face hardened. After being silent for a while, he opened his mouth. ¡°Yes¡­ How you live after breaking the curse is definitely up to you. But I can¡¯t agree that I¡¯m wrong. Have you ever lost everything that supported your life in an instant? Have you ever felt that hopelessness?¡± voice was trembling. I never expected that my son would deny me his ideology. Ronan calmly shook his head. ¡°there is.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°There is. I have lost everything.¡± Ronan turned his head. The savior who met his eyes flinched. The sunset-colored eyes that looked just like the sunken self were not telling lies. Ronan still remembered it clearly. The day when three giants descended from the sky. The moment when the army in which the older sister loved her hometown was annihted. The end of the first life was miserable. The savior asked Ronan. ¡°¡­Then why are you resisting? that you just have to let go. As Abel intended, all life on this should be allowed to be absorbed by the giant.¡± ¡°This uncle is really. You can¡¯tpare that to this. It¡¯s quite different when animals living in the jungle fight to their death among themselves and when a poacher suddenly appears and sweeps them away.¡± Ronan, who concluded the speech, smiled proudly. It was an appropriate analogy for him to think of. The savior, lost for words, twisted his lips. ¡°And I think you are misunderstanding something, but I am not encouraging neglect. I mean, don¡¯t treat people like kids.¡± ¡°Treat me like a child¡­¡± ¡°I believe that people are stronger than you think. With such overprotectiveness, you will never be able to reach the utopia your father dreams of. The intentions were good, but the direction was wrong.¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was full of conviction. A heavy silence fell. The salivating savior barely opened his mouth. ¡°Then what are you saying you want me to do¡­?¡± ¡°Is there anything special?¡± Ronan dragged his horse by the tail. The days he had passed through two lives passed through his mind like a kaleidoscope. He closed his eyes once, then opened them and smiled. ¡°You just have to believe. People¡¯s potential.¡± Ronan looked back again. He put his hands together to draw blood and brought it to his mouth. The blue fluid that started it all flowed gently down Ronan¡¯s throat. Chapter 283 283. Jingun (1) #283 ¡°Brother. are you okay?¡± The young Abel asked. The cold night wind brushed my cheeks. Cain, who had suddenly left himself and ran out, was sitting in a daze at the entrance of the vige. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Cain did not answer. Tears were clearly visible on his pale cheeks. He had just realized that his powers could not bring people back to life. The changed body did not feel the cold. But inside his broken heart, a bitter north wind was blowing. Abel approached cautiously and pointed to Cain¡¯s mouth. ¡°What¡¯s in your mouth?¡± ¡°uh¡­?¡± Cain unconsciously wiped his mouth with his sleeve. A bluish stain came out of it. It was the blood of a giant he drank until his stomach exploded. When I turned my head, I finally saw Abel¡¯s face. The little boy was shivering in his overcoat, which did not fit his body. Suddenly, Cain realized. Now all I have left is this child. ¡°¡­okay. are you okay.¡± ¡°Now what do we do? There was a bang and Mom and Dad were gone.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. I am here.¡± Cain, whopletely wiped his mouth, stood up. Just as this little boy believed himself to be Abel, he also decided to believe. This kid is my twin brother. Cain held Abel¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go with my brother. Abel.¡± . . . ¡°Mmm.¡± Abel opened his eyes. It seemed that he had fallen asleep. A familiarndscape unfolded before my eyes. Uselesslyrge and fancy chairs, all white furniture. It was the temple of the religious leader at the top of the head temple. ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± Abel muttered, then raised his index finger and wiped his eyes. It¡¯s been a very long time since I had a dream. It reminds me of what happened tens of thousands of years ago. Tsk. Seeing the liquid on his fingers, Abel clicked his tongue. Thoughts that had been buried deep for a moment wereing up one by one, but he regained consciousness by wiping his hands on the hem of his pants. ¡°Your brother is wrong.¡± Abel muttered. The end is really near now. It would soon be clear who was right. It was the car he was about to move on, sweeping his hair. smart. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Master. May Ie in?¡± ¡°okay.¡± It was a familiar voice. As Abel beckoned, the door opened. A woman in a fancy robe walked in. It was Archbishop Le Tansie in charge of the protection and supervision of Iril. ¡°I came to report the situation. Miss Lee Lil¡¯s giving is progressing smoothly.¡± ¡°You suffered. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s something wrong with your health, right?¡± ¡°No problem at all. You have a hard time falling asleep, so don¡¯t worry. And as you said, the priest¡¯s blood worked properly. It will take a lot less time than you think.¡± ¡°okay. It should be.¡± Abel nodded. It was expected. He was lifting the curse on Illil¡¯s body in order to bloom her abilities. The moment the shackles Cain nted were broken, Erill would have the full power to make his wishese true. ¡°An effect group worthy of the source of everything,¡± Abel raised his lips. The key to unlocking Iril¡¯s curse, which didn¡¯t work with any magic tricks, was, of course, his own blood. It was an idea born from past experiences. Abel took Cain¡¯s blood and transfused it into himself. It was the time when Cain used his wish to save Dainhar and fell into a deep sleep. It was from then that he was able to handle the powers of giants. It didn¡¯t matter much now, but it was regrettable that we didn¡¯t find out Cain¡¯s secret until the end. There must have been some kind of rtionship with the ster giants. Hearing the report, Abel tapped Letansie on the shoulder. ¡°Good work. I need to go somewhere for a while If you¡¯ve done it this far, you¡¯ll be able to do it on your own, right?¡± ¡°yes. I will not disappoint you.¡± ¡°good.¡± Abel left the room. Le Thansi was the only one left standing in the empty temple. After confirming that the footsteps were no longer audible, she let out a deep sigh. ¡°Huh¡­¡± No matter how the situation is, this was too busy. I don¡¯t think it was like this even when I joined as ayman in the past. ¡°Where are you going this time¡­¡± she said to herself. Abel had recently been away for a long time, and I was afraid this time would be the same. I wasn¡¯t particrly worried about his safety or losing. As long as Abel took direct countermeasures, that would never happen. Moreover, they even had a hostage named Iril. However, unlike the believers who were waiting for the arrival of the stars, the attitude of floating alone was disturbing. I don¡¯t feel like a person who is about to face the final chapter. Should I say it looks like I¡¯m looking at something else? Of course, all she could do was follow orders, so Le Thanxie calmly concentrated and prepared to send the telegram. Before long, her voice resonated in the heads of all the followers. [Archbishop Le-Tansier reports. Get ready to greet guests.] **** ¡°Catch it! Never miss it!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t break it here, everything will be nothing!¡± The soldiers¡¯ cries echoed under the afternoon sky. The long and grueling battle was running toward the end. The Allied Forces, which amounted to well over 10,000, were moving in perfect order with weapons in their hands. The magic circle that covered the sky vomited out a giant and then disappeared. After a short self-introduction, the giant began to destroy indiscriminately, just like Duaru did in the city of dragons. -Vasagia executes the sentence. As such, the peaceful Central Allied military camp was quickly devastated. The explosion caused by the rush of light spears created a huge pit on the ground. Dozens or hundreds of soldiers lost their lives with each roar. ¡°You fucking monsters!¡± ¡°We have to deal with all this dregs!¡± The familiars summoned with feathers as catalysts also contributed to increasing the number of casualties. The fearless artificial beasts were charging at the allied forces, trampling each other¡¯s bodies. ¡°Goooohok!¡± ¡°Quaaaaagh!¡± Unlike Duaru¡¯s familiars, they took the form of beasts resembling wild dogs. A body made of light collided with weapons, and the sound of explosions filled the battlefield. However, if you ask if the situation is as hopeless as in the city of dragons, it is not. The number of familiars, which had been countless, had noticeably decreased. The giant Basagia was also struggling while surrounded in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°Huh!¡± Nabi Rose, who lowered her body to avoid the giant¡¯s spear, swung her sword. Sugak! The sword light wanted to sh, but the spearhead made of light broke in half. The giant¡¯s eyebrows twitched. [¡­!] Her attitude, fed by Ronan¡¯s blood, was dyed in boiling red. Navi Rose, who had neutralized the giant for a moment, pulled her body back. and cried out loud ¡°Shoot me!¡± At the same time, arrows and projectile magic poured from all directions. The giant hurriedly tried to defend himself, but an invisible force stopped him. Kwajik! My body stiffened from the sudden pressure on my shoulders. The giant, who was scanning the enemy lines, spat out dryly. ¡ºIs it you?¡» ¡°Hee hee hee!¡± Asher met eyes with the giant and breathed in vain. I didn¡¯t expect to notice it at once when it¡¯s so far away. It was his act that knocked down the giant with telekinesis magic. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. This is the power of a mediocre mortal.] The giant admired a little. Even with strength, it was difficult to straighten the back. Deciding that he had to get rid of that wizard first, he spread his palms without a word. It was the moment when the particles of light gathered and a new window was about to be grasped. Kwagwawang!! Arrows and magic that flew all at once hit him. Goooooooh¡­ as the st dissipated the wind, the more battered figure of the giant was revealed. Blue blood flowed from the wound and dripped onto the floor. He staggered and opened his mouth. [Ephemeral¡­those¡­] His voice was weak. It wasn¡¯t just because it happened this time. Since the battle began, damage that could never be ignored was steadily piling up on his body. The two pairs of wings were torn in tatters. There were more than 10 types of scars all over the body. The unblemished body was changing like a sack of rotted potatoes. It was the result of the hard work of the allied forces armed with Ronan¡¯s blood. They did their best to destroy the protection of the stars and seeded in inflicting significant damage on the giant. Compared to not being able to prate even the blessings of the archbishops before, it was a great improvement. The giant looked around and spread his wings. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but things weren¡¯t very good. Kwaaang! As soon as the wings spread, a gust of wind swept across the battlefield. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± ¡°No bastard runs away!¡± The soldiers standing in the front line bounced off as if they had been hit by something. The few remaining trees and barracks were blown away. ¡°Oops!¡± Asher¡¯s telekinesis was released by the sudden expansion of power. At this rate, I would have missed it. As it was originally, it was a situation that deserved despair, but the face of the allied forces was not as dark as expected. ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°Please. jugglers.¡± Instead, they clenched their fists as if expecting something. Hwaaak! It was the moment when the giant took flight. Adeshan¡¯s voice echoed in the heads of all allies. [This is now!] At the same time, waves of intense mana spread over the battlefield. Kwajik! The flying giant hit his head against the empty sky. ¡ºUmm¡­!¡» Blue blood sttered from the torn forehead. This was quite a shock. The soldiers who watched the situation called for joy. ¡°Okay I blocked it!¡± [This is¡­] The giant narrowed his eyes. A translucent station field covered the surroundings like a cage. There was a crack like a spider¡¯s web where he hit his head. It was a high-level defense spell that the wizards of the Dawn and Full Moon Magic Towers activated from a distance. Wizards who drank Ronan¡¯s blood were able to manifest magic that affected the giant for a limited time. ¡ºUseless.¡» However, after a while, the shock subsided. The giant, who came to his senses, was about to throw a spear at the station field. Hiss! A huge mass of something ck rose above his head. The giant reflexively raised his head and opened his mouth. ¡ºYou¡­?¡» A shadow fell on the giant¡¯s face. He immediately turned the spear, but Jaifa was already descending with the moon sword held up to its head. His sword, newly forged ahead of the decisive battle, was dyed the same red as the butterfly rose. ¡°Die here. buggy.¡± Jaifa growled. The giant was about to say something. Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! A sword drawn in a huge arc fell from the air onto his face. The feeling of slicing a piece of meat passed through Zaifa¡¯s fingertips. Kwaaaaang!! Jaifa and the giant fell from the sky at about the same time andnded in the middle of the battlefield. ¡°¡­It¡¯s filthy hard.¡± Jaipa lowered her gaze to the giant. The giant with a sword in the middle of his face stopped moving. The cheers of the soldiers hadn¡¯t erupted yet because the dust was covering the surroundings. Zaifa, who held the spearhead by turning it around, muttered nervously. ¡°When the hell is this Ronaning?¡± Chapter 284 284. Jingun (2) #284 ¡°Come to think of it, I have a question.¡± said Ronan. He was sitting on the ice floor so cold that the skin on his butt would peel off if he stood up, waiting for Haeju¡¯s ceremony. The savior who was gathering strength shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°This bastard. Who killed it?¡± Ronan¡¯s gaze was fixed on the giant trapped in the ice from earlier. No matter how many times I watched it, it was incredibly powerful. Eight wings and a size the size of a dragon showed that this giant was on a different level from the likes of Ahayute and Duaru. ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°So¡­ wait a minute. It¡¯s disgustingly disgusting.¡± Ronan, who was about to speak, frowned. After drinking the giant¡¯s blood, he felt unwell. I have to say that my stomach seems to be dancing. The overall sensation was gradually clearing. ¡°It is strange. If this is enough, even the king of bald heads would believe it, but he wouldn¡¯t have been hurt even if he was pushed to the ground.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The savior¡¯s eyes narrowed. Certainly, Ronan¡¯s words were persuasive. Most of the giant¡¯s body was buried in ice, and it was sealed and turned away a long time ago, so I didn¡¯t think of that. Raising his index finger, Ronan continued. ¡°And the wounds are unnatural for him to have died from a fall. You don¡¯t get hurt like that unless you¡¯re fighting something. That too fucking violently.¡± His fingers pointed to the scars carved on the giant¡¯s body. There was no consistency in the traces left evenly throughout the body. There were cuts and stab wounds, as well as burns from fire. What was presumed to be a fatal wound was a huge hole in the abdomen, and the clean cross-section seemed to have been hit by the dragon king¡¯s beam. ¡°Did theye from space? Or is there something that protects this?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve never thought of it like that until now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Ronan licked his lips. Finding out now didn¡¯t change anything, but it was strangely nerve-wracking. Suddenly, iprehensible experiences or phenomena that I had seen so far passed through my mind. Things like the huge shield that surrounds this, even though no one installed it, or the ¡®Seniel¡¯ mentioned by the elf Sarante, who became a rock in the past. The strange existence that Ronan himself was said to have settled in the heart of a bird without his knowledge was still unknown. Of course, the most mysterious things were set aside. Ronan, who was touching his chin, asked a question. ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°Is there such a thing as a treasure that turns back time?¡± The savior narrowed his brow. Suddenly, he looked like he was asking what kind of stupid thing he was talking about. He scratched his chin and shook his head. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say for sure, but I think it¡¯s probably not. If such a thing existed, I would not have lived such a regretful life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ronan twitched his lips. I thought I would know if I became a savior, but it was just a pity. It¡¯s been three years since he lived his second life, but he still doesn¡¯t know the identity of the marble that Adeshan gave him. ¡®It¡¯s all over anyway.¡¯ Of course, the present situation, which has progressed to this point, was not known. I didn¡¯t need all of them, so if there was such a thing as a guardian angel to protect the stars, all I had was a wish that all those fucking bald heads would be kicked out. Suddenly, the savior snapped his fingers as if remembering something. ¡°really. As soon as Haeju is over, let¡¯s go somewhere with me.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Red Desert. Have you ever been there?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. It was a name I knew. Because Dainhar, one of the leading demons on the continent, was there. I had been with Schlieffen about three years ago. The memory of slicing up Neb gier, who ughtered the natives, was still vivid. Come to think of it, that ce was also covered with strange machinery like here. ¡°I know, but why are you there all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The most well-preserved ruins of the Dyinhar Empire are there. It will help thwart Abel¡¯s n.¡± ¡°her.¡± Only then did Ronan realize that the name of the empire that sent mankind to the stars was the same as the Devil¡¯s Land. The savior who was finally ready sighed. ¡°Huh¡­ it¡¯s barely over. Can we start soon?¡± ¡°As much as you like. But you say it as if I was afraid and stopped the time.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it? I thought you were asking a strange question.¡± The savior raised an eyebrow. Ronan smiled unconsciously at the humorous smile he had never seen before. In both hands of the savior, sparkling mana was pulsating in the form of a sphere so that he could not look at it properly. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Heavily.¡± ¡°I knew the fuck would happen.¡± Ronan sighed and looked ahead again. There was no further conversation. The savior put a hand on Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it¡­ Umm no. Just be patient.¡± ¡°shit. If you can¡¯t even talk¡­¡± Ronan, who was at a loss for words, was about to say something. The savior thrust the orb of mana he had collected so far into his back. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes went white. It didn¡¯t take long to figure out that my father wasn¡¯t lying. A beastly roar echoed from the depths of the stars. **** ¡¾Are you sure she¡¯s dead?¡¿ ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure.¡± Hearing Navardoze¡¯s question, Adeshan nodded. The eyes of the two women were on Basagia, a giant whose face had been split in half. The corpse of a giant lying in the middle of the battlefield looked like a whale washed ashore. Zaifa, who delivered the finishing blow, was still perched on his shoulder. Adeshan called him. ¡°Sir Zaifa.¡± Jaifa met her eyes and nodded. Suddenly, he fixed the sword in reverse and rammed the spear into the giant¡¯s neck. hooked! Blue blood spurted out with the sound of flesh cutting, but there was no response. Seeing this, Navardoze finally let out a sigh of relief. ¡¾Haa¡­ It was a lot of hard work. You did really well.] ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to everyone¡¯s hard work.¡± Adeshan was silent. The declining sun was spreading the summer sun in the western sky. After the battle, the allied forces were diligently collecting the bodies of their fallenrades. It was about an hour after the death of the giant Basagia that Navardoze returned. She returned with Lorhorn and the Allies¡¯ best forces, Prince Ors¨¦ of the Shadows. ¡¾Sorry for beingte. I never thought three of them woulde down at once.] ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± It was toote for an emergency, but no one was ming them. Because the four of you were on your way back after defeating two giants who had descended from another ce. ¡°The second was really close. Ronan fought with his friend¡¯s blood almost drained. I managed to win somehow.¡± said Lorhorn. It was a battle so loud that I don¡¯t want to think about it again. He assured that it would take at least hundreds of years for the ce where the battle with the giants took ce to regain its original appearance. As evidenced by the fierce battle, the faces of the four men looked more scruffy and tired than before. Orse looked around and muttered in surprise. ¡°Still, it¡¯s quite good. You¡¯re almost dead.¡± It was pure admiration. Hundreds were killed and close to a thousand were injured, butpared to the tragedy at Adren, the damage was negligible. It was possible because everyone took on their role. Still, if there was only one person who made the most of it, it would have been Adeshan, who was in charge ofmand in ce of themander who died on the way. Using the mana of the shadows, she efficiently gave orders and ced personnel in the right ces to minimize human casualties. It was a phenomenal achievement for a student who was not an Imperial Army officer and was about to graduate from Phileon Academy, but she was not satisfied. After all, the fact that innocent lives were lost hasn¡¯t changed. Adeshan, who was biting his lower lip, shook his head. ¡°¡­I could have saved more.¡± ¡°I have a lot of greed. Why are all of that kid¡¯s friends like this?¡± Seeing that reaction, Orsayughed. Here, the child song was, of course, referring to Ronan. As for the wizard named Asher, why are there only those who are overly humblepared to their abilities? Schlieffen, who had suddenly moved the dead body, asked Navardoze a question. ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to Dreemur? Doesn¡¯t the fact that the giants have descended mean that the front line in the sky has been broken through?¡± ¡¾Don¡¯t worry about that. Ajdahaka, I told that child in advance that if a giant attacks, don¡¯t try to stop it, just let it pass. It will probablye down as soon as it is ready.] Navardoze said. It was an existence that could not be killed by ordinary means anyway, so it was a strategy to conserve power by passing it through without wasting useless power. ¡°The wording down is¡­¡± [Yes. It means to join forces. I¡¯m calling a meeting for a while, so can you gather the people?] Navardoze smiled lightly. Adeshan did just that. Not long after the message was sent, key figures from the Allied Forces gathered in one ce. All tents had been blown away, so the meeting was held in the middle of the ruins. Navardoze, who was looking at the faces of the participants, opened his mouth. ¡¾good. start the meeting To say the conclusion first, we must give up defense andunch an all-out offensive.] ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡¾I¡¯ve been thinking since I heard the news that I found their stronghold. But after these three battles, I¡¯m convinced. At this rate, we have no chance of winning.] Navardoze looked back at Adeshan. She had delivered the news that Balzac had found the headquarters of Neb zier and died while he was unconscious due to the descent of the giant. The Shadow Grand Duke, who lost his only brother, kept his seat without saying anything. The people who heard the truly unconventional proposal began to hum. ¡°An all-out offensive in this country. What is that¡­¡± ¡°Mother of fire. Are you serious?¡± ¡¾okay. I mean it.] Navardoze nodded. ¡¾To put it bluntly, the reason we can stand against them is thanks to the diligent donation of blood by that child Ronan over the past three months. There is still a bit of room left, but long-term warfare is too dangerous at a situation where you don¡¯t know how many giants are left or when Ronan will return.] ¡°I, Navardoze-sama, are right. If we keep going like this, more wille.¡± ¡°Assel?¡± People¡¯s attention was focused. It was very unusual for Asher, who was always quiet, to step up first. Now that everyone knew his strength, no one looked down on him when he was young or small. Asher, who had been breathing heavily, opened his mouth. ¡°Those giants areing because they are called from this world. It is said that they are constantly sending signals somewhere, but it is most likely the main headquarters of the church.¡± voice was trembling. Asher remembered the hometown of the giants he had seen in the Dragon City. The shadows were invading other worlds through portals that periodically created in the sky. Zaifa, who had been quietly listening to the story, asked a question. ¡°If we invade the base and kill and destroy all of them, then those bugs won¡¯te down anymore?¡± ¡°Oh maybe. Anyway, the medium will be there¡­¡± ¡°Then there is no need to worry. I am in favor.¡± Suddenly, Zaifa raised one hand. It meant that they were in favor of the general offensive. If you didn¡¯t trust Asher, whomunicated directly with the giants, no one would trust you here. One by one, the people who were contemting on their notice began to raise their hands. ¡°¡­I agree. After all, we must hurry up and make a decision.¡± ¡°I agree as well. It was something I had to go for, even for the sake of the hostages.¡± ¡°I agree. Ronan, I don¡¯t know if he can make it on time.¡± Navirojee, who had been quietly listening to the story, raised her hand. His voice, which sounded dry, was dripping with concern for his disciple. Less than a minuteter, the show of hands voted unanimously. Even after waiting, the disagreement did not return. Navardoze smiled. ¡¾good. If so, let¡¯s open it right away without wasting time.] ¡°You mean open it?¡± Adeshan tilted her head. Isn¡¯t it usually correct that the expression starting or starting should be used in this case? But Navardoze had not made a mistake. ¡¾okay. We can¡¯t just be dragged around forever. Lorhorn!] ¡°Yes. Mother of Fire.¡± Lorhorn, having been called, stepped forward. He called his disciple, Kratir, by pping his hands. ¡°Then let¡¯s do it, disciple. Do you remember the coordinates?¡± ¡°of course. Master.¡± Normally, Kratyr, as the headmaster of Phileon Academy, was dignified, but in front of Lorhorn, he only looked like an immature disciple. Chapter 285 285. March (3) #285 ¡°Come soon. Were you informed about the situation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! As you said, I brought all the extra blood!¡± After hearing Lorhorn¡¯s question, the soldiers answered loudly. Behind the dimension door they came out of was a snowy field with a blizzard. It was the 2nd Corps of the allied forces attacking the northern branches of Neb zie. Lorhorn smiled and motioned for him toe in. ¡°okay. It¡¯s cold, soe in quickly and warm yourself up. Did you get together in southern Kratyr?¡± ¡°yes. Master. We are almost there.¡± Kratyr nodded. The three portals that stretched out in front of him all led into the sweltering jungle. This time, the procession of the allied forces in charge of the southern branch wasing out tail after tail. Themander in charge of the Confederate Corps saluted. ¡°I returned after being ordered.¡± ¡°You have suffered a lot. Thank you for responding to the sudden summons.¡± Kratyr ignored it. His face, which had exhausted a lot of mana for the first time in a long time, was noticeably drawn. Lorhorn and Kratyr, the only space wizards on the continent, were constantly twisting and tearing space, gathering troops scattered across the continent. The word open meant this. ¡°It¡¯s still the same¡­ hm?¡± Nabi Roze, who had been appreciating the scenery of his hometown for the first time in a long time, shrugged his eyebrows. A familiar man was walking out from the back of the procession. ¡°Jarodin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± The man raised his hand and said hello. A skinny body worthy of the nickname of the deep ball-wear looper. It was Jarodine, an earth mage of the highest order and her nemesis. He approached and stopped in front of Nabi Rose. ¡°You look fine. That ignorant knife is still there.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you leave Sunya and only you?¡± Butterfly rose narrowed her forehead. His wife, who was always with him, was nowhere to be seen. Even though he¡¯s resurrected, he¡¯s still at a level where he needs help. ¡°I requested protection from the Magic Tower of the Full Moon. On the condition that you return to the top mage once the job is done.¡± ¡°You said you never wanted to work with those stone heads, so you made a bold decision. Do you have the confidence not to regret this time?¡± ¡°I just made a little more rational choice. After all, if we lose here, it¡¯s all over. Since I had to fight, I decided that it was better to fight to save the world my wife will live in.¡± said Jarodine. Nabi Rozeughed instead of answering. His face was no less spleen than when he fought to the death with himself in the jungle in the past. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to spit out a usible sound.¡± ¡°I came to my senses toote. Then I will go see Balzac.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°I lived without paying attention, but when I heard the news that he had died, I didn¡¯t feel very good. do not die.¡± Jardin, who concluded the conversation, suddenly turned his back. His rtionship with the dead Balzac suddenly shed through his mind. Did they say that they were rivals who hadn¡¯t decided yet? The shock seemed bigger than I thought. Come to think of it, she also had a character entangled in a simr rtionship. Although this has already been settled. Nabi Rose, lost in thought for a moment, was in the middle of looking at Jarodine¡¯s back. A huge shadow fell over her head. ¡°This is surprising. I thought you were definitely one of those people who im to have married a sword, but did you have a secret lover like that hidden?¡± ¡°Keep talking nonsense. I will peel off the skin and use it as a fur coat.¡± Butterfly Roze growled and turned his head. As expected, Zaifa stood with her hands behind her back. The sword in his dark hand was still stained with the giant¡¯s blood. Contrary to the expectation that his face would be forged with miasma ahead of the final battle, his face was calm. Nabi Roze asked. ¡°It¡¯s rxing. Have you forgotten about hatred?¡± ¡°I just decided not to get angry over the obvious. It seems that it can kill bugs better that way. You don¡¯t get angry when you kill cockroaches or mosquitoes.¡± Zaifa answered dryly. It was a part where I could see the attitude towards Neb zier. Somehow it seemed risky, but I thought it was worth it. Nabi Roje smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­okay. Right.¡± ¡°I looked good earlier. My skills have improved, but now I really can¡¯t guarantee victory or defeat.¡± Jaifa groaned. He was talking about what he had seen in the battle with the giant Basagia. In fact, Nabi Rose¡¯s sword skills had grown dramaticallypared to the time of the 2nd Sword Master Final. ¡°You sound natural. You¡¯d better enjoy the ce until this battle is over.¡± ¡°The third challenge is the first again¡­ As always, I will not refuse the challenge thates. But you have to hurry.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have a prior agreement, but if I make a mistake, I think I will lose there.¡± Suddenly, Zaifa stretched out her finger and pointed at the middle of the battlefield. Nabi Rose moved her gaze. Schlieffen was meditating sitting on a rock that rose out of nowhere. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was to calm down ahead of Iril¡¯s rescue. Next to himy Grancia¡¯s treasured sword, Pale Road, as if sleeping. Nabi Rose¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°A prior appointment is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That kid.¡± Jaifaughed. Schlieffen sat still, but he did not sit still. Even at a distance, I could feel the terrifyingly powerful life. What is cold anger like? It seemed that the north wind was blowing around Schlieffen¡¯s body. Zaifa shook his head as if he was fed up. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching him for the past few months, and he¡¯s aplete monster. I can guarantee you that talent like that won¡¯te out in the next thousand years.¡± ¡°How does itpare to Ronan?¡± ¡°Ah¡­that kid was there too. It¡¯s hard to rank this one.¡± Zaifa snapped his fingers and began to think. Nabi Rose sighed and looked up at the sky. I was worried about being swallowed up by anger, but at the same time I was proud. ¡°¡­When did you grow up like that?¡± The melted sun was setting its setting over the wastnd. It was an unseasonably cool evening. The voices of those preparing for the final battle were heard from everywhere. ¡°Be careful not to spill a single drop!¡± ¡°Now, when the dawn returns, there will be no time to make more!¡± The existing soldiers were busy carrying the diluted solution made from Ronan¡¯s blood. In fact, it would be the final showdown, so I thought I wouldn¡¯t leave anything behind. The carriages that were to be used in the attack on the headquarters were being remodeled into tanks, with armor made of ck iron or mithril added. kang! kang! kang! The sound of iron striking iron could be heard from all directions. Doron, the cksmith who was hammering in the middle of it, reached out without turning his head. ¡°Didikan. Bring me the iron te over there.¡± ¡°Here you go. I live and see old people doing things like this.¡± ¡°You work hard too. This could be ourst hammering.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say nonsense. You will not die until you surpass your inspiration.¡± Didican giggled and held out the iron te. It was just augh that wasn¡¯t as pleasant as always. Doron pretended not to know the fear inside him and received the iron te. ¡°okay. I hope so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it will work out this time too¡­ Huh? I haven¡¯t seen those friends in a long time.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°Why Ronan¡¯s friends? Everyone has be dignified.¡± The corners of Didican¡¯s mouth went up. His gaze rested on Marja and Asher, who were just reuniting. Aftering out of the dimensional portal, Marya waved her arms and shouted. ¡°Assel!¡± ¡°Ma marya?!¡± Asher, startled, sighed. There was no doubt that it was Marja who came running with her lion-like blonde hair pping. Come to think of it, I heard that you applied for the northern front as a supply n. It was the first time I had seen it since I started clearing out Neb zier in earnest. She closed the gap in an instant and hugged Asher tightly. ¡°Oops. How many breaths¡­¡± Asher, unable to breathe, moved his arms and legs. Returning from the North, her hair was covered with white snowkes. Marjaughed as she tugged at Asher¡¯s cheeks with both index fingers. ¡°I heard the performance award well. so awesome! Of course, it¡¯s not a situation to be happy right now, but it¡¯s great anyway!¡± ¡°Ah, it hurts¡­!¡± ¡°Are you going to be put in this time too?¡± It seemed that he had heard about his performance in the battle of Basagia. Asher, who had beenughing and crying, nodded. ¡°Ughhh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you! I won¡¯t let anyone interfere with your magic!¡± Marja said, rubbing her nose against Asher¡¯s nose. For an instant, Asher¡¯s face hardened. Contrary to the smiling mouth, her eyes were dripping with fear and anxiety. ¡°It will be really fine. Now that we¡¯re all here, what could happen?¡± ¡°Marya¡­¡± Well, it would be even weirder if you knew the dangers of giants but weren¡¯t afraid. Asher was also trembling with fear until just now. Strangely, seeing Marja¡¯s face like that, the trembling subsided. I couldn¡¯t figure out why. Asher sped her hands and smiled. ¡°thank you. I will protect you too.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Asher said. It was a voice that did not tremble unlike usual. Marja, who was dumbfounded as if in shock, turned her head away. ¡°what. suddenly.¡± The ears protruding through the hair were dyed red. Realizing that he had said something quite embarrassing, Asher hurriedly let go of his hand. Suddenly, a loudugh rang out from somewhere. ¡°Wah ha ha! nice to see Originally, the more desperate the situation, the more love sprouts!¡± ¡°Braum?¡± Asher and Marya turned their heads at the same time. A bald man with a mustache stood chuckling. Armed with te armor and a great shield, Braum now looked quite like a knight. ¡°What are you fighting with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much for being in the same allied army. Fighting to save the world from destruction. Where else can a knight have such an honor!¡± Braum thumped his chest and said. Then, a girl with dark purple hair lightlynded in the air. It was Elizabeth, the daughter of the Akalucia family. The three eyes widened. ¡°Ezebet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, everyone. everyone. I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡± She sent a dignified greeting. As an outstanding mage, she was dispatched to the Dawning Mage Tower and, like Marjana and Braum, was in charge of assisting the allied forces with the mages there. Asher asked. ¡°What about the Dawning Magic Tower? Are you okay without you?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not okay. We¡¯ll be right back as soon as the offensive starts. I also prepared a scroll.¡± ¡°Why would you do that¡­?¡± ¡°Ah really. Why do you keep asking me that?!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Suddenly, Elizabeth became nervous. Asher was frightened when he saw the cat-like hissing. Elizabeth said as if snarling. ¡°I just came to see everyone because I was worried! Aren¡¯t friends supposed to do that? Could it be that you don¡¯t consider me a friend or something?¡± ¡°Oh no¡­! I¡¯m a friend. yes!¡± ¡°Hehe. It should be.¡± Elizabeth smiled in satisfaction. It was the first time I had ever heard the word friende out of her mouth. Is it a disease that bes more honest as the end approaches? Looking around, she continued. ¡°That thief¡­no, Ronan-sama hasn¡¯te back yet¡­and what about Adeshan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having a meeting with Navardoze-nim over there. It will take a little longer.¡± Asher stretched out his finger and pointed to the barracks in the corner of the battlefield. Somehow, inside the makeshift tent, a meeting of the mainmanders was going on. Allied forces were nearingpletion of preparations for a final offensive. All the dimensional gates connected to the continent were also closed. However, Kratirman was chanting a certain spell with his eyes closed in the middle of the battlefield. It was not unusual to break into a cold sweat. Asher was about to say something more. ¡°Huh!¡± Kratyr opened his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he spread his arms wide and pped. match-! A cheerful sound echoed across the battlefield. Feeling the enormous movement of mana, Elizabeth hurriedly turned her head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?!¡± Space was warping. Suddenly, thendscape in front of me split up and down, revealing a forest and ake. It was not difficult to infer the situation. Asher sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to open¡­!¡± The vast sea of trees was a panoramic view of Paradise Forest. The hugeke seen from above reflected the white sky covered with clouds. Chapter 286 [ 286. March (4) ] #286 ¡°Kratir is opening the door. Have you made up your mind?¡± [Mmm.] Upon hearing Lorhorn¡¯s question, Navardoze twisted his lips. Ten people, including her, were seated in a makeshift conference room. It was the staff in charge of the brains of the allied forces. They were in serious trouble with expressions not much different from those of Navardoze. The absence of a certain person was driving them crazy. Navardoze, who was drooling, looked back at Adeshan. ¡¾I¡¯m sorry. Are you still not in touch?] ¡°Yes. Ever since they were cut off on the first day¡­¡± Adeshan dragged on. Even at this moment, a telegram was being sent, but Ronan¡¯s answer was not returned. Did something really happen? Navardoze sighed lightly. ¡¾It¡¯s difficult. Honestly, I thought I would be back at this point.] ¡°It¡¯s a bit dangerous. It¡¯s because we¡¯re at a disadvantage as time goes on.¡± The Allied Commander, who was crossing his arms, opened his mouth. The others nodded their heads in agreement. The purpose of concentrating the allied forces on the continent was to increase the number of troops, but it was also to wait for Ronan. However, Ronan, who left to find the answer, did not return even after two days. Now was the time to make a decision. The gazes of the staff members who turned their heads in unison gathered at Navardoze, who had the final say. ¡¾¡­okay. You can¡¯t just wait.] After a moment of silence, she sighed. I had to drive while there was still room for military supplies and blood. Now that all the talented people who were scattered were gathered, it would have been possible to defeat them unless it was a fairly strong enemy. ¡¾I¡¯m sure there are defense ns against the leader, right?¡¿ ¡°For now, that¡¯s right. Of course, you will have to look at the long and short ones.¡± Lorhorn affirmed. They did not heed Balzac¡¯s warning not to make fun of their leader. Lorhorn, in the form of a child, smiled brightly. ¡°I think so too. At least give a morale-boosting speech and leave.¡± ¡¾It¡¯s a speech. I don¡¯t have talent for that kind of thing.] Navardoze smiled. At the same time as she snapped her fingers, mes shot up from the walls and ceiling of the tented meeting room. Roaring! The scenery outside was revealed beyond the tent that had been blown away in ashes. The allied forces are lined up in an orderly manner. [Looking at it this way, it¡¯s quite a number.] Navardoze shrugged his eyebrows. The armor and weapons dyed in the glow of the sunset were shining like stars. Even if only the elite of the elite gathered, it seemed that there would be well over 100,000. ¡°Awesome¡­¡± Adeshan eximed involuntarily. It was a spectacle that could not but fill the heart. The scenery that I believed I would see only after ascending to the position of general in the distant future was unfolding before my eyes. Empires and their friends, savage enemies who want to prove their worth through war and conquest, and even small, unheard-of countries on the outskirts. The warriors who lived for their own justice were all gathered under the same g. With the conviction that he will definitely save the world. However, none of them paid any attention to Navardoze and his staff. It was all because they were watching Kratyr open the portal. coo coo coo¡­! The portal, which was already 500m wide, was getting wider and wider. ¡°That¡¯s really great. Is this magic?¡± ¡°I hear that he is Lorhorn¡¯s best disciple¡­ After this war is over, I will send my son to Phileon as well.¡± Even veterans who have gone through all sorts of adventures couldn¡¯t take their eyes off it. Adeshan, who wiped his wet eyes, was trying to transmit to draw people¡¯s attention. Navardoze put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. ¡¾Don¡¯t do that, let¡¯s just watch it. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen space magic on that scale.] ¡°Ah yes.¡± Athean collected the mana of the shadows. Certainly, it was a rare sight that could not be missed. Beyond the portal, the view of a hugeke stretched out from above. It was the entrance to the general headquarters that Balzac had spoken of. The cloud-covered sky was reflected on the undisturbed surface of the water. ¡°Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­!¡± Kratyr was squeezing mana out of his body and expanding the portal. Convective mana made his long beard dance in the air. It seemed that the bulging veins would tear Kratyr¡¯s forehead and pop out at any moment. A few more minutes passed. It was around the time that the end to end of the rift was wide enough topletely cross the allied positions. bang! Kratyr knelt down on one knee and touched the floor with the palms of his hands. ¡°Haaa-!!¡± Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! At the same time, the water that filled theke split left and right, revealing a world beyond the surface. And once again, the viewpoint tilted to reveal the scenery under the cloudy sky. The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°W Opened!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the headquarters¡­!¡± ¡°Those vampires really found it. I feel bad.¡± A terrifying sight unfolded. Up, down, left and right, everything was white. The sky, as well as few trees and grass. Even the soil beneath them was stained an eerie white. Kratyr, who had exhausted most of his mana, stumbled as if he were about to fall. fault! Lorhorn, who leaped through space, supported him. ¡°You have grown so much. Kratyr.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ I sit in the principal¡¯s office every day and smoke nonsense, but this should be enough.¡± Kratyr let out a helplessugh. A thunderous cheer erupted over the camp. He would now be in charge of support while restoring mana like other wizards. Suddenly, Adeshan, who was looking through the portal, narrowed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The enemy didn¡¯te into sight yet. However, above the wilderness, defensive facilities such as watchtowers and forts were built at regr intervals. The Pale Castle, the headquarters of Neb zie, stood solemnly at the very back of the defensive line made up of buildings. He looked like a king escorted by soldiers. I hadn¡¯t heard this from Balzac, but it seemed that the other side had prepared Mercury in its own way. Navardoze murmured softly. [It would be better if it was short.] She was well aware of the effect of an appropriate speech in this situation. Of course, I had no intention of taking too long. After watching, the eyes of the Allies were already focused on her. It was a car that Navardoze was just about to get out of luck after a short contemtion. A shrill scream erupted from the middle of the military camp, which had maintained silence. ¡°Huhhhhhhh! The stomach is dangerous!¡± [Hmm?] It was a familiar voice. A little boy, all white, pointed towards the inside of the portal. She was the wizard Asher, whom she also knew well. As Navardoze turned his head in the direction he was pointing, his eyes widened as if they would pop out. In the distance, a pair of winged giants pped their wings in the air. Compared to the giants the allied forces had faced so far, it looked somewhat clumsy, but that wasn¡¯t the point now. A spear made of light thrown from the giant¡¯s hand was flying through the wind. ¡°It¡¯s a giant!¡± ¡°Did you know we wereing¡­!¡± The soldiers who saw the scene btedly exploded in astonishment. Despair fell on Asher¡¯s face. The sky was still bright enough to activate the protection of the stars. ¡°Oh, no!¡± I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like this as soon as I started. The spear of light was rushing right towards where he was. Marja spat out a curse and ran forward. ¡°Damn Asher!¡± ¡°Everyone is in danger!¡± Marja hugged Asher with one arm and pulled her body back. Braum, who blocked the two of them, raised his great shield. It was a car that Asher chanted incantations to do something about. Kwaaaaaang-!! Suddenly, a shadow fell over my head and at the same time, a strong explosion sounded. ¡°Huh¡­?!¡± Asher and hispanions raised their heads urgently. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened like that. Tens of thousands of red scales were sparkling like jewels. As the thick smoke dispersed in the wind, a huge red dragon appeared. ¡°I am Navardoze!¡± Asher was frightened. It was Navardoze who returned to his original form. Shrinking in size to pass through the gate, she became the same size as Itargand. Of course, his unique majesty did not diminish at all. Navardoze let out a deep sigh. ¡¾You don¡¯t even have time to say a word.¡¿ Those who survived burst into astonishment. Without any defensive spells, she just hit the spear of light with her body and canceled it. The scales where the spear had been stuck were scorched, but that was all. ¡°You blocked that?!¡± The followers of Neb zie who watched the scene from the watchtower were frightened. No matter how much the attack of the artificial giant descended on Lycopos¡¯ body, it was absolutely not something he could handle with his bare body. Since Darman, who was active in the sword festival, it has been strengthened through countless improvements. ¡°this. I can¡¯t go on like this. The headmaster and the archbishops¡­!¡± After failing to attack first, they were about to take the next action. Suddenly, Navardoze spread his wings and rushed into the portal. Kwajik! Closing the distance with a single p of her wings, she bit off the artificial giant¡¯s neck. ¡¾Gagging¡­!¡¿ The sound of the neck bones being crushed echoed. Navardoze¡¯s teeth, forged with Ronan¡¯s blood, tore away the degraded¡¯s protection like paper. The fresh blood that burst from the giant¡¯s mouth drenched the white ground. The thick liquid took on an eerie purple color that seemed to prove that he was neither a human nor a giant. Wow! Navardoze shook his head as if to shake it off, and at the same time, the giant¡¯s bodynded on top of the watchtower. The giant, whose spine was severed, could no longer stand up. The screams of the believers who had barely escaped crushing were heard. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaagh! Save me!¡± It was a scream so desperate that it made me sympathize. Unfortunately, that wish did note true. From the mouth of Navardoze, which opened up and down, the hottest fire since the creation of the world poured out. ¡°Aaaaaaaa!!¡± There was no time to leave a will. A tidal wave of me spread widely, swallowing people and giant watchtowers. Personnel who knew how to use the protection of the stars were ced in each watchtower, but it was not enough to block her fire. Roaring! It was only after reaching the fortress, to be exact, that the defenses surrounding the fortress, that the stopped mes extinguished in waves. Unlike the meager watchtowers, the huge forts stood firm like breakwaters. Navardoze clicked his tongue when he saw the visibly thicker barrier. ¡¾yes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be easily defeated.] Breaking through that defense line seemed to be the priority task. The Pale Castle, where the leader is located, was located far away. It seemed that I had to use some force. At that time, giants with a pair of wings soared above the forts all over the ce. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­!¡± The soldiers were astonished. It was the sight of three times flying over the forest. The sound of pping wings was spreading over the fields. The power was notparable to the existing giants, but the number of heads was unusual. Hundreds of man-made giants each possessed a power simr to that of Darman, who caused nightmares in the Festival of Swords. It was just a moment when fear was about to fall on the faces of the soldiers. Navardoze, who drew in his breath until his heart burst, looked up at the sky and shouted. ¡¾Forward! Destroy it before it is destroyed!] If this was a speech, it was a speech in its own right. Adeshan¡¯s voice repeating orders one after another resonated in the minds of the entire army. Excited, Orsay pulled a spear made of his own bone from his chest. e! Bugs!] The spear twisted into a spiral was still spitting out vicious energy. The Prince of Shadows and the vampires he led shot out in the form of a galloping cloud. Schlieffen, who arrived at the enemy camp first, swung his sword wide. The wind drawn along the sword path crossed the sky. Chow ah! The artificial giant¡¯s head, which was about to throw a spear, soared into the air. [¡­!] The huge body that fell while sttering blood signaled the start of the final battle. With a shout that shook the world, the allied forces began to charge. **** ¡°So. How are you feeling now?¡± ¡°Damn, how many times do you ask the same question?¡± ¡°I think it was about twenty. You¡¯re asking if there are any side effects, so I¡¯m going to answer in silence.¡± ¡°Oh really. all right. So¡­¡± After hearing the savior¡¯s words, Ronan scratched his head. A dizzying bloody smell wasing from all sides. The dismembered bodies of monsters were scattered around him. Afterpleting the Haeju ritual, Ronan immediately moved to the desert where Dainhar was located with the savior. The scorching haze turned into a cold night breeze and brushed his cheeks. He scratched his head and spat out. ¡°It¡¯s just normal.¡± Chapter 287 [ 287. Total Offensive (1) ] #287 [Adeshan. Dangerous.] ¡°Aww¡­!¡± Adeshan clutched his forehead with a sudden headache. Again, the woman¡¯s voice resonated in my head. It was the first time I heard it in a situation that required concentration like this. ¡°So what¡¯s more dangerous in the current situation¡­!¡± She said to herself involuntarily. The answer never came back. By this point, I was getting a bit annoyed. It was no time to receive a warning. Cheers, screams, and mad roars erupted sporadically from all over the battlefield. ¡°Bring more diluent! Do not disperse, aim for one point!¡± ¡°You have to blow it in one shot. Request support bombing to the magic tower right now¡­¡± Kwaaang! The conversation of the soldiers besieging the fortress was swallowed up by the sound of explosions. The spear of light that flew aiming at the blind spot was a direct hit in the middle of the formation. Cut pieces of meat appeared in the ce where the smoke had subsided. ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± ¡°All legs! My legs!¡± A scream of pain rang out. The immediately activated defensive magic covered their heads. bang! bang! The spears of light that fell in session hit the shield and exploded. There was no additional damage, but dozens of victims have alreadye out from just one shot. The soldier who barely survived pointed to the sky and shouted. ¡°excuse me! There are three guys right up there!¡± Adeshan raised her head. As the soldier said, three artificial giants were taking turns preparing to throw their spears. Taking out her crossbow, she aimed at the nearest giant and pulled the trigger. ¡°away.¡± It was a long distance because I was sitting in the rear, but it didn¡¯t matter anyway. The crossbow that stretched out in a straight line hit the artificial giant between the eyebrows. Puppy-! The arrowhead, forged in Ronan¡¯s blood, dug deep into the giant¡¯s brain and caused an explosion. ¡¾Oops¡­!¡¿ The giant with the top of his forehead missing fell helplessly. Adeshan immediately reloaded and fired two more shots in quick session. hooked! hooked! This time, it also hit the forehead and temples. The giants that fell with a small explosion crashed into the shield and bounced off. The soldiers cheered at his godlike sniping skills. ¡°Commander Ji got it! hurray!¡± ¡°Absolutely no disadvantage! Push!¡± The allied forces, full of morale, rushed in. It was the car Adeshan was refining his strategy. A soldier shouted in an urgent voice. ¡°Commander Ji!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as she hurriedly turned her head. A man d in the protection of the stars was running towards me, holding a dagger. ¡°Four years is the head. die!¡± He was an assassin of the Church who had sneaked out of the fortress. The man who was in charge of the southeast branch was killing one or two officers from the allied forces. Adeshan bit his lip. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± ¡°In the name of a great star!¡± It was toote to avoid it. It was the car she was trying to hurriedly control her mind. Rumble! The ground swelled and a rising stone wall stood between her and the assassin. The bewildered assassin spat out a curse. ¡°What the fuck is this¡­¡± It was the moment he was about to pull himself out. The rock, which turned into a giant hand, grabbed the assassin. oops! A crushing and popping sound echoed at the same time. ¡°Gagging!¡± A thick clot of blood protruded from the inside of the assassin¡¯s gaping mouth. It was an instant death, no doubt. bang! bang! At the same time as his radish-like corpse was thrown, dozens of identical rock grips rose up. A voice came from behind Adeshan, who was dumbfounded. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Now Professor Jarodine?¡± Adeshan sighed. A skinny man stood there with his hands in his pockets. It was Professor Jarodin of Phileon Academy, whom he had seen before. he said in a dry voice. ¡°As he just said, you are one of the allied staff. I think you can go a little further back.¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Adeshan bowed her head. Jardin turned his back and snapped his fingers. Kurleung! The giant rock hands started to move freely and block the giants¡¯ attacks or hit the outer walls of the fortress. ¡°¡­amazing.¡± Adeshan admired. The power of magic was also powerful, but there was little waste of mana even when using suchrge magic in session. I couldn¡¯t appreciate it because I was only in theb every day, but it really seemed like the top mage of the Full Moon Magic Tower. Even the protection of the star, which seemed like an iron castle, could be seen cracking little by little. At the fort, the followers of Neb zie resisted by shooting arrows and magic, but they could not stop the advance of the allied forces like paddles. The general offensive was proceeding with ferocity, as expected. The allied forces, except for the bare minimum, were knocking on the gates of the nine fortresses. It was a gateway that had to be passed through in order to reach the Pale Castle where Irill and the leader were. ¡°These ignorant and stupid things¡­!¡± ¡°Hold on until the archbishopse!¡± The followers of Neb zie were fighting a desperate battle against the allied forces. It wasn¡¯t easy to break through because the artificial giants were beaten and there were quite a few bishops and branch leaders. However, if you ask if the situation is against the Allies, it was absolutely not. The long-forged de was doing its job well enough. There was only one thing that bothered me. Adeshan murmured. ¡°By the way¡­where have all the archbishops gone?¡± **** ¡°Just normal.¡± Ronan snorted. After the ritual of Haeju, I sliced a few monsters, but I didn¡¯t feel any tangible change. At most, was it to the extent that the body became slightly lighter? He turned his wrists and ankles and continued. ¡°Is the curse really gone? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°The ritual was clearly a sess. It must be because the curse is still dissolving. I expected you to feel intense pain, but to think you¡¯re still fine¡­ You¡¯ve got extraordinary adaptability.¡± ¡°Feeling a pang? why?¡± Ronan tilted his head. The savior, who was scratching his head, spoke in a slightly disrespectful tone. ¡°I put a curse on you that is far more powerful than you think. Something so terrible and evil that even a normal human could not handle it.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for that.¡± ¡°No matter how big or small, pain will surelyeter. Anyway, if you¡¯re fine right now, that¡¯s fine. Come on listen¡­ gagging!¡± Suddenly, the savior covered his mouth with his left hand and coughed. It was unusual that the sound was mixed with water. Embarrassed Ronan supported him. ¡°What are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­it¡¯s okay.¡± The savior subtly wiped his left hand on the hem of his trousers. The red stain came out, but the movements were so clever that Ronan didn¡¯t notice. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the damn thing. So why did you want toe to this ce?¡± Ronan frowned. Anyway, he was a man who didn¡¯t even listen to words. Ignoring Elsia¡¯s advice that the savior should still rest, he came all the way here to Dainhar. Sheeta, who had picked up the two, let out a worried cry. ¡°Bye wooung¡­¡± ¡°Look, he¡¯s worried too. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m going alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡± The savior said firmly. Veins appeared on Ronan¡¯s forehead. To be honest, there wasn¡¯t a single thing I didn¡¯t understand. Even if I put aside the pain, I don¡¯t know what those mentally ill people are doing to my sister right now, but I¡¯m going through this remote area. The savior continued. ¡°There is something you must see. It has to be now.¡± ¡°It really is.¡± Ronan clenched his fists. His eyes were too serious to run away after giving him a shot saying not to talk bullshit. I¡¯m not one to y with my one and only daughter. Ronan, who was biting his lower lip, let out a sigh. ¡°Huh¡­okay.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Instead, if I¡¯mte and something happens to my sister, you¡¯ll die by my hands.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If it was sooner, it would be sooner, because it would not arriveter. Although this friend was also quite good.¡± The savior nced at Sheeta and said confidently. Ronan didn¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll do, but now I have no choice but to believe. said Ronan, scratching Sheeta¡¯s neck. ¡°Sita. you do some scouting If anything happens, tell me right away.¡± ¡°Knock it!¡± Upon hearing themand, Sheeta flew up. The two of them took a few steps and arrived right in front of Dainhar. Ronan looked around and sighed as if he was fed up. ¡°Howe nothing has changed here.¡± Dainhar, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a while, showed off his unchanging ignorance. The mountains of rock and metal that grew around the ruins looked like a fire in the desert. The shield activated after expelling Ronan and Schlieffen was still perfectly covering Dainhar. Suddenly, a strange experience from three years ago shed into my mind. I was kicked out by itself after saying something about the mi identifier. ¡°What was what?¡± I¡¯ve been through all sorts of things, but the strangest of them all. It was the car he recalled from the past. A man¡¯s voice came from near the rocky mountain of Dainhar. ¡°Ro Ronan? Are you sure you are Ronan?¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. It was a somehow familiar voice. Looking up, I saw a dark-skinned young man with his head pulled out of a crevice in the rock. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Dreaming Thunder?¡± ¡°Ronan! It really is Ronan!¡± The young man began to descend the rocky mountain making a fuss. It¡¯s been a while, but I definitely remembered it. It was Dreaming Thunder, an aboriginal boy he met in Dyinhar in the past. The savior asked in a slightly surprised tone. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have a rtionship with the natives here. Do you know me well?¡± ¡°yes. A little before.¡± Ronan nodded. He and Schlieffen had saved him from being chased by Terranil and Yuria, executives of Neb zie. He went all the way to the center of the ruins with his older brother, the Furious Gust. Ronan¡¯s expression brightened, and he waved his hand. ¡°A long time! How are you?¡± ¡°We all got along! No intruders since then!¡± The dreaming thunder shouted. It was obvious that he had grown in size after three years. He said that both the tribesmen and the ruins were unharmed. I also added that Neb zie visited me several times, but couldn¡¯t break through all the new defenses. Ronan let out a sigh of relief and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let us in now!¡± ¡°Can not be done!¡± ¡°what?¡± Ronan¡¯s brow wrinkled. He was so determined that for a moment I thought I had heard it wrong. He put his hand to his mouth and shouted loudly. ¡°Why not!¡± ¡°The transparent film does not disappear! If it¡¯s not from our tribe, we can¡¯te in or go out!¡± ¡°Nimi. what is that again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s real! Before we go out, we have to get permission from some woman and go out!¡± Thunder crawling down the rocky mountain finallynded on the sand. He started running toward Ronan, swinging his long limbs. What do you mean by woman? It was the moment when Ronan knocked on the shield. [This is an unauthorized user. Entry is prohibited.] ¡°Oh shit. It¡¯s a surprise.¡± Dismissed! A woman¡¯s voice resounded in my head along with a tingling sensation. Ronan hurriedly removed his hand. It was the same voice I heard when I was kicked out in the past. ¡°Is this how you want toe out?¡± I thought I knew what the thunder meant. At that time, the celebration order was still in progress. Sreureung¡­! Ronan tugged at the hilt. No matter how thick it was, it must have been a shield made of mana. It was a car he had just raised his arm. The savior who grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get excited. Because it¡¯s natural. And now, if you destroy the shield, it will fail at the critical moment.¡± ¡°Is it normal?¡± ¡°okay. In the past, Dyinhar was a ce where only a few people could enter. Looking at that tattoo, it seems fortunate that the spirit is alive.¡± The savior¡¯s gaze was fixed on the tattoo on Thunder¡¯s body. Come to think of it, the natives of this ce were carving such tattoos for all ages and sexes. The savior, who was scanning Dainhar with yearning eyes, raised his hand on the shield. ¡°It¡¯s been a while here. really.¡± Paaa¡­! A faint light leaked from the area where the palms touched. something was out of the ordinary Within seconds, the woman¡¯s voice resounded in everyone¡¯s heads. [This is a registered user. Temporarily disables the defense system.] ¡°Huh!¡± At the same time, the barrier covering the whole of Dainhar disappeared. The mana that had been staying inside the station field came rushing in. The dreamy thunder that hade rushing in was startled and hit its butt on the sand. The savior turned to Ronan and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go. So, while saving my daughter, why not save the world as well?¡± Chapter 288 [ 288. General offensive (2) ] #288 ¡°Let¡¯s go. So, while saving my daughter, wouldn¡¯t you save the world as well?¡± The savior who left those words began to stride into Dainhar. It was impressive to walk without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Ronan, dumbfounded, followed him. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°I have no intention of dying, so hurry up. Hey, where was the road to the bridge?¡± ¡°Ha Hamgyo? What is it?¡± Dreaming Thunder was taken aback by the sudden question. The savior exined the ce called ¡®Bridge¡¯ step by step. ¡°It is a very wide and t space. It¡¯s all white and there¡¯s a mechanism¡­ Oh yeah. There is such a great crystal.¡± The savior opened his arms and drew a circle. In an instant, a certain ce passed through the minds of Ronan and Thunder. If my memory isn¡¯t distorted, I¡¯ve definitely been there before. Thunder seeded in reasoning and snapped his fingers. ¡°Aha, you mean the heart of the ruins? If you are there, you know!¡± In the past, it was the ce where Ronan had a decisive battle with Terranil, the leader of Neb zie. Shockwaves and sparks tearing through the ground The bloody smell of the massacred natives was still vivid. The savior groaned. ¡°The heart¡­yes. That¡¯s not wrong. Can you guide me there?¡± ¡°Ha, but it is a sacred ce there. We can¡¯t enter unless it¡¯s our tribe¡­¡± Dreaming Thunder dragged the horse¡¯s tail. And restlessly, he looked at Ronan¡¯s eyes. It was to ask if the savior was trustworthy. Come to think of it, it was a holy ce or something. The way I went was also damn right. Thoughtful, Ronan nodded. ¡°He is someone you can trust. I bet you.¡± ¡°It is good then. I will take you there!¡± As soon as Ronan¡¯s guarantee fell, Thunder¡¯s face brightened. I could get a glimpse of the trust in Ronan in the part where he never asked why he was heading to the Holy Land. Thunder took the lead and walked out. Ronan and the Saviors followed the thunder and moved into Dainhar. It was made up of rocky mountains and sand and metallic strangely shaped rocks on all sides, so I had to lift my head up and look up at the sky in order to change my mind even a little. The night air was still cold. The night sky was unusually beautiful, probably because it was a desert without any artificial light. It was while Ronan was walking while looking at the neb burning brightly. ¡°Where are you going at this hour? Thunder.¡± ¡°ok?¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the front. All three looked at each other at the same time. A rather rugged and huge native man was standing there. Thunder¡¯s eyes widened wide. ¡°Ooh brother?!¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± Ronan was also surprised. Like thunder, it was a raging gust, the natives with whom they had bonded in Dyinhar. He met Ronan¡¯s eyes and greeted him first. ¡°Ronan. A long time.¡± ¡°I know.¡± A splendid hat was ced on the head of the furious gust. As expected, it seemed that he had been crowned as the new chieftain. He strode forward and joined hands with Ronan. ¡°I was a little worried because there was no news for three years. I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡± ¡°Will it be as much as you?¡± Ronan, who saw the body of the gust, stuck out his tongue. It looked like a statue carved out of obsidian, not a human. He said that he noticed the presence of Ronan and the Saviors the moment they entered Dainhar. After greeting, the st opened its mouth. ¡°I just heard the story. Are you going to the heart of Dainhar?¡± ¡°ok. that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I will guide you. Thunder is still immature, so going alone is unreasonable.¡± Angry Gust, like his brother, did not ask why Ronan was heading to the Holy Land. His bones were deeply imprinted with the grace he had received from Ronan and Schlieffen in the past. The dreamy thunder beside him jumped out of ce. ¡°older brother! What do you mean? I can do it right!¡± ¡°So did you break your limbs the other day? If it wasn¡¯t for me, you would be crippled.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that, both of you go together.¡± It was in the midst of a quarrel between native brothers. The savior suddenly intervened and tapped the two on the shoulder. He turned to Ronan and continued. ¡°If this guy passes out, I need someone to move him or wake him up. It¡¯s because the original body is big. And the raging st, are you the chieftain?¡± ¡°faint? moved? This once is so. I am the chief.¡± ¡°Then you should go together. I¡¯ll go and tell you the details, so let¡¯s go.¡± Having said that, the savior pulled the angry gust by the wrist. It was a gust of wind with one more head than that, but helplessly, he was dragged by the savior and led the way. ¡°her.¡± Ronanughed incredulously. The impudence was astonishing at that level. Suddenly, Thunder, who was alternately looking at Ronan and Savior, pped his hands. ¡°Ah, if you look closely, that person resembles Ronan. They are identical except for the hair color!¡± ¡°Because he is my father.¡± ¡°father? Did Ronan have a father too?! Then, is there a mother?¡± Dreaming Thunder opened his eyes wide and asked. Even if I were a woman, it seemed less surprising than that. Ronan asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Yumma. What does that mean? Is it because my coronary artery was born like an orphan?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Ronan is so strong that I honestly thought you were a monster. I¡¯m d you¡¯re human like us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. But neither is there.¡± said the Dreaming Thunder in bewilderment. It was a joke, of course, so Ronan reassured him with an appropriate giggle. However, the fact that he is a human like us took a little toll on me. ¡®Am I right to be human?¡¯ Remembering the moment he drank the giant¡¯s blood, Ronan twitched his lips. I thought that maybe I could live a life close to eternity like the savior or Abel. Drowning in introspective troubles, he drooled. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry too.¡± Thunder shrugged. Anyway, the four of them headed to the heart of Dainhar. There were more natives who wanted to say hello, but the situation was such that we decided to put it off untilter. ¡°be careful. If you fall into the red water, you won¡¯t even find your bones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they call itva. This stone head.¡± The four of them climbed the cliff, crossed the river ofva with stepping stones, and finally reached the long corridor leading to the heart. match! The savior, who was staring at the distant hallway, pped his hands. ¡°okay. I remember now After passing here, the bridge came out.¡± ¡°You remember that quickly.¡± Ronan chuckled. Anyway, I¡¯m d it¡¯s the same ce. There were no dangerous elements such as traps here, so I was able to walkfortably. Crouching down, Ronan winked at the savior. ¡°I understand, so hurry up. We must hurry.¡± Of course, there was no time to enjoy leisure time. The savior naturally entrusted himself to his son¡¯s back. At the same time, Ronan¡¯s shape shot forward. bang! The sound of kicking the ground resounded, and at the same time the bewildered cries of the native brothers echoed. ¡°Ro Ronan! Come with me!¡± ¡°wait!¡± The gap widened quickly. Either way, Ronan kept running. The problem was that the aisle itself was so long that even if I increased my speed, I couldn¡¯te to the end. Despite the darkness and silence encouraging conversation, there was no conversation between father and son. Only widely spaced footsteps echoed regrly. Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan¡¯s mind. Originally, it was a question I was going to ask the savior when I had timeter. Thunder came to mind again because of the question he had just asked. ¡®Why am I doing this?¡¯ Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. I don¡¯t know why, but I had the feeling that if I didn¡¯t ask now, I wouldn¡¯t get a chance for the rest of my life. Ronan, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°What kind of person was that¡­mom?¡± ¡°oh. You¡¯re asking that now You must have been curious as well, right?¡± The savior was delighted. Seeing that he answered as if he had waited, it seemed that he was looking forward to the time of the question. Ronan, who was feeling hot for no reason, got nervous. ¡°Damn, wouldn¡¯t you be curious if it was like yours? He is the one who gave birth to me.¡± ¡°You must be curious. Of course you¡¯re curious. If you ask me what kind of person I am¡­ Mmm. She was truly a woman like the sun. Your mother is.¡± said the savior. Although a little nauseated, Ronan listened to him in silence. ¡°Kasha has always been a girl who lived in Nimburton. Her hair ck as space was really beautiful. It was a pity that Iril couldn¡¯t get the hair, but you have no idea how lucky you got it.¡± After saying that, the savior started messing with Ronan¡¯s hair. The colors resembling the night sky were unmistakably his wife¡¯s. Ronan frowned. ¡°Can you please stop touching me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not worn out, what are you doing? Anyway, Kasha was a very nice woman. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but that made it even more lovable. She was truly a person who could be good to others.¡± The savior¡¯s tone was bright beyond recognition. I wondered how I had tolerated this subject for so long. He did not stop breathing and recited the strengths of his wife. ¡°I made good potato stew, I was strong for a woman, and although I made a lot of mistakes, I never gave up. But there is another decisive reason why I fell for Kasha. Do you know what?¡± ¡°Is it the face?¡± ¡°You know me well.¡± Ronan answered without any hesitation. He remembered the face of his mother he had seen while traveling through the world of images in the past. My mother resembled my older sister to the extent that it could be said that she had only changed the color of her hair and eyes. The savior nodded solemnly. ¡°okay. Kasha was more beautiful than anyone else. I¡¯ve seen a lot of women over an uncountable amount of time, but none of them have matched me. The oath to not leave bloodlines, no matter what, turned into a grumbling that was no better than shit in a single smile of her eyes.¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s nice to be honest.¡± The savior said that he originally intended not to date a woman or have children. If this terrifying ability he had was inherited, something terrible could have happened. In fact, the Lycoforce, a special organization of Neb gie, was created when Abel, his degraded version, sowed seeds or became obsessed with clone technology. However, Kasha was too beautiful to make a rational judgment. He was intoxicated by the love between the sexes he met for the first time in his long life. The fact that Abel¡¯s wounds did not heal over the years could only be attributed to the power of love. After saying a few more words, the savior closed his eyes. ¡°Ah, that ecstatic night is still as clear as a hand. Exactly ten months after that, Erill was born. Your mother pulled me by the wrist, saying that the star-studded river is beautiful. And¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, if I get out of there, I¡¯ll just throw it away.¡± Ronan cut off the savior¡¯s tongue. I didn¡¯t want to know that kind of information. At this rate, he was ready to talk about his older sister as well as the anecdote of the moment he appeared in the world. Ronan, who was silent for a moment, smiled. ¡°Well, thank you anyway.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°Anyway, my mom was an incredibly nice person. I was a little curious because I didn¡¯t remember seeing his face properly.¡± said Ronan. In fact, he had no memory of his mother. Every year he and his sister wouldy flowers on the tomb in the sun in Nimburton. If I hadn¡¯t traveled to the mental world in Secret¡¯s room in the past, I wouldn¡¯t have known her face for the rest of my life. The savior wrapped his hair around his index finger. ¡°¡­one of the sorrows of my life was not being able to attend your mother¡¯s deathbed. After I cursed you and Illil, I immediately left for the Ghost Sea. I have never been so damned.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t help it. I have to live right now.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that. That¡¯s how I left you. Erill had a time that could be called a memory, but Ronan did nothing for you.¡± His voice was hoarse. From the high and low of the note, I felt a sense of regret. he continued. ¡°That¡¯s why I gave Irill a blood needle with my blood on it. I asked you to give it to me for youring-of-age birthday. I had a lot of thoughts that I could be of help¡­ ¡± ¡°Actually, I just wanted to see my son grown up. A selfish estate.¡± The saviorughed self-deprecatingly. Ronan didn¡¯t say anything. Even though it was disgusting, I thought it could be. Suddenly, he felt that running away from home early in his previous life had twisted a lot of things. If he had onlysted until adulthood, he might have found a way to y the giants for the rest of his life. Of course, it was a pointless story by now. ¡°There is a saying that blood can only be washed away by blood. As the saying goes, I think there are wounds that only love can wash. Kasha and your siblings made me forget the despair of being betrayed by Abel, who seemed like it would never be erased.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you did.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Now I am saying this.¡± The savior put it to the end. There was no further conversation. ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± Ronan twisted his mouth. It wasn¡¯t that I was deliberately silent, but I couldn¡¯t think of a suitable answer. It was the moment he turned the corner after leaping exactly three more times. Suddenly, his eyes brightened and a familiar space opened up in front of him. ¡°I arrived once.¡± Chapter 289 [ 289. Total offensive (3) ] #289 ¡°We have arrived.¡± Ronan stopped. The Holy Land of Dyinhar. Or, the ce called the heart was still showing off its magnificent appearance even after three years had passed. In the middle of the space covered with white tiles, a chunk of magic stonerger than any farmhouse was floating. Looking at it now, it seemed that the style of the building Elsia lived in, whether it was a seed storage or something, was simr. The savior looked around and eximed. ¡°Ah¡­ time has passed, but it¡¯s still the same. Indeed, these are the ruins left by those who were closest to the stars.¡± ¡°What the hell is this ce?¡± ¡°The bridge and power nt of the greatest ship in the world. Looking at it now, it¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°ship?¡± Ronan tilted his head. Instead of answering, the savior extended his finger and pointed at the crystal. Come to think of it, even though I had arrived at my destination, I didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of getting off. I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Ronan first moved as he told him to. Traces of the past fight with Terranil remained everywhere. The savior who arrived in front of the crystal tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°This is the engine. It is an essential power engine to move the huge hull. The geniuses of the time put their heads together and developed it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what an engine¡­ is, but it¡¯s like a heart, right?¡± ¡°okay. it¡¯s the heart The analogy of your native friends was correct.¡± The savior nodded. Suddenly, voices of thunder and gusts of wind rang out from behind. ¡°Hee-euk¡­hehe I finally got it!¡± ¡°Ro Ronan! Come with me!¡± When I turned my head, I saw the aboriginal brothers who were breathing deep under their chins. He couldn¡¯t handle mana properly, but he was quite proud to have followed him so quickly. The savior looked at the tattoos on their bodies and continued. ¡°The tattoos on the bodies of those friends are a kind of identification code. In the past, this ship wasn¡¯t something anyone could steer. Only those who had increased sensitivity through gic modification could be sailors, and the evidence that they inherited that lineage was engraved on their bodies from generation to generation.¡± ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know what the fuck you mean. First of all, where the hell is the ship?¡± ¡°I made a mistake. It is faster to see once than to hear a hundred times. Wait a minute.¡± Suddenly, the savior raised his hand in the air and muttered something. Then, the tile in front of it was overturned, and a huge cuboid emerged. Dozens of mechanical devices were attached to the smooth surface. Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°This¡­¡± I must remember. It was a rectangr parallelepiped that clearly contained the secret of the ruins. Ever since the raging gales tampered with it, Dynhar has beenpletely fortified. Originally, it was ced under a certain stairway, but it seemed that a savior had called it. cried the angry gust that had just caught up with Ronan, wide-eyed. ¡°You can¡¯t touch that! You can touch it only on the promised day!¡± ¡°Today is the day.¡± The savior answered dryly. And without hesitation, he put his hand on the mechanism. Kugu Pce¡­! After pressing a few buttons, my feet started shaking as if an earthquake had struck. ¡°Nimi. What the hell are you trying to do¡­ uhm?!¡± It was the car Ronan was about to say. A burning pain rose from the depths of his body. He staggered as if he were about to copse as he grabbed his chest. The savior who nced at his son smiled. ¡°yes. It¡¯s finally started. There can be no side effects.¡± ¡°Shit, what is this¡­¡± ¡°I told you that there will be side effects of Haeju. Now, the curses that have been dposed in your body are being discharged out of your body. It will probably hurt terribly.¡± Ronan was speechless and gritted his teeth. The terrible pain that seemed to boil his organs was not something he could endure with his guts. The startled Gust and Thunder brothers supported Ronan. ¡°Roronan. Wake up!¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t die!¡± The savior closed his eyes. Every time his hand moved, the vibration that shook the ruins was getting stronger. A ck magic stone that seemed to be an engine or something was flickering like crazy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the pain will subside soon. It would be easier to think of it as a bird¡¯s struggle to break an egg. Ronan. You were born with a talent that surpasses me from the beginning.¡± ¡°Gagging¡­ kuck!¡± ¡°Compared to Illil, I feel downgraded, but that is also a very terrifying power. I am just grateful that I grew up to be a good child who would not abuse such power.¡± Ronan barely lifted his head and looked at the back of the savior. Sparkling mana was constantly gushing out of his dwarf shoulders. It was like seeing a small volcano rather than a person with a massive amount. He was humming something to himself, but the sounds around him were so loud that it was hard to hear. ¡°¡­Fly. fly again.¡± However, I couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that I somehow seemed to be in danger. Should I say it feels like watching thest eruption of an old volcano? It seemed that if he vomited up all theva, it would cool down as it was. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± I wanted to say something, but my voice didn¡¯te out. At that time, the intense pain that struck again swept Ronan¡¯s five senses. I felt that the curses that were holding my heart were dying. The savior, who nced back at his son, concluded the lyrics. ¡°Let¡¯s fly one more time.¡± **** ¡°This is nonsense¡­¡± muttered Bishop Theresia. She climbed atop the walls of the fortress and watched the fall of the Order in real time. The protection of the stars protecting the fortress, which they believed would never be breached, was about to break. ¡°This is the end. Never back down!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you damn fanatics pay for their crimes!¡± Allied forces were now simultaneously assaulting thest two remaining fortifications. The shouts of the soldiers shook the pure white earth. Every time the catapult lowered its head, the warheads soaked in diluent were fired in a parabolic arc. bang! bang! A roar erupted whenever various projectiles struck the shield. Seeing the allied forces swarming like bees, the believers let out a despairing sigh. Due to the activity of artificial giants and siege warfare, the number decreased considerably, but it seemed well over 100,000. Their spirit, drunk with blood, was so high as to tear the sky apart. Allied gs fluttered in the seven fortresses that had already been captured. The corpses of artificial giants scattered all over the ce were pouring purple blood. ¡°How did this happen¡­!¡± Theresia bit her lower lip. Everything happened in an instant. Allied forces were much stronger than expected from the Order. The sabotage that had been going on for hundreds of years was about to fade. The artificial giants, which were the secret weapons, were only good at the beginning, but were falling helplessly without being able to ovee the strong forces of the Allied Forces. At this rate, let alone victory, it seemed that he would not be able to adhere to the time the archbishops had instructed him to endure. Suddenly, a booming voice rang out from the sky. ¡¾Don¡¯t be such a bug, bring the leader!¡¿ It was a familiar voice. Theresia raised her head and bit her lower lip. An unprecedented massacre was taking ce in the sky. The death murmurs of the artificial giants were heard sporadically. ¡¾Gagging!¡¿ ¡¾You foolish dragon. How could it be¡­ Kkeu!] The artificial giants were falling every time Orsay, holding the spiral spear, disappeared from sight. He was flying at high speed with only his wings outstretched in human form. ¡¾Wait¡­¡¿ Puff-! A huge wind hole pierced the chest of the giant who was wandering around. Violet blood and intestines came out of Orsay¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t care. Before the giant could even recognize its own death, the head of the giant behind it exploded. ¡°Demon dragon¡­!¡± aww A cracking sound came from Theresia¡¯s mouth. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that one guy killed half of the artificial giants. Orsay was making an outstanding performance that was worthy of the name of the legendary dragon, and waspletely in control of the battlefield. At that time, a cry broke out again near the wall. ¡°Come out!¡± Theresia lowered her head again. This time, a ck wear tiger was running towards me holding a sword. Above the sharp blue de of the spear, ck mana was shaking and swaying. Zaifa, who had gathered enough aura, swung the moon sword. Wow! A ck line was drawn over the protection of the stars, and a huge crack appeared. His space-shattering aura has already imed three digits of lives since the offensive began. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go that way?¡± Theresia muttered. I thought you were attacking Fort 7, but I didn¡¯t expect you toe here. Seeing the dangerously shaking shield, the follower next to Theresia cried out in tears. ¡°Lord Bishop! If this is the case, you will be overtaken. We must retreat!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Chew! Theresia swung the sword in her hand as it was. The head of Shindo, who insisted on retreating, fell to the floor. The believers who were agitated around them froze for a moment. ¡°We must hold on! that¡¯s the only hope If we¡¯re not ready, the moment that Navardoze spits fire, even our headquarters will be blown away!¡± Theresia raised her sword and pointed at the sky. The tip of the sword, glistening with blood, was pointing at Navardoze, who was pping his wings in the air. Inside her mouth, which still took the form of a dragon, the primordial me was condensed and shimmering. The original light and heat were so strong that it was like watching another sun rise. It was the first shot to be spewed towards the headquarters the moment all nine fortresses copsed. No matter how strong the protection of the archbishops was, I didn¡¯t think that such a thing could be prevented without damage. Recognizing the fact that there was nowhere else to retreat, the believers nodded their heads. ¡°All right. I will not run away!¡± ¡°I will fight. For the Order!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! I, Theresia, are with you!¡± Theresia raised the sword she was holding higher. I¡¯m d I managed to raise morale somehow. In fact, she knew that it was a hopeless situation with no answer, but she had no choice but to fight. ¡®I¡¯ll do anything. Somehow¡­¡¯ The leader and the archbishops who had disappeared were the only hope. It was the car she was trying to focus on Mercury again. Crisp! A small hole was opened in a corner of the shield, and darkness fell. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Huh! I can¡¯t see ahead!¡± It was a terrible darkness where you couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead. Confusion erupted everywhere. Theresia, who hade to her senses, was about to activate one of her powers, a gale. Suddenly, an eerie voice came from her ear. ¡°Where is the teacher?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Theresia was paralyzed as it was. It was a horrifying voice that made the blood freeze. Come to think of it, the voices of the believers were no longer heard. Pod! The darkness that enveloped the area disappeared in an instant. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Theresia¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. The map of hell spread out over the castle wall. The hundred or so believers who had been conversing a moment ago were all thin and lying neatly as mummies. Pale-faced men and women hovered over the corpse, smacking their lips. ¡°Children of the Night.¡± It was not difficult to infer their identities. vampire. They were also the most powerful known vampires of the Warsaw bloodline. The Grand Duke of Shadow, standing behind Theresia, ced her hand on her head and said. ¡°Ask again. Where is the teacher?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Let go of this¡­¡± was the car she was about to say. The Grand Duke of Shadow gave strength to his open hand. Puppy-! Theresia¡¯s head exploded with a crushing sound. Blood and brain shards of brains embedded in the skull were scattered in all directions. After wiping his hands, the grand duke murmured softly. ¡°¡­Balzac.¡± His eyes were burning with anger at the loss of his brother. Theresia didn¡¯t say it, but it was obvious anyway. The cult leader must have been in that pale castle. ¡°You should open the door.¡± The Grand Duke muttered as he was driving towards the castle gate. Wow! With an intense explosion, the gates of the fortress copsed as if they were about to explode. Zaifa, who broke the barriers, entered the castle. He opened his mouth after holding the sword in one turn. ¡°Leave no one alive.¡± ¡°Waaaaa!!¡± The soldiers rushed in like the ebb tide. Most of the remaining believers gave up resistance and started running away, but there was no ce to run. The protection of the stars that covered the fortress was shattering. With this, all forts except one fell. It happened within seven hours of the general offensive. Chapter 290 [ 290. Total Offensive (4) ] #290 ¡°I don¡¯t like this ce anytime.¡± Abel said to himself. He was walking on the ground that was all white. It was a world inhabited by giants. An empty, cold wind, reminiscent of winter in the slums, brushed my cheeks. In a world where even a single grain of sand was white, there was no color to be found. The headquarters of Neb zie was decorated somewhat simrly, but it still did notpare to the original. When I looked up, I saw a white sky. In the clouds thatpletely covered the stars, a huge magic circle disappeared and reappeared repeatedly. It was a passage used by giants who went hunting or returned. not too busy It was the car that recited Abel¡¯s steps. A low, thick voice echoed overhead. ¡ºYou who were born in mortality. Where did you dare toe here?¡± ¡°Stop those presumptuous steps.¡± ¡°Ah¡­that¡¯s right.¡± Abel got down on one knee and looked up. Two giants were looking down on him from directly above. Judging by the fact that they each had four pairs of wings, they were not very high-status individuals. Whoa! The wind from the pping of the wings periodically swept in all directions. It was a raging wind that could have crushed a human being, but Abel was not affected by it. His translucent body was made of spirit, not body. One of the giants who had been staring at Abel opened his mouth. ¡ºYou¡­you are a face in my memory. ¡» Abel nodded. Perhaps it was because he periodically showed his face, but he didn¡¯t attack recklessly anymore. Clearing his throat once, he spoke as politely as possible. ¡°I came to see him.¡± ¡ºWhat the¡­¡» The giants flinched. The already hardened sides became even harder. They didn¡¯t say anything for a long while, and Abel didn¡¯t particrly rush. Abel knew that the giants weremunicating with a being they called ¡®He¡¯. ¡®Share your senses. It¡¯s really convenient.¡¯ Abel waited with his head bowed in silence. In the silence that was longer than expected, a voice that I would not normally have recognized was heard. -help me. ¨C I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! -Please take it out¡­ please¡­ It was a small sound like a whisper. Thenguage was different, but the meaning was intelligible. The cries of countless people were heard from within the bodies of the giants. Abel knew that these were the voices of the souls killed by the giants. They became one with the great race and enjoyed eternal life, but they didn¡¯t seem very happy. Abel smiled bitterly. Soon those who remained on the surface would meet a simr fate. Of course, your situation is very different from mine. Then one of the giants who had been silent spoke. ¡ºGo back. He doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± ¡°¡­is it today?¡± Abel¡¯s brow narrowed. It worked as expected, but it still didn¡¯t feel good to be rejected. he continued. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that, just say it one more time. I¡¯m struggling to dedicate a whole star to it, so wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I asked you that much?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it twice. Go back.] Suddenly, the two giants reached out their hands at the same time. Particles of light began to gather inside the white grip. Anyway, these bald heads couldn¡¯t talk. Abel looked up and let out a deep sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what makes it so difficult to ask for your face to shine at least once. I assure you, if youe to meughing at my motherhood, you might get angry.¡± ¡°You are arrogant. Mortals cannot defeat us. ¡± ¡ºWhat the¡­¡» The speechless giants shut their mouths. Abel slowly raised his head. His gaze was no longer that of a servile requester. Now was the time to build a fence. ¡°Why are you afraid?¡± Abel sneered. It was at this moment that one corner of his mouth smirked. Kwajik! A spear of light that flew in from somewhere pierced Abel¡¯s back. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Abel sighed. I couldn¡¯t even see how fast it was. As I barely followed the trajectory, I raised my head and saw the swirling sky above my head. ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ It was a huge whirlpool that seemed to wind around the entire star. There was a ck hole in the center where the spear fell. Abel instinctively sensed that something was looking down at him from beyond. Pod! The moment he was about to say something, his vision darkened. Abel, who opened his eyes again, raised his upper body as if bouncing. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± My head was dizzy. He was sitting alone in a secret room. It was a secret room located in the headquarters. It seemed that the mental body was destroyed and the consciousness returned to the original body. ¡°Your temper is dirty once.¡± Abel got up from his seat. My whole body was drenched in a cold sweat. I could still feel the piercing in my chest. Under his feet, a magic circle was drawn tomunicate with the world of giants. ¡®I asked for the bait.¡¯ Abel, who was scratching his chest, smiled. The stupid bald heads didn¡¯t do the favor after all, but it didn¡¯t matter now. It was undoubtedly ¡®the person¡¯ who threw the spear of light at the end. I¡¯ve done everything I can with this. What was left was up to the few remaining men and Iril. Suddenly, memories of the past passed before my eyes. Looking back, I lived by following Cain and cutting down many opponents. From the savage nomadic tribes to the machine corps of the Dainhar Empire. He straightened the scabbard on his waist and left the room. ¡°Where shall we see how much better?¡± **** ¡°Stop surrendering now!¡± cried Marja. She jumped forward and swung her greatsword horizontally. The de, longer and thicker than her body, had the same red color as Ronan¡¯s blood. ¡°You cheeky bitch!¡± ¡°Do we look so funny!¡± The followers who were fighting a battle on top of the castle wall were enraged and rushed at them. Marja¡¯s momentum was good, but even so, they couldn¡¯t pierce their armor and shields. Kang! It was the moment they raised their shields and took a defensive stance. The greatsword that dug in without stopping cut through the waists of the followers as it passed. The man who had lost his senses under the pit of the stomach let out a bewildered look. ¡°uh?¡± ¡°You look funny!¡± Marja shouted again. Only the upper half of the body of the remaining believers fell to the floor. Wow! The sh that flew without stopping collided with the watchtower next to it. The watchtower, whose roots were cut off in a single blow, copsed under the castle wall. ¡°It is a monster!¡± ¡°What kind of power¡­¡± Surprise erupted from all over. The te armor she was wearing was unscathed even in the fierce melee. The armor shimmering in aurora colors was an item that Ronan had brought from Aurora Skal a while ago. Armed with heavy armor and a greatsword, Marja proudly cut through the enemy in the lead. When I turned my head, I saw Braum fighting while protecting his allies. bang! After blocking the branch leader Furan¡¯s mace, he shouted while striking the great shield with the back of his sword. ¡°Is that all it is! Try harder!¡± ¡°How dare you open your mouth¡­!¡± Enraged Furan swung his mace, using it until it reached an aura. The blow was much more powerful than before, but Braum blocked it nicely. hooked! In the end, a soldier in Puran¡¯s blind spot pierced his waist with a spear. ¡°Cuck!¡± Furan, who vomited blood from his mouth, fell forward. At the same time, five or six spears rained down on his body. After confirming that the enemies of the Outer Castle had been wiped out, Braum looked back at Marja and shouted. ¡°This is over!¡± ¡°Here too!¡± Marja replied. The voices of the two big people resounded loudly. Having broken through to thest fortress, they were sweeping away the internal resistance along with the allied forces. Looking outside the walls, eight forts that had already been captured caught my eye. ¡°¡­I did it.¡± It was an emotionally charged sight. Eight Allied gs fluttered above the lofty walls. Orsay and the Grand Duke of Shadow were shooting down the remaining artificial giants as they scrambled through the sky. Asher¡¯s voice echoed not far away. ¡°Everyone has to pay for their crimes!¡± ¡°¡­Cutie.¡± Marja blushed with shame. It didn¡¯t take long before he realized how arrogant he was when he dered that he would protect Asher before the battle began. Asher rode on Orsay¡¯s back and was shooting huge ice spikes in all directions. The magic strengthened by Elizabeth¡¯s aura was much more powerful than usual. ¡¾Gagging!¡¿ ¡¾Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ! hooked! The giants hit by the unmelting ice were falling, vomiting blood. It usually died in one hit, and no instance survived more than three hits. Orse, who transformed into a dragon, burst into a heartyugh. ¡¾Khahaha! That¡¯s it, a killing machine!] ¡°Hehehe! Don¡¯t you fly too fast!¡± Asher let out a shrill scream. Marjaughed. The adventures he had done so far and the learning he had done at Phileon were not in vain. i have to work harder It was the moment when she made up her mind and turned around. A number of screams echoed from the depths of the citadel. ¡°The morning star of my empire ising!¡± ¡°Escape to Bo Nature! Close the door and lock it!¡± All the followers who were fighting a desperate fight were retreating to the castle. Their faces, which had been so spleen, could only see fear and despair. Moving her gaze in the direction they were running, Marja opened her eyes wide. The road to hell was unfolding. The number of corpses torn to shreds could not be counted. Clearly, there was no such thing until a little while ago. ¡°Schlieffen.¡± Marja knew that those neat cuts were all traces of Schlieffen¡¯s storm de. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the person whomitted the most murders today. Schlieffen was running toward the castle, trampling on the path of the corpse he had created. The pale rod held in his left hand scattered cool blue light. Each time he hit the floor, the gap was rapidly closing. ¡°Close it! close! Close it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let the dee in!¡± The believers were screaming as if they were children. Kururureung¡­! The gates of introspection were closing fast. In order to destroy the specially designed gate, the allied forces had to spend quite a bit of effort. ¡°Oh, no!¡± However, Schlieffen narrowly prated inside just before the door closed. thud! The moment he entered the inner sanctuary, the gate was closed. ¡°Haaaaagh!¡± ¡°Please save me!¡± More desperate screams began to ring out. In the middle, the sound of blowing wind was mixed. Even the advancing allied forces stopped and swallowed their saliva. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At some point, the screaming stopped. No more voices could be heard from inside the gate. One soldier opened his mouth. ¡°Is it over¡­?¡± No answer came back. The soldiers exchanging nces with each other stepped forward. Aaaaaang! The ceiling of the inner sanctuary was shattered and a huge whirlwind soared up. ¡°Huh uh uh uh!¡± ¡°Mi crazy¡­!¡± The whirlwind made of sharp winds seemed to be several tens of meters in diameter. Fragments of buildings and shredded corpses were scattered in all directions. A human figure soared from the center of the whirlwind. widely! Landing on top of the tallest watchtower, Schlieffen shouted loudly. ¡°Oh Navardo! I¡¯m done!¡± It was unbelievably loud that the always quiet Schlieffen had uttered it. The cry that spread across the battlefield reached Navardoze, who was waiting. [Confirmed.] The protection of the stars that blocked the headquarters of the forts was disappearing. Navardoze nodded. Between her gaping mouths, a ball of fire was so hot and bright that even a small sun could be believed. Now is the time. Navardoze, who had been inhaling all along, exhaled for the first time. A sphere of me wasunched towards the Pale Castle. Chapter 291 [ 291. Decisive battle (1) ] #291 Navardoze let out a breath. The fireball stuck in her throat was fired at Neb gie¡¯s headquarters. For an instant, all Allied forces stopped moving. ¡°Shoot shot!¡± someone shouted Eventually, this moment had toe. A ball of fire so bright and hot that one could believe it was the younger brother of the sun was sliding through the wind. ¡°Everyone close your eyes and bow your heads! Send a request for assistance to the Mage Tower!¡± ¡°Respond calmly!¡± It was important from here. Themanders leading each unit quickly began to issue orders. Soldiers, as they had practiced, sought cover or ducked their heads and turned away from the fireballs. [Aun Pir. Now.] [Confirmed. This is amazing.] Adeshan sent a telegram to the tower masters. The exmation from Aun Pir, the Dawning Tower Master, has returned. In charge of long-distance firepower support, he was watching the battle with the wizards under hismand. Whoops! At the same time, a huge force field covered the nine forts upied by the allied forces. It was also the coboration of all the Magic Towers, not just Dawn. It was a shield to block the recoil of fire emitted by Navardoze. ¡°please¡­!¡± It didn¡¯t take 5 seconds to get here. Adeshan closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Peace on the continent was right in front of me. It was the moment when the smaller fireball collided with the protection of the stars covering the headquarters. Kwaaaaaang-!! A roar rang out. An indescribable sh of light and heat covered the white earth. Everything in sight was consumed in crimson mes. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± The soldiers gritted their teeth. Even with the fiveyers of defense in between, the terrible heat was vividly felt. The barriers that reached the critical point in an instant were shaking like crazy. ¡°Haaaaagh!¡± ¡¾Wait¡­¡¿ Not a single ant cub survived outside the shield. Believers and artificial giants who managed to survive were reduced to ashes and oxidized before they could let out their screams of death. The bodies scattered across grass and trees were all consumed in the mes. The screams of the air shook the heavens and the earth. The primordial fire soared into the sky, drawing a whirlwind of mes thousands of meters in diameter. It seemed that even a god would not survive there. Soon the whirlwind dissipated and the mes died down. Asher¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I threw up¡­!¡± Instead of entering the shield, he took refuge in the distant skies. The headquarters, which appeared from the spot where the smoke had blown away, was not wearing the protection of the stars. Orse, who was carrying Asher,ughed. ¡¾It¡¯s a monster without an answer.¡¿ At this point, I was dumbfounded. It seemed that the shame of fainting after being hit in the chest had eased a little. The soldiers who opened their eyes btedly let out an astonishment. ¡°Look! Their defenses are disappearing!¡± ¡°My God really!¡± Cheers erupted from the nine forts. The protection of the stars that could not ovee the heat was crumbling. The inside of the castle, which was not properly visible, was revealed. ¡°How much less than you think? Did you bring everything inside?¡± ¡°I turned nine forts, and that¡¯s worth it. It looks like you¡¯ve run out of money now.¡± The soldiers groaned. Is it because of the dispersal of personnel? The number of believers deployed above the walls seemed no different from the troops resisting in each fortress. However, if there was something that bothered him, it was the mana that swayed in the depths of the castle. A huge amount of mana was rising to the sky in an invisible column. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like it¡¯s doing something¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t get the details. Almost everyone looked up at Navardoze at the same time. After spitting out the fire, she was pping her wings in ce, catching her breath. Adeshan tilted her head. ¡°Navardoze-sama¡­?¡± Even though he had an amazing record, his expression was not very good. Her eyes were still ring at the Pale Castle. The soldiers who did not know that were waiting for orders to charge, confident in victory. It was around a minute or so. Navardoze, who had been growling, spat out. ¡¾I will shoot one more shot.¡¿ ¡°Yes?¡± People¡¯s eyes widened. The embarrassedmanders were about to say something. Wow! Her mouth opened wide, and fire spewed out once more. ¡°Wait, Navardoze!¡± Schlieffen eximed urgently. Now that the shield was gone, there was a high chance that Illil would get caught up in it. But the die had already been cast. Torrents of me had already reached the Pale Castle. The panicking soldiers were about to close their eyes again and turn around. Wow! The mes that were about to collide with the castle split left and right. ¡°What the hell is that!?¡± ¡°Wealth fire split!¡± The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened as if they would pop out. I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I saw it. Instead of reaching the castle, the cracked mes were passing sideways. Something was blocking her fire. Sensing an instant crisis, Adeshan shouted at her. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡± [Hmm?] Navardoze narrowed his brows. At the same time, a crescent moon shot out from the spot where the mes split. The crescent moon shimmering in bizarre colors was as huge as the fortress where the allied forces were stationed. ¡°Swordsmanship¡­!¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. It was unmistakable swordsmanship no matter how you look at it or how it looked. However, its size and prestige werepletely unrealistic. Navardoze increased his firepower as if he was getting nervous, but the sword spirit did not stop. The crescent moon that flew through the mes was about to hit her. ¡¾Damn it.¡¿ In the end, Navardoze twisted his body first. At the same time, the sword de lightly brushed her wings. Chew! Blood sttered at the spot where the sword had passed. ¡°I am Navardoze!¡± Adeshan covered her mouth with both hands. The red scales, which had been intact even after being hit directly by the artificial giant¡¯s spear, were neatly cut off. Silence fell over the shocked Allied camp. Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice rang out from the castle. ¡°Twice is not a problem. miss.¡± ¡¾You¡­¡¿ Navardoze¡¯s eyes widened. A man was standing on top of the white castle wall where the mes hadpletely died out. The white hair was as impressive as the long sword in his right hand and the clothes he was wearing. Seeing his face, Adeshan widened her eyes. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± The man¡¯s face was very simr to Ronan¡¯s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were the same person, except that they were a bit older and had different hair colors. Suddenly, someone¡¯s impression Ronan had told me shed through my mind. It was not that difficult to infer the man¡¯s identity. she muttered as if screaming. ¡°Chief Abel¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± Marja, who was next to her, raised her eyebrows. The fact that that man was the leader quickly spread throughout the army. It was while they were frozen for a while. Wow! Navardoze¡¯s wings spread as if they were about to explode. ¡¾Don¡¯t interfere. I will take care of that person.] It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know much about Abel. However, the dragon¡¯s sensitive scales warned him that he was the most dangerous adversary. The reduced body gradually swelled and returned to its original size. Newly grown scales were covering the wounds on the shoulder des. Folding her wings, she shot forward. At about the same time, Abel¡¯s form disappeared from sight. Wow! The crash sounded exactly at the halfway point. Abelughed. ¡°You have an impatient personality.¡± [Shut up, evil thing.] Navardoze said in a contemptuous tone. Instead of replying, Abel turned the sword around and grabbed it. The hand thatpeted with her was shaking as if it would break at any moment. ¡°Your strength is useless again.¡± It was not for nothing that she was praised as the mother of fire. It was a car that he was thinking about how to hold this. Suddenly, Navardoze¡¯s horn shed, and a huge, translucent sphere wrapped around the two of them. Abel shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°What is this again?¡± ¡¾Your ambition ends here.¡¿ Navardoze growled. It was a shield to prevent the aftermath of the battle from radiating to the outside. The moment Abel was about to say something, the figures of the two disappeared along with the shield. ¡°They are gone.¡± ¡°You said that was the teacher? How is the situation going?¡± This was another unexpected situation. It was in the midst of confusion among the soldiers. Suddenly, Navardoze¡¯s cry resounded high in the sky. ¡¾All advance! Exterminate all the evil groups trying to make your ugly fantasiese true!] ¡°Navardoze-sama¡­!¡± I couldn¡¯t see it, but I heard it clearly. It seemed that he was fighting a battle with the cult leader in this space. Suddenly, the space where Navardoze was was overturned, and Lorhorn jumped out. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go too.¡± ¡°The Archmage?¡± The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened. Returning to the form of an old man, his hand was already enchanted with the magic he was casting. match! He pped his hands as he recited a few incantations. A small magic circle was drawn under the feet of all allies. ¡°This¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you can walk that far. Be a storm.¡± Lorhorn smiled at the soldiers¡¯ bewilderment. Subsequently, all the magic circles lit up at once, and the space where the allied troops were located was overturned. ¡°Huh!¡± Faaaah-! The people who opened their eyes again inhaled in vain. The allied forces, which had been dispersed in nine forts, were gathered in one ce. They were besieging the Pale Castle with perfect formations. ¡°oh my god.¡± ¡°Did you move 100,000 people at the same time?¡± The high walls of the castle stretched out in front of him. The pir of mana that was visible from afar was also close enough to touch. The believers who were ced on top of the wall were astonished. ¡°Damn, what the hell!?¡± ¡°The Archbishop!¡± It was a magic worthy of being called the Great Wizard. It didn¡¯t take long to adapt. Themanders, who shared their strategy by telephony, were about to give orders to charge. Suddenly, a high-pitched voice resounded from the top of the castle wall. ¡°wee. everyone.¡± ¡°huh?¡± Adeshan raised her head. A woman in a fancy robe was looking down at the allies. Outwardly, she was just a young and beautiful girl, but the energy that bloomed over her shoulders was unusual. ¡°Everyone had a hard time getting here. I was really impressed with your ability. Even if it¡¯s fake, I didn¡¯t expect you to defeat all those giants.¡± the woman spoke The bewildered people listened to her, not even thinking about answering. It was the moment when Adeshan, who came to his senses first, aimed his crossbow. Archbishop Le Thanxie smiled. ¡°Then, bye bye.¡± It was a gentleugh. Subsequently, the mana pirs that had risen above the castle, which had been an eyesore from earlier, were amplified dozens of times. Whoa! At the same time, the clouds covering the sky dissipated at once. Allied eyes widened as if they would pop out. Dozens of huge magic circles were densely embroidering the sky. ¡°¡­no.¡± someone chanted It was an unforgettable sight to see once and for all eternity. I had seen magic circles wriggling with strange patterns before. As if to prove him, the white giants were slowly descending, tearing through the magic circle. With as little as four and as many as six wings, they weren¡¯t artificially made fakes. It was clear that it had been prepared for a very long time. Only then did people realize that the nine forts were built to pass the time, not just for defense. A despairing sigh leaked from Adeshan¡¯s lips. ¡°Was it hidden behind a cloud¡­!¡± I didn¡¯t notice at all. The pping of wings echoed over the scorched earth. A gale that would uproot whole trees was getting closer. Nobody moved. no one raised a voice Schlieffen, the two Sword Saints, and even Lorhorn, all frozen, stared at the sky where the giants descended. Overwhelmed with despair, they forgot they were even breathing. At that time, the first giant toe down reached out his hand. It had four wings, but it was much bigger than Duaru or Basagia. The gathered particles held a spear made of light in his hand. The giant aimed at the ground opened his mouth. ¡°Ahayute executes the sentence.¡± Chapter 292 [ 292. Decisive battle (2) ] #292 ¡ºAhayute executes the sentence.¡» A low, thick voice rang out. At the same time, the spear that left his hand plunged into the ground. Kwaaaaaang-!! A huge explosion that destroyed Adren¡¯s Sky Tower swept the area. However, it happened not in the allied formation that Ahayute originally aimed for, but in the faraway empty space of the whitend. A small portal was open in the sky near where the spear should have fallen. Lorhorn, who sent the attack by twisting space, vomited blood. ¡°¡­cool.¡± ¡°Great Archmage! Are you all right!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Cool, that¡¯s fine.¡± Lorhorn repeated a heavy cough. It was because they used too many powerful spatial magics in session. The soldiers who came to their senses btedly were astonished. Lorhorn, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, looked down at them and said. ¡°Sorry hey. I didn¡¯t know it would turn out like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Archmage¡¯s fault¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to argue about that? Hurry up and run away.¡± Lorhorn¡¯s stiff face did not show his usualposure. It was only then that themanders realized what they had to do and began to put it into practice. themander-in-chief eximed. ¡°All forces retreat-!¡± [Retreat!!] The othermanders recited the retreat order in full tone. Looking back, there was no chance of winning. The number of giants tearing down the sky seemed to exceed thirty at best. I expected to fight giants, but I didn¡¯t expect that there would be so many. It was a car that was trying to retreat by turning around from the soldiers in the rear. Suddenly, several spears of light were fired in slightly odd directions. Not towards the allies, but towards the empty space far away. Adeshan, who noticed the intention first, let out a scream. ¡°Oh, no!¡± But it was already toote. Three spears of light struck directly near the portal through which the allied forces were advancing. Wow! Dust rose with the sound of the explosion and covered the sky. The borately maintained magic was distorted and the portal disappeared. ¡°iced coffee¡­!¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Despair fell on the soldiers¡¯ faces. It is not an exaggeration to say that it was a glimmer of hope, but their only retreat was gone. Now that Kratyr was exhausted, there was no one to restore the portal. People who sat down or burst into tears began to appear one after another. Suddenly, someone¡¯sughter was heard from the top of the castle wall. ¡°Ahahaha! Look at those faces. Hey, did you really think you guys would win?¡± The soldiers raised their heads. A woman she hadn¡¯t seen appeared next to Letansie and was giggling while holding onto her stomach. It seemed that his eyes were not like that of an ordinary crazy year. ¡°That outfit¡­!¡± People gasped when they saw her dressed like the other archbishops. Letancier asked. ¡°Tieria. Keep your chest tight. Is the ceremony over?¡± ¡°Still doing it. But I came because I didn¡¯t think I would be needed.¡± ¡°You really¡­ no. It certainly could be.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s over anyway, but let¡¯s not be rigid. It doesn¡¯t matter if this is a saint or not, right?¡± Archbishop Tieria giggled. She sneaked out of the Advent ceremony, which was being conducted by the archbishops. Because I thought this part would be funnier. Seeing the faces of people distorted by despair, she thought her judgment was correct. The frozen adjutant managed to open his mouth. ¡°Commander. What would you like to do?¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± themander-in-chief stammered. Nothing came to mind. He once served as the general of the empire and went through all sorts of battles, but this was unprecedented. Now, the giants who hadpletely escaped the magic circle were preparing to throw their spears. Particles of light gathering in their grasp filled the sky. Unable to bear the frustration, the adjutant grabbed themander-in-chief¡¯s shoulders and shook them. ¡°Commander! You need to wake up!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Since we need to spread the damage, everyone should spread out and retreat¡­¡± Themander was about to say something. Spears of light shot from all the giants¡¯ hands. Dozens of beams of light, reminiscent of thunderbolts, were pouring down precisely targeting the allied forces. ¡°Keuheuumm..!¡± It was not something that could be blocked or drained. Even so, Lorhorn did not give up and chanted the spell. Dimensional gates opened one after another in the air, swallowing the windows of light. Those that could not be blocked were attempted to be intercepted by talented people like the two swordsmen and Schlieffen. ¡°Damn what the hell is this all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Everyone run away, what are you doing!¡± Butterfly Roze, who had just cut through four spears, shouted with a frown. Zeifa and himself neutralized four each and Schlieffen cut five, but the spear remained. In the end, the two spears of light that broke through the air defensework exploded in the middle of the allied formation. bang-! Kwaaaaaang-!!! Pirs of light soared with a roar that shook the heavens and the earth. The soldiers who saw the ce where the sh had subsided became white. ¡°Ah ah ah¡­!¡± ¡°This¡­ this is nonsense.¡± Nothing was left inside the huge, deep pit. I couldn¡¯t believe that it was a space where hundreds of people lived and breathed until a few seconds ago. Even if they couldn¡¯t, five hundred people evaporated. ¡°Aaaaaagh! Aagh!¡± ¡°Save me! Legs!¡± Rather, the devastation was spread out on the edge of the pit. People who were unlucky enough to die instantly were screaming. Those who had lost part of their limbs or lower body were crawling like bugs. Even if he was lucky enough to return alive, he would have to live crippled for the rest of his life. But the misfortune did not end there. An officer who was looking around shouted in bewilderment. ¡°Commander Four has been killed in action!¡± ¡°All the othermanders were there too¡­!¡± It was a hopeless situation. As they figured out the number of people, they found out that the high-rankingmanders who should be in charge of the head of the allied forces had just evaporated from the bombing. But I couldn¡¯t stay idly like this. While organizing the chain ofmand in his head, he looked back at Adeshan. ¡°4 Field Commander, please give the order!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are currently the highestmanding authority. There are still people higher up, but they are either injured or in a panic and can¡¯tmunicate!¡± ¡°that¡­!¡± ¡°I have been watching the cleanup operation for months. Commander¡¯s skills are acknowledged by everyone. Please give me orders!¡± the officer eximed. The giants were preparing to throw their spears again. Every time they pped their wings, shiny feathers fluttered down. It was the seed of a familiar that would turn into a monster tearing people apart the moment it touched the ground. ¡°I am¡­¡± Adeshan dragged on. I knew I didn¡¯t have time, but when it came out like this, I had no words to say. Her head was heating up quickly. What should I do? what can i do now? ¡°Throw again!¡± Then a soldier pointed to the sky and shouted. Adeshan hurriedly raised her head. The fully formed spears of light were about to leave the hands of the giants. It was just as she was about to shout. Hey profit! Again, dozens of lightning bolts fell towards the ground. ¡°¡­ah.¡± Marja groaned. Braum, who was next to him, grabbed the handle of his shield. Everyone, including the two of them, had an instinctive intuition about the impending doom. Navardoze was still invisible. Only the bursting sounds that he and Abel were supposed to create could be heard irregrly from somewhere far away. There was no one to save them now. ¡°Cool! Cool!¡± Still, I couldn¡¯t wait. Lorhorn, who spat blood again, was about to cast a spell. A shrieking voice resounded from above the sky. ¡°Everyone wake up!¡± ¡°uh¡­?¡± It was a familiar voice. fault! The owner of the voicended in the middle of the allied formation before people could turn their heads. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Assel¡­?¡± ¡°Calm down! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Asher was right in front of him. Orsay, who was with him, performed acrobatics and attracted the attention of several giants. It was Asher¡¯s request to reduce the number of spears even a little. The windows of light were now right overhead. At the moment of desperation, Asher took a deep breath and raised his arms high into the sky. ¡°Haaaaaaaa!¡± At the same time, sparkling mana swirled and gathered. Stars were visible in the clear sky. Whoops! The storm of mana from the starlight soared into the air and formed a wide force field. It was the protection of the stars, the monopoly of giants. Kwagwagwang! The spears of light that finally arrived hit the defenses like heavy rain. ¡°Kahak!¡± Asher vomited as if he had been kicked in the stomach. It was because of excessive mana consumption. Heaven and earth were shaking, but the protection of the stars was not destroyed. He barely raised his head and looked back at Adeshan. ¡°Huh¡­you can¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Assel.¡± ¡°Everyone believes¡­Commander No, you can find the answer. We can save people.¡± Carrying the lives of allies, he did not stutter. Her beautiful eyes were burning with the same determination she had when she saved the city of dragons. Lorhorn¡¯s face brightened when he saw that the shield was still intact. ¡°If this is the case¡­ All wizards, gather your strength to Mage Asher!¡± The Archmage¡¯s cry echoed. The protection of the stars that Asher handled was the only hope in the current situation. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I can¡¯t die like this.¡± ¡°Take my mana, young man!¡± The wizards who barely came to their senses began to deliver their mana to Asher. Various types of mana wrapped around his body. Asher, who was staggering as if about to fall, straightened his posture. ¡°Whoa¡­ thank you everyone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing weird things.¡± Archbishop Tieria frowned. It bothered me that he dared to handle the power of the giants, but he didn¡¯t like the fact that hope appeared on his face. Asher, who had been catching his breath, opened his mouth again. ¡°senior. hurry.¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± Adeshan clenched his fists. My head was cooling down now. There was no chance of retreat or victory, but it was themander¡¯s role to find an answer nheless. okay. I was meant to be a general. ¡°Haah ¡­.¡± Aeshan, who closed his eyes, focused his mind. A dark aura spread like mist beneath her feet. It was the mana of the shadow that controls the minds of creatures. The shadow spread quickly and began to seep into nearby Allied soldiers. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°What, something just¡­¡± The soldiers affected by the mana shed a puzzle. I don¡¯t know why, but I wasn¡¯t afraid to fight anymore. A baseless confidence raised its head in their hearts. ¡°Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­!¡± Adeshan gritted his teeth. Blood trickled down his high nostrils. Eliminating only fear was a simple taskpared topletely controlling the mind, but there were too many of them. Of course, she couldn¡¯t quit halfway through, so she finally oveid the entire army with shadow mana. Now the giants were preparing to throw their spears as they went to formation. Adeshan¡¯s voice resounded in the minds of all allies. [Listen! All troops, at any cost, enter the headquarters!] ¡°What is¡­!¡± Lorhorn¡¯s eyes widened. It was the opposite strategy to what he had in mind. Either that or not, Adeshan continued. [There is nowhere to run! If we lose here anyway, it¡¯s all over. Let the giants strike their heart! ] A thunderous roar erupted. None of the soldiers whose morale was forcibly raised raised a different opinion. Hearing themand, Zaifa raised an eyebrow. ¡°It sounds a bit like a horse now.¡± ¡°Miss Lee.¡± Schlieffen grabbed the hilt. They had no intention of leaving in the first ce. Once again, the bombardment of the giants hit the shield and the final charge began at the same time. Chapter 293 [ 293. Ahayute ] #293 ¡¾Disappear!¡¿ Navardoze let out the breath he had been holding back. A tidal wave of fire swept across the sky. Abel¡¯s voice echoed through the crimson mes. ¡°You should know that that doesn¡¯t work.¡± Chow ah! The wall of me split and Abel jumped out. He suffered no damage from the primordial fire, except for slightly tanning his hair. Abel¡¯s sword shot through the wind and grazed Navardoze¡¯s cheek. [Kuh¡­!] The fight between the two was taking ce at the edge of the whitend where nothing existed. Due to the level of skill, the game was not going well. Just as he was about to strike back, he raised his eyebrows. ¡°hmm?¡± Navardoze was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, her voice echoed overhead. ¡¾I know too.¡¿ ¡°Oh no.¡± Realizing his mistake, Abel raised his head. The huge grip was already right in front of me. Navardoze¡¯s hand struck him down. Wow! The body fell to the ground with a roar. ¡°This won¡¯t work.¡± Abel muttered as hey down. The damage was significant. So deep was it that the hole he had prated seemed as small as a fingernail. As expected, Navardoze was too strong. Even though I was wearing the protection of the stars, my back was throbbing. I felt like I could really lose if I went on like this. ¡°¡­it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I didn¡¯t want to, but I felt like I had to use a trump card. Having made up his mind, Abel stood up. **** ¡°Damn it at all costs!¡± ¡°Bring me more blood!¡± The final assault order was given. Shouts of swearing were heard from all directions. The allied forces, which had been eradicated of fear, were attacking the headquarters with all their might. Huge siege weights pounded the gates, anddders and siege towers were slowly advancing. People were preparing for the final battle by drinking diluted liquid made from Ronan¡¯s blood or applying it to their weapons. ¡°Get over! Just get over it!¡± ¡°We must capture the castle before Mage Asher copses!¡± someone shouted The protection of the stars was still covering the sky. The defense shield that Asher spread with determination to die was barely blocking the giants¡¯ full-scale bombardment. His small body was absorbing the mana of all wizards. ¡°Turn off¡­uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­!¡± Blood trickled down Asher¡¯s small lips. No matter how much support they received, the limits were clear. Concentrating on the feeling of walking on a de, he said as if squeezing it. ¡°Wait¡­ go around!¡± [Don¡¯t stop! Find the archbishops and stop the ceremony! We must stop the giants froming down!] At the same time, Adeshan¡¯s electric tone rang out. The most urgent thing was not to make the situation worse. She remembered Tieria¡¯s words that the Advent ceremony was in progress. It was probably going on inside the castle with a high probability. ¡®You have to upy the castle first and fight the giants. As long as I can hold out until Navardoze-sama or Ronan return¡­!¡¯ I had to drag the time while taking the enemy¡¯s foothold. Fortunately, the siege itself was going in favor of the Allies. The followers of Neb zie, who did not expect the situation to go this far, were busy moving. ¡°These guys never give up¡­!¡± ¡°Shake it off! Do not let them climb the walls!¡± In fact, except for the giants, it was rather the church thatcked power. The head of the church had gone somewhere with Navardoze, and most of the archbishops, who were next in power, were focusing on Advent ceremonies. Of course, there was no change in the fact that the defending side had an advantage. The believers defending the northern side were preparing magic to destroy the siege tower. Kugoong! thud! Dozens of shadows rose from below andnded on the walls. The first shadow to rise opened its mouth. ¡°nice to meet.¡± ¡°Come on Zaifa!¡± The devotees were astonished. In the hand of the dark wear tiger, a sword with an aura was held. Sugak! Without even having time to say anything, the sh cut the body of the followers to pieces. Marya, who was standing behind her, sighed. ¡°It really came up. I don¡¯t know anymore.¡± ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t this side an honor!¡± Braum chuckled. Thanks to the mana of the shadows that erased his fear, he was able to regain his boisterous smile. Schlieffen, who had been looking around, jumped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll save the sheep ande back.¡± ¡°Sch Schlieffen!¡± Marja called, but Schlieffen did not answer. Without looking back, he ran into the depths of the Pale Castle. Chow! The screams of the devotees echoed with the sound of the wind. Zaifa, who had wiped out all the enemies in the area, spat out. ¡°Kill them all.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± With those words, the people who climbed up the wall rushed. It was a temporary special forces unit organized to block the ceremony and save Iril. But if they ask if they can turn things around, that¡¯s not the case either. Chow! In the middle of the allied camp, a bloody bora sprang up. ¡°Oops¡­!¡± The mage who had been hit stumbled. Suddenly, something jumped up from the top of the castle wall, and a hole was opened in the chest. He, who was dispatched from the Full Moon Magic Tower, was helping Asher along with other mages. dump. Eventually, he knelt down and reached out his hand toward the woman in front of him. ¡°Give me back¡­¡± ¡°Who would look at such a cheeky look?¡± Archbishop Tieriaughed. In her hand was the magician¡¯s heart. Eventually, the exhausted sorceress copsed to the floor. As if her heart were an apple, Tieria took a bite and opened her mouth. ¡°Give up hope. Because this is your end.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± The soldiers rushed in unison. However, Tieria was an archbishop who boasted the strongestbat power along with Pantasion. With each stroke of her ws, severed limbs shot up into the air. ¡°Haaaaagh!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°Ahahaha! This is it!¡± Tieria let out a maniacalugh. Allied forces, preupied with capturing the castle, had no time to pay attention to her. Asher¡¯s body was staggering every time a wizard died. ¡°Woo-wook.¡± Now the limit was really approaching. It took a lot of mana to maintain the protection of the stars. The giants were still bombarding, and outside, the familiars summoned from the feathers were beating the defenses in a frenzy. In the meantime, even the supply was disappearing, so I really couldn¡¯t stand it. Tieria was just about to collect the thirteenth mage¡¯s heart. Kaaang! Something sharp snapped her fingernails hard. ¡°Oh you do something.¡± Tieria¡¯s eyes widened. Landing while spinning backwards, she looked at the opponent who stood in her way. Nabi Rose, aiming at Tieria with the tip of her sword, opened her mouth. ¡°Do not disturb my disciple.¡± ¡°What if you don¡¯t like it?¡± Tieriaughed. Instead of answering, Nabi Roze kicked off the ground and ran away. Kaaaang-! A sharp metallic sound exploded as the two women shed. Asher, who somehow regained his energy, was trying to concentrate again. A familiar voice resounded from the sky. ¡°Did you guys have a good time?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Adeshan¡¯s face hardened. He heard a voice that he should not have heard unless his ears were faulty. I felt my breathing quicken. ¡°No way¡­¡± She looked up in the direction the voice came from. In the empty sky, only the magic circle where the giants were summoned was shining. yes you heard wrong The recited Adeshan was in the middle of catching her breath. Kwajangchang!! The space in the middle of the sky shattered and a man jumped out. Devotees who were desperately defending themselves burst into cheers. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°The headmaster is back!¡± The mood haspletely reversed. Allied forces in shock lifted their heads in unison. The maning down through the wind was definitely Abel, the leader of Neb zie. ¡°What, are you still not finished?¡± thud! Landing on top of the castle wall, he clicked his tongue. Allied soldiers¡¯ faces turned white. ¡°what? A teacher?¡± ¡°I, Navardoze-sama¡­?¡± Abel was the only one who came out of the dimensional portal. Navardoze was nowhere to be seen. They were frozen in shock. right! Abel looked around and snapped his fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t rush. There is no time to linger here now.¡± Chow ah! At that moment, a curtain of bizarre colors began to climb up the outskirts of the headquarters. The rising shield shuddered and bounced off all the soldiers and siege towers that were climbing the walls. Adeshan let out a scream of despair. ¡°Oh, no!¡± However, the blessing of the new star has alreadypletely covered the castle. The operation that I thought was thest and was all in vain. The personnel who had already entered the castle were isted. I had to quicklye up with a strategy again, but Abel didn¡¯t give me time to do that. Without saying a word, he drew his sword and fired his sword at the shield protecting the allies. Aaaaaang! As soon as the sword strikes directly, the shield is shattered. Asher¡¯s defense, which was already in danger, could not block the leader¡¯s blow. ¡°Kahak¡­!¡± Dark red blood gushed out of Asher¡¯s mouth. Eventually, unable to withstand the shock, he copsed to the floor. Orse, who saw it from above, gritted his teeth. [Damn the wizard!] I wanted to save him right away, but I couldn¡¯t afford it. Five giants were already chasing him. Orsay was avoiding the window of light by using acrobats and blinks in session. Kwaaang! The spears that Lorhorn had not been able to shed began to pour over the allied camp again. Hundreds of people¡¯s agony resounded every time the pir of light soared. ¡°Everyone run away!¡± ¡°Command¡­Gagging!¡± The familiars that lurked outside the shield also rushed as if they had been waiting. Abel, who had his hands behind his back, shifted his gaze to Adeshan. ¡°You are themander. You look young, but you managed to make it this far.¡± ¡°Ah¡­aaa¡­¡± Adeshan did not answer. It would have been more urate to say that he couldn¡¯t. Now the means to defend against the giants are gone. The castle could not be upied, and all the carriages containing Ronan¡¯s blood were smashed. Even with my eyes open, I couldn¡¯t see anything. Despair was quickly taking over where hope had disappeared. Abel, who had been clicking his tongue, spat out. ¡°I told you. It will all be futile.¡± ¡°¡­shut up.¡± Adeshan, who was dumbfounded, reached for the crossbow hanging from his back. It wasn¡¯t something I thought about and did differently than usual. The will to do something remained and moved her. ¡°Stop it. Face your end calmly.¡± Abel shook his head. But Adeshan finally pulled the trigger. Kang! A crossbow aimed at Abel¡¯s forehead was cut into pieces in the air. Cutting down a crossbow wasn¡¯t even a job for Abel. Adeshan reloaded the crossbow with trembling hands. ¡°You have had enough. Don¡¯t be afraid to ept it. With this, we be better beings.¡± ¡°I told you to shut up¡­!¡± Kang! Adeshan fired again, but Abel cut off the crossbow with a single stroke of the sword. As she was about to reload, a spear of lightnded nearby. Wow! In the aftermath of the explosion, Adeshan, who was thrown out, rolled on the floor. ¡°Gagging!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Abel turned his back. Adeshan was twitching and getting up, but Abel had no intention of watching it through to the end. It took a while, but it was finally done. It was something that Navardoze had to deal with gradually. ¡°Now¡­then what shall we do first?¡± Abel murmured. Since Iril¡¯s ability had not yet beenpleted, he could not send the giants out into the world. He didn¡¯t want people dying in pain. ¡°okay. I¡¯ll have to catch the cockroaches.¡± Coming to a conclusion before long, he pulled on the hilt. The enemy giants outside would take care of it anyway, so I thought I could catch and kill the idiots who entered the castle. While waiting for ¡®him¡¯ to descend. It was the car Abel was about to step into. Chow ah-! A sound like a million sheets of paper being ripped at the same time echoed across the sky. ¡°what?¡± I had never heard anything like this. Abel¡¯s eyes widened. The space in the middle of the group of giants was tearing apart and something huge was appearing. For an instant, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on the sky. Adeshan barely raised her head and narrowed her brows. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± A shadow fell over the battlefield. The mass tearing through the space took on an inexplicably bizarre shape. A flower made of rocks and metal. Or it was like seeing a whale attaching such flowers. As impressive as its appearance was its unrealisticallyrge size. If the mountain were pulled out as it is, would it look like this? It was a time when everyone was confused. Quaaaaaa! Suddenly, a mass shed, and dozens of red beams were fired at the giants located up, down, left, and right. ¡°What¡­!¡± People gasped. It happened in an instant. The rays did not pierce the protection of the stars, but they bounced the giants far away. Some of the giants below were pushed to the ground and pinned down. ¡°What else is that?¡± Abel frowned. I think I¡¯ve seen something like this somewhere, but I can¡¯t remember. The giants who changed their target threw their spears at the unknown mass. Kwagwagwang! The spear of light hit every single shot, but there was no damage to the mass. The same shield they use covers the mass. Then a small shadow shot out of the mass. Abel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°no way¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a disease. Fucking bastards.¡± Ronan looked around and spat out a curse. The battlefield that was bing hell in real time caught my eye. The huge pits dug here and there reminded me of memories from my previous life. Still, judging from the fact that there were still many troops left, it seemed that it was not toote. He jumped out at the same time as Dainhar leaped through space. The winged bald heads stared dumbfounded at Ronan, who suddenly jumped out. ¡°Eh?¡± In the meantime, Ronan¡¯s gaze reached a certain giant. I expected to be fighting giants, but I didn¡¯t expect that this kid woulde. One corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth went up. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, you bastard.¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± Ahayute twitched her eyebrows. The person in front of me clearly had memories of seeing it before. He soon realized that this man was the one who killed Duaru. ¡ºThe one who murdered Duaru?¡» ¡°Oh, do you remember?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Ronan furrowed his eyebrows. The giants who share their senses responded simultaneously. Photons around them began to converge on their hands. The first to attack was Ahayute, who was closest. Six windows of light formed around him, moving of their own ord. ¡°O you who go against His will. Go away.¡± ¡°Fuck me.¡± Ahayute brandished his spear. Raising his middle finger, Ronan twisted his body. Six spears of light pierced at the same time from different angles, but none of them reached Ronan. He remembered all the habits of an opponent he had fought once. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just because of past experiences. His body, after the curse had disappeared, had changed a lot from before. Ahayute¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡ºThis is impossible¡­!¡» The window doubled. This time, twelve spears aimed at Ronan, but the result was the same this time. Ronan, who easily destroyed the sword path, dug deep. Ahayute¡¯s torso waspletely empty. Ronan tugged at the hilt. In the elongated time, the memories of the previous life were passing by. A punitive unit that killed and captured a childhood aristocrat who lived like a bastard. Day by day, soaked in blood and alcohol, and the motives of the punishment soldiers who would die if they were affectionate. The three giants who came down suddenly and the dying people The sister who disappeared with Nimburton, the hometown. The heroic end of Lord Navardoze, who chose Dongguiheo, and Schlieffen, the first sword of the Empire, who finally did not fulfill his will. Even after many years, the touch of the lips of General Adeshan is still vivid. Looking back now, a lot has changed. There were things here that couldn¡¯t be protected at the time. Adeshan nced down and was looking this way like a person who had gone crazy. Her eyes met Ronan¡¯s, and she muttered softly. ¡°Ronan.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Seeing that he was in a state of disrepair, he must have suffered quite a bit. He smiled and looked back at Ahayute. The sluggish bald head was still unaware of the sword strike. Come to think of it, this kid also gave me some motivation. yes what did you say I clearly remembered that. -It¡¯s really fortunate for us. You have rotted your talents in the mud. -If you had polished yourself, it would have be a huge stumbling block to our long-cherished wish. ¡°under.¡± Ronanughed. Now that I think about it, it was all right. In a way, it might have been that bald head, not anyone else, that fixed his rotten mindset. I should say thank you. Grabbing the hilt, Ronan drew his sword horizontally. La Mancha, imbued with the spirit of the holy sword, advanced in a light arc. Only then did Ahayute, who noticed Ronan¡¯s approach, shed a puzzle. [What¡­] I tried to do something in a hurry, but the decision was already made. It didn¡¯t take long to clear up the past. The de slid gently across Ahayute¡¯s throat. Chow ah! The blue blood and the protruding head fell in a parabolic arc. Chapter 294 [ 294. Decisive battle (3) ] #294 It didn¡¯t take long to clear up the past. Ahayute¡¯s head soared into the sky. Everyone on the battlefield fell silent in shock. Ronan watched his nemesis¡¯ corpse fall with a sad expression. ¡°What¡­!¡± Abel¡¯s face hardened. It was difficult even for him to cut down the giant with a single sword. Besides, Ahayute was one of the strongest among the two-winged giants. ¡ºAhayute¡­!¡» ¡ºArrogant man, stop like a rock.¡» Before long, the silence was broken. The giants near Ahayute rushed at them. Ronan, who corrected his posture, stuck out his tongue. ¡°Fuck you.¡± He swung his sword as if brushing dirt from his sleeve. I had no intention of fighting in the sky. Chow! The sword energy pouring down along the sword path attacked the giants. ¡ºKeuug¡­!¡» The masses of anticipation, reminiscent of spray, shattered the protection of the stars and hit the bodies of the giants. Blue blood soaked the air. It didn¡¯t inflict fatal wounds, but it was enough to stiffen their bodies. ¡°Oops.¡± bang! Ronannded on the corpse of Ahayute, who fell first. Even though it was at a height where the body would have been smashed if it was normal, it didn¡¯t matter. As time passed, I realized that the curse was disappearing. Ahayute¡¯s headless body hung limp like a wet sack. It was an absurdly simple conclusion. The blue blood that flowed from the cut surface was flowing like a river. ¡°How does it taste, you bald head?¡± Ronan spat on it. There was no room for resurrection. Thinking of the resentment he had in his previous life, he wanted to eat raw sashimi right away, but he couldn¡¯t afford it. Ronan turned around and strode away. His lover was sitting in the middle of the battlefield. Adeshan, who wiped her eyes once, opened her mouth. ¡°Ronan.¡± ¡°I waited a long time.¡± Ronan twitched his lips. Caught in the explosion, Adeshan was in a state of disrepair. Blood was dripping from the gaps in the torn uniform. His trembling hands were still gripping the crossbow. Without much effort, I was able to guess what Adeshan was fighting to the death. The only good thing was that, unlike his previous life, his limbs were intact. Ronan wordlessly took off his coat and draped it over her shoulder. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± Tears ran down Adeshan¡¯s cheeks. The feeling of the cloth covering my body was nostalgic and I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She opened and closed her eyes repeatedly, squeezing out water, and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­what happened?¡± It was like seeing someone else. The energy that permeated Ronan¡¯s shoulders was iparably stronger than before. It was too radical for a growth that took ce in just three days. The huge boulder that appeared with him was still shooting beams at the giants. Ronan scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ugh. A lot happened.¡± There was too much going on to exin here. Ronan, who judged that he couldn¡¯t summarize with his own brain, turned around again. He said, pointing at the giants with the point of his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of them first. Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Wait, but alone¡­!¡± ¡°are you okay. Not alone.¡± Ronan grinned. It was the car Adeshan was about to ask what he was talking about. A familiar cry echoed across the sky. ¡°Ppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!¡± ¡°Sita?¡± Adeshan hurriedly raised her head. In the sky overhead, Sheeta howled with her four wings spread. All the bloodstains that were prevalent on the battlefield were emerging in the form of drops. Sheeta¡¯s body was spreading mana thick like mist. Red mana covered the battlefield and wrapped around wounded Allied soldiers. Before long, admiration began to pour out from everywhere. ¡°The four wounds are healing!¡± ¡°Did youe back¡­¡± The blood shed returned to her body and her injuries were healing. Some of the soldiers had already experienced Sheeta¡¯s healing magic. The Dreambird¡¯s miraculous blood magic was able to fix it if it wasn¡¯t for serious injuries to the point of death. ¡°This is¡­ amazing.¡± Lorhorn, who was catching his breath, let out augh. People¡¯s faces lit up. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet, but I could instinctively feel that Ronan had returned and that an opportunity for a reversal had arrived. Of course, the fact that it is still an urgent situation has not changed. Although Ronan and a huge boulder held the giants back, feather-born familiars still remained on the battlefield. ¡°Kihehehehehe!¡± ¡°Go Oh Ok!¡± Colorful familiars were fighting the allied forces. A mixture of roars and screams was heard from all directions. The soldiers who had recovered their morale to some extent raised their weapons. ¡°Fix your formation! There are still odds!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be intimidated by the small number! We are not defeated by disembodied monsters!¡± As Adeshan said, there was nowhere to retreat. It was the car that the battle was about to begin in earnest. thud. An elf womannded between them. ¡°I will join you.¡± ¡°Are you all¡­?¡± The soldiers were bewildered. His white hair and red eyes were impressive. Long ears that hung almost to her shoulders testified to her noble lineage. The familiars made of light were charging forward with their teeth and ws. In front of those hideous beasts, the woman¡¯s body looked very thin. ¡°Ah,dy. Dangerous!¡± ¡°damage!¡± The soldiers who came to their senses btedly shouted in bewilderment. But the woman did not escape. While reciting a song-like sentence, she raised her hand toward her familiars. Whoa! A strong wind swept through the enemy camp, enough to turn the ground upside down. ¡°Kieek¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaa!¡± The familiars were swept away by the wind and torn apart. Hundreds of familiars turned into light and disappeared at once. The soldiers¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Suddenly, something I hadn¡¯t seen appeared. A huge eagle stood in front of the woman. Winds as sharp as knives swirled around the translucent body. Elcia said slowly stroking the eagle. ¡°Fight together. High Iran.¡± ¡°Pyoo-oo-oh!¡± Hn roared as if in reply. Dozens of gigantic whirlwinds rose from the middle of the crowd of familiars. Then, the surrounding air shuddered, and various spirits came out. ¡°That spirit?!¡± ¡°oh my god. Such a massive summon¡­!¡± The soldiers were frightened. I had never seen or heard of so many spirits. The spirits, which were instantly enchanted, rushed at the familiars. There were as many familiars as there were giants, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult to summon such a number to Elsia, the best elemental magician. Rather, the familiars who were overwhelmed in numbers began to be pushed out. Since the spirits were not afraid of death like them, the situation began to escte into a more out of control mess. ¡°Hairan.¡± Abel, who watched the scene, frowned. His gaze rested on the great eagle. The eagle tearing apart the familiars mercilessly was definitely Hiran, the prince of storms. I had cut off my wings before, but I never thought we would be reunited like this. He shifted his gaze and looked back at Elcia this time. Elcia¡¯s eyes met, and she bowed her head. ¡°hello. Abel.¡± ¡°You look good after betraying the church. You don¡¯t even call me teacher anymore?¡± ¡°I never thought of you as a religious leader from the beginning. That doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± Elcia smiled. Abel let out augh as if it were absurd. He swept his bangs and looked at Ronan and said. ¡°¡­So you helped that kid. Then it¡¯s understandable why he suddenly became stronger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°I am only an advisor, but there is a separate leading role. How about saying hello?¡± Having said that, Elcia turned her back. Abel¡¯s eyebrows narrowed at the iprehensible sound. With his hand on the hilt of the sword, he was about to jump off the watchtower. A familiar voice came from not far away. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Abel.¡± ¡°older brother?¡± Abel¡¯s eyes widened. It was unmistakably Cain¡¯s voice. I hurriedly turned around in the direction from which the sound hade, and I saw a stone flying in the sky. The boulder was still keeping the giants in check by striking its beams in all directions. I could feel it instinctively. Cain was in that stone. Abel, who had calmed down his emotions, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­were you alive?¡± It was impossible. The wound stabbed by his own sword could never be healed by ordinary means. Before long, Cain¡¯s answer came back. ¡°okay. Thanks to taking good care of my brother and son. Your blood saved me.¡± ¡°My blood? Where did you get that¡­ah.¡± Abel, who was about to say something, raised his eyebrows. The battle I had with Irill in the Inds shed through my mind. A few drops of blood had been spilled from the sudden surprise. ¡°Yeah¡­ I can see what happened.¡± He seemed to know the situation. It must have been because of that that the location of the headquarters was discovered. Abel, who grasped the situation in an instant, smiled bitterly. He stared at the boulder and said in a tone of astonishment. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know that you would bring it to that ship. Didn¡¯t you say that someday, when the stars are about to perish, they will be used as arks?¡± ¡°It was. However, looking at the current situation, it seems that a battleship would be more suitable than an ark. Originally, things are meant to be used for their intended purpose.¡± ¡°It is a futile resistance, brother. To waste the legacy of the most brilliant era like this¡­ Do you really think you have a chance?¡± said Abel. The sky was still covered with a magic circle that summoned giants. As long as the ceremony of the archbishops did not stop, the giants would descend without cease. Furthermore, the head temple where the ceremony was in progress was protected by the protection of the stars he had set up himself. The most powerful people in the allied forces have be trapped inside, waiting for death. And if he went out immediately, he would be able to deal with the decrepit Cain or the old battleship in an instant. ¡°really?¡± Abel asked. A breath of life flowed over his shoulder, making it difficult to even breathe. Although the unexpected happened, the situation was still in favor of the Church. Cain didn¡¯t answer. Abel raised an eyebrow. It seemed that he had gradually grasped the subject. I guess I¡¯ll have to put my hopes on this one. Having judged that, Abel grabbed the hilt of the sword. Faaaaa¡­! Intense sunset light burst from the middle of the battlefield. ¡°Kuk.¡± Abel reflexively covered his eyes. It was a sh so intense that it burned my retinas. It was before he said anything. The giants who were orbiting the sky began to fall all at once. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Abel sighed. It was an unbelievable sight to see. bang! Quaang! There was a roaring sound every time the huge body crashed into the ground. He urgently averted his gaze and looked at the source of the light. A young man who looked just like him, with no bulging hair, stood with his sword drawn. The glow of the sunset emanated from the de. bang! One staggering giant fell to the ground again. Cain¡¯s reply came back. ¡°okay. I think we can win.¡± Chapter 295 [ 295. Decisive battle (4) ] #295 ¡°Everyone get out of the way!¡± Marja grabbed the hilt and stabbed her greatsword. Pooh! The thick sword body pierced the abdomens of the four believers who were blocking their way. ¡°Gagging!¡± The de that tore through his back was red. bang! As she swung her sword like spraying, the skewered followers were thrown far away. Wiping the blood from her face, Marja sighed. ¡°Haah ¡­ I don¡¯t have a break.¡± ¡°Heo-euk¡­I didn¡¯t expect there to be so many¡­heh, I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡± Braum, who was guarding the back, nodded. He was also out of breath. The blood-soaked armor and shield were glistening in a thick red color. If not, it seemed like they had killed a hundred people each. They were wandering inside the headquarters. The interior of the Pale Castle was vast andplex beyond its magnificent exterior. It¡¯s been a long time since I parted ways with the rest of the group. After Abel newly invoked the protection of the stars, themandos became rats in a dock and were under pincer attack from Neb zie. It was worth fighting, but the problem was that Ronan¡¯s blood was almost running out. One out of every 10 followers he encountered was using the protection of the stars, and it was clear that if this continued, the limit woulde. Of course, there were other things that bothered me the most. Marja muttered in a worried voice. ¡°¡­Will everyone be okay?¡± ¡°of course. You know that not everyone is normal.¡± ¡°It is, but.¡± Marja bit her lower lip. It was true, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry. No matter how talented they were, the number of enemies was too many. It was just a pity that there was nothing I could do right now. Where the hell is Lee Lil¡¯s sister? She lowered the bay and was breathing. Someone shouted from across the corner of the hallway. ¡°There was a sound from over there. Catch it!¡± ¡°¡­Sheesh.¡± Marja clicked her tongue. Anyway, they were the ones who didn¡¯t have a prize. Judging by the sound of footsteps, it seemed that there were twenty of them. For some reason, Asher¡¯s weeping face passed her eyes. ¡°I miss you¡­my cutie.¡± Wow. Marja spat on her hand and raised her greatsword again. I decided to put aside the unlucky thought that I might die here. Her father used to talk like a habit. Even returning is a journey. I totally agreed with that statement. ¡°Come to bed.¡± Marja grabbed the hilt. A blue aura began to wrap around the de. The approaching footsteps sounded like a car about to turn a corner. ¡°You are you?! Kuk¡­!¡± ¡°Ahhh! Save me!¡± Suddenly, a desperate scream rang out. From around the corner, dismembered corpses began to fly one after another. Marja flinched. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°oh my god.¡± Cold sweat ran down Braum¡¯s temples. Blood gushing in real time was roughly soaking the hallway. It was like a mad beast running amok. Someone walked out from around the corner, which had finally be quiet. The eyes of the two opened wide. ¡°Sch Schlieffen?¡± ¡°You were alive.¡± Schlieffen replied dryly. It was the first reunion since they were separated. His body was covered in blood no different from the two. Of course, it wasn¡¯t his own blood. Unlike Marjana and Braum, he never showed signs of exhaustion. I could only say that it was the dignity of the morning star of the empire. After brushing off the blood on the de, he asked a question. ¡°you guys. Is there still Ronan¡¯s blood left?¡± ¡°By the way?¡± ¡°Good. Follow me.¡± Suddenly Schlieffen turned around. Marja was taken aback by the sudden action. She barely came to her senses and opened her mouth. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°I found a ce where the ceremony takes ce.¡± **** ¡°It¡¯s filthy and noisy.¡± Ronan frowned. He was looking up at the busy sky. Giants and flying stones were fighting under the flickering magic circle in bizarre colors. It was like watching a madman¡¯s imagination. The battleship Dainhar was attracting the attention of the giants who were about to attack the allies by shooting red beams in all directions. It was amazing how the natives, who had lived in caves all their lives, controlled such precise machines. The giants were responding to the battleship¡¯s provocation. Dozens of light spears were pounding on the stone without a break. However, the barrier surrounding Dainhar was not easily broken. The protection of the stars, which was invoked by the savior himself, boasted strength beyond imagination. ¡°It¡¯s quite the way. Father too.¡± Of course, there would be a clear limit, so I couldn¡¯t just watch it like this. Suddenly, a loud moan came from in front of my vision. ¡°¡­What did you do? Mortal.¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± Ronan lowered his gaze. The giants who had been pulled down earlier were raising their bodies. Ronan, who met their eyes, raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°okay. It should be like this. Now we are at eye level.¡± It was a satisfactory result. I no longer had to raise my head to meet you. At that time, the first giant to rise up threw a spear of light. Ronan swung his sword in a light motion as if shaking off dust. Sugak! The split spear disappeared as it turned into particles. The next window flew right away, but the result was no different this time. After repeating the action twice more, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Before you die, listen carefully, you far-off people. I hate you guys.¡± ¡° What ?¡± A needlessly cool voice is also unpleasant.¡± Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared from sight. Poo-! A small explosion erupted from the giant¡¯s face as he continued to throw his spear. The giant who was just gathering the light copsed. ¡ºKuuk!¡» ¡°But the most fucking thing is different. What do you think?¡± said Ronan. The other giants flinched. The eyes of the fallen giant were bursting. Blue blood was dripping from the spot where the eyeball was crushed. ¡ºUgh¡­Geugh¡­¡» The giant let out a painful drool. He was unable to stand up easily with one hand covering his face. No matter how immortal it may be, the eye was one of the weak points in which wounds heal slowly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Ronan asked again, but no answer came back. The expressions of the other giants who shared the senses were rapidly decaying. Kwaaang! The giants suddenly spread their wings and rose quickly. Unlike the dented and overturned ground, not a single scratch remained on the white body. The corners of Ronan¡¯s mouth went up slightly. It seemed that cutting would be worthwhile. Of course, apart from that, I felt bad. Ronan, who raised his eyes after the giants, frowned. ¡°okay. It¡¯s just those staring eyes.¡± I hadn¡¯t floated yet, but the height difference was so great that I had to look up. Ronan didn¡¯t like it terribly. It was an aversion stemming from previous life experiences. At that time, Ronan couldn¡¯t protect people because his sword couldn¡¯t reach the flying Ahayute. Then the giant in front opened his mouth. ¡°You strong man. Your self-indulgence ends here.¡± A low, deep voice resounded. Ronan didn¡¯t answer, just stared at them. The giants who shared the strategy in their heads were trying to fly all at once. Once again, a group of lights resembling the sunset rose up riding La Mancha¡¯s de. Faaaaa¡­! Radiating rays of light covered the sky. ¡ºBillion¡­!¡» Boom!! At the same time, the giants that had risen fell to the ground. A few more giants that weren¡¯t in range earlier also fell. Ronan smiled. ¡°Why did you make your wings harden?¡± ¡ºHow¡­how¡­!¡» The giants let out a bewilderment. I struggled to p my wings, but my body couldn¡¯t rise. It seemed that something huge and invisible was pulling him to the ground. ¡°I clearly warned you. If you want to lose,e.¡± Liberation from the curse also explosively strengthened his aura that attracts opponents. The aura, which is still getting stronger, boasted enough power to bring down the four-winged giants. Ronan, who swung the sword around, growled lowly. ¡°I¡¯ve been ignoring you, so I¡¯m going to quit now.¡± ¡ºYou¡­!¡» It was the car the giants were trying to say. bang! Ronan struck forward and pulled the hilt at the same time. The giants who noticed the attackunched a counterattack, but Ronan was basically faster than them. Awesome! The head of the giant who was running in front fell to the floor. Ki-Woo jumped on his body and fired a stab into the chest of the giant right behind him. Pooh! The sword strike that pierced the heart came out tearing through the back. As he swung his sword back and forth, the giant¡¯s face, which was about to throw a spear at the back of his head, was split in half. Ronan created a fourth body before the three giants fell. When hended after jumping over the lot and activated his aura, a giant who was about to throw a spear was dragged right in front of his eyes. Holding the hilt with both hands, Ronan lowered the sword vertically and cut it. Chow ah! The thick neck was sliced off along with the forearms that tried to defend. ¡°This is¡­¡± The giants let out their bewilderment. Ronan, who swung his sword across the battlefield, seemed like a person living in three or four times faster time. I had never met such an opponent. The invincible race, who had lived as predators since birth, was being ughtered unterally. Even with a sword. Chew! In less than five minutes the head of thest giant fell to the floor. If the original name of Nirvana was true, it was a giant who should have been associated with Lorhorn¡¯s soul. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Ronan stopped in ce and turned his head towards the castle. There were still about half of the giants left, but there were other opponents that needed to be eliminated now. He said, aiming the point of his sword at Abel. ¡°Come down. You¡¯re an unlearned bastard.¡± ¡°you¡­!¡± Abel narrowed his brows. He was watching Ronan¡¯s massacre, forgetting Cain¡¯s existence. Confirming that no answer came back, Ronan grabbed the hilt. ¡°Are youing down?¡± Paaa! The sunset light broke out again. Abel was dragged right in front of Ronan without even having time to do anything. It was the moment when he btedly sensed a crisis and reflexively drew out his sword. Kaaaang! A sharp metallic sound echoed in front of my eyes. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± Abel gritted his teeth. If I had been a littlete, my neck would have been blown off. It felt like my hand would explode with just the recoil that blocked the sword attack. He straightened up and asked Ronan. ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t like this, but what did you do?¡± ¡°That is none of your business.¡± But Ronan had no intention of wasting any more time. After reaping his aura, he poured out sword strikes like a storm. Kagak! Kang! Every time the des collided in the air, the embers flew wildly. Finally, theposure disappeared from Abel¡¯s face. ¡°Damn it, you bastard¡­!¡± Abel, who almost lost his sword, spat out a curse. It was being pushed unterally in both speed and power. It was the car he was trying to pull back in haste. ¡°It can¡¯t be like that.¡± Again, Ronan¡¯s sword was stained with the color of the sunset. Abel¡¯s body was dragged. Realizing his mistake, he hurried to respond, but Ronan¡¯s body was already spinning in a wide circle. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the swordsmanship that was stolen from me.¡± Suddenly, Nabi Rose recited. It was a spinning sword, a technique he devised. She was watching the middle disciple¡¯s fight with Archbishop Tieria. Memories running through my mind blurred my eyes. It seems like yesterday when I took the entrance exam for Phileon, but when did I grow up like this? Tieria shouted as if screaming. ¡°Sir!¡± I could tell just by looking at it. That was really dangerous. She hurriedly withdrew her hand and was about to leap forward to support the leader. Suddenly, the sounds around her disappeared and her eyes darkened. In the darkness, Nabi Roze¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere. It¡¯s a good time.¡± ¡°This is this?!¡± Nothing was visible. Heard nothing. Tieria, who instinctively turned her head, sighed. A huge venomous snake was looking down at him with its tongue flicking. ¡°all things¡­!¡± Tieria¡¯s face turned white. A snake mourning its death. It was Mansa of Nabi Rose, one of the strongest auras of all time. I heard that he lost his aura after being defeated by Zaifa, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. ¡°You damn bitch!¡± Of course, that wasn¡¯t the point right now. The snake was approaching her. She desperately regained her senses, and it was the car she rushed at. Suddenly! Nabiros¨¦¡¯s great sword cut through Tieria¡¯s neck. At the same time, it flew in a circle. La Mancha struck Abel¡¯s sword. ¡°What¡­!¡± Abel¡¯s eyes widened. A piercing rupture resounded. Pakaaaang! Chapter 296 [ 296. Decisive battle (5) ] #296 A piercing sound rang out. Even when he cut off the scales of Navardoze, which had never been broken before, the sword, which had not been damaged, shattered. Abel¡¯s face contorted sharply. ¡°Nonsense.¡± It was like having a terrible nightmare. But there was no time to be out of ice. Even though Ronan broke his sword, he did not stop. He rushed right in and lowered his sword vertically and cut it. ¡°Get lost!¡± Even if I wanted to block or counter it, I didn¡¯t have a sword. Abel narrowly avoided the attack by twisting his shoulder. shhh! La Mancha¡¯s de glided past the nostrils. ¡°damn¡­!¡± ¡°How can I avoid it?¡± Ronan continued to pour sword strikes. Abel, who had been dodging by a piece of paper, gritted his teeth. Unlike himself, who was getting more and more out of breath, Ronan showed no sign of exhaustion. ¡®Is this a long way off yet?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t very good. He had two cards left to turn things around, including Irill, but it was useless if he died before he could even turn the cards over. I had to fight. I had no choice but to pray that there would be a single gap. Abel, who took one step back, eventually stood with his back against the wall. Suddenly, Ronan¡¯s body turned sharply to the right. ¡°Your delusion ends here!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± cried Ronan. Abel¡¯s eyes widened. I thought it was a finishing blow, but the big movement was noticeable. Seeing the empty side, he let out a lowugh. ¡°You are still young.¡± ¡°what?¡± Ronan frowned. Abel lowered his body and gathered strength in his hand. Like Ronan, he never forgot a skill once experienced. La Mancha, which flew in a wide arc, passed by, cutting off Abel¡¯s hair. Cain, who was watching the battle, urgently shouted. ¡°Ah son, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± te. Didn¡¯t my older brother teach me not to use the same technique!¡± Ronan¡¯s side was still empty. Abel threw his hands together like a spear. Although weak, it was enough to shatter the kid¡¯s ribs and burst his heart. ¡°this¡­!¡± Ronan hurriedly turned his head. Abel¡¯s hand was flying towards his heart. Suddenly, one corner of his mouth lifted. ¡°This asshole.¡± ¡°uh?¡± Abel paused. His hand was about to touch Ronan¡¯s. bang! Ronan hit the ground and jumped vertically. ¡°What!¡± ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t know that too?¡± Abel sighed. Heter realized that he had been tricked. phut! At the same time as the attack missed, a hollow piercing sound rang out. ¡°you¡­!¡± The shadow Ronan created cast over his face. There was no room left to escape. Ronan twisted his sword in the air and swung his sword around the lot. Chow ah! Abel¡¯s right arm, which had been withdrawn, rose into the air. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Finally got it. rat.¡± Abel screamed. Ronan, whonded on the floor straight away, raised his sword diagonally and cut it. Awesome! Before he had time to do anything, the sh that flew through Abel¡¯s throat cut through. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Abel fell forward, clutching his neck. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. It felt like my neck bones and blood vessels had been cut in half. Blood was seeping out from the cracks between the fingers holding the wound. Neither human nor giant, his blood took on a grotesque purple color. ¡°Fuck. How are you alive?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. He was decapitated, but still alive, he was a monster. Of course, there was nothing special about it, so he silently raised his sword. Cut it one more time. ¡°Gagging¡­no¡­at this rate¡­!¡± Abel struggled as if pleading, but that was not Ronan¡¯s business. It was the car he was about tond the final blow on. Aaaah-! Suddenly, a roaring sound reverberated overhead. ¡°What is Nimi?¡± It was not a sound that could be ignored. An indescribable ominous aura oppressed his entire body. Everyone, including Ronan, reflexively raised their heads. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The magic circle¡­¡± Ronan looked up at the sky and raised his eyebrows. The first sight in my life was unfolding. Dozens of magic circles connecting the world of giants and this world were slowly disintegrating. However, it did not seem to disappearpletely. The elements of the magic circle, which were divided into letters and pictures, swirled in a huge circle and began to draw another magic circle. It didn¡¯t look like anything good would happen. The clouds that had disappeared were gathering again. The savior looked up at the sky and clenched his fists. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± A thunderp began to growl in the white cloud. With each sh of lightning-like sh, something gigantic was glimpsed from inside the magic circle. It looked like wings, and it looked like human limbs. The giants that were attacking the battleship Dynhar stopped all at once. One of the silent giants slowly opened his mouth. ¡ºHe ising.¡» **** ¡°Heh-euk¡­isn¡¯t it still¡­heh?!¡± ¡°Now it is soon.¡± Schlieffen replied dryly. Even though he ran the same distance, he wasn¡¯t breaking a drop of sweat. Marya, grinning at this, added strength to her legs. ¡°shit¡­!¡± It was fortunate that the armor stopped shaking my chest. The three of them were running towards the top of the Pale Castle. It was also the ce where the ritual to call the giant was held and the ce where Irill was supposed to be trapped. Schlieffen¡¯s method of interrogation, in which he cut off the limbs of the believers one by one until the desired answer came out, was not bad. It was sorge that it took a long time. The road they passed was strewn with dismembered corpses like a mountain. It was a human wall that tired Marya and Braum, who were confident in their physical strength. said Marja. ¡°By the way¡­ Heck, what happened to Iril unnie as the saint of these fanatics?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either¡­ Huuk.¡± Braum shook his head. Somehow, when they found out the truth of the incident, they fell into considerable shock. The reason for kidnapping Iril was to make her a saint of the church. Of course, no one raised any suspicions of betrayal. All of them had met Erill before. However, since it was such a strange case, I really wanted to know the truth. ¡°Now, the blood is slowly running out, so it¡¯s a big deal¡­ We¡¯ll have to hurry up and make a decision.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Braum muttered in a worried voice. Marja bit her lower lip. As he said, Ronan¡¯s blood was slowly draining out. Schlieffen was in a simr situation, though he did not say it. This was a very serious matter, because the protection of the stars was not something that could be destroyed just because of their excellent skills. If he didn¡¯t care, he could have been defeated by janitors who barely knew how to use God¡¯s protection. No one wanted that ending, so they silently sped up. It was the moment when the three of them finally reached the top floor and stepped into the hallway. Braum¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Everybody is in danger!¡± ¡°what?¡± It was the car Marja was about to say. Braum, who blocked the way, raised his shield. At the same time, a huge explosion exploded with a roar. Kwaaaang-! Clouds of me and lightning covered the entirendscape in front of the shield. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± ¡°Braum!¡± Braum gritted it. It felt like my arm would be ripped off. If he had been a littlete, he would have been in big trouble. At that moment, someone¡¯s voice was heard from the ce where the explosion had subsided. ¡°Is this blocked?¡± ¡°Who are you!¡± Concentrating her mind, Marya swung her greatsword wide. Wow-! As soon as the crescent moon-shaped sword was fired, all the smoke that covered the hallway flew away. A slim man appeared. ¡°I thought Zaifa was stuck¡­I¡¯m really unlucky too.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Marja narrowed her brows. Judging by the badge on the hem of his sleeve, he was a bishop-level strongman. The man with his hands behind his back widened his eyes. ¡°My dear ones. Did you dare toe here knowing where it was?¡± ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± Marja and Braum shrugged. The blood flowing from the man¡¯s body was unusual. It was a level that was iparable to the believers he had dealt with so far. ¡°Aren¡¯t I asking? Couldn¡¯t you havee here because you got lost?¡± When there was no answer, the man asked in annoyance. Lightning and mes like the one he had just seen shimmered around him. Marja and Braum quickly exchanged nces. There was a chance of winning by driving strategically. ¡°If I signal, I will go.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± Marja grabbed the hilt. It was the car Braum nodded and was preparing to run away. Schlieffen, who had been silently scanning the hallway, opened his mouth. ¡°Is there a ritual going on over there?¡± ¡°what?¡± The man frowned. Schlieffen¡¯s gaze rested on the huge door behind him. There was nowhere else to go up, so if the information wasn¡¯t wrong, the ritual must have been going on there. ¡°I asked if there was a ceremony going on to call the giants from beyond.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, what a bold kid. I get it. That¡¯s why you came all the way here.¡± The man let out augh. Judging by his attitude, he seemed to be able to ease his boredom a little. Well, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to be overconfident in one¡¯s skills if he had been praised as the morning star of the empire. As the next archbishop, he was confident that he would never lose. I heard that several archbishops were killed by him, but there were always variables like Ronan and Zaifa by Schlieffen¡¯s side at the time. However, the people next to him did not seem to be talented enough. You can y with Zaifa until hees. The man who thought so opened his mouth. ¡°Sorry, but no. If it was such an honorable task, I would have been happy to take it. I¡¯m going to ask the goddamn soon-to-be archbishop to take care of a bitch¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°They said it was to take care of the girl. let¡¯s y a little bit I was bored too¡­¡± It was the car the man was trying to talk to. Suddenly Schlieffen¡¯s figure disappeared from sight. It was before he could even respond. Whoa¡­! I thought I could hear the wind blowing, but Schlieffen appeared behind me. ¡°what¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡± Schlieffen said. In his hand was a longsword that was emitting a bluish light. The man tried to turn his head, but his body did not move. Several red lines were drawn over his hardened body. ¡°Big¡­billion. ¡°But I can¡¯t forgive her for calling her low.¡± p. Leading Schlieffen concluded his words. At the same time, the dismembered body copsed. Kwajangchang! The limbs frozen by the fail load shattered the moment they collided with the floor. Schlieffen immediately struck out and swung his sword at the door. bang! At the same time as the door was broken, the scenery inside was revealed. It was a splendid room like a princess would stay. A huge chair reminiscent of a throne was ced in the middle. And on the chair sat a familiar woman, soundly asleep. Although he was dressed differently, he was clearly the person he was looking for. Schlieffen¡¯s eyes widened. He slowly approached and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Ms. Lee.¡± Chapter 297 [ 297. Schlieffen ] #297 ¡°Miss Lee.¡± Schlieffen said. No answer came back. Iril was sleeping soundly, buried in the middle of a huge chair. Seeing her appearance, Marja muttered involuntarily. ¡°¡­like a princess.¡± ¡°Huh, this is really¡­ dazzling.¡± Braum, who was next to him, also nodded. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it. She was beautiful even when she was wearing a mat, but today her ss was different. A gorgeous and elegant dress that could only be seen at an imperial ball was draped over her body. The white dress, like the first snow, seemed to be made just for her. ¡°Is this a crown? It¡¯s pretty¡­¡± A beautiful tiara was ced on top of her wellbed hair. It was said that she was brought here to make her a saint, and it seemed that she was treated appropriately. Indeed, Schlieffen¡¯s brain stiffened at the fatal beauty for a moment, but he soon regained his reason and began to examine Iril¡¯s condition. Before long, Schlieffen let out a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­that¡¯s good.¡± Upon closer examination, no wounds could be found. His breathing was steady, and he did not appear to be terribly ill. However, it bothered me that he didn¡¯t wake up no matter how many times I called. It must have been put to sleep with some kind of sleep magic. I thought I should hurry up and take him to the army doctor. Then Marja, who noticed Schlieffen standing there doing nothing, tilted her head. ¡°Why suddenly? Aren¡¯t you moving?¡± ¡°¡­Listen.¡± ¡°I? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to pick it up yourself? I think Leeil will like it even more.¡± ¡°I¡­no, just listen.¡± Schlieffen averted his gaze and shook his head. For the first time, a blush appeared on his face, which had not changed even after shing three-digit enemies. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to figure out why. Marja snorted. ¡°Hahang. It¡¯s incongruously cute.¡± ¡°¡­shut up.¡± ¡°How are you going to propose to me if you can¡¯t even hold me? get out of the way anyway Because this sister will do it for you.¡± ¡°Hug me gently. Like handling a ss marble.¡± Schlieffen sighed. Marjaplied with his request. Iril¡¯s body was as light as a feather to Marya, who wielded a greatswordrger than her body with one hand. Iril, who was suddenly asleep, let out a bashfulugh. ¡°Ehehe¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, unnie is smiling. You must be dreaming of something good.¡± Marja smiled in unison. It was a peaceful smile like a baby whose heart is warmed just by looking at it. But I still couldn¡¯t let go. Rescue was an act of taking hostages and escaping from enemy camps. Moreover, they still had the task of stopping the ritual of the descent of the giants. said Marja. ¡°Now what? consciousness?¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t found it so far, it¡¯s probably going on up here. I will take care of them, so you guys take the sheep and escape somehow.¡± Schlieffen extended his index finger and pointed up. Marja¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Dealing with the archbishops alone?¡± ¡°They are defenseless during the ritual. And I¡¯ve already caught two archbishops. I think it¡¯s a reasonable decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Schlieffen answered calmly. In fact, he had observed the ritual of summoning a giant in Adren. Since it was an act that consumed a lot of energy, it would have been easy to find a gap. Furthermore, the archbishops Schlieffen had captured were Pantasion and Alon, who were said to be the strongest forces. I thought that if I approached carefully and seeded in the surprise attack, I could finish it surprisingly easily. Braum nodded slowly. ¡°Certainly¡­that sounds like the best.¡± ¡°¡­okay. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Marja followed and sighed. She hugged Iril, who was soundly asleep, a little tighter. I had a n, now it was time to put it into action. It was the car they were about to step into. Schlieffen, feeling the frightening energy, eximed urgently. ¡°Everyone is in danger!¡± ¡°what?¡± The group stopped. At that moment, the ceiling in front copsed with an intense explosion. Kwaaaang-! Dust poured down and covered the room. ¡°Oops!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Marja and Braum vomited in bewilderment. All of them reflexively covered themselves with mana shields, so they did not take any damage. In the meantime, Illil was soundly asleep. [Stop.] Suddenly, a terrifying voice rang out. Five figures emerged from the dust. The three instinctively sensed that they were the Archbishop. A woman stepped forward with the sound of her feet ttering. ¡°you¡­!¡± Marja met her eyes and sighed. The gorgeous robes and beautiful appearance were impressive. It was a face I remember. ¡¾You can do that. Rats.] said Archbishop Le Tancier. Earlier, the three of them had met her at the beginning of the war. It was the archbishop who gave despair to the allied forces byughing on the wall. However, the atmosphere was quite different from then. The aura that bloomed from his body was iparably stronger than before. Even the gesture of graciously brushing her hair behind her ears sounded menacing. ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Braum shrugged. It was like facing a giant, not a human. He was apletely different being from the archbishops he had met during the clearing operation. It was to the point where I had no idea how he had acquired such strength. Then another man stepped forward. ¡¾Leave the saintess right now. I will kill you painlessly.] Like the others, it was Verminion who held the position of archbishop. Letansie shook her head. ¡¾Go with others Verminion. I¡¯ll kill these mice. Originally, it was my duty to take care of the saintess.] ¡¾Don¡¯t do that, just share some. You don¡¯t even need to be conscious anymore anyway.] Verminion said in an angry tone. Marja gritted her teeth. These bastards didn¡¯t even see us as opponents in a fight. The other three archbishops didn¡¯t speak either. Schlieffen, who had been silent, spoke for the first time. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t need to do a ritual?¡± ¡¾Eavesdropping like a rat¡­well, that¡¯s literally it. Because the connection with the sky was suddenly cut off.] ¡°The connection with the sky¡­?¡± ¡¾okay. but never a bad thing The power of the starlight has be stronger.] Verminion nodded. He told me the current situation as if it was not a big deal. As Schlieffen guessed, the archbishops were holding a ceremony to summon a giant. The ceremony, which had been going smoothly, came to a halt at some point. Suddenly, all the magic circles copsed and began to merge into one. The reason was unknown. However, the release of the power of the stars that traveled between the heavens and the earth served as great luck to the archbishops. Only then did Schlieffen realize why the archbishops suddenly became stronger. Like the Dragon King I saw in Adren, they must have absorbed the power of the overflowing starlight. Verminion groaned. [We n to find out more about it from now on. Of course, before that¡­] Verminion¡¯s hand suddenly went up. The group¡¯s faces hardened. The moment he swung his arm, a half-moon-shaped sword shot towards the three of them. ¡°Everyone is dangerous!¡± Braum, who hurriedly blocked his way, raised his great shield. The sword was about to collide with the shield. Instinctively, Marja stretched out her arm and pulled Braum by the back of the back. ¡°Avoid you fool!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± bang! An explosion rang out as Braum fell backwards. The shield fell a step toote andnded on his stomach. ¡°Heh uh uh¡­!¡± Braum¡¯s face turned white when he saw the shield. The part that was directly hit by the sword de disappeared as if it had been cut with scissors. My body almost got cut in half. Verminion continued. [I¡¯ll have to kill all of you, but.] Goooh¡­ A curtain of bizarre colors came up from his feet. The protection of the stars, which he had seen so much, seemed hard on a different level from what the party had dealt with so far. Le Thanxie, who was watching the scene from behind, sighed. ¡¾Fu¡­then let¡¯s get rid of it quickly.¡¿ She was like a mother with a bad boy. The other three archbishops stepped forward. They, too, were strong if stronger than Verminion, but did not look weak. ¡°¡­Is it the end?¡± Marjaughed. I couldn¡¯t see any chance of winning. It was doubtful whether Jaifa, who was wandering around the castle, could win even if he came to help. Suddenly, Schlieffen looked back at her. [hey. Is there any blood left?] ¡°Huh?¡± Marja raised her eyes. Schlieffen¡¯s voice suddenly resonated in my head. When there was no answer, the electric tone came again. [I asked if there was Ronan¡¯s blood left.] [That¡¯s it¡­ There¡¯s a little bit left.] Marya nodded. Quickly, she noticed that Schlieffen was plotting something. Is there something wrong with it? Marja, with a bit of hope, touched the blood bottle hanging from her waist. sudden! Suddenly Schlieffen reached out and grabbed the blood bottle hanging from her waist. And poured it all into his own sword. Marja¡¯s eyes widened. [What are you doing?!] [You take the sheep and run away. I¡¯ll do my best here.] [It¡¯s not an opponent who can¡¯t be done with hard work!] Marya screamed internally. Unless you¡¯re an idiot, you know. The Archbishops in front of me were not opponents that they could do anything with. Schlieffen, who was silent for a moment, continued. [We¡¯vee to help Miss Irill escape.] After saying that, Schlieffen nced at the wall. Realizing the meaning, Marja bit her lower lip. The archbishops had to make a quick decision because they were approaching even now. is this correct? Is this really correct? The head and heart were making different ims. Even though I already knew the answer, it was not easy to decide. Aftering to a conclusion, Marja lowered her head. ¡°¡­okay. Don¡¯t die until Ie back.¡± Marja said in a voice. Schlieffen did not answer. After receiving the strategy from her, Braum raised his eyebrows. ¡°Wait, what is that¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± bang! Marja suddenly grabbed Braum by the back and leaped off the ground. It was toward the wall, not the gate. Sensing what she was about to do, Le Tancier hurriedly reached out her hand. [Wait a minute!] Seven invisible spears were fired at the two. But it didn¡¯t happen that they pierced Marja¡¯s back. Kagagak! All seven spears were cut off with a series of ruptures. It was Schlieffen¡¯s sword technique fired from a distance. ¡°thank you!¡± cried Marja. At the same time, she collided with the wall, making a loud noise. Kwaaang! The outside scenery unfolded beyond the broken wall like an explosion. Marja hugged Iril even tighter and jumped out of the hole. ¡¾Oh no!¡¿ Le Thanxie¡¯s face hardened. I didn¡¯t expect to miss this one. The moment she hurriedly tried to throw herself, a whirlwind surged in front of her. Aaaah-! The whirlwind of ded windpletely blocked the hole in the wall. ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Letansier red at Schlieffen. Not only her, but all the Archbishop¡¯s eyes were focused on him. An extraordinary amount of life that a normal person would not be able to endure and would break his mind began to oppress his whole body. ¡¾You¡¯d better not think about dying gracefully.¡¿ ¡¾This ispletely insane. Am I missing the subject?] Schlieffen said nothing. Suddenly, I remembered the day I first met Illil. The moment I bumped into her as I turned the corner was probably something I¡¯ll never forget. Blocking the front door, he muttered in a low voice. ¡°¡­I thought I met an angel.¡± [What?] Verminion tilted her head at the sudden chanting. Schlieffen gently swung his sword. Awesome! At the same time, blood flowed from the neck of Verminion, who was standing in the front. ¡°Gagging¡­.¡± [Verminion!] Verminion fell down on one knee. Blood gushed from the severed artery. Of course, a wound like that would heal quickly, but Schlieffen¡¯s purpose was to buy time. Holding the sword upside down, Schlieffen plunged the tip of the sword into the floor. Kwajik! A curtain of wind that rose with a faint shattering sound wrapped around the room. It was a storm barrier that did not disappear until he died or was canceled. ¡¾How dare you!¡¿ ¡¾Stupid. Locking yourself up.] Various reactions came back. Some were outraged, othersughed. However, despite being imprisoned, no one was afraid. What Schlieffen did was so reckless. Schlieffen said nothing. He knew too. There was no chance of winning. A question kept popping up in my mind that was burning with fear. Do you really think you can do it? Do you think someone like you can protect the daughter of a star? Perhaps it was hallucinations. Otherwise, your voice wouldn¡¯t be the same as your own. The archbishops were preparing to tear themselves apart, each pulling out their own weapons. After being silent for a while, he grabbed the hilt of the sword. ¡°¡­yes.¡± The trembling stopped. A storm was entwined around the bluish de. Schlieffen aimed his sword at the archbishops and continued. ¡°I can protect you.¡± Chapter 298 [ 298. Battle (6) ] #298 ¡°I can protect you.¡± Schlieffen murmured. The de wrapped in the storm was vibrating. Verminion, who had been decapitated, staggered to his feet. ¡¾Kuuk¡­ How dare you¡­¡¿ Blood was still gushing out from the cut on his neck. However,pared to the time when it was cut, the amount was clearly reduced. ¡®It¡¯s too fast.¡¯ Schlieffen narrowed his brow. I expected that my resilience would also increase, but I didn¡¯t expect it to get better this quickly. Do I have to kill it in one go? A roar erupted from Verminion¡¯s mouth as he raised his head. [Scratch my neck!] At the same time, Verminion¡¯s shape disappeared from sight. Schlieffen reflexively raised his sword. Kaaang-! His body was pushed back with a roaring metal sound. ¡¾How can you stop it?!¡¿ ¡°Umm¡­!¡± Schlieffen gritted his teeth. Even if I defended myself, it felt as if my arm would fall off. It seemed that he had been hit not by a person but by a huge beast. ¡¾Try it one more time like before, huh?!¡¿ Verminion¡¯s attack continued. It was a rough yet sophisticated fighting technique. Every time the regime wrapped in mana and kicks flew, Schlieffen felt the threat to his life. It was the car he was trying to straighten up after turning around the lot. An old man¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡¾Sorry, but I had to run after her quickly.¡¿ The hair on the nape of her neck stood up. Schlieffen hurriedly turned his head. Glowing spheres the size of coconuts were flying at high speed. At a nce, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t right. It was the moment he just pulled himself out. Archbishop Letancie, who had been watching Schlieffen, made a pressing gesture. ¡¾Where.¡¿ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± An invisible force pressed Schlieffen¡¯s shoulders. It was a moment when his movements were disturbed. Wow! The ball of light thatnded at my feet caused an explosion. ¡°Gagging!¡± Couldn¡¯t stop it this time. The body bounced off and crashed into the wall with a roar. Judging by the feeling, it seemed that two ribs were broken. It was so painful that I wanted to pass out, but there was no time to lie down. Schlieffen rolled to the side and got up. Kwajik! At the same time, Verminion¡¯s heelnded on the spot. ¡¾Hey, I heard that I inherited the blood of old man Alon, but one speed is useful.¡¿ He growled ferociously as he pulled his legs off the floor. Judging from the depth of the foot, if it was hit, it would have been an instant death. Schlieffen widened his distance and looked back in the direction the sphere hade from. An old woman with a stooped back stood with a cane. Dozens of glowing orbs that had caused the explosion were spinning around her. The old woman, who met Schlieffen¡¯s eyes, eximed in admiration. ¡¾Oh, aren¡¯t you dead?¡¿ ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡¾It is Archbishop Maron. handsome young man. Wouldn¡¯t you like to clear that whirlwind? If that¡¯s the case, I might be able to save your life.] An old woman named Maron smiled kindly. Schlieffen did not answer. Then, a man covered in blood walked out from behind Maron. ¡¾okay. Seeing your bravery, I might be lenient. How the hell did this happen?] The man grumbled. The Archbishop, whose name is Anaquiel, had tried to break through the whirlwind that Schlieffen had just set up, but failed. The terrible scars covering his body were proof of that. ¡¾Hoho¡­probably it¡¯s because of the blood of Ronan or something. Judging by the power, it seems that the blood was applied rtively recently.] ¡¾Somehow. It hurts terribly.] ¡¾Ah. Reap the whirlwind. If I hade this far, there would have been almost no blood left.] Maronughed. Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened slightly at the keen analysis. In fact, all of Ronan¡¯s blood he possessed had just been poured into the knife. Judging by how long the powersted, it was an extremely insufficient amount to deal with the five archbishops. Schlieffen pursed his lips. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that this was thest chance to save one¡¯s life. The odds of him taking down all five were absurdly low. They did something simr in the Dragon City, but things were much worse now than they were then. To be honest, I wondered if I would be able to win with just one opponent here. ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Schlieffen finally made up his mind and closed his eyes. Suaa¡­ the whirlwind surrounding the tower began to subside. Anaquiel¡¯s face brightened. ¡¾Ohhh.¡¿ ¡¾That¡¯s right. As expected, he¡¯s a smart kid¡­] This was the car Maron was about to say. Schlieffen, who drew the energy consumed by the whirlwind, grabbed the hilt. The de of Pale Road was scattered in the form of wind. [Hmm?] Then, he gave strength to his whole body and swung his sword while rotating one turn. It was the moment when the sharp wind that drew a wide circle returned to its ce. Kwaaang! The wind shed the top of the room it passed through and sliced it off entirely. Walls and ceilings that slid along the cuts copsed. ¡¾Haha, did you think you wouldn¡¯t know such a shallow number?¡¿ However, no Archbishop was harmed. Maronughed. They had already noticed, and were already levitating through telekinesis or leaping. Anaquiel frowned. [Kicking away the opportunity. I have no choice but to kill him as I wish.] Sneering came back from everywhere. But Schlieffen was not taken aback. Because that was what he was aiming for in the first ce. bang! Schlieffen jumped straight ahead and kicked Maron in the chest. [Ugh!] I didn¡¯t expect this. Staying in the air, she was thrown back without being able to respond. Then, he swung his sword at Verminion, who had not intended to save himself in the first ce, and rushed after him. [Damn, did you notice?] Verminion spat out a curse. Hwaaak! A sudden gale blew him backwards. Before long, the bodies of the two reached the area where the whirlwind had been blowing. Maron¡¯s face, which had been rxed all along, turned white. ¡¾No way!¡¿ ¡¾What¡¯s wrong, Grandma? If I just go back to this¡­] Verminion, unable toprehend the situation, tilted her head. Maron eximed desperately. [Sheep in Le Tanshi! Come on, pull us!!] Btedly realizing Schlieffen¡¯s intentions, Le Tancier sighed. Schlieffen grabbed the sword with a full turn and drove the tip of the sword into the floor. Quaaaaaa! The whirlwind that had subsided began to rage violently. ¡¾Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaqss uhaaaaaaaaaaaaghss c¡¯aaaaaaaaaaaaghss!¡¿ ¡¾Oh my God Maron¡­!¡¿ Le Tansie stretched out her arms, but it was already toote. A desperate scream echoed through the wind. The sword wind, which tore even the blessings of the stars that were still alive, shredded the bodies of the two archbishops. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Schlieffen sighed. Although the two were dealt with, there was no change in the fact that they were still in an overwhelmingly unfavorable situation. The ribs were still broken, and the remaining archbishops looked much stronger than the first two. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter anyway. He pulled out his sword from the floor and opened his mouth. It was a bted reply to the invitation to reap the whirlwind. ¡°refuse.¡± ¡¾Kill! Kill them!] Le Tancier eximed in rage. The remaining archbishops rushed in unison. After catching his breath, Schlieffen pulled the hilt again. **** ¡°Schlieffen¡­!¡± Marja gritted her teeth. Her gaze stayed on the top floor of the Pale Castle. The storm caused by Schlieffen swirled around the tower. It seemed to subside for a while, but it was unusual that it became more intense. Awesome! Marya, who wielded a greatsword with one arm, cut the devotee who was charging from behind into two. ¡°Gagging¡­!¡± With this, all the troops deployed around them were dealt with. The two jumped from the tower and found themselves in the farthest corner of the wall. Marya looked up again and opened her mouth. ¡°I will definitely die. We have to help.¡± ¡°Ha, but Ms. Iril¡¯s personal protectiones first. At this rate, Schlieffen¡¯s sacrifice will be in vain¡­¡± ¡°I know that, this octopus head! Of course, I¡¯ll take you first, but you¡¯re thinking about where to go! And do you want to say something unlucky like a sacrifice?!¡± shouted Marja. A booming voice echoed through the castle. Startled, Braum hesitated and stepped back. ¡°Why are you angry, but.¡± ¡°¡­sorry. I can¡¯t seem to get an answer. Um, what should I do?¡± Apologizing, she shook her head. The matter was so serious that the mind and body were sensitive. Erill still didn¡¯t wake up in the middle of that. Her face, as she slept soundly, seemed perfectly calm. ¡°What the hell is going on anyway?¡± Suddenly, Marja looked around outside the wall and frowned. The protection of the stars Abel raised was too thick, so it was impossible to check the situation outside. It seems like something outrageous is going on. Braum, who was drooling, opened his mouth. ¡°How about a trip to our sewer? There might not be that shield in the basement.¡± ¡°Oh, is that good?¡± Marja¡¯s face brightened. It was certainly a valid argument. Normally, sewer pipes lead to the outside, and in a castle like this, the sewage system must berge enough for a person to pass through. ¡°Let¡¯s leave right now. Do you have any blood left?¡± ¡°okay. It¡¯s insignificant, but¡­¡± Braum nodded. Marja, who brushed off the blood from the bay, was about to move. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the bottom of the castle wall. ¡°what. Were you alive?¡± ¡°Hey Zaifa?!¡± Marya lowered her gaze in amazement. A ck wear tiger was looking up at her. The fourmandos who had entered together were breathing hard around Zaifa. Judging by the color of the line, it seemed that the other side had suffered too much. All the tired people were taking a bath in blood. Suddenly, Zaifa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Jaifa¡¯s gaze was fixed on Iril in Marja¡¯s arms. He reached the top of the wall in one leap. Zaifa, who took turns looking at the three, let out a nkugh. ¡°Anyway, you seem to have seeded. This is disgraceful.¡± ¡°Now is not the time to argue about that! Have you been walking around and seen something like a sewer?¡± ¡°there is. But it¡¯s not what you expect. Even if it was blocked, it was very tightly sealed.¡± Jaipa shook her head. He and his men had just been to the sewers and had juste back up. What greeted themandos, who were hoping to find a way out, was the protection of a swarming enemy and a thicker-looking star. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Marja¡¯s face hardened. It sounded like the sound of hopes copsing. Now there really was no way. Zaifa, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°Looking at her outfit, she shouldn¡¯t be taken away by fanatics, right?¡± ¡°yes. Probably for sure.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Then it can¡¯t be helped. I have no choice but to try a little bit.¡± Zaifa clicked his tongue. Putting down his sword, he moved towards the protection of the stars. Marya tilted her head at the meaningful action. ¡°What are you going to do? Why is Unwol Ind¡­¡± ¡°I have to look through it somehow. Everyone, give me the blood of that youngster.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Marja asked, but Zaifa did not answer. He only took Ronan¡¯s blood from the people who followed him and from Braum and applied it to his hands. ¡°Why did you have that in your hand¡­¡± Braum was puzzled. Jaifa¡¯s hands, soaked in Ronan¡¯s blood, turned dark red like the mes of hell. A hook-like nail grew out of a finger the length of a dagger. His thick forearms were swelling up rapidly. ¡°no way.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Realizing what he was about to do, Marja raised her eyebrows. At the same time, Zaifa¡¯s fist struck the protection of the stars. Kwaaaang-! An explosion resounded as if an iron te had been hit with a stone. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s solid.¡± ¡°oh my god¡­!¡± Zaifa clicked his tongue. Marja¡¯s eyes widened. His nails were digging into the protection of the stars, albeit weakly. There were cracks like a spider¡¯s web around the ce where the nails were stuck. Chapter 299 [ 299. Decisive Battle (7) ] #299 ¡°Three Gods¡­!¡± Marja was stunned. There was a crack at the ce where Zaifa hit. Although it was very weak, it was a great thing to do meaningful damage once. A stuttering voice escaped from her gaping mouth. ¡°Now, Jaipa-sama¡­wasn¡¯t it the Sword Saint? Why do you think bare hands are stronger¡­¡± ¡°All beastmen are born with ten swords in their hands. No matter how good a weapon is, it is nothing more than a piece of ironpared to this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Incredible.¡± ¡°I also have new feelings. Until now, the only one who had brought this out was Nabi Roze. Although there are two more strong candidates now.¡± Astute Marja noticed that it was a reference to Ronan and Schlieffen. After squeezing her hand a few times, Pin Zaifa winked at her. ¡°Get out of the way now. It¡¯s going to get in the way.¡± ¡°Oh yes.¡± Marja backed off. Zaifa¡¯s body swelled again. He roared like a beast and started hitting the stars in session. ¡°Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,,,¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The people who were watching covered their ears. Kwaaang! bang! A ghastly crash echoed each time the ws scraped the curtain. It was about five minutester. Zaifa suddenly stopped attacking and spat out a curse. ¡°Whoa¡­ Damn it.¡± ¡°Come on Jaifa. A hand¡­!¡± A haze was rising over Jaipa¡¯s heated body. Braum¡¯s eyes widened. The grip that was so strong had turned into a rag. Blood dripped down his bare fingers. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t just Ronan¡¯s blood. When Marja saw a couple of her nails dangling, she cried out in fright. ¡°Stop this now! ¡°Get out of the way. not there yet.¡± Zypha¡¯s swollen tail was banging on the floor. The crack in front of him was obviously bigger than before, but there was no sign of breaking yet. ¡°Even if I do this¡­ can¡¯t I?¡± Jaifa growled as if he was upset. Through the damaged curtain, the outside scenery could be seen dimly. Something was shing loudly, but I couldn¡¯t grasp the situation because my vision was narrow and I couldn¡¯t hear the sound. ¡°I said Vicky.¡± ¡°evil!¡± puck! Jaifa swung her tail and threw Marya and Braum away. It was the car he was about to attack Gaho again. Suddenly, a boy¡¯s face popped up on the other side of the curtain. ¡°you?¡± Jaifa raised an eyebrow. The red-haired boy was floating in the air with his bare body. It was a face that was very familiar not only to him, but to everyone here. The boy¡¯s face turned white as his eyes met Zaifa¡¯s. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A roaring Wear Tiger covered in blood wasn¡¯t much of a spectacle for the heart. The boy who fell down briefly came back up. Marja, who found him btedly, jumped up. ¡°Oh Asher?!¡± ¡°My God, how is this!¡± Braum followed suit and burst out in astonishment. It was undoubtedly Asher. The injuries sustained while defending against the giants¡¯ bombardment seemed to have been healed somehow. Marya, who came running in a month, clung to the protection of the stars. ¡°Assel! what happened huh? Is everyone okay?!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± His face lit up when he saw Marja. Asher began to exin something, gesturing toward Marja. It was the best because not only the voice but also the transmission were blocked. ¡°What are you talking about now? Can you hear me?¡± ¡°No¡­ me too.¡± People who couldn¡¯t understand what that meantughed. It was just like dancing. Mariyaman was the only one who nodded his head and showed signs of understanding. ¡°aha. I see Yep.¡± ¡°hey. What is that kid talking about now?¡± ¡°Wait. Try not to interrupt. Ah¡­that.¡± Jaipa, impatient, asked, but Marja waved her hand away and sent him away. Soon, the delivery of opinions was over. Marja, who removed her face from the protection, looked back at the people. ¡°Good news. He said he would get us out of here. It was a deal that caught the cracks happening.¡± ¡°What is it, did Ronane with you?¡± ¡°no. But I guess it will work somehow. Jaipa-sama also had a hard time¡­¡± Marya murmured. It was an absurdly strong barrier, but if Asher said it would be possible to break through. But before that, there was work to be done. Looking around, she approached the femalemando who had followed Zaifa. Then, he handed over Leel, who was soundly asleep, and said, ¡°Wait a minute, please. Be careful.¡± ¡°Yes yes?¡± ¡°sorry. There are people who will go mad if you leave it to men.¡± Marjaughed facelessly. Then, with a worried expression, he looked up at the top floor of the castle. The storm caused by Schlieffen was still raging with no signs of abating. Magic and explosions presumed to be the Archbishop¡¯s skills were echoing in session. ¡°Please be safe.¡± she whispered softly. Anyway, given Schlieffen¡¯s personality, even if he went to help now, he wouldn¡¯t reap a whirlwind. Now was the time to carry out a double operation with Asher. Raising her greatsword, she walked towards the tent. ¡°Please step aside. Mr. Zaifa.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re better than me.¡± ¡°i know. But now I have toe together with Asher. I can guarantee you that I will be better at this part.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Marja¡¯s voice was full of conviction. Zaifa stepped aside disapprovingly. Marja strode forward and stopped in front of the barrier. Asher was facing her with a tense expression on his face. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡± said Marja. Asher, who read her mouth, nodded. I had to break it down this time. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Marja closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A cloud of blue light began to rise from the sword. All the mana that was circting in the body was directed towards the greatsword. She was aware of herck of skills, so she invested almost all of her remaining energy into strengthening her body and greatsword. ¡°¡­that¡¯s pretty good.¡± Zaifa, who watched the scene, shrugged his eyebrows. It was no exaggeration to say that his physical strength alone surpassed that of Ronan or Schlieffen. Paaa¡­! Before I knew it, the great sword sucked up all of Marya¡¯s mana. Now, rather than a sword, it had turned into a long, wide beam of light. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the hilt with both hands. And he threw a sh with all his might. ¡°Haaaaaaap-!!¡± A high-pitched scream resounded. At the same time, Asher, who was on the other side, closed his eyes tightly and threw out his fist. The invisible fist flew in a wide arc and the greatsword struck the same spot at the same time. Kwachaaang-! The cracked part exploded with the sound of ss breaking. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± ¡°It¡¯s broken!¡± Those who watched burst into astonishment. The air from the battlefield, which had been blocked, rushed in and flipped their bangs. Asher stuttered and shouted after confirming that the shield was broken. ¡°Seeded¡­! Everyone this way!¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± A voice was heard now. Soon after, the bodies of all themandos rose into the air. Asher beckoned and they were dragged like fish on a hook. The people who came out of the castle shed admiration. ¡°I really thought I was going to die¡­ I thought I was going to die¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be a disciple of Lorhorn, so that¡¯s reasonable.¡± No one was sure they would survive. Asher quickly put them behind the allied forces. The injured were gathered and receiving treatment. ¡°This is done now. For now, I am relieved.¡± After confirming that everyone was safe, Asher let out a sigh of relief. Schlieffen hadn¡¯te out yet, and about half of them had died in the castle, but this was an amazing achievement. Just then, Marja¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Assel!¡± ¡°Marya? town¡­!¡± It was the moment Asher turned his head. His leg, held by Marja, rose from the ground. The lips of the two ovepped. Asher¡¯s eyes widened wide. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± My hair turned white. Marja¡¯s cracked and chapped lips tasted like blood. She put Asher down after about three seconds. ¡°Are you Ma Ma Ma Mar?¡± Asher, who had been frozen, barely opened his mouth. There was still warmth on his lips. Marja smiled and hugged him tightly. ¡°It was great! You are truly the best wizard!¡± ¡°These lips¡­the lips touched¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, we would have all died inside. Really, you¡­!¡± His voice was full of moisture. Asher didn¡¯t say anything, just let out sounds simr to moaning. Wiping the tears off his shoulder, Marja looked up. ¡°Ugh, I really liked it. Let¡¯s do the restter.¡± ¡°The rest of me?¡± Asher froze at the meaningful remark. Marja concluded her speech by sticking out her tongue. After a brief cheering, it was time to get serious again. While looking around, she was handed over to Daewon again. Asher gasped at the breathtaking beauty. ¡°You saved me. really.¡± ¡°huh. Schlieffen saved it. I can¡¯t wake up, so I think I need to treat it. Is there anywhere I can lie down?¡± ¡°These makeshift barracks are over there. But why is my sister¡¯s expression¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Asher was looking at Iril with worried eyes. Marja, tilting her head, looked down at her. Iril, who had been sleeping peacefully since the discovery, was moaning in pain. ¡°Uhhhhhh¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Why are you like this all of a sudden?¡± Marja was perplexed. Looking at it, it didn¡¯t look good. Cold sweat ran down his white cheeks. Asher said. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. It¡¯s not serious.¡± ¡°huh.¡± Marja nodded quickly. The two started running toward the field ward. Zaifa and Braum stood by her side like an escort. Suddenly, Marja¡¯s gazended on a battlefield she hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°What in the world is that¡­!¡± ¡°I think it was more fun outside.¡± Jaifa let out augh. There was an indescribablendscape. Huge pits were dug everywhere. More than half of the giants that ran across the sky were lying dead on the floor. A huge boulder, like a mountain, was suspended in the air. The protection of a hemispherical star formed around a stone block covered the entire Allied camp. It was a different scale from the one that surrounded the headquarters. But what caught my eye the most was, of course, the super-giant magic circle that appeared in the sky. Even if Ibined all the magic circles I had seen before, it didn¡¯t seem as big as that one. Beyond theyer of clouds that covered the sky thickly, a group of lights reminiscent of lightning shed. Kurleung! bang! Every time the light burst out, the shock wave that was released shook the heavens and the earth. Marja asked in a trembling voice. ¡°What the hell happened¡­? Who built that shield and why are the giants like that¡­¡± ¡°I installed the protection of the stars. It was my son who got rid of those big guys.¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaagh!¡± I almost dropped this lil. Marja screamed and stopped at the sudden voice that came from in front of her. Breathing out, she lifted her head and raised her eyebrows. A middle-aged man with white hair who looked very much like Ronan stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°Who are you all? Somehow he looks like Ronan¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I am Cain Ronan¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Yeah?!¡± The savior nodded. Those who couldn¡¯t see Cain because they were locked up in the castle were astonished. He said. ¡°Thank you for saving my daughter. From now on, I¡¯ll take care of it, so stop and go rest.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you even if you suddenly say that¡­ So is Ronan here too?¡± ¡°okay. Right there, fighting for the fate of the world.¡± The savior raised his arm and pointed to the sky. Kwaaang-! The light shed again and a roar rang out. Therefore, everyone who raised their gaze widened their eyes. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, it seemed that a huge human figure had been revealed through the sh. Even if it can¡¯t be done, it looks like it¡¯s ten times bigger than the existing giant¡­ Marya, who was breathing heavily, finally opened her mouth. ¡°Bah, what the hell was that¡­what the heck was it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. However, the identity is predictable.¡± ¡°Identity?¡± The savior was silent for a moment. Just watching was straining my body. A long time had already passed, but neither of them showed up. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth. ¡°He is the king of giants.¡± Chapter 300 [ 300. Decisive battle (8) ] #300 ¡°The king of giants. I¡¯m sorry I left you trapped in the castle. I couldn¡¯t afford to go get it.¡± Those who heard the savior¡¯s words froze. Irregr shes of light and roar shook the battlefield. Marya, who was breathing heavily, opened her mouth. ¡°I fully understand¡­but what did you just say?¡± ¡°They said he was the king of giants. It¡¯s probably what they refer to as ¡®He¡¯.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± she stiffened again. I thought I heard it wrong, but it seems I didn¡¯t. King, I couldn¡¯t believe that even giants had such a presence. The savior who looked up at the sky clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that I missed Abel. I never thought they woulde out with such a bold strategy.¡± ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s Abel¡­Could it be that he also fought the leader of Neb zie?¡± ¡°They fought, of course, and even went as far as cutting their throats. My son, who threw off his shackles, did a good job.¡± ¡°shackles? Hey¡­what the hell happened while we were gone?¡± Marja asked, widening her eyes. Compared to the time I was away, there was a change that was too radical. She and the othermandos were trapped in the castle and had no idea what had happened. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know. So, if we talk about the core¡­¡± The savior shook his head and opened his mouth. Even if it was somewhat cumbersome, it was necessary to clearly convey the situation to these major forces. He gave a brief ount of what had happened during themando¡¯s absence. From Ronan¡¯s Haeju and the battleship Dainhar¡¯s invasion to the sudden arrival of the giant king and Abel¡¯s escape. Marja kept her mouth shut in shock. ¡°Oh my god, Ronan has gotten so strong?¡± ¡°okay. Judging by the look on his face, he seems to have known about my son¡¯s condition. I can assure you that Ronan will be the strongest being among the creatures born on this. Of course, if all the remaining curses disappear.¡± ¡°Awesome¡­ In the end, the curse was the problem. There was a reason I clung to it that way.¡± muttered Marja. It was a phenomenal situation that couldn¡¯t be better, but at the same time, it was also futile. I don¡¯t know, but he worked really hard. The thought that all the hardships and efforts so far had been in vain made me smile bitterly. The savior, who was staring at her, shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. It would have been impossible for my son to be that strong if it had not been supported by his own efforts.¡± ¡°yes? Uh, how can I think¡­¡± ¡°The old man¡¯s few tricks. Don¡¯t you know when you see me and Abel? He has lived through immeasurable years, but he is not up to my son who has just be an adult. The days stained with your sweat and blood are by no means in vain.¡± The look on the savior¡¯s face was serious. He actually thought it was a true miracle that Ronan had grown into a hard-working person. ¡®Honestly, I expected him to grow up as a bastard.¡¯ A lion is a lion, no matter how much he suppresses his strength with curses in his infancy. Since Kasha was a smart woman, Ronan must have noticed early on that everyone but himself was just a sheep or a deer. The possibility of living a life steeped in indolence and arrogance was overwhelmingly high, but as a savior who did not know that Ronan was living a second life, he was just grateful. He smiled and concluded his words. ¡°I just put the capstone on the monumental pagoda. So please don¡¯t be pessimistic.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, thank you.¡± Marja bowed her head. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but somehow it made me feel better. Yes, it couldn¡¯t have been in vain. ¡°¡­However, I can¡¯t guarantee a match against that one. Even though it is strong, it is too strong.¡± At that time, the savior, who turned his gaze to the sky again, let out a drool. Just watching was straining my body. The sight of the king of giants tearing open the magic circle and revealing himself gave an unforgettable shock to everyone. Abel took advantage of the momentary confusion and ran away. I wanted to chase after him, but the giant king¡¯s attack came right away, so there was no way. If he had chosen Abel¡¯s pursuit instead of defense at that moment, about half of the allied forces would have been swept away. Marja asked. ¡°That¡­isn¡¯t there anything we can do?¡± ¡°there is. But haven¡¯t you guyse through hardships? Rest a little andter¡­gagging!¡± Suddenly, the savior coughed loudly. Smack! Dark red blood soaked the floor. Asher, who was next to him, hurriedly approached. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­whoa, not yet.¡± The savior nodded. Blood was dripping from under the palm of his hand, which covered his mouth. Mana swayed and rose above Asher¡¯s shoulder, who was flustered. ¡°Wo is alsocking in strength. A little more¡­!¡± ¡°no. Everyone is doing well enough, so it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t know when the decision wille, so don¡¯t overdo it and just do it like now¡­¡± The savior raised his hand to stop Asher from trying to squeeze out more mana. Suddenly, Marja realized why the savior had told her and the others to rest. He maintained the protection of the stars by receiving mana not only from Asher but also from everyone on the battlefield. The savior who wiped his mouth with his sleeve looked back at Adeshan. ¡°¡­I owe more to the two of you in particr. Did you say Adeshan? Without you and that child, I would have copsed long ago.¡± Adeshan was sitting cross-legged on a towering pile of rubble. Her long ck hair fluttered every time Ronan and the giant king shed. The mana of the shadow that controls the psychology of creatures was spreading around her like wildfire. Marja, unable to see the shadow¡¯s mana, tilted her head. ¡°Come to think of it, what is Adeshan doing?¡± ¡°The four people are helping to draw out mana. I knew he was an amazing person, but I never thought he would do something like that to the entire Allied Forces again¡­¡± Asher stammered in reply. ording to his words, Adeshan calmed the frightened people and led them into a psychological state where it was easy to deliver mana to the savior. Although it was said to be within the protection of the stars, the outside was still violent. The giants flew around and threw spears at the defenses, and Schlieffen¡¯s storm was getting bigger and bigger. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that it was thanks to her that the mana transfer was carried out smoothly in this chaos. Marja, who looked around, opened her mouth with a determined expression. ¡°It¡¯s not like this, I¡¯ll move this sister to a safe ce as soon as possible. Spend my mana too.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that. Then my daughter¡­¡± The savior was about to say something. Kwaaaang-! Suddenly, something fell from the sky and struck the shield. ¡°Keoouk!¡± ¡°Father Ronan!¡± Blood erupted from the savior¡¯s mouth again. It was so powerful that the entire curtain vibrated. Surprised people started to mumble. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Did a meteorite fall¡­!¡± It didn¡¯t look like the giant king¡¯s attack, but I wondered what the hell it was. Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice resounded above the allies¡¯ heads. ¡°Aagh! This kind of nimi really hurts¡­!¡± ¡°What is this voice?¡± The group hurriedly raised their heads. A very familiar young man was sprawled over the tent. Even though it was only from the back, I could tell for sure. Asher eximed. ¡°Ro Ronan!¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He just turned his head as hey down. I saw my friends running around with their hands outstretched towards the sky. ¡°What, you all are alive?¡± ¡°are you okay? Aren¡¯t you all hurt?!¡± ¡°It hurts, but I¡¯m still fine. Nice to meet you all.¡± He spat out his broken teeth and grinned. I thought I wouldn¡¯t die because I was a bastard, but seeing him so healthy made me feel relieved. Judging by the storm, it seemed that Schlieffen was still alive. Suddenly, Ronan looked back at Marya and sighed. Iril was fast asleep in her arms. It was the first time I had seen it since I was kidnapped by Abel. ¡°Your sister¡­is sleeping too, right?¡± ¡°Ugh. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll treat you right now. If there¡¯s anything we can do to help¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so take care of you guys. with my sister.¡± Ronan grabbed the hilt. If I had the same mind, I wanted to go and see my sister and friends right away, but I couldn¡¯t afford that. He was in the middle of recovering his strength while lying down. Suddenly, the center of the dark clouds turned white. ¡°Damn it!¡± It was like looking at the sky just before lightning strikes. Ronan swears at the phenomenon, whose meaning is self-evident. It was the moment he stood up and swung La Mancha. Quaaaaaa-! The clouds parted and a beam of light that could be dozens of meters in diameter poured out. ¡°oh my god¡­!¡± ¡°Ro Ronan!¡± The beam of light was falling precisely towards Ronan. In the backlight, thick shadows were cast for a long time. The friends¡¯ faces went white. They instinctively noticed that it was the same attack as the light spears and arks thrown by the giants. ¡°Die¡­!¡± Marja murmured. It was not something that could be avoided or prevented. However, Ronan did not back down and swung his sword. Chow! Hundreds of sword strikes created a dense and tore the sh into shreds. ¡°Queuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu00698 Please do it in moderation¡­!¡± The heat that seemed to bring the sun in front of my eyes oppressed the battlefield. A crack like a cobweb was forming where Ronan was stepping. The people who watched the scene shed admiration. ¡°I¡¯m blocking that.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I saw it. Thanks to Ronan¡¯s response, there was no damage to the bottom. His sophisticated yet sharp swordsmanship did not allow even a single ray of light to cut through. Before long, thest fragments of light were scattered into the air. The world, which had been all white, began to regain its original color. Ronan was in the middle of taking a deep breath. Kururureung¡­! The upper body of the giant king popped out from under the thick clouds again. ¡°I appeared!¡± ¡°Oh my God, that¡­!¡± Consternation erupted from everywhere. This was the first time we saw him in action, as the first blow of the giant king was struck from inside the magic circle, and Ronan intercepted as soon as the savior defended. The white or bald appearance was simr to other giants, but the size was indescribably huge. It seemed like he could swallow Ronan and all giants in one bite. A total of eight wings were hidden in the clouds. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Suddenly, the savior¡¯s eyes widened. He had seen a being simr to that in the past. A shooting star that changed his life forever. It was strikingly simr to the giant in the abyss. ¡°You fucking bald bastard!¡± At that moment, Ronan, who had caught his breath, shouted in an angry voice. A thick vein bulged on the forehead where the bangs were stuck. La Mancha, which was held in his hand, was dyed in the color of the sunset. Ronan¡¯s aura that drew opponents wrapped around the battlefield. ¡°Ro Ronan?! It¡¯s dangerous here!¡± Seeing this, Braum was horrified. It was good to crash a giant, but if something huge like that fell, I couldn¡¯t handle it. It was the car he was about to shout. Paaa! As the glow of the sunset colored the sky, Ronan¡¯s body wasunched into the sky. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you!¡± It was like watching a huge firecracker. At the same time as the giant king disappeared behind the clouds, Ronan, who was shot in the same orbit, disappeared into the clouds. Kwaaang-! The crash sounded again. ¡°uh?¡± Braum was taken aback by thepletely unexpected situation. He wasn¡¯t the only one surprised. Zaifa, who had been watching the situation silently, spoke for the first time. ¡°Why is that bastard moving? Originally, the opponent had toe down, right?¡± ¡°My son¡¯s aura seemed to pull enemies within range of the light. But this time the opponent is too strong. The pulling force is running, so you are being pulled.¡± ¡°no wonder. It was like an air battle.¡± After hearing the savior¡¯s answer, Zaifaughed. Ronan waspeting with the giant king while repeatedly using his aura. It wasn¡¯t long before they came to their senses, and they were trying to cooperate with the savior in earnest. A horrifyingly familiar dry voice came from afar. ¡°¡­was it there? You¡¯ve been looking for it for a long time.¡± Chapter 301 [ 301. Decisive battle (9) ] #301 ¡°¡­were you there? You¡¯ve been looking for it for a long time.¡± ¡°what?¡± The dry, cracked voice was undoubtedly something I had heard before. People hastily turned their heads. At a distance beyond the curtains, a man in a state of disrepair was standing. ¡°Kyo-gyo-gyo-chief?!¡± Asher¡¯s face went white. It was far away, but clearly recognizable. It was Abel, the leader of Neb zie. However, the overwhelming sense of intimidation was not conveyed like when they first met. Those who saw him expressed bewilderment rather than fright. Jaipa frowned. ¡°It¡¯s aplete living corpse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a familiar cat. It¡¯s be like I can¡¯t see it.¡± Abel groaned. He was dying with such serious injuries that it was a miracle that he was alive. Although he barely escaped the battle with Ronan, he had to give up about half of the internal organs of one arm and one leg. ¡°Oops¡­¡± Asher retched. Purple blood was dripping down the severed left leg. Except for the one that was attacked by Navardoze, most of them were Ronan¡¯s works. The silent savior opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Abel.¡± ¡°What kind of monster did you create, bro? You really could have died.¡± Abel yfully waved his severed right arm. The newly regenerating bone was sticking its white head out of the cut surface. the savior asked. ¡°You are done now. If he barely survived, he would have run away, but why did he appear here?¡± ¡°Well¡­should I do it to beg for my life? Even if I run away anyway, my brother will not find me and kill me. And at this rate, I thought that I would really lose that size.¡± Abel looked up at the sky and said. His gaze rested on the King of Giants, who were fighting a fierce battle beyond the clouds. The potential of Ronan and the allied forces far exceeded his expectations. Hearing his words, Marjaughed. ¡°Ha, what a shameless thing¡­!¡± The skin on his face was thick enough. Suddenly anxious, she turned to her savior. They say they¡¯re brothers, but I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t forgive them, right? The silent savior opened his mouth. ¡°You would know. It¡¯s alreadyte.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. I was asking just in case. Because older brother has been weak-hearted since before.¡± ¡°You must have lost so much blood that your judgment is clouded. As long as you show up, you won¡¯t survive. Therefore, answer with the feeling ofst penitence. What have you done to my daughter? And what did you do to Navardoze?¡± The voice was firm. Marja let out a sigh of relief after confirming that her worries were unfounded. Abel shook his head from side to side with a fishyugh. ¡°Well, what happened¡­ I won¡¯t even spare you, so I have no obligation to answer.¡± ¡°¡­is it.¡± The savior twitched his lips. The days we had been together were passing before my eyes like a kaleidoscope. From the day they walked through the ruins of their lost hometown holding hands to the moment they stabbed a sword in their back. The savior closed his eyes instead of answering the question. And he uttered it as if he had squeezed it out. ¡°¡­kill it. Anybody is fine.¡± Then, the blessing of the stars opened slightly. Zaifa, who had been turning her wrists nonchntly, spurred the ground and ran out as if she had waited. Almost simultaneously, Abel drew his sword and fired a crescent-shaped de. Shih! The sword de that had passed Jaifa¡¯s cheek flew straight towards Cain. ¡°What are you going to do with just that!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± It was expected. It was a flimsy swordsmanship that made me feel sorry to evenpare it with the existing one, but I couldn¡¯t be vignt. Marja and Braum raised their swords and shields like lightning. However, the sword did not even reach them and fell to the ground where there was nothing. ¡°Eh?¡± Marya, at a loss for words, frowned. It was too insignificant to be a blow to the spleen. The small explosion tousled her blonde hair, knocked the tiara off Erill¡¯s head and scratched Braum¡¯s itchy butt before dissipating. ¡°this.¡± Abel smiled bitterly. It was as if he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this messy. At that moment, Wear Tiger, which flew horizontally with the ground, arrived right in front of Abel¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fast.¡± that was the advice Jaifa waved her arms without saying anything. His ws, still soaked in Ronan¡¯s blood, gently dug into Abel¡¯s weakened defenses. Poo-! As his hand drew an arc, Abel¡¯s head exploded. The sound of skulls being crushed was terrifying. The body, which had been standing unaware of death, fell backwards. The savior who wiped his face once opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Peace be with you.¡± It was the moment when a long-standing bad rtionship came to an end. If it was futile, it was an infinitely futile ending. Because of the attitude of the savior, the party could not exim and rejoice even after killing the enemy leader. Zaifa, who suddenly felt an iprehensible sense of incongruity, narrowed her eyes. ¡°This is¡­¡± Something was strange. It must have been killed, but it did not seem to have been killed. Looking back, Abel¡¯s corpse was convulsing as it copsed. ¡®what?¡¯ The intuition that had always guided him was sending a warning. Kwajik! Zaifa, who had stepped on the corpse and burst it, was in the middle of looking around. Suddenly, a cracklingugh was heard from behind the curtain. ¡°Ahahaha!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± Jaipa turned her head. Ilil caught my eye as she smiled in Marja¡¯s arms. She, who had been sleeping soundly without responding to all the noise, wasughing out loud. ¡°Ahaha! Hee hee¡­ ha ha ha!¡± ¡°This lil sister? Why all of a sudden¡­¡± Marja was perplexed. It was different from normal drool talk. The sound of unstoppableughter sounded somehow eerie. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­what¡¯s going on!¡± It didn¡¯t take long before I realized something was wrong. It was a car where the savior was trying to look after his daughter in earnest. The clouds parted, and once again the giant king¡¯s blows exploded in the vicinity. Aaaaaang-! The pirs of light mmed into the ground made a pit that seemed like it could bury an entire mountain. Seeing blood pouring out of the savior¡¯s mouth, Asher eximed urgently. ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the medical staff. This way!¡± ¡°Ughhh!¡± Asher eximed. Marja hugged Iril tightly and started running. I don¡¯t know what happened, but the best healers on the continent could have healed her. ¡°Ahahaha! haha!¡± ¡°Oh sister. It¡¯s fine, right? Be patient!¡± All the while, Illil was giggling andughing. Asher bit his lower lip. I didn¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t have a good feeling that a corner of my chest was being squeezed. ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Jaipa, who had been snooping around, came back under the protection of the stars. The man who was watching them from the top of the castle wall of the head temple muttered in a low voice. ¡°request. My nephew¡­heo-eok!¡± A clot of blood gushed out of Abel¡¯s mouth. I felt that my already bad physical condition had worsened. It was because the clone he created by squeezing out all his remaining energy had died. said Bishop Rabondate weeping. ¡°Mr. Are you okay? I thought it would end like this, so I stopped¡­!¡± Specialized in borate clone magic, she regretted epting Abel¡¯s request. Labondate¡¯s magic, which consumes mana as well as the target¡¯s life force, was not very suitable for the dying Abel. he shook his head. ¡°No¡­if I hadn¡¯t put in this much effort, I would have been caught. If I had been a littlete this time, the cat would have noticed me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go get treatment for now. It is really dangerous at this rate.¡± ¡°Cure¡­¡± Abel dragged his horse. It was the car that Rabondate was trying to help him with. Abel¡¯s left arm disappeared from view and reappeared. The hilt of the sword was already grasped in the one remaining left hand. ¡°uh?¡± Rabondate raised his eyebrows. At the same time, her head shot up into the air. Chow ah! Blood sprayed violently and wet Abel¡¯s face. The followers escorting him shrugged their shoulders. ¡°Hey! Headmaster?!¡± ¡°Good work so far. Let¡¯s all be stars and meet.¡± Abel carelessly swung his sword. Dozens of believers were ughtered without even being able to scream. With this, all witnesses have been eliminated. He raised his head and looked up at the top of the castle. The Schlieffen whirlwind around the old tower was swirling, repeating its growing and shrinking cycle. Abel clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll do it in moderation.¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out what I was doing well when Ilil was taken away. If the archbishops hadn¡¯t robbed her in the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all this trouble picking up his alter ego. ¡®He must have be stronger by receiving the starlight. I don¡¯t know what the hell he¡¯s doing.¡¯ Abel hung his tongue and lowered his head. I was going to take my own life as much as I had suffered by my side until now, but it was just a pity. Of course, Illil¡¯s ability won¡¯t die painfully as much as he awakened. Abel murmured. ¡°A peaceful¡­death¡­¡± He did not want people to die in fear and screams. Abel used his sword as a staff and started to move. The destination is the basement of the castle. It was a secret room connected to the world of giants. **** ¡°Uh¡­uhhh.¡± Irill opened his eyes. My head was foggy as if I was drunk. The blue sky above my head was beautiful. ¡°What was I¡­ doing?¡± I think I was going through something difficult, but I can¡¯t remember. The wind that tickled his nostrils was filled with the smell of grass and wild flowers. She slowly raised her upper body. A winding trail stretched in front of her. As I raised my gaze along the road, a small vige came into view. Iril¡¯s eyes widened at the poignantly familiar scenery. ¡°This is¡­¡± Nimburton, who weed the early summer, was saturated with greenery. A small river meandered through the vige. A herd of sheep wandered between the hills that surrounded the vige. ¡°Nimburton.¡± All of a sudden, Iril¡¯s vision blurred. Is this perfume? I don¡¯t know why, but I couldn¡¯t stand it because the tip of my nose was frowning. It was while she was wiping the tears from her cuffs. Suddenly, a young voice came from behind. ¡°sister.¡± ¡°huh?¡± It was a voice as familiar as the scenery of his hometown. Iril¡¯s gaze turned to the boy wearing the straw hat. The boy¡¯s eyes, staring up at him, were beautiful scarlet like the sunset. ¡°Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Give me some food.¡± said young Ronan brazenly. The prickly eyes were the same as before. Iril reached out and gently tugged at his brother¡¯s cheek. The soft cheeks grew. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so soft¡­ is that really Ronan?¡± ¡°My sister is a bit strange today. then i¡¯m real Could it be fake?¡± Ronan frowned at the meaningless action. Once again, Ill¡¯s eyes filled with water. Whimpering, she hugged her brother. ¡°My little brother! How much is this!¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Ronan let out a puzzle. He hugged me so tightly that I was suffocating. Seeing his sister¡¯s shoulders shake, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Has anything been difficult?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know. I think it was, but I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ronan slowly raised his hand and patted her on the back. It was a small but kind touch. He said. ¡°It won¡¯t be like that anymore. Let us stay together.¡± ¡°Eh, are you still together?¡± ¡°huh. My friends are here too.¡± After the hug, Ronan nodded. Iril opened his eyes and eximed in admiration. Three boys and girls surrounded him. Little Marja smiled and waved. ¡°Hello, Unni Lee!¡± ¡°Oh, hello sister.¡± ¡°¡­you are beautiful today too.¡± Then young Asher and Schlieffen greeted each other in turn. It was a truly lovelyndscape. Iril, unable to control his emotions, hugged the four of them at once. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°What are you doing¡­!¡± The children showed their own reactions. Illi closed her eyes andughed out loud. ¡®happy.¡¯ The warm sunlight and a lovely brother. and my brother¡¯s friends. There was nothing more to wish for. After a while, she lifted her head and said while stroking the children¡¯s heads. ¡°Yes, guys. Shall we go eat? My sister is really good at potato stew.¡± I felt like I had forgotten something, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Before she knew it, she had changed into the appearance of a young girl who was on the same eye level as Ronan. At the same time, someone¡¯s voice resonated in Adeshan¡¯s head, who was sitting in the middle of the battlefield. [Adeshan. Dangerous.] Chapter 302 [ 302. Battle (10) ] #302 [Adeshan. Dangerous.] ¡°Aww!¡± Adeshan, who was concentrating, flinched. I wanted to be quiet for a while, but it was a mess again. A familiar woman¡¯s voice pierced my brain. Now I¡¯m sick of asking what¡¯s dangerous. She sighed after confirming that the shadow¡¯s mana had been disturbed. It seemed to me that I needed to get my attention back in order to focus again. ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa of it of it.¡± Adeshan nervously opened her eyes. I could see the allied forces gathered in formation and the glittering sky beyond the blessing of the stars covering all sides. It seemed that the battle between Ronan and the Giant King was still going on. ¡°Ronan.¡± Looking up at the sky, she bit her lip. My heart was heavy because it seemed that the victory or defeat of this fight had been left to Ronan alone. Of course, the only strong person who could face the king was him or Navardoze. ¡®Is there any way to help more?¡¯ Even Navardoze was still missing. A detached team was organized and sent to find out whether it was alive or dead, but there was still no return of contact that it had been found. It would have been nice if they could provide support fire, but even that was not possible. He probably had to attack with magic, but all the mana of the allied forces, including himself, was being passed on to the savior. ¡°I can¡¯t help it¡­¡± No matter how much I thought about it, this was the best thing for now. It was the car Adeshan was about to focus on his mission again. A lowugh echoed from behind her. ¡°Ahaha¡­Then you can¡¯t use it, Ronan.¡± ¡°What?¡± Adeshan hurriedly turned around. A woman in a white dress was walking slowly across the allied gap. Her eyes widened at the dazzling beauty. ¡°¡­Iril-sama?¡± It was undoubtedly a lil. I was reported to be unconscious, but did I just wake up? Adeshan, who suddenly moved her gaze, narrowed her eyes. Every time Iril took a step, the people around him were copsing. ¡°What is it?¡± His life signs were normal, so he didn¡¯t seem dead or injured. The people in the direction Erill had passed were already copsed. I couldn¡¯t understand English. Adeshan, instinctively feeling ominous, was about to take action. All of a sudden, all the strength went out of my body. ¡°What¡¯s going on now¡­¡± Kung. Staggering, she fell to one knee. In the midst of my hazy consciousness, an unknown sense of happiness was creeping up. ¡°¡­uh?¡± Something was strange. My five senses were twisting one by one. The scenery of the cruel battlefield was changing to the view of Phileon Academy from the Hill of the Four Seasons. The smell of ash and blood that stung my nose had changed to the scent of cherry blossoms. ¡°senior. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice rang in my ears. Embarrassed Adeshan turned his head while holding his forehead. Ronan, in his school uniform, stood with his hands in his pockets. ¡°Ro Ronan?¡± ¡°Has anything been difficult? The student council work was like a bummer.¡± Ronan asked in a worried tone. He was looking down at him with the kind eyes he only shows when the two of them are together. Adeshan stuttered. ¡°I am¡­ that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. I am still doing very well.¡± After saying that, Ronan lightly hugged Adeshan. The cozy yet warm embrace was unmistakably that of a lover. Her thinking stopped for a moment. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Adeshan knew. Everything I see, hear, and feel now was just a fake. However, apart from cognition, the rising happiness clouded his judgment. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice came from not far away. ¡°okay. If it¡¯s hard, why don¡¯t you take a break and do it? You¡¯ve been running hard all this time, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­mom?¡± The tone was familiar. Adeshan¡¯s face hardened as he turned his head. My mother and two older brothers, who had been killed in childhood, wereing up the hill. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot. Adeshan.¡± ¡°I think my sister is taller than you now?¡± The two brothers waved their hands. The two of them and their mother¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed since thest time I saw them. Adeshan muttered as if possessed. ¡°Nonsense¡­¡± This was just too much. Her vision was blurred by the piercingly wee face. Sheter realized that she was also wearing a school uniform. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Huh?¡± Of course, now it didn¡¯t matter. Adeshan fell sideways and sat on the floor. She lowered her head, and her shoulders began to tremble. ¡°Ahaha¡­ha.¡± **** The sound of the wind was rough. A sea of pure white clouds was flowing from far away. The harmony with the wild blue sky spreading overhead was beautiful. It was an unparalleled view. But Ronan now had no time to appreciate such things. He spat out phlegm and asked in an annoyed tone. ¡°Let¡¯s finish it. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± But this time, no answer came back. In front of him, the king of giants was pping his wings. Ronan, who could not fly, constantly activated his aura and hovered around him like a satellite. ¡®It¡¯s filthy big. really.¡¯ Ronan, who was watching the king, clicked his tongue. Its size, ten times that of a normal giant,pletely obscured the scenery behind it. In particr, it was difficult to see the whole of the eight wings even if you turned your head. There were several scars from Ronan engraved on the white giant body, but there was nothing that could be called a final blow. It was because of its superior defense as well as its overwhelming size. Whatever it was, I wanted to make a decision soon. The overworked limbs trembled as if they were about to break. Ronan, who grabbed the hilt, shouted. ¡°Now stop fucking!¡± At the same time, La Mancha was dyed a deeper scarlet. Hwaaak! The pulling power grew stronger, and Ronan¡¯s body shot forward. La Mancha, which drew a wide arc, was drawn aiming at the giant king¡¯s neck. The de was about to cut through his throat. Quaang-! A ferocious crash rang out. Ronan, who grabbed the whining hand, frowned. ¡°shit¡­!¡± A wide and thick greatsword was blocking La Mancha. The king¡¯s main weapon, a huge sword, was more like a piece of equipment used in civil engineering than a weapon. It was not made of light like the other giants dealt with, but it was an object with substance, so Ronan couldn¡¯t easily cut it. Was it too obvious that he was aiming for the neck? Taking a deep breath, he let out a fake smile. ¡°It¡¯s not good for his size. Are things properly attached?¡± [¡­] However, the king did not respond to Ronan¡¯s provocation. It seemed like he knew who the cynical side of the giant race came from. It was in the midst of a tense silence. The king, who turned around in silence, swung his greatsword wide. ¡°Ugh!¡± After reading the trajectory, Ronan leaned back. Whoa! The greatsword glided past his loose bangs. Following the sword¡¯s trajectory, a beam of light flew across the horizon. Kwaaaang-! An explosion that urred soon after tore through the sea of clouds and surged up. ¡°Nimi.¡± A bted shockwave swept through the area. Ronan spat out a curse. It was fortunate that this ce was so remote that it had more than enough power to blow up an entire city. Whoops! The giant¡¯s serial attack flew right away, but he couldn¡¯t even dare to repel it. Ronan, who kept the distance by shedding or dodging, twitched his lips. ¡®Fuck you. How do I catch this?¡¯ To be honest, I didn¡¯t see an answer. It seemed that the king was not decided by a popr vote. asionally, they gave each other effective hits, but usually Ronan suffered much greater damage. All he could do right now was wait for the curse remaining in his body to dissipate, waiting for time so as not to spark sparks at the allied forces. Suddenly, a familiar girl¡¯s voice rang in Ronan¡¯s head. [It¡¯s not easy.] ¡°What is it, Rin?¡± [So hard. How could such an existence¡­] Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was a voice I hadn¡¯t heard in a very long time. It was Rin, the soul of the Holy Sword that dwells in La Mancha. Ronan, who once again avoided the king¡¯s sh, tilted his head. ¡°What happened all of a sudden?¡± [I came because I didn¡¯t want to see you die. No matter what anyone says, you¡¯re my friend.] Whenever she spoke, the sword body hummed. Ronan narrowed his brows. The meaning was self-evident. ¡°¡­do you think you can¡¯t win?¡± [I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s hard at this rate. Just like you read that monster¡¯s battle methods, they are reading you too. If you really want to win, you have toe up with a new method.] ¡°A new method.¡± Ronan groaned. As she said, the king memorized all of Ronan¡¯s attack patterns. I couldn¡¯t get an effective hit unless I attacked quite irregrly. It had to be caught off guard and sunk just once. Ronan¡¯s head was rapidly heating up. A new method never thought of before. After a few seconds of silence, he snapped his fingers. ¡°aha.¡± [Did you have any good ideas?] ¡°There¡¯s a high chance of failure, but I think it¡¯s worth a try. Let¡¯s try it.¡± [What the hell are you going to do¡­ wait!] Rin was about to shout something. Ronan suddenly drew his sword into his left thigh. Chow! Blood gushed out like a fountain at the spot where the de dug into the flesh. Ronan gritted his teeth at the burning pain. ¡°Did you cut too deep?¡± [Are you crazy? What are you doing?] Rin asked in a puzzled tone. Instead of answering, Ronan pushed the de harder into his flesh. Just enough blood toe out. The legs can be cut off a littleter. Lynn, who noticed Ronan¡¯s intention btedly, was embarrassed. [Wait, you can¡¯t¡­] ¡°Yes. This will hurt that baby. ¡± Ronan giggled. A red g was rising on La Mancha¡¯s de. It was because of the nature of the weapon that it became sharper the more blood it drank. It was a necessary preparation before the spleen strike. First of all, the sword would have to reliably tear through the skin before entering. It was now at this stage, but in fact, it was a gamble from here. Ronan was about to exin the operation to Rin in a whisper. A low, thick voice resounded across the sky. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan involuntarily stopped. It felt like my bone marrow was whining. It was a voice that was on a different level from the giant¡¯s voice I had heard so far. Ronan instinctively sensed that it was the king¡¯s voice. Taking a deep breath, he raised his head. The king, who lowered his greatsword, was looking at him. ¡°Did you know you could talk?¡± ¡ºLittle creature living a mortal life, tell me the whereabouts of the former king whilepassion remains in me. ¡» Ronan tilted his head. I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying. If it¡¯s the former king, does that mean there was a king before that son? the king spoke ¡ºYour blood smells like the old king.¡» Chapter 303 [ 303. Return ] #303 ¡ºYour blood smells like the old king.¡» ¡°What?¡± Ronan frowned. I couldn¡¯t understand what this bald head was talking about all of a sudden. the king spoke ¡ºFor some reason, I thought that the dragon power of a mortal was at an absurd level. It must have taken that power. ¡± Ronan, who was about to spit out curse words, raised his eyebrows. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the old king or the fuck, but I seemed to know what the king was talking about. A giant buried deep in the sea of ghosts. The appearance of the eight-winged giant who had removed Ronan¡¯s curse was very simr to the king in front of him. said Ronan. ¡°Are you talking about a guy with eight wings like you?¡± [As expected.] The king¡¯s eyes widened. It was the first change in his expression. Raising his greatsword, he aimed at Ronan. ¡ºThe former king came to this tens of thousands of years ago and disappeared. The mightiest warrior in all of our race¡¯s history. now speak What kind of mean trick did you use to murder him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°gibberish. Then who dared to do that?¡± Ronan narrowed his brows. There was no way he knew what the savior didn¡¯t know. The scars left on the corpse had been seen before, so it seemed that it had been killed by something, but there was no particr suspect. ¡®What the fuck do I know.¡¯ But I felt like I could make use of this opportunity if I did my best. After thinking for a while, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Ummm, so I think I might remember¡­¡± Ronan dragged his tongue. It wasn¡¯t to keep the conversation going. In the first ce, he was not very interested in information about what the former king was saying. ¡ºIf you don¡¯t want to perish on the spot, you better think of it quickly. ¡» The flesh oozing out of therge body stung the skin. Ronan¡¯s body, which had been moving slowly, was lowered to about the height of his shin. It seemed like this would be the location. Ronan, who deliberately exaggeratedly drooled, pped his hands with all his might. match-! A cheerful sound echoed across the sky. ¡°Ah, I remembered!!¡± ¡º¡­!¡» The tip of the great sword shook slightly at the sudden action. Sensing the momentary gap, Ronan grabbed the hilt. ¡®now.¡¯ Twisting his back, he threw the sword with all his might. La Mancha, which left his hand, was shot toward the king¡¯s chin. Pew-! A shockwave was generated from the back of the de that exceeded the speed of sound. After drinking a lot of blood, La Mancha became sharp enough to tear and pierce the king¡¯s skin. ¡ºFoolish.¡» However, the king was not an easy opponent. The moment the sword was about to touch Mokwooldae, eight wings spread out at once. Hwaaak! The king¡¯s body moved to the side at the same time as a gale blew. La Mancha, which stretched out in a straight line, vanished into the night sky. Ronan sighed. ¡°ah!¡± ¡°To waste the chance to live a little longer. I can¡¯t understand the inferiority of mortals.] Losing his aura, Ronan began to plummet to the ground. Hearing the desperate scream, the king let out a sigh. A pure white light began to rise from the hilt of the greatsword. ¡ºWhatever it is, stop disappearing.¡» It was quite an annoying opponent, but that was the end. The king, who decided to blow Ronan away from this ce, was about to swing his greatsword. Ronan, who was falling in the middle of the fall, raised his arms into the air. ¡°Reach!¡± [Hmm?] It was the first gambler to try. The heat rising through his heart dyed Ronan¡¯s hands vermilion. Paaa¡­! A beam of light shot in a straight line reached La Mancha, which cuts through the night sky in the distance. ¡°Seeded!¡± Feeling the touch of being caught, Ronan called for joy. It was the first time I used my body as a medium to activate my aura, but I didn¡¯t know it would really work. In fact, what really mattered was from now on. La Mancha turned and turned the tip of his sword towards Ronan. The king was still floating above his head. ¡°Haaaaaaaa!! Fiercely, Ronan bent his arms as if pulling. Until the end, the king did not notice Ronan¡¯s intentions. Poo-! La Mancha, which flew like aet, pierced his neck. ¡ºGagging!¡» Blue blood gushed out of his open mouth. chuck! Thepletely returned sword hilt of La Mancha was put into Ronan¡¯s hand. Rin¡¯s voice echoed in my head, muttering that you¡¯re such a crazy person. Ronan, who turned the knife around, raised his middle finger. ¡°How does it taste, you bald head?¡± ¡ºKuh, what is this¡­¡» The king¡¯s face twisted for the first time. I guess I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out this way. He clutched his neck with his left hand and let out a watery cough. It was a fatal wound no matter how you look at it. But Ronan definitely wanted to win. His aura, which was activated again, wrapped around the king this time. Ronan¡¯s body, holding La Mancha, was fired at him. [Keuugh¡­!] The king hurriedly took a defensive posture. But Ronan was a little faster. Digging into his defenseless embrace, he swung his sword wide. Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! A long, deep line was drawn over the white body. The blue blood that gushed out once again drenched the night sky. ¡ºHeo Eo Eok!¡» ¡°Stop dying now!¡± cried Ronan. It was definitely felt this time. His sword strikes ripped through the creature¡¯s flesh and ripped open its entrails. Even so, the giant king did not fall. It was the car that Ronan was about tond an extra hit to finish it offpletely. The king threw down his greatsword and punched him. ¡ºYou dare-! ¡» Ronan sighed. It was a distance that could not be avoided or spilled. He hurriedly raised his sword, but it was not enough to deflect it. A huge fist struck La Mancha¡¯s de. ¡°Gagging!¡± Wow! Ronan¡¯s body fell to the ground like a thunderbolt. He fell on top of the star protection installed by the savior this time as well. After colliding with the shield, Ronan vomited blood. It was as if all the bones under his back had been crushed. [Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu00uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu00 > ¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± A scream of pain echoed from up there. Perhaps because of the pain, the finishing blow hadn¡¯t arrived yet. ¡®There is no time to dy.¡¯ At this rate, he would attack both the ground and himself. It was the car Ronan was trying to get himself up on again. Suddenly, a dry moan came from beneath the shield. ¡°Ro¡­ I.¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan lowered his gaze urgently. The savior was staggering with his arms outstretched to the sky. The condition looked very bad, bleeding profusely from every orifice in his face. ¡°Why did it suddenly be like that?!¡± ¡°Heh¡­ heh uh uh¡­ uh!¡± The savior, who was trying to answer, coughed up blood. Ronan¡¯s face hardened. It was fine until a moment ago, but I wondered why it became like that. ¡°uh?¡± Ronan, who suddenly looked at the surroundings, raised his eyebrows. I didn¡¯t know because I was out of my mind, but everyone was lying down. He wasn¡¯t just lying there, he was talking nonsense and giggling. ¡°Hahaha! After all, I am the strongest!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha¡­Mother. I missed you too.¡± ¡°Hee hee pee shot!¡± ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Ronan, speechless, stunned. At that moment, there was a sound of something splitting in the shield on which I was lying. The crack at the point of impact was rapidly widening. ¡°What?!¡± As usual, the defense shield that would block even the giant king¡¯s blow was absurdly weak. It was before Ronan did anything. Kwajangchang! The barrier that could not ovee the widening rift finally broke. ¡°Kuuk!¡± The savior, who once again vomited blood, fell forward. Ronan, whonded after spinning a lot, ran to him. The pain, like being beaten with a hammer, had long since disappeared. ¡°Shit. What the hell is this?!¡± ¡°This lil¡­¡± Ronan assisted the savior. The smell of blood was dizzying. Hearing his sister¡¯s name, he widened his eyes. ¡°Leil? why sister? Did something happen?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡­ Huh.¡± ¡°Wait. Hey wait!¡± At that time, the savior who continued to speak lost consciousness. Ronan nervously shook his shoulders, but he didn¡¯t get up. ¡°¡­what the hell is going on?¡± It wasn¡¯t dead. Ronan, who carefullyid the savior down, looked around. My sister and lover were nowhere to be seen. Not long after he found his friends, he shouted out loud. ¡°Assel! Marya!¡± ¡°Mamarya¡­you can¡¯t do this here. I must keep my dignity as the owner of the Mage Tower¡­¡± ¡°Uh hee hee¡­That¡¯s right. I am Count Armalen.¡± But they, too, were made the same as the others. Asher and Marya Braum were huddled together, lying down and wandering around. It was like a person having a good dream. ¡°Ahaha¡­yes. How does it taste, you cat¡­ who is the swordsman now?¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Ronan spat out a curse. Iron Lady Nabi Rojee was talking in her sleep while hugging Daetaedo. He was in the middle of a situation where he was about to go out of his mind. An angry roar echoed from behind the clouds. ¡ºAaaa Ah- !!¡» The king¡¯s voice. The wound Ronan had inflicted on him seemed quite painful. It was a roar that would be believed to be the sound of the birth of a star, but none of the people woke up. Ronan¡¯s face hardened. Before long, dozens of lightballs broke through the sea of clouds and poured down. ¡°Damn it no!¡± Ronan screamed. It was an attack by the king who was so vignt. Although the power was weakened as it was dispersed in several pieces, each one was still powerful enough to be iparably more powerful than the spears thrown by ordinary giants. ¡®Even the people around me¡­!¡¯ I had to make a quick decision. It was impossible to protect everyone in the yard anyway. Ronan was in the middle of choosing a lightball to cut with his teeth clenched. Asher, who was lying in front of him, jumped up. ¡°Assel?!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ronan called, but no answer came back. Asher raised his hand before Ronan could say anything. The sparkling mana swirled around him and began to gather. It was such an enormous amount that the space seemed distorted. Before long, the lightballs were about to crash into the ground. Paaa-! The protection of the star that was created on the edge covered the entire alliance. Kwagwagwang! A ferocious explosion sounded without interval. ¡°Yumma, are you okay?!¡± No matter how weak it was, it was an attack that even the savior could barely handle. However, Asher¡¯s expression did not show any change. Only a thin stream of nosebleed slipped down the small nostril. ¡°you¡­!¡± The closed eyes were wide open. Her originally purple eyes were stained with a dull gray color. Ronan had apparently seen this phenomenon before. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°That¡¯s why I kept warning you that it was dangerous.¡± ¡°what?¡± Ronan hurriedly turned around. Adeshan, who appeared before I knew it, was looking up at the sky with her hands in her coat pockets. The tight cor swayed in the wind. ¡°Adeshan?¡± said Ronan. But no answer came back. Adeshan¡¯s cold, sunken eyes gave off apletely different atmosphere than before. The iparably more powerful shadow mana was overflowing over her shoulders. ¡°¡­no way.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He knew this energy better than anyone. But that was something that couldn¡¯t happen, so Ronan was speechless and couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ At that time, Adeshan, who had been muttering, lowered her head. Ronan, who met her eyes, froze. As he mumbled, he spat out the words I had been holding back without realizing it. ¡°¡­General?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy. corporal.¡± Chapter 304 [ 304. Decisive battle (11) ] #304 ¡°It¡¯s been a while. corporal.¡± Adeshan said. A cold, low voice lingered in Ronan¡¯s ears. He had been dumbfounded for a long time before finally opening his mouth. ¡°¡­General? Are you really the general?¡± ¡°okay. It¡¯s been a long time since we talked like this. How are you?¡± ¡°yes. Hey, I¡¯ve been doing well, but how the hell¡­¡± My head was still confused. First of all, it was absolutely not that the existing Adeshan was acting. Not only was there no reason for that, but the atmosphere it gave off waspletely different. ¡°How¡­¡± Ronan repeated. I never thought we¡¯d meet again. My eyes were about to blur. Adeshan pulled her hands out of her pockets and said while touching her chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it either. There was still some energy left in the treasure trove of regression. The power to turn back time waspletely lost, but I was able to preserve my personality and memories in this child¡¯s body.¡± ¡°It can be. So, where did your personality go?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m safe inside. Like everyone else, I have happy dreams¡­ very happy dreams.¡± Adeshan smiled. She said that she took over the body while her original personality was asleep. Ronan asked a question without hiding his embarrassment. ¡°Then you¡¯ve been inside all along? From the day your current senior was born?¡± ¡°It is not. My memory in this life started from the moment I met you. From the time I was knocked out by Instructor Nabi Rose and held hands in the infirmary.¡± I don¡¯t know why, but from the moment the word hand came out, my voice got smaller. After staring at Ronan, she suddenly looked away. For some reason, her face seemed to be redder than before. Adeshan, who had pursed his lips, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Corporal. Would you like toe here for a second?¡± ¡°yes?¡± It seemed that he had something urgent to say. It was a car that Ronan, who approached without much thought, put his face into it. m! His head snapped back at the same time as the sticky sound of the blow reverberated. ¡°Kuuk!¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± My cheeks tingled like they were burned. The excitement of the reunion was blown away along with the pain. Ronan fiddled with the spot where he had been pped and looked back at her. Adeshan¡¯s face was red as if it would explode if pricked with a needle. ¡°Whoa¡­ I¡¯d like to do more, but let¡¯s end it with this. You, like me, still have work to do.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly beating me?!¡± Ronan let out a puzzle. It hit me in the face pretty hard, but I was dumbfounded rather than angry. Adeshan, who had been breathing quietly, raised his ax eye. ¡°You mean it. Do you know why I gave you the right to turn back time?¡± ¡°Uh¡­wasn¡¯t it to defeat the bald heads and save the world? You said you believed in my ipetence.¡± ¡°right. You did very well. What I failed in three lives, you did in one. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Suddenly Adeshan dragged his horse. Ronan tilted his head at the awkward silence that returned. After washing her face dry three or four times, she said as if squeezing it out. ¡°But why the hell did you and I be lovers¡­!¡± ¡°ah.¡± Ronan¡¯s head turned white. Her unusual behavior was understood at once. ¡®Fucked.¡¯ I should have noticed this situation from the point where I was maintaining my personality inside my body. Barelying to his senses, he began to exin, gesturing with his hands and feet. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be helped. I mean, the senior is a really good person. You¡¯ve seen it from inside, so you know we¡¯re doing really well¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. don¡¯t say more I don¡¯t know how to be ashamed of doing such things¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­you could see everything inside? From start to finish?¡± ¡°Then what will you do? You unscrupulous bastard!¡± ¡°Quaaaaagh!¡± Suddenly, Adeshan reached out and pulled both Ronan¡¯s ears. Unable to respond, he let out a scream. Adeshan, who brought her face up to her eyes, continued her blunt words. ¡°Yes, I saw it! All! I just had to watch the two of them die from start to finish!¡± ¡°At that time, I should have slept or something¡­¡± ¡°Do you know what boarding life is like staying inside? Huh, thinking about it again is staggering. They suddenly kissed each other and said it was just because they were pretty? Where the hell did you learn those sly lines¡­!¡± ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t pull on the ears!¡± Ronan struggled. Maybe it was because his personality had changed, but somehow his taste seemed to have be spicier. Adeshan started pouring out the umted words without stopping. ¡°It¡¯s obvious if you don¡¯t look. He must have made countless youngdies cry until now with his eloquence. Seducing a man who hadn¡¯t held a man¡¯s hand in his old age would have been as easy as blowing his nose. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ If I was that good, I would have died in my previous life. This is really the first time I¡¯m dating anyone!¡± ¡°You must have said that knowing that I have the ability to see through lies, right? If you¡¯re deceiving me¡­¡± Adeshan growled. I had never seen such ferocious eyes except whenmanding the final battle with Ahayute. Ronan, who closed his eyes tightly,ined of injustice. ¡°Damn it, I didn¡¯t even ask you to date me. What does the general say he knows!¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Adeshan hardened. what do you know That one word resonated throughout the quiet battlefield. After a moment of silence, she nodded. ¡°¡­Know.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°I know that is true. That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping you alive. If you were a bastard who ran around without fidelity, you would have pushed him away from the griffon the day we kissed him for the first time.¡± The hairs on her body stood on end at the terrifying story. Adeshan removed his hand from Ronan¡¯s ear. Ronan, who was barely freed, let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Whoa¡­ is this the end of the hearing?¡± ¡°okay. I was excited like I wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°no. Thanks for noticing. ¡° Ronan smirked. Adeshan, who stared at his face, smiled bitterly. Swallowing what she was about to say, she nodded. ¡°Okay then let¡¯s talk about work.¡± ¡°great. What is it, Asher was controlled by the general?¡± ¡°okay. Excluding your father, he is the only talent among allies who can invoke the protection of the stars. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect it to be this powerful.¡± Adeshan looked up at the sky with eyes full of energy. The protection of the stars that Asher raised alone seemed to be no different from what the savior used. While measuring the thickness of the shield, she continued. ¡°At this rate, I should be able to block three more attacks from him. If you get support like the savior did, you¡¯ll be able tost much longer. But our purpose is not to just hold on.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ronan groaned. Certainly, Asher¡¯s ability was formidable, but one day the limit would surelye. I had to hit him to death first. However, the priority was to wake up the sleeping people beforeunching a counterattack. Recalling the savior¡¯s words, Ronan snapped his fingers. ¡°that¡¯s right. What the hell happened? My father said what about my older sister.¡± ¡°It is literally. This is what Miss Erill did.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Ronan hardened. Adeshan nodded. She said while stroking Butterfly Ros¨¦¡¯s head, which was fluttering while hugging Dae Tae-do. ¡°Your sister is in danger. I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s probably an ability to project one¡¯s will into the world. I sent a lot of warnings to this child, but it didn¡¯t work out because there was a limit to what words could convey.¡± Adeshan pointed to herself and spoke. She said that she had been warning current Adeshan of the threat she sensed from within. Ronan sighed briefly as she exined Iril¡¯s actions. ¡°There are all sorts of special things in my life. I can¡¯t believe my older sister¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but that¡¯s the reality. You have to find it and stop it. I do not have time.¡± ¡°It should be. But can¡¯t we just bring these people to their senses with the general¡¯s ability?¡± Ronan asked. Come to think of it, Asher was also moving normally. Adeshan shook his head. ¡°I already tried, but it was impossible. Iril-yang¡¯s strength is so powerful that it cannot bepared to the likes of me.¡± ¡°Eh? Then how do Asher and the others move?¡± ¡°I only made my body listen to orders. Even if the mind is intoxicated with a happy dream, it doesn¡¯t mean that there is something wrong with the body. However, in order to awaken the personality that has fallen into a dream, you must first restore the original amount.¡± In short, it meant that it resembled a marite. A being that dances along a thread without a will. Of course, that alone would have been of great help to the war effort, but people were not weapons, so it was impossible to leave them alone. ¡°In short, there is no answer unless I stop my sister.¡± ¡°okay. This is why the religious leader kidnapped your sister. First let her have a happy dream, then synchronize the thoughts of the whole world. That¡¯s why it makes the apocalypsepletely irresistible.¡± ¡°A child to be torn to death¡­¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. It was a disaster that I missed it because of the arrival of the giant king. Should I havepletely cut it, even at the cost of damage? Adeshan looked around and opened her mouth. ¡°After waking people up, look for Navardoje. I¡¯ll have to organize a separate search party.¡± ¡°What, didn¡¯t Abel hurt you?¡± ¡°It seems like something is wrong, but I can feel that he is still alive. I just need to get the location right.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. I didn¡¯te back for so long, so I thought he was dead. The feeling of things going smoothly wasn¡¯t too bad. Yes, the general was such a person. ¡°And everything I have said is for myself and others to do. There are other things you need to do. You don¡¯t have to exin what it is, right?¡± ¡°¡­of course.¡± Ronan nodded. There was only one thing left for him to do. Thinking that this was enough rest, Ronan was fiddling with the hilt. A low, deep voice echoed overhead. ¡ºJudgement to those who dare to hurt him.¡» ¡º A worthy price for arrogance .¡» Ronan sighed and raised his head. Five or six giants were flying in from afar. They were the ones who couldn¡¯t be caught because the king descended. ¡ºExterminate the mortals! Do not leave even a single speck of dust!¡± Then several times more loud voices rang out. The bottom of the cloud exploded, revealing the King of Giants. He was still dripping blue blood from his neck and chest. It was a wound Ronan had received a while ago. Adeshan said. ¡°Let¡¯s share the joy of reunion after work, Corporal.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Ronanughed. It was the same as thest time I saw it. Concentrating his mind, Adeshan made a strange gesture. ¡°Wake up.¡± A low voice rang out. At the same time, the mana of the shadow spread across the battlefield. One by one, the people who had been wandering around in their minds began to stand up. Chapter 305 [ 305. Decisive battle (12) ] #305 ¡¾Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡¿ Navardoze roared. The moment she opened her mouth and let out a breath, crimson fire poured out like a tidal wave. Whoa! The mes that would burn down quite a few countries at once covered the field of view. After a while, the mes died down, and the unchangingndscape unfolded before our eyes. ¡¾¡­This time too.¡¿ She gritted her teeth while catching her breath. No cracks or scorch could be found in the pure white space. Hundreds of escape attempts had already been made, but all in vain. During the battle with Abel, she was imprisoned in this subspace. He seemed to have used some trick, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the details. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he remembered only that Abel had taken out a stone or something. ¡¾Children¡­ are dangerous.¡¿ Navardoze drooled. Everyone was worried and couldn¡¯t stand it. I couldn¡¯t even guess how much time had passed in this ce where nothing existed. If there was no confidence, there was no one on the Allied Forces who could handle Abel. It was the tea she was tormented by her own weakness. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from below. ¡°What are you still not giving up on?¡± ¡¾You¡­!¡¿ Navardoze lowered his gaze. Abel, now in a state of disrepair, caught my eye. Abel, who had lost one of his limbs, stood on his feet, using his sword as a staff. ¡¾This guy!¡¿ Kwaaaang-! Without hesitation, she raised her foot and crushed Abel. After confirming that he couldn¡¯t feel anything, Navardoze frowned. Abel¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°no use. Because I¡¯m just an idea, not a real thing. I came to see you just in case, but you¡¯re really persistent.¡± Then Abel¡¯s form reappeared at Navardoze¡¯s feet. His translucent body, like a spirit, proved that his words were true. bang! Navardoze, who trampled on Abel once again, shouted in an angry voice. ¡¾What on earth were you thinking to lock me up here!¡¿ ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re so strong. I wrote the only one sealing stone, but I should know it as an honor. Originally, it wasn¡¯t meant for you, but¡­¡± Abel clicked his tongue. In fact, the sealing stone he used on Navardoze was an item with a separate owner. It was fortunate that Ronan, who appeared at the right time, was stronger than expected. ¡°Anyway, you will never escape from here. He¡¯ll probably be locked up forever if I don¡¯t release him. But don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll kill you personally as soon as I¡¯m done.¡± ¡¾Stop talking nonsense and send it out immediately!¡¿ ¡°Then see you soon.¡± Abel ignored her screams and said goodbye. His blurred formpletely disappeared. Navardoze, who could not hold back his anger and spewed fire, spat out curse words. ¡¾Damn it¡­¡¿ Navardoze spat out a curse. Wrapped in light, her body returned to human form. Taking a slow breath, she slumped back into her seat. ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­¡± It was miniaturization to save power. Of course, after taking a short break, he would try to escape again, but after bumping into him at this point, the thought that Abel¡¯s words might be true came creeping up. ¡°Really¡­does it have to be like this?¡± I¡¯ve lived an immeasurably long time, but this is the first time I¡¯ve ever faced a crisis like this. She was imagining the worst possible future. Suddenly, a ck horizontal line was drawn across the white space in front of me. ¡°hmm?¡± Navardoze raised his eyebrows at a phenomenon he had never seen before. The horizontal line stopped only after itpletely bisected the field of vision. Then, another vertical line was drawn around that line. Then diagonal lines began to be drawn rapidly in different directions. ¡°¡­what?¡± It was something unknown. It was like drawing a circle. Before long, thendscape in front of my eyes, covered with lines, turnedpletely ck. It was a color reminiscent of the abyss of the universe. Intrigued, Navardoze was about to move slowly. Someone¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s open. I¡¯m so d.¡± ¡°what?¡± Navardoze¡¯s eyes widened. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard that loud voice before. Before long, two men walked out of the middle of the darkness. Navardoze, who encountered them, froze in ce. ¡°You guys¡­!¡± **** [The 3rd 5th Unit. Fire!] Adeshan shouted. The detached unit, which was reorganized on the spot, opened fire. It was a support shot to help Ronan fight the King of Giants. All of the people whose eyes were stained were those whose minds were controlled by Adeshan. Kwakwang! bang! All kinds of projectiles and destructive magic were fired at the giants. The sight of hundreds of lumps cutting through the sky was quite spectacr. Most of them missed, but they were ying a role in keeping the giants in check. ¡ºYou foolish mortals. Stop resisting.] ¡ºUseless.¡» The giants were avoiding attacks or defending as much as possible, apart from their condescending attitude. There was plenty of Ronan¡¯s blood on it, so I couldn¡¯t just believe in God¡¯s protection and run wild. Because Adeshan invested all of Ronan¡¯s remaining blood in the detached unit, the power itself was different from before. Those who had been hit by chance stumbled and groaned in pain. ¡ºUmm¡­!¡» [Don¡¯t give me a chance to catch my breath. 1st 24th unit. Launch!] [I can¡¯t stop right now¡­ugh] Blue blood sttered whenever the roar exploded. Of course, the giants weren¡¯t idiots, so the counterattack came back. Shih! Each of the spears of light striking the ground possessed the power to annihte all units. [Keep your seat.] The detached unit was exposed to danger as it was outside the tent Asher had built for the interception. However, instead of distributing and distributing the troops, Adeshan concentrated them close together. Sensing that the windows of light came within a certain range, she turned to the savior and said. ¡°please.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The savior who gulped down the mana potion reached out. A hexagonal shield created in the air blocked the windows of light. Wow! The backlight fell with the explosion. They were so few in numberpared to the entire Allied force that even wounded saviors were able to defend them. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯m d to be of any help like this.¡± The savior who had somehow recovered was squeezing out hisst ounce of energy. The battleship Dainhar, which had been stuck on the ground, was also in operation again. Dozens of beams fired from all over the rock were keeping them in check. ¡°Has my daughter¡­ not caught yet?¡± ¡°yes. Their movements are so erratic that they are struggling to catch up. However, since we are forming a siege, it will be resolved soon.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Cool, only you will believe that part.¡± The savior nodded. Currently, the biggest task given to people on the surface is to catch the irils and release their abilities. Believing that Ronan would inevitably defeat the king of giants. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s a great person.¡¯ Ronan nced down andughed. About 100,000 people were moving in an orderly manner. If you only look at the borateness of the formation or movement, it was rather better than when people were sane. ¡®Originally, he was the one whomanded a million people.¡¯ The general¡¯s skill did not decline at allpared to his previous life. Even in the fourth life, where only spectators were allowed, it was rather more developed to see if there was something felt and learned. Suddenly, the king¡¯s voice came from the front. ¡ºYou cowardly mortal¡­! ¡» Did you call?¡± Ronan raised his head. The king of giants was growling and gasping for breath. Blue blood was still seeping from the wounds on his neck and chest. Compared to the first time, it had healed a lot, but it seemed that it was not easy to heal because the original body was deep. Moreover, dozens of invisible cuts were engraved on the king¡¯s body. They were all engraved by Ronan after the second battle began. Blood was flowing non-stop from the minor wounds. It was because he couldn¡¯t take care of other ces because he was covering up the wounds on his neck and chest. After Ronan found out about it, he continued to draw his sword only where it was difficult to defend. ¡®Originally, this is howrge beasts are caught.¡¯ Excessive bleeding was fatal even for the giant race. Ronan¡¯s changed fighting style was very effective in arousing the king¡¯s anger. He shouted as he spread his eight wings at once. ¡ºDon¡¯t y around, face it properly! Where did the dignified spirit of a moment ago go!¡± ¡°I gave it to the dog.¡± ¡ºThis little creature dares to¡­¡» The king was about to say something. Ronan pointed the tip of his sword at the king. As the glow of the sunset deepened, the force of gravity intensified. Faaaaang! Ronan, who was fired at the king, fired another sh. The sluggish king couldn¡¯t move as quickly as before. La Mancha, which flew in with a long tail, passed by cutting the king¡¯s calf. ¡ºKeuugh!¡» ¡°Same seat as Oh.¡± Seeing blood gushing out, Ronan whistled. The king was really strong, but the original match was decided due to unpredictable variables. Whoa! Ronan, who lightly avoided the king¡¯s sword, opened his mouth. ¡°The moment I allowed that attack, it was over. you lost.¡± ¡°Your self-indulgence has gone too far. Such nonsense¡­ 100 million!] Ronan shed once more before the king could even speak. This time, blood sttered around the elbow. ¡ºQuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ¡» Viscount Chow! The king, who was continuously attacked in different parts, burst into anger. It was absurd, but I felt like I could really lose at this rate. Having reached the limit of his patience, he raised his greatsword high and shouted. ¡ºCome on, then I will destroy the things you want to protect! Stop it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. For some reason, the dialogue was unusual. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­! Particles of light gathered from all directions began to swirl around the greatsword. he eximed. ¡°Damn it stop!¡± It was not difficult to realize what the king was up to. Like Ronan, he changed his strategy and was trying to blow up the forces on the ground first. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s a skill I saved.¡¯ Ronan twitched his lips. Asher and Adeshan were holding on, but if something like that fell, there was a high probability that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on. He took a deep breath and grabbed the hilt. ¡®Opportunity is once.¡¯ It seemed that I had to use a spleen number. Originally, it was a technique that I was going to use in a situation where it was clear that I could finish it, but I couldn¡¯t help it. It was the moment when he measured the distance and tried to activate the mana in his whole body. Phew-! The clouds that covered the sky dissipated like an explosion. ¡°Damn what?!¡± Ronan, startled, spat out a curse. A wide, dark shadow fell over thend. Sensing the hairs on the nape of his neck, Ronan turned his head. On the other side of the starry night sky, a red dragon so huge that the giant king seemed small was descending, cutting through the wind. ¡°Navardoze¡­!¡± [What?] Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was unmistakably the mother of fire. It was the moment when the king, who had been gathering strength, turned his head one step toote. Kwajik! Navardoze, who had been rushing in like an eagle seeking prey, stamped his chest down with his hind foot. [Is this the head of them!] ¡ºKooooouk!¡» Navardoze eximed. Blood gushed out of the king¡¯s mouth. Unfortunately, the spot where he was hit coincided with a deep cut on Ronan. Navardoze fell to the ground as if he had trampled on the king. Kwaaaang-! Even if a volcano had exploded, a roaring sound shook the ground. Ronan, who had regained his strength, eximed. ¡°He was really alive¡­!¡± It was a miraculous recovery. As Adeshan said, Navardoze did not die. It was in the midst of Ronan admiring her speed andpetence. Adeshan, who was dumbfounded, murmured softly. ¡°I haven¡¯t sent a detached unit yet¡­¡± Judging that calming Irill was the priority, they hadn¡¯t assigned personnel to Navardoze yet. I couldn¡¯t figure out what happened. ¡ºYour Majesty¡­!¡» The giants attacking the ground burst into embarrassment. They were about to turn in haste to help the king. Aaaah-! Two beams of light rushing in from behind the clouds swept the giants. ¡ºHuh!¡» ¡ºKuk¡­!¡» A cry mixed with pain burst out. Most of them were because they lost their protection in battles with the ground forces. The rays, intense enough to turn night into day, inflicted severe burns on the giants¡¯ skin. The voices of a man and a woman resounded from above the sky from which Navardoze had descended. ¡¾Fortunately-¡¿ ¡¾Looks like it¡¯s not toote.¡¿ ¡°This voice.¡± It was a speech I will never forget. Before long, a giant figureparable to Navardoze appeared. The golden scales covered with scars were still beautiful enough to exude admiration. Ronan involuntarily eximed at the sight of the two-headed dragon after a long time. ¡°Dragon King¡­!¡± Chapter 306 [ 306. Decisive Battle (13) ] #306 ¡°The Dragon King¡­!¡± Ronan eximed. It was a face I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. It was Ajidhaka, the dragon king, who was entrusted with the mission of protecting Dreemur after the Lord of Adren was reborn. Even though the golden body was covered with scars, it still did not lose its luster. The two heads of the Dragon King, who looked at him, opened their mouths at the same time. [It¡¯s been a while-] [The kid who saved the city of dragons.] The strange way of speaking was still the same. When the left head said goodbye, the right head spoke. Ronan, who was dumbfounded, giggled. ¡°¡­You came quickly. It even looks healthy.¡± To be honest, I thought they were all killed by giants long ago. It was toote, and no matter how flexible they were, the number of giants was too great. The left head raised the corner of its mouth. ¡¾Sorry for beingte-¡¿ ¡¾Because I was trying to catch up.¡¿ The Dragon King exined that he waste because he was gathering resistance and rescuing Navardoze. Come to think of it, it was a question of how Adeshan had found out the location of Navardoze, which hadn¡¯t been found yet. Ronan shook his head. ¡°I am just grateful that I came. But how did you find Navardoze?¡± [It was really luck. Someone you know well¡­] It was the car the dragon king was trying to answer. Aaaaaang-! At the ce where Navardoze and the King of Giants had crashed, a roaring sound resounded as if mountains were colliding with each other. When he lowered his head, he saw the king and Navardoze in a savage melee. [Stop disappearing now, you monster!] ¡ºHow dare you dare to immortals of inferior races¡­!¡» It was an overwhelming sight just by looking at it. Navardoze¡¯s teeth gleamed, and red and blue blood sttered whenever the king, who had lost his sword, swung his fist. The giants who were attacking the allied forces changed their course one by one and were trying to help the king. ¡¾¡­I guess-¡¿ ¡¾I think I need to deal with that first.¡¿ ¡°I agree.¡± After hearing the dragon king¡¯s words, Ronan nodded. It was a trivial exnation, something to listen toter. A loud cry shook the night sky. ¡¾Tell me! Everyone from Dreemur, obey mymand!] ¡¾Defeate the filthy intruders and prevent the end of the world!¡¿ Next, golden wings spanning 1,000 meters spread out as if they were exploding. Whoa! A fierce gale tore through the clouds. Hundreds of dragons appeared from behind the white sea that covered the sky. [Cra!] [Kha ha ha, what a suitable ce to end a long life!] A roar echoed. It really seemed like everything came together. The dragons, led by the Dragon King, began descending all at once. It was a sight as if the sky was copsing. The bewildered giants threw spears of light, but they were not as easily shot down as they had been through a fight with Duaru. ¡ºThat movement¡­¡» [Did you think we would just be suffering-] [You monsters!] The faces of the giants were perplexed. The allied forces on the ground and the dragon army descending from the air acted as hammers and anvils and began to crush them. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind Ronan. ¡¾Ronan. I was taken care of before.] ¡°You¡­¡± Ronan turned his head. A whole white dragon was looking down at him. Silvery white scales made of metal. It was Naransonia, the steel dragon who was closest to the Dragon King. ¡¾I just received news about your sister. Somehow, most of them tasted good. Let us send reinforcements as well.] ¡°Thank you. It seems that the general delivered it to you. But your wings¡­¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes when he suddenly saw Naransonia¡¯s wings. The wings that had been ripped off while fighting the giant Duaru had sprouted again. Come to think of it, the dragon king¡¯s left hind leg was back intact. He was in the midst of questioning whether even a dragon could regenerate like this. On top of Naransonia¡¯s back, a young man stuck out his head. ¡°How is it that you don¡¯t like it? I mean, I think it was really well made.¡± ¡°Eight, what a fucking surprise.¡± Surprised by the sudden appearance, Ronan spat out a curse. What is that bastard doing over there? The young man who was looking at Ronan burst into a heartyugh. ¡°Hahahaha, I¡¯m afraid. A foolish guy has a cute side.¡± ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t remember? This is sad.¡± The young man gasped as if he was dumbfounded. The oddly irritating top was somehow familiar. The savior who looked up at them from the ground widened his eyes. ¡°Alibrihe?¡± ¡°¡­saver.¡± The young man who met eyes with the savior avoided his gaze. It was the expression of someone who was feeling remorse. Hearing the name Alibrihe, Ronan raised his eyebrows. A prosthetic hand maker and one of the elders of Neb ge. It was the ck dragon that I met and parted with in Adren. Come to think of it, the Alibrihe seen in the savior¡¯s memories took on the same young man he is now. He was just directing the appearance of an old man with Polymorph, but that was his real face. The savior who was staring at him opened his mouth. ¡°Nice to meet you. friend.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t call me that. How shameless am I to hear that you are my friend?¡± Alibrihe twitched her lips. Unlike Elthea, she seemed to feel remorse for the fact that she had been cooperating with Neb zie for a long time. The savior continued without hesitation. ¡°I have to avoid the rain, but what? Did you free Navardoze?¡± ¡°¡­what the heck. The sealing stone Abel used was originally designed and made by me.¡± Alibrihe groaned. A genius inventor, he said that one day he created a magic tool that could seal any being, no matter how powerful, on Abel¡¯smand. ¡°A lot of materials that can never be obtained again were put in. It was the greatest masterpiece of my life¡­ I never thought it would be used to seal the Mother of Fire.¡± ¡°You mean it wasn¡¯t originally intended for that purpose?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it probably is. Abel didn¡¯t even see Navardoze-sama as a variable in the first ce¡­Is Abel dead?¡± ¡°maybe. I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± The savior narrowed his brow. Alibrihe tilted her head at the ambiguous answer. If it¡¯s dead, then it¡¯s dead. What is probably? ¡°It¡¯s something you should check from time to time. That¡­ Cain.¡± ¡°Why but.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. really.¡± Alibrihe lowered her head. It was a word that made me feel a lot of remorse. The savior smiled slightly and raised his hand as if he was okay. Ronan deliberately didn¡¯t say anything. Whether it¡¯s a monster that drank the blood of a giant or a dragon, male pride is all the same. Before long, Alibrihe raised her head and smiled. ¡°Haha¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ve never seen such a mess in my life.¡± All around, it was so terrifying and noisy that there was nowhere to look. I haven¡¯t seen anything like this since hatching. Even though I was notified of the situation in advance, I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. mes were gushing from all over the headquarter, which boasted of being impregnable. An unknown storm was roaring around the top of the castle tower. The destruction of Neb zier was imminent. I thought there was no hope that I would not be able to defeat Abel no matter what I did, but the people finally managed to do it. ¡®To really protect it.¡¯ The thrilled Alibrihe was in the middle of clenching his fists. Ronan, who looked at him and the savior alternately, opened his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would remain a bystander?¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even give me time to be impressed. I was going to do that¡­but I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Seeing you and your friends gave me hope. Even if I get scolded, the bad thoughts that I might be able to do it keeping to my mind.¡± Alibrihe dragged on. He said that he created artificial bodies for the Dragon King¡¯s legs and Naransonia¡¯s wings, as well as all the other crippled dragons. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ronan grinned. Things are a lot better than a little while ago. It was no exaggeration to say that the army led by Navardoze and the Dragon King was the most powerful force on this. Ronan took a deep breath and continued. ¡°good. Then let¡¯s put an end to it.¡± Alibrihe responded with a smile. At the same time, Ronan, who activated an aura, rode on Naransonia¡¯s back. The fluttering wings folded as if clinging to the body. Wow! The fastest dragon in Adren began to dive towards the King of Giants. **** ¡¾Kuhahaha! I am the strongest!] ¡¾Khehehehehehe!¡¿ Bang! Quaang! The dragons fell into a happy dream and fell one by one. All the dragons giggling despite their broken bones were troops dispatched to catch Lee. Her powers have ripped through the minds of even the most powerful races in the world. ¡°Ahahaha¡­so shall we y there?¡± Iril was still walking around the battlefield with a brightugh. It was unreasonably fast, so it was difficult to catch. In the sky, the dragon¡¯s squadron and on the ground, the allied forces controlled by Adeshan were pursuing her. [Be vignt and keep a certain distance!] Adeshan shouted in full voice. She took her eyes off the king for a moment and focused on Iril. Hwaaak! The dragons that were recklessly chasing Irill flew up into the air. They cursed at their fellow countrymen bing jerks in real time. ¡¾What the hell is that ability?! That smart Wolfrancita has be aplete idiot!] ¡¾It¡¯s annoying, but can¡¯t we just burn it?¡¿ ¡°I mean this, but you¡¯d better not say that again.¡± Adeshan warned sternly. Fortunately, at the mention of Ronan¡¯s name, the dragons became obedient without muchint. They knew who killed Duaru and saved Adren. ¡¾I get it. okay. It¡¯s okay to just do what you¡¯re told!] At that time, one of the chaser dragons activated magic. At the same time as his horn shed, huge walls of rock erupted around Erill. Kurleung! A single 10m high wallpletely blocked her escape. [Now, surround it!] Seizing the opportunity, Adeshanmanded. The soldiers who had been chasing Irill around rushed at him. Their spirits were taken over, and they dutifully performed their roles even while letting out stupidughs. Seeing them run inside the rock wall, Adeshan asked the savior. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine if you drink this?¡± A small ss bottle was clutched in her hand. A red liquid was oozing from the inside. It was the blood that the savior drew from the vicinity of the heart. ¡°okay. Probably. I don¡¯t know what method my foolish brother used, but it¡¯s probably some kind of curse.¡± ¡°All right. Fortunately, the solution itself is quite simple.¡± Adeshan let out a sigh of relief. I wondered if there was no way to do it, so I had to faint or confine it somewhere, but it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t have to do such a rough thing. Now, he was thinking about how to give her medicine because he was struggling. Kwaaaang-! Suddenly, an explosion erupted from inside the rock wall surrounding Iril. ¡°what?!¡± Adeshan and the savior turned their heads at the same time. All sides of the siege walls had copsed, spewing up dust. Seeing the neat cross-section, Adeshan bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­It must be more difficult than I thought.¡± All the personnel involved were unconscious and copsed. Before long, a woman appeared above the scattered people. Iril, who was looking around, muttered in a trembling voice. ¡°Oooh¡­why are you doing this to us?¡± ¡°shit.¡± Adeshan groaned. A longsword was clutched in Iril¡¯s right hand, whose eyes were still closed. In the world beyond the eyelids, she was desperately resisting the enemy who threatened her sister and children. ¡°¡­Are you hallucinating? I didn¡¯t kill anyone in the process.¡± muttered the savior. There were asional cuts or stabs among the scattered soldiers, but no one was killed. ¡®Am I going to have to use a rough method?¡¯ Adeshan gritted his teeth. If this was the case, more troops would have to be deployed aggressively. I¡¯m really sorry for Ronan, but I thought Erill might get hurt a little. I wanted to find another way, but I couldn¡¯t afford it. Even for her, it was never easy to manage both the troops against the giant and the pursuit team at the same time. Adeshan, who had made a decision, was about to send a telegram. Someone¡¯s voice came from not far away. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t.¡± ¡°what?¡± The familiar voice had been heard in all four lives. Adeshan¡¯s eyes widened as he turned his head. Schlieffen Sinivan de Grancia. The genius who had risen to the position of the continent¡¯s number one sword amidst any variables stood there covered in blood. Chapter 307 [ 307. I will keep it. ] #307 ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t.¡± Schlieffen said. Adeshan, who met his eyes, hardened like a stone statue. The storm that swirled around the Pale Castle had subsided before anyone knew it. It meant that the fierce battle had finallye to an end. Adeshan, who had maintained his cool since his personality was reced, let out embarrassment for the first time. ¡°You really against the archbishops¡­!¡± Instead of replying, Schlieffen made a gesture of throwing something. Took. A sphere flew in a parab andnded at Adeshan¡¯s feet. It was the head of thest Archbishop, Le Tansie, who was killed. The cut surface was clean. Her beautiful face hardened into a mixture of anger and astonishment. The savior behind me muttered with admiration. ¡°This is a face I know.¡± Le Thanxie, a witch who has been infamous for hundreds of years. Among the archbishops of Neb zier, he was one of the strongest. Adeshan swallowed a thick saliva and continued. ¡°¡­really killed them all. five people.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it. She wasn¡¯t there, but she was aware of the aura that was transmitted from the top of the tower. The five archbishops who received the power of the starlight were clearly stronger than Schlieffen. It was a result that could only be called a miracle. The appearance of Schlieffen, now covered in blood and bing a walking rag, evidenced the terrible battle. Breathing heavily, he reached out his hand toward Adeshan. ¡°Or¡­ pleasee here.¡± Schlieffen¡¯s gaze stayed on the bottle containing the savior¡¯s blood. Adeshan, who managed to regain hisposure, shook his head resolutely. ¡°no. Healing woundses first.¡± ¡°Miss Iril¡­doesn¡¯t harm people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But now you would die just by brushing against me.¡± Adeshan shot. As she said, Schlieffen¡¯s condition was very serious. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he copsed and died immediately. I had to force myself to rest. It was the moment Adeshan was trying to take control of his mind. Shirik! A strong wind from behind her blew away the bottle in her hand. ¡°oh!¡± The bottle flew in a straight line andnded in Schlieffen¡¯s grasp. It was the wind through his ability. Schlieffen put the bottle in his inner pocket and opened his mouth. ¡°Believe me¡­.¡± ¡°Stubbornness¡­! Anyway, if you get within a certain range, you will definitely be an idiot like everyone else. Indulging in false happiness that you will never have.¡± ¡°¡­No, it is not. I bet that.¡± Adeshan frowned at the iprehensible words. Instead of exining why, Schlieffen looked at Iril again. ¡°Don¡¯te near me¡­!¡± She was still slicing through the oing pursuers to the point of not dying. She had beautiful flowing silver-white hair. Schlieffen, who was staring at Lee, smiled lightly. ¡°Because I¡¯m already¡­happy enough.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Adeshanughed. It was absurd nonsense. However, Schlieffen¡¯s eyes were burning with a resolution he had never seen before. It was the car in which she had been dazed for a moment. bang! Schlieffen, who took advantage of the gap and turned his back, spurred the ground and ran out. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Adeshan hurriedly reached out, but it was already toote. It was surprising that such energy remained. Watching Schlieffen move away quickly, she clicked her tongue. ¡°shit.¡± Now, even if I wanted to dry it, I couldn¡¯t. Adeshan estimated the distance between Iril and him with a nervous feeling. A thousand steps¡­seven hundred steps¡­ ¡°What?¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes, which had been measuring the distance suddenly, widened. Schlieffen did not stop even though he was within the range of Iril¡¯s ability. He was enduring hallucinations that neither Jaifa nor Lorhorn Orsay could ovee. In an instant, he reached Iril¡¯s vicinity and stopped in ce. Iril, terrified, pointed the point at him. ¡°Who else is here?! Why do you keep torturing us¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Lee.¡± It looked like a frightened cat. It was the moment when Schlieffen took another step. Iril¡¯s arm disappeared from view and a storm of shing swept around. ¡°Schlieffen!!¡± Adeshan shouted. At the same time, about 50 pursuers around Schlieffen fell out all at once, spraying blood. Chow! The rock walls magically installed by the dragons crumbled like trimmed carrots. I didn¡¯t even see him wielding a sword. It was surprising to Schlieffen, who did not know that Iril had such a talent. A faint smile appeared on his lips, which had hardened for a moment. ¡°¡­also.¡± Iril¡¯s sword did not reach him. Instead of moving closer, Schlieffen put his hand on his hip. He carefully drew his sword and let go of the hilt. Caan¡­! The fail rod fell to the floor. ¡°what¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Adeshan and the savior, who were watching the situation, breathed in vain. The defenseless Schlieffen began to move slowly. **** ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa of it¡± Erill picked up a rough breath. Hundreds of men and women were strewn about at her feet, clutching a broomstick. ¡°Why won¡¯t you leave us alone¡­?¡± Erill murmured. These assants had suddenly burst into Nimburton and tried to separate themselves from the children. Contrary to appearances, it was fortunate that he was weak and fell out in one blow with a broom. ¡°sister. are you okay?¡± young Ronan asked. Iril, wiping the sweat with his sleeve, turned his head. My brother and his friends were huddled together, trembling. ¡°Sister¡­ I¡¯m so scared.¡± Little Marja wept. Iril, who had struggled to shake off the hardships, smiled brightly. ¡°It will be fine now. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Why are these people here? What did we do wrong?¡± Ronan grumbled. After making sure there were no more intruders, Iril turned his back. She said, hugging the little ones at once. ¡°are you okay. I will protect you.¡± Erillughed. As I was doing this, it reminded me of the old days. It was short, but it was a difficult time for her too. It was around the time my father left and my mother passed away from illness. No matter how good Nimburton is, it was not easy for a young girl to raise a baby alone. ¨C hey! this orphan Where else are you rushing around like that? ¨C Gee¡­it must be heartbreaking to hear that both of your parents passed away. Could I help you manage the property? Do you know what property is? ¨C You are really pretty. Looking forward to the future. Uh-huh¡­would you like to go with Mr. Moreover, the concept of evil people existed around her at the time. It was because he had not yet awakened to the ability to materialize his wishes. During the years that it took for her abilities to awaken and the people around her to be sages, Illil had to endure all the trials on her own. It was really hard a few times, but I was able to endure it because I had a younger brother to protect. ¡®I¡¯m d I grew up right.¡¯ Suddenly, as she looked at Ronan¡¯s face, her eyes became hazy. I didn¡¯t do anything, but I was just grateful that I grew up to be so dignified. Young Ronan tilted his head. ¡°Is your sister crying?¡± ¡°no it¡¯s okay.¡± Erill shook his head. The figures of the fallen assants were disappearing. The destroyed house was also being restored to its original state. ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± Again, an uncontroble feeling of happiness was welling up in her heart. As long as I could live here with my children, I was satisfied with that. It seemed to be able to endure any hardship. I felt like I had forgotten something important, but it didn¡¯t matter. It was just as she was about to say something to the children. thump thump. A knock on the front door echoed through the house. ¡°What¡­!¡± Illya shook his head hurriedly. Someone was standing outside the door. Picking up the broom again, she pointed it at the front door. An unfamiliar but familiar voice came from beyond the door. ¡°Ms. You must wake up.¡± **** ¡°Don¡¯te any closer¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ms. You have toe to your senses.¡± Schlieffen said firmly. The gap between the two hadpletely narrowed. Iril staggered in a dream right in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere with my happiness¡­¡± Erill muttered, clutching at the hilt. He seemed to know what he was looking at even without an exnation. The blissful illusions of brainwashing were overshadowing her sufferings. ¡°What you¡¯re seeing right now¡­ Cool, everything is a lie. Even if it¡¯s hard¡­ you have to see the truth.¡± ¡°No¡­I have children¡­here in Nimburton¡­¡± Erill muttered to himself. It was painful, but I had to wake up. Schlieffen slowly took out the bottle from his waistband. ¡°Here¡¯s your mouth¡­¡± Inside the transparent ss bottle, the savior¡¯s blood was sshing. He brought the bottle to Iril¡¯s mouth with a careful motion, as if handling a jewel. ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡± Iril shook his head. The hand holding the hilt looked like it would shoot out at any moment. Schlieffen opened her lips in a natural, unforced motion. ¡°¡­oh my god.¡± Adeshan, who had been watching, closed her eyes tightly before opening them. It was radiating from its entire body an intense life force that would make a normal human faint or go crazy at once. Cold sweat ran down his cheeks. I was so nervous I couldn¡¯t see properly. Even if Iril¡¯s judgment was slightly twisted now, Schlieffen would be a cold corpse. Then Schlieffen carefully tilted the bottle in his hand. The savior¡¯s blood slipped down the bottleneck and entered Iril¡¯s mouth. gulp. She identally swallowed a sip and started coughing violently. ¡°Coke! Kaak! Kaaaaagh!¡± ¡°This sheep¡­!¡± A look of bewilderment crept over Schlieffen¡¯s face. It was a deep cough, as if it were going to regurgitate the intestines. He supported Iril, forgetting about his own situation. A few seconds passed that seemed like an eternity. ¡°¡­ah?¡± Iril, who was coughing, raised his head. Nimburton and the children were not yet visible in the blurry vision. Rubbing her eyes a couple of times, she shrugged. ¡°Such Schlieffen¡­?!¡± A familiar face was in front of me. The memory was sparsely interrupted. Behind Schlieffen¡¯s scarred shoulder was apletely differentndscape. ¡°What the hell happened¡­?¡± The luxurious room had turned into a bloody and smoky battlefield. I couldn¡¯t remember anything after putting the strange tiara on my head. At that time, a tear ran down Schlieffen¡¯s cheek, who was clenching his teeth. ¡°Are you okay? Tears¡­¡± ¡°¡­ugh.¡± Instead of answering, Schlieffen wiped his eyes with his sleeve. The dripping water was melting the burnt bloodstains. He looked at Illil again and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate¡­¡± There was not a single wound left on Iril¡¯s body that came to his senses. The pain she had suffered since the moment she was kidnapped had subsided. The memory of the promise he had made with Ronan to protect Leel was running through his mind. The mind that had reached its limit was copsing. Schlieffen, who had finished wringing out his tears, suddenly grabbed Iril¡¯s hands. The main voice escaped from between his parted lips. ¡°I love you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeah?!¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. She showed a look of bewilderment, but Schlieffen still did not let go. The blood that drained to the point of stupor was helping him to speak the words he had been holding back all this time. ¡°It¡¯s an insignificant life¡­ but I¡¯ll give my life¡­ for the rest of my life¡­ to protect you.¡± ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden¡­I¡¯m amoner, and Mr. Schlieffen¡­no, it hurts more than that¡­!¡± Lily¡¯s face turned red. At least, it wasn¡¯t a story worth telling in a ce and situation like this. She was also confused, but she could tell that the Schlieffen in front of her was not normal. Iril, who managed to get his hand off, was trying to tend to Schlieffen¡¯s wound. He took one more step forward and hugged her as if he were about to copse. It¡¯s pretty strong too. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Iril¡¯s eyes widened. Warmth was transmitted through the arms that touched each other. In a world where all sounds except for the beating of the heart were blocked, Schlieffen murmured. ¡°Please¡­marry me.¡± Chapter 308 [ 308. Decisive battle (14) ] #308 ¡°Marriage?¡­?!¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. The haze that had been messing with my head flew away. marriage? Could it be that you just got married? What do I know? It took about a minute or so for her to speak again. ¡°Hey there¡­ so¡­ so yes, I absolutely do not hate Schlieffen-sama either. Should I say it was a little too sudden¡­¡± Erill stuttered. Her white face was as hot as a peach. Schlieffen still hugged her and refused to let go. ¡°Well¡­ to begin with, what do you like about an ordinary woman like me? He doesn¡¯t have a pretty face, and he doesn¡¯t shine like the aristocrats¡­ First of all, he¡¯s a lot older than Schlieffen-sama. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get tired of it soon¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve felt it since the first time I saw it¡­the owner of my heart¡­is only you.¡± Schlieffen murmured drunkenly. It was a blow as powerful as his sword skills. The blood that escaped in a near-lethal dose allowed me to say the words that came to mind without passing through my brain. ¡°Ah, Cha-am¡­¡± Iril covered his cheeks with both hands. I never thought I would hear something like this from my brother¡¯s friend. Unable to ovee her embarrassment, she buried her face in Schlieffen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Where did you learn that word? At most, I¡¯m the same age as Ronan¡­ I can¡¯t use it if I make fun of older women!¡± ¡°i love you.¡± ¡°Again¡­!¡± Unable to bear it, Iril hit Schlieffen in the chest. If I listened to it any longer, my face would be hot and I felt like I was about to explode. The savior who was watching the two clenched his fists. ¡°¡­This feels fresh again. For some reason, I want to kill that Schlieffen friend.¡± ¡°You have to be patient.¡± Adeshan stopped him. It was a reaction no different from the soldiers who had a daughter who worked with her in the past. The savior groaned. ¡°I know. i don¡¯t deserve it It is fortunate for him that I have not been able to father Erill.¡± No matter how high the level of his lover was, his father wanted to break his leg and see him. Iril, unable to bear it, shook off Schlieffen. ¡°Okay, I got it¡­ I got it, so let¡¯s treat it first! How in the world can I hurt myself like this¡­¡± I felt really good, but I couldn¡¯t stay like this forever. dump. Schlieffen fell to the floor as soon as he fell from Iril. ¡°Uh¡­ Mr. Schlieffen?¡± Erill was taken aback. It was like a puppet with a broken thread. It was a very different result from what I expected to stand up with a smile on my face. Blinking her eyes, she hurriedly shook Schlieffen¡¯s body. ¡°Such Schlieffen? Rx! Mr. Schlieffen!¡± Schlieffen did not answer. His consciousness had been darkened since he was hit in the chest by Iril, who was already struggling . Still, one expression on his face looked relieved, probably because he had said everything. Iril, who sat him down with a whimper, had tears in his eyes. ¡°Oh my God, look at this blood! You can¡¯t die¡­!¡± His breathing was so weak that he could hardly hear it. A pool of dark red blood pooled where he sat. Each of the wounds from the fight with the archbishops wererge and deep. Schlieffen¡¯s body, which had reached its limit, had no intention of matching the owner¡¯s bluff. It was the car that Iril was about to tear off his clothes to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over the heads of the two. ¡°Not dead.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Iril raised his head and raised his eyebrows. A huge Wear Tiger was looking down at them. Seeing the familiar face, Irill covered his mouth. ¡°Jippa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Zaifa. I¡¯m d you look unharmed.¡± Zaifa sighed. As soon as he woke up from his hallucination, he ran to the ce where he heard the voices of two people. Jaifa, who soon grasped the situation, nodded while looking at Iril. ¡°¡­Right. Was it your ability?¡± I only remembered her as a beautiful human being, but I never expected that she would have such tremendous power. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth. ¡°thanks.¡± ¡°yes? What¡­?¡± Illil tilted his head at the sudden gratitude. She didn¡¯t even know that she put people to sleep. Zaifa did not bother to exin that it was thanks to him for allowing him to spend a moment of happiness with his dead son. ¡°There is such a thing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s what¡­I¡¯m d I was helpful. More than that, Schlieffen-sama¡­!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t worry. Because the medical team is already there.¡± After saying that, Zaifa pointed to the back with his thumb. I could see people waking up from hallucinations. Like them, Sheeta, who had juste to her senses, was stretching. ¡°Ppwuuu¡­¡± ¡°Hey bird. When you have had enough sleep, heal my pupil.¡± Jaifa said. Animalse to their senses faster than humans. Seeing that the area around her was covered with injured people, Sheeta spread her four wings wide. ¡°Knack!¡± Red ripples spread out. Paaa¡­! All the blood spilled on the battlefield rose in drops. The blood, which was individually ssified, began to return to the bodies of the owners. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Pi blood¡­?¡± The dying people began toe to their senses one by one. Seriously injured people with exceptionally deep wounds received special treatment. Red aura that heals wounds wrapped around Schlieffen¡¯s body. The trauma healed and the bones attached. Iril let out an exmation after confirming that his breathing had stabilized. ¡°It¡¯s all good¡­Thank you!¡± ¡°Give thanks when he wakes up. Because he literally risked everything to save you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s like¡­¡± Jaipa turned away from the dumbfounded Illi. There was still work to be done. On the battlefield where vitality returned, those who had fallen were waking up again. ¡°I see¡­ Balzac. Was it a dream?¡± ¡¾Khahaha! How are you Navardoze? Do you understand that this Orsay-sama is a true loser¡­ Huh?] ¡°Heh heh¡­This is the first time since reaching the 9th circle that hepletely lost consciousness.¡± The main forces of the allied forces also opened their eyes one by one. As soon as they came to their senses, they joined the battle with the giants. Asher, who btedly realized that he was entrusted with the protection of a huge star, let out a scream. ¡°Hee hee! Is this what I¡¯m doing right now?!¡± ¡°Great. Asher.¡± It didn¡¯t take long to straighten out the battle lines. Adeshan helped the peoplee to their senses, gave necessary orders, and collected the mana of the shadows. ¡®¡­is this enough?¡¯ My head was dizzy because I used too much ability. It was the car she was breathing in. The savior next to him let out a violent cough. ¡°Cool! Cuckoo¡­!¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± The amount of blood he vomited was unusual. The savior, who had been shaking his upper body several times, raised his hand to show that he was okay. After barely seeding in calming down, he asked Adeshan. ¡°It¡¯s done now¡­ Whoa, are you dating my son?¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Adeshan¡¯s face brightened at the sudden question. how to answer this Hesitantly, she bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­¡­For now, yes. Not exactly me, though.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t lie with blood. Hehe, I¡¯m also crazy about my wife¡¯s long ck hair¡­¡± ¡± ¡­why did you ask that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I wanted to say that I take good care of my son. It feels like time is running out now.¡± The savior smiled. Adeshan twitched his lips at a somewhat relievedugh. is it. It didn¡¯t look good from the first time I saw it, but is it going to be like that in the end? The savior continued. ¡°I will go to the battleship. I already brought it, but I should use it enough. What will you do?¡± ¡°Me too¡­ I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Adeshan answered without eye contact. The savior smiled once again and trudged. The battleship Dynhar, which had been pinned to the ground, was emitting a roar as if it were going to take off at any moment. Beyond that, an even more intense battle came into view. Elemental storms spewed from the dragons¡¯ mouths, sweeping the sky andnd. Every time the spear of light crossed the sky, several dragons were falling. ¡°¡­Now is it?¡± Adeshan looked at the back of the savior and sighed. After making sure that no one was watching her, she leaned against a nearby rock. My legs were shaking and I couldn¡¯t stand up any longer. ¡®Good thing. Because I can fulfill my duty before it¡¯s toote.¡¯ Adeshan, who watched the battle with the giant, smiled lightly. It seemed like they were equal, but the decision would soone to an end. An incessant roar signaled that the fighting had reached its climax. It seemed there was nothing more for him to do. Adeshan wiped her face like washing her face. Taking a deep breath, she murmured as she ced her hand on her chest. ¡°Time is running out¡­ so am I.¡± He was in no position to worry about his savior. She felt her consciousness slowly fade away. The stars shone brightly in the clear night sky. Adeshan, who fixed his eyes on the brightest star, chanted quietly. ¡°Seniel¡­are you done now?¡± **** ¡ºSuch nonsense¡­¡» muttered the king of giants. The connection with the kin was rapidly breaking. He could feel that there were less than ten giants left, including himself. ¡°What can¡¯t be said?¡± Then a familiar voice came from the feet. The king, who fixed the greatsword in reverse, took a defensive posture. Kaaaang-! A sharp metallic sound rang out. ¡°How dare you block it again?¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. I didn¡¯t like the quick movement of the body when everyone was dying. Having brought down the king, he was fighting on the ground in his favor. Kagagak! As La Mancha, which had been fighting with the sword, was fired again, dozens of embers bloomed in the air. The king took a step back without even realizing it. ¡ºHow dare a mortal¡­!¡» The king gritted his teeth. Unlike himself, who was getting weaker, Ronan was getting stronger. As time passed, the curse that remained in his body was slowly melting like a snowy field weing spring. [Blow it away, Ronan!] At that time, Navardoze¡¯s voice resounded from the sky. She was alone dealing with hundreds of familiars summoned by the king. Every time crimson mes swept across the sky, beasts made of light turned into particles and disappeared. It was a different entity from the familiars of other giants, but it was just astonishing. The king, who aimed for a few more sums, grabbed the hilt. ¡ºCheeky¡­¡» There was no answer as long as it was pushed like this. Ronan was still sticking to the strategy of aiming for excessive bleeding, so the longer the battle went on, the more he was at a disadvantage. ¡®¡­Should I retreat?¡¯ It was embarrassing just to think about it, but there was no other way. By drawing on the power umted on the home, these worms could be dealt with in an instant, but it was too wasteful to use it just to swallow a small star. It was the moment when the agonizing king was about to make a decision. An eerie feeling came over him, as if someone was stroking his heart. ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand. Someone was touching his source of power. The king sighed and looked up at the sky. Something was happening beyond the magic circle connected to my hometown. Before long, the king, who recognized the presence of the intruder, spat out as if sighing. ¡°Abel¡­!¡± Chapter 309 [ 309. End (1) ] #309 ¡°Finally¡­¡± Abel muttered. If only the two legs were properly attached, it wouldn¡¯t have taken this long, but it took longer than expected. Almost no sensations remained in his cold body. ¡®I¡¯ll have to finish it quickly.¡¯ Evacuating from the headquarters, he had arrived in the world of giants before he knew it. A sphere as gigantic as the imperial pce was pulsating in front of Abel¡¯s eyes. The identity of the sphere was a lump of energy that the giants called ¡®source¡¯. Abel was putting one of his remaining hands in there. An indescribably powerful energy was spreading throughout his body. ¡°It¡¯s great power¡­¡± There was a reason why the giants served. The white cloud, which had only flowed quietly, was swirling wildly around the source. A low, deep voice echoed incessantly all around. ¡ºFoolish mortals, get out of there right now. ¡» How can a person who has sworn allegiancemit a taboo!¡± Every word was so loud that it sounded like it would tear the eardrum, but Abel didn¡¯t react. Giants, apparently numbering in the thousands, surrounded him. ¡°How dare you touch his heart!¡± cried a giant. Even the ones who were always calm couldn¡¯t hide their bewilderment this time. It was necessary to bring Abel out immediately, but they were not able to approach it in case the source was damaged. ¡°How are you feeling? bald heads. This is mortal strength.¡± Abel, who was examining the faces of the giants, giggled. The frantic fluttering of the wings revealed their urgent feelings. There was nothing more fun than watching the arrogant guys fall into despair. Abel nned this operation a long time ago. It was for this very moment that he bowed his head to the giants even while going through death threats and trembling insults. This lump, which serves as the heart of the entire race of giants, could only be touched when the king was not present. Chew-! Taking one more step, Abel put his arm fully into the source. [What are you doing!] The giants¡¯ faces contorted once more. Instead of answering, Abel smiled. The things I had given up for this moment were passing by before my eyes. Lastly, while reminiscing about his memories with Cain, he spoke sternly. ¡°Keep an eye out there. As we move toward immortality.¡± **** ¡º¡­Abel!¡» The King of Giants sighed. He was seeing Abel through their shared senses. The filthy traitor had reached the source in the blink of an eye. He was slowly pushing his body into the source. I didn¡¯t know what to do, but I didn¡¯t feel very good. The children of the stars were unable to attack for fear of damaging the source. ¡ºHow dare you¡­ a worm that is less than the dust of the universe¡­¡» The king gritted his teeth. Suddenly, a memory from a while ago came to mind. Abel, who came to his world, provoked him by saying that he was afraid of descending to this. In fact, that one word was the beginning of the situation. The king, who was wary of the disappearance of the former king and originally would note down, came down in response to the provocation. Kwaaang-! Eight wings spread at once. ¡ºGet out of the way!¡» ¡°Even run away!¡± The people who watched the battle exploded in astonishment. The king ignored them and soared into the sky. It was embarrassing, but I had to stop Abel first. ¡°Where are you going to bounce instead of fighting!¡± Ronan, who was fighting swords with the king, shouted out loud. I thought I couldn¡¯t fly because I was so injured, but it seemed that I still had energy left. It was unfortunate for the king, but people including Ronan did not intend to let him go. Ronan¡¯s mana-enhanced thighs swelled to burst. ¡°Stand!¡± Ronan kicked off the ground and leaped vertically. Having caught up with the king by a narrow margin, he inserted a broad backing sword. hooked! The tip of the sword pierced the flesh and lodged in the king¡¯s wing bone. ¡ºKeuuuuu¡­!¡» The king¡¯s body staggered greatly. But he didn¡¯t stop gaining altitude. Ronan cursed at the unexpected reaction. ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Kwaaa! The king, who ascended with Ronan hanging, reached right under the magic circle in the blink of an eye. Now there were only two or three ps of wings left to enter. A sudden, dizzying pain overtook him. [Ugh¡­!] It was a pain that couldn¡¯t be ignored at all. The king¡¯s brow crinkled at the feeling of his body bing heavy. When I turned my head, I saw two huge ice spikes growing through one wing and one thigh. Asher, who confirmed the hit, shrugged and was frightened. ¡°Damn right!¡± ¡ºYou¡­ Wizard.¡» The king looked down at the ground and grabbed the hilt. The red-haired wizard had been familiar with sensory sharing. A shameful thing for a mortal to dare to steal and use the power of the stars. I should have torn it apart, but I couldn¡¯t afford it. The part hit by the magic was slowly freezing. The king, who had managed to ovee the pain, was about to fly again. Faaaaang-! A cket-like thing that came from a blind spot passed through his right third wing. At about the same time, a dark shadow flying from the other sidepletely severed the fourth wing on the left. ¡¾Even a trash man would have shown me a fantasy like that!¡¿ ¡¾Blood must end with bloodshed.¡¿ It was Orsay and the Grand Duke of Shadow. Waking up from the hallucinations seen by Erill, they were angry to the core. At that time, a great invisible force pressed the king down from the sky. It was a pressure he had never experienced before. The king, who had fallen almost 100 meters, managed to bnce ande to a halt in the air. Seeing the scene, Lorhorn sighed as he wiped the blood from his mouth. ¡°It was such a spleen number.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop it even though I pressed it with all my strength. However, it was not a pointless attempt. The king, unable to bear it, burst into anger. ¡ºDare-!!¡» Hwaaaaagh! The five remaining wings spread out as if they were about to explode. A wind so strong that it uprooted the mountain threw the bodies of Orsay and the Archduke of Shadow. ¡¾Kwaaaaaah!¡¿ ¡ºI swear, no matter what happens, I will definitely destroy this!¡» shouted the king. It was toote to turn now. An irrepressible rage was seething in the depths of his chest. The king, who shook off all the hinders, soared toward the magic circle again. It was time to go back. It was the moment he was about to stick his head inside the magic circle. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind him. ¡°I am still here.¡± ¡ºWhat¡­¡» Then, for the first time in his life, the king felt the emotion of fear. The feathers on all the wings bristled at once. I was so distracted that I forgot about it. Ronan was still clinging to his back. ¡°So¡­you should have forgotten what to forget.¡± Ronan murmured bitterly. La Mancha, which was deeply embedded right up to the front of the hilt, was dyed in an intense red color that had never been seen before. Inside the thin sword, all the power Ronan had been saving so far was contained. The moment the power was released, the condensed sword energy would tear the king¡¯s heart apart. ¡ºYou bastard¡­You dare!!¡» ¡°This is the end. It took a long time.¡± The king growled, but Ronan ignored it. It was the moment he was about to release the power he had been gathering. Faaaah-! A dazzling wave burst out from the inside of the magic circle that suddenly covered the sky. ¡°what?¡± Ronan frowned at the unknown phenomenon. The white halo of light rippled and spread across the battlefield. All of a sudden, the power drained from the body of the king who was driving the sword. ¡ºBillion¡­¡» ¡°Huh?¡± Ronan was puzzled by the sudden feeling of the rocks turning to mud. why is this Have I not done anything yet? ¡°Why the fuck is this?¡± The king fell to the ground before he could say anything. Wow! The gigantic body crashed into the ground and let out a roar. The remaining giants began to fall one by one. bang! Quaang! A crash sounded continuously. The soldiers who watched the final battle from the ground began to hum. ¡°The oars are going down!¡± ¡°¡­Did I win?¡± The change didn¡¯t end there. The magic circles that were connected to the world of giants thatpletely covered the sky were slowly disappearing. The scenery of the head temple, which had been entirely covered in eerie white, was also changing. ¡°Hey, this is where we started!¡± ¡°The scenery changes¡­¡± Grass and flowers seemed to emerge from the melted snow. The sky and the earth soon regained their original colors. The allied forces were standing on the ground where they had marched toward the headquarters. The surrounding dark green forest swayed in the blowing night breeze. ¡°Hey look over there!¡± Then someone shouted. The king¡¯s body, which had been sprawled out, was disappearing. The sight of him changing into light and disappearing from the extremity of his body was like burning ashes being crumbled by the wind. So did the other giants. The corpses of the giants covering the ground were turning into particles and flying away. Before long, Ronan rose from the spot where the king¡¯s corpse had disappeared. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Ro Ronan!¡± His friends who saw him covered their mouths in amazement. Even after falling from that high ce, Ronan¡¯s body did not have a single wound left. Asher, who ran first, cried and said. ¡°You worked so hard¡­ I really thought I could do it¡­!¡± ¡°Awesome, you are really¡­¡± Tears were pouring from Marja¡¯s eyes as well. They thought Ronan had killed the King of Giants. Ronan twitched his lips without answering. ¡®I didn¡¯t kill him.¡¯ It was very dubious. An unidentifiable ominous feeling was creeping up. Why did this happen all of a sudden? People who had no way of knowing the truth of the incident were just rejoicing. ¡°Ooh we won!¡± ¡°hurray! hurray!!¡± Thunderous cheers erupted from everywhere. It was so loud that it seemed like it could be heard even from the ind. After confirming that each other was not dead, the soldiers were crying out loud as they hugged theirrades. It was in the middle of such a joyous atmosphere. [Everyone, wake up! Watch out for the sky!] Adeshan¡¯s electric sound suddenly resonated in everyone¡¯s heads. People frowned at the intensity of the volume, which was iparable to the previous transmission. Ronan¡¯s gaze, which was looking around urgently, reached Adeshan. ¡°Why¡­¡± Her face was white. The gray gaze stayed on the sky where the magic circle had disappeared. An indescribable ominous feeling made the hairs on my body stand on end. As Ronan was about to approach her, the ck night sky turned white. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was as if the whole world had been struck by lightning. Then, before I had time to say anything, the sky began to fall. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Ronan could feel it. The attack of the Ark, like the spear of light that the giants were throwing, wasing down. However, the range was absurdly wide. ¡®no.¡¯ Everyone present had a gut feeling of death. However, only Ronan could move in the moment. In the slowed down time, he was watching the elements that make up thendscape disintegrate into particles. Clouds floating in the sky, followed by the lofty Baidian Mountains. The light pouring overhead was erasing the beings in high ces. The upper part of the battleship Dynhar was destroyed, revealing the interior made up of mechanical devices. te.¡¯ Ronan gritted his mrs. First of all, since the giants¡¯ attack and the chest were the same, it could be offset by cutting them. But there were too many people to protect. Surely more than 70% would die. ¡°Such a bitch¡­!¡± Of course, apart from the calction, Ronan¡¯s body was already moving. Even the people around me had to live. It was the moment when he gathered all his remaining strength and was about to pull the hilt. A familiar voice rang out from the corner of the field of vision. ¡°Save your strength.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Ronan turned his head in the direction of the sound. The savior stood there. He held his arms high in the sky, as if he were trying to get something. ¡°father?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. The savior was also moving in slow time. A faint, inexplicable smile crept across his lips. A hemispherical shield that appeared all of a sudden covered the entire Allied Forces. ¡°What are you doing now¡­!¡± The savior was not receiving the mana of others. Ronan, who witnessed the reckless behavior, was about to shout something. The white light that finally arrived collided with the protective film. Quaaaaaa-! The entire world turned white with a roar that seemed to turn the world upside down. Chapter 310 [ 310. Father ] #310 ¡°Son. Wake up.¡± ¡°Ughhhhhhhh¡­¡± Ronan groaned as hey down. My whole body was swollen as if I hade out of the water. When I barely lifted my eyelids, I saw a savior looking down at me with his hands behind his back. ¡°Mistress, I¡¯m surprised¡­what is it?¡± ¡°What is it? Did you forget to go on a pic?¡± Ronan hated it and raised his upper body. He was lying on a rough wooden bed. Through the half-open windows, the scent of soil and grass and wildflowers permeated. ¡°here is¡­?¡± Ronan looked out the window and tilted his head. The scenery of Nimburton, his hometown, was unfolding. Beyond the low fence stretched out hills where sheep roamed. ¡®Why am I here? What was he doing?¡¯ On the winding river, the vige children were ying with their rafts. There must have been something important, but I couldn¡¯t remember. The savior, who confirmed that his son had risen, suddenly turned his back. ¡°If you wake up, let¡¯s go. No matter how much Iril and your mother annoy me¡­it¡¯s embarrassing that I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°yes?¡± He left the room without answering. I don¡¯t know why you say that because you don¡¯t have time. Come to think of it, it seemed like it was the first time I was going for a walk with my father. ¡°Why are you talking like that?¡± Ronan, who was talking to himself, stood up. He didn¡¯t notice that his height had shrunk by more than half. After putting it on, I went out to the living room, where my mother and Iril were waiting. The dazzlingly beautiful mother and daughter were already ready to go out. Iril, who must have turned 10 by now, waved and said hello. ¡°Ronan! good morning!¡± ¡°Oh, our prince is awake. Dad is waiting outside. Shall we go soon?¡± ¡°What do you like?¡± Ronan nodded dryly. Iril ran over and grabbed his hand and led him. ¡°Ronan! Just follow my sister! You will never get lost this time!¡± ¡°okay. Yes¡­¡± As soon as I left the house, the refreshing sunlight poured in. The savior stood still and admired the blue sky. Hearing the door close, he turned to his family. ¡°Everyone is out. Then I¡¯ll tell you our destination for today. Exactly¡­¡± ¡°Go far today! further!¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Daddy is talking.¡± Iril jumped up and urged the savior. Her mother smiled and stopped her, but it was impossible to stop the girl from ying. The savior, who was looking at his daughter with warm eyes, reached out. ¡°okay. Then shall we go to the top of that hill today? Even if it looks close, we have to go a long way.¡± His index finger was pointing at a hill some distance away. Arge oak tree grew at the top, and it could be seen from a distance. Iril pped his hands in delight. ¡°Wow! great!¡± ¡°Is Ronan okay?¡± ¡°I like anywhere.¡± Ronan affirmed. In fact, he enjoyed wherever he went with his family. The savior, who had been looking at him quietly, nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. So do I.¡± So the short trip began. Ronan strolled down the street with his family, enjoying the view of his hometown. We greeted the residents we met along the way and asked each other how they were doing. Ronan raised his eyebrows when he encountered Asher carrying a backpack. ¡°Oh, Asher. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Ughhhhh¡­ My mother asked me if I had any intention of learning magic properly¡­ so I¡¯d like to go to Jedo Ind.¡± ¡°Oh oh. it¡¯s magic Yes, try it once.¡± Ronan patted him on the back. Asher left a polite greeting for Ronan¡¯s family and headed to the wagon. I thought I would live like a coward for the rest of my life, but I was fortunate to find what I wanted to do. Suddenly, a sudden question reared its head. ¡®By the way, have I ever met him?¡¯ Apparently we didn¡¯t say hello once, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. Ronan shrugged his shoulders and moved on again. Spring flowers were blooming profusely on both sides of the trail. ¡°Oops. Let¡¯s bake and eat these guys too.¡± The savior who seeded in fishing said while lifting four trout. It still looked very fresh fluttering. They were having lunch on the banks of the river that runs through Nimburton. ¡°Wow! Dad is the best!¡± Iril smiled and clung to the savior¡¯s neck. The mother who saw the scene covered her mouth andughed. Ronan¡¯s family forgot their lunch box with the trout they just caught. The river dyed in the same indigo color as the sky was beautiful. Not long after we finished eating and set off, Iril started rubbing his eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m sleepy after eating¡­¡± ¡°Would you like me to lift you up?¡± ¡°No, no¡­! I can go too!¡± Illil shook Ronan¡¯s hand. Seeing her dozing off, she didn¡¯t seem to be able tost long, but it seemed that she didn¡¯t want to be taken care of by her younger sister. ¡°I can go¡­Kuuuu¡­¡± ¡°Whew.¡± Iril, who was stubborn, soon reached the point of walking in his sleep. It was magical if not stopping to walk even while drooling. ¡°I knew it would be like this.¡± Ronan, who sighed heavily, was in the car trying to carry her. The lead savior stopped in ce. ¡°I don¡¯t move. miss.¡± ¡°I really can carry it.¡± Ronan spoke, but the opinion was not adopted. The savior, holding Ilil in one arm, started climbing the hill again. The mother next to me asked yfully. ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you listen to me too?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± As soon as the words came out, the savior hugged her mother. It was very impressive to see them carrying a mother and daughter in their arms. Mom let out a short scream and pped him on the shoulder. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa All of you too Everyone is watching¡­!¡± ¡°How are you?¡± The savior spat out. My mother was embarrassed, but not disliked. The savior maintained that state and walked for a while longer. After looking around and resting, the sun was already setting when we arrived at our destination. The cool wind smelled of wool. The shadow of the vige with its back to the setting sun was stretched out. ¡°Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡± ¡°You really¡­ can¡¯t be here¡­¡± Iril and her mother were sound asleep, leaning against an oak tree. Only Ronan and the savior were standing side by side, admiring the zing sky. The savior looked back at the two and smiled. ¡°You sleep well. Certainly Erill resembles your mother.¡± ¡°Iknow, right. Except for the hair color.¡± ¡°Yeah, how was your day, Ronan. Did you enjoy it?¡± ¡°Well¡­in my own way.¡± Ronan groaned. It didn¡¯t show much, but it was an undeniably happy time. The savior, who stroked his hair a couple of times, turned his gaze toward the setting sun again. ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± And there was silence for a while. I always felt that when I was alone with my father, I didn¡¯t have much to say. It was about the time the sun began to sink below the horizon. ¡°This was my wish.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°I mean going out with the family. no one could have predicted This is the dream of the man who created the terrifying Neb zier.¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows at the sudden savior¡¯s words. His eyes were wet with mncholy as he watched the setting sun. Neb ge? What is it? ¡°Ronan. I want to apologize to you again.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I was a reallyzy person. Like Leel, he put a particrly heavy burden on you. I wanted to show and teach you more. Like other fathers.¡± ¡°So what is that¡­¡± ¡°And now, even at thest given time, I couldn¡¯t give up my selfishness.¡± Ronan didn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t figure out what it meant. The savior continued to speak at will. ¡°Since this is thest time, I originally wanted to take you to a better ce. Among the scenery that I have seen for an uncountable long time, there are so many beautiful things that leave me speechless¡­ Nevertheless, the reason why I chose this ce as my first andst outing is¡­¡± The savior suddenly pulled his tail . He turned his gaze and met Ronan¡¯s eyes. Ronan was already a hand taller than him. ¡°How to say¡­ I can¡¯t think of a better ce than a ce where the whole family has been together for a while.¡± The savior has spoken. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Ronan¡¯s head. Forgotten memories came back at once. Giants who transform into particles and disappear. The falling sky and the back of the savior who raises the shield. Ronan, who stumbled on his forehead for a while, looked back at the savior. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Where is this ce? Why am I here? Before I knew it, Iril and his mother were nowhere to be seen. Thendscape of my hometown was crumbling from afar. Ronan was perplexed at the unknown phenomenon. ¡°Damn what happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Because somehow this crisis was over. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be with you until the end.¡± ¡°That sounds like dog shit again, Father. Is it thest?¡± Ronan asked excitedly. The savior who heard the word father suddenly raised his hand and covered his face. A watery voice leaked from his mouth as he took in a rough breath. ¡°Father. Ha ha ha¡­¡± The saviorughed. He muttered the word father over and over, then removed his hand from covering his face. There were clear traces of water flowing under the red eyes. The savior, who ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s cheek, opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s always nice to hear that.¡± He had a benevolent smile, just like when we first met in the ss coffin. Ronan tried to say something more, but no voice came out. Before long, the fadingndscape of my hometown turnedpletely nk. Ronan muttered in the distance of consciousness. . . . ¡°father?¡± Ronan opened his eyes. The vision that had been dark for a moment became bright again. Faced with the white colored sky, he raised his body as if he was about to jump. ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡± Ronan wrinkled his brow as he looked around. A deste world was out there. The first thing that caught my eye was the moaning allied soldiers and the shattering savior shield. ¡°Ahh¡­whose eyes¡­!¡± ¡°Kkeuh¡­¡± Everyone was suffering with their eyes closed. There didn¡¯t seem to be any deaths, but they never looked better. Thendscape beyond the shield had turned into a barren wastnd. In the ce where all the dense forests and mountain ranges had disappeared, only a wind mixed with dust was blowing. ¡¾Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­!¡¿ The dragons, including Navardoze, were moaning as they fell to the ground. Intense burns covered their bodies. Unlike people, most of them were flying in the sky. Ronan brushed his bangs and murmured. ¡°¡­what happened?¡± I had to figure out the truth. Suddenly, a familiar back figure was captured in a corner of Ronan¡¯s field of vision. The savior was standing in the same posture he hadst seen. The sight of him raising his arms toward the sky was very confident. ¡°father.¡± Ronan called him, but the savior did not answer. Ronan, who stumbled closer, sighed. The savior froze in that position, suffocating. ¡°¡­father?¡± His eyes were open, so it seemed that he was still alive. However, the ce where I put my hand did not feel warmth anymore. It was death without a doubt. An indescribable wave of emotion was rising in Ronan¡¯s heart. Suddenly, a familiar voice resounded from high in the sky. ¡°ats. Are you dead?¡± Chapter 311 [ 311. End (2) ] #311 ¡ºFinally. Is it dead?¡± A familiar voice resounded from the sky. Ronan raised his head with an eerie feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Only the empty white space stretched far and wide. ¡°Abel¡­!¡± no one was seen But just now it was unmistakably Abel¡¯s voice. Ronan was staring at the sky with his eyes wide open. ¡°It¡¯s really useless. He acted as if he would never die, and in the end he became just like the people he loved.¡± Suddenly, a voice came from right next to him. Ronan hurriedly lowered his gaze and sighed. Abel appeared out of nowhere and was examining the body of the savior. ¡°what.¡± ¡°Stop sleeping now. Foolish older brother.] I couldn¡¯t detect any movement at all. Abel left the savior¡¯s eyes closed. He opened his eyes, which had been closed as if praying, and finally looked back at Ronan. ¡°I see you again. Nephew.¡± Abel grinned. The amputated limbs had grown back. The broken sword and half-corpse body were restored to their original state. ¡°You fuck!¡± Ronan reflexively fired a sh. It was the moment when the de, fired at a speed beyond recognition, was about to touch his throat. Caan-! A savage metallic sound rang out. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°In a hurry. Everyone is going to die anyway, so is there a need to hasten the order?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Abel, who drew his sword before he knew it, was blocking La Mancha with an expression full ofposure. Just like a moment ago, it didn¡¯t appear to be firing. ¡®what?¡¯ Cold sweat ran down Ronan¡¯s temples. It was so strong that it couldn¡¯t bepared to when he cut off his limbs. The feeling that came from Abel waspletely different from before. ¡°Let¡¯s not be in too much of a hurry. Fortunately for you, I¡¯m in a pretty good mood right now.¡¯ The hair all over my body stood on end. It wasn¡¯t like this when I first encountered Navardoze and Ahayute and even the King of Giants. My instincts were screaming for me to run away. Come to think of it, the energy that I felt from the King of Giants was buried in him. Does it have something to do with them disappearing all at once? ¡®If I fight now, I lose.¡¯ Ronan slowly drew his sword. It was a situation where you shouldn¡¯t be shy. Seeing this, Abel smiled. ¡°As expected, you are smart.¡± Abel also quietly inserted the knife. I don¡¯t know if he was enjoying the situation, but his polished face was full ofposure. When Ronan didn¡¯t say anything, he opened his mouth first. ¡°Be happy. My long n finally worked. It took a really long time, but in the end it was done.¡± ¡°A long-term n?¡± ¡°okay. All the strutting bald heads are dead. They have be a part of me along with the other souls they have absorbed.¡± After saying that, Abel pounded his chest with his fist. I don¡¯t know the details, but it seemed that I absorbed all the power and life of the giants. Suddenly, he looked around and muttered in a voice mixed with admiration. ¡ºBy the way, big brother is really amazing. I gave it my strength, but I didn¡¯t think a single one died. do you know this That 30% of your was destroyed by the blow just now.] ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened. I was wondering what kind of bullshit this is. Not 30% of the system, but 30% of the world was destroyed. Abel continued. ¡ºThe empire narrowly missed, but a double-digit country perished. Aren¡¯t you happy At this rate, the job will be over soon.¡± ¡°What the hell are you¡­ trying to do?¡± Ronan, who had been silent, gritted his teeth. Abel¡¯s purpose could not be guessed at all. Up until now, I had always thought that I would be part of the tribe by dedicating a star to them. However, Abel destroyed even those giants and ascended to the throne as a king. ¡°¡­Well, maybe you can tell me soon. Because I reached the end anyway. You guys will definitely thank me.¡± Abel growled when he heard the question. My bones tingled at the sound of ghastlyughter. It was the car he was about to say. Suddenly, a roar of fury resounded from behind Abel. ¡¾This guy!!¡¿ Both of them turned their heads at the same time. ck shadows were rushing in in the form of mes. Ronan¡¯s brow wrinkled. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± He seemed to havee to his senses. The red eyes that approached with their tail hanging down were unmistakably belonged to the Grand Duke of Shadow. Of course, in a situation like this, I¡¯m going to have a good time. Ronan eximed urgently. ¡°You bastard, stop!¡± I know that I was blinded by anger, but there was no way I could be an opponent. Ronan tried to stop Abel, but he had already kicked off the ground to intercept. In an instant, Abel reached the archduke and drew his sword. ¡°You are a mosquito. I haven¡¯t liked your race since before.] [What¡­!] Abel let out a fishyugh. The Archduke¡¯s eyes widened at a speed that far exceeded expectations. Sugak-! The shadow split in two with a sound like firewood splitting. The archduke¡¯s body, cut in half, was scattered on the floor, leaving long bloodstains. ¡¾??!¡¿ ¡°? ???? ??!¡± It happened in an instant. It was a car that Ronan, who had raised his sword, was about to run out of. Abel, who had been smiling, frowned. [¡­Hmm?] He stopped in ce. Huge, dark red tentacles that had grown through the ground wrapped around their bodies. The tentacles, which seemed to be a form of blood magic, did not easily fall off even when Abel moved his body. Suddenly, only the upper half of the body remained, the grand duke let out a lowugh. ¡¾Hehehehehehehe¡­you won¡¯t be able to move¡­] ¡°The Archduke?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He soon noticed that the Grand Duke used his body as bait to activate powerful magic. ¡ºYou guys should know very well that things like this are useless now.¡» Abel sneered and cut off the tentacles. Pooh! Something flew through the wind and pierced Abel¡¯s chest. He lowered his gaze, narrowing his eyes. The spiraling de of a spear broke through his ribcage and protruded. ¡ºThis¡­ is a bit stingy.¡» ¡¾Damn it. You don¡¯t even pretend to be sick.] Despite being seriously injured, Abel remained calm. A grumbling sound came from the direction the spear was thrown. When I turned my head, Orse caught my eye, who was clenching her tongue. ¡°Orsay?¡± [What are you doing, you idiot? Without Earlpletely.] Orsay growled when he saw Ronan. The extremely tense pupils narrowed vertically. Ronan noticed that he was struggling to hold on to his fears. Quadduk! Suddenly, the ground Abel was stepping on overturned and hit him. The soil and rocks that had been wriggling as if they were alive coalesced into spheres and became a prison in which Abel was imprisoned. Trees and grass solid ice then covered the prison as if it were a pavement. ¡°This.¡± Ronan paused. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to figure out who did it. Lorhorn, who was breathing heavily, muttered as he stroked his beard. ¡°¡­This is true. It will make things difficult.¡± The always confident archmage¡¯s face was white. He instinctively felt how dangerous Abel was now. Lorhorn beckoned and the sphere slowly rose into the air. With a loud sound, the size of the sphere began to gradually decrease. I thought it was a mindset that wouldpletely crush it, but it didn¡¯t seem like it again. Dozens of geometric magic circles floated up on the rugged surface. It was a damage amplification magic that Ronan was familiar with. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s voice echoed in Ronan¡¯s head. [Now. Rush!] Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. At the same time, the pile of rocks that trapped Abel quickly rose high into the air. At the same time, the soldiers and dragons who had been lying down all at once raised their bodies. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Damn, I thought you were going blind!¡± Cheers erupted from everywhere. There was a dull gray in their eyes. It was proof that morale was forcibly raised due to Adeshan¡¯s ability. It was the moment when the shouts became an echo. Tens of thousands of arrows and projectile magic were fired at the isted sphere in the sky. ¡¾Disappear!¡¿ ¡°Let me go home now!¡± ¡°Bastard! In the forest you blew up, there was our vige!¡± Kwagwawang-! bang! Explosions of various colors embroidered the night sky. A roar that seemed to tear the eardrums resounded in session. The allied soldiers, as well as the injured dragons, were casting magic in groups. ¡°Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!¡± Adeshan, who was using the mana of the shadows, covered his mouth and retched. It was because of the excessive use of force. Suddenly, her eyes met Ronan¡¯s, who were far away. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she shouted loudly. ¡°Ronan¡­! Heo-eok I have to catch it now! I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s dangerous¡­!¡± ¡°General.¡± ¡°You have to calm down. can¡¯t be pressed The only person we can trust right now is you!¡± It was a tone that even felt desperate. It didn¡¯t take long to figure out the situation. The entire surprise attack on Abel was all nned by Adeshan. The first to see the danger, she was trying to win quickly before things escted. All allies on the battlefield were pouring attacks with all their might. ¡°¡­Shit!¡± My head seemed to clear up a bit now. Ronan, who came to his senses btedly, spat out a curse. He admitted to his father¡¯s death and that he was overpowered by Abel, who had be absurdly strong. The anger that came along with the shame wrapped around his body. A bright red color that seemed to burn was riding up on La Mancha¡¯s de. Ronan, who strengthened his leg strength with magical power, leaped off the ground. Kwaaaaang!! At the same time, the pile of rocks that restrained Abel exploded. Despair appeared on people¡¯s faces. Theid-back lookughed at all the effort. When Abel reappeared, he was alive and unscathed. ¡¾Damn it¡­¡¿ Orsay gritted his teeth. The spiral spear he had thrown was held in his hand. Again, lethal projectiles flew from all directions, but Abel neutralized the attacks by shing at an invisible speed. ¡°I would have told you. It¡¯s all nonsense.¡± ¡°Shut up! This is the cub of this world! ¡± Ronan was the only one who was not in despair. The gap had narrowedpletely before I knew it. Abel¡¯s eyes met his and raised an eyebrow. ¡°okay. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to warm up a bit before the ceremony.¡± Abel, who had thrown the spear, held his sword straight. His and Ronan¡¯s arms were out of sight. The two ships created by the sh collided in the sky. Kaaaaang-!! An eerily cheerful metallic sound resounded over the wastnd that was once a forest. Adeshan opened his mouth while keeping his eyes on the sh between the two monsters. ¡°¡­is what you said by transmission true?¡± ¡°okay.¡± Alibrihe nodded. He took advantage of the chaos of the battlefield to sneak up on Adeshan. Taking the form of a human youth, he held a round stone in his hand. Adeshan, who was drooling, asked again. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to write anything¡­ but can you?¡± Concern was mixed in his voice. The answer came without hesitation. ¡°I have to.¡± Chapter 312 [ 312. End (3) ] #312 It didn¡¯t take long for the battle to end. Abel brushed off the blood on his knife and opened his mouth. ¡°how is it. Are you ready to give up hope now?¡± No answer came back. Only Ronan, who had been confronting him until the very end, was giving an unreasonable answer while spitting up clotted blood. ¡°Gagging¡­ Huh uh uh¡­!¡± My whole body felt like it was burning. Traces of Abel¡¯s sword cut or stabbed remained intact on the bare skin exposed under the torn clothing. The bleeding wound showed no signs of healing easily. Indeed, it was the sword that turned the savior into a half-viin. Abel chuckled, showing the cut on his side. ¡°Still, I admired you. It would have been dangerous if it had been a little deeper. I knew that your talent was excellent, but I didn¡¯t know it was like this.¡± Ronan gritted his teeth. As he said, it should have ended at that time. Even if he hadn¡¯t wasted his strength in the battle with the Bald King, he would have been able to pierce the sword into his heart. ¡®Damn, if only I had time to recover.¡¯ It sucked, but there was no turning back time. Ronan, who was muttering curse words in his mouth, made a rude hand gesture. ¡°Fuck you.¡± ¡°ha ha ha. also my nephew You have toe out like that .¡± Ronan growled as he pointed the tip of his sword at him. At Abel¡¯s feety the seriously injured Zaifa and Nabiroze. As soon as the melee started, the two swordsmen rushed at Abel, but were defeated. Zaifa was unconscious and passed out. Nabi Rose barely lifted her head and opened her mouth. ¡°Ro¡­ I. Run away¡­¡± Ronan twitched his lips as he ran into her. It was hard to keep my eyes open to see the sight of the bloody teacher being trampled by the enemy. Chew! Ronan made Abel retreat by shooting his sword. ¡°Clean up those dirty feet!¡± ¡°Roughness.¡± Abel smiled wryly and backed away. Somehow he kept his master¡¯s honor, but that didn¡¯t make things any better. Excluding the two swordsmen, there were many strong people scattered around. The moaning and screaming that came in session was making the listener¡¯s mind go crazy. [Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!] Not far away, Orse was writhing in pain. He returned to his true form and had a spiral spear carved from his own bone deeply embedded in his side. Nearby, the head of the Grand Duke of Shadow was strewn about. The fanged mouth groaned slowly. [Balzac¡­] It was a miracle that he was still alive. The shredded body was scattered in all directions. If he hadn¡¯t possessed seven essences of fresh blood that could revive even the dead, he would have followed his brother long ago. Among those who fell were Navardoze and the Dragon King. He struggled despite enduring severe burns, but was defeated in the end. It was deadly to have a ce in the sky when the firstrge-scale attack came. ¡°Roronan¡­¡± Asher, who watched the confrontation from a distance, wept. Behind him were scattered unconscious friends, including Schlieffen and Marja Braum. ¡°Euuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡± ¡°W Here¡¯s the medicine. We can¡¯t all die¡­ Huh?¡± Iril, who was rtively unharmed, was busy running around tending to the wounded. Adeshan, who suffered a shoulder injury, groaned. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± They were all huddled together. The protection of the hemispherical star raised by Asher was protecting over 5,000 people. It was the force that Adeshan, realizing that there was no chance of victory, hastily retreated. A hoarse voice escaped her mouth as she lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­if I¡­was a little morepetent¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡± Asher shook his head. No one could me her for doing her best. In fact, if Abel made up his mind, he could have torn the divine protection right away, but he didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t to show mercy, but to look at the faces of people in despair for as long as possible. Everyone on the battlefield knew that, but it was just a shame that no one could resist. Absorbing all the powers of the giants, Abel was far more powerful than Ronan expected. He was also wounded in the battle, but all quickly healed except for the one Ronan gave. Abel suddenly turned his head and spoke in a voice mixed with admiration. ¡°ah. You were the one who surprised me the most today. Alibrihe.¡± No answer came back. At the edge of his field of vision, Alibrihe, whose limbs had fallen off one by one, was breathing heavily. ¡°This¡­ devilish bastard¡­¡± It was not an exaggeration to say that the condition of Alibrihe, who had be rags, was second only to the Grand Duke of Shadow. Right next to him, a dimensional rift opened its blue mouth. Abel looked at the crack andughed. ¡ºI never thought I would have made another sealing stone identical to the one that imprisoned Navardoze¡­ I admit that it was dangerous. If I was a littlete, I would have been stuck.¡± He let out a serious sigh of relief. Because Alibrihe took advantage of the melee and approached so stealthily, he almost got sealed. The second sealing stone, made using the remaining materials, had the function of sending the first swallowed object to an isted dimension. Of course, it¡¯s all to no avail now. ¡ºI will slowly think about who to throw in there. Please take a break .¡± Alibrihe, who was about to say something, copsed and coughed up blood. Except for the remnant, which Adeshan retreated separately, all the soldiers were seriously injured andy on the ground. A white haze-like substance was slowly blooming over the bodies of the dead. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to kill you right now. Seeing that scene , Abel clicked his tongue in a pitiful way. In fact, he hurt people in such a way that they wouldn¡¯t die. It seemed that his weakened body could not ovee the injury. All the haze that escaped from the corpse was being absorbed into Abel¡¯s body. Ronan instinctively noticed that these were the souls of those killed by Abel. ¡®Bitch. Did he really be a giant?¡¯ cringe A cracking sound came from Ronan¡¯s hand gripping the hilt. It seemed more appropriate to die or kill or settle the matter than continue to see that kind of thing. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it will happen once.¡¯ I thought that I might be able to win if I aim for the opening well. First, I had to put him off guard. Ronan, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°Listen¡­Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What the hell is your grand n to do such a thing¡­ Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Hearing Ronan¡¯s question, Abel raised his eyebrows. Actually, I wasn¡¯t curious about that at all, but I had to buy time. He nced up at the white night sky and nodded. ¡°Well, we still have time, so let¡¯s do that.¡± I decided to be especially kind, as soon as everyone would know anyway. Abel, who drew the sword, continued. ¡°Actually, there is not much to exin. My purpose is to evolve the people living on this into higher-dimensional beings.¡± ¡°Higher-dimensional beings¡­?¡± ¡°okay. The giants you¡¯ve cut down so far are typical. They are top predators that roam the universe and hunts. We kill the living beings living on the target star, absorb their souls, and live by growing our strength.¡± Ronan frowned upon hearing Abel¡¯s words. I didn¡¯t understand even after listening to it again. He spat out while concentrating on recovering from his wounds. ¡°What an idiot¡­ do you seriously think that living like that is better?¡± ¡ºYou guys who live a fleeting life will never know. How pathetic we are right now. It¡¯s frustrating not being able to eat each other, even though we live tethered to stars smaller than dust.¡± Abel¡¯s face hardened for a moment. It was because he remembered the days he spent with the savior. He remembered all the mushroom clouds that rose above the atmosphere and the number of ephemeral civilizations. ¡°Then why did you hit the giants in the back?¡± ¡ºIt was to have the initiative of personality. Previously, we were mere prey, but once I have obtained their source, we will be the subjects of this collection of souls. We be eternal beings who neither die nor grow old, and reign over the universe.¡± ¡ºI assure you, I will build it in a better way than that. Because the shape of the soul body can be freely transformed.¡± Abel said straight away that he also hated being bald. As if ying around with his sword, he turned to Iril. ¡ºActually, you could have met a much better ending. If I had left Ilil alone, at least I would have been able to meet my end with a happy dream. I couldn¡¯t understand why he kicked the mercy he had worked so hard for.¡± ¡°You bastard is real. Is that mercy?¡± ¡°Then is there a word to rece? Anyway, don¡¯t worry too much. Everyone except you will perish before you even know death¡­¡± Suddenly, Abel dragged his tongue. Shining mana began to emanate from his body. He looked up at the sky and concluded his words. ¡ºAnyway, it¡¯s time to end it soon.¡» Ronan¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled. If something out of the ordinary were to surprise, it seemed that now would be the only time. Ronan jumped off the ground in an instant and aimed at Abel¡¯s neck with a sword strike. Kaaang! A short metallic sound rang out. ¡°¡­Nimi.¡± Ronan twitched his lips. Two des were interlocking in front of my eyes. It was a desperate blow, but it was too easily intercepted. ¡°The lesser one. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know that you were dragging your time?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Abel sneered. He was already aware of Ronan¡¯s ns. Ronan, who was ovee with evil, swung his sword in session, but all of them were blocked. ¡ºStop it. You¡¯ve already lost.¡± Abelughed out loud. Despair hung over the faces of the survivors who watched. Abel, who quickly seized the victory, was about to finish. Suddenly, Adeshan, who was clutching at the wound, jumped up. ¡°Ronan! It is now!!¡± A cracked cry rang out. At the same time, the mana of the shadow shot from her hit Abel. A power that seizes the mind enveloped him. ¡ºFoolish. Do you think that will work now?¡± But Abel was not shaken. In fact, Adeshan¡¯s abilities had no effect on him now. Abel, with his eyes closed, was about to activate his mental barrier. An uncontroble feeling of dizziness shook his head. ¡°Kuuk!¡± Abel retched. It was like being hit by a powerful shockwave. Surprised by the strong reaction, Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°what?¡± [Some kind of guy¡­!] Abel, who hastily pulled himself away, looked around. His eyes, rolling in search of the culprit, stopped at a certain point. Iril was ring at him from behind Asher¡¯s tent. ¡ºYou¡¯re¡­!¡» ¡°Don¡¯t bully my little brother!¡± Illil shouted as if pleading. The sunset-colored eyes were shining like they were burning. I wasn¡¯t aware of it, but my abilities were manifesting. Among the powers of the saviors, the power to realize the strongest wish was attacking Abel. ¡º? ¡­ big ¡­! I didn¡¯t expect that two types of mental abilities would attack at once. Of course, it was not without countermeasures. Because the power expressed from the source was strong enough to handle even that. Abel clenched his forehead and let out a short sigh. [Haap!] The mental curtain opened. The consciousness of the women who were eroding his mind was thrown out violently. Blood gushed from Adeshan¡¯s nose and mouth. ¡°Gagging¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaaaagh!¡± With a shriek, Iril fell backwards. Adeshan managed to catch her. An angry moan escaped Abel¡¯s mouth. ¡°These damn bitches¡­!¡± Abel staggered, clutching his forehead. Ronan instinctively sensed that this was hisst chance. bang! Seeing him run again, Abel burst outughing. ¡ºI don¡¯t think anything will change because of this fluke!¡» Abel twisted his body and delivered a strong blow. Ronan, who had been pushed out of his strength, bounced back as if he had been hit by a battering ram. The faces of those who had theirst hopes hardened. Abel eximed. ¡°It¡¯s done now. I¡¯ll kill them all!] All of a sudden, Abel¡¯s body lit up. The space around the absurdly powerful Mana began to distort. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Are we all dying now?¡± People instinctively noticed that it was the same attack that destroyed 30% of the stars. It was the moment when the two words ¡°death¡± came to everyone¡¯s mind. Whoa! Suddenly, a crimson glow burst from the direction Ronan flew. [Hmm?!] Feeling pulled by something, Abel turned his head. Ronan was still flying. However, the direction was not serious. His body was heading towards the rift in the year dimension where Alibrihe was. ¡ºYou can¡¯t believe it!¡» ¡°You stupid bastard. Did you notice just now?¡± Abel was shocked. Ronan raised an eyebrow. He had no intention of missing out on hisst chance. Using Abel¡¯s power against him, he quickly reached the rift he was targeting. ¡°Come on!¡± After shouting, Ronan grabbed the hilt. Faaaah-! The glow of the setting sun surrounding Abel¡¯s body grew brighter. His body, which was barely holding on, was dragged as if it had been caught on a hook. ¡°This¡­ how dare you!¡± Abel tensed his legs. But no matter how hard I tried, the dragging didn¡¯t stop. Ronan¡¯s aura was much stronger than when he faced the King of Giants. Abel, who held the sword hilt in reverse, plunged the sword into the floor. Kagagagak! A long line cut through the ground and the brakes began to apply. It was a moment when I was relieved that I could endure this. Ronan, who had reached the edge of the rift, shouted. ¡°Assel! push!!¡± ¡ºWhat?¡» ¡°There¡¯s no way that much mana will remain! Push that horo bastard¡¯s back!¡± Abel turned his head with an ominous foreboding. Asher, who had been blessed by the stars, was looking at him. He murmured in a voice that seemed like he would burst into tears at any moment. ¡°Ha, but¡­if you go in there, Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about the future! Do you want to finish everything?!¡± Ronan got nervous and urged Asher. Realizing that there was no other way, Asher clenched his fists. Squeezing out the tears he had umted, he stretched out his arms. ¡°This invisible hand!¡± [Wait¡­!] Abel¡¯s face hardened. Hwaaak! An invisible force pushed hard against his back. Her body, barely holding on, was thrown into the air and began to be dragged back. ¡°Caught. This chewy. ¡± Ronanughed. The dimensional rift had already swallowed him halfway. Abel, who lost his bnce once, was dragged right in front of Ronan in the blink of an eye. There was nothing to respond to. Pooh! Ronan¡¯s waiting sword pierced his chest. ¡ºGagging!¡» The wound this time was deep. Blue blood gushed out of Abel¡¯s mouth. The ovepping bodies of the two men crossed over to the other side of the dimensional rift. Ronan growled as he red at Abel in the amorphous world. ¡°I will definitely kill you.¡± Chapter 313 [ 313. Sunsets are beautiful at the end of the day. ] #313 ¡ºKahak!¡» Abel, who had been stabbed in the chest by a sword, vomited blood. A dimensional rift swallowed the two men. The constant fall began with the feeling of the intestines floating. ¡°What the hell¡­!¡± Abel gritted his teeth. The scenery of the battlefield disappearedpletely and an amorphous space covered the surroundings. The rift they entered was already so far out of sight. It was an istion dimension that Alibrihe had created with great care. It was enough to confine Navardoze, so if he continued like this, he would be confined here forever. It was the car that Abel was in the middle of devising a means. Kwajik! Suddenly, Ronan raised his face and bit the nape of his neck. ¡º Eugh ?!¡» It was an iprehensible act. It was like a trained hound dog that stuck its fangs deep and didn¡¯t let go. Abel raised his fist and started punching him in the face. ¡ºA filthy thing¡­what are you doing! ¡» Ugh!¡± ¡ºI can¡¯t let go right now!¡» My fists were sharp, perhaps because I received the power of the giants. He could hear the sound of his cheekbones and his nose breaking, but Ronan didn¡¯t rx his jaw. Unable to bear it, Abel raised his sword. [¡­Damn it!] Now, rather than dealing with Ronan, he had to escape from this space. Gathering power from the source, he swung his sword under his feet. Chow ah! The shimmering space was torn apart, and a new dimension crack appeared. ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. A cool breeze was blowing through the cracks. It was a passage that led to another dimension. ¡®Is the seal useless anyway?¡¯ It was an astonishing force. I can¡¯t imagine it would tear up the space arbitrarily. The two who fell were naturally swallowed by the crack. bang! The two people who were fallingnded on the white sandy beach. ¡°Ugh!¡± [Kuk!] The height was so high that the blow was considerable. All the fine sand was dyed an unpleasant white. There was the sound of crashing waves somewhere. ¡®here is¡­?¡¯ Ronan, who happened to look around, raised his eyebrows. If the end of the world existed, it seemed like this would be the scenery. They were standing on a beach. Beyond the white sandy beach, the blood-red sea roared. There was no sign of life in the crimson water. The cloudless sky was brilliant with clusters of stars. The celestial body dozens of times clearer than the night sky that I always looked up at, was telling me that this ce was apletely different world. ¡®It¡¯s familiar somewhere.¡¯ Ronan narrowed his eyes. In a way, it had a simr impression to the headquarters of Neb zie. Abel, who hade to his senses at that moment, burst into an angry roar. ¡ºHow long do you n to stick with this guy!¡» Abel, who held the sword in reverse, tried to stab Ronan. I had to avoid this. Only then did Ronan lift his mouth from the nape of his neck, twisting and pulling the hilt of his sword and leaning back. Chow ah! Blue blood gushed out from the spot where the sword body had been pulled out. ¡ºKeugh¡­¡» Abel¡¯s face twisted. It wasn¡¯t fatal, but it was pretty deep. Just as he could do damage to Ronan, Ronan could also do significant damage to him. ¡°¡­I could have been in big trouble. Alibrihe, that traitor will surely be killed painfully.¡± But apart from that, Abel was relieved. From his point of view, being almost trapped in the quarantine dimension was a bigger crisis than Ronan, who could be removed at any time. Ronan, whonded while spinning the lot, opened his mouth. ¡°If you can¡­ uh, try it.¡± The corners of his mouth were covered in blue blood. Abel twisted his lips. As if shaking off the sword, he turned it around and threw a question. ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand it at all. Why are you struggling so much? Do you really think you still have hope? ¡± Did your balls shrivel as a side effect of absorbing power?¡± ¡ºHuh.¡» Abel sighed at the childish provocation. It was pitiful to see him not being able to grasp the subject matter. Although they got hit by the two women¡¯s interference, there was a gap that could not be bridged between the two in the first ce. Ronan¡¯s trembling legs were proof of that. It¡¯s been a long time since he reached his limit. He was bluffing as much as he could, but his body had no intention of matching it. Abel suddenly lowered his sword and opened his mouth. ¡°I will tell you how stupid you are. nephew Do you know where this is?¡» ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that, just listen. This is the star that the giants once swept away.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ronan frowned. Confirming that his attention was focused, Abel continued. ¡ºI noticed it as soon as I stepped on the ground. This is the characteristic of the that was hit by them. Losing all life and bing a pale, bloodless corpse. All the creatures that once roamed the stars have be souls and live here.¡± Abel tapped his chest. Ronan didn¡¯t answer. Anyway, that¡¯s why it felt familiar to be a star that was attacked by giants. ¡°So what are you saying?¡± ¡ºThis is really great power. Because the intelligent beings of this broke at once the bondage of destruction from which they could never escape. Look over there, nephew.¡± Suddenly, Abel raised his sword and pointed it at the night sky. Countless stars were dancing in the direction where the sword raised its head. It was the moment when I wondered what Ronan wanted to see. A thin, white beam of light emanated from the tip of Abel¡¯s sword. A ray of light extending deep into the night sky pointed to a bluish dot. ¡ºCan you see? That is the star we live in.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡ºEven the world that seems infinitely wide is just dust when viewed from a distance. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pathetic? Being trapped in such a mess and not understanding each other and trying to kill each other¡­¡± Abel clicked his tongue. I could feel his hatred in the twisted brow. Hatred for the foolishness of destroying the brightest things that have been deposited like strata. ¡ºWhat you are trying so hard to protect is just such a speck. If you leave that alone, you will surely destroy yourself. But if you give up your lingering attachment to mortality even now, you will. No, we can protect all the visible light right now.¡± ¡°no. is to protect From the fate of self-destruction.¡± Abel said firmly. He lowered his sword and looked back at Ronan. ¡°So give up even now. I swear I¡¯ll finish it without any pain. Don¡¯t waste your few remaining lives to protect something insignificant.¡± In his serious eyes, a lifelike sh shed. Ronan didn¡¯t answer. His sunset-colored gaze was still on the star he had lived on. It was exactly as Abel said. It was small and insignificant. To the extent that the expression dust is a waste. Ronan, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s definitely not a big deal like you said.¡± ¡ºI guess I realized it now¡­¡» ¡°To be honest, it was heavy. Everyone praises the hero, the dawn of the empire and all, but I¡¯m just a swordsman. Save the world¡­ Damn it now, when you think about it, that¡¯s a ridiculous order.¡± Ronan chuckled. Memories of the past passed through my mind like a kaleidoscope. Abel tilted his head at the Ark¡¯s unexpected answer. ¡º¡­why are you saying that all of a sudden?¡» I can keep one of those. Suddenly , Ronan slowly raised his arm. He brought the star between the index and middle fingers of his outstretched right hand. The faint blue light was beautiful. ¡°It¡¯s only the size of one hand.¡± Ronan, who smiled, clenched his fists as if trying to catch a star. The mother star hidden in her hand has disappeared. Realizing that no persuasion had worked, Abel clenched his fists. ¡º¡­It seems that my head was worse than I thought.¡» ¡°Try it if you can.¡± Ronan lowered his gaze and red at Abel. It was pretty good, but that was it. Abel smiled bitterly. ¡ºPoor nephew, I¡¯ll send you to my brother right now.¡» Ronan¡¯s luck ran out the moment he couldn¡¯t be killed in one blow. I had no intention of showing any more mercy. After a brief mourning, Abel spurred on the ground. Kwaaang-! As soon as the sand he was standing on exploded, his form disappeared. ¡®It¡¯s too slow.¡¯ Abelughed. It was the only thing that maintained the original speed in the time that slowed down as if it had stopped. The foam of the waves and the sea wind that tangled in her hair had all stopped. Ronan was doing something simr at least, but he was just at the stage of raising his sword and stance. ¡°Don¡¯t be too resentful. Everyone will be living inside of me anyway.¡± Abel muttered to himself before striking a sh. The de, which fell in a wide arc, was about to touch Ronan¡¯s neck. Kaaaang-! A sudden metallic sound echoed through the frozen time. ¡ºWhat the heck! ¡» Abel¡¯s eyes widened. Ronan raised one corner of his mouth. His sword, which had risen before he knew it, was engaged with his own sword. [How?] It was impossible. It was the moment when he was embarrassed and showed a gap. Ronan, who corrected his posture, immediatelyunched a counterattack. bang! After pushing Abel away, he poured out sword strikes. ¡ºKuk¡­!¡» Ronan was moving at the same speed before he knew it. Abel responded urgently. Kagagak! Hundreds of sparks flew into the air as invisible shes intersected. ¡°What did you do!¡± Abel shouted, but Ronan silently swung his sword. It was the moment when the engagement, which had be increasingly violent, reached its climax. Kaaang-! The two bounced off with a roar andnded on the floor. Abel¡¯s face was much more serious than before. After taking a breath, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Whoa¡­as expected, my prediction was correct.¡± ¡ºWhat?¡» ¡°It was very sweet. Your baby¡¯s blood.¡± Ronan giggled. Abel, who soon realized the meaning, was stunned. Ronan suddenly bit his neck to suck his own blood. ¡ºCertainly you are cursed¡­¡» ¡°Okay¡­Now it seems that all the chaff that was pooling at the bottom is gone. Thanks to you.¡± That was the reason why he didn¡¯t open his mouth even when his nose was broken. In order to increase the odds even a little, it was necessary topletely extinguish the curse remaining on the body. It was a strategy to promote Haeju by drinking the blood of Abel, who had be the same as the current giant king. Fortunately, it worked, and now it was time to make a decision. ¡°I¡¯m done with this once. Not twice.¡± Ronan took a deep breath and grabbed the hilt with both hands. Thanks to the recovery of energy to some extent, it seemed that he would be able to try the secret technique he was trying to use against the king of giants. Seeing his arrogance, Abel growled. ¡°Seeing that you talk a lot, it seems that your time to die is approaching. You should know that nothing will change if I do that, right?¡± Judging from the fact that he was also bad at managing his facial expression, he seemed quite angry. In fact, Abel was right. Even if the curse itself melted away and the skill itself boiled, the condition of the body was not too good. ¡®If I had known it would be like this, I would have kissed her ande.¡¯ Suddenly thinking of Adeshan¡¯s face, Ronan twitched his lips. Why do you think of the unlucky rumor that the person you love fades away when it is time to die? die on the ground Even if you win, you die. Even so, I fight because I can¡¯t back down. Abel, who was thinking about something, took the same posture as Ronan. ¡°good. let¡¯s get along I¡¯ll finish it this once.] ¡°Thank you for that.¡± Ronanughed. As the two of them closed their mouths, the sound of the waves was loud. Standing facing each other, Ronan and Abel raised their swords. ¡°Then let¡¯s meet as one,¡± said Abel. When I focused my mind, the time stretched out. At the same time, the figures of the two disappeared from sight. grasp! Two explosions erupted over the quiet sandbar. The two rushed towards each other. But we couldn¡¯t see each other¡¯s faces. It was only instinctively felt that the opponent existed and was getting closer. Before long, moments crossed. There was no metallic sound. Time began to flow as it should, and the two people who had disappeared appeared. It was the moment when the stationary wave copsed. Blood gushed out of Ronan¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Cheer.¡± Ronan stumbled. I ended up cutting my stomach. The blood gushing out of the affected area was unrealistically red. Abel¡¯sughter came from behind. ¡°haha. Look at that.¡± My eyes were blurring. It was the moment when Abel looked back with a victor¡¯s smile. Ronan, who straightened his posture, spoke in a cracked voice. ¡°You¡­ are the setting sun.¡± ¡ºWhat?¡» ¡°I¡¯m afraid of losing, so I draw the light of the world¡­ That¡¯s why I nned this crazy thing. I am afraid that the people who gave my heart will perish¡­ To remain forever in the most beautiful burning moment¡­¡± What the hell are you talking about? Abel asked, but no answer came. In front of Ronan¡¯s eyes, who had turned hazy, the memory of watching the sunset from the hill of the four seasons with Adeshan was ying. Taking a breath, he continued. ¡°Don¡¯t be mean. let the sun go down After the night has passed, the morning alwayses. The sunset is beautiful because other times in people¡¯s lives exist¡­¡± Abel narrowed his brows at the iprehensible voice. It was the car he was about tond the finishing blow, judging that it was nonsense on the verge of death. Chew! A blue line was drawn across Abel¡¯s neck. [¡­!] A btedly creepy sensation ran through his body. I wasn¡¯t even aware that the de had touched it. It had already been cut when they justpeted for sum. ¡ºYou.¡» In fact, there was not much difference when ites to trumpet skills. I was just doing the most confident thing. The simple act of drawing a knife and cutting it faster than anyone else. Took. Abel¡¯s head slid across the section and fell to the floor. ¡°So¡­¡± Ronan dragged on. Pooh! The blood that rose like a fountain soaked the sand. Dropping the knife, he muttered lowly. ¡°Enough, Abel.¡± Chapter 314 [ 314. Waves and Liberation, Confession. ] #314 Blue blood soaked the sand bar. Abel¡¯s headless body tilted slowly. As he fell, the hilt fell from Ronan¡¯s hand. hooked La Mancha, which fell from the tip, was deeply embedded in the sandy beach. Abel did not rise again. Ronan, who repeatedly closed and opened his eyes, spat out a curse. ¡°Whoa¡­ the gue¡­¡± The umted fatigue wasing at once. The curse was gone, but that was another issue. Now I could instinctively feel that time was running out. Suddenly, Rin¡¯s voice resounded in my head. [Ronan. Wake up.] ¡°It¡¯ste.¡± Ronan giggled. His condition had already deteriorated to the point where he could not see well. In the foggy vision, only the sound of the red wavespping could be heard. ¡°¡­tired.¡± dump. Ronan, who was staring at the horizon, sat down. The feeling of the gentle waves wet my legs was not too bad. [Are you¡­ dying?] ¡°Perhaps.¡± [No¡­ that can¡¯t be done,] Ronan replied intively. Rin¡¯s voice, which was always calm, was full of water. What¡¯s the point of procrastinating on the subject of a girl¡¯s sex sword? ¡°Thank you Lynn. I was able toe this far thanks to you.¡± [do not say that. There must be some way¡­!] ¡°No. You know that.¡± Ronan smiled. If possible, of course, I wanted to live. Because he hated words like ¡®sacrifice¡¯ or ¡®death to duty¡¯ more than anyone else. It was better to be a coward who died alive than to be a hero and have his name engraved on a memorial stone. But I never expected that something like this would happen to me. Isn¡¯t this a hero from a legend whopletely saves and oxidizes the world? ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s just bad luck¡­¡± Ronan grumbled. Of course, he only said that, but his mouth was smiling. He himself would die here, but the things he protected would survive for a long time. It was the car that Ronan, who could not bear the fatigue, was about to lie down on. A familiar voice came from not far away. ¡°¡­I lost.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± For an instant, I got goosebumps. Reflexively holding the hilt, Ronan turned around. Abel¡¯s head, which was lying in a lump, was looking at him. ¡°¡­are you not dead yet?¡± It was dangerous. Ronan pointed the tip of his sword at Abel. The arm that had reached its limit was trembling, but it could not be helped. It had to bepletely dealt with at all costs. Abel¡¯s mouth fell open again. ¡ºStop it. The moment your head was cut off, the connection with the source was already severed. I will soon perish.¡± ¡°How can I believe that?¡± ¡ºWell, actually, it is already disappearing. Take a good look at me.¡± Hearing those words, Ronan narrowed his eyes. It was blurry, but I could see Abel¡¯s head slowly shrinking. He was scattering as particles of light like giants whose source had been robbed. Realizing that Abel¡¯s words were true, Ronan lowered his sword. ¡°Whoa¡­ damn it. I thought you were passing out.¡± I thought my liver would fall apart and fall into pieces. Although he was in great shape, the current Ronan did not have the strength to face the resurrected Abel. ¡°hey. Let¡¯s ask one thing.¡» ¡°Huh?¡± ¡ºIf I had done it the way my brother did, would someday people stop killing each other?¡» Ronan narrowed his eyes at the sudden question. It didn¡¯t seem like they were plotting something strange anyway, when everyone else was dying. He sat down again and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. But maybe not much has changed.¡± ¡°Then why did you stop both of us? I saw the memory when I closed my brother¡¯s eyes. You were against my brother¡¯s n, not mine.¡± Abel asked with a questioning tone. As a crooked but utilitarian seeker, he couldn¡¯t understand Ronan, who was not sympathetic to the ideas of either the Savior or himself. right! Suddenly, Ronan stretched out his arm and struck Abel on the forehead with the back of his sword. ¡ºUgh! What are you doing¡­¡± ¡°Yumma. Are you calling that a question? Anyway, your father and your siblings are too far-fetched.¡± ¡ºWhat is it?¡» ¡°People are not coddled. Of course, there are many assholes, but there are far more normal people. Even if you guys didn¡¯t wipe the poop one by one, you would have done well on your own.¡± said Ronan. It was the first time since Ahayute that he had a conversation with the man he had just cut off. Abel, who crumpled his face, shouted in protest. ¡ºHow can you say that even after looking at the memories of the past! You saw the battleship Dynhar, which was built to destroy even other stars in the air defense shelters prepared to avoid the fallout of nuclear war! Do you think there is room for rebirth for the beings who create such things?! Aren¡¯t you quiet?¡± right! Ronan struck him in the head with the back of his sword again. Abel, who was left with only his head, could do nothing but vent his anger. ¡ºKeuug¡­!¡» ¡°Shut up and just trust me. Dad and you should have taken the attitude of a bystander. Even if I wanted to give advice, I should have just given advice. It was a problem because I was trying to move the horse myself.¡± ¡°It is absurd self-indulgence. How on earth can you have such faith?¡± Abel was now genuinely shocked. Since I received the blood of a savior, I should be able to think from the point of view of an immortal. Ronan, who vomited blood once, answered without hesitation. ¡°Because I have changed.¡± ¡ºWhat is it?¡» ¡°I was originally a two-headed man. But somehow, I was able to live my life once more and changed my mind. I hate to say this with my own mouth, but I really have changed a lot.¡± Recalling the memories of his previous life, Ronan chuckled. Looking back now, it was truly a life of vermin. he continued. ¡°I knew then. People can change if they have a chance. I was a bit of an odd case, but most of them have a better mindset than I do, so you should be able toe to your senses without such a grandiose incident.¡± ¡º¡­was that the only reason? ¡» What do you think is the reason you lost to me right now?¡± Abel fell silent at the sharp question. Whatever anyone said, the results were already out. It¡¯s not even funny because I¡¯ve changed. Abel smirked as he pondered those words. It was in the middle of an awkward silence for a long time. ¡º¡­I will tell you how to survive.¡» ¡°What?¡± Ronan, who had been dozing off, raised his head. I wondered what nonsense this was. Abel, who had lost about 30% of his head before he knew it, continued. ¡ºMy personality will soon disappear, but the power of the source is still strong. Rip my chest and take my heart If so, you will be like me and enjoy strength and eternity.¡± Abel rolled his eyes and pointed to his own body. Ronan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Did you gette senility? Why are you suddenly saying that?¡¯ ¡°Well, why is it¡­¡± Abel dragged his horse. I couldn¡¯t think of a suitable answer. He turned his gaze back to the sea and smiled. ¡ºI must have gone senile, just like you said. ¡» It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. Ronan stumbled and stood up. For some reason, I felt like I kept feeling popr around me. ¡®It must be the souls trapped in the source.¡¯ If Abel¡¯s words were true, his heart would contain all the souls the giants had collected so far. It was not enough to save his life, and it was a chance that he would never have it again to have all that power. ¡°¡­it¡¯s the heart.¡± Ronan, who had reached the corpse before he knew it, stopped in ce. There was nothing more to worry about. He recalled the faces of the people he loved and thrust out his sword. hooked! The tip of the knife pierced Abel¡¯s chest. However, it was not for cutting, but for stabbing and bursting. Sensing that the de had prated the source, Abel burst out in amazement. ¡°Yes, you bastard¡­! What are you doing now!] At this rate, the source will be destroyed. Instead of answering, Ronan twisted his sword. As soon as the source waspletely destroyed, Abel¡¯s body oxidized with light. Quaaaaaa! At the same time, chunks of light that looked like wisps of fire poured out of his heart. What seemed to be billions of them could not be counted. Ronan whistled in admiration. ¡°Major.¡± ¡°Why¡­!¡± Abel let out a bewildered look. Liberated souls were flying towards the starry night sky. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen, but they¡¯re probably going to their own paradise. somewhere far away in space. Somehow, it seemed that cheers were heard. The number of souls was as numerous as the stars visible, and it seemed that time would not be enough to see them all disappear. Now only the lower part of his nose remained, Abel opened his mouth. ¡ºFoolish thing¡­You can¡¯t survive anymore. To kick away the only opportunity yourself.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Because something like that should n¡¯t exist in the world¡­¡± Suddenly, Ronan, who was looking up at the sky, copsed. A familiar sensation took over her body. The five senses are blocked one by one in the falling darkness. Death was about to kiss him. ¡°¡­Damn it, you¡¯re just going away.¡± If I was going to die, I wanted to die while looking at the sky. Ronan squeezed out thest of his strength and turned over. Unlike in his previous life, the distant sea of stars spread out in front of him. It was the world he protected. I no longer felt the wind and the waves. Her vision, which had been focused on bluish motherhood, was slowly darkening. ¡°Still¡­it was fun.¡± Ronan muttered. Like the first life, there were still a lot of unfulfilled things, but strangely, there were no regrets left. Soon silence fell. Feeling puzzled, Abel called him. ¡ºHey Ronan.¡» But no answer came back. The snow had long since disappeared, but it was not difficult to guess the situation. He kept a bitter smile on his lips. ¡º¡­You really resemble my older brother a lot.¡» It was truly a heroic end. Now it was his turn to leave. It was thest time, so something simr to a kaleidoscope shed through my mind. The thing that came to mind most strongly was, of course, Cain¡¯s face. ¡°Brother¡­¡± Abel opened his mouth. In his fading consciousness, he was walking with Cain on the coldnd of his hometown. ¡°You knew. I wasn¡¯t¡­ your brother¡¯s brother¡­ or anything¡­] The bted confession was mixed with the sound of the waves. Abel already knew that he was not Cain¡¯s brother. Looking back, it seems that it was at that time that I started harboring resentment toward my older brother. ¡ºBut you¡­ always held my hand¡­¡» However, Cain always took Abel¡¯s side. He encouraged his one and only younger brother, saying that even if the world pointed a finger at his cruel actions, he could change. Abel knew. The fact that if he hadn¡¯t betrayed them, the two of them would have remained good brothers forever. It seemed that he now knew what he had to protect, but the end was already near. [Brother¡­] Abel gritted his teeth. It was just sad that the eyes to shed tears were gone. Lips that were disintegrating into the light uttered thest words. ¡ºI¡¯m sorry.¡» That was the end. Thest remaining particles of light disappeared across the night sky. The rising tide was erasing the traces of the two people. **** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ronan opened his eyes. My head was dizzy as if I had just woken up from a long sleep. The star-filled night sky hadpletely disappeared, revealing a pure white space. ¡°I see¡­ I am finally dead.¡± It was not difficult to infer the situation. Because my body, which had be a wreck that could never be healed, waspletely healed. Even the sword was still there. He, who was lying down, raised his body by touching his forehead. ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, I felt a strange feeling in my pants pocket. He put his hand in and removed it, tilting his head. A small, round sphere of unknown material was sandwiched between the index finger and thumb. ¡°¡­what is this, Al?¡± It was an unforgettable thing. I couldn¡¯t tell when it was in my pocket. It was the moment Ronan put the sphere back into his pocket. I heard someone¡¯s footsteps not far away. ¡°What, there were other people besides me¡­¡± Ronan thoughtlessly turned his head away. And it hardened in ce. Adeshan, wearing the general¡¯s uniform, stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°It was a lot of hard work. corporal.¡± ¡°Captain? Wait, you next to me¡­¡± But what really puzzled him was the man next to Adeshan. There was a face I had only seen once a long time ago, but never to be forgotten. A believer I met in the Baidian Mountains. The long-eared elf man must have turned to stone in the aftermath of the fight. Ronan, who met eyes with the man, barely opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Sarante?¡± Chapter 315 [ 315. Sunset, Sunrise ] #315 ¡°¡­Sarante?¡± Ronan let out a puzzle. It¡¯s been a long time, but it was a face I¡¯ll never forget. The memory of fighting Brygia, an executive of Neb zie, with only the upper half of his body on his back was still vivid. ¡°Oh my God, how long has this been?¡± Ronan¡¯s face brightened. At least until he died, he thought he would be stoned. Oh, since I¡¯m dead now, did it end up simr? He strode out, took Sarante¡¯s hand and shook it up and down. ¡°how have you been doing? It sure looks good with legs. Have you stopped being Ophelia¡¯s pillow? No wait, the fact that you and the general are here¡­ wasn¡¯t I dead?¡± I was so happy that the words came out more than usual. After all, they wererades who risked their lives to fight together. Sarante was silent and staring at Ronan with a benevolent smile. ¡°But why haven¡¯t you said anything since before?¡± Feeling ufortable btedly, Ronan tilted his head. The atmosphere was different from when we met before. Should I say I¡¯ve be more aloof? It wasmon for Jangsaeng species such as elves and dragons to show such behavior, but beyond that, I felt a mysterious impression that I couldn¡¯t exin. Adeshan, who had been quietly holding her hands behind her back, opened her mouth. ¡°That person is not someone you know. corporal.¡± ¡°yes? What is that¡­¡± ¡°I just borrowed the appearance of someone familiar to you. Be polite.¡± It was an unfamiliar sound. At that moment, Sarante¡¯s appearance dissipated like mist and transformed into an amorphous halo of light. The overall bluish coloration was simr to that of a mother seen on an unknown. ¡°What the fuck¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. It was before he did anything. The rushing light enveloped Ronan. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, memories that had never been experienced flowed into Ronan¡¯s head. At the boundary between the universe and the stars, an unknown group of lights was fighting a certain giant. A species that has now disappeared along with Abel. He was significantlyrger than other giants and had eight wings hanging from his back. ¡°This.¡± Ronan sighed. The hulking man fighting the halo was undoubtedly the former king of the giants. The existence that started the whole story by falling in the vige of the savior. The various scars left on the corpse were carved at that time. Memories ended with the king of giants falling to the ground. The cluster of lights gathered again and changed into the shape of Sarante. Ronan, who instinctively realized what the existence in front of him was, eximed softly. ¡°¡­Seniel.¡± Instead of answering, Sarante smiled. I¡¯ve heard it many times since I lived my second life. A great soul that transcends time and dwells in will. Sarante pointed to Ronan¡¯s heart before he turned into a rock and said that Seniel dwelled here. Why did it only appear now? what¡¯s going on? It was in the midst of Ronan¡¯s confusion at the question that raised his head inside out. Adeshan opened her mouth. ¡°Calm down, corporal. I will tell you everything.¡± ¡°Damn what the hell happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time, so I¡¯ll exin quickly. First of all, he is the one who gave me the orb to turn back time.¡± ¡°yes?¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened at the shocking fact. I thought it was a secret that I would never find out. ¡°Seniel was predicting the disaster that would happen due to the giants. However, I exhausted too much power while fighting the giant¡¯s ancestors. So, with the remaining power, he made a marble that could turn back time, and delivered it to a legitimate person who could prevent the destruction of the, that is, to me.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to believe it now?¡± ¡°I am just telling the truth. I happened to pick up this marble at the end of my first life. On a battlefield that has been devastated by giants¡­¡± Adeshan nodded. Now it was a story of the distant past. Crawling across the battlefield with her limbs severed, she found the orb in a hollow where corpses and mud mixed. She swallowed the marble, and from then on, her life to overthrow the giant began to repeat itself. Ronan, who discovered the idiot, shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°But the general¡­ you didn¡¯t know anything. Not to mention the king of the giants, the fact that there are only three of them¡­¡± ¡°I also received the full story of the incident a little while ago. Seniel didn¡¯t help me with anything other than giving me a marble. I dare to infer that you did not have the strength to do so.¡± Hearing those words, Sarante nodded. It probably hit the spot. It was quite nasty to put on a very faceless face. ¡°Then¡­ what exactly is the identity of the author named Seniel? god?¡± ¡°I do not know either. Why don¡¯t you tell me at all? I think it might be something simr, but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re buying things very expensive. If you tell me, where will it go?¡± Ronan mumbled. I wanted to know the exact identity, not the will or soul. At that time, Sarante¡¯s body, which had been scratching his head, exploded again in the form of a halo. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°what¡­!¡± Ronan and Adeshan were shocked. It was a violent movement I had never seen before. A voice indistinguishable from the gender resounded from somewhere. ¡¾great. You deserve it.] It was a sweeter voice than any voice I¡¯ve ever heard. Wide scattered light swirled around. Soon after, unfamiliar memories began to pour into the two of them, just as Ronan had experienced a moment ago. ¡°oh my god.¡± However, the scale was different this time. In just a few seconds, Ronan and Adeshan were injected with the history from the birth of the stars to the present. It didn¡¯t take long. Adeshan, who was suffering from dizziness in the aftermath of the memory transfer, muttered while holding her forehead. ¡°The¡­soul of the world?¡± ¡°It kills me.¡± Ronan also couldn¡¯t stand it and shed admiration at the identity beyond imagination. It seemed like he knew why he struggled so hard to stop the giants. I don¡¯t know what to say exactly because it¡¯s such an esoteric existence, but to put it as simply as possible, Seniel was the soul of the star they live in. ¡°okay. So we¡­¡± Adeshan dragged his horse. I never imagined that a star could have a soul. She was in the middle of muttering to herself after clearing up thest question. A voice resounded from somewhere in the halo. ¡¾Then Adeshan. I¡¯ll be waiting.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± Adeshan was about to say something. Faaa¡­ the swirling particles of light disappeared as if they were melting. Surprised by the sudden exit, Ronan was in the midst of blinking. Adeshan, who twitched her lips, looked back at him. ¡°Anyway¡­ it seems that time is up. ¡± ¡°What time is it?¡± Ronan asked. The atmosphere was something unusual. Adeshan, who was staring at Ronan, opened his mouth heavily. ¡°It is time for us to part forever. Corporal I will disappear now.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Ronan sighed. It was like a bolt of lightning had struck in my head. After barely regaining hisposure, he asked Adeshan. ¡°That¡­what do you mean?¡± ¡°It is literally. As you may have noticed already, you are not dead yet. Seniel, who highly appreciated your credit, healed the body drifting in the dimension and returned it to the original world.¡± Adeshan said calmly. She said that now Ronan¡¯s body is lying on the battlefield unconscious. She met Ronan¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°But the wound is too deep to wake up. So, I intend to surrender the remaining vitality to you and disappear.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It won¡¯t be a problem for your girlfriend. It¡¯s a meager vitality, but it should be enough to make your heart beat again.¡± ¡°What the hell¡­ what the hell are you talking about? Youmanded so courageously. Weren¡¯t we living together while sharing a body?¡± Ronan asked in a trembling voice. I didn¡¯t expect a breakup like this. Adeshan shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°In the first ce, I was not whole. Only crumbs of thought remained and settled in your heart. I was lucky enough to borrow my body in this lifetime, but it was destined to disappear someday.¡± ¡°I can.¡± Ronan sighed in shock. Her gradually fading body was destroying any hope. Returning alive was certainly something I wanted, but I didn¡¯t want it this way. Suddenly, my eyes began to blur. A drop of tear slipped down his cheek. Adeshan, who was looking at Ronan, slowly raised his hand. ¡°Corporal Ronan. You are too young for the night.¡± ¡°yes¡­?¡± Adeshan gently cupped Ronan¡¯s cheeks with both hands. His calloused hands tingled. She lowered her head and pressed her foreheads against Ronan. ¡°I couldn¡¯t face the night even after seeing the sunset three times. The resentment of not being able to achieve my goal in the end kept me from sleeping. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to restfortably at the end, but you made my wishe true.¡± ¡°What kind of wish do you want¡­ to be a tailor¡­I couldn¡¯t even tell you¡­¡± ¡°Corporal. You did your best for me. I know how much trouble you¡¯ve gone through for me. You have shown me that there are better lives than being back as a tailor¡¯s daughter.¡± Carefully moving her thumb, she wiped away the flowing tears. Ronan tried to say something, but his voice choked. Adeshan continued. ¡°Thank you for working hard for me. Meeting you in my third life was the luckiest thing in my life. I really have no time left.¡± ¡°¡­can¡¯t you just stay?¡± Ronan barely opened his mouth. Adeshan hugged Ronan instead of answering. The temperature that passed from bosom to bosom made her eyes redden again. ¡°I grew up as a good and bright child in this life. Originally, her face and body were usable, so this time she was reborn as a perfect being. So don¡¯t miss it and be good to it.¡± ¡°Damn, are you kidding me at a time like this?¡± ¡°Ah, there are downsides too. Even so, I¡¯m pretty jealous. There¡¯s no way that would be the case, but don¡¯t even think about wishing something like that. At that time, I¡­ will go to kill you in the underworld.¡± Adeshan¡¯s voice was trembling. Compared to the moment before, her form was noticeably transparent. Ronan, who couldn¡¯t answer, raised his arm and hugged her tighter. A watery voice leaked out of Adeshan¡¯s mouth after finally hugging him. ¡°You¡¯ve got my words¡­you¡¯ve got it¡­Ronan.¡± Instead of answering, Ronan gritted his teeth. Adeshan¡¯s face, which was revealed again, was a mess. Tears flowed endlessly from her beautiful gray eyes. ¡°¡­yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°good. That¡¯s it. Then finally¡­¡± Suddenly, Adeshan pulled Ronan by the back of his head. Their lips met in an instant. It was quite long and thick, but this time the beads didn¡¯te over. ¡°town¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Before long, Adeshan opened his mouth andughed out loud. ¡°Ahaha¡­ Compared to then, it hasn¡¯t improved at all.¡± ¡°¡­General.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d it seems to be true that I never made a woman cry. It¡¯s not enough to torture the owner¡¯s body.¡± It was in the midst of her patting Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Suddenly, cracks began to appear in the all-white background. Adeshan, now almost invisible, shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°You are lucky. To be able to see you off until the end.¡± ¡°Captain¡­¡± was what Ronan was about to say. Suddenly I was speechless and no voice came out. The more cracks there were, the farther away he was from consciousness. Ronan had a hunch. This was the moment of parting. All I can say is one word. Drawing out the remaining energy, he said as if squeezing it out. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again.¡± Adeshan did not answer. She was making a strange expression, neitherughing nor crying. The estranged consciousness was eventually cut off. Adeshan, who confirmed that Ronan¡¯s existence had disappeared, murmured in a low voice. ¡°bye. my first love.¡± The voices of those who left were ringing in her ears. I could feel the people who lost my mother and two older brothers on the battlefielding out to meet me. Adeshan, nowpletely invisible, turned her back. Soon after, she wiped away the tears and started walking towards the ce where those who left had to go. . . . ¡°Ronan!¡± ¡°Huh!¡±? Surprised by someone¡¯s cry, Ronan opened his eyes. My head was dizzy as if I had just woken up from a long sleep. As my blurry vision became clearer, the brightening sky entered my eyes. ¡®Here¡­¡¯ The morning air was cold. I was used to the arrangement of the clusters of stars remaining in the sky. It seemed that he had reallye back. Ronan, who was still looking at the sky, clenched his fists. ¡®General.¡¯ The moment of parting flickered before my eyes. Now that Seniel, who dwelled in his heart, had also disappeared, nothing remained to connect him with his first life. The loneliness I felt for the first time in my life was the car I was trying to raise my head. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang from right next to me. ¡°They are alive! Ronan is alive!¡± ¡°Assel¡­?¡± Ronan slowly turned his head. Asher was looking down at himself with watery eyes. Familiar faces came into view next to him. Everyone, including the friends from the limited-ss adventure club, surrounded him. ¡°you idiot. I was worried¡­!¡± Confirming that Ronan was awake, Marya covered her face with both hands. A trembling voice leaked out through the cracks between the fingers. Sheeta and Braum were already wailing like wild animals. ¡°Pal-wook! Boom woo!¡± ¡°Ughhh! Heh heh heh!¡± ¡°¡­joy.¡± Schlieffen, who hade to his senses before he knew it, was standing beside him. He hid his tears by turning his head the other way. At that moment, Erill jumped on top of Ronan, who was just about to get up. ¡°My little brother! Aaaaaang!¡± ¡°sister.¡± ¡°Are you okay now? do you have any pain? Yes, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll go wrong, sister¡­!¡± Iril burst into tears as he hugged Ronan by the nape of his neck. My eyes were swollen from so much crying, but it was beautiful nheless. Butterfly Roze, who wiped his face once, spat out. ¡°¡­are you alive?¡± ¡°The name line is tough. bantling.¡± Zaifa, who was right next to him, groaned. Dragons, including Navardoze and Orsay, were also keeping their seats. Suddenly, right next to Ronan, I heard a voice that I deeply missed. ¡°Ronan.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. As he slowly turned his head, Adeshan, who was sitting by his bedside, caught his eye. The traces of tears were clearly visible on her white cheeks. ¡°Adeshan¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you came back.¡± Adeshan silently stroked Ronan¡¯s head. A warm smile, like the one before, crept across her lips. Ronan, who had been looking at her quietly, opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ did you leave?¡± Adeshan¡¯s expression hardened for a moment. It was not difficult to understand the intent of the question. Biting her lower lip, she nodded. ¡°¡­huh.¡± There were no more voices in her head. The general haspletely left. Ronan, who seemed to conform, whispered as he embraced Adeshan. ¡°thank you.¡± ¡°me too. that Ronan. People are waiting.¡± Adeshanughed again. Ronan, who understood the meaning, stood up. As his vision increased, he could see the brutally destroyed wastnd and the Allied soldiers surrounding him. ¡°There. Aren¡¯t you awake?¡± ¡°My God, really¡­!¡± The soldiers who saw Ronan began to hum. They were all waiting for Ronan to wake up. His brows narrowed in the midst of the growing murmur. ¡°That¡­ Damn it¡­¡± The twinkling eyes of the soldiers were burdensome. I felt like I had to say something, but nothing came to mind. Damn, I¡¯m not very good at public speaking. Scratching his head, he spat out. ¡°¡­everyone had a hard time.¡± ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± thunderous cheers erupted from all directions. As if they had promised, they threw the objects they were holding high into the sky. Chapter 316 [ 316. The academy¡¯s genius swordsman -final- ] #316 ¡°¡­It¡¯s already morning.¡± Ronan opened his eyes. Dusk light was seeping through the translucent curtains. Maybe it was because I hadn¡¯t had a dream in a while and had a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°Huh ah Ah -am ¡­.¡± I wanted to sleep more unless it was scheduled. He yawned and turned his head as hey down. I saw Adeshan lying down with her right arm as a pillow. ¡®It¡¯s pretty.¡¯ Ronan wrapped his index finger around his hair. It was now a sight to see every morning. She opened her eyes just in time and asked in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°Ugh¡­what time is it now?¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± Her messy, tousled hair reminded me of seaweed. Ronan, who was rummaging through the bedside table with his other arm, picked up the rm clock. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ it¡¯s 8:30.¡± ¡°I see¡­then I¡¯ll¡­ wait a minute, what?!¡± Suddenly, Adeshan raised his upper body as if he was bouncing. The nket came down, revealing a white naked body. Ronan reflexively raised his thumb at the sight, which was amazing no matter how many times he watched it, but today she couldn¡¯t afford to ept the prank. Adeshan grabbed his head and wrapped it around. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯repletelyte¡­!¡± ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t the graduation ceremony starting at 10 anyway?¡± ¡°I was the student council president! Did you forget that the principal entrusted me with thewsuit?¡± ¡°ah.¡± Ronan snapped his fingers. Come to think of it, it seemed that I was in charge of such a job. Adeshan, who hurried to get up, screamed. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Because the strength in her legs hasn¡¯t returned yet¡­¡± She managed to stand up after five minutes of hard work. Seeing my trembling legs made me feel guilty. Ronan, scratching his head, lowered his head. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done¡­I¡¯m sure everyone will notice why I¡¯mte¡­I¡¯m crazy, so why get in the mood¡­ ¡± Her white face was flushed red as if it were about to explode at any moment. Ronan, who had brought her clothes while she was washing, giggled. ¡°Calm down and get dressed. Hey, I never thought the day woulde when we would wear school uniforms again.¡± ¡°thank you. Ugh¡­ are you going to go in properly? You can¡¯tugh even if it¡¯s weird¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re pretty no matter what you wear. But it happens too often to be in the mood forst night.¡± ¡°You really¡­ start preparing for this!¡± Adeshan, who was about to say something, turned his back. There was no room for an argument that spilled sesame seeds. Somehow she got ready on time. ¡°Yeah. It seeds.¡± ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s basic.¡± Ronan stuck out his tongue. Indeed, it was an improvisation worthy of the former Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief. As expected, Adeshan¡¯s uniform didn¡¯t get smaller at all. On the contrary, wearing it as an adult has a different charm. She smiled brightly as she kissed Ronan just before leaving the front door. ¡°I will be back. love you!¡± ¡°me too.¡± Ronan waved his hand. bang! The sound of the front door closing echoed. Stretching out, he went back to his room. In order to attend on time, I had to prepare slowly. Ronanughed as he took out his school uniform from the closet. The leather that Adeshan had patched was still attached to the coat. ¡°Because it¡¯s Phileon¡­it¡¯s been a while.¡± **** Ronan left the house an hourter. The school uniform she hadn¡¯t worn in a long time fit her body properly. In the morning, the chirping of birds could be heard from all over the city. ¡°The weather is nice.¡± The early spring sky was clear without a single cloud. Seeing the vegetation begin to sprout again, it was clear that time had passed. It¡¯s already been a year since the war with Neb gie ended. ¡®It feels so far away. Time flies.¡¯ Ronan, recalling his memories, smacked his lips. The years went by so fast that I don¡¯t even know how I spent it. It took a lot of work, but most of the time was devoted to restoring the destroyed world. Abel¡¯s words that he blew away 30% of the world were not lies. Countless people were killed or injured, and countries andmunities perished. The system suffered serious damage as well. The closure of Phileon Academy was extended until the city returned to its original form and stabilized. The reason Ronan and Adeshan lived together was because Phileon¡¯s dormitory was destroyed. He whistled as he looked around. ¡°Oh, but you fixed a lot.¡± In the distance, the imperial pce, which was undergoing restoration work, came into sight. It was thest construction to be done after fixing all other buildings and facilities. Miraculously saved, 44-year-old Balon devoted himself to stabilizing and restoring the empire until his hair turned white. For a few months after the war, I really thought that everything was going to go to ruin, but he was an outstanding person with one ability. ¡°Is the Emperoring today too¡­¡± Ronan murmured. It was thest time I saw him at the conferment ceremony, so if I attended this graduation ceremony, it would be a long time since I saw him. Still, it didn¡¯t take much longer than expected for the broken world to regain its original form. People who suffered amon catastrophe came together as one mind. ¡®Even the battleship Dainhard was mobilized for the construction.¡¯ Originally, dragons and vampires, who were not interested in the world, helped with the restoration work, which greatly reduced the time. Arriving at Phileon at some point, Ronan naturally headed for the za. ¡°Damn, were there really that many?¡± Ronan, who was crossing the crowd, frowned. It was crowded with more people than usual, probably because it was the graduation ceremony held at the same time as the closing of schools. ¡°Pyaaaaaa!¡± Sheeta, who arrived first, was hovering over the za. Ronan, who had barely reached the stands, was in the middle of looking around for a seat. A loud voice rang out from a distance. ¡°Ronan! Here!¡± ¡°What, are you all here already?¡± Ronan, who bumped into Marja, shrugged his eyebrows. Familiar faces were all around her. Marja, who has now be Countess Armalen, has be more mature like her other friends. Arriving at the seat, Ronan greeted her with an exaggerated gesture. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. Countess Marja.¡± ¡°what. Even though you are also a nobleman.¡± Marjaughed incredulously. Just like in her previous life, she was given the Armalen estate by the emperor and became a noble. Her insolence in the war also yed a role, but her family¡¯s Caravel Merchant Company yed a great role as a supply chain for the allied forces. Now, the Caravelle Merchant was proudly crowned as one of the threergest guilds on the continent. Suddenly, a loudugh erupted from behind her. ¡°Wah ha ha! That¡¯s also true, Prince Ronan de Baltoa. Are you managing the estate well?¡± ¡°Braum? Why are you sitting here?¡± Ronan widened his eyes. Braum¡¯s school uniform, with his shaggy beard, was inted as if it would explode at any moment. ¡°I¡¯ve be aplete hairy. Aren¡¯t you going to get a diploma?¡± ¡°Of course I will, but I came to say hello before that! Miss Ophelia and the Grand Duke are with you too!¡± Having said that, Braum stepped aside. Ophelia, hidden from view, stepped forward. It was obvious, but as a vampire, her appearance hadn¡¯t changed at all. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ronan. Thank you for being so good to me¡­ Joining your club was the best choice in my life¡­¡± ¡°I am. What are you going to do when you graduate?¡± ¡°Now that the restoration work has been roughly finished¡­ I¡¯m going to focus on researching new blood magic this time. Fortunately, the Grand Duke came to his senses¡­¡± Opheliaughed. The fangs glittering between the lips were cute. Hearing the word grand duke, Ronan tilted his head. ¡°that¡¯s right. where is that uncle? Didn¡¯t youe with me?¡± ¡¾I am here.¡¿ At that time, a young voice came from somewhere. Ophelia stood aside in silence. A boy less than half Ronan¡¯s height appeared. Ronan asked with a hopeless heart. ¡°¡­ Grand Duke?¡± ¡¾okay. It became funny. If it wasn¡¯t for you and Ophelia, I wouldn¡¯t havee.] The young grand duke clicked his tongue. His cheeks were so soft that he looked like he was not even ten years old. He was a master who survived by sacrificing six of the seven essences of fresh blood. ¡°Aha¡­but I¡¯m d I¡¯m alive. Will you get angry if I touch your hair?¡± ¡¾I won¡¯t pay right now. Because you are much stronger than me But it¡¯s better to be prepared for how your corpse will be used after death.] Upon hearing the Archduke¡¯s answer, Ronan chuckled. Looking at his temperament, he knew that he was right. At that moment, I heard the chatter of students nearby. ¡°Hey¡­isn¡¯t that person¡­the mother of fire? I saw it at the entrance ceremony the year beforest¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no way¡­but who¡¯s next to you? I can¡¯t breathe well.¡± At the same time, Ronan, who sensed an unusual murder, turned his head. In the front row, ady with red hair and a man dressed all in ck stood side by side. The lifeblood rising from the man¡¯s shoulder was unusual. He only rolled his eyes and looked around, growling low. ¡°It¡¯s not even funny. Why do I have to be here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that too much. I¡¯ll have to keeping every year anyway.¡± ¡°The damn time must being to bring destruction and despair, right? It should.¡± ¡°no. It¡¯s Ronan and his friends¡¯ graduation ceremony.¡± Thedyughed. For an instant, life welled up on the man¡¯s shoulders. Ordinary people would go ck just by touching it, but the noblewoman prevented the spread of damage by striking his side with her elbow. ¡°Gagging!¡± ¡°Oh my, why are youing up all of a sudden?¡± Kwajik! With the sound of bones being crushed, the man fell to his knees. Thedy covered her mouth with a fan andughed as if nothing had happened. Ronan, who was watching the scene,ughed. ¡°What are you both doing there?¡± ¡°Did you hear this? I even hid my horns.¡± ¡°¡­Honestly, the horns aren¡¯t a problem for Navardoze-sama.¡± Ronan looked at Navardoze, who was genuinely surprised, with a nk expression. His gaze was fixed firmly on her wonderfully full chest. Ronan asked. ¡°Anyway, nice to meet you. What about Adren?¡± ¡°Ajdahaka and Alibrihe are leading the construction. Both do a very good job. Elcia was also with her, so it seemed like the job would be over soon.¡± ¡°aha. That¡¯s good.¡± Ronan groaned. Well, since all three are geniuses in their respective fields, they should be doing well. Then Orsay, who was moaning in pain, raised his head. ¡°Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! ¡°Then why are you getting hit by me?¡± ¡°I am not interested in you. Where¡¯s the killing machine? Bring him!¡± Orse eximed. The voice was so loud that everyone in the za could hear it. Asher, who was sitting next to Marja and serving as her armrest, shrugged. ¡°Hehehe! Oh Orsay?!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha there you were!e with me A new bloody festival is being prepared for us out there in the south!¡± Orse, who ran into Asher, burst into madness. He pushed people and approached them recklessly. Asher, whose face turned white, let out a scream. ¡°I hate poetry!¡± He closed his eyes and waved his arms. puck! An invisible fist flew in an instant and hit Orsay¡¯s chin. The magic dragon with its eyeballs flipped forward fell forward. ¡°Oh, no! Stop without me knowing¡­!¡± Asher stood up. Seeing the fainting Orsay, Navardoze sighed. Ronan, who confirmed that he waspletely unconscious, pped his hands in admiration. ¡°Awesome. I couldn¡¯t even see it.¡± ¡°Ro Ronan¡­! Not that!¡± It was the car Asher was trying to make an excuse for. A familiar voice echoed from the entrance. ¡°Oh there he is! Ronan! Guys!¡± Hearing his voice seemed to energize his body. When I turned my head, the students splitting left and right caught my eye first. Iril and Schlieffen were walking through a wall made of people. Exmations were pouring out from all sides. ¡°wow.¡± ¡°I am the morning star of my empire¡­Who is the person next to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like an angel who came down from heaven¡­!¡± The students couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Iril. Seeing the two of them arm in arm, blood welled up on Ronan¡¯s forehead. ¡®no. calm down.¡¯ He suppressed his anger by clenching his teeth. I really didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Schlieffen was the only creature on this that deservedpanionship with my sister. Soon after, Iril approached and hugged his younger brother. ¡°Ronan! How are you? Ehehe Seeing that you haven¡¯te hometely, you must be having fun with Adeshan?¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s right. How is your sister? Is this bastard doing well?¡± ¡°then! It¡¯s nice that guestse often these days. Even Schlieffen-samaes every morning!¡± Illil smiled brightly. She had opened and operated a small restaurant a few months ago. Although the menu was mostly clunky, like potato stew, that didn¡¯t go well with the system, for some reason, customers didn¡¯t know how to stop. ¡°¡­Ms. You must sit down.¡± Schlieffen was silent, blushing. It¡¯s already been over a year since he went out of his mind and proposed to her, but even being dragged around by the arms was still overly stimting to him. Quietly, Ronan whispered in Schlieffen¡¯s ear. ¡°No matter what you imagine, it won¡¯t happen until you get married. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not such a bad person.¡± Schlieffen said. Ronan involuntarilyughed at the serious tone, as if determined to protect the world. He also knew Schlieffen wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I guess. It¡¯s good to see you soon See youter.¡± ¡°okay. A new semester has to start.¡± ¡°See youter Ronan! hi!¡± Iril and Schlieffen were seated side by side at a distance. Every time she chattered and crossed her arms or pped her on the shoulder, Schlieffen¡¯s mind went into a stupor. At that time, a girl appeared out of nowhere and stopped in front of Iril. ¡°I want to sit here.¡± ¡°yes? Who is the littledy?¡± ¡°Lynn.¡± His thick gray hair, like a lion¡¯s mane, flowed down to his waist. Schlieffen¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Lynn. ¡°you¡­!¡± ¡°Handsome ass No. 2. hi.¡± I must have remembered seeing it before. It was the incarnation of the holy sword that Ronan, who tried to touch his buttocks at the festival of swords, was carrying. Having regained enough strength, she was now able to walk around in human form. Rin, who sat down on Iril¡¯sp, eximed in admiration. ¡°But unnie is really pretty¡­ She¡¯s the prettiest person I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. The little girl is really cute too.¡± Illil smiled brightly. She picked up Rin without Schlieffen having time to dissuade him. Iril, who was fiddling with his thick hair, turned to Schlieffen and said. ¡°Yes, if I had a childter, would I have this hair color? So pretty.¡± ¡°Gagging!¡± Schlieffen, who had been swallowing saliva, was caught in the sand and coughed. Illil tilted her head. ¡°what? Why are you like that?¡± ¡°Ah, what an airy¡­that¡¯s¡­!¡± Schlieffen, who was about to say something, averted his gaze. Seeing his flushed face, Lynn giggled in amusement. Suddenly, a majestic voice resounded in the za. ¡°Then, the graduation ceremony will begin. Please be quiet, everyone. ¡± People¡¯s attention was focused. Before anyone knew it, Crava Kratir, the principal of Phileon Academy, was on the podium . ¡­.¡± Erzebet, sitting in front of Ronan, sniffled. She was even wearing binocrs to get a good look at Adeshan. Ronan said, ¡°You cane and see him often. He¡¯s at my house anyway. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me, you scoundrel! Life with Adeshan unnie next to you when you open your eyes in the morning¡­ If you weren¡¯t the hero who saved the world, I wouldn¡¯t have let you go!¡± Elizabeth burst into tears again, and on herp sat Schlieffen¡¯s sister, Zion Cinivan de Grancia, eating a snack, fittingly a bridgehead that had dramatically eased the rtionship between Grancia and Acalucia . Behind Shan was a line of familiar faces, including Varen Naviroze Jarodine and his wife, Sunya, who had recently joined a physical education professor . .I will pay a moment of silence for the warriors who gave their precious lives to save the world.¡± Everyone closed their eyes and meditated silently. Subsequently, the graduation ceremony began in earnest. Ronan, who was listening to Kratir¡¯s boring speech, stabbed Asher next to him. ¡°Assel. What are your ns going forward? ¡± ¡°n? So¡­ I think I¡¯ll probably stay in the Twilight Magic Tower for a while. During vacation, I think I¡¯ll go to another continent with Marya¡­ What about you, Ronan?¡± ¡°Well¡­what should I do first?¡± Ronan touched his chin. It¡¯s been a long time since peace hase, but there¡¯s too much to do to y around. First, I had to stop by the north, where Jaifa and Sacrit were located, and then visit the newly built temple of Sarante. Fortunately, it was also necessary to discipline one so that the aristocrats of Grancia would not look down on his sister. Most of the motives he yed with during the days of rolling as punishment soldiers were probably still alive. Ronan is the only one who can rehabilitate those assholes. He knew well. For some reason, the more he thought about it, the more things seemed to be happening, so Ronan decided to focus only on what was right in front of him. Scratching his head, he opened his mouth, ¡°But I¡¯ll have to get my diploma first. ¡± Ronanughed. After Kratir¡¯s speech, former student council president Adeshan¡¯swsuit began. A gentle spring breeze was blowing over the quiet crowd . I went to the academy¡¯s genius swordsman plete- Chapter 317 [Abduction 1. Decent parent ] # A1 ¡°Uh ha¡­ It¡¯s been a while here.¡± Ronan, who had climbed to the top of the hill, stretched. Soft fluffy clouds like flocks of sheep roamed the blue sky. When he lowered his gaze, he saw the familiar scene of Nimburton. ¡®Nothing has changed. That¡¯s why it¡¯s good.¡¯ It had been almost half a year since I came back to my hometown. The smell of grass mixed with the wind was familiar. Ronan turned and ced his hand on an oak tree growing on top of the hill. ¡°I couldn¡¯te because I was too busy. How have you been?¡± A small tombstone was ced under a giant tree that had looked over Nimburton for hundreds of years. The name engraved in the imperialnguage was written by Ronan himself. With careful movements, he brushed off the dust and leaves from the tombstone. ¡°huh? father.¡± No answer came back. It was natural. saver. No, it¡¯s already been two years since Cain died. Ronan put down his backpack and sat down next to the tombstone. ¡°So how do you like the view here?¡± Ronan asked. After the war with Neb zier, he built Cain¡¯s tomb here in Nimburton. It was the spot where I watched the sunset with my family in a kaleidoscope. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a nice town. I failed in educating my younger brother, but I managed to get the house quite well. I¡¯ll admit it.¡± Moving his gaze down the hill, Ronan nodded. The emperor offered to bury the body in the temple where all the meritorious subjects were buried, but Ronan refused. The green vegetation and the river that winds through the vige have not changed from when Ronan was a snoring man. Suddenly feeling his ass getting wet, he swears. ¡°Ah shit. I forgot it was a school uniform.¡± The frost in the morning had melted and the grass was wet. The school uniform pants that Adeshan had ironed were probably getting wet in a mess even at this moment. Thoughtful, Ronan let out a deep sigh. ¡°Eh¡­ I don¡¯t have anything to wear anymore anyway. I hope you won¡¯t get scolded.¡± Ronan finally decided to sit still. I could have taken it out and worn it again when I wanted to taste a different kind of pleasure with Adeshan, but that was something to see then. As he stroked the tombstone, he opened his mouth. ¡°Nothing else, I graduated today. And also with Schlieffen as co-chief.¡± Ronan, who was rummaging through his backpack, took out his diploma. The luxurious paper was decorated with a gold border symbolizing the chief of the martial arts department. ¡°That bastard got dirty. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the power of love or what, but I almost lost.¡± Reminiscing about his graduation fight with Schlieffen, Ronanughed. Schlieffen, who had seen swords face to face for the first time in a while, had be so strong that it would be rude topare them with before. ¡®Crazy man. No matter how much you want to look good for your sister, there is a limit. Wrapping the entire Phileon in a whirlwind.¡¯ Thinking back on it, it was a crazy confrontation. For the first time since the war, Ronan even activated his aura and entered the match. All the magicians of the academy were mobilized to prevent the two attackers from leaking into the stands. They put all their efforts into each other before being ruled a draw due to overtime. Ronan murmured in exhaustion. ¡°I guarantee that he will defeat Zaifa within a year. It¡¯s not the best sword on the continent for nothing. Well, first of all, this is the end¡­ Let¡¯s see.¡± Suddenly, Ronan, who was rummaging through his backpack, took out a bottle of alcohol. A chunk the size of an egg came off and fell to the floor, but he didn¡¯t notice. He said. ¡°Coming to think of it, the two of us have never had a drink. Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± It was the perennial fable soaked wine that Jaifa had received not too long ago. After opening the lid, Ronan poured about half of the contents onto the tombstone. It was an expensive item that could be exchanged for four or five horses, but it didn¡¯t matter anyway. Ronan, who took onest drink, said while wiping his mouth with his sleeve. ¡°Kha tastes good, right? After all, I didn¡¯t do anything like this.¡± My esophagus felt like it was on fire, but that was the charm. Ronan sipped his drink and looked around at Nimburton. There was no change in the scenery itself, but it was noticeable that the number of people walking around increased significantly. If you listened, you could hear them chattering with excitement. ¡°Oh my God, three heroes were born in such an ordinary town. Is there even a dragon buried in the ground?¡± ¡°This is the potato field that Lady Irill managed directly. Hey, when will I be able to try his stew? You don¡¯t even take reservations.¡± ¡°Ah, are there still potatoes left? If that¡¯s the case, take a sneak peek¡­¡± ¡°Come on. Apparently, this ce is being protected by Asher¡¯s magic. Will your whole body freeze the moment you step in?¡± Most of them came to see Ronan and Iril Asher¡¯s hometown. The three of them had already be heroes who saved the world, and were celebrities known to all over the continent. Ronan, who watched the scene, smiled. ¡°There is something to see. These are people who have nothing to do.¡± The house where Ronan lived in the past was crowded with tourists because it was the birthce of a hero. Taking another sip of his drink, he leaned back against the tombstone. The wind was strong, and the sheep in the sky were moving quite fast. I felt like I could talk now that I was drunk. After being silent for a long time, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Yes. I became a father too.¡± Shoot ¨C the wind shakes the leaves. It was a month ago that Adeshan found out she was pregnant. ¡°To be exact, I¡¯ll have to wait a little longer¡­well anyway.¡± I couldn¡¯t remember exactly how long it would take for the baby toe out of my stomach. I could still see Adeshan jumping up and down with joy. Ronan took out a pipe and put it in his mouth. ¡°I was thinking of having a baby, damn it, but I didn¡¯t know it would happen this soon. We should get married before we get too full. It would be difficult for Adeshan to get into strange gossip¡­ Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. Because it¡¯s never something you have to do. He is someone I really love.¡± Ronan emitted pure white smoke. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that the days after living with Adeshan were the happiest parts of his life. ¡°Anyway, at this rate, I¡¯m going to get married before my sister. damn can you believe it? To think that this idiot who drank and peed in the barracks became a married man¡­ So, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± do you have a family In my first life, it waspletely unimaginable. After emptying the remaining alcohol, Ronan said as if regurgitating. ¡°Can I be a good father?¡± Again, no answer came back. Cain was already dead, so it was natural. No matter how much I talked to him as if he were a living person, that fact did not change. In the ensuing silence, Ronan smiled bitterly. There were times when I resented him, but looking back, Cain was a pretty good father. During their short time together, he left unforgettable memories in Ronan¡¯s heart. Thoughts of what it would have been like if we had had a little more time came creeping up. For a moment, Ronan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Eight damn it.¡± Moving his gaze to the sky, Ronan blinked. I couldn¡¯t show an embarrassing face in front of someone who was facing a better end than anyone else. He stayed in his seat for a while before getting up. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll go soon. Adeshan is waiting for you.¡± Ronan put the empty bottle in his backpack. After clearing the grass around him, he walked down the hill. ¡°I mighte with my grandchildren next time.¡± Ronan waved his hand without turning his head. The orb that fell from the backpack was not noticed until the end. He was on his way down the hill. A familiar voice came from not far away. ¡°Oh Ronan!¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan turned his head. Adeshan wasing up the hill. His ck hair, down to his waist, swayed like a brush dipped in ink. ¡°Why did youe up because you¡¯re going down soon? Even though the body is heavy.¡± Ronan frowned. I¡¯ming back for a while, so I told you to have a cup of cocoa at the teahouse. Stepping closer, he took off his coat and threw it over Adeshan¡¯s shoulder. She opened her cor and smiled. ¡°My baby is still fine. Anyway, Ronan is too overprotective.¡± ¡°You have to be careful though. What if I fall?¡± ¡°But I wanted to show my kid Daddy¡¯s hometown. right? Did you miss it too?¡± Adeshan smiled as he stroked his belly. She usually liked to wear smart clothes, but ever since she had children, she always wore loose-fitting clothes. ¡®Is this the mother?¡¯ Ronan let out a silent exmation. I haven¡¯t even been full yet, but this kind of sincerity. Thinking about something, Ronan took out a pipe from his inside pocket and held it up. Then he grabbed the ends with both hands and broke them. Kwajik! Surprised by the cheerful sound, Adeshan raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why is it suddenly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good for you and the kid. I have to cut it off soon.¡± said Ronan. Adeshan, who was dumbfounded, smiled bashfully. The two walked arm in arm into the vige. ¡°I never thought we would get married first. I definitely thought that Schlieffen and Iril would be faster.¡± ¡°That kid is a long way off. We don¡¯t even live in the same house yet, so what?¡± ¡°Hehe, but where did you officially get engaged?¡± Adeshan pulled his arms tighter. The rtionship between Iril and Schlieffen was one of the best gossips, making not only them but the entire empire agitated. Ronan giggled as he recalled the faces of his friends. ¡°It is Asher who has a better chance. Is Marja a normal kid? If you think you¡¯re going to be squeezed by that huge breast every day¡­¡± Ronan, who suddenly continued talking, shut his mouth. I felt a creepy gaze right next to me. When he nced around, he saw Adeshan ring at him with his hatchet eye raised. ¡°¡­Yes, sorry. chest. Boobs, not tits.¡± ¡°huh. It should be.¡± Adeshan¡¯s eyes softened at Ronan¡¯s hasty correction. I forgot about my promise to refrain from using profanenguage in front of my child. Looking down at her chest, she pouted and murmured. ¡°Could it be that mine isn¡¯t enough or something like that? Even if I¡¯m not as good as Instructor Nabi Rose or Marya, I¡¯m quite¡­¡± ¡°No way, ma¡¯am. If it¡¯s too big, even the child will feel burdened.¡± ¡°good. That¡¯s an answer I really like.¡± Adeshan giggled. The two arrived at the riverside before they knew it. Schools of trout were swimming beneath the surface of the water the same color as the sky. I was just about to climb onto the raft. ¡°Yes. Ronan.¡± ¡°ok?¡± ¡°Can I be a good mother?¡± Ronan turned his head. Adeshan¡¯s eyes looking at the river were dripping with worry. Although she had saved the world bymanding 100,000 allied troops together, being a mother was another thing. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened at the intense sense of deja vu. ¡®aha. Was it like this?¡¯ It was the same question as the one he asked earlier. Ronan, who was silent for a moment, smiled. Unlike his father, the living himself could answer that question. ¡°then. of course.¡± Ronan took Adeshan¡¯s hand. The anxious expression on his face softened. Climbing on the raft together, he continued. ¡°We can be good parents. maybe.¡± Chapter 318 [Abduction 2. The bird that drinks the dream (1) ] #A2 ¡°Shit¡­where the hell did you spill it?¡± Ronan grumbled. He had been climbing the hills of Nimburton since early morning. It was because he lost the sphere in his pocket after the fight with Abel. ¡®Anyway, not knowing what it is is rotting inside.¡¯ It was fortunate that I realized it the very next day. Its identity was unknown, but it was not something to be thrown away easily as the situation was the situation. I searched all the other ces, now this is the only ce left. An oak tree swayed in the wind in the twilight air of dawn. He was on his way to Cain¡¯s tomb. ¡°Whew!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± From somewhere, an unknown loud sound rang out. Surprised, Ronan swears. ¡°what is this sound?¡± I almost fell backwards and fell. Ronan put his hand on the hilt. A scream of unknown origin was evidently heard in front of Cain¡¯s tombstone. As I got closer, a familiar mass caught my eye. Scratchy surface like shark scales. It was undoubtedly something he had lost. Picking it up, Ronan tilted his head. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a bit bigger?¡± **** It was that afternoon that Ronan visited Baren. The Phileon 13 Tower, where Baren lives, miraculously did not suffer any damage even during the war against Neb zier. After knocking a couple of times, Ronan pulled the doorknob. ¡°hi. Varen.¡± As soon as I opened the door to the office, a sweet smell wafted out. Wearlion, who is 3m tall, was baking cookies even today, not befitting of his size. Ronan¡¯s eyes met Varen¡¯s color. ¡°Oh, the hero who saved the world has arrived.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. Why did you gain more weight?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Call me happiness, not age. Duck is fine.¡± Barenughed. His lush mane fluttered along with his fleshy cheeks. A loose sweater that could be used as a tent for a small human was draped over his body. ¡®Damn it. Anyone who sees it will know she¡¯s pregnant.¡¯ Ronan giggled at the unsightly appearance. Now, Baren doesn¡¯t wear a suit unless it¡¯s really important. His angr, muscr body was noticeably thicker than it had been two years ago. It was after Ronan and his friends entered the graduation semester that his wear pigs progressed rapidly. Baren said it was because they were happy with their marriage, but Ronan was convinced that it was because the stress from the debauchery of the exclusive adventure club was gone. ¡°What about your wife? Are you still a soldier?¡± ¡°Ah, Nemea has been discharged this year and is supervising crop cultivation in the territory. After all, it¡¯s a managerial position, so it fits very well with my aptitude.¡± Varen sat down on the sofa holding a tray of refreshments. Pookie profit! The seat cushion, which had been turned off along the curve of his hip, screamed for him to stop killing him. Baren had married Major Nemea, Jaifa¡¯s lieutenant, about a year ago. Looking back, it was no exaggeration to say that Baren at the time was really the best dandy in Phileon or the system. His well-groomed mane was always shiny, and his street clothes were often featured on the pages of imperial fashion magazines. Is that all? With the supply of special potions, Baren, who had done a great job in the war, was additionally granted half of the Bryn Hills ins. It didn¡¯t take long for him to increase the scale of his business and be one of the richest people on the continent. To think that such a well-to-do gentleman has turned into a man with a belly like this. Compared to Nemea, who boasts unchanging beauty even after bing a married woman, it was too much. Ronan, who was staring at Baren¡¯s belly, opened his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scolding your wife for being involved in a fraudulent marriage?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. On the contrary, I liked it because it was more reliable than before. Student Ronan¡­No, you¡¯re not a student anymore. Anyway, thanks to that, we made a very good rtionship.¡± Barenughed. Ronan was really dissatisfied, but there was nothing more to say because there are so many different tastes in the world. He rummaged through his pockets and took out an orb the size of a fist. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy. If you have time over there, can you look at this?¡± ¡°hmm? what is that?¡± ¡°It was in my pocket when the fight with Abel was over. I thought it was embarrassing, so I brought it to the professor, but in the end I forgot¡­¡± Ronan handed the sphere to Baren. Originally, it was something that should have been shown two years ago. Baren, who was examining the sphere, salivated. ¡°Hmm¡­ I really can¡¯t figure out what this is. I don¡¯t really feel the mana, but it doesn¡¯t seem like a normal ore again. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a strange material since Sheeta¡¯s eggshell.¡± ¡°Right? I remembered that time too, so I brought it. It looks exactly like an egg.¡± Ronan groaned. Certainly, the unknown sphere had a simr impression to Sheeta¡¯s Egg. After taking a bite of the cookie, he continued. ¡°Could it be the egg of a dream bird? I don¡¯t know why it was in my pocket.¡± ¡°Oh, what a dream¡­ An interesting im. If you don¡¯t mind, can I do some research?¡± Hearing that it was a dream bird, Baren¡¯s eyes began to shine. Marfez, who had been dozing off on his desk as always, woke up. ¨C Phi? The blue, fluffy feathers were still there. The dream bird that runs on water has been Baren¡¯spanion for decades. Like the owner, it was impressive that he gained weight and increased his volume by about 1.5 times. ¡°As much as you like. Then I¡­¡± Ronan stood up. It¡¯s only been a day since I quit smoking, but my hands are shaking because of withdrawal symptoms. ¡®I¡¯ll have to give it some air.¡¯ Also, being a good father wasn¡¯t easy. It was just as he was about to leave the office. profit. Suddenly the door opened and a familiar woman walked in. ¡°Ronan. Were you here?¡± ¡°Instructor Butterfly Rose?¡± ¡°Good to see you after a long time. How are you?¡± Ronan raised his eyebrows. Maybe it was because I was shocked by Baren¡¯s horribly broken body, but rather, the body that was better than before came into my eyes first. What went in and what came out clearly couldn¡¯t be concealed with the uniform. ¡®This is how it should be. People can¡¯t be ruined just because they¡¯re happy.¡¯ Ronan, who raised his thumb in his heart, smirked. It was the car he had made up his mind that he would never be like Baren. A shadow fell on Nabi Rose¡¯s face. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°yes?¡± There was nothing to say. Kwajik! Nabi Rose, who closed the gap in an instant, inserted the regime into Ronan¡¯s abdomen. In an unexpected surprise, his body bent forward. ¡°Gagging!¡± ¡°This shameful bastard. Follow me.¡± Then the hand that flew in caught Ronan¡¯s ear. The forefinger and thumb, which could pierce even a coconut, had the power to make a grown man struggle like a freshly caught salmon. Nabi Roje left the office as it was. ¡°Gyaaaaaagh! Save me, Varen!¡± Ronan screamed sadly, but Baren, who was concentrating on his research, did not hear his voice. Naviroze did not let Ronan go until he reached the rooftop of the 13th Tower. A bustling schoolyard stretched out under the afternoon sky. ¡°It will be fine here. It¡¯s a nice day.¡± ¡°Damn it all, what the hell is this?!¡± Ronan, barely freed, shouted. The red-hot lobes of his ears were still clearly marked by the pinching of his fingers. Nabi Roze said. ¡°I heard everything. The one with this foot.¡± ¡°I heard from whom did you hear what?¡± ¡°I heard the news of Adeshan. You¡¯re not officially married yet, but you have a child. If you have a mouth too, why don¡¯t you make an excuse.¡± Ronan sighed at the unexpected words. A cool spring breeze was blowing over the railing. ¡°what. how did you know that? I obviously didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°You said it yourself. I asked what would be a good name for it. So I replied that I would think about it and say it again.¡± Suddenly, Butterfly Rose took out a pipe from her bosom and put it in her mouth. I thought I quit, but in the end it seems that I started smoking again. As I watched the smoke blown away by the wind, my hands began to tremble again. ¡°¡­Southern Toruba Mountain.¡± ¡°okay. After all, the leaves that grew in thend of my hometown fit my mouth. Would you like to smoke?¡± ¡°no. You are not smoking.¡± Ronan clenched his fists. I wanted to take it away right away, but I couldn¡¯t do that when I thought of Adeshan, who was still working hard on prenatal education. ¡°Your mindset is useful. It¡¯s not a mistake, is this?¡± Butterfly Roze sighed and turned off the cigarette. It seems that he noticed the reason for quitting smoking. After a moment of silence, she continued. ¡°Ronan. Adeshan is my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°It is metaphorical. As you know, he is special to me.¡± Ronan shook his head. Anyone who watched the two could tell. In fact, many of Phileon¡¯s students knew Adeshan and Naviroze as blood rtives. ¡°And you are special too. He¡¯s a gross man, so he doesn¡¯t look like a child like Adeshan¡­ but I want your lover to be happier than anyone else in the world.¡± ¡°Uh¡­thank you. Then why did I get hit? Because of speeding?¡± Ronan asked. My stomach still felt like it was whining. Contrary to the harsh intro, the conversation itself was normally heartwarming. ¡°There is that, but¡­ I was embarrassed that I didn¡¯t tell you the good news, so I gave it a shot. Even if no one else knows, it would have been great if it had been known to me. I might be of some help.¡± ¡°Ugh. I should have told the instructor. But you weren¡¯t single until now? It¡¯s definitely the first time I¡¯ve ever shown my naked body to others¡­ kuck!¡± Butterfly Roze¡¯s fist flew in again and stuck in Ronan¡¯s belly. I realized that it was only after I spit it out that it deserved to be hit, so I didn¡¯t intentionally block or avoid it. ¡®Damn it, I showed it casually back then.¡¯ It hurt more because I was hit in the same spot again. Nabi Rose wiped her slightly reddened face. ¡°¡­Apart from that, there are things I can help with. Because it¡¯s the same woman.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s right¡­I was wrong.¡± ¡°done. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t treat having kids more than anything else as a mistake. If I did, I really wouldn¡¯t have let you go.¡± For a moment, Nabi Rose¡¯s voice was low. A ghastly life shed through his dark green eyes for a moment, then disappeared. Ronan, who was holding on to the railing and gagging, raised his head. ¡°It can¡¯t be. She is my woman.¡± ¡°¡­you¡¯re a good guy. If you¡¯ve done your best, get up now and take my present.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Standing up, Ronan tilted his head. Butterfly Rose, who had been looking around, stepped back from the railing and stood in the center of the roof. As if you don¡¯t want to damage the corrections. ¡°okay. Only you can ept this as a gift. I have to go to ss now, so I¡¯ll show you just once.¡± ¡°yes? What is that¡­¡± Ronan frowned. I couldn¡¯t understand what he meant when he said that he was showing a gift rather than giving it. At that time, Nabi Roje slowly pulled out Daetaedo. ¡°The key is to make the other person understand that you are a predator.¡± It was the car that Ronan was trying to ask a question about that he still couldn¡¯t understand. Whoa! Suddenly his vision was covered with darkness. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This.¡± It was a familiar difort. Every part of his body did not move as if it had rusted. I could feel my five senses slowly withering away. Taking a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes and opened them. Butterflies disappeared, and a huge venomous snake coiled itself where she had been. ¡°You are already strong enough, but the day maye to use you.¡± said the snake. It was her Aura Mansa that made Nabi Rose a sword saint. Her growth could be seen in the body of the snake, which was muchrger than before. ¡°Instructor.¡± It was an unexpected gift. It was the car Ronan was about to say. Wow! A roar rang out from somewhere, and the surroundings lit up at the same time. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± ¡°hmm¡­!¡± Ronan, startled, shrugged. Before I knew it, Nabi Rose was holding her posture as she pulled out her sword. Their eyes widened at the sight of the rooftoppletely illuminated and exposed. ¡°Sita?!¡± ¡°Pick aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?¡± Sheeta jumped out of nowhere and passed out with her stomach turned upside down. Because of its size, its four wings were over the railing. I couldn¡¯te to my senses, but fortunately there didn¡¯t seem to be any injuries. Nabi Roze sighed. ¡°It seems that he was trying toe to you, but came within the scope of everything. sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because it¡¯s strong. But this bastard¡­¡± Ronan dragged his horse. Sheeta¡¯s cheeks were swollen like squirrels holding acorns. As I searched my mouth, something came out. It was an unidentified statue with yellow paper attached to it. Red letters were written on the yellow paper, but I couldn¡¯t make out what it was written on. Butterfly Rose¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°This¡­is something from the New Continent.¡± Chapter 319 [Abduction 3. Dream Drinking Bird (2) ] #A3 ¡°New Continent?¡± ¡°okay. The eastern continent far away from the sea. The papers attached here must be items used in that country.¡± Nabi Rose nodded. She exined that the paper that looked like it had been dipped into the chamber pot was a type of magic scroll called the ¡®Talisman¡¯. Looking closely, I could definitely feel mana seeping out. ¡°that¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s the first letter I¡¯ve ever seen. Instructor, can you read?¡± ¡°I do not know either. It wasn¡¯t long before exchanges with the new continent began. It wasn¡¯t until after the war that we officially startedmunicating.¡± ¡°aha.¡± Ronan furrowed his eyebrows at the interesting information. Busy enough with what was going on ind, I really didn¡¯t know anything. While fiddling with the sheet, he snapped his fingers. ¡°But wait, doesn¡¯t this mean that this bastard went to the New World across the sea?¡± ¡°Perhaps. I don¡¯t know where you got this from, but it must have been quite a big deal there. I heard that statues and amulets like this are usually used to block something.¡± ¡°The pestilence is just causing nuisance on a global scale.¡± Ronan mumbled. I knew that Sheeta¡¯s activity radius would gradually increase as she grew in size, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be to this extent. he hit the sheet. ¡°Stop sleeping and wake up.¡± I felt like I needed to know the situation. However, Sheeta, who had been hit hard by everything, was still confused and confused. No matter how much I shook and pinched it, it was the same. ¡®This is really no joke.¡¯ All over again, the fraudulent nature of everything was acutely felt. It was the first time Sheeta had done this since she drank all the blood from the southern battlefield and got drunk. Ronan sighed and pulled the hilt. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my seller.¡± It seemed that I had to use a spleen number. Ronan cut off the tip of his finger and let drops of blood flow into Sheeta¡¯s mouth. Before long, Sheeta, who had been licking her lips, opened her eyes. ¡°Pick-up¡­ Peek-a-ah?¡± ¡°Are you a little more conscious now? It¡¯s a good thing.¡± Ronan shook his head. Even though he grew in size, his behavior did not change. Sheeta, who was shaking her head like a dog shaking off water, straightened up. Ronan asked as he lifted the statue. ¡°Where did you get this from? ok?¡± ¡°Byeom?¡± ¡°Yumma. Just don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying. Did you really go to the new continent?¡± ¡°Ppa!¡± When Ronan asked, Sheeta quickly pped her wings. It was a clear sign of positivity. tweet! Five or six more statues simr to the first one protruded from Sheeta¡¯s mouth, which suddenly opened. ¡°Damn it! Min!¡± ¡°ah. Shit.¡± Ronan involuntarily spat out curse words. All of the unusual-looking family of statues were attaching pieces of paper that looked like talismans or something. Did you say that it is usually used to seal a dangerous existence? Sheeta, who had no way of knowing such a fact, was making a triumphant expression with her chest sticking out, as if she had prepared a great gift. After slowly washing his face, Ronan looked back at Butterfly Rose. ¡°¡­yes. Instructor.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°If the dog does something wrong, the responsibility lies with the owner, right?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Damn it. I didn¡¯t expect my first overseas trip to go like this.¡± It seemed to go dark in front of my eyes. If something happened because of Sheeta, I had to take responsibility and deal with it. If you¡¯re really unlucky, it could have turned into an international problem. I still have a lot of things to do, but I have to go all the way to the new continent. It was in the midst of Ronan¡¯s moaning at the sudden increase in work. A familiar voice came from the door. ¡°Ah, you are here, Mr. Ronan.¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan turned his head. A man with long hair in a ponytail was standing there. The stringed sses and the thick books tucked into his side were impressive. Ronan, who looked at the smiling face, raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you a Valus?¡± ¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡± ¡°It is, but¡­ what the fuck. What the hell happened?¡± Ronanughed. I wondered, but it was the same. It was Balus, a poacher who was his punitive soldier¡¯s motive and whom he had once freed from Caribolo. Ronan captured him at Baeksuje and recruited him as Baren¡¯s assistant. It was thest time I saw it briefly before the war broke out, but I wondered what the hell happened in the middle. The Balus I haven¡¯t seen in a long time ispletely new. No, he had be a full-fledged schr who transcended such concepts. ¡°With the support of Professor Baren, I went to study abroad. There are so many things in the world that I don¡¯t know. Thanks to this, I was able to present my thesis at the Royal Society.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Ronan. Meeting Ronan and Asher while on a scouting mission many years ago was the luckiest thing in my life. Of course, I was scared enough to die at the time.¡± Balusughed. There was no trace of his previous life in his gentle smile. To be vulgar, he was one of the few punitive soldiers, but it seemed that the process of growing up was more important than the origin of a person. ¡®Could the rest of the idiots be like this?¡¯ Suddenly, the faces of the bastards I yed with during the Punishment Army shed through my mind. Now that I had graduated, I felt like I could start implementing my n in earnest. It was because of them that Ronan was given the title of nobility, which he considered troublesome. If you be a noble, you will have a fiefdom and you can legally hire people to work for you. It was his goal to rehabilitate the punitive soldiers who hadn¡¯t strayed yet. In fact, some of his ssmates were already living in Ronan¡¯s estate, Valture. After being beaten and dragged to their heart¡¯s content, they were cultivatingnd in the north, which was no different from uncultivatednd, day and night. Of course, fair wages forbor were paid honestly. ¡®I¡¯ll have to make it a human first and send it to Phileon. Because education is not something I can do.¡¯ It was in the midst of Ronan stroking his chin as he pondered over his future ns. Suddenly, blood flowed from Balus¡¯ eyes and nose. Contemting, he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Huh! Phi Phi?!¡± ¡°Pal ha ha ha!¡± Just then, a roar ofughter came from behind. Sheeta was pping her wings and giggling. Ronan, noticing the situation, eximed. ¡°Yumma. Can¡¯t you stop right now?¡± It was a prank Sheeta yed when she first met Balus. The rtionship between the two began when Ronan saved Balus from near-death due to excessive blood loss. Sheeta, downcast, lowered her head. ¡°Byeom wooung¡­¡± ¡°I bought and lived.¡± The blood that flowed from Balus¡¯ face returned to its original ce. He let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed that even the blood on his clothes hadpletely disappeared. Ronan tapped Balus on the shoulder. ¡°sorry. It¡¯s so yful.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just surprised that it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Good luck then. So what did youe for?¡± Ronan asked. It¡¯s been a while since I saw a familiar face, so the story leaked out. Balus, who was adjusting his clothes, pped his hands. ¡°ah. I¡¯m here to tell you that Professor Baren is looking for you. You¡¯ve figured out the identity of the sphere.¡± ¡°Eh? so quickly?¡± **** Ronan went straight back to the office. Nabi Ros¨¦ left for ss, saying that we would see each other soon. As soon as he opened the door, Baren shouted. ¡°Oh oh. You are back!¡± ¡°Ah, be surprised.¡± Baren sat at his desk with an excited expression, waiting for Ronan to return. The tidy desk had be a mess with various documents andb tools. Sheeta, whose body was oversized, poked her head into the window and blinked. Baren, who had been scratching Sheeta¡¯s chin, opened his mouth. ¡°After research, student Ronan was right. More than 90% of the manaponents transmitted from the inside of the sphere matched the Dream Bird.¡± ¡°What the fuck. Really?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. I tried it, but I didn¡¯t know it would fit. Baren pointed to the sphere on the desk and continued. ¡°yes. The reason it couldn¡¯t detect mana with the naked eye was because its shell was too thick. I¡¯ve seen many animals, but I¡¯ve never seen anything this thick.¡± ¡°Awesome. Then why was the dreambird egg in my pocket?¡± ¡°well. To be honest, I have no way of knowing that. Do you not remember the time you acquired the egg?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­so¡­¡± Ronan¡¯s eyebrows narrowed. When I closed my eyes and looked back in time, I thought I might remember something. Thendscape Ronan saw just before his breath ran out was the shores of a dying star. In the bright starry sky, the red sea, and the white sandy beach, he beheaded Abel. ¡®okay. I reached out then.¡¯ The memory of dying bleeding was still vivid. In the midst of his receding consciousness, Ronan reached out his hand. Then he grabbed the white sand and the orb lying on it and put it in his pocket. That¡¯s how it happened. Ronan, who was drooling, opened his eyes. ¡°I remembered.¡± ¡°Oh oh. Fortunately, the. If so, were there any Dream Birds or creatures presumed to be Dream Birds around?¡± ¡°no. It¡¯s because the star was destroyed by bald heads.¡± ¡°Think carefully. There must have been something in the not-so-distant vicinity.¡± ¡°No, because it really wasn¡¯t. The only creature other than that is that bastard of Abel¡­ eh?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. An absurd idea shed through my mind. no fuck no matter what it is Moving his gaze to the sphere, he opened his mouth. ¡°Then, are you saying that Abel¡¯s offspring was a dream bird?¡± ¡­oh my god.¡± Varen froze. The pupils behind the sses narrowed like dots. Ronan asked back at the much more serious reaction than expected. ¡°Why don¡¯t you deny it? Do you really think that such a thing is possible?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. If the leader of Neb zie, who made the world tremble, was a dreamer, he would be criticized if he wrote a novel like that. Baren, who emptied the teacup with trembling hands, opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not very¡­ nonsensical.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember. The dream bird changes its appearance infinitely under the influence of something. It is not umon for them to take on the appearance of animals other than birds, and there are cases in the literature that have turned into buildings such as pces or towers. It is unprecedented, but ording to the theory, it is not impossible to change into an intelligent body.¡± ¡°What is that¡­no shit really?¡± Ronan let out a puzzle. It was hard to deny that the most famous author in this field had said that. Suddenly, the old story that Cain told me shed through my mind. ¡®Come to think of it, then.¡¯ Cain gained the ability to make wishese true by drinking the blood of the previous giant king. He restored the broken vige and saved the country from destruction with this ability, but he could not achieve his wish of reviving the dead. But Abel was different. He was brought back to life as Cain wished to return his brother. To be precise, he was a younger brother who was never born. Looking back, he was a weird guy from birth. I thought that maybe it was Abel who really left this egg behind. said Ronan. ¡°Then what the hell is being born here?¡± ¡°well. I really can¡¯t figure this out either. An existence that was born with the founder of Neb zier as its parent¡­ Aha!¡± ¡°Surprised fuck. What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡± Suddenly Baren screamed. He lifted his heavy hips and started rummaging through the study. Before long he returned with a rolled up scroll. ¡°I got it and forgot about it. Let¡¯s try it out here.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is a magic that Professor Secret created based on the information that Balus and I gathered. It will be the key to unlocking the secret of the dream bird.¡± ¡°Magic¡­? Secret¡­?¡± A blush appeared on Varen¡¯s face, which had been hardened all along. Hearing Secret¡¯s name, Ronan narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m kind of anxious. What exactly is magic?¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be surprised. This is¡­¡± Baren deliberately dragged his horse. Somehow, the anxiety was amplified. He turned his head and said while stroking Sheeta¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s a magic that polymorphs animals into people.¡± Chapter 320 [Abduction 4. Dream Drinking Bird (3) ] #A4 ¡°It is a magic that polymorphs animals into people.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to use it now?¡± Varen said in a confident voice. Balus, who was standing behind, uttered a puzzled expression. Ronan, who was dumbfounded and blinked, opened his mouth. ¡°Hmm¡­ polymorphing animals into humans isn¡¯t a particrly great invention, is it?¡± ¡°How can you say that! This is the magic every ecologist dreams of. After a lot of hard work, I made it!¡± ¡°No, already nasty wizards can transform people into frogs. Isn¡¯t it simr to that?¡± There was nothing more special than I thought, so my pulse went numb. The magic of transforming an opponent into an animal or object was included in the curriculum of the Phileon Magic Department. Expectations were built up to the fullest, and it was just like this. Baren, who read Ronan¡¯s expression, waved his hand. ¡°no. It¡¯spletely different from that. It would be convenient to think of applying the dragon¡¯s favorite polymorph to animals. It¡¯s not just changing the appearance, it¡¯s rebuilding the body based on the subject¡¯s ego. You can even ¡®talk¡¯.¡± ¡°oh.¡± Ronan pursed his lips. This was definitely exciting news. I couldn¡¯t believe I could hear a different sounding out of Sheeta¡¯s mouth. ¡°Once you see it for yourself, you will understand. Can I try it right now?¡± ¡°Well, I think it would be fun.¡± Ronan nodded. If the magic is released anyway, it will return to its original state, but it seemed worth trying. He turned to Sheeta and asked. ¡°Sita. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Knock it!¡± Sheeta pped her wings as if responding. His eyes were shining brightly in anticipation. Varen, who had a goodugh, opened the scroll. ¡°Then it is decided. now sita. Don¡¯t move from there.¡± The situation developed rapidly. Facing Sheeta, Baren muttered a few sentences that he couldn¡¯t understand. Faaaaa¡­! A halo of light burst from the geometric magic circle and covered Sheeta¡¯s body. ¡°Damn it?!¡± Sheeta¡¯s eyes widened. The light, which grew stronger and stronger, eventually became difficult to look at properly. ¡°Ugh.¡± Ronan and Balus covered their eyes. It was a much louder magic than I thought. Due to the wind from the mana vortex, the papers scattered around the office were flying around making frivolous sounds. ¡°Damn, is this okay? Isn¡¯t that an offensive magic?¡± ¡°Now we just need a little more!¡± Ronan, impatient, asked nervously. Baren was about to answer. Kwaaang! A shockwave from the center of the sh hit the three people. ¡°Keoouk!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Baren and Balus hit their buttocks and fell. The only one who didn¡¯t fall was Ronan. At that moment, the cluster of lights that covered the field of vision disappeared at once. Ronan¡¯s brow narrowed. ¡°ok?¡± Sheeta was nowhere to be seen. As if to rece him, a little boy was standing in front of the wide open window. It was a child who looked ten years old at most, with the crown of his head not even reaching Ronan¡¯s waist. ¡°Wow wow¡­!¡± The little boy was looking at his limbs alternately and shouting exmations. The fern-like fingers were wiggling. An innocent curse came out of Ronan¡¯s mouth. ¡°God damn it. Sheeta?¡± There was no need for further exnation of the identity of the child. The race has changed, but the characteristics have remained intact. The fluffy feathers became ck, plentiful hair, and four wings draped over the body in a mysterious robe. Ronan muttered involuntarily. ¡°¡­It¡¯s like Asher.¡± Her features were clear and her skin was white, so it was impossible to tell her gender. If he was a man, he would be a strong match for Asher. Baren jumped up and called for joy. ¡°Oh, sess! I couldn¡¯t believe it would even work for the dream bird!¡± ¡°Oh my God¡­!¡± Balus also opened his mouth in admiration. Then Sheeta took her eyes off her palm and looked at Ronan. Her ruby-red eyes shimmered beneath her long, dark eyshes. ¡°Uh¡­hello.¡± Feeling ashamed for nothing, Ronan waved his hand. I¡¯ll have to get it out of the way first. He scratched his head and opened his mouth. ¡°Nice to meet him¡­ Do you remember how you were born? I would be grateful if you could tell me.¡± But no answer came back. Sheeta didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at Ronan. It was very burdensome that the gaze was so intense. Why are you talking like that when you usually just peep? Ronan was about to say something when the door to the office was thrown open. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Did an explosion happen?¡± ¡°Miss Elizabeth? The person next to him is¡­¡± Baren shrugged his eyebrows at the familiar face. The first thing that caught my eye was her dark purple hair that was beautifully flowing. It was Elizabeth who happened to be in the same building at the time. Beside her, who had matured further, stood a girl who looked very much like Schlieffen. ¡°It¡¯s a lion¡­¡± The girl who encountered Baren hid behind Elizabeth. His stubby face waspletely white. It was Schlieffen¡¯s younger sister, Sion Sinivan de Grancia. They were still holding on to Elizabeth¡¯s hand, as if they were still close. It seemed like yesterday that I sat on Elizabeth¡¯sp and ate sweets on the day of Adeshan¡¯s graduation ceremony, but before I knew it, she had grown taller. ¡°Oh, Professor Baren¡­! I was introducing Phileon to Miss Shion here. I am entering this year.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I think the principal said it once. It¡¯s thedy of the Grancia family that I¡¯ve only heard of.¡± ¡°yes. I finished the apprenticeship at the Dawning Tower three years early. Pagoda owner Aun Pr also acknowledged his talent. Whooping, isn¡¯t it great?¡± Elizabeth stroked Shion¡¯s head and smiled. Being scolded was like a parent bragging about their daughter. When she suddenly saw the messy office, she continued. ¡°that¡¯s right. What was it anyway? Why is the office like this¡­¡± I did a simple experiment. This has caused me some concern.¡± Varen smiled kindly. Elizabeth wiped her shocked chest. Shion¡¯s eyes, hidden behind her, suddenly opened wide. ¡°what? This is Ronan.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Elizabeth tilted her head. It was a name I hadn¡¯t heard in a long time since the graduation ceremony. Taking two steps to the side, she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Am I really? Why are you here¡­¡± The real Ronan was standing there. I couldn¡¯t see it because it was covered by Baren. It was the car she was trying to say hello to with a bright color. ¡°huh? Who is that child?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes narrowed. Ronan was facing a certain child. Raised eyebrows and ck hair stood out. Pretty, the child somehow resembled Ronan in the way he dressed. Are you a rtive? It was in the midst of Elizabeth¡¯s thoughts. Sheeta, who was still staring at Ronan, smiled brightly. ¡°dad!¡± ¡°¡­what is it?¡± Ronan¡¯s face crumpled. Elizabeth covered her mouth with both hands. Sheeta rushed over and fell into Ronan¡¯s arms. ¡°Ehehe Dad.¡± ¡°Yumma. Why am I your father?¡± Ronan let out a puzzle. There was no lightning bolt like this. You¡¯ll be a father in a little while, but this isn¡¯t it. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°This¡­ this beast¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Elizabeth?¡± Ronan looked back. Elizabeth was ring at herself with her hatchet eyes open. She continued with a trembling voice that showed hostility. ¡°I believed it¡­ I believed it was the man Adeshan unnie chose¡­ Even the child¡­!¡± ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something, but it¡¯s not like that at all, is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend! Unless you¡¯re a child, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll look like that. Don¡¯t even look at those scoundrels like Shion!¡± ¡°Wow! Oh, it hurts!¡± Elizabeth covered Shion¡¯s eyes and pulled him closer. Shion, who had be blind, wrung his arms and legs. Hearing that he resembled Ronan, he looked down at Sheeta. ¡®¡­they look alike.¡¯ Ronan, who had been examining his face,ughed as if he was dumbfounded. At this level, it was not unreasonable to misunderstand him as a child. The raised eyebrows, as well as the overall features, resembled her own. Is it because I was under my influence when I was in an egg state? ¡°dad. touch my hair huh?¡± Sheeta said in a charming voice. He patted his cheek against his chest, as he always did. Is this how it feels to have a son¡­ or a daughter? Ronan, who was dumbfounded, opened his mouth as he stroked Sheeta¡¯s head. ¡°Come on, do you think I have a kid this big? Calm down first¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, my poor sister!¡± However, there was no time left to hear an exnation from Elizabeth, who was in irreversible shock. With tears in her eyes, she sobbed and ran out of the office. ¡°Oh, good-bye!¡± Shion did not forget to say hello even while he was being held. Ronan, who had been silent, put his hand on Balus¡¯ shoulder and said. ¡°¡­Balus. request.¡± ¡°Wealth please?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the confidence to persuade that woman without using my strength right now. You are still a gentleman, so go and exin for me.¡± ¡°that¡­!¡± ¡°You may be a girl who will burn the whole mountain if you put your mind to it, but don¡¯t be too scared because you are fundamentally kind. Remuneration is definitely paid.¡± My head pounded every time I heard the sound of going down the stairs. Balus¡¯ face turned white. He looked back and forth between Ronan and the door, then ran out of the room. ¡°Ezebet-sama. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°It¡¯s noisy!¡± The sound of footsteps got farther and farther away. If there is one thing I regret the most right now, it was the deration of quitting smoking just yesterday. Even if it¡¯s just a dayte, it¡¯s great. Baren, who had been dumbfounded for a while, opened his mouth. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m so embarrassed¡­ I should have told Miss Elizabeth that it was a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°No, Baren. It can be enough.¡± First I had to calm down. He was in the middle of breathing deeply and controlling his emotions. Suddenly, Sheeta, who had been rubbing her cheek, raised her head. ¡°dad. Let¡¯s y tag with me.¡± ¡°hide and seek?¡± ¡°huh. When I became a human, I really wanted to do it. I can¡¯t hide because I¡¯m so big¡­ can¡¯t I?¡± The round eyes were shining brightly. It was truly devastating to feel cute even when angry. Ronan, who was looking down at him, opened his mouth. ¡°Sita. Now is the time¡­¡± ¡°If you catch me instead, I¡¯ll tell you what Papa and Varen have been wondering about. Are you curious about how we are born?¡± ¡°what?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. I never thought that those words woulde out of Sheeta¡¯s own mouth. ¡°really?¡± ¡°huh. I remember every single one of them. Will you y with me?¡± Ronan and Baren exchanged nces at the same time. Originally, it would have been impossible to catch Sheeta, who could fly faster than sound, but now that she was transformed into a human, there was a chance. On the contrary, since it would be my first time running on two legs, there was a possibility that things could be solved very easily. How far would you run if you jumped on those slender legs? Ronan, who struggled to hold back augh, nodded. ¡°okay. I will y with you.¡± ¡°really? really? wow!¡± ¡°Because it is. Is it okay to count one minute and chase after it?¡± ¡°huh!¡± Sheeta smiled brightly. For a moment, an unknown ominous feeling passed Ronan¡¯s back. It was just as he was about to say something. Sheeta ran with Ronan on her back and leaped out the window. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a window¡­!¡± ¡°Huh! Sheeta!¡± There was no gap to dry. It was a moment of astonishment as Baren¡¯s mane bristled. shhh! Sheeta, who had disappeared from sight for a moment, reappeared. ¡°One minute! You can¡¯t cheat!¡± he shouted, looking at Ronan. The four wings that sprouted before I knew it were pping behind Sheeta¡¯s back. It seemed that it was more specialized for flight than it was when it was an animal. Sheeta smiled and turned her back. Faaaaang-! As the wings moved, his body shot out. Sheeta, who had turned into a ck dot in an instant, disappeared into the blue sky. ¡°Fuck.¡± Chapter 321 [Abduction 5. Dream Drinker (4) feat. Iril & Schlieffen ] #A5 ¡°The 2 servings of potato stew you ordered are here!¡± Illil eximed. Her silvery white hair draped under the sky of the Isles. Humming a song, she approached and set down two bowls of potato stew on the outdoor table. ¡°Ehehe, enjoy your meal!¡± Kim was blooming in the freshly boiled potato stew. It was a dish that came after a long wait, but the two men who came as guests just stared nkly at the dish, not thinking about opening a spoon. ¡°¡­it was good to be alive.¡± ¡°Can I really eat this?¡± Suddenly, water welled up in the men¡¯s eyes. They waited for two full months to eat at Nimburton¡¯s Table, a restaurant run by Irill. When I waited after hearing rumors, I wondered if this was worth it, but the moment I saw Ilil¡¯s face, my doubts melted away like snow in the spring. Erill smiled. ¡°sure. It¡¯s a dish I made for you to enjoy.¡± ¡°Ah, how gracious¡­!¡± ¡°I will definitelye back¡­¡± They were about to say something while sobbing. Suddenly, a chilling murderous sound spread from a corner of the restaurant. The men stiffened at the sensation of a chill in their bones. ¡°This is¡­¡± They simultaneously turned their heads to the origin of the killing. In the far away restaurant, a sculptural-looking young man wearing an apron was peeling potatoes. Schlieffen sent the whole note without taking his eyes off the potato. [The mouth is an organ for putting food in.] The low voice was intimidating. He wore an apron instead of a uniform and held a small kitchen knife in his hand. Next to it was a pile of new potatoes that had been airlifted from the Grancia estate yesterday. As Schlieffen gripped the hilt, the sword body changed into the form of wind and disappeared. Chow! Hundreds of potatoes were peeled at once. He raised his head, red at the men, and continued. [Especially in a restaurant.] ¡°Vition.¡± The men sighed. The spoon fell from his hand and fell into the stew. Barelying to their senses, they hurriedly ate the stew as if they had starved for three days. ¡°Let¡¯s eat well!¡± ¡°Oh, you must be very hungry. Eat slowly.¡± Schlieffen finally took his life. After serving a few more times, Iril entered the restaurant. A middle-aged man with dark blue hair had just finished eating and was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. The handkerchief made of the finest silk was embroidered with gold thread of a knight stepping on a dragon. It was a crest symbolizing the Grancia family. Seeing the empty bowl, Iril put his hands together in admiration. ¡°Wow, you cleaned it up. Does it suit your taste, Duke?¡± ¡°Uh heh, it tastes better than the tenderloin of a Rustang water buffalo. And call me Father.¡± The middle-aged man chuckled. It was Josef Sinivan de Grancia, the current head of Grancia and Schlieffen¡¯s father. Schlieffen, who watched the scene, narrowed his brows. ¡°My lord. Please keep your dignity.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear from you who uses an aura to peel potatoes. No matter how much I think about it, I passed the fail load too early.¡± ¡°Miss Iril is having a hard time since you keep upying your seat. Did you know it¡¯s already the fifth bowl?¡± ¡°Know. And this will be the sixth bowl. Sweetheart, is it possible to have just one more bowl? I will pay you tenfold, not a hundredfold.¡± After saying that, Josef let out anotherugh. Charisma, which reminded me of a lion, had long since drowned in potato stew. It was hard to believe that he had once opposed Schlieffen¡¯s marriage along with members of the family. Joseph was ruined after meeting Iril who visited the Grancia mansion about a year ago. By the end of the three-day introduction to the family and territory, all members of the Grancia family, including Joseph, had be ardent followers of Iril. Ronan, who visited for the purpose of discipline, was embarrassed, so he said everything. Illil, who received an additional order, nodded happily. ¡°sure! I¡¯ll bring it to you right away!¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Lee.¡± Schlieffen, who was silently peeling potatoes, twitched his lips. To be honest, he didn¡¯t like Erill¡¯s sweaty work at all. Of course, I was willing to help if I wanted to. Illil went deep into the kitchen and disappeared. Joseph, who put down his handkerchief, opened his mouth. ¡°He is such a good kid. I wonder every time I see how a blunt guy like you brought a woman like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Seeing that you do not deny it, it seems that I have taught you well. Yes, it has been almost 2 years since you proposed, when are you nning to have the wedding? ¡° After defeating Jaifa and ascending to the position of Imperial First Sword.¡± Schlieffen answered without hesitation. Joseph, who was silent for a moment, shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°When exactly is that?¡± ¡°It is this summer.¡± ¡°This is the time when the Sword Saint battle is taking ce. Do you need to be in such a hurry?¡± ¡°yes. Unless you be the strongest swordsman in the world, you are not qualified to guard this sheep.¡± Even though he said the top, his dark blue eyes remained aloof without wavering. The corners of Joseph¡¯s mouth went up slightly. ¡°Please be diligent. Because that kid has a subtly smart side, and he doesn¡¯t seem to call me father until he officially marries you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pitiful reason.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. But this is also not what you want to hear. It¡¯s been almost two years since we started dating, and you¡¯re afraid to cross your arms.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Schlieffen¡¯s face turned red. Putting down the cleaver, he sparsely spoke. ¡°That¡­what¡¯s wrong¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a genius son. However, I am worried that he is not suffering from a disability in the field of giving and receiving love because his talent is concentrated on the sword. You resemble me a lot, but there is a difference between heaven and earth in that part.¡± Joseph clicked his tongue. Growing up in a conservative family culture, the love between Schlieffen and Iril was too childish. When I epted the secret agents¡¯ report, I almost lost my mind. The most daring act of love in six months was leaning her head on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he continued. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about putting your hand first. I know you¡¯re not a bastard who would do such a thing. However, it would be better to develop the courage to kiss the sheep in front of everyone from now on.¡± Schlieffen, who understood the meaning, bit his lower lip. Joseph was talking about a wedding that would happen someday. There could be nothing more unsightly than if the groom failed to kiss his bride in front of thousands of guests. ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡± Schlieffen drooled. Looking back, he had never really done anything other than propose. Even that was said in a state where his soul was half lost due to the shedding of a lot of blood. In fact, he was also very alert. Schlieffen, who started dating Irill and read three-digit love books, knew that many women were attracted to dominant men. However, he was paralyzed just by looking at Iril¡¯s face, and there was no way he could do anything about it. At times like this, I envy Ronan. Schlieffen, who had struggled to shake off his thoughts, was about to pick up the cleaver again. ¡°Lee Ik¡­ Mr. Schlieffen! Can you help me?¡± ¡°I will go now.¡± Iril¡¯s voice came from inside the kitchen. Schlieffen immediately got up and moved on. As I turned the corner, I caught Iril, who was struggling on tiptoe in front of the shelf. ¡°I put it on too high¡­I can¡¯t reach it.¡± ¡°hmm. I do.¡± Schlieffen nodded. Making Erill stand aside, he set down the tes on the top shelf. Seeing how he got off so easily unlike himself, Iril scratched his cheek. ¡°Ehehe, thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Schlieffen is very kind. Is it because he resembles the duke?¡± Erillughed. A smile reminiscent of the sun made Schlieffen¡¯s heart twitch again. Suddenly, a sh of light shed through his mind. ¡®for a moment. Maybe now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it was a very good situation to make progress. Just in time to help with the work, I bought a good impression, but I didn¡¯t have eyes to see. Joseph¡¯s words that you must develop courage and the words of dating masters that you must take the initiative were spinning around in your head. Miraculously regaining his sanity, Schlieffen looked down at Iril. His own face was shining in the sunset-colored eyes. The fact that their breaths were touching each other was closer than expected. Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to kiss the back of your hand? Schlieffen, who had made such a judgment, was in the midst of drawing courage from his bones. ¡°Hey, Mr. Schlieffen.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± Schlieffen tilted his head. Iril, who had been quietly looking up at him, suddenly lifted his tiptoe. side. Her lips touched Schlieffen¡¯s cheek and then dropped. ¡°¡­ah?¡± Schlieffen¡¯s time stopped. Trembling, he raised his arm and ced his hand where his lips had touched. Erill continued with his hands behind his back. ¡°I know you always care.¡± ¡°Uh uh uh hmm? uh¡­?¡± ¡°thank you. Mr. Schlieffen.¡± Schlieffen could not answer. The only thing he could do right now was to use his mental strength, which was rapidly disappearing, to endure the loosening of his legs. Illil, who had been smiling, murmured softly. ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯m a bit embarrassed as well. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve done this to someone other than my brother.¡± Iril¡¯s white face was as red as a ripe apple. Schlieffen tried to say something, but Erill didn¡¯t give him a chance. side. She raised her tiptoe again, this time kissing him on the other cheek. ¡°ah.¡± ¡°Since the guests are waiting, I will go first. Come slowly.¡± Iril left those words and turned his back. It was at that moment that she turned the corner and disappeared. dump. Schlieffen, whose legs were weak, sat down. ¡°¡­¡­Huh!¡± Schlieffen, who had been doing so for a long time, let out a breath like a person who came up from a dive. He realized now that he wasn¡¯t breathing. As my numb senses returned, I began to hear sounds around me. It was before he even enjoyed the reverberation of the historical event. Someone¡¯s cheerful voice echoed from the hall. ¡°Iril sister!¡± ¡°Hey!?¡± Erill¡¯s screams followed. Schlieffen¡¯s intelligence, which had been downgraded to that of a dog or cat, returned to normal. It was the moment when he reflexively jumped up and reached the hall. ¡°Miss Lee! What is this¡­!¡± Schlieffen¡¯s eyes widened. A little boy of unknown gender was burying his face in his chest while hugging Leel. Erill was stroking his hair and smiling. ¡°Ahaha, it tickles me! So, who is the little guest?¡± ¡°Hey, try guessing.¡± The attention of all the guests was focused, but the unidentified kid was rubbing his cheek against Iril. The corners of Schlieffen¡¯s eyes trembled, who had no way of knowing that he was Sheeta transformed into a human. Barelying out of a panic, he shouted as he picked up a knife. ¡°this guy!¡± Hey profit! The wind that gathered in an instant began to whirl along the de of the transition. Surprised by the momentum, Joseph rose from his seat. ¡°Sch Schlieffen. for a moment¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interfere!¡± He urgently tried to intervene, but in vain. The enraged Schlieffen was about to punish the yellow scoundrel. Wow! Suddenly, the dining hall door was thrown open with a crushing force. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± The startled guests choked in the sand. Schlieffen¡¯s motion paused for a moment. A stout young man appeared through the slowly creaking door. ¡°Nimiral¡­ Huh Eok finally found it.¡± The young man¡¯s body was wet with sweat. It was like someone who had sprinted around the entire ind. Schlieffen recognized him and raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­Ronan?¡± ¡°Move.¡± The wind around the knife died away. After pushing Schlieffen, Ronan strode into the store. Sheeta turned her head and her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, I heard you!¡± Chapter 322 [Abduction 6. Dream drinking bird (5) ] # A6 ¡°My son was caught!¡± ¡°Sita you bastard¡­!¡± Ronan growled. He ran so much that he could taste blood in his mouth. Iril, who btedly met his eyes, let out a bewilderment. ¡°Ro Ronan?¡± ¡°Hello sister¡­Huu, is the business worth doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but what happened? When your whole body is covered with sweat¡­ and then suddenly sit down?¡± ¡°Literally, the one who is being held by my sister right now is Sheeta. turned into a human.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. Somehow, I thought the impression was familiar. Ronan snatched the cup of water from the customer next to him and drank it down. ¡°Hee-ik¡­!¡± ¡°Puha¡­ Damn it, I think I¡¯m going to live a little longer.¡± I could feel the cold water running down my hot esophagus. It was the first time he had sweated like this since the war with Neb zier. Ronan, who wiped his mouth with his sleeve, continued. ¡°But why is your face so red? Did you even kiss the Schlieffen kid?¡± ¡°What are you talking about now! It¡¯s just hot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. I was just joking.¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. Iril turned his head while covering his blushing face with both hands. Schlieffen waspletely frozen and his mouth was twitching. Just then, a young man entered the front door. ¡°Did you finally find it?¡± ¡°okay. Thank you.¡± ¡°I would have told you not to call me that.¡± Itargand frowned. The youngest son of Navardoze, he was still attending Phileon Academy. ¡°Let¡¯s go over that a bit. How do you sing the five letters of Itargand every time and sit down?¡± ¡°You ignorant bastard¡­.¡± Itargand owes 70 percent to the fact that Ronan, who has no wings, was able to establish a simr game of tag with Sheeta. He magically alerted Sheeta¡¯s location in real time and tripled Ronan¡¯s running speed. ¡®It¡¯s a shame we ran into each other by chance.¡¯ It was in the midst of Ronan breathing a sigh of relief. Illil, who barely calmed down, looked down at Sheeta and asked. ¡°Is it really Sheeta?¡± ¡°huh. I got caught.¡± ¡°Wow¡­so cute! Ronan looks just as pretty as when he was little.¡± Iril hugged Sheeta. It sounded absurd, but strangely, I believed it. Sheeta, who had been purring with her eyes closed, opened her mouth. ¡°Thank you for always being nice to me.¡± ¡°Ehehe, why are you suddenly like this?¡± ¡°Really. I was so happy to be with my sister. I can¡¯t go home now because I¡¯m so big, but I really wanted to tell you this.¡± Sheeta buried her face in Iril¡¯s arms again. Suddenly, water formed in her eyes. The days we spent together were running through my mind. One afternoon when I fell asleep stroking Sheeta on myp after eating together every day. Iril picked up her apron and wiped her eyes. ¡°What are you talking about¡­ Rather, you said you protected me.¡± Looking back, Sheeta spent a lot more time with her than Ronan. It was Sheeta¡¯s mission to protect Iril on behalf of the busy Ronan. And Sheeta did an excellent job. It was a moving scene, but Ronan was not willing to waste any more time. Because the duration of Polymorph magic won¡¯tst forever. The man with his arms crossed opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway, the game of hide and seek ends here. Come on.¡± ¡°Hi-eeing¡­I wanted to y more.¡± Sheeta bowed her head. He pulled away from Iril and turned to Ronan. d you caught on somehow. Ronan was just about to take Sheeta away. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, let¡¯s y a little longer!¡± ¡°what?¡± Chow! Suddenly, Sheeta¡¯s four wings spread out like an explosion. His blurred form shot forward. Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. He hurriedly stretched out his arm, but Sheeta just barely brushed his fingertips past him. In an instant, Sheeta overtook Itargand and left the restaurant and stopped on the side of the road. ¡°Ahaha! You won¡¯t get caught this time!¡± ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t stand up right now!¡± I was careless. Ronan spat out curse words and ran out of the restaurant. Sheeta yfully sticking out her tongue was about to fly up. There was no time to pull it to the aura. Like it or not, I had to gamble. But I don¡¯t know if this will work. After switching power sources, Ronan opened his eyes and shouted. ¡°I told you to stop!¡± ¡°uh?¡± At that moment, Sheeta¡¯s world turned dark. In the dark world, nothing could be seen or heard. Even the wind was silent and left him. ¡°Oh Dad?¡± Sheeta cried out from the terrifying feeling of deja vu. The pressure of being left alone weighed down on him. Come to think of it, it seemed like this happened once more today. ¡°huh¡­?¡± Sheeta, who suddenly felt a sting, turned her head. And it just froze. Ronan disappeared without a trace, and a huge ck snake was ring at him. ¡°Come down.¡± ¡°Ppa!¡± said the snake. A shrill scream escaped Sheeta¡¯s mouth. The unconscious body fell helplessly. Ronan, who jumped quickly, caught Sheeta. ¡°Pyaumu¡­ bbiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­¡± ¡°Damn, I never thought I would use this here.¡± Sheeta was causing a game like a nightmare. It seemed like it would take some time for him toe to his senses. Ronan smiled self-deprecatingly. Everything I learned from Nabi Rose. I thought that the day woulde when I would write it, but I didn¡¯t expect that I would write it while ying hide and seek. ¡®I caught it anyway, so it¡¯s okay.¡¯ But thanks to that, I was able to catch Sheeta. It was the car he was going to return to after achieving his primary goal. A grotesque voice came from behind me and grabbed my leg. ¡°Ghugghhhh¡­ gagging.¡± ¡°ah.¡± Ronan, who turned his head, stiffened like a stone statue. At the time of the mansa act, the people in front of him were fainting and causing a game. ¡°Oh mother¡­.¡± Itargand, who was right in front of him, was even frothing. Behind him, Iril and Schlieffen Josef were staring at him dumbfounded. Ronan, who wiped his face once, murmured softly. ¡°Fuck.¡± **** Unexpectedly, the situation was resolved quickly. It was fortunate that Ronan¡¯s proficiency in everything was still low. Ronan apologized to Iril and the guests before leaving. ¡°sorry. You ruined business.¡± ¡°no. I don¡¯t know why, but everyone seemed to like it rather than being offended? He said he would definitelye next time.¡± The customers who had fainted returned, dering that they would be more regrs. All of them had one thing inmon: they were all briefly nursed by Iril. Ronan, barely swallowing what he wanted to say, turned his back. ¡°It¡¯s not easy¡­I have to go first. How are you, sister?¡± ¡°Ronan too. After all, ites once every two days. Next time Sheeta transforms into a human, be sure to bring her!¡± Ronan carried the fainting Sheeta on his back and headed to Phileon. Before I knew it, the dark sunset was coloring the sky and the streets. It was around the time we reached the school gate. Sheeta, who had been groaning, opened her eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­dad?¡± Sheeta tilted her head. My head felt dizzy, as if I had been flying through turbulence. Sheeta, who grasped the situation before long, mumbled with her face buried in Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°Caught. To be honest, I was confident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I look at my dad funny¡­ No, wait, why am I your dad? Will you keep doing that?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I call you that?¡± The sullen Sheeta lowered her head. It seemed that he had be a bad guy in an instant. Ronan twitched his lips and let out a sigh. ¡°Hey, do whatever you want. If I go back to my original form anyway, I won¡¯t be able to speak.¡± ¡°Hee hee, yes.¡± ¡°But if I am the father, who is the mother? Maybe that hairy chirp?¡± Ronan asked in a nervous voice. First of all, the one whoid Sheeta¡¯s egg was Marfez, the dream bird that Varen raised. It was a car that was concerned about being involved in a scandal with algae. Sheeta shook her head slowly. ¡°no. Marfez is a friend. And the sessor.¡± ¡°A sessor?¡± ¡°huh. I don¡¯t know what to say in human words. So¡­the one who provided the house for her to be born into?¡± ¡°It is difficult. Then who is the mother?¡± ¡°doesn¡¯t exist. Ronan is both a father and a mother. Because you gave me a dream.¡± Ronan frowned at the iprehensible words. It seemed that there was a difference between dream birds and humanmon sense in many ways. Recalling what happened today, Sheeta rubbed her cheek against Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°Hee hee Anyway, I had a lot of fun today. Are you going back to Baren now?¡± ¡°ok. It should be.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ can I drop by somewhere, Daddy?¡± ¡°Where? As long as it doesn¡¯t take long, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go on foot. wait for a sec!¡± After saying that, Sheeta suddenly spread her wings. Hwaaak! Ronan¡¯s body rose into the air in an instant. Heughed as if he was suddenly flying in the sky. ¡°You are very strong.¡± ¡°Hee hee right?¡± Sheeta growled. While polymorphing, it seemed that even though his size was reduced, some strength remained. The two of them crossed the sky as if they were swimming andnded on top of a tower in Phileon Academy. ¡°Is it a secret base?¡± ¡°huh! My favorite ce here!¡± Sheetaughed. Indeed, on the gently sloping roof, ck feathers were scattered sparsely. ¡°¡­it¡¯s fine.¡± Ronan looked around and whistled. The vast Phileon Academy came into view at a nce. Thendscape he had been beholden to for years was burning in the setting sun. Buildings and spiers with their backs to the sun looked like shadows plucked from the ground. The cooling evening wind ruffled her hair. Ronan was in the middle of appreciating the superb view like someone possessed by something. ¡°Yes. Memories of my father flooded into me when I was still an egg.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°I remember every single thing. Dad at that time was always soaked in sadness. Daddy said this to me while I was still sleeping.¡± Ronan flinched. Sheeta turned around and closed her eyes. The small lips parted slowly. ¡°I wanted to save you. I hated seeing myrades die in front of my eyes. If only I could stop the bleeding, if only I knew how to heal this wound, no one would have to die.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to fly. I was helpless in front of a giant flying through the sky. Only I can cut that bald head, but my sword can¡¯t reach that far.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. Those were the words that he kept only in his heart after going through the hell of his previous life and returning. ¡°I don¡¯t mind getting covered in blood. If you can protect everyone, that¡¯s enough. So please don¡¯t die in front of me anymore.¡± Paaa¡­! Suddenly, Sheeta¡¯s body began to glow. The polymorph magic was about to break. Sheeta didn¡¯t care and continued. ¡°So I was born. To live, to fly, to be covered in blood for everyone. I drank my father¡¯s dreams.¡± It seemed that he knew now. All of Sheeta¡¯s abilities were what she longed for. Healing abilities that could revive dyingrades, and even the ability to fly that could cut down flying giants. It was a skill worthy of the name. ¡°Thank you for showing me my dream. It was short but really enjoyable. I will never forget this day¡­¡± Suddenly, Sheeta murmured. A long shadow fell over the roof of the tower. Ronan, who had been silently watching the sunset, opened his mouth . ¡°Byeah.¡± A familiar cry was heard. When I turned my head, Sheeta, who had returned to her true form, caught my eye. Ronan murmured softly as he stroked Sheeta who was pping him on the cheek. ¡°You were me. Sheeta.¡± Chapter 323 [Abduction 7. In the New Continent (1) ] #A7 ¡°¡­I see. It is a wish.¡± ¡°yes. Sita was born from drinking my dream. Perhaps other dream birds are like that.¡± Ronan nodded. He returned to Baren¡¯s office after meeting with Sheeta. Sheeta, who had returned to her original form, was dozing with her head stuck through the window. ¡°Ppa woo woong¡­ Ppa woo¡­¡± Upon hearing the secret of the dream bird, Baren was overjoyed like a person who had fulfilled his lifelong wish. He closed the notebook, recording all the information. ¡°A question that has been shrouded in a veil for a long time has finally been resolved. I really don¡¯t know how to thank you for this.¡± ¡°What is gratitude? The professor and Secret did everything.¡± ¡°Still, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible if it weren¡¯t for student Ronan and Sheeta. If there is anything you want, please tell me. I will repay you with all my heart.¡± ¡°I want it¡­then can you give me just a few more magic scrolls?¡± Ronan asked. I had a hard time falling in, but I enjoyed the time I spent with Sheeta, who had turned into a human. Somehow, it seemed like a rehearsal for raising a child to be born soon. Baren nodded happily. ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible. But could you give me a little more time? Because it is such a difficult magic, it takes more time to make it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as I can take it. Even now, we are having enough fun.¡± Ronan grinned. The greatest advantage of a peaceful time was that there was no need to rush everything. After taking a sip of tea, Varen pointed to the egg on the desk and said, ¡°Then how are you going to do this?¡± It was left behind by Abel. Baren continued with a serious tone. ¡°If you want to take measures such as sealing or destroying, I will help.¡± ¡°Destruction?¡± ¡°yes. First of all, it¡¯s not an ordinary dream bird¡¯s egg. If its existence is known to the public, there will be an uproar.¡± The smile disappeared from Varen¡¯s face. I never thought that a proposal to break an animal egg woulde out of that mouth. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand. Now that the traces of Neb zie are being erased one by one, that egg was the only legacy Abel left behind and the seed that could bring about a new disaster. Ronan, who had been touching his chin, opened his mouth. ¡°no. Just leave it alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for it. I believe that you will keep the secret about the egg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯ll be sure to keep my secrets¡­ but are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Baren asked in an anxious voice. Ronan stood up. Picking up the egg, he nodded slowly. ¡°I know what the professor is worried about. If you nted beans and the beans grow, you will be worried that one day that egg will break and a second Abel maye out. However, Sheeta did not call Marfez, her biological mother, her mother.¡± ¡°That is true. Did you say you were called a sessor?¡± ¡°yes. I don¡¯t know exactly what it is, but Sheeta likened a transmitter to a person who provided a home for them. As the saying goes, Abel has no influence on beings who will one day be born here. The important thing is what kind of wishes Al epts and drinks with emotion.¡± The egg left behind by Abel still showed no change. No one knew what was pulsating inside that frisky shell. ¡°There is no sin in the child to be born. Of course, since the sessor is so young, it can be unsettling. I know. Still, the fact that I don¡¯t step on this right away and break it¡­¡± Suddenly, the moment of hisst conversation with Abel shed through Ronan¡¯s mind. On the white sandy beach where the red seapping, he clearly heard Abel¡¯s will. Heughed while dragging his horse¡¯s tail. ¡°That bastard also said he was sorry at the end.¡± ¡°¡­indeed. Then I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Baren smiled. In the first ce, there was nothing to say if Ronan, the discoverer of the egg, came out like that. After that, the two of them were in the middle of a conversation about this and that. profit. The door to the office opened and a familiar man and woman walked in. Balus opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°oh. Valus.¡± Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. Balus¡¯ face was haggard, like someone who hadn¡¯t slept for three days. Elizabeth, her face flushed like a beet, bowed her head behind him. ¡°That¡­ Sir Ronan. So¡­ I must be Ronan-sama¡¯s child¡­¡± ¡°Yes,dy. Has the misunderstanding been cleared up now?¡± ¡°¡­yes. sorry.¡± Elizabeth muttered. Judging by the expression on his face, Balus seemed to have done a good job exining it. Suddenly staggering, he braced himself against the wall for bnce. ¡°What are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­I thought I was going to die. After all, you lifted me up into the air, saying that I might be one with that scoundrel¡­ Uhhh¡­ I was really scared.¡± Balus muttered sobbingly. Elizabeth¡¯s face grew even redder. I got older and matured, but I couldn¡¯t leave my fiery personality anywhere. ¡°Ahhh¡­so I said I was really sorry. The damage you suffered this time will definitely bepensated in the name of Akalucia¡­¡± But he was never a bad kid. It was evident from the fact that he was doing his best to cate the utterly frightened Balus. It was fortunate that Schlieffen and the descendants of the nobles who divided the country were well-informed. Suddenly, the words of Nabi Rose passed through my mind. Did you say there are things that only women can help women with? Scratching his head, Ronan called out to Elizabeth. ¡°Ezebet. Follow me for a second.¡± ¡°¡­yes? Oh yes.¡± Elizabeth flinched. The terrified voice seemed to think that Ronan would be upset about the misunderstanding. Ronan, who took her to the corner of the office, opened his mouth. ¡°Ezebet. If you¡¯re going to stay on the ind for a while, go see Adeshan. Preferably right now.¡± ¡°What about your sister? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°okay. I recently had a baby. It would be great if you could go and celebrate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What did you say?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s face hardened. It was as if she hadn¡¯t even heard of it yet. right! Suddenly she snapped her fingers. At the same time, seeing the translucent curtain enveloping the surroundings, Ronan curled his lips in admiration. ¡°Since it¡¯s called Silent Magic, you¡¯re a good kid. I instinctively noticed that it was a secret.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Wait. What did you just say? I must have heard wrong?¡± ¡°I told you Adeshan had a baby. This time, he is really my child.¡± ¡°That that that that that¡­!¡± Elizabeth, who covered her mouth with both hands, froze. She barely came to her senses and ran out of the office shouting Adeshan¡¯s name. As the sound of the stairs stopped, her voice resounded in Ronan¡¯s head. [congrattion! For now!] ¡°Come.¡± Ronan giggled at the expected reaction. Baren and Sheeta Balus looked at Elizabeth and Ronan alternately with suspicious expressions. Judging by her personality, it was clear that she would make a fuss about naming her child herself, but it was expected which of Nabi Rose and the name she gave would be adopted. Ronan, who looked out the darkened window, turned around. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go soon. See you again.¡± ¡°Ah, would you like to?¡± It was a day with a lot of work. Baren, who stood up, shook hands. Ronan, who had also said goodbye to Balus, was about to return. He identally nced at the corner of the office and spat out a curse. ¡°Fuck. I forgot this.¡± The sealing stones Sheeta had spat out were scattered on the floor. An ominous red light was seeping from the amulets attached to it. s, Varen grabbed his mane and said. ¡°Hey, I forgot too. You said it was an item Sheeta brought from the New World, right?¡± ¡°yes. Something terrible was being sealed¡­¡± Ronan frowned. If they hadmitted it so grandiosely, there would have been something regrettable going on in the New World. ¡®The owner has to clean up the dog¡¯s poop.¡¯ Ronan, who was organizing the n in his head, sighed. It bothered me to leave my pregnant girlfriend alone, but since Elizabeth was with me, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I just need to stop by the house and leave right away. It was the moment he woke Sheeta and was about to go out. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on Sheeta¡¯s cheek. ¡°hmm? This is¡­¡± ¡°Have you missed it?¡± A few strands of tulip-red hair were tangled in the ck fur. It was long and shiny, and I felt a strong sense of deja vu. Ronan, who was examining his hair, snapped his fingers. ¡°This is Asher¡¯s hair¡­ Aha.¡± It seemed like he knew why Sheeta had gone to the New World. On the day he graduated from Phileon, Marya proudly dered that she would advance the Caravel Merchant to the New World. And Asher said he would apany Marya as an escort for the guild. ¡°Did you visit Asher and Marja?¡± ¡°Knock it!¡± Sheeta shook her head as if affirming. It seemed that he had been ying in the new continent with the two of them. All of a sudden, my heart went nk. Ronan let out a sigh of relief and muttered as if talking to himself. ¡°what. Then you don¡¯t have to go.¡± ¡°hmm? Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°yes. Asher has that child, so there is no need to go all the way to me. He will take good care of you.¡± said Ronan. The current Asher was one of the best wizards on the continent no matter what anyone said. He would have the ability to deal with whatever came out of the broken seal. ¡°The only thing Asher should be afraid of is Marja. So don¡¯t worry, Professor.¡± ¡°Wow, I know the strength of the Asher student, but¡­¡± Baren dragged his words. It was true that the tension dropped when Asher was there. Ronan, riding on Sheeta¡¯s head, concluded with a smile. ¡°Do not worry. There will be no problem.¡± **** ¡°Stop this¡­!¡± It was a full moon night. Asher was running away by flying between the sheer cliffs. At a distance of five hundred paces, several footsteps were following him. A narrow road ran under his feet. Asher, who suddenly felt that he was dying, turned his back and screamed. ¡°Huhhhhh! Oh don¡¯te!¡± At the same time, Asher stretched out his arm. An unseen hand pushed a rock resting on the cliff. bang! A boulder rolled down the cliff and blocked the path. After confirming that the footsteps had stopped, Asher opened his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you following me now?¡± His back was all wet with sweat. I didn¡¯t feel popr anymore. Asher was about to breathe a sigh of relief. Shish way! Dozens of figures soared from the top of the rock blocking the road. ¡°Hehehehe!¡± Asher¡¯s face went white. The shadows of the masked men with their backs to the moon cast over Asher¡¯s face. In their hands, swords they had never seen before were held one by one. The one who seemed to be the leader pointed to Asher and shouted. ¡°Seeing that they use suspicious magic, it is clear that they are spies. Kill!¡± Chapter 324 [Abduction 8. In the New Continent (2) ] #A8 ¡°They are obviously spies. Kill!¡± The man who seemed to be the boss shouted. At the same time, the masked people threw something at once. Kagagak! Dozens of shurikens flying through the wind struck Asher¡¯s defenses. ¡°Haaaaagh!¡± Asher screamed. Of course, not a single shuriken could pierce his shield. Embarrassment erupted from the masked people¡¯s mouths. ¡°Damn, it doesn¡¯t work with long-range attacks following swords.¡± ¡°It seems that he is no ordinary guy. No matter how enchanting it is, there must be a weakness¡­¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be the one dispatched from the Pandemonium, not the hostile faction?¡± They started chattering and uttering unintelligible words. From the ult door to the pandemonium. All of these were unheard of in the Empire. Asher, who could not stand it, mustered up courage and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s why I have no intention of fighting you! Why the hell are you doing this?!¡± I couldn¡¯t understand English. It¡¯s been almost 15 days since I came to the new continent, but this was the first time. Asher was attacked by those masked men while taking a walk alone at night. It was fortunate that the camp at the top of Caravel was far away. At that time, the masked chief heard Asher¡¯s words and shouted with a snort. ¡°It¡¯s not even funny. You don¡¯t want to fight? I saw with my own eyes that the ck monster bird you raised ran away with the stone statue that sealed the Rakshasa in its bite!¡± ¡°A ck monster?¡± ¡°okay! A monster pping its four wings. I won¡¯t say I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Asher¡¯s face turned white. All the characteristics of the ck rook matched Sheeta. Something that happened just the other day passed through my head. ¡®It was a big deal.¡¯ It was around the time that I was touring the vige with Marya. Suddenly, Sheeta came back with a statue with an amulet in her mouth and proudly showed it off. The sealing stone seemed to mean that. In addition, Sheeta, who came to the New World for the first time, traveled all over the ce and collected things she liked. Asher, who btedly grasped the situation, swallowed a thick saliva. ¡°That¡­ what is a rachal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster made from the hearts of wicked people like you. You know everything, but you make fun of it!¡± ¡°No, I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! There was no way he would do such an evil thing unless he was a fan of the Pandemonium! I will y you with the honor of Yeongwolrim Guardian!¡± The masked man was indignant. It was unfair to Asher, but it was not a situation where appeals were not epted. It was the moment when they closed the distance again and pulled out their swords. ¡°Upper is dangerous!¡± Asher, who sensed danger, shouted urgently. bang! A giant tree flew in a parab andnded on the heads of the masked people. At the spot where the tree fell, bewilderment erupted. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise!¡± ¡°What is it!?¡± Fortunately, there were no casualties. It was thanks to the fact that the masked people spread out in orderly movements. Naturally, people turned their heads in the direction the tree flew. A masked man who found something was frightened and pointed with his finger. ¡°Look over there!¡± ¡°no way¡­!¡± Fear hung over the faces of the masked people. From the distance in the valley they had passed, something dark was approaching rapidly. The sound of thumping footsteps was getting closer. A shriek resembling the death of a beast resounded. ¡°Keeeeek!¡± At the same time, the existence hidden in darkness appeared. It was a humanoid monster approaching 5m in height. someone shouted ¡°I am Raksha!¡± The monster called Rakshasa had a terrible appearance that was feared to appear in dreams. The body made of obsidian was densely covered with letters written in melted gold. Sharp fingernails glistened in the moonlight. ¡°That¡¯s that¡­!¡± Asher¡¯s face went white. In my adventures with Ronan over the past few years, I¡¯ve encountered all sorts of terrifying and terrifying beings, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Should I say that it lookspletely different? The feeling itself is different from the monsters I¡¯ve seen so far. The masked people in a state of panic were wandering around while stopping Asher¡¯s pursuit. ¡°It¡¯s all over¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you time, everyone run away!¡± ¡°How can I do that to Jang!¡± All of their faces were stern as if they were risking their lives. Rakshasa seemed to be a powerful beingparable to a dragon. what to do What should I do? Asher was in the middle of crying and looking at Rachal. ¡°¡­huh?¡± Feeling suspicious, Asher tilted his head. The mana I felt from Rachal was weaker than I thought. Contrary to its terrifying appearance, the power itself was a bit stronger than that of an ogre. Asher¡¯s breathing, which had been rapid, gradually calmed down. Surprisingly, I thought that it might be worth trying. Asher, who gathered courage once again, opened his mouth. ¡°If only that is resolved¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you kill that monster, will you stop chasing it?¡± The masked people frowned. I wondered what nonsense this was. The man in charge of the captain snorted. ¡°under! That¡¯s funny. Do you think that makes sense? A girl like you would kill that rakshak that the exiled masters rushed in and barely sealed it?¡± The subordinates followed and spat out curse words. It was impossible, no matter how oundish magic was used. Asher, who had heard that she was a woman, was trying to correct the men¡¯s mistakes. A booming voice echoed from behind. ¡°Assel-! what are you doing there?¡± ¡°Ma marya?!¡± It wasn¡¯t a very familiar voice. Asher shrugged and slowly turned his head. Carrying a greatsword over one shoulder, Marya was striding forward. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. What are you doing?¡± Her rich blonde hair swayed in the night breeze. A red silk robe was draped over her sleepy-looking body. It was an item bought with expensive money to narrow the distance with the natives of the New World. ¡°These guys kept following me¡­I was going to drop it in case it would harm the top.¡± ¡°Oh, this is frustrating. At first nce, it looks like a group of thieves, but they¡¯ll just blow it up ande back. You¡¯re too nice to wear.¡± Marja clicked her tongue. Hearing that he was a thief, the masked captain shouted out loud. ¡°A bunch of bandits! Who are you talking about!¡± ¡°what? Wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°of course! We are the guardians of the great Yeongwollim! Unknown and unknown rogue boats¡­¡± ¡°Yeongwollim?!¡± It was the car he was talking about. Marja suddenly pped her hands and opened her eyes wide in admiration. bang! After running for a month, she stopped in front of the captain. ¡°A handsome granddaughter. Did you just say Yeongwollim?¡± ¡°The speed of the cow is¡­¡± The captain freaked out. In his eyes, Marja¡¯s form seemed to disappear for a moment and then reappear. Marja, who inted one cheek, asked again, poking his side. ¡°I asked if you belonged to Yeongwollim.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Then what will you do! Seeing that you use witchcraft too, you must be friends with that girl!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve been looking for it like that, but I never expected to run into it here. My name is Marja Carabel, the vice-captain of the Caravelle Merchant. If you have time¡­¡± ¡°Queueek!¡± Marja, who instantly changed into sales mode, was continuing her conversation in a friendly manner. Rakshasa screamed again and began to run, twisting his limbs grotesquely. The masked people¡¯s faces turned white. ¡°Huh! Stop talking like that and get out of the way!¡± ¡°Oh really. annoying.¡± Marja narrowed her brows. Only then did she notice Raksha¡¯s presence and turned around. I don¡¯t know what it was, but I didn¡¯t like it very much when it interrupted the business talk. ¡°Then let¡¯s just put that away and talk about it.¡± The masked man had no time to say anything. Marja spat out and suddenly jumped off the ground. bang! A crack formed at the ce where the foot stepped, and the gstone bounced off. ¡°Quiriric?¡± Nachal¡¯s eyes widened. Marja, who had narrowed the distance with just three leaps, was already at his feet. Sensing a crisis, Rakshara raised her arms high. ¡°Haaaap!¡± Holding the greatsword with both hands, Marya twisted her body sideways and swung the sword. Wow! With a crushing sound, one of Raksha¡¯s legs waspletely cut off. It was the moment when the unbnced body fell forward. Marya, who made a sudden stop, raised her greatsword upwards and cut it. Awesome! The greatsword drawing a massive arc cut through the rakshasa¡¯s head in half. ¡°Queue¡­!¡± ¡°What!¡± The masked people¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. I couldn¡¯t believe the power that came from such a small body. thud! Rakshasa, whose legs and head had been cut off, copsed with a roar. Marya, who finished the work in an instant, grinned. ¡°Now is it?¡± ¡°That, that sozer¡­¡± Some of the masked people dropped the swords they were holding. It was a martial art that could only be seen in a dream. At that time, a grotesque roar resounded throughout the mountains. ¡°Kuaaaaa!¡± ¡°Kererererek!¡± Unlike before, it wasn¡¯t just one. Tens of thousands of birds soared over the moonlit forest. The sound of trees cracking, the sound of something huge stepping on the ground quickly approaching. ¡°What is this again?¡± Marja frowned. Suddenly, several huge shadows cast over the road. The masked people with their heads up froze. There were probably dozens of Rakshaks looking down at them from the cliffs on both sides. ¡°Grrrrrr.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± It was a sight that seemed to freeze all the blood in his body. Each of the differently ugly Rakshaks was the size of a small hill. Eyes randomly attached to all parts of the body were scanning people. ¡°¡­we¡¯re all dead now.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t one of them the end?¡± Despair hung over the faces of the masked people. There was no time to question what was going on. No matter how excellent the martial arts of the blonde Sojeo was, it was impossible to deal with such a number. However, Marja¡¯s face was calm and unwavering. She looked up at the rachals and smiled. ¡°You are really unlucky.¡± ¡°Grrreuk?¡± ¡°If you hade when I was alone, you would have had a chance. All of a sudden, when our cutie is around,e with us.¡± Marja shook her head. The masked people were taken aback by his tone of sincere sympathy. Who do you mean cutie? Come to think of it, the red-haired girl from earlier was nowhere to be seen. It was the moment when one of the Rakshaks who had jumped down the cliff lifted his leg to trample Marya. Quaang! An invisible fist hit the rachal in the chest. ¡°Gwok.¡± Arge body muchrger than an ogre flew away as if it had be a pebble. Rakshasa, who was driven into the cliff on the other side, lowered her head. The steel chest was dug like a crater. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The masked people hardened. It was like being hit by a meteorite. Marya lowered her greatsword and said without turning her head. ¡°Assel. Please.¡± No answer came back. It was just as the other rakshaks were about to move. A low voice echoed above people¡¯s heads. ¡°Knock up frost.¡± It sounded like a normal conversation. At the same time as the incantation was performed, a huge magic circle was drawn under the feet of the seven demons. That was before they even reacted. Kwaaang! The magic circle emitted light and a column made of blizzard soared. ¡°Huh uh uh uh!¡± The masked people were astonished. The seven ice storms ripped through the moonlight and soared up to the night sky at once. Before long, Rakshaks who could no longer move appeared in the ce where the storm had subsided. ¡°It is over.¡± Marjaughed. Rakzal had be seven ice statues. It was the moment Asher dispelled the magic. sphemy! The bodies of the Rakshals copsed with a sound like rocks being split. ¡°Whew¡­¡± Asher, who put an end to the situation at once, let out a sigh of relief. The Rakshaks were weaker than expected, so I was able to finish them with almost no mana. He slowlynded on the ground and was the car he was trying to get to Marja. In an instant, the masked people surrounding them all bowed their heads and shouted. ¡°Sojeo! Please help us!¡± ¡°I am a man.¡± Chapter 325 [Abduction 9. In the New Continent (3) ] #A9 ¡°Wait a minute, what are you going to do?¡± Ronan, who was reading a book on the sofa, got up. The voice echoed because it was so wide. He left the ind and was staying in a mansion built on his estate. Sunlight streamed in through the windows and streamed through the living room. Adeshan, who was about to descend the stairs leading to the basement, stopped in ce. ¡°huh? I¡¯m going to go to the warehouse for the first time in a while.¡± ¡°What are those dusters and dishcloths?¡± ¡°I just wanted to do a little cleaning. what¡¯s the matter?¡± she shrugged. Now, three months after he had been to Nimburton, Adeshan¡¯s stomach was quite swollen. Ronan shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid and sit down. What if I get hurt?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go out much because my body is so heavy, but let me do housework.¡± Adeshan said as ifining. I know you¡¯re worried, but Ronan¡¯s overprotectiveness was a bit severe. Ronan, who was like a wild wolf, became a bookkeeperparable to Schlieffen after she became pregnant. He strode forward and embraced Adeshan like a princess. ¡°I know how you feel, but not now. miss.¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Adeshan let out a short scream. Of course, it was not a scream out of fear or dislike, but a scream of intense happiness. Returning to his feet, Ronanid Adeshan down on the couch he was sitting on. She giggled as she ced her hand on her belly. ¡°You should know that Daddy loves you so much.¡± ¡°I love you Adeshan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. You haven¡¯t even had the first one, but you want to start with the second one.¡± Adeshan smiled. Usually, having a child makes you gain weight and make your hair frizzy, but Adeshan was still beautiful. They say that when a woman is in love, she bes pretty. It seemed that if I got into the atmosphere like this, I wouldmit it as it is. Ronan, who kissed her forehead silently, pointed out the window. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, go for a walk. It¡¯s been well taken care of.¡± A vast garden spread out beyond the window. The barrennd of Baltoule all winter was dyed light green under the summer sun. The wild flowers that Adeshan had sown were blooming everywhere. ¡°huh. I will. thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon too.¡± Adeshan nodded. After Ronan gave her a parasol, she safely stepped into the basement. The dark space that doubled as a warehouse was covered with white dust as expected. ¡®You did a good job drying it.¡¯ It was because he forbade the attendants to clean because he had many personal items. Ronan looked around the warehouse, shaking off dust and cobwebs. I was in the middle of looking at a certain shelf. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ronan, who noticed something, narrowed his eyes. Five watermelon-sized statues were lined up and broken. In the middle of the fragments, papers with red letters on a yellow background were scattered on the floor. It must have been the sealing stone of the New Continent that Sheeta had brought back in the past. All but one were horribly broken, and the cause was unknown. It was the moment when Ronan, who thought it strange, tried to put his hand on the only surviving statue. Great! Suddenly, arge crack urred and the statue copsed. As if the being that sealed the power died. He frowned and spat out a curse. ¡°What the fuck.¡± **** The white moon was beautiful. There was still a hugeke hanging under the dark blue evening sky. Dense broad-leaved forests surrounded thekeside. It was the Blue Night Lake, one of the demondscapes of the New World. It was an elegant resort that many people visited about a hundred years ago because of its beautiful scenery and many fish, but it has bepletely abandoned after the pandemonium began to gain traction. ¡°Ah, if you don¡¯te out, there¡¯s no way for me either.¡± Asher floated above theke. Muttering to himself, he stretched out his hand toward another moon shimmering on the surface of the water. It was the moment when I took a pulling posture. ¡°Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± A moaning scream resounded from the bottom of theke. Countless fish jumped out of the water. Chow! Before long, the surface of the water split to reveal the head of a giant smander. ¡°How dare you dare to do this to me, the Four Heavenly Kings of Pandemonium!¡± cried the smander. At the same time, purple poison mist poured out from between the wide mouths. It was a deadly poison that would kill a human instantly if they swallowed just one sip, but Asher¡¯s shield did not allow even a single particle to pass through. Asher continued the salvage operation, ignoring the poison fog. As he chanted a brief incantation, the smander¡¯s body, hidden beneath the water, was pulled out by the root. Chow ah! Seeing the absurdly huge body, Asher gasped. ¡°Hey¡­! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Ah! I will definitely remember your face!¡± Only the length of the tail was that of a fair-sized whale. The unique slippery skin of an amphibian glistened in the moonlight. The smander struggled with all his might to get back into the water, but it was not enough to escape Asher¡¯s telekinesis. Marya, who was watching the scene from thekeside, opened her mouth. ¡°The body will be inside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Asher nodded. He snapped his fingers lightly, and an invisible fist struck the smander¡¯s stomach. bang! As the smander vomited, a lump of something protruded from its gaping mouth. ¡°Quaaaaaagh!¡± The mass possessed by telekinesis let out a desperate scream. He was an old man who must have been a hundred years old. A ck robe, a symbol of pandemonium, was draped over her slender body. At the same time as the old man jumped out, the takgi that had been encroaching on the smander¡¯s eyes disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get caught now.¡± Asher released the power that held the smander while holding the old man. The smander, which fell as it was, disappeared with a huge ssh of water as big as its own body. The immobilized old man let out a bewilderment. ¡°Uh how¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. Catching a spirit creature and harassing it is your tactic.¡± Marjaughed. She and Asher, who had been dealing with pandemonium for three months, had gradually be ustomed to their tactics. The viins brainwashed the so-called spiritual beasts and corrupted them. Looking back, a lot has happened in the past three months. After receiving an offer from Yeongwollim, one of the famous groups in the New World, they put their work in the upper guild aside for a while and focused their efforts on clearing the Pandemonium. Of course, it was not a charity project, but to expand its influence in the New World. There would be no better publicity than helping people in distress. The sweep was almost over. ¡®Looking at the Four Heavenly Kings, there really isn¡¯t much left.¡¯ At this rate, it wasn¡¯t like a dream for the Caravel Merchant to establish itself as a new colossus in the new continent. Everything was possible because Asher was there. Marja was looking up at him with affectionate eyes. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to get hit like this!¡± ¡°uh?¡± Suddenly the old man extended his index finger towards Marja. Mana A lump, called a pore here, was shot in a straight line. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± It was the moment when Marya, who wanted to regret it, pulled out her greatsword. A mass of hits exploded around her. Wow! A huge column of water several meters in diameter shot up into the sky. Asher¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Marya!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! You were careless. This is what happens because you only care about your own safety!¡± The old man burst into madness. A huge pit had been dug at the site where the qigong hit directly. Oh ah ah ¡­ The water pirs that rose to the clouds were tormented and ck rain was pouring. Asher¡¯s face was filled with despair. ¡°Ah, be surprised. I almost died.¡± Suddenly Marja¡¯s voice rang out. Before long, she appeared from behind a huge tree. Fortunately, I was able to get out of the seat before being caught in the explosion. ¡°Mama Mara¡­! are you okay?!¡± ¡°then. It¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± Asher cried. Marja stretched out her hand, made a V sign, and smiled pleasantly. Fortunately, there seemed to be no damage other than the dirty clothes and face. The old man¡¯s face hardened when he saw her alive. ¡°What!¡± It was impossible. Marja was about to say something about being a man and why so many tears. Asher, with a cold expression, looked back at the old man. ¡°¡­you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The old man shrugged. The atmosphere waspletely different from before. Sensing unusual energy, he was looking for a way to escape. The force holding the old man suddenly became stronger. ¡°Ke-heo-eok!¡± Blood gushed out of the old man¡¯s mouth. The sound of bones breaking sporadically echoed throughout the subdued body. Marja suddenly sensed a jolt under her feet and shouted in bewilderment. ¡°Wow what!?¡± It seemed like there was an earthquake. Suddenly, a translucent force field enveloped her body. It was a shield to prevent Asher from getting caught up inrge-scale magic. Marja, who looked at him and the old man alternately, let out a mischievousugh. ¡°You are now dead.¡± ¡°Quaaaaaagh! Let go!¡± The old man was screaming with his vocal chords torn. His body, which continued to rise, stopped near the cloud. Asher, who was reciting the incantation, lifted both palms up. Quadruped! The surrounding trees and ground were ripped from the ground and began to rise into the air. ¡°what¡­!¡± The old man was astonished. I¡¯d never seen or heard anything like this. The terrain hadpletely changed. Asher was still staring at the old man. I didn¡¯t mean to treat it well. In the Eastern Continent, thepatibility of attributes was considered important. Fire is subdued by water, water by earth, earth by wood, and wood by metal. Finally, the metal was subdued again with fire. The main attribute of the old man was either water or soil. Afterpleting the calction, he folded his palms together like a snowball. The floating ground and trees all shot at the old man. ¡°Stop that!¡± the old man cried out. Asher did not answer. Kwakwawang! A mountain¡¯s worth of dirt and trees began colliding with his body as a target. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A roar drowned out the old man¡¯s cries. It was like a new star being formed. Before long, a huge sphere was created under the moon. ¡°Eternal Floating.¡± Afterpleting the sphere, Asher chanted a new spell. It was a magic that gave objects the property of floating semi-permanently. Wow¡­! The mana released from Asher¡¯s fingertips covered the sphere as if it were wrapped around it. Unless something happened now, the orb that trapped the old man would be floating in this ce forever. It was quite spectacr to see it glowing ck in the backlight. After finishing the work, Ashernded in front of Marya. ¡°Marya! am i really okay? Aren¡¯t you hurt!?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s okay. I am fine.¡± Asher burst into tears and asked how she was doing. Marja hugged him wordlessly. The shivering of his shoulders made him look like apletely different person than when he hit the old man. The gap in this expression drove people crazy. The tears on her eyshes were beautiful. Marya, who had been looking down at him quietly, smiled as if it were absurd. ¡°Oh really. It makes me cringe.¡± ¡°Huh?¡­Ew!¡± Suddenly, Marja grabbed Asher by the cor and pulled him roughly. Before he could say anything, his lips ovepped. The two of them mixed their tongues for a long time before their mouths fell. ¡°Fugh, wait a minute. Here¡­!¡± ¡°shut up.¡± Marja, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, pushed Asher down. He shouted something, but it was drowned out by thepping of theke. The night in the new continent was getting deeper. Chapter 326 [Abduction 10. In the new continent (4) ] #A10 ¡°Ah. Good luck.¡± Marja woke up and stretched. The bright light of daylight gently wrapped around her naked body. Asher, who had been sleeping in her arms, also opened his eyes. ¡°Marya¡­was happening?¡± ¡°huh. good morning.¡± Marjaughed. The orb that imprisoned the old man, who was thought to be the Four Heavenly Kings of Pandemonium, was still floating on theke. Countless huge pits were made around it. It was a trace of Asher pulling up the ground and trees to make the sphere. Well done in this ce. Marja, who had been giggling, looked back at Asher. ¡°As expected, people should exercise before going to bed. Do you think so too?¡± ¡°Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡± Asher bowed his head in response. Unlike Marya, whose face was glossy, her emaciated appearance stood out. There were a lot of marks left on his white body that looked like mosquito bites. ¡°Hehe. Still, I didn¡¯t leave much of yesterday.¡± Marja smiled. It was a sight that heightened the sense of conquest at any time. Seeing Asher hesitantly, she narrowed her brows. ¡°But why is the answer not clear? Wasn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°Oh no. nice But next time, a little¡­ that¡­¡± Asher bit his lower lip. I couldn¡¯t get the words out of my mouth at all. Even he, who had been treated one-sidedly since the first time he made love, still had the pride of a man. He nced up at Marja and opened his mouth. ¡°First, put on the clothes. I will catch a cold.¡± ¡°ah. It should be.¡± Marja nodded. She hummed and started putting on the underwear she had thrown off at random. Asher suddenly rememberedst night and blushed. The grass where the two of them were lying was tangled in a mess. ¡®Is this right?¡­¡¯ I was perfectly happy, but the frequency was too frequent. The cycle was getting shorter and shorter. It was also a big problem not to cover the time and ce if there were not enough people. ¡®When I asked what it would be like if someone heard the sound¡­ I said it would be nice if someone could hear it.¡¯ It was no different from a beast. It seemed that a serious conversation would be necessary for a happy future. Asher, who mustered up his courage, was about to say something. Chew! Suddenly, theke split open, revealing the head of a giant smander. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Dangerous!¡± It was the same smander that was being controlled by the cadre of the pandemonium. Surprised, Marja shrugged. Asher, who jumped out reflexively, blocked her way and deployed a barrier. Chow! A translucent station field wrapped around the two of them. ¡°Assel.¡± Marja sighed. Perhaps because of what happened yesterday, Asher¡¯s expression became ferociously serious. Five or six sharp ice thorns appeared around Asher as if they were going to shoot at any moment. The smander tilted his head. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you trying to attack?¡± Asher narrowed his eyes. Contrary to what was expected, the smander did nothing but stared at the two. His eyes, which were absurdly small for his face, were blinking slowly. ¡°Joe seems a little cute.¡± ¡°Shh. You never know when they will attack.¡± Asher remained vignt. It was in the midst of a tense confrontation for a long time. tweet! The disgusted smander spit something out. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Asher¡¯s eyes widened. A shiny orb was flying in a parabolic arc. Asher stretched out his arms urgently. An invisible hand grabbed the orb from the smander¡¯s mouth. The sphere,rger than the torso of most people, was opaque like pearls. Asher, who was suddenly looking at the sphere, shrugged. An enormous amount of mana was pulsating inside. ¡°This one!¡± Marya, who was next to her, covered her mouth in amazement. If his memory wasn¡¯t wrong, this was definitely a treasure called Naedan. A mass of energy possessed by spiritual beings that have grown stronger over hundreds or thousands of years. It was one of the things Marya wanted to acquire in the New Continent. ¡°It must be mine. This kind of luck¡­¡± ¡°Why did this happen to us¡­¡± It seemed that he had repaid the favor of saving him from the pandemonium. Asher picked up the ice thorn. Marja waved her arms wide in gratitude. ¡°thank you! Healthy!¡± The smander smiled and went back into the water. At the same time as the heavy tail disappeared beneath the water, spray soared high into the sky. Oh ah ah ¡­ Theke water pouring like the remains is in the sun and a rainbow urred. ¡°wow.¡± It was a beautiful sight. Birds were ying on theke where the takki of pandemonium disappeared. The cool morning breeze was still blowing their hair pleasantly. The two looked at the shore for a long time even after the water had run out. It was around the time the rainbow was fading. Marya, who had been ncing at Asher, opened her mouth. ¡°Yes. Asher.¡± ¡°huh.¡± ¡°Shall we get married too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Huh?¡± Asher¡¯s eyes widened. It was clear that I had heard wrong. Dumbfounded, he stuttered and asked. ¡°Uh¡­what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married. I will make you happy.¡± ¡°Are you getting married? so suddenly?¡± ¡°huh.¡± Marja nodded. Asher was speechless and didn¡¯t say anything. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. ¡°why. no?¡± ¡°Oh no! never hate it! But it was so sudden¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of being so sudden after lying around with me for over a year? Did you really intend to leave after enjoying yourself to the fullest? Could it be that she has feelings for another woman¡­¡± Suddenly, Marja¡¯s voice fell low. Asher, who felt the bleak life, sighed. Arge crack was forming in the rock she was resting her hand on. ¡°huh? Do you have feelings for another woman?¡± ¡°Oh no! I can¡¯t do that! Marja, you are the only one for me!¡± ¡°It must be real.¡± ¡°I can swear to the sky! You can even stake the honor of a magician!¡± Asher eximed desperately. It was then that life slowed down. After removing her hand from the rock, Marja grinned. ¡°I will believe you. Then marry me.¡± ¡°Ultimately that way¡­! Why did you suddenly have that thought?¡± ¡°Just seeing a rainbow gave me confidence. I think we can make each other happy. And my intuition has never been wrong.¡± Marja ran a hand through her hair. The water-soaked blonde hair shimmered brightly. She continued, rubbing her chest. ¡°And it¡¯s a little bit like saying this with my own mouth, but to be honest, I have a pretty face and a good body, right? In particr, this is not something you can easily see anywhere.¡± Asher¡¯s face brightened. ording to her words, that heinous thing might be more precious than the inner altar of spiritual beings. He averted his gaze and nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s perfect. What do you not like about it that¡¯s why you¡¯re taking it out?¡± ¡°I never took it off. So the truth is¡­¡± Asher, who had a teary face, dragged his words. I was too ashamed to speak out. ncing at Marja, he muttered in a voice the size of an ant. ¡°I wanted to propose to you¡­¡± After saying that, Asher covered his face with his palms. The protruding ears were red like hot iron. I was nning a nice proposal in my own way, but it all came to nothing. ¡°¡­under.¡± Marjaughed. Likewise, she, who had dyed her face red, washed her face dry. At this point, being lovely was at the level of a crime. What should I really do with him? Looking around, she opened her mouth. ¡°Take it off.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°Take it off. Or should I take it off again?¡± Asher removed his palm from his face. Marja was already taking off her clothes. He screamed as if he was screaming. ¡°Why go suddenly!¡± ¡°Honestly, this is your fault. It¡¯s greedy to say things like that and hope nothing happens. And I have to put a stamp on it, but I can¡¯t because I¡¯m anxious.¡± ¡°A dojo?¡± Marja nodded. The eyes that looked up and down at him were several times more sticky than usual. Before long, Asher, who understood the meaning, raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s have a baby?!¡± ¡°huh. Is it that surprising? My mother also gave birth to me around this time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of problem! We haven¡¯t even gotten married yet¡­ and you¡¯re a noble¡­!¡± Asher stuttered. ording to him, Marja was no longer amon citizen, but a nobleman. Count who rules Armalen, one of the most fertile territories in the Empire. Undoubtedly, after a few years, he would be one of the most influential people on the continent. Besides, considering the meaning of a royal or noble marriage, this was really nonsense. Of course, Marja didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°What if you are a noble? It¡¯s good to be a noble too. Besides, Ronan and Adeshan were also speeding.¡± ¡°Those two are a bit unusual¡­!¡± ¡°Haa¡­ To be honest, if I feel sorry for you, the next great mage, it¡¯s even worse. You¡¯re not in a position to worry about me. give up now Asher.¡± Marja, who had undone her jacket, strode forward. Asher stepped back, but his back was blocked by ake and he had nowhere to escape. Having already made ns for the future, she hummed. ¡°If you and I are half and half, it would be really perfect. If you have children alone, you will be bored, so let¡¯s have three or four children first. The house is spacious, but it¡¯s crowded and nice.¡± ¡°Oh no Marya. Now I really can¡¯t¡­¡± This was another matter with marriage. Suddenly, life was threatened. However, despite Asher¡¯s tearful appeal, Marja shook her head. ¡°don¡¯t worry. You just need to lie down and observe the clouds. Haven¡¯t you been doing that often?¡± ¡°That is so inhumane. After that, it¡¯s hard to even walk properly¡­!¡± Asher sighed as he imagined the future toe soon. It was an act so cruel that the expression of being squeezed out is not enough. bang! Marja kicked off the boulder that was blocking her way and smiled. ¡°I can carry it. It solves the problem.¡± ¡°I hate poetry!¡± Asher¡¯s screams echoed. Marja climbed on top of him, who fell on his buttock. As she was removing the wrapping paper, she snapped her fingers. ¡°Oh, I forgot, but I think we should go back to Jedo Ind for a while by ourselves after the pandemonium is over.¡± ¡°What do you mean all of a sudden?¡± ¡°In a few days, Schlieffen will challenge Lady Zaifa. Instructor Nabi Roze must have already been defeated in the preliminaries. Maybe a really new sword star will be born.¡± said Marja. It was truly surprising news, but there was no time to admire Asher. He was about to say something to buy time. Marja¡¯s lips covered his. Chapter 327 [Abduction 11. Geomseong (1) ] #A11 The summer wind was hot. Cumulonimbus clouds, heavy like battleships, crossed the sky over the blue inds. Zaifa took a deep breath and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. A challenger other than Nabi Rose.¡± ¡°Schlieffen Sinivan de Grancia meets the Sword Saint.¡± Schlieffen sent an examination. He was dressed in battle uniform bearing the family seal. Her beautiful dark blue hair gleamed in the hot sun. They stood facing each other in the middle of the vast arena. The circr space covered with pure white paving stones was huge enough to fit an entire rural vige. It was the Grand Circle, thergest arena in the Empire. ¡°This is the first start since the war.¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see Jaifa and the Empire¡¯s morning stare together¡­ I think I¡¯ve used up all my luck.¡± The spectators who hade to watch the unprecedented game were making a fuss. Despite the increasing heat, the audience seats in the Grand Circle were filled without a chance to set foot. Everyone was a crowd of people who came to see the Sword Master match. ¡°I was expecting that either you or that kid named Ronan woulde. Has he lost to you?¡± ¡°no. I didn¡¯t participate at all. It seems that he had no interest in the position of the Sword Saint in the first ce.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­Anyway, he¡¯s a cheeky bastard.¡± Jaifa groaned. In fact, this was also expected. Ronan didn¡¯t seem to be interested in an honorary position like the Sword Saint in the first ce. At that time, a voice mixed with annoyance resounded from the VIP seats. ¡°Your old man talks a lot. I¡¯m busy enjoying my newlywed life, but I should be grateful for evening.¡± ¡°Were you there?¡± Zaifa turned his head and smiled. Ronan was proudly upying the best ce in the Grand Circle along with Adeshan. The seats around him were filled with his friends, including Asher and Marja. ¡°Come to think of it, you were married. It¡¯s a good time.¡± ¡°Amazing. Did you forget all the alcohol at the reception and left?¡± Ronan chuckled. He was officially married to Adeshan just a few days ago. ording to Adeshan¡¯s wishes, most of the people they had been rted to came to the wedding, which was held in the za of Phileon Academy. Zaifa was one of the first guests to arrive. After leaving a short message of congrattions, he finished off the alcohol for the reception and went back. Of course, they sent as a gift enough wine to cover the entire wedding cost, but that was after the wedding was over. ¡°Do you know how hard I struggled to recover? How much the dragons love alcohol¡­ As usual, you were killed by Navardoze¡¯s sister and Orsay!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have left it alone? I don¡¯t know about the mother of fire, but I wanted to have a try with that demon dragon.¡± ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t say a word. Schlieffen! Blow away that unlucky cat!¡± Ronan shouted, cupping his hand over his mouth. Nabi Rose, who was sitting in the back seat, nodded as if agreeing. Instead of answering, Schlieffen turned his head to look at the audience. Illil was staring at herself with her hands together. Her big eyes, like those of a deer, were filled with worry. ¡°Sir Schlieffen.¡± Erill murmured. I was well aware of Schlieffen¡¯s skills, but it was a different story when the opponent was Zayfa. The greatest swordsman of all time. He tried to dissuade him by saying that he didn¡¯t have to fight, but in the end, Schlieffen came to this ce to keep the oath he had made to himself. Schlieffen looked back at Zaifa and opened his mouth. ¡°I have no intention of losing.¡± It wasn¡¯t just for her, it was for everyone. Then, a middle-aged man in fancy clothes walked out onto the podium. The noisy hall became quiet as if cold water had been poured on it. It was the 44-year-old Balon, the emcee of this match and the emperor of the empire. ¡°Oh, look at the gray hair. You must have suffered a bit.¡± ¡°Shh Ronan¡­!¡± Only Ronan whistled in admiration. Adeshan, sitting next to him, covered his mouth. The all-white hair reminded me of the hardships the emperor went through after the war with Neb gie. He slowly looked around the arena and opened his mouth. ¡°To be able to see this scenery again. Your feelings are innumerable.¡± ¡°Meet Your Majesty.¡± Schlieffen and Zeifa bowed on one knee. The Emperor smiled softly. Clearing his throat a couple of times, he continued. ¡°There will be no one who does not know your deeds and names, so I will not speak at length. I hope you will do your best as this is the ce where the Imperial First Sword will be decided.¡± ¡°what. Could that be the end?¡± ¡°I look forward to the best match.¡± After saying those words, the emperor turned his back. Ronanughed at the absurdly simple speech. Next to the emperor who returned to his seat were the elders who supervised the sword festival. ¡°Then when do we start¡­¡± Ronan murmured in a questioning voice. The blurry shape of Zaifa shot forward. It was the moment Schlieffen reflexively raised his sword. Aaaaaang-! A thunderous roar rang out. Zaifaughed as he saw the sword and the Pale Road running in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re not getting pushed out now.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Schlieffen replied. Despite Zaifa¡¯s surprise attack, he was not pushed back even one step. Compared to the first time I was greeted, it was a great improvement indeed. The audience, who noticed the situation btedly, started talking. ¡°What just happened to the bar?!¡± ¡°oh my god¡­!¡± In their eyes, Jaifa seemed to disappear for a moment and then reappear. Then the des fought against each other and the battle resumed. Caan-! The flying sword rose high and fell toward the top of Schlieffen¡¯s head. ¡°Huh!¡± Schlieffen, who twisted his shoulder, avoided the sword attack by a single piece of paper. bang! The heavy de pierced the pavement made of special material like tofu. Schlieffen grabbed the hilt. The bluish de of the Pale Road turned into the wind and disappeared. It was as Jaipa was about to pull out the spear de stuck in the ground. As Schlieffen swung the hilt horizontally, the wind hit Zaifa. Viscount Chow! The wounds that seemed to have been scratched by dozens of birds of prey were carved all over his body. The wind that Schlieffen handled was like a famous sword with sharp strands. Blood gushed over the ck fur and soaked the floor. ¡°A kid.¡± Zaifa¡¯s eyes narrowed. Schlieffen, who hadnded a valid hit,unched a series attack. However, Jaifa didn¡¯t care about the injury and pulled out the moon sword and swung it. bang! A heavy blow that flew faster than expected hit the Pale Road. ¡°Ugh!¡± Schlieffen gritted his teeth. I couldn¡¯t breathe well because the pushed knife belly hit my ribs. ¡®The pain of being cut by the wind must have been considerable.¡¯ Indeed, it was the spirit of an undefeated swordsman. However, Schlieffen also had no intention of passing easily. Immediately straightening his posture, he burrowed into Zaifa¡¯s arms. Pale Road¡¯s de had returned to its original form. ¡°hmm¡­!¡± Jaipa frowned. The speed of digging was faster than expected. The distance between him and Schlieffen was too close for Rich to respond with a long twitching sword. It was the moment when Schlieffen was about to attempt a stab. Zaifa, who pretended to wield a spear, unexpectedly kicked. Pan-! Schlieffen, who jumped up as if he had been waiting for it, stepped on his knee and leaped again. ¡°ah?¡± Zaifa¡¯s eyes widened. All I could say was that it was predictable. Schlieffen, who used his knee as a stepping stone to leap again, soared nearly 10m. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡± The audience was astonished at the height that transcendedmon sense. Zaifa was not taken aback and straightened his posture. It was good to read his number, but it was difficult to avoid the attack from below while floating in the air like that. Of course, there was no way Schlieffen would not know that muchmon sense. ¡°Let¡¯s see your skills.¡± To hold this position was to say that we should stick together with swordsmanship. Zaifa, who was ttering, grabbed the spear pole. The ck mana that spread from his hand was wrapped around the spear de. His space-cutting aura yed the same role as swordsmanship. Schlieffen, which had reached its peak, began to fall. He swung his sword wide as he descended with his feet in stance. ¡°Haap!¡± A spirit of tion rang out. At the same time, two half-moon-shaped swords crossed and fired. It was a sword long and wide enough to cross the arena from end to end. Nabi Rose, who was watching the game, admired a little. ¡°Have you already reached there?¡± It was almost the same size as his own sword skill. The power would also be enormous. At that time, Zaifa¡¯s arm, which had been watching the sword, disappeared from sight. At the same time as the curved sword returned to its original position, a ck line was drawn in front of Schlieffen¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. I had seen them before when we were hunting wyverns together. It was a crack in space that would tear everything apart. Schlieffen¡¯s swordsmanship, which touched the ck line, was cut off in vain. Kwakwang! bang! The sword that was divided into pieces caused an explosion by hitting the arena floor instead of the jaiper. Ronan jumped up and shouted urgently. ¡°Avoid assholes!¡± Probably everyone in the audience would have agreed with that statement. Unlike Ronan, Schlieffen could not cut mana. But instead of dodging, he elerated even more. His face was just about to touch the ck line. Shirik! A sudden gust of wind twisted Schlieffen¡¯s trajectory down just a tiny bit. The rift in space passed through his body and hair. ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± Jaifaughed. I liked the guts to break through head-on. However, he, who had demonic dynamic vision, was confident that he would destroy Schlieffen no matter how it came out. Looking at the gripping method, I think I¡¯m going to shoot a short and quick shot. Zaifa, who hade up with an answer in an instant, was about tounch a counterattack. Great! Suddenly, dozens of cutting lines were drawn on the spearhead of the Eonwoldo he was holding. ¡°what.¡± Zaifa let out a bewilderment. The spear pole fell to the floor. Schlieffen has consistently damaged him since the first match, and the result has onlye out now. He threw the spear and tried to retaliate with his bare hands, but it was toote. hooked! The fail rod pierced Jaipa¡¯s tail and mmed into the ground. ¡°Insolent¡­¡± Jaipa growled. The cold air emanating from the sword, imbued with bitter cold, froze the entire tail of Jaipa and the nearby floor. It was at this moment that he turned around with the intention of removing his tail. As he let go of the hilt, Schlieffen leaned back and muttered in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s a storm.¡± There was nothing to say. Aaaah-! A whirlwind that appeared tearing the ground engulfed the jaypha and surged. Each strand was as sharp as a razor de, piercing a huge hole in the cumulus clouds passing over the arena. A thunderous cheer erupted from the quiet audience. ¡°Waaaaaa!¡± ¡°Schlieffen you bastard¡­!¡± Ronan clenched his fists and called for joy. It was an awesome fake. The shape of Zaifa, swallowed by the wind, was not even visible. Considering the cases of enemies who had been affected by Schlieffen¡¯s aura, it was unlikely that they would be safe. It was in the middle of expecting a decision like this. Chew! Suddenly, a ck line was drawn over the whirlwind, and the wind tore left and right. ¡°What¡­!¡± Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened. It was before he felt threatened and even took a defensive stance. Jaipa, flying like a sh war, appeared in front of him. Kwajik! At the same time, a ck fist hit him in the stomach. ¡°Cuck!¡± Blood gushed from Schlieffen¡¯s mouth. I was obviously hit in the stomach, but it felt like my spine would be crushed. bang! He bounced off in a straight line and crashed into the arena wall. ¡°Sir Schlieffen!¡± Erill screamed. Zypha, which blew up Schlieffen, stopped in ce. After escaping the whirlwind, his body was literally in a mess. With every step he took, a dark red puddle was forming at his feet. ck skin was exposed under the fur, which had been torn off more than half. Of course, Zaifa didn¡¯t look tired at all. The spection that bloomed over his wide shoulders was rather thick. Ten ws that had slipped out before I knew it were shing on my ck fingers. It was the true sword of Zaifa that even sank Nabi Rose. bang! Schlieffen, who had been staggering, raised his body as if he were bouncing. Seeing this, Jaifa smiled eerily. ¡°It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 328 [Abduction 12. Swordsman (2) ] #A12 ¡°I don¡¯t know how much. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve enjoyed.¡± Jaifa said. His pupils, which let out a grim smile, werepletely narrowed vertically. A murderous breath that seemed to squeeze his lungs was spreading throughout the arena. ¡°How¡­¡± sighed Schlieffen, who had spat out blood. I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I saw it with my own eyes. Zaifa¡¯s injury was not something that could be ovee with grit. Dark red blood was dripping from his entire body, which had be tattered. The tail that had been stabbed by the fail rod was cut off and was lying on the floor. Judging by the clean cut, it seemed as if it had been cut by itself in a whirlwind. ¡°It is dangerous.¡± Nabi Roze bit his lip. Unknowingly, she raised her hand and touched the scar on her corbone. It was the traces of having been beaten by Zaifa in the Sword Saint Final Match the other day. It was Zaifa in that state that defeated him. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Schlieffen caught his breath. The pain that seemed like my spine would be cut off also subsided to some extent as time passed. Stay calm. If you don¡¯t hurry as long as you hit effective hits, the odds are overflowing. It was in the midst of a tense confrontation. ¡°I can still y more. huh?¡± After saying that, Zaifa suddenly lowered her body. Touching the ground with both hands was a posture reminiscent of a beast before attacking its prey. Schlieffen, who was about to turn his sword into wind, hesitated. ¡®Dangerous.¡¯ The intuition that had brought him to this point warned him. I can¡¯t make that choice right now. It was the moment when Schlieffen, who had received an aura, instinctively raised his sword. Wow! A sound like thunderbolts struck my eardrums. Zaifa, who appeared in front of him before he knew it, eximed in admiration. ¡°Awesome. Did you read this?¡± ¡°What speed¡­!¡± Schlieffen gritted his teeth. Five ws bent like hooks were engaged with the Pale Rod. The hand holding the hilt was vibrating as if it would break at any moment. The distance of more than fifty steps had lost its meaning and had narrowed. A crack resembling a spider¡¯s web remained on the cobblestone where Zaifa had stood. It was a sign of leaping and pressing down with tremendous leg power. Since Zaifa had two hands, the next attack came right away. Chew! A w that rose obliquely from the lower left scratched Schlieffen¡¯s chest. ¡°Keugh!¡± Blood spattered. It wasn¡¯t deep, but it was painful enough. Schlieffen, who narrowly survived, swung his sword as if to shake it off. Caang! Zaifa, who lightly deflected the sword, roared loudly. ¡°Put on your leftovers and attack properly!¡± bang! The sword and ws touched, and lightning struck again. Schlieffen twisted his lips at the sessive attacks. It was unbelievable that the enemy had abandoned his weapon. Zaifa¡¯s attack was more dangerous and sharper than when he heard the sword. There was no time to turn the de into wind. Finally giving up, he straightened up and responded. Zaifa with her ws up was certainly fast, but Schlieffen was not pushed back when it came to speed. Every time the ws and des collided, sparks bloomed in the air. It was in the middle of dozens of sword attacks that would be difficult for ordinary people to even perceive. Pooh! A fountain of blood sttered on Zaifa¡¯s shoulder des. The corners of his mouth went up bizarrely. ¡°Kha, that¡¯s the recipe!¡± ¡°you¡­!¡± Schlieffen¡¯s eyes widened. It was an attack that was expected to be blocked. After exchanging sums a few more times, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Sword Saint. Abstain.¡± ¡°Are my ears wrong? What did you say now, kid?¡± ¡°I was forced to abstain. Are you thinking of dying?¡± ¡°Your notice is unnecessarily fast again.¡± Zaifaughed. Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened. Again, his physical condition was far from normal. Come to think of it, there was no way I could be fine. What Jaifa was hit with was a whirlwind that shattered six of Neb zie¡¯s executives. The wounds from the blizzard were eating away at his life in real time. If the game continued like this, it could really go wrong. This was the ce where the first sword of the Empire was decided, not an illegal diatorial arena where murder wasmitted. However, Zaifa seemed to have a different meaning. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°but¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up! If ites out that way, I won¡¯t let you think of anything else!¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± Zaifa kicked Schlieffen. It was the moment when he, who had been thrown off by an unexpected blow,nded while spinning around the lot. Quaang! Suddenly, the crouching Zypha kicked off the ground and jumped up. Certainly, the physical abilities of humans and Wear Tigers were at the level of heaven and earth. People were amazed at the leap that was iparably higher than that of Schlieffen. ¡°That high¡­!¡± ¡°Awesome. Really great.¡± ¡°Damn, where the hell are you going?¡± Ronan, who bent his head following his trajectory, frowned. It was almost the same height as when he was holding a wyvern with him. It was around the time that Zaifa¡¯s shape began to look almost like a dot. Suaaa¡­! The atmosphere around Zaifa began to distort with the sound of a river wind blowing. ¡°No way!¡± Asher¡¯s face hardened. His keen senses were reading Mana¡¯s unusual movements. Dark energy was gathering around the dotted Zaifa. It was not difficult to predict what would happen in the future. he shouted with a pale face. ¡°We need to deploy the bar defenses! hurry!¡± ¡°Mage Asher? Come on, unfold your defenses!¡± The wizards waiting were taken aback. Asel¡¯s screams, they chanted in unison. It was a car filled with dozens ofyers of translucent forcefieldsyer byyer between the arena and the spectator seats. Sugak! Five ck lines were drawn over the arena. ¡°This¡­!¡± It was Zaifa¡¯s Auror, a spatial rift. The size of the five fissures, which looked exactly like his w marks, was huge enough to cross the arena from end to end. It was the moment when Schlieffen, barely out of range, took a defensive stance. Kwaaaang-! At the same time as the ck line disappeared, smashed paving stones bounced in all directions. ¡°Aaaaaagh!¡± ¡°Save the four people!¡± Screams erupted from all over the audience. The forcefields that were hit directly byrge and small fragments were being destroyed one after another. Of course, it didn¡¯t reach them because it was ovepping several sheets, but it was a scary enough sight. ¡°Sword Saint¡­!¡± Schlieffen was astonished. It was formidable power. As he swung his sword, the wind blew away the dust. Seeing the horrific sight, Ronan spat out a curse. ¡°Nimi.¡± The re-exposed arena was like a soybean field plowed by a plow. The facility was barely restored after it was destroyed by Neb zie, but it¡¯s actually more messed up than before. The emperor staggered as he grabbed the back of his neck, but that didn¡¯t matter. Kwaaang! Zaifa, which fell like a ck meteor,nded behind Schlieffen. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ste!¡± Schlieffen quickly turned around, but was a step toote. Zaifa¡¯s right hand ran across his side. Pooh! At the same time as the five-pronged scar was engraved, fresh blood spurted out. ¡°Huh.¡± Schlieffen¡¯s face, which had remained calm all along, was contorted with pain. Augh leaked through Jaifa¡¯s fangs. But Schlieffen was not alone in suffering. He staggered as if he was going to fall, but he straightened up and raised his sword. Chow! The wind that surged along the sword path swept Zaifa¡¯s upper body. ¡°Heuk!¡± The pain hit me to the point of losing consciousness. All in all, I was given the spot where I had been stabbed by Nabi Rose before. The two men, who had flinched for a while, shed again. Kagagak! Every time the sword and w met, new bloodstains were being carved at their feet. ¡°You need to dry it.¡± Iril, who was worse than that, rose from his seat. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Schlieffen or Zeifa copsed and died immediately. It was the car that she, crying, was trying to find the person concerned. Ronan, who was sitting right next to her, wrapped her arms around her shoulders. ¡°sister. no.¡± ¡°Ha, but if we go on like this, the two of us¡­!¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I can¡¯t. sit back.¡± Iril was in tears, but Ronan was adamant. It was really painful to see my sister grieving, but this time I couldn¡¯t help it. Ronan, who seated her again, continued. ¡°Why the hell are you doing that¡­? Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of that, you can¡¯t be a swordsman. It may be hard to understand, but just watch¡­and don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°That Schlieffen bastard has a reason to win.¡± Irill tilted his head, but Ronan smiled silently. He remembered Schlieffen¡¯s oath to him. said the idiot Unless you be the strongest swordsman, you have no right to dere that you will protect this sheep for the rest of your life. For Schlieffen, marriage meant that. The battle was intensifying. Ronan crossed his arms and muttered, fixing his eyes on the two of them. ¡°Win it. Schlieffen.¡± I didn¡¯t know that I would be rooting for the guy who would live and take his sister. Still, I couldn¡¯t help it. Because it seemed that no one better than that would appear on the continent for the next hundred years. Schlieffen and Zaifa, now rags, were in the middle of throwing their swords and ws at each other. For an instant, Zaifa¡¯s eyes blurred. ¡°Kuh¡­¡± It was a side effect of shedding too much blood. for a moment. His posture, which had been in power for a very short time, was disturbed. It was a moment that would be a waste to even call it a moment, but Schlieffen did not miss the opportunity. A scream erupted from his mouth as he gripped the hilt with both hands. ¡°Haaaaaaaa!¡± A sharp thrust aimed at Jaipa¡¯s heart. At this rate, the sword would reach faster than the fist. But Zaifa did not stop. Pooh! As the sword pierced his chest, a huge fist struck Schlieffen¡¯s forehead. The sword narrowly missed the heart, but the fist undoubtedly shattered the bone pain. It¡¯s over. Zaifa, who had been talking so much, was about to raise the corner of her mouth. Suaa¡­Schlieffen¡¯s shape disappeared like ashes blown away by the wind. ¡°What¡­!¡± Zaifa¡¯s eyes widened. He btedly noticed that the fail rod that pierced his chest had disappeared. In the first ce, Schlieffen did not stand in front of him. It was just a trick using the wind. ¡®Then where is it?¡¯ Zaifa¡¯s hair stood on end. Suddenly, I felt someone¡¯s presence behind me. It was the moment when Zaifa, sensing a crisis, turned around. Sugak! A surge of shes like aet shed through his side. ¡°¡­Cheuk!¡± Blood gushed from Zaifa¡¯s mouth. This blow was fatal. No sound could be heard from the audience seats. Schlieffen, who rushed with a sword strike,nded twenty feet away. ¡°Ugh.¡± Schlieffen stumbled. He rammed the tip of his sword into the ground and barely escaped falling. Zaifa did not move as it was in the position where his side was cut. ¡°Blood is the tears of a knife.¡± After being silent for a moment, he opened his mouth with his back to Schlieffen. Dark red blood was dripping down the sharp fingernails. It was not clear which of the two belonged to it. A cracked voice asked a question. ¡°Can you handle those tears?¡± It was a word with many meanings. Once a father and head of the Northern Beast Alliance of hunters, now the sword of the emperor, he has literally countless cuts he has made. The knife¡¯s tears were death. Sword Saint is the best sword in the empire. It meant the person who was the strongest and had to shed the most tears. And no one could say with certainty that the current peace wouldst forever. Zaifa was asking about responsibility. About the burden that I will probably have to carry forever. Schlieffen, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°yes.¡± It was a voice without hesitation. Schlieffen¡¯s eyes stayed on the audience, to be exact, on Iril and his friends who were sitting there. No matter how heavy and heavy the choices are, the faces of the loved ones always gave confidence and courage. Looking back at Zaifa, he shook his head. ¡°Anything to protect.¡± ¡°¡­joy.¡± Jaifaughed. His slowly leaning body fell to the floor from the back. A dazzlingly blue sky stretched overhead. The cumulonimbus clouds they tore apart were now flocks of dozens of sheep ying in the wind. Normally, I would pass by without thinking about it, but today it felt somehow refreshing. The clouds that lost their shape and scattered randomly looked exceptionally free. Schlieffen, who staggered in front of him, sent a sword. It was polite to be together, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the strength left. Expressing regret by slightly raising his hand, he muttered with his eyes closed. ¡°I lost. Sword Saint.¡± Chapter 329 [Abduction 13. Wedding march ] A13 ¡°The imperial swordsman has changed?¡± ¡°yes. It was really cool back then. It¡¯s been over half a year already.¡± Recalling the past, Adeshan smiled. The Sword Saint match that took ce in the Grand Circle that day was an unforgettable memory. In front of her, a white-haired elf woman was listening with her hands sped together. It was Elsia who once assisted the savior. After almost two years of restoring Adren, she visited the continent. He was so hectic that he was unaware of important events such as the recement of the Sword Master. Elcia asked with her eyes twinkling. ¡°Then what happened to Zaifa? Are you dead?¡± ¡°no. I was released after being promised freedom by His Majesty the Emperor. I didn¡¯t know, but originally, it was supposed to break the oath of blood when you came down from the sword castle.¡± ¡°what? Then wouldn¡¯t it be okay toe down after losing to someone earlier?¡± ¡°I thought so too¡­ As he said, there must be standards in the world of swordsmen that ordinary people cannot understand.¡± Adeshan scratched his cheek. She also had the same question and asked Zaifa the same question. The answer that came back was ¡®I¡¯d rather die.¡¯ was ¡°I see¡­Huu, it is difficult to adapt to the world of mortals. Too much happens in a short amount of time.¡± ¡°Huh, it certainly seems like that to a race that lives a long time like Elsia. That¡¯s because I¡¯ve been with dragons.¡± ¡°Still, the most surprising thing is that child. What is your name?¡± Elcia asked with her eyes twinkling. Her gaze rested on the baby in Adeshan¡¯s arms. It was fatally cute to see her sleeping soundly while wrapped in swaddling clothes. Her hair, ck as in the middle of the night, resembled Adeshan more than Ronan. ¡°Lance. It is said to mean sword in the Southern Aboriginalnguage. It was made by Instructor Nabi Rose, isn¡¯t it okay?¡± ¡°So pretty. Are you a girl?¡± ¡°I am a man. I get misunderstood because my eyshes are long¡­¡± ¡°Aww.¡± ¡°Oh, it happened.¡± Just then, Lance woke up and opened his eyes. Elcia flinched. Lance¡¯s eyes, revealed under his thick eyshes, were tinged with scarlet, resembling a sunset. It was an eternal color that had been passed down from the distant past. Elcia¡¯s eyes became hazy as she suddenly recalled the days she had spent with her savior. She put her face close to Lance and smiled. ¡°Hi Lance. Your eyes look a lot like your grandfather.¡± ¡°Ugh?¡± Lance tilted his head. Adeshan was in the middle of looking down at the two with a pleased expression. The door suddenly opened and the butler of the Grancia family entered. ¡°It is time to enter soon.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± The butler bowed respectfully and left the room. They were in the bridal waiting room of Grancia Mansion. After confirming that the door was closed, Adeshan looked back into the room. ¡°Are you ready, sister?¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Wait a minute!¡± said Erill, flustered. She was sitting in front of a huge mirror, constantly adjusting her dress. A wedding dress as white as her own hair was draped over her. Even though thedies-in-waiting had already made perfect preparations, seeing them do that made them quite nervous. Adeshan approached Iril and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, sister. It¡¯s really nothing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t have to worry too much, right?¡± ¡°sure. My wedding with him was over in an instant.¡± ¡°At the time, we all cried so much that we were distracted, but I think that was the case¡­I¡¯m envious because we finished first¡­Adeshan was really pretty at that time.¡± Erill cried. At Ronan¡¯s wedding, Adeshan did not wear a wedding dress, but the uniform of an alliedmander. It was so pretty that it literally made a fuss, butpared to that, I felt like I was too shabby. Iril looked at his clothes once more and asked anxiously. ¡°Hey, am I pretty now?¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± For an instant, Adeshan was dumbfounded. She and Elcia, who blinked silently, looked back at each other at the same time. It was probably the dumbest question in the world. **** The autumn sky was high. The neatly grown trees were burning themselves as if resisting the approaching winter. Every time the wind blew, the leaves fluttered, holding plenty of the colors of the autumn leaves. Schlieffen and Iril¡¯s wedding took ce in the garden of Grancia¡¯s mansion. The vast and beautiful manor has been transformed into a perfect wedding hall today. Thevishly decorated gardens were crowded with guests from all over the continent. The nobility and imperial families of each country, as well as those rted to Phileon, led by Kratir, the great wizard Lorhorn and the emperor Balon 44, were personally present to shine. Seeing a familiar face, Asher sighed. ¡°Yo Yongwang?!¡± ¡°iced coffee. You¡¯re the wizard who saved the city of dragons. How are you?¡± Dragon King Ajidhaka waved his hand. The hair reminiscent of a golden mane and distinctive appearance stood out even though it was polymorphed into a human form. Next to him stood a ck-haired middle-aged man holding arge trunk bag. ¡°It¡¯s easy. Mage Asher. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen humans, so it¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Alibrihe-sama¡­!¡± Asher¡¯s eyes widened. It was the ck dragon Alibrihe, whom he met in the city of dragons. Like Elcia, she came down to earth after almost two years. Suddenly, he sat down and opened the bag. ¡°Where is Ronan? I brought a present, but this is it. I can¡¯t find it no matter how much I look for it.¡± ¡°Hehehehe!¡± Asher was frightened. In the trunk, a pair of prosthetic arms and legs were neatly stored. Judging by the length and shape, it seemed to fit Ronan¡¯s physical condition. ¡°Why is that kind of stuff suddenly¡­!¡± ¡°I owe a lot of money the other day, but there was nothing I could give you other than this. The unpredictable is also the future of people¡­ Oh, yours are also prepared.¡± Alibriheughed. He said that he also used this money as a congrattory gift for the bride and groom. Because it was finished by attaching an artificial outer skin, it seemed that a human limb had been severed. Asher, who swallowed a thick saliva, nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­ First of all, since the wedding is about to start, I¡¯ll visit you after it¡¯s over. If that Ronan officiates today and goes over there¡­¡± He was about to say something. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang from the stage in the center of the ceremony hall. dies and gentlemen! Please pay attention!¡± ¡°Hick¡­!¡± ¡°You can eat that drink and foodter. It¡¯s not like running away. It¡¯s an important seat, everyone, pay attention!¡± It was a loud cry that was not appropriate for the seat. Asher and the two dragons turned their heads at the same time. Standing in front of a golden podium, Ronan in a suit stood with his hands in his pockets. ¡°hello. It¡¯s called Ronan, who officiated. To be honest, I don¡¯t think there will be anyone who doesn¡¯t know my face, so I won¡¯t introduce myself.¡± ¡°Lord.¡± The Dragon King sighed. Actually, it wasn¡¯t wrong. At least among the people gathered here, there was no one who didn¡¯t know the swordsman who cut the stars. As if to prove him, most of the guests burst intoughter. Confirming that the surroundings had be quiet enough, he extended his index finger and pointed at the mansion. ¡°Then let¡¯s finish the harvest and start the wedding. The position of the bride and groom.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Ronan¡¯s direction. Before long, the door to the mansion opened and Irill and Schlieffen walked out. Originally, they had to enter separately, but it was Ronan¡¯s trick for Ilil, who had no father to hold her hand. Silence fell over the crowd as the two stepped onto the Virgin Road. ¡°¡­and.¡± For an instant, everyone in the room forgot how to breathe. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Schlieffen, dressed in a wedding dress, was the most stylish person in the empire, but unfortunately, next to him was Illil in a wedding dress. The Duke of Grancia, who was observing the position of the two, muttered to himself. ¡°¡­the thief.¡± ¡°How did that blunt kid bring a woman like a sheep to win? There are so many corridors.¡± His wife also stood beside him. Even though he was his own son, he could not defend it. Iril¡¯s power of control now wasparable to that of Navardoze descending in his true form. The hem of her wedding dress, long and gorgeous like the fins of a tropical fish, was sliding down the road. Two young children carrying baskets took about five steps ahead, scattering blue petals on the road. The two finally reached the podium and stopped. Ronan looked at them in turns. Irrill, who met his eyes, whispered softly. ¡°Ro Ronan¡­Come on¡­¡± She was at a loss for what to do with the shame and euphoria she was experiencing for the first time in her life. The blush was visible, but much better than the nerd next to him. Nervous enough to be nervous, Schlieffen was just about to pass out. ¡®It¡¯s a spectacle.¡¯ Ronan smiled. Of course, since he was married himself, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t understand his feelings, but this was a bit severe. I guess I need to lighten the mood. After thinking for a moment, Ronan nodded. ¡°A few words before proceeding with the ceremony.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± The Duke of Grancia shrugged his eyebrows. This was an unscripted action. Ronan, who walked out to the podium, opened his mouth. ¡°Honestly, until this morning, I was filled with rage. I was thinking about how to kick this bastard¡¯s ass. Because he¡¯s the world¡¯s thief who stole my sister. I still feel like my stomach is twisting.¡± ¡°Ro Ronan¡­!¡± ¡°I have to admit this. My older sister, Miss Erill, is the most perfect woman on the. Not to mention the looks, and the vitality is also different. The reason I can stand here proudly without dying is because my older sister went through all kinds of hardships and changed my poopy diapers. Actually, even at this moment, I am contemting whether I should run away with my sister.¡± Again,ughter erupted from everywhere. Iril¡¯s face turned bright red. Ronan, who approached Schlieffen in a flirtatious manner, spoke sarcastically. ¡°By the way, what about this child? I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s a little messy, but that¡¯s all. It¡¯s worth noting the delicate side of her, where she can¡¯t pee properly if someone looks at her.¡± Ronan giggled. Schlieffen¡¯s face turned red. Unable to bear the shame, he was about to say a word. ¡°Ronan. You¡­¡± ¡°But he¡¯s a good guy.¡± Ronan stopped talking and looked back at the guest seat. ¡°To tell you the truth, he is a very nice guy. At least among the males I¡¯ve seen, he¡¯s the best. Regardless of race. The best thing about this Schlieffen son is that he keeps his promises, and nothing else. About five years ago¡­ I was away for a long time once, and I¡¯m still keeping the promise I made then. A promise to protect my sister.¡± ¡°Did you make that promise?¡± Erill¡¯s eyes widened. It was a story she had never heard before. Ronan continued. ¡°And Schlieffen kept his promise. Not only in the harsh winter, but also in the war where bald heads ran amok. In fact, the heir to the most prestigious family in the empire, the swordsman who defeated Zaifa Turgung, who was called the strongest swordsman in history, and the hero who saved this from the clutches of bald followers. . Keeping a promise no matter what happens is such a great thing.¡± Suddenly, the guest seat was quiet. I couldn¡¯t even hear the rattling of dishes. Everyone was paying attention to Ronan¡¯s words. ¡°So I¡¯ll take this opportunity to make another appointment. It is very good that there are many people who are willing to be notaries. Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­okay.¡± Schlieffen murmured. I couldn¡¯t quite guess what was going to happen. Ronan, who was muttering to himself, looked at him. ¡°Make my sister happy¡­no cancetion. I think this will be better.¡± It was quite difficult to choose what to say. Ronan, who had been silent for a while, opened his mouth. ¡°Be happy you two. until the death.¡± And smiled. No answer came back. Iril¡¯s shoulders, which covered his mouth with his hand, began to move slightly. Schlieffen, who was silent for a few seconds, nodded slowly. ¡°¡­¡­I swear.¡± Chapter 330 [Abduction 14. Father and son ] #A14 ¡°Hmm¡­ this should be enough.¡± After finishing her work, Adeshan muttered as she took off her sses. With this, the contract period with the Caravel Company was extended for another 5 years. Sunlight filtering through the wide windows warmed her office. On the huge desk like a dinosaur, various agendas to be dealt with this month were neatly arranged. Originally, I liked this kind of thing, and when I was the student council president at Phileon, I did a lot of simr things, so there was no difficulty. Suddenly, Adeshan¡¯s gazended on a picture frame in the corner of the desk. Inside the little square were Irill and Schlieffen kissing and people scattering flowers around them. It was ¡®photography¡¯ developed by Didican and nowmercialized. Seeing herself and Ronan smiling brightly, she smiled. ¡°¡­I miss you.¡± Ten years have already passed since that day. The time when rivers and mountains change and people change. She, who seemed to remain a youngdy forever, was now a married woman with a child. Adeshan was in the middle of reminiscing about the past as she twirled her fountain pen. smart. A familiar voice came along with a knock. ¡°mom.¡± ¡°huh? Lance?¡± Adeshan smirked. The door opened slowly and a boy with a pouting expression entered. It was Ronan and her first son, Lance. Lance, who turned 11 this year, was suffering from premature puberty. His ck hair and thick eyshes looked just like him. When the answer did note back even after waiting, Adeshan asked back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my son?¡± ¡°¡­Mom, why did you marry such a worthless person?¡± ¡°Ugh huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Adeshan was taken aback by the unexpected question. Lance approached her and took her hand and went out into the living room. In the spacious living room, a man with shaggy hair was lying asleep on the sofa. ¡°Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡± ¡°Kouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu000..¡± The sound of snoring wasing from under the magazine that covered his face. It wasn¡¯t until this morning that Ronan returned home. Their second daughter, Erin, who turned nine this year, was fast asleep in his arms. ¡°Me too. Come in and grow up.¡± Seeing the scene, Adeshan smiled. Nothing has changed between when we were dating and now. Seeing the eyes dripping with honey, Lance asked in fright. ¡°¡­mom. You didn¡¯t get married because you were threatened, did you? Weak points were found.¡± ¡°Hey, what is he talking about? Why would your mother do that?¡± ¡°Butmon sense makes no sense. Mom is so busy, but Dad always sleeps.¡± Lance pouted. He couldn¡¯t understand why the two got married because he didn¡¯t know Ronan¡¯s past in detail. Even from an objective point of view, Adeshan was truly a perfect mother. Although he suffered from various duties, including manor management, he did not neglect household chores and cooked one meal a day unconditionally. Of course, they also feared their children, so Lance and Erin were able to grow up receiving lots of love. Self-management was also thorough, so she never looked like a married woman with two children. If I had to find a prettier person, it would be Aunt Irill who married Uncle Schlieffen. Compared to him, Ronan was just a man who didn¡¯t shave his beard properly. People praised him as a hero who saved the world, but he could never defend him as he knew the truth. Lance muttered. ¡°The more I look, the more I don¡¯t understand. Mom is so busy, but Dad always sleeps.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that to my dad. After all, how hard are you working for our family? The reason why youe inte every day is because you are busy working.¡± Adeshan, squatting down, tapped his son on the nose with his index finger. Well, most of the time Ronanes after work around the time Lance is asleep, so I thought that might be the case. ¡°And Dad is a really capable man. It¡¯s all thanks to Dad that we canugh like this. Do you believe my son¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°joy. Even so, it¡¯s clear that you hate me.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­But you didn¡¯t evene to my entrance ceremony. I was the head of the martial arts department.¡± Lance muttered. In fact, Ronan could not attend his son¡¯s entrance ceremony. Considering the tradition of the whole familying to celebrate regardless of circumstances, it was certainly unusual. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Principal Nabi Roze asked if Ronan wasn¡¯t here, and the shock grew even more. Adeshan, who was dumbfounded for a moment, was in the middle of thinking about what to say. Whoa! The wind from the balcony knocked the magazine over Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh¡­ Uhm. Damn it¡­¡± ¡°Oh it happened.¡± Ronan flinched and opened his eyes. My head was still dizzy, probably fromck of sleep. Slowly raising his head, he saw his daughter, who was soundly asleep on the boat, and his son, who was ring at him from afar with ax eyes. He yawned and waved his hand. ¡°Haaaaa¡­good morning. son.¡± ¡°What about breakfast? Is it because the sun is in mid-heaven?¡± ¡°Why is the day standing like this again today? Are you tired of peeing in your sleep?¡± ¡°What nonsense! When the hell are you going to bring it up!¡± Lance, whose face was flushed red, shouted loudly. I also couldn¡¯t like this person. Ronan giggled as he set Erin down on his personal couch. ¡°Otherwise, why are you screaming? I will wake up my brother.¡± ¡°My father is talking nonsense! I am no longer a child!¡± ¡°Even if a guy with no hair on his body said something like that, it wouldn¡¯t be convincing. And if you¡¯re thirsty, whether it¡¯s poop or pee, you might get tired once in a while¡­ Huh! How can this be!¡± ¡°Why why?!¡± Surprised, Lance shrugged. Ronan¡¯s eyes, which were always half-closed, were wide open. Did something appear? He was in the middle of looking around for something useful as a weapon. Ronan, who had suddenly approached Adeshan with a front tumble, held her hand and said. ¡°I thought an angel appeared, but it turned out to be our honey. Excuse me for this.¡± ¡°Oh really. You too¡­¡± Adeshan blushed. Ronan kissed the back of the hand he was still holding and held her as if he were holding a princess. He stared at Adeshan¡¯s face and clicked his tongue. ¡°Your hair is damaged. Your face is tired too¡­ You¡¯re having a lot of trouble with this little monster?¡± ¡°Who are you calling a monster! Put Mom down!¡± Ronan stretched out his leg and kicked Lance in the butt. A hot-headed Lance tried to rush at it, but was blocked by his feet and couldn¡¯t get close. Adeshan shook his head. ¡°I am just a little tired. And the hard work is all because I love it.¡± ¡°What a kind heart this is¡­ I can assure you. One of the two best things in my life was telling you to marry me.¡± ¡°What about the other one?¡± ¡°You epted my marriage proposal. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Kyaaaagh! Not now!¡± Donning ap, Ronan pretended to walk into the living room. Adeshan let out a happy scream and tapped him on the shoulder. Lance vomited in vain at the sight that he could not open his eyes to see. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°son. I¡¯m sorry, but would you like to take Erin out for a while? Come y for an hour¡­ no, two hours.¡± Suddenly, Ronan, who was rummaging through his inner pocket, handed out a silver coin to Lance. It was an asional event when the two of them reached their peak. Lance epted it with an expression as if he were looking at the corpse of his daughter-inw. He let out a small sigh and picked up his sister who was sleeping on the sofa. ¡°Um¡­ brother?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Erin. This corner of the house is hopeless.¡± ¡°Uh-uh¡­?¡± Erin was carried on him without knowing why. White hair flowed down the nape of Lance¡¯s neck. Lance stopped before leaving the door and growled as he turned to Ronan. ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°Is that so? I like you.¡± ¡°Benefit¡­!¡± The white face lit up again. There was something more to say, but Lance ended up shutting the door without a word. bang! The sound of hissing across the front door was receding. Ronan, who had been standing still, smiled. ¡°With that guy¡¯s temper. Who do you resemble?¡± ¡°Whoops, you¡¯re just like when you were little. Of course, the face resembles me more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate. If your face looked like me, you would definitely get into fights everywhere.¡± ¡°Still, I like this face. Should I get some sleep now?¡± Adeshan stroked Ronan¡¯s cheek gently. The rough beard and dark shadows of his eyes revealed the hard work he was going through. Ronan kissed her lightly and set her down on the floor. ¡°thank you. Just one more hour.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that, get some sleep. You¡¯ve been overworking yourselftely. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fall over.¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s work. Is that¡­Lance guy very sad?¡± Ronan asked cautiously. He didn¡¯t show it, but he was also very worried about his son. Adeshan sighed. ¡°huh. I don¡¯t know anything else, but it must have hurt me not to go to the entrance ceremony. At this rate, I think I will resent you for a while¡­ can I really not tell you the truth?¡± ¡°of course. never say never It¡¯s a story that makes boys of that age more adventurous than rmed.¡± Ronan said firmly. He knew that in many ways it would be better if he stopped hating him for a while. Adeshan groaned. ¡°That¡¯s right. Did you catch the culprit?¡± ¡°yet. The investigation is being narrowed down, but there is no decisive clue. Seeing that Asher is also having a headache, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s an ordinary guy.¡± Ronan clicked his tongue. He was chasing a serial disappearance case that was happening in the ind recently. Nearly a hundred men and women disappeared in the past month, but no traces were left, and the entire citizenry was trembling in fear. The reason he participated in the search party without being asked was simple. Because about half of the missing people were children. Ronan roughly brushed his bangs. ¡°I¡¯ve been through all sorts of beggars, but this is the first time. There are no traces left, and the lives and deaths of the missing are unclear. What kind of bastard is the culprit?¡± ¡°Well, even the shadow¡¯s mana can¡¯t track it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Adeshan groaned. Maybe my senses have been blunted by being saturated with peace for ten years. Ronan, who reassured her with a hug, growled lowly. ¡°I will protect my children. By all means.¡± Chapter 331 [Abduction 15. A boy and a girl ] #A15 ¡°Ugh¡­ oppa. where are we going?¡± Erin woke up and asked in a dreamy voice. The surroundingndscape had changed to the low street of the ind without knowing it. The warm spring sun was making her pure white hair even brighter. Gray hair, unlike any of his parents, was inherited from his savior. Lance, who was walking with Erin on his back, spat out bluntly. ¡°anywhere. To a ce where he is not.¡± ¡°Does your brother hate your father?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± Lance, who remembered Ronan¡¯s face, frowned. I couldn¡¯t understand her indifferent behavior and her mother, who married such a person. said Erin. ¡°lie. Actually, I like it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? why me?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯te to the entrance ceremony, so you got mad. At best, I put my name on the Phoenix que as the chief, but I couldn¡¯t show it. I understand, but can¡¯t we just let go of our anger and get along like we used to?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Lance let out a puzzle. It was as sharp as an awl. Actually, when I think about it, my rtionship with Ronan wasn¡¯t bad from the beginning. Apparently, I grew up longing for that wide back in the past. Having a hero who saved the world as a father made me proud as a son. In addition, Ronan at the time had a kind side, so he taught his son how to use a sword himself. However, as time passed, Ronan began to spend more and more time away from home. I was worried and asked, but he never answered what he was doing. So Lance devoted himself to the sword. I want to restore my rtionship with my estranged father. With the feeling that everyone will look back if I achieve results that are acknowledged. and earlier this year. Lance ended up taking the top spot at the Phileon Martial Arts Department this year, but Ronan didn¡¯te to the entrance ceremony after all. Recalling the bitter memory, he bit his lower lip. ¡°¡­because you don¡¯t know what that means. Get down now.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ can you carry me a little more?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°Can I ask for this?¡± Erin asked with her eyes twinkling. Thebination of pure white hair and sunset eyes was surprisingly simr to Aunt Lee. Lance, who had been silent, let out a sigh. ¡°¡­just a little bit.¡± ¡°Hehe my brother is the best.¡± Erin cheered and hugged Lance by the neck. Lance moved towards the market. Erin and I can buy things and eat to pass the time before going in. ¡°I want my brother to grow taller too. I wish I could be at least like a mother¡­ will you carry me on your backter?¡± ¡°I see what you do.¡± Anyway, the weather was nice, so I enjoyed the walk. The brother and sister were passing by the za talking about this and that. A girl¡¯s voice rang out from not far away. ¡°hey! Lance! Erin!¡± ¡°Ugh. I got caught by a troublesome guy.¡± Lance frowned. As he turned his head, three boys and girls about his age caught his eye. Two short blondes approached first and greeted Lance. ¡°Oh oh hello. Lance brother¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Lance brother. Aren¡¯t you going to the academy today?¡± The Caravelles were Cami and Jean, the third and fourth of five siblings. The radiant blond hair, even standing on her hands, had been inherited from her Aunt Marja. Although his flirtatious personality seemed to resemble Uncle Asher a little more. Erin, with her head sticking out while sitting on her back, said to Jin. ¡°Today is the weekend. Stupid Jin.¡± ¡°Erin¡­!¡± Jin¡¯s face brightened. It seemed like he knew what Erin was thinking of her as she couldn¡¯t say anything and kept her mouth shut. At that time, one of the remaining girls strode forward. ¡°Where are the two of you going? Please carry me too.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t because you¡¯re heavy.¡± ¡°To be rude to ady. The world is not all about being a little handsome.¡± The girl stuck out her tongue. He had a stocky physique for his age and his red hair, like a bonfire, stood out. It was Shechika Caravel, the first child of Asher and Marja and the eldest daughter of five siblings. Unlike Lance, who was born with no talent, she inherited her father¡¯s magical talent and was also the talented person who took the top spot in the magic department at Phileon Academy. ¡°Aunt Marja?¡± ¡°I am at home with my father. He said that the two of you had something to talk about for a while and said to go out and y? Anyway, even if I like Keumseul, it¡¯s still a mask.¡± Sechika growled. On her wrist, the coin pouch Marja had given her was dangling. Lance put a hand on his forehead and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the same as our house¡­ No matter how close you are, it doesn¡¯t have to be simr to this cycle¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m still fine there. Even if one more brother was born, there would only be three. There will be six people on this side.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Sechika-san? Do I have a brother?¡± Erin tilted her head. It was still too early to know the circumstances of adults. Secika, who was giggling insidiously, poked Erin on the cheek. ¡°Heheung, of course Erin is a child. There is such a thing. To put it simply¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything strange in front of my brother.¡± Rinse quickly cut her off. Secika shrugged once and naturally changed the subject. ¡°By the way, did you hear? that rumor.¡± ¡°Is that a rumor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a fuss among merchants these days. A serial disappearance case taking ce in the inds. didn¡¯t you hear?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Lance tilted his head. He had no recollection of hearing it. Sechika smiled and continued. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a big deal. Because grown-ups don¡¯t want us to be misled by rumors like this. It¡¯s still happening only on the outskirts of the system, so there¡¯s something calm about it.¡± ¡°Where is the outskirts? The system should usually be wide.¡± ¡°It¡¯s near the eastern border, but I¡¯m not sure. Anyway, ording to my intelligencework, the scale of the case seems to be quiterge. Considering that there are already close to a hundred people missing.¡± ¡°¡­a hundred people?¡± Lance¡¯s eyes widened. I suddenly wondered what this meant. He nced back at Erin, who was sitting on his back, and opened his mouth. ¡°Erin. Would you like to look down?¡± ¡°yes? why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you and I have something to talk about. Now, I¡¯ll give you money, so go buy some delicious food with your friends.¡± Lance took out the silver coin that Ronan had given him. Erin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°wow. really? Can I use it the way I want today?!¡± ¡°then. Be careful.¡± Erin jumped off Lance¡¯s back. She grabbed the hands of the hesitant Cami and Jean and ran to the market. After confirming that the three hadpletely disappeared, Lance turned to Secika. ¡°so. what do you want?¡± ¡°Also, he is quick-witted. Hey, don¡¯t you want to be a Lance hero?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think there will be a chance if it¡¯s not now. Your parents created a very peaceful world. Isn¡¯t it really cool to solve a case that even the swordsman who cut down the stars and the archmage couldn¡¯t solve?¡± Suddenly, Secika stretched out her arm and pointed to the center of the za. As I followed my finger, I saw a statue made of marble standing majestically. The man who raised his sword while stepping on the giant¡¯s head looked exactly like the old man who had just been sleeping with a magazine on his face at Lance¡¯s house. Lance, who was staring at the statue, shook his head slowly. ¡°¡­don¡¯t talk nonsense. My mother would faint if she found out.¡± ¡°Did Uncle Ronan and my mom and dad notice their parents? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°This is a different story. We can be good enough without taking that risk.¡± ¡°Wait, Lance!¡± Lance, who concluded the conversation, turned his back. Secika called his name urgently, but he ignored it. No matter how you think about it, this was stupid. He¡¯s smart, but why is he doing that? Lance, muttering a whisper, was walking towards the market. Shechika, who rolled up both hands and brought them to her mouth, shouted out loud. ¡°Did you not hear me?! Because the opportunity is now!¡± ¡°That fool.¡± Lance frowned. She resembled her Aunt Marja, and her voice was really loud. The attention was drawn to the surroundings, but Sechika continued to squeal. Lance, ignoring even that, was a car passing in front of Ronan¡¯s statue. ¡°This peck! Are you going to be stuck in the halo of your parents for the rest of your life!?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± tall. Lance¡¯s legs stopped. Secika, not expecting him to stop, let out a bewilderment. ¡°What is it¡­stopped?¡± Lance stood there nkly, like someone beaten with a hammer. halo of parents. Those words were floating around in my little brain. If you think about it, that wasn¡¯t a very wrong statement. Right now there¡¯s a lot of uproar about the disappearance case, but the great parents will solve the problem soon and peace wille again. I thought maybe the reason my father didn¡¯te to the entrance ceremony wasn¡¯t because he was busy, but simply because he was insignificant. He slowly raised his head and looked up at the statue of Ronan. The marble face of his father seemed to speak to him. ¨C It¡¯s worth seeing your expression, coward. Are you tired of pooping in your pants? ¡°¡­shit.¡± Lance clenched his fists. Secika was approaching him cautiously, keeping her body afloat by telekinesis. Presence had already noticed, but Lance didn¡¯t move until she talked to him. **** It was a night when the moon was obscured by clouds. Under the sky where not even the crumbly starlight was visible, only the artificial light created by the streetlights remained, illuminating the street. And the meeting between the two took ce in a back alley where even such artificial light did not reach. It was the moment Lance turned the narrow corner. A familiar girl¡¯s voice rang out like an echo. ¡°Whoops. not a coward There must have been no tailing?¡± At the same time, a girl wearing a dark blue robe appeared from the darkness. Two men who looked like beggars were rolling at her feet, fainting. Lance, who was looking around, nodded. ¡°Are you sure.¡± ¡°Excellent. It wouldn¡¯t have been easy.¡± ¡°It was nothing. My father was out and my mother was sleeping with Erin.¡± ¡°What about Sita?¡± ¡°I went out to y with Ophelia noona three days ago.¡± Perfect. The girl who said that took off her hood. Her bright red hair was clearly visible even in the thick darkness. Lance asked a question to Secika who was smiling brightly. ¡°So what are those two?¡± ¡°Just silly bullies. I didn¡¯t deal with it harshly, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m frothing¡­¡± Lance clicked his tongue. If you look closely, it seems that the limbs are also slightly strangely turned. All of a sudden, I picked the wrong person to quarrel with. Sechika, who had been giggling, opened her mouth. ¡°I am safe too. Nice Lance. Let¡¯s write a legend.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, you have to do it. So what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already perfectlyid out. If you go to the west gate of the system, there will be two ghost horses I borrowed. Ride it first¡­ um? What do you have in your pocket?¡± ¡°huh?¡± Secika, who was suddenly exining the n, tilted her head. Her gaze was fixed on Lance¡¯s coat pocket. ¡°ah. this?¡± Lance shrugged his eyebrows and took out an object from his pocket. A round orb was clutched in his hand. It seemed that the color was dull and the surface scratched like shark scales was not an ordinary thing. Secika narrowed her eyes. ¡°huh. that. I hope you can feel the mana inside.¡± ¡°suddenly? I always had it with me.¡± ¡°You said you always carried it¡­? What exactly is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It was given to me as a gift when I was very young.¡± said Lance. It was something I got from Ronan when I was very young, but I was told to always carry it with me. Lance, who was looking at the sphere, muttered in a puzzled tone. ¡°By the way, the color of this seems to have changed a little¡­ Is it because of my mood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s nothing. Then I¡¯ll exin the n. First, ride a ghost horse¡­¡± Sechikaughed as if she was blushing and continued her exnation. Indeed, it was a meticulous n worthy of the heir to the top of the continent. It was in the middle of Lance listening to the story while nodding his head. Suddenly something strange came into his field of vision. ¡°uh?¡± ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± Secika asked a question, but Lance did not answer. Something shiny was leaving the darkness of the back alley. It seemed like this would look like if the Milky Way turned into fog. His brow narrowed. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What is there?¡± Secika turned her head and looked at the same ce. But all she could see was the darkness and two lying idiots. ¡°Can¡¯t you see this?¡± ¡°I can see¡­what are you pointing at?¡± Sechika asked in bewilderment. Only Lance could see the sparkling airflow. It was in the midst of approaching him as if he was possessed by a strange phenomenon he had never seen before. Tboob. Suddenly, what sounded like footsteps echoed from behind. ¡°hmm?¡± Lance, who finally came to his senses, turned his head. And it froze in ce. Secika, who had been behind me a while ago, had disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­Sechika?¡± I called his name, but there was no answer. Only her reverberation and glimmering air currents remained, guarding the silence. Realizing something was wrong, Lance put his hand on the hilt. ¡¾I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s go together.] ¡°What¡­!¡± An eerie whisper echoed in my ear. Lance, who reflexively fired, swung his sword. Sugak! Before long, the two boys and girls could not be found in the ce where the shining air flow died down. Chapter 332 [Abduction 16. Father and the past ] #A16 ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything! Help me!¡± The stern-looking middle-aged man lowered his head. He, who was the leader of the ck Scorpion thieves an hour ago, became a beggar who lost everything in an instant. Behind him, hundreds of disfigured gang members were trembling in the same posture. ¡°Ooh, we¡¯re all going to die¡­why is he here¡­¡± ¡°Boss¡­! Whoops!¡± The sky was covered with thick clouds. A secluded ce on the outskirts of Jedo Ind. At first nce, the moonlight that leaked in was illuminating the ruined fortress. All the horrors that seemed like an earthquake were the work of one person. Ronan, who grabbed the sword by turning it around, asked nervously. ¡°Isn¡¯t it blowing straight? They say you guys are the biggest gang of bandits around here. You don¡¯t have to spit anything out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, but¡­! We also have a prize. The collection was done only in the designated area, and I was not even close to the ind. Trust me!¡± ¡°I fell asleep like this. I¡¯m proud of this baby. ¡± right! Ronan hit the boss¡¯s head with the back of his sword. Perhaps because of his shiny bald head, a clear sound resonated as if he was tapping on a wooden table. ¡°Kuhh¡­!¡± The boss gritted it. It was shame beyond words, but all he could do was swallow his tears and tremble. The boss shuddered as he recalled what had happened a while ago. ¡®Am I dreaming? To cut down the entire fortress.¡¯ It took less than an hour for the ck scorpion bandits, which boasted a 4-year tradition, to copse. Ronan, who had invaded alone, asked if he knew anything about the recent disappearance, and then he started to slice up the fortress and people. thud! The boss appealed, banging his forehead on the floor. ¡°I swear to heaven, we don¡¯t know. Help me!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± The words were repeated by his subordinates in terrified voices. Now it was slowly reaching its limit. Prison or anywhere would be fine, so if I could just get away from this monster, I¡¯d be satisfied with that. ¡°Shit, then who the hell is doing this?¡± Ronan, who was looking at the thieves, spat out a curse. Judging by the look on his face and the way he spoke, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. If this is the case, someone will go missing somewhere again. ¡®It¡¯s been almost a fucking month and there¡¯s no progress.¡¯ As always, he was catching and harassing those who were on the line of suspects in the disappearance case. Running around all day and all night, I was having difficulties with my responsibilities as a husband or father. Still, these bastards were sorge that I thought they would know anything, but it was just disappointing. It was in the midst of Ronan moaning while thinking about where to grind next. A familiar voice echoed overhead. ¡°Ro Ronan! It¡¯s a big deal!¡± ¡°ok?¡± Ronan raised his head. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t even notice what wasing. Asher in pajamas was floating in the night sky. His youthful face was no different from ten years ago, except for a little haggard. Her zing red hair did not lose its light even in the dark. The eyes of the thieves who recognized him widened as if they would pop out. ¡°The Great Archmage¡­!¡± I could see even the ridiculous outfits. Following Lorhorn, it was Mage Asher who reached the pinnacle of magic. A swordsman who cut down a star, then a great wizard. Leaving the despairing thieves behind, Ronan asked a question. ¡°What is it? When your face turns white.¡± ¡°Ooh my kids are gone! Lance and Secika¡­!¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Ronan¡¯s face hardened. Asher wept and exined what had happened. Ranse and Secika¡¯s sudden disappearance coincides with the previous disappearance cases. And unidentified bloodstains left at the scene. After hearing the whole story, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°Is it the blood of Lansena Secika?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I just found it¡­ Sheeta is flying in from the north. ¡± Ronan murmured. The thieves, who had been watching the two of them suddenly, breathed in vain. My body didn¡¯t move as if paralyzed. A murderous feeling he had never experienced before was spreading over Ronan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Can¡¯t breathe¡­!¡± ¡°help me. please.¡± It was so intense that I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. People who sob or urinate began to appear one after another. The thieves, who were more desperate than usual, were pleading for mercy. Ronan¡¯s arm went blurry for a moment, then returned to normal. Fain! A bted gong sounded. It was before I even questioned what he had done. Chow ah-! The cloud-covered sky split left and right, and a cluster of stars spread overhead. ¡°Huh!¡± The thieves were astonished. The cross section of the cloud cut by the ck wind was as clean as it was smooth. Ronan¡¯s hand, which was empty, was holding La Mancha before he knew it. A sword that even ughtered flying giants. Ronan, who turned it around, turned his gaze to the boss. ¡°hey.¡± ¡°Yes yes yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk too long. Go ahead.¡± Ronan growled lowly. Even encountering a tiger seemed better than this. The boss, who had been breathing heavily, shouted once again, banging his head on the floor. ¡°Mu, of course! I¡¯ll embroider right away!¡± ¡°go away.¡± Ronan, who made a cold deration, left with Asher. Thoroughly crushed, the thieves did not raise their heads even after their forms werepletely gone. The thieves, who stood up after a while, naturally moved to the nearby guard despite no one watching them. **** ¡°Ugh¡­ Uh¡­¡± Lance opened his eyes after groaning. My head was foggy as if I was drugged. He stumbled up and looked around. ¡°here is¡­?¡± All around was covered in darkness. Judging from the fact that I couldn¡¯t hear the sound of the wind blowing, it looked like the interior of some structure. What happened? Lance muttered while holding his forehead. ¡°What¡­what happened?¡± Memories ofst night were scattered. I think I heard someone¡¯s voice before I passed out, but I couldn¡¯t remember exactly. ¡®So after leaving the house¡­and entering the back alley¡­Ah.¡¯ Suddenly, Lance¡¯splexion turned white as he recollected his memories step by step. The person who should be there was nowhere to be seen. Looking around urgently, he cried out in a loud voice. ¡°Sechika!¡± A voice echoed in the darkness. But no answer came back. Lance raised his hand to his mouth and shouted again. ¡°Answer me if you are alive! Sechika!¡± Again, no answer came back. It was in the midst of Lance¡¯s breathing bing quicker as he recalled the worst. Shuaak! Lance¡¯s body, which had been looking around, suddenly rose into the air as if riding the wind. ¡°What?!¡± Something invisible was gripping him. The pressure on my body was somehow familiar. Before long, a familiar voice came from behind Lance, who had stopped. ¡°Don¡¯t be loud. you idiot. What are you going to do if you get caught?¡± ¡°you¡­!¡± Lance¡¯s eyes widened as he turned his head. Secika was watching him with her arms crossed. She, too, was floating in the air like himself. ¡°Sechka.¡± The clothes were a bit dirty, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any injuries. The tense tension was relieved. Lance, who was silent, hugged her tightly. ¡°La Lance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re alive. Thank goodness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all natural. What do you think of this Sechika-sama¡­ can you please let go of this for now?¡± Sechika¡¯s face flushed red. Lance, who btedly realized what he had done, hurriedly untied the hug. ¡° Hmmmm ¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°Oh no. If it¡¯s too nice to see you, that might be it.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding. So¡­where are we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just woke up too. But maybe¡­ it¡¯s not a normal space.¡± Sethika frowned. Born with a sensitive mana sensitivity, she knew from the moment she opened her eyes that this was a strange ce. Lance tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a normal space?¡± ¡°Everything is twisted. I¡¯ve seen something simr in my dad¡¯s book before¡­ It¡¯s a subspace artificially created by a being with very powerful magical powers.¡± ¡°A space?¡± ¡°okay. A dimension that shouldn¡¯t exist in the first ce. Who the hell made this?¡± Sechika murmured. Now that my eyes have adapted to the darkness, I can slowly see my surroundings. As I listened to it, a number of strange things caught my eye. It was a space reminiscent of the cavity of a huge cave. His voice rang even when he spoke softly, and he could not see the walls or ceiling. Everywhere I could see, shadows darker than the darkness swayed like a haze. I¡¯ve definitely never seen anything like this. Taking a deep breath, Lance closed his eyes and concentrated. Having inherited keen senses from his mother, he could feel things others could not see or hear. Lance, who opened his eyes soon, pointed to the middle of the darkness and said. ¡°I hear something over there.¡± ¡°really? I can¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°no. Are you sure. The sound of water¡­or footsteps?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll be sure when I go. Aren¡¯t you sick now?¡± Lance raised a thumbs up at Secika¡¯s question. Sechikaughed and chanted an incantation. Sahah ¡­ The wind expressed at her fingertips gently wrapped the legs and feet of two people. It was Haste magic that increased movement speed. A pure attribute unique to her, not inherited from Asher. Lance felt that his body had be noticeably lighter and eximed in admiration. ¡°Your skill level has increased.¡± ¡°Basic. Take the lead because you heard the voice.¡± Lance did just that. Since Secika was able to cast telekinesis and wind magic at the same time, the two of them glided through the air toward their destination. A darkness of unfathomable depth passed them by. It was on the way for about ten minutes. Having discovered something, Lance shouted with a full tone. [Stop!] ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Secika, who was following, made an abrupt stop. Lance, who wiped his face once, extended his index finger and pointed at the floor. [Look there.] ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Secika lowered her head and covered her mouth with both hands. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of people were lying in a row. There was an exceptionallyrge number of children, regardless of age or gender, and all of them were blindfolded. Barely controlling her emotions, she opened her mouth. ¡°These are the people who went missing at the time¡­ that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°¡­Is he dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is. Anyway, mana is being pulled out of my body¡­¡± Sechika stammered and blurted out his words. She could see mana draining from people¡¯s bodies in real time. The flow of mana was all concentrated in one ce. I was in the middle of slowly moving my eyes along the flow. At a certain point, a shrieking scream came out of Sechika¡¯s mouth. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­ Heo Eok!¡± Looking at the same ce, Lance¡¯s eyes widened as if they would pop out. Far away in the darkness, a white snake, bigger than most dragons, was sleeping with its coiled coils. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it even when I saw it with my own eyes. Scars from frostbite covered about half of his slippery body. It was the car Lance was about to say something more. Right behind me, someone¡¯s voice rang out. ¡¾You¡¯d better not mess with it. If you don¡¯t want to be eaten right now.] ¡°What¡­!¡± ¡¾Because he was the leader of the Pandemonium after all.¡¿ Lance reflexively turned around. Suddenly, a man appeared and looked down at the two with his hands behind his back. He was a fairly handsome young man, but there were ugly marks reminiscent of a stuffed toy left on his face and all over his extremities exposed outside his sleeves. ¡°La, Lance¡­¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Standing in front of Sechika, Lance roared with his hand on the hilt. The sparkling air currents seen in the alley were floating around the young man. The young man¡¯s mouth opened slowly. ¡¾My name is Darman. I am the ember of the great Neb ge and the one who was killed by your father once.¡¿ Chapter 333 [Abduction 17. Ronan] #A17 ¡°¡­My father ever died?¡± ¡¾okay. These horrible scars are proof of that. After being cut into pieces with a knife, he fell off a cliff.] Upon hearing Lance¡¯s question, Darman rolled up his sleeves. The inside of the body was revealed in a much more terrible state than the part exposed on the outside. Sechika covered her mouth and retched. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡¾The whole body is like this. No matter how much I use the dragon, the traces of this junction don¡¯t disappear.] Darman groaned. Lance was concentrating as much as possible, waiting for a gap to open. Darman, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡¾But¡­ Judging by her expression, she doesn¡¯t seem to know me. Didn¡¯t your father tell you about me? Regarding the bloody battle that took ce at the sword festival.] ¡°I don¡¯t know. Someone like you.¡± ¡¾This is sad. I thought I had a great match.] ¡°Aren¡¯t you the only one who thought that? I hear a lot about other people.¡± Lance raised one corner of his mouth. It was an intentional provocation. Of course, it was also true that there was no story of Darman among Ronan¡¯s youthful saga that Adeshan had told him. ¡¾Right. That¡¯s right¡­] Darman¡¯s face hardened. It was as if I had stabbed a sore spot. Lance, who caught the momentary gap, pulled the hilt of the sword. ¡®Now!¡¯ The swordsmanship that made him enter Phileon at the top was fired. To be honest, I was still embarrassed, but I knew two things. That the man in front of you is the culprit of the kidnapping case. And that¡¯s very dangerous. It was the moment when the arcing de was about to touch Darman¡¯s neck. Kagak! The sword stopped with a strong recoil. ¡°what¡­!¡± [Could this be the best?] Darman opened his mouth with a serious expression. The de was mped between his index fingers. Lance tried his best, but he couldn¡¯t budge, as if he had been stuck between ck rocks. Darman, who alternately looked at Lance and the sword, smiled. ¡¾It¡¯s absurdly slow. Even considering his age, he¡¯s trashpared to his father. The sh from the back alley was at least scratched . ¡¾That¡¯s right.¡¿ Suddenly Darman removed his finger holding the de. Lance, who really didn¡¯t know how to let go, lost his bnce and stumbled. At the same time, Darman dug in andnded a knee kick into his stomach. Kwajik! With the sound of bones breaking, blood flowed from Lance¡¯s mouth. ¡°Gagging!¡± ¡¾Be quiet now. It¡¯ll be over in a little while.] ¡°La Lance!¡± Lance fell forward. Secika almost reflexively chanted an incantation. A dozen spears made of wind were about to be shot at Darman. Shirik! His form, blurred for an instant, appeared from behind Secika. ¡¾Don¡¯t interfere. On the subject of ordering.] ¡°Ahh!¡± Darman grabbed Sechika¡¯s hair as it was. As soon as the magic was canceled, she screamed in pain. Rance stood up with his sword as a support and gritted his teeth. ¡°Ugh¡­ Sechika¡­¡± ¡¾The Archmage¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t special either. Apparently, your father stopped the falling ind. After all, does blood get cloudy every time it passes?] ¡°Don¡¯t touch her¡­don¡¯t touch her. Heck, I¡¯m your target anyway!¡± ¡¾It¡¯s not like that. This woman also has a business. To Mage Asher¡¯s eldest son.] Darman raised his head with those words. The crimson eyes, vaguely resembling Ronan, were looking at the coiled snake. Koo Goo Goo¡­! Suddenly, the snake started to move with a vibration like an earthshaft. The hair rising from the darkness reminded me of a mountain rising up in front of my eyes. Finally, the snake that looked this way opened its mouth. ¡¾Ah¡­Sell?¡¿ ¡¾That¡¯s right. Master of the Pandemonium. I¡¯ve captured your enemy¡¯s daughter.] [Yeah¡­I see a resemnce. Especially that hair color¡­the guy who stole everything from me¡­] The one remaining pupil was shining brightly. Lance and Secika shrugged their shoulders at the eerie voice that made the hairs on their bodies stand on end. Only then did the two find out who was responsible for the wounds that covered the snake¡¯s body. ¡°Ah, the snake that Dad caught in the New World can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Secika¡¯s eyes widened. Marja had said it once. It is said that Asher caught a huge snake in the New World around the time she was pregnant. It was covered in ice and thrown into the deep sea. Judging from the various circumstances, the snake was evident. Remembering Asher waving his hand, saying it was nothing, Sethkaughed. what do you say dad? isn¡¯t that a big deal? It was clear that the seal had been released by Darman. It was because of Dad¡¯s seal that even the dragon couldn¡¯t unlock it on its own. The snake that had been ring at her suddenly opened its mouth and rushed at her. ¡¾I¡¯ll swallow you all at once! Kwaaaak!] ¡°Heo-eok!¡± Secika¡¯s eyes widened. It was a lightning-like movement that was out of proportion to its size. It was a car that she intuited death and took a deep breath. The snake stopped as Darman stepped forward to block her. ¡¾Different. What are you doing?] ¡¾The preparations will be over soon, so why don¡¯t you be patient. Our goal isplete resurrection, not trivial revenge.] ¡¾Hmph¡­If you don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯ll eat you too.¡¿ ¡¾Thank you. Hurry up and let¡¯s have a toast with the blood of these kids.] Darman lightly ignored it. The snake that had been ring at Sechka turned its head disapprovingly. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth. ¡°¡­You guys are trying to resurrect. By absorbing the mana of these people. And I intend to get revenge on my parents.¡± ¡¾okay. That is the correct answer.] ¡°But why did you kidnap people only on the outskirts of the ind? If it had been done elsewhere, it might not have been discovered at all.¡± It was iprehensible to her with her rational mindset. Is it necessary to take risks by using the system as a hunting ground? Darman shrugged his eyebrows in surprise. ¡¾Your hair is useful. I¡¯m going to die anyway, so don¡¯t tell me in particr. The ce where we gathered the sacrifices is not the outskirts of the system, but the ce where the war took ce.] ¡°War?¡± ¡¾okay. Between the hateful allied forces and the church¡­ Now, time has passed and the vige has been restored, but the overflowing mana at the time remained intact and umted in the bodies of the residents. Do you understand?] ¡°Then, kidnapping mainly children¡­!¡± Sechika, who understood the meaning, was frightened. In order to obtain high-purity mana, they sought prey in a ce that was a battlefield in the past. The corner of Darman¡¯s mouth went up. ¡¾The quality of mana was more important than the amount.¡¿ ¡°These demons. How could you do that?!¡± ¡¾Anyway, when we are resurrected, everything will be over. And kid, if you¡¯re going to act, you should have done better.] Darman suddenly turned his head. Lance met his eyes and gritted his teeth. He was approaching, clearing his sights, to deliver a blow while Sechika ordered him to speak. ¡°this.¡± ¡°I got caught!¡± Sethka was frightened. At the same time, Lance¡¯s model disappeared from sight. Darman¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡¾What¡­!¡¿ It was twice as fast as the previous sword attack. He hurriedly took a defensive stance, but Lance¡¯s sword was already cutting through his body. Chow! A long, red line was drawn across Darman¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­shit.¡± Covered in blood, Lance chewed his lower lip. The de went in too shallow. Furious Darman drew his sword. ¡¾You damn kid!¡¿ ¡°Ah.¡± It was a great move befitting the position of former head of Lycopos. Lance¡¯s time slowed down. The sh that flew at a bizarre angle once had a record of defeating even Zaifa. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ I could see the sword, but I couldn¡¯t respond. Secika¡¯s screams lingered in my ears. Everything he loved was flowing before his eyes like a river. A loving mother and a lovely sister. The friends Iughed with and chatted with and the father I still respect. The regret that only those who are nearing death can feel shimmered in their hearts. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t I be honest?¡¯ I should have been more honest and loving. Especially if I knew it would end like this. But it was already toote. Finally resigned, Lance closed his eyes. Suddenly, a white light burst from the pocket of his coat. ¡¾ Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ! Darman paused at the strong light that lit up the entire subspace. The blind de was about to split Lance¡¯s head. Kachang! With a ferocious metallic sound, Darman¡¯s sword shattered. [What!] Darman, who opened his eyes btedly, raised his eyebrows. To put it bluntly, a white bird resembling a hawk was pping its wings in front of him. ¡°Williet!¡± ¡¾bird? Wait, this is¡­] Suddenly Darman¡¯s face distorted. A shield of bizarre colors spread around the bird. The hemispherical curtain thatpletely covered Lance and Secika was something he had seen before. [Blessing of the Rice Star?!] Darman was shocked. It was undoubtedly the blessing of the stars. The power that had been lost since the death of both the giant and the religious leader was unfolding right in front of their eyes. Lance¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°you¡­!¡± I no longer felt the orb in my pocket. It seemed clear that it had broken out. Lance, who lifted Secika from the fall, stammered. ¡°W Are you from here?¡± ¡°Whirrit!¡± the bird replied. It was as if he could understand what people were saying. Darman, who had been dumbfounded for a while, was about to take action again. Chow ah-! A roar reverberated overhead, like a million sheets of paper being ripped at the same time. A dim light poured into the darkened space. ¡¾What is this¡­!¡¿ Darman, who came to his senses btedly, raised his head. And it just hardened. A sky full of stars stretched out above the open ceiling like a pocket. ¡°W It¡¯s open! Ronan!¡± In the center, two men with different hair colors were floating. Asher¡¯s voice mixed with crying echoed. After discovering Lance and Secika, Ronan opened his mouth. ¡°found.¡± ¡°Oh Dad?!¡± Lance was frightened. I was so shocked that I forgot to even call him father. bang! Ronan, whonded in front of the two, opened his mouth. ¡°Is everyone okay? Aren¡¯t you hurt?¡± ¡°Uncle Ronan. How is this ce¡­¡± ¡°There was a drop of blood where you guys disappeared. I followed it.¡± Ronan nced at the ceiling. A familiar grotesque bird was pping its wings beside the relieved Asher. Sheeta spread her four wings and roared. ¡°Ppa!¡± ¡°Lance, what did you do? Good job.¡± Ronan grinned and tousled his son¡¯s hair roughly. If it weren¡¯t for Darman¡¯s bloodstains, the pursuit would have been very difficult. He was in the middle of checking the condition of the two people. ¡°wait for a sec. You¡­¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Are you hurt? Look where you are.¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes narrowed. His keen gaze was fixed on the blood stains on Lance¡¯s mouth. Upon closer examination of the body, a couple of ribs were missing. After a moment of silence, he looked back at Darman. ¡°¡­hey. rags.¡± ¡¾Finally, you see this. But rags aren¡¯t too much¡­] Darman, who was smirking, froze. Eyes glowing with the color of the sunset were ring at him. [¡­!] Even though our eyes only met, I couldn¡¯t move my body. Ronan, who fixed the hilt, continued. ¡°Are you like this?¡± ¡¾Hehehe¡­Who else is there? Anyway, the atmosphere has changed a lot, Ronan. I don¡¯t know.] He seemed like apletely different person from when I saw him in Parzan in the past. The burden of living was heavy on my shoulders. Having barely regained hisposure, he opened his mouth. ¡¾But I also became stronger. I gathered and absorbed the discarded relics of the Order to grow my strength. It won¡¯t be easy to defeat us allied with King Baengnyeon here¡­] He looked away and was about to wink at the snake. thud! Suddenly, a lump the size of a housended next to Darman. It was the head of a huge white snake. [Huh¡­!] Darman sighed. The head of the leader who once led the pandemonium was making a dumbfounded expression as if he had not even recognized his own death. Fuhuaaaagh! The headless torso spewed blood and copsed. ¡°oh my god.¡± ¡°A pear snake¡­!¡± Lance and Secika were shocked. The beheading of the snake took ce at the same time Ronan entered the subspace, but no one saw the scene. Darman¡¯s legs gave out strength. ¡¾This¡­ this is ridiculous!¡¿ Something is wrong. It was the car that Darman, who felt the danger of death, was trying to run away from. As Ronan grabbed the hilt, the color of the sunset rose on the de. Whoa! At the same time, a scarlet sh covered the copsing subspace. When Darman closed and opened his eyes once, he was standing right in front of Ronan¡¯s nose. ¡°By the way¡­¡± It was before Darman let out a scream of despair. As Ronan¡¯s arm disappeared, hundreds of red lines were drawn across his body. Ronan tilted his sword as he turned his sword around. ¡°You¡¯ve been babbling about since before. Who are you?¡± ¡¾It can¡¯t be¡­¡¿ Despair filled Darman¡¯s face. Ronan had forgotten his very existence. Pooh-! Without a moment to say anything, the body that had be flesh was scattered in all directions. ¡°father.¡± Lance muttered as if possessed. I knew my father was strong, but I didn¡¯t know he was this strong. Wow! Ronan, who spat on the blood, looked up and said. ¡°He pretends to know everything about beggars¡­ Please take care of the sword saint over there.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Then another voice was heard. Then, a tall mannded in front of Lance. A chiseled look with dark blue hair. Seeing the familiar face, Lance¡¯s mouth opened again. ¡°Uncle¡­?!¡± ¡°Long time no see. Lance.¡± Schlieffen nodded. Officially the Duke of Grancia, he was Lanse¡¯s favorite rtive. Schlieffen, who was looking at Lance and Secika in turns, smiled lightly. ¡°You¡¯ve be brave because you didn¡¯t see it. Protecting your woman while injured.¡± ¡°Yes yes?! It¡¯s not like that! Secika is just a friend!¡± ¡°What are you saying, you bastard? Oh no¡­ that¡¯s right! Who dated something like this?!¡± The two screamed at the same time. Lance and Secika immediately met eyes and blushed at the same time. Schlieffen turned around with a smile on his face and raised his sword. ¡°anyway. Good job.¡± Wow! A whirlwind rose from the ground and began to grind Darman¡¯s and snake¡¯s corpses to pieces without leaving a trace. As they admired, once again a different yet familiar voice rang out. ¡°Sechka! our daughter!¡± ¡°What mom?¡± Secika¡¯s eyes widened. Marja, who should have been at the top, came running with her golden hair fluttering like a mane. She closed the distance in an instant and hugged Sechika and Lance. ¡°Like this poor colt. You are banned from going out for a month!¡± ¡°Kek! I can¡¯t breathe¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh. Why am I¡­¡± Tears were pouring out of Marja¡¯s eyes. The two of them struggled with their faces pressed against their chests. Ronanughed at the sight that somehow reminded him of the old days. ¡°Good experience, son. i envy you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s noisy¡­!¡± It was not long before they were freed from the shackles of the violent chest. At that time, the white bird from beforended on Lance¡¯s shoulder, who was wandering around due tock of oxygen. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°ok? What is he?¡± ¡°ah¡­! I was born from the sphere my father gave me. What the hell did you give me¡­? ¡°What is it that woke you up?¡± Ronan¡¯s eyes widened. If my memory wasn¡¯t wrong, what he gave me was Abel¡¯s egg. It had been giving up because there had been no change for over ten years, but it seemed to have hatched now. The whole body was as white as snow, and the eyes of the bird were vermilion like Lance¡¯s. I felt like I could tell without seeing whose dream I was born from. Ronan, who was still staring at the bird, nodded. ¡°Have a good life. men and horses.¡± ¡°Puyik.¡± The white bird cried in response. I didn¡¯t know if I understood the words. The bird immediately flew up and started ying with Sheeta. Faaaaa¡­! Soon, the darkness that had been slowly clearing disappeared. Finally, beyond the vanished subspace, the sky with the moon and the soldiers called by Schlieffen were revealed. ¡°This one!¡± ¡°¡­God, His Majesty the Emperor.¡± The people lying in a row and the whirlwind soaring up to the sky shocked them. Ronan let out a sigh of relief. The main culprits have been cleaned up, so I¡¯ll take care of the aftermath. He ced a hand on Lance¡¯s shoulder, which was hesitant. ¡°Then shall we go too?¡± **** The subspace where Lance was kidnapped was spread out in the countryside on the outskirts of the ind. By the time the carriage arrived in front of the house, the day was already dawning. The sunlight shining through the cracks in the buildings illuminated the rich man¡¯s face. Lance, who was hesitant, opened his mouth. ¡°Mom¡­ did you cry a lot?¡± He still couldn¡¯t believe what he had been through. On the one hand, he felt how unfilial he hadmitted. Swept away by the emotions of the moment, Ronan and Asher, as well as the best powers of the empire, made them clean up the dung. Ronan nodded without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s natural. How hard I tried to stop him froming after me while crying and blowing. do you know Your mom is usually kind, but when she gets angry, it¡¯s really scary.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ uh, of course.¡± ¡°Thank you, sister. If Erin wasn¡¯t at home, she would have followed her unconditionally. And he would have beaten your cheeks until they were rags. In front of Sechika too.¡± ¡°yes. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Lance bowed her head. Even with a thousand mouths, there was nothing to say. He was trudging along like a sheep being led to the ughterhouse. Ronan, who was scratching his head, opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the entrance ceremony. I wanted to go too, but I just couldn¡¯t find the time. The disappearance case was just beginning. I really didn¡¯t go there on purpose.¡± Ronan said in a faceless tone. Lance¡¯s eyes widened as he understood the meaning a stepter. ¡°Why did you say that all of a sudden¡­I¡¯m fine. really.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, bitch, is it okay? Even if you¡¯re like me, you¡¯ll feel bad. To be honest, I would have thought to myself. If I had a bigger head, I wouldn¡¯t let this son of a bitch Ronan go. Every night you stab a pillow with my name on it with a knife, huh?¡± Ronan, who suddenly got into a stance, pretended to stab him into the air. Lance hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Scared. I¡¯m kidding.¡± ¡°Ouch! Ugh!¡± Ronan giggled. Lance¡¯s body staggered whenever a rough hand tapped his son¡¯s back. Looking at his body, he will grow taller than me in ten more years. Heughed happily and spat out. ¡°I am proud of you. son.¡± ¡°yes? What are you saying now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, man. It was a situation where the balls would have shrunk, but you did well. You will definitely be a very good person.¡± Having said that, Ronan took the first step. Lance stared at his father¡¯s back, dumbfounded. Are my ears broken now? I¡¯m not one to say things like that. ¡°¡­father.¡± But apart from the embarrassment, I felt my heart beating fast. Feelings from the past, which were good friends, were resurrected. Somehow, I felt like I was going to cry. Ronan, who arrived at the front door, added a word. ¡°Of course not as much as me.¡± ¡°Ah, I was impressed at best, but where is that?!¡± ¡°If you twist it, would you save the world too? Daddy goes in.¡± Lance shouted in a puzzled tone. Ronan giggled and pulled the doorknob. ¡°Oh really, Dad!¡± The tears that were about toe out drained away. Lance, who had been huffing up, strode forward as if trying to argue something. With a smile on your mouth, of course. The academy¡¯s genius swordsman is really over. [Abduction 17. Ronan plete- ] End Chapter 334 #A18 ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Schlieffen woke up and raised his upper body. A spacious and luxurious bedroom caught my eye. His eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked around. A faint ray of sunlight was seeping through the curtains. ¡®It¡¯s annoying.¡¯ The light was too weak to disturb his sleep, but rather eerie, but Schlieffen woke up without the slightest hesitation. He took off his sleeping cap only after he had closed the curtains and made sure the room waspletely dark. ¡®It¡¯s better now.¡¯ I nced at the clock and saw it was 5:30 am. It was the same as always, with no error whatsoever. Suddenly, a slight pain urred near his shoulder and knee. ¡°Ugh.¡± Judging from what I had experienced the day before, it seemed to be muscle pain. It wasn¡¯t so intrusive that it would interfere with his daily life, so he started his daily routine right away. The first thing was always to check on his family. Schlieffen, who had straightened out his hair that had be matted all night, looked back at the bed. ¡°Ehehe¡­Where are you going, Aria¡­¡± This guy was sound asleep. The silver-white hair spilling over his pillow was beautiful. She was smiling brightly as she called her daughter¡¯s name, as if she was having some kind of pleasant dream. ¡®It¡¯s beautiful.¡¯ Schlieffen smiled when he saw that. She is Ronan¡¯s sister and Star¡¯s daughter. Even though her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world, she maintained her beauty no different from when I first met her. She was wearing the same dark blue nightgown as Schlieffen. Her pajamas were made of the finest silk and were tailored by her entire family. Because her sleeping habits were so lively, the nket only covered half of her body. ¡°You have to cover it properly¡­.. You won¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Schlieffen properly covered Iril¡¯s protruding limbs. As I gently stroked her head, she giggled and hugged her daughter under her nket. Seeing how calm she was for some reason, it seemed like she was still wandering in her dream world. ¡®Should I just go today?¡¯ Schlieffen smoothed her chin. For him, the beginning of the day meant seeing the sleeping faces of his wife and her daughter. It¡¯s dangerous, but once he sleeps, he won¡¯t wake up because he doesn¡¯t know how to carry him. After thinking for a while longer, Schlieffen finally lifted the nket. Handle it delicately and very, very carefully, as if you were handling precious metals. It took about a minute to put the nket away. ¡°¡­this.¡± Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened. There was arge pillow ced where her daughter should have been. The pillow, which had an absurdly simr physique to her daughter¡¯s, had a note attached that said [Hide and Seek!]. He muttered while pressing his index finger between his eyes. ¡°You got it.¡± She didn¡¯t notice at all, as her fatigue had umted from the previous day. My daughter, who is five years old this year, was at the peak of her energy. Schlieffen, regaining herposure with a deep breath, ced her hand on her daughter¡¯s seat. It seemed like she had just left her bed, as she still had some warmth left in her. He handed Iril her pillow and left her room. When I opened the door, the cool morning air rushed in. Since the servants had not yet started their work, the mansion was silent. ¡®It would be a big deal if I caught a cold.¡¯ Schlieffen sighed. It¡¯s summer now. It wasn¡¯t the weather to be cold, even jokingly, but he was seriously hoping that some magic would be developed that would allow her to carry her daughter around in her pocket. He had to do what he could first. He walked to the center of the mansion and spoke in a solemn voice. ¡°aria. It¡¯s time to sleep better, soe back.¡± Of course, neither my daughter nor I responded. The game of hide and seek had truly begun. Since it was like this, I had no choice but to get along. Schlieffen sighed lightly and took a step forward. ¡®It must be a study or a reception room.¡¯ The destination had already been decided. Judging by this, this event did not just happen once or twice. Schlieffen went up to the second floor and opened the door to the study. Sure enough, a bulging curtain in the distance caught my eye. ¡°Hmm. Isn¡¯t there one here?¡± Schlieffen muttered as if reading his Koreannguage book. If I corrected him, he felt a little sorry and offered me some kind of entertainment. It was a clumsy performance, but the effect was clear. A giggling sound came from under the curtain. ¡°Hehehe.¡± It was clear that Aria was there. Schlieffen¡¯s feet rose slightly from the ground. It was an advanced technology that concealed the sound of footsteps through precise use of wind magic. I wanted to be more involved, but the child¡¯s sleep schedule had to be maintained properly. It was the moment when Schlieffen glided across the study and lifted the curtain. ¡°Gotcha¡­um?¡± Schlieffen¡¯s face hardened. There was only a pair of cute shoes left where Aria should have been. It was the weak wind blowing from inside the shoe that caused the curtain to fluff up. ¡®Magic circle?¡¯ The wind wasing from two magic circles carved into the insole. It seemed like it would have been quite difficult to draw something so small and borate. What a waste of talent on such trivial pranks. Schlieffen muttered in a voice full of admiration. ¡°Did the eldest daughter of the Caravel family teach you? ¡°She learned something interesting.¡± ¡°Take it!!¡± At that time, a loud shout rang out from behind. Schlieffen lightly twisted his shoulder. Perfect! The girl jumped from the bookshelf and plunged her wooden sword into the spot where he was. ¡°You¡¯ve be quite good at hiding your presence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at avoiding it! ¡°You scoundrel!¡± The girl sheathed her wooden sword and clicked her tongue. Her dark blue hair flowed like fire. Her facial features, which were unusual for a five-year-old, were surprisingly simr to her mother¡¯s. Aria Siniban de Grancia, the only daughter of Iril and Schlieffen and the heir of the Grancia family, which divides the empire. She immediately took her stance and swung her wooden sword again. ¡°But this would be too much! White Wind Sword!¡± ¡°It must be a storm sword. ¡°When did you take out my clothes again?¡± Schlieffen sighed. It seemed like the game changed from hide and seek to sword fighting. Arya wore her uniform coat around her neck like a cloak. The treasure, bestowed directly by the emperor and made with great care by the empire¡¯s greatest craftsmen, became a moving broom, sweeping the floor. Actually, it didn¡¯t really matter. I¡¯m just worried that I might step on it and fall. Talk. Schlieffen stopped her wooden sword using only her index and middle fingers. Aria gritted her teeth. ¡°Profit! Let go!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for the child to sleep. Don¡¯t let her dozing off again worry her mother.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± She tried with all her might to remove her wooden sword, but it wasn¡¯t enough. It felt like I was stuck in a gap in a huge rock, not my finger. It was just as Schlieffen reached out his opposite hand to grab her. ¡°joy! ¡°I knew I would be caught like this!¡± Eventually, Aria let go of her wooden sword and ran out of her study. Because she used wind magic, her movements were quick. Of course, she deliberately let her go because her efforts were in vain, but Schlieffen soon regretted showing her mercy. Her owner had lost her shoe and it was left round. ¡®What if I get pricked by a thorn?¡¯ He frowned. Although the Grancia Mansion was maintained without a speck of dust 24/7, there was always the possibility of what if. The servants¡¯ voices wereing out in confusion from the hallway. ¡°Oh, Miss Aria?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so uncivilized that you walk around barefoot¡­! Aaaah! You can¡¯t lift your skirt!¡± ¡°If you walk around this early in the morning, your wife and master will be worried! Come on¡­kwaaaak!¡± In addition, crunching footsteps, screams, and Aria¡¯sughter were heard. It was a natural result. Aria was only five years old, but she was the daughter of a star and a child who inherited the blood of a sword saint. Even if she were a knight, there was no way a single servant could catch her. Eventually Schlieffen came out. ¡°Everyone, go do your business. I will catch you.¡± ¡°Lord, master!¡± The servants¡¯ faces turned pale. Aria, whom she had lost long ago, had already left their hands. Schlieffen again told her not to pay attention to them, and then her eyes widened. It was almost time for this to happen, so I had to hurry. Schlieffen¡¯s gaze, which had been scanning the mansion, stopped at the ceiling. ¡°You¡¯re quick too. ¡°When did you go there again?¡± * * * * ¡°Hehe, you won¡¯t be able to find it here, right?¡± Aria giggled. She was sitting on the roof of the Grancia Mansion and pping her legs. The golden, shimmering sun was rising in the east. Next to her was a wooden sword, different from the one she had seen before. It was kept as a spare for times like this. A thrilling sense of victory flowed through her body like an electric current. ¡°I defeated the viin!¡± Arya raised her wooden sword and dered her victory. This was my first time on her roof. She always tried, but she could not reach it, being caught each time by servants, knights, or her father. Of course, but because it is dangerous. Just then the sun rose over the forest. The short shadow grew longer. As she faced the sunrise, she muttered in fascination. ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡­.¡± It was a sight I had never seen before. The only thing that changed was the perspective, but it seemed like apletely new ce. The refreshing breeze that tangles your hair, the dance of lush trees and neatly blooming summer flowers throughout the garden. Even the voices of servants desperately looking for him. ¡°Perfect.¡± Aria, her mood heightened, smiled brightly. She thought she could just hide here and go back when she got hungry. Later, I will definitely bring her mom and her three older sisters. She was stretching herself like a cat waking up from sleep. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s definitely not bad here. ¡± ¡°Huhhh!!!¡± Aria¡¯s heart sank. The voice suddenly heard from next to me was heavy and profound, as if it were scraping the cauldron of hell. Aria turned her head and jumped up. Arge, ck tiger, more precisely a creature with a tiger¡¯s head and a human body, was lying on the roof. The tiger continued her words with only her head slightly raised. ¡°Judging by the color of her hair, you are the daughter of the Sword Saint. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°You, you, you, who are you?!¡± Instead of answering, Aria picked up her wooden sword. Sensing her crisis, her body awakened her potential. Saaaa! A bluish air current rose up her wooden sword body. Jaipa, who saw the scene, shrugged his eyebrows. ¡°Hoo. Already?¡± ¡°I asked who it was!¡± ¡°Jayfa Tergung. He¡¯s just an old swordsman. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Now, Zaipa? If it¡¯s Zaipa Turgung¡­ hehe!¡± It was clearly the name of the Sentai Sword Saint. Aria took a step back, embarrassed. At the same time, her left foot went off the roof and her body lost bnce. She reflexively looked down and gasped. ¡°Oh, no!¡± Because the mansion was so huge, the ground waspletely dark. Fragments of an unhappy future shed through her mind. ¡®I¡¯m listening to Dad!¡¯ No matter how much she waved her arms, her lost bnce did not return. This was the moment when both of Aria¡¯s feet left the roof. Hwaaaaaaa! A strong wind blowing from below pushed her back. ¡°Argh!¡± Aria, pushed by the wind, fell in front of her. At the same time, her Zyfa¡¯s tail wrapped around her. ¡°Tail, tail?¡± ¡°Looking at the floor is the basis of inspection. ¡°It seems your father hasn¡¯t taught you yet.¡± Jaifa twitched. Thanks to her fluffy, thick tail, Arya¡¯s nose didn¡¯t break. Suddenly, her familiar voice rang out from somewhere not far away. ¡°That child is not old enough to learn the sword yet.¡± Before I knew it, Schlieffen hade up and was standing next to Seiffa. Aria was astonished as her eyes followed her tail. ¡°Oh, Dad?!¡± ¡°aria. ¡°I would have told you not toe up here because it was dangerous.¡± Schlieffen approached her with great strides and stopped in front of Aria. Then, without saying a word, she leveled her eyes and stared at her daughter. As if he was asking her to find her fault in her own face reflected in her eyes. Aria, who was muttering something, lowered her head. ¡°¡­sorry.¡± ¡°Mom will be worried. Let¡¯s hurry back before it¡¯s toote for her.¡± The game is over. Schlieffen held Aria in his arms. Schlieffen, who was looking at her sullenly, blurted out. ¡°Next time, let¡¯se together. ¡°Mom too.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aria nodded. It suddenly dawned on her that she was close to death. She sniffled and buried her face in Schlieffen¡¯s chest. Schlieffen looked back at Seiffa. ¡°This is the first time since the wedding. ¡°What are you doing here since dawn?¡± ¡°I just came here to get some air. I also got to see the faces of my students.¡± ¡°Is everything done in the North?¡± ¡°so so. ¡°The poop that Barka made must be quite big.¡± The two briefly shared each other¡¯s current status. Things like changes in family, friends, personal circumstances, and circumstances. Jaipa calmed down the North, which was in chaos, and became the new leader. Because I had so much work to do, I couldn¡¯t stop by the Empire, and it was my first time seeing Schlieffen in over ten years. The morning sun was about to fully rise. ¡°This is going to be a long story, so pleasee in first.¡± ¡°done. It¡¯s not that shameless. ¡°I¡¯lle backter.¡± Jaifa stood up. I don¡¯t know if it was because he was getting older or because he had suffered a lot, but his fur was whiter than before. ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Kkeuk, you still don¡¯t ask twice. ¡°Do you know that your daughter has developed an Auror?¡± ¡°It looks like we finally seeded. I was vaguely aware of the signs.¡± Schlieffen patted her daughter on the back. He knew long ago that her talent for arias was as good or better than his. Suddenly, I felt a sense of injustice. As his father, I couldn¡¯t capture that dramatic moment with my own eyes. He, who was chewing his lips, asked Jaifa. ¡°¡­I guess you didn¡¯t leave any photos or anything?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? ¡°Is it possible for me to have something like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame¡­ What line was it by any chance?¡± ¡°At first nce, it seemed simr to you. ¡°I¡¯ll have to wake you up to find out.¡± Schlieffen¡¯s eyebrows rose. He said that the simrity between his and the Auror¡¯s form meant that he had inherited the Storm Sword. The ability that is said to be the most overwhelming along with all of Nabirose¡¯s abilities. Before we knew it, Aria was fast asleep in Schlieffen¡¯s arms. Jaipa asked with interest in his voice. ¡°Are you nning on leaving it to me? ¡°If I train you from now on, you could be a swordsman that surpasses even Ronan.¡± ¡°I will send this childter if he wants. I will refuse for now.¡± ¡°As expected. From what I heard, Ronan also gave birth to her child, so I guess I¡¯ll have to try and persuade her.¡± In any case, he was a student who could not be found to be cute. He had had enough of ying, it was time for him to go. Jaifa, having decided on his next destination, crouched down. Just as the 4m tall figure was about to beunched into the sky. ¡°Hey, Sword Saint.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°You look happy.¡± Jaifa chuckled. It was an expression that had never been seen on him before. Were Tiger¡¯s red eyes did not contain the sword saint Schlieffen and his sessor, but rather an extremely ordinary father and daughter. okay. Just like my past self. ¡°Please continue to cherish your family from now on. ¡°It¡¯s a treasure that can¡¯t bepared to anything like an empire, a family, or a sword that calls a storm.¡± ¡°that¡­..¡± This was before Schlieffen could say anything. Quaaaaang-! Jaifa¡¯s body disappeared into the sky. A former generation sword master and teacher who taught me the ultimate meaning of the sword. Schlieffen, watching his trajectory, smiled slightly. ¡°I think so.¡± **** ¡°Haaaam¡­ good morning.¡± Iril woke up and stretched. The clock showed 7 o¡¯clock as always. Just as she was about to get up, she tilted her head. ¡°huh?¡± Schlieffen and Aria were sound asleep. Normally, both of them would have woken up at this time, but it was an unusual incident. Her husband, who was sleeping without his hat on, and Ariapletely buried in his arms were extremely lovely. ¡°Hehe, you must be very tired.¡± Irilughed. Schlieffen did not wake up even when I patted his head. For some reason, she had been ying vigorously with her daughter the day before, and she seemed to have overexerted herself. She got out of her bed, careful not to wake them both. I guess I should prepare breakfast. Irol, wearing a shawl over her pajamas, whispered softly. ¡°Have a nice dream, you two.¡± Irol kissed her husband and her daughter and then left her room. The morning sunlight seeping into the lobby of her mansion was particrly warm. It felt like something good was going to happen today. Chapter 335 Abduction 19. A blue spring to you (1) #A19 ¡°ah..¡± Nabirose opened her eyes. Morning sunlight was seeping through the uncovered window. Above her head was a high ceiling that was unusually high for a house where she lived alone. ¡®I feel lighter today.¡¯ Sometimes there are refreshing days like this. Even though I trained hard untiltest night, strangely I wasn¡¯t tired. She stretched out her arms and left her room. There was no bed as I only slept on the floor with a nket. After folding the nket and going out the door, a living room filled with all kinds of misceneous things appeared. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to get a de to clean these up too.¡¯ I bit her lips with butterflies. It was a scenery that contrasted with the clean bedroom. A graduation album, a bouquet of flowers with a magic that won¡¯t fade, a frilly dress or sparkly jewelry that doesn¡¯t take the recipient¡¯s taste into ount at all. It would be easier if I just threw it away, but I couldn¡¯t. All the misceneous items that increased with each passing year were gifts from students. Nabirose¡¯s gaze, which was scratching his stomach and looking at the devastation, stopped at a certain ce. A piece of underwear asrge and colorful as a tropical fruit was hanging above her chair. ¡®I guess I should have taken a hit back then.¡¯ Nabiroseughed. That was a gift from Adeshan upon graduation. The instructor said he should find a partner before it¡¯s toote, and the box he held out contained those strange items, top and bottom. Judging from its shy and provocative design, it seemed to be for the so-called ¡®decisive battle¡¯. I still vividly remember the conversation at that time. ¨C You¡¯re out of your mind. Are you telling me to wear something like this? ¨C Oh my, everythinges out like this these days. I don¡¯t know if I can express it this way, but the effect is good. Ronanst night¡­ ¨C stop. I don¡¯t want to know any more. Of course I never wore it. It was because I had no intention of finding a partner and the measurements were wrong in the first ce. Even bigger rather than smaller. I was quite embarrassed because it was something I had never experienced before in my life. That was already more than ten years ago. Nabirose¡¯s gaze shifted again. ¡®Now that I see it, I¡¯ve received everything.¡¯ The existing furniture, such as sofas and tables, were buried and not even visible. The only thing on disy was a photo of Ronan¡¯s gang on the wall. A taxidermy of the most enjoyable time in my life, taken before I even went to the Festival of the Sword. ¡®When on earth did this happen?¡¯ Butterfly Rose smiled. It was a photo that seemed to have been sliced into chunks of youth. The location is the Gallerion Pavilion at Phileon Academy. To be exact, the first training ground located there. In the photo, Ronan and Schlieffen, who still look young, were holding each other¡¯s shoulders. I had just finished sparring, so my whole body was dirty with dust. Standing behind him were Adeshan, who worked as an assistant, and himself. Adeshan was holding a canteen with both hands, and he was looking down at his two students with his arms crossed. With happy eyes, as if looking at a brilliant treasure, ¡®I was so jealous.¡¯ It was worth it. It wasn¡¯t just because the two men were geniuses unprecedented in the history of the empire. Nabi Rose liked students who spent their youth to the fullest. He liked students who spent the best time of their lives investing in what they wanted, whether it was studying, love, or fighting. In that sense, Ronan and Schlieffen were the type of people who had the most wonderful youth. Perhaps it could even be called vicarious satisfaction. Nabi Rose was a man who burned his entire youth on a bloody battlefield. A life where blood and death, the logic of the fittest and the harsh philosophy that life is money weremon sense. She had no memories of herughing and chatting with her friends, studying together or going on her trips. That¡¯s why she became an educator. Because she wanted to see her students lead a happy and valuable youth, different from her own. Because she wants to guide her students who cannot do that. Although she didn¡¯t really show off, she was more satisfied with her job than anyone else. Suddenly, as she looked at herself in the photo, I caught a glimpse of her bitter smile. ¡®You¡¯re young.¡¯ Butterfly Rose once again realized that she was old. It was a story about her appearance that had nothing to do with her skills. Skin like summer fruit, hair that shines. Unlike now, I am a person in my thirties who is full of vitality. Of course, even now, people around her saw her as someone in her mid tote twenties, but what her party felt was something else. ¡°joy.¡± Probably nothing would change in the future. I will grow older steadily through the harsh times. One day, wrinkles would form, her hair would turn gray, and the day woulde when she would no longer be able to lift the sword that was like a limb. But it wasn¡¯t scary. Because life is the most beautiful thing when you move forward. I followed her today with a butterfly that shook off the long thoughts that followed her. ¡®Shall we go?¡¯ She might bete if she didn¡¯t wash up quickly. She¡¯s a vice-principal, so she can¡¯t suffer such disgrace. It was the moment she entered her bathroom. ¡°¡­¡­huh?¡± Sensing her sense of disconnect, she tilted her head. She somehow seemed to have raised her sink higher. It was supposed to be at her waist level, but now it was up to her chest. There was something strange about the bathroom slippers being looser than usual. ¡®Is it because of my mood?¡¯ Still, it didn¡¯t bother me much. Because I wasn¡¯t the type to pay close attention to the sink or slippers. Nabi Rose, who I thought was just this size, stopped in front of the sink. Just as she was about to take off her snake-patterned pajamas, which were almost like skins, and wash her face. ¡°What?¡± Nabirose froze. There was a young girl standing in the mirror. That¡¯s a kid in his early to mid teens who looks like he¡¯s going to ask what¡¯s for lunch today at any moment. A face that is not smooth but still has breast fat. As the head gets smaller, the eyes get bigger. I only found out now that my pajamas were falling down below my corbone. I also thought I could understand why her shoulders were unusually light. After a while. Sheughed as if she was dumbfounded as she yed with her breasts, which had shrunk to half their size. ¡°This¡­is too young.¡± **** Tower Mage of Manwol Magic Tower. Master of earth magic. Wear inchworm, etc. There were many other words that summarized the man named Jardin, but the most famous one was, of course, ¡®the wizard who brought his wife back to life.¡¯ Rodin, who with Ronan¡¯s help revived his wife Sunya, who had been his entire life, was still working as a professor of magic at Phileon Academy. Upon returning, Sunya changed many things about Jarudin. I gained enough weight to look like a normal person, and seeded in transforming my face, which had a default expression as if I was about tomit suicide, into a smiling face. The change in the interior of the office was one of them. Jarudin¡¯s office, which originally resembled an abandoned wastnd, was now filled with foliage nts, dolls made by Sunya herself, and colorful furniture. As I listened to the exciting musicing from the gramophone, I was confused as to whether this was the office or the Southern Native Culture Experience Club. As Jaradin lived in such a ce, his personality naturally changed to be more gentle. Much of his characteristic cynicism has disappeared, and he no longer tells practical jokes to students. Rather, by providing answers based on his own eventful past, he has now be the person known for being the best at counseling in Phileon. But in life, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s ahead. Sometimes, situations would arise that were difficult for even Jaradin, who had reached a new level, to endure. Zarodin palmed his face. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡± ¡°Yes. I know. But how can I see something like this¡­¡± I was trying so hard to hold backughter that tears almost came out. He was doing his best to respond to his little guest who suddenly came into his office. Butterfly Rose, now a child, was sitting on the sofa opposite him with her legs crossed. She was ring at Zarodin with her chin raised as usual, but her usual sensuality or intimidation was nowhere to be seen. Her nightgown still draped over her body, her wobbly feet not touching the floor, adding to theical feel. Write-ha- Jarudin took a deep breath and held out something to her. ¡°Take this first.¡± ¡°What is that bead?¡± ¡°What is it? ¡°Kids these days can¡¯t get enough of Barenpyo candy¡­Kuhhak!!¡± bang! Rodin, the one who took out her candy, copsed. This was because three shots from the government, which were so fast that she could not be seen, hit her sr plexus directly. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t Nabi Rose¡¯s impersonator because he was in so much pain that it made him poop. ¡°If you want to get hit more, keep talking. ¡°Every time you say nonsense, the number of bones will increase.¡± ¡°Ugh, heh¡­you ignorant girl¡­¡± ¡°What on earth happened to me? ¡°I suddenly woke up and found myself a child.¡± Nabirose was drooling. She ran straight to Rodin¡¯s office without even changing her clothes properly. She didn¡¯t want the students to see her, so she covered herself with a thick nket. Rodin, the one who helped her stumbling body to her feet, opened her mouth. ¡°Damn, I guess it¡¯s not like my internal organs are damaged¡­ First of all, congrattions. ¡°You are now a body that will never die of old age.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Are you under a curse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s closer to a blessing than a curse. It¡¯s simr to the case of Archmage Lorhorn. Why, you¡¯ve probably heard that a wizard can freely control the time flowing through his body when he reaches a certain level, right? In fact, he didn¡¯t do it as needed. So, you go back and forth between being a child and being an adult.¡± With butterflies, I nodded her head. Although she had little interest in magic, she did know that Lorhorn could change his age at will. Kratir, who has reached the age of natural death, is making desperate efforts to reach that stage. ¡°It¡¯s the same principle for you. The quality of the mana condensed in the body became significantly superior to the vessel called the body, returning the body to its prime. In the New World, it¡¯s a phenomenon called bone metamorphosis.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is my prime.¡± I looked to her side as butterflies fluttered up her sleeves. Ursa, the Great Sword, her beloved sword that was like her soul, was leaning diagonally on the sofa. In fact, this was more of a problem than her clothes. It was originally a sword that was longer than her height, but now that her body had be smaller, it almost looked like a pir. Zarodin scratched the back of her head. ¡°That¡­I don¡¯t know how to exin it. I guess it¡¯s an individual difference.¡± It was a voicecking confidence. She had no choice because it was something that rarely happened. It had reached a level that even Jaifa had not yet reached. I wondered if I would find one or two people if I looked through history books. Crack! With butterflies, I chewed and swallowed her candy. ¡°Then is there no way to return to the original state? Like controlling time like Lorhorn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re not a wizard. But wouldn¡¯t you really be back to your prime in a few years? How old were you when you beat me up in the jungle?¡± ¡°I was about twenty years old. Even if that happens, it¡¯s toote.¡± With butterflies, I frowned at her. As of now, I am not confident that I will grow over time, and several years is too long a time. As the vice-principal, I had to teach the students right away, but if things were like this, it would have been better not to beughed at. Jarodin said. ¡°This is definitely an embarrassing situation. Let alone me, Lorhorn wouldn¡¯t be able to control other people¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Is there no one I can ask for help?¡± ¡°There is one. It¡¯s not a person, though.¡± ¡°what?¡± Nabirose¡¯s eyes widened. It was an answer she didn¡¯t expect. She red at Jarudin. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°I could tell you, would you mind? He must be a pretty annoying person.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just say it.¡± ¡°Navardose.¡± Nabirose¡¯s face hardened. Now Rodin sighed as if she knew this would happen. ¡°There is only one wizard better than Lorhorn. He is the Mother of Fire, and he can solve your problems.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Why would I lie in this situation? Still, I think it will save you the trouble of going to see him.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why, you¡¯re going on a field trip to Adren for second graders. I think we can go together as a couple.¡± Adren. The city where only dragons and their descendants lived was still floating in the distant sky. Originally, it was a ce where only heads of countries or special envoys could enter after receiving permission, but after the war with Neb zier ended, it became somewhat more flexible. Jarudin muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­it¡¯s leaving in three days. ¡°It¡¯s just right.¡± Currently, Phileon Academy was a group of mortals who had the most active interactions with Adren. It was thanks to Ronan and Asher, who prevented the city¡¯s destruction, and Itargand, the son of Navardose, who studied at Phileon. I could tell just by looking at the fact that it was permitted as a school field trip location. Following a school trip was certainly the best way to gain an audience with Navarre. She had been staying in Adren with her kin since the copse of the interster fortress Drimoor. But that didn¡¯t matter now. ¡°Are you kidding me? Are you asking me to lead the students like this? I would rather go separately.¡± ¡°That must be difficult. Because the ferry routes to and from Adren are strictly regted. ¡°Even if you are the principal of Phileon, you cannote and go freely.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± Nabirose gritted his teeth. It was as he said. Although Adren favored Phileon, there was a line she had to walk. If you were caught sneaking in, it could have developed into a problem between countries. ¡°So I have a great idea. Would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°Good idea?¡± ¡°okay. ¡°I prepared this because Sunya wanted to wear it¡­¡± A meaningful smile appeared on Jarudin¡¯s lips. He suddenly walked to the closet and took out some clothes. A shirt, zer, and a stylish skirt without a pattern. Nabirose¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You guy, no way¡­¡± ¡°okay. That¡¯s the theory. ¡°You always envied students deep inside.¡± Although her true intentions were detected, the current Nabi Rose could not hear anything like that. What was in Jaradin¡¯s hand was none other than the women¡¯s uniform from Phileon Academy. He handed Nabirose a neatly folded school uniform. ¡°If you¡¯re embarrassed to be an instructor, how about going as a student?¡± Chapter 336 < Side Story 20. A blue spring to you (2) > #07 Three days passed quickly. Airships heading to Adren were anchored in the main za of Phileon Academy, waiting for students to board. The second graders crowded around the square were all excited with anticipation. It was well worth it. I was able to go to the Dragon City, which a normal person would not be able to visit even if they were dead or woken up, just because I was a student at Phileon Academy. match! Professor Varen Panasir, who was in charge of leading the school trip, pped his hands. ¡°Okay, now, everyone, please don¡¯t get too excited. We¡¯ll board the airship in ss order!¡± ¡°Professor! How long does it take to get there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fast airship, so it will arrive in about twelve hours. When you enter Adren¡¯s territory, you may encounter border summons or hatchlings, so try not to excite them.¡± Every time Varen spoke, his mane and belly trembled. It was the exact opposite body type of Jaipa, who still lived as a warrior. This wear lion, who had failed his seventy-fifth diet, was currently the richest person in Phileon. Although he had already amassed enough wealth for the entire family to y and eat, the reason he remained in the church was purely because he enjoyed teaching students. It¡¯s such a rewarding job. Varen, who was looking at the students with a happy face, stopped for a moment. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m worried. There won¡¯t be any problem¡­. His eyes stayed on the girl in the middle of the crowd. The girl with impressive bronze skin was growling with an expression as if she was going to bite the people around her at any moment. It was Butterfly Rose who had unintentionally experienced rejuvenation. ¡®What aplete transformation. At this point, I might really be stronger than Jaifa.¡¯ The younger Nabi Rose was clearly a teenage girl. Of course, since his brain had not be younger, it was clearly visible that he was being encouraged by the green students in real time. I wanted to do something to help, but I couldn¡¯t. He made it known that he didn¡¯t know what he would do if the students caught him. It was amon threat, but it was a different story if it came from a swordsman ranked among the top five in the empire. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. I¡¯m crazy. Why should I be swayed by those words?¡± Nabirose muttered while cing her hand on her forehead. She beat up Zarodin for about five minutes and only after her fan did she admit that she had no viable alternative. Her body, rejuvenated as a teenage girl, was dressed in Phileon Academy¡¯s martial arts uniform. ¡®Damn it. ¡®It¡¯s empty down there.¡¯ Butterfly Rose was feeling shame for almost the first time in her life. He could somehow handle the shirt and zer, but the problem was the bottoms. It was his first time knowing that a skirt was such an airy garment. Even in the height of summer, she wore only long trousers, so exposing her bare legs was a task that required great mental strength on her part. ¡®Why on earth does this girl want to wear clothes like this?¡¯ To make matters worse, Sunya¡¯s clothes were a little too small for Nabirose. Inevitably, the outline of her body was revealed, and her unique heavy volume attracted the attention of those around her, even though she had shrunk by more than halfpared to when she was an adult. Her students ncing at her were proof of this fact. ¡°Who is he? This is my first time seeing him.¡± ¡°They say she¡¯s instructor Butterfly Rose¡¯s distant cousin. They look so simr that I thought she was your daughter at first? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s why, but¡­ she¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°As expected, he¡¯s from the passionate South¡­ He has a very pretty face. Should I go talk to him? My brother said that guys from out in the countryside like that are easy to secretly seduce.¡± Nabirose sighed. Even though she went to a prestigious academy, her male counterparts were still male. She was probably whispering so that no one else could hear, but unfortunately, she had better hearing than a wild rabbit. ¡®You guys are the lucky ones. Normally, she would have been suspended immediately for harassing a teacher.¡¯ They were ying rock-paper-scissors to decide who would talk. As the butterfly nced back, I released a very small amount of her deadly energy. ¡°Hey! What, what?!¡± ¡°My body can¡¯t move¡­ Now, wait a minute! ¡°You peed yourself!¡± ¡°What on earth is this¡­!¡± Although it was extremely weak, the effect was certain. The boys who suffered an invisible attack fell into a state of paralysis. At the same time, a stream of water burst out onto the pants of the three people. The muscles of the body, unable to withstand the threat of death, rxed arbitrarily. ¡°Kyaaaaaaa!! Go away! You pee-pees!¡± ¡°Now, wait a minute Penny! I¡¯m not cumming!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about even now! go away!¡± The students around them screamed and ran away. The three urinals tried to make excuses, but once the stream started, it was not easy to stop. Nabirose suddenly felt gaze and looked straight ahead. Her Varen, who had witnessed her series of processes, was looking at her with a young expression of bewilderment. ¡°Instructor¡­?¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Butterfly Rose silently ced her index finger in front of her mouth. It meant handing it over in moderation. Eventually, Baren nodded and brought the students some pants to change into, and they ran away, unable to ovee their shame. That sight was so funny that Nabirose burst outughing without even realizing it. ¡°¡­.What am I doing with the kids right now?¡± As my body got younger, did my mind also get younger? It was a childish behavior that he would not normally have done. Soon, the airship carrying all the students unfolded its wings and took off. She began her first andst school trip in her life. **** ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time. It¡¯s the city of dragons.¡± Nabirose said to herself. It was my first time visiting the Dragon City since the war. She was watching Adren getting closer and closer from the deck of the airship. A huge floating ind was floating high above the sea-like clouds. ¡®It has its own charm¡¯ Even for Butterfly Rose, who wandered around the world, she was andscape worthy of being evaluated as a superb view. The moonlight seeping from the brilliant full moon enveloped the airship and the sea of clouds. The wind was just pleasantly rough, and the faint smell of the sea also appealed to her. She walked to the edge of her boat and leaned her body against the railing. If she were alone, she would have taken off her top and smoked a cigarette. As a butterfly, I was fiddling with the cigarette pipe in her arms, feeling sorry for her. ¡°Hey, is there anyone you can eat with?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± Butterfly Rose¡¯s eyes widened as she turned her head. Her familiar face was standing right behind her. Her ck hair and sunset-colored eyes that she inherited from her father. A calm voice like her mother. In her small but strong hands, she was holding a lunch box. Her dumbfounded expression made her frown. ¡°Lance.¡± ¡°What, do you know me?¡± Lan Se tilted her head. I heard she was a new student, but I wondered how she knew me. In fact, from Nabirose¡¯s perspective, there was no way he didn¡¯t know. Not only was she Ronan¡¯s child, but she was also his student. Still, she shouldn¡¯t show off right now, so Butterfly Rose shook her head. ¡°Roughly. ¡°I heard it from my aunt.¡± ¡°Aha. The rumor that you are Instructor Nabirose¡¯s nephew was true. You really look like him.¡± ¡°What business is it?¡± ¡°Oh my god, the way they talk is simr¡­ It¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s just eat together. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you since before, but you¡¯ve always been alone.¡± Now that I think about it, it is almost dinner time. Lan Se pointed behind her with her thumb. Just below the main mast, a girl with red hair was sitting in a crooked posture. Seeing her uniform was different, I thought it was from her magic department, and she also had a familiar face. She is the eldest daughter of Asher and Marya. Three Chika, who was looking Butterfly Rose up and down, muttered with her ax eyes open. ¡°Who is that woman again?¡± Her face and body, as well as her physical appearance, were unusual. She growled, openly showing her hostility. Lance asked in a worried voice. ¡°Sechika. Where does it hurt? Didn¡¯t you get everyone out of the bathroom earlier?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so loud, you idiot! Don¡¯t talk like that in front of other people!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Why are you yelling? I¡¯ll give you some medicine if your stomach hurts, so just wait a moment.¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaa!¡± In the end, Sechika exploded and used telekinesis. A spoon flew through the wind and passed by Lanse¡¯s ear. Nabiroseughed a little when she saw that. Because she could clearly see what the rtionship was. Lan Se scratched the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not really that kind of kid.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s cute, but what?¡± ¡°Thank you for seeing it that way. Haven¡¯t you heard of Sechika from the magic department? I¡¯ll introduce you right away¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Ranse!¡± This was the car in which Lance continued his conversation. Suddenly, a voice called to him from the stern of the ship. Two boys were gesturing towards Lance. ¡°Ike, has it already been this long?¡± Lance shed confusion. The boys didn¡¯t look very happy, so it seemed like something had happened. Lance, who was looking at the boys and Butterfly Rose in turn, opened his mouth with an expression of disapproval. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll just stop by for a moment. Do you two want to eat? I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Does not matter.¡± ¡°thank you. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t hear your name.¡± ¡°Call me Naro.¡± ¡°Okay. See you soon. I¡¯ll be back!¡± With those words, Lance disappeared. Nabiroje, who was repeating the name Naro, burst intoughter. Still, it seemed like a good name for a name that came to mind. ¡°W-what is it? Suddenly¡­.¡± And the atmosphere became awkward as hell. Sechika, who was suddenly left alone, was embarrassed. But even for a moment. She soon epted her situation and told Butterfly Rose. ¡°Ha, really¡­ Hey, don¡¯t just stand there,e here.¡± Nabi Rose did just that. Seeing that her hands were empty, Chika unwrapped her own lunch box and held it out to her. There was enough food inside for two people to eat. ¡°If you didn¡¯t bring it, let¡¯s eat together. My name is Sechika. Sechika Carabel.¡± Considering that most of it was meat, it seemed like Marya had made it herself. I raised the corner of his mouth as he was staring at his lunch box. Aside from his wariness, he was a very good kid. Let me help you a little. After picking up one of her fried meat pieces and eating it, she opened her mouth. ¡°Rest assured. ¡°Because I¡¯m not interested in your boyfriend.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Sechika spit out the barley tea she was eating. She was able to have a normal conversation only after beating her chest several times. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and cried out in a passionate voice. ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s not the kind of rtionship I have with him¡­!¡± ¡°I like men who look a little more obedient. By the way, that Lansei guy resembles his father to a degree. Even if his eyeballs are glued to the buttocks, he¡¯s probably more perceptive than that guy.¡± Nabirose sighed. She was liked by everyone, but what everyone didn¡¯t notice was that she looked exactly like her father, Ronan. She suddenly extended her index finger and stabbed her three chicas in the side. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something good. Come here.¡± ¡°Aang!¡± At that moment, the three chicas twisted her body. As the sensation of being electrocuted spread throughout her body, a strange sound escaped her mouth. Eventually, the three Chikas came to her senses and hurriedly covered her mouth. ¡°W-What did you do now? Everyone is looking at you¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called mana blood. ¡°I would feel a little morefortable.¡± ¡°What? Uh¡­ now that I think about it¡­.¡± Sechika¡¯s eyes widened. Her obviously stiff body seemed to rx. Nabirose chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the exact location, so please point out his mana points from time to time. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good opportunity because it will help you and you can touch my body secretly?¡± ¡°You, you really¡­!¡± Sechika was astonished. This was my first time seeing a girl like this. He came to me at random times, gave advice on love affairs, and taught me the art of skinship. After being silent for a moment, she grabbed both of Butterfly Rose¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid! Why don¡¯t we be friends?¡± ¡°friend?¡± ¡°Yes. I needed a friend like you. I¡¯ve never seen anyone suggest such an intuitive yet realistic method!¡± Sechika¡¯s voice was filled with genuine emotion. The sight was so cute that Butterfly Rose burst intoughter again. Let¡¯s be friends. If you knew who I was, you would be embarrassed. When no answer came, the three chicas tilted their heads. ¡°Do you¡­don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­No. Let¡¯s do it, friend.¡± ¡°Hurray! If there is someone you like in the magic department, please let me know. ¡°Although most of them are rainy, there are some that look as cute as beans growing in a drought.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take note.¡± Nabirose nodded. And raised her body. With his unique keen sense of hearing, he overheard an unusual story. So¡­you can¡¯t see Navardose¡­? It¡¯s terrible¡­but we can¡¯t back down¡­ The problem was that Navardose was mentioned rather than anything else. The story wasing from the stern of the ship. Ranse¡¯s voice was also mixed in the three people¡¯s conversation. ¡°So¡­what on earth are these males plotting?¡± Chapter 337 < Apiography 21. A blue spring to you (3) > #08 When Lanse arrived at the rear of the airship, the members were already gathered. Below the railing, a stream of clouds was flowing rapidly. This narrow balcony, which could only be reached through the side door of the guest room, was the perfect ce for plotting a plot. Lance, who was looking around, spoke carefully. ¡°So, you really can¡¯t see Navardose?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure.¡± The boys hesitated after hearing Ranse¡¯s question. Willump the ssesman and Sensen the Spearman. They were friends from the martial arts department who shared the same goals as him. They all had a solemn look on their face, like they were going to war somewhere. Willump, who was looking around like a meerkat, continued speaking. ¡°I overheard the professors talking in the hallway. The audience will be canceled for some reason. Damn it!¡± ¡°Ha¡­I was hoping for the wrong information.¡± Lance sighed deeply. If this were to happen, he would eventually have to execute the operation. It was also a very dangerous operation. Seeing his troubled face, Sensen urged him. ¡°Lance. Why are you worrying so much? An opportunity like this will nevere again.¡± ¡°Yes! Do you think there will be a day toe to Adren in the future? You may not know this, but this is ourst time!¡± In fact, it was closer to a plea rather than a urging. Even if you were a student at Phileon Academy,ing to Adren was a huge task. Opportunities that are never given to others are provided in the form of school trips. Only Ronan¡¯s bloodline, Lanse, was able to freely visit Adren. ¡°Lance. No, Ranse. Please!¡± Willump grabbed Lanse¡¯s trouser legs. Sensen knelt down after him and began to bow his head repeatedly. The people who were rescued while wandering in the desert seemed to be less desperate than this. Lance squeezed his eyes shut as he looked at his friends in despair. ¡°¡­Okay, let go of this for now.¡± ¡°Oh, of course! It¡¯s Lance of course!¡± ¡°Son of a hero!¡± Dawn fell on the boys¡¯ faces. I was so deeply moved that I was almost embarrassed. As someone who actively supported the n, I had nothing to say. ¡°Then I guess you brought the right supplies, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Look at this.¡± Willump grinned. He took out a small mechanical device from his inner pocket. A round lens was attached to the cube that fitfortably in the palm of his hand. ¡°This is an ultra-light cameramissioned directly from Didican Workshop. Not only is it as light as a feather, but it makes no sound so you don¡¯t have to worry about being caught. Aren¡¯t you going to kill me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking just in case. You don¡¯t usually do voyeurism, right?¡± ¡°What the fuck are you looking at me for? This thing was made only for today. The only subject that can be included here is the Mother of Fire.¡± Willump growled. The way he lowered his sses and frowned was evidence that he had be extremely serious. Lance waved his hand. ¡°sorry. ¡°Calm down, I was wrong.¡± ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t doubt my sincerity, Ranse. I still haven¡¯t forgotten the picture I saw when I went to your house. The Mother of Fire standing with Ronan was really¡­ amazing.¡± Sensen next to me nodded. I was referring to Ronan¡¯s graduation photo. His eyes were sparkling as he reflected on Navardose¡¯s appearance, like a child seeing the sky or the sea for the first time. It was a pitiful appearance that, if a third party saw it, would make them want to encourage suicide, but Ranse could not do that. Because he was also dreaming the same dream as the two people. Lance said. ¡°Okay. Then, I¡¯ll organize the n. The first thing is to sneak into the me Pce in the center of the city. You don¡¯t have to worry too much because you¡¯ll go in through a secret passage, but you have to be good at fooling the professor and your friends.¡± ¡°This is urate information, right? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe what Ronan said, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain that I said it because I was drunk. After entering the pce, I will immediately swallow the invisibility potion. Sensei, did you take the awareness-blocking scroll?¡± ¡°of course¡± Sensen took out three scrolls from her pocket and waved them. The awareness-impairing scroll produced by the Acalusia family was a luxury item he had purchased with half a year¡¯s worth of pocket money. At that rate, even the dragons wouldn¡¯t notice right away. ¡°Excellent. Cognitive impairment has a short duration, so don¡¯t use it until I give the signal. The best scenario is that it activates when you take a picture andsts until you leave the pce, but I don¡¯t know if it will work. Remember the point I emphasized. Right?¡± ¡°huh. ¡°Even if you get caught, you have to be caught in front of Navardose.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a high probability that he will forgive you. That way, even if you fail to take a picture, you will have a second chance. Take out the camera and ask if you can take amemorative photo just once to express your respect. Be as pitiful as possible to that person. ¡°Because of his personality, he probably won¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°W-As expected¡­an idea worthy of a descendant of a hero.¡± Willump and Sensen were impressed. Even though I looked pretty, I was still a bastard. Lan Se came up with a n so brilliant that it was hard to believe that he was the guy who had pulled it off just a moment ago. Suddenly, he thought of another variable and twisted his lips. ¡®As long as I don¡¯t get caught by Sechika.¡¯ My body trembled just thinking about it. To be honest, Sechika held arge share of the stake that clouded Ranse¡¯s will. The moment the operation was discovered, she would use her telekinesis to beat up all of her masterminds, including Ranse. Even if you survive the witchcraft beating, contempt awaits you as if you were staring at a bug. It was the car where Lanse was telling himself that it was okay. ¡°Interesting. When I heard the name Navardose, I wondered if they were plotting some kind of conspiracy.¡± ¡°W-Who are you?!¡± Suddenly a familiar voice rang out from above her head. The boys who looked up froze. A girl with bronze skin was sitting on the cabin. ¡°Me, me? Howe here¡­!¡± ¡°I heard everything. ¡°You monkeys.¡± Lance¡¯s face turned pale. Nabi Rosended lightly on the balcony. Even though she was quite high, I couldn¡¯t hear her footsteps at all. She sighed as she looked into her boys¡¯ faces. ¡°It¡¯s so hard for males to understand. The only thing theye all the way to Adren is to peek at their breasts¡­ For the first time, I feel skeptical about my job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a chest, it¡¯s a me sac.¡± Suddenly Willump lowered his sses and pointed. Just by looking at his facial expression, he looked like a revolutionary resisting human rights oppression. With butterflies, I frowned at her. ¡°what?¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not about peeping, it¡¯s about engraving unprecedented beauty into history. What does a wastnd like you know?¡± His index finger remained on Nabirose¡¯s chest. Her brows narrowed at the insult she had never heard before. ¡°¡­bands?¡± ¡°Yes. You seem quite confident, butpared to the Mother of Fire, you are nothing. I don¡¯t know where you suddenly appeared, but don¡¯t teach a man¡¯s dreams to a woman!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived so long that I hear all sorts of things¡­ That¡¯s it. I¡¯ll give you a special pass because you have the courage, so just quietly back off from your n.¡± ¡°Nonsense! I promise you that you will keep what you see and hear here a secret. ¡°I don¡¯t consider myself Instructor Nabiroje¡¯s nephew.¡± With those words, Will Rump took out a scroll from his pocket. The rolled up paper had magic imprinted on it in case something went wrong. Nabirose, who saw the solemn look in his eyes,ughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take ss more seriously, Willump?¡± ¡°What? How do you say my name¡­¡± ¡°I refuse to take an oath. Think of this as a substitute for disciplinary action.¡± Willump was about to say something. Butterfly Rose¡¯s figure disappeared and he reappeared behind him. Wow! Willump¡¯s eyes rolled over with a light hitting sound. ¡°Oops!¡± Will Rump rolled his eyes and copsed. Normally, his forehead should have been broken, but Nabirose caught him before his body hit the floor. ¡°Willump! What is this¡­!¡± The boys were astonished. Sensen didn¡¯t even understand what had happened. I wondered if the two images ovepped, but Willump suddenly fainted. ¡°W-That¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± The only one who noticed was Lanse. He narrowed the distance and at the same time barely caught Nabirose¡¯s movement as he struck the back of Willump¡¯s neck with the de of his hand. That¡¯s why Ranse was so frightened that he couldn¡¯t move. Because he realized that there was a gap that could not be bridged. On the other hand, Sensen, who could not see anything, was screaming and running. ¡°How dare my friend¡­! ¡°I won¡¯t look at you just because you¡¯re ady!¡± ¡°Your movements are still stiff. Sensen.¡± Of course, it was more reckless than a moth jumping into a wildfire. Butterfly Rose was watching him run with his hands in his pockets. Ranse tried to shout out to be careful, but the game was already over. puck! Sensen¡¯s body fell forward with a bted impact sound. ¡°anyway.¡± With a butterfly, I clicked his tongue. He felt as much self-destruction as when he put on his school uniform. You¡¯re making the students you were teaching until yesterday faint right now. ¡®What on earth am I doing?¡¯ If he had the same mind, he would have knocked out Ran Se as well and then thrown it to his new ¡®friend¡¯, but he decided to hold off for a while. Not being able to have an audience with Navardose was quite shocking news to her. Sheid her Sensen down on the floor and looked back at Ranse. ¡°Lance.¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There is only one way for today¡¯s events to remain a secret.¡± ¡°what is that?¡± ¡°Take me instead of these guys.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Lance shed confusion. Nabirose was already packing up Willump and Sensen¡¯s luggage. She was someone who had to have an audience with Navardose at all costs. As she endured this humiliation, she came all the way to Adren, and could never understand that she was officially forbidden to have an audience with her. Nabirose, aiming at Willump and Sensen, tore a scroll. Seaaaa¡­ the mist rose through the cracks in the paper and seeped into the noses and mouths of the two people. ¡°I¡¯m d I bought the expensive one. There won¡¯t be any side effects.¡± Nabirose said to herself. It was a silence scroll that Willump took out. In the fog, there was fragmentary memory erasure and sleep magic at the same time. Lance¡¯s answer had not yete back. After finishing cleaning up after her, I lifted her head with butterflies. ¡°Why is there no answer? Maybe you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t understand. Why are you going? ¡°It might be very dangerous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear from the guy who tried to sneak into the me Pce for a photo shoot.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Lance¡¯s face turned red. Fortunately, she seemed to be aware that it was a shameful act. Suddenly Nabirose, who was looking at his face,ughed. The most outstanding student among the current jockeys. The raised eye corners, long eyshes, and sunset colored eyes were identical to Ronan¡¯s. It would have been enough to just resemble his face and talent. ¡°You really look like Ronan. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Ooh, do you know my father?¡± ¡°I know. Thanks to you, I learned that tastes are hereditary. Anyway, bigger is always better.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Ranse frowned, but Nabirose did not respond. She suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed Lance¡¯s ear and twisted it. ¡°Aaaah! W-what are you doing!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s noisy. We¡¯llnd soon, so follow us.¡± ¡°Ears! Get off my ears!¡± ¡°The taste is excellent. Even this one resembles it.¡± Nabiroseughed. He seemed to have gone back to when he was teaching Ronan more than ten years ago. She returned to her deck, dragging her screaming Lance with her. Under the bright full moon, the city of dragons floating in the sky was already getting closer. Chapter 338 #A22 The full moon was bright. Because of the high altitude, the stars were much more visible. The airships anchored at the docks of Adren were resting with their sails folded. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s finally over. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Varen wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had just finished checking the number of students following immigration. Adren¡¯s immigration screening took almost an hour. Not only was there arge number of people, but the examiner was very meticulous in nature. The examiner, who looked like an old man with white hair, opened his mouth. ¡°No problem. ¡°Just don¡¯t make too much of a fuss.¡± It was Vanartier, the white dragon who had judged Ronan and his party in the past. He survived the final war and was still guarding the gates of Adren. Varen patted his chest. ¡°Do not worry. ¡°If anything happens, I will take responsibility.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think the younger students of those three will cause trouble. ¡°I believe it.¡± Vanartier hesitated. The three people were Ronan, Asher, and Schlieffen. He vividly remembered the day when Adren almost fell. Varen smiled happily after hearing the names of his favorite students. ¡°Sure. ¡°I think so too¡­¡± ¡°Kwaaaaah!!! Save, save people!¡± To be exact, it was a car that was meant to make you smile. A thunderous scream erupted from the square where students were gathered. Varen¡¯s mane stood on end. The fearful voice was unusual. A sh of golden light bloomed in an instant and enveloped his thighs. ¡°Wait a minute, you¡­¡± It was Varen¡¯s auror that improved overall strength. Vanartier didn¡¯t even have time to say anything. As soon as the spot he stepped on caved in, his figure disappeared. The distance, which was about 500 meters, narrowed in the blink of an eye. bang!!! Varen, whonded in front of the students, growled and shouted. ¡°everyone! Is there a problem?!¡± ¡°Kyo, professor¡­ behind, behind!¡± The terrified students stretched out their index fingers. Varen¡¯s eyes widened as he turned his head. In the middle of a za surrounded by colorful buildings, a dragon whose entire body was covered in steel was looking down at the students gathered in the za. ¡°you are¡­¡­¡± But that look was somehow familiar. A sleek body and artificial wings specialized for high-speed flight. There was no sense of hostility in the beautiful white-blue eyes. Varen, who was facing the dragon, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Haaaa¡­ It was Naransonia. it surprised me.¡± ¡¾You¡¯re here again this year, Varen. I just came to say hello, but aren¡¯t you making too much of a fuss?¡¿ ¡°I¡¯m fine, but the students are surprised. It¡¯s not verymon for the average person to encounter a dragon. At least if yound right in front¡­.¡± My pulse rxed. The aura wrapped around Varen¡¯s thigh sank. Almost immediately, the dragon¡¯s body was engulfed in light and disappeared. Soon, a woman in uniform walked out of the light. Her nickname is Empress of Steel. Naransonia, the fastest dragon. Her gray-white hair, resembling scales, was blowing in the night wind. ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. sorry.¡± ¡°no. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not being able to tell my students in advance.¡± ¡°I would havee here normally, but I had no choice because I was wary of the me Pce. ¡°It¡¯s such an important time.¡± ¡°What do you mean by saying it¡¯s an important time¡­?¡± Varen frowned, but Sonia, like me, shook her head. She meant she couldn¡¯t tell me. Varen, who was quick to notice her, let her go without raising anyints. ¡°I understand. In fact, most of what happened within the me Pce was confidential.¡± ¡°Thank you. ¡°It¡¯s okay to call me a minister, but I will guide you to the Dragon City.¡± ¡°yes? Well, there¡¯s no need to do that¡­¡± Varen waved his hand at her unexpected suggestion. She was too much of a person to be a guide. But Sonia, who was me, opened her mouth before he could stop her. ¡¾Nice to meet you. Dear mortals.] ¡°Hey?!¡± ¡¾It is said to be Naransonia, which worships the Mother of Fire and His Majesty the Dragon King. I will be your guide during your stay in Adren, so please be kind to me.¡¿ Even in the voice of a dragon, not a human. The students¡¯ frozen eyes were focused on her. ¡°If I am Naransonia, aren¡¯t I the dragon who participated in thest war?¡± ¡°Why does such a big guye to us¡­?¡± The students were equally embarrassed. Because it was like a minister-level figure from a country stepped in as a guide. Naransonia personally answered the question. ¡¾Don¡¯t feel burdened. Because it¡¯s a simple favor. I¡¯ve been busy so I haven¡¯t been able to guide you, but I really like the mortals from Phileon.] As if to prove her words, a faint smile appeared on Sonia¡¯s lips. Anyone who knew her would have been shocked and embarrassed. In fact, she couldn¡¯t help but be liked. Adren, the Dragon King, and even the people who saved the world were from Phileon. Naransonia said. [I have roughly checked your schedule. First of all, we¡¯ll be hungry so we¡¯ll go to Restaurant Alibrihe. This is where Ronan, a graduate of Phileon Academy like you, and the Demon Dragon Orse encountered each other. It was originally a small tavern, but after it was destroyed in battle, it was converted into a restaurant. After eating, we went to Asher Square¡­¡¿ She gave detailed and friendly exnations of Adren¡¯s main tourist courses. Asher Square, where Asher prevented the fall, Memorial Park, where the decisive battle with the giant Doaru took ce, etc. The quality of the guidance was so good that I thought this was my main job. As the friendly attitude continued, the students¡¯ wariness gradually eased. At the end of the exnation, one student, unable to ovee her curiosity, raised her hand and asked a question. ¡°Hey, Naransonia. Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡¾Sure.] ¡°thank you. By any chance, Navardose, how many days will I be able to have an audience with you? ¡°I really want to meet you.¡± For a moment, Naransonia¡¯s face hardened. It wasn¡¯t just because of the content of the question. The face of the girl who asked her question looked very simr to a wizard she knew. After a moment of silence, she opened her mouth. ¡¾you. You are the daughter of Archmage Asher.¡¿ ¡°Oh, I got caught. Ehehe, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡¾How much time has passed already¡­ Unfortunately, an audience is not possible.¡¿ ¡°Eh?¡± Sechika¡¯s eyes widened. Meeting the Mother of Fire at the me Pce was an event that took ce every year on school trips, and was one of the things she looked forward to the most. But suddenly an audience is impossible? The students, except for Sechika, also started to get upset. Varen, who hastily took over the baton, opened her mouth. ¡°Ah, sorry. ¡°She should have told you in advance¡­ but the Mother of Fire says that she is unable to wee her guests due to personal reasons.¡± ¡°Well, then we can¡¯t meet each other at all? ¡°All week?¡± ¡°¡­..yes. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but I think we¡¯ll have to wait for the next opportunity.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be possible¡­!¡± Sechika sighed. It was like a lightning strike. I was in the midst of being in shock for a while. ¡¾sorry. Adren owes a lot to your father.¡¿ ¡°Me, Naransonia? At some point¡­¡± Sechika¡¯s eyes widened. Before she knew it, Sonia, who had been standing far away, hade to her side. [I feel it again, but we really look alike. Bloodlines are really scary.] ¡°Uh, do you know my dad well?¡± [I know. I was with the Archmage when he stopped Adren¡¯s fall. That child already has a daughter¡­ Human time passes so quickly.¡¿ Her hair, which reached down to the nape of her neck, was red like a tulip, just like Asher¡¯s. She still seemed to remember that day when she closed her eyes. The dragon king who went crazy, the giant¡¯s spear that lit up the sky like a meteor shower. Adrienne, headlong, and a young wizard chanting a spell, blood pouring from every orifice of her face. If Asher had not been there that day, the Dragon City would have been buried deep in the sea by now. He felt sorry for her for treating her daughter so poorly. Naransonia stroked Sechika¡¯s head. ¡¾I apologize once again. If you wish, I will request an audience with His Majesty the Dragon King. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have time, but¡­] ¡°Oh, no. You don¡¯t have to go that far. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡¾Hehe, you even seem to have a kind heart. I hope you take only good memories from Adren¡­ That¡¯s right, I heard from Varen that Ronan¡¯s child also came.¡¿ ¡°aha. What is it? ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± Sechika¡¯s expression brightened. Anyway, it felt good to be intertwined with Ranse. Originally, I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but I thought we should go see the Dragon King together. She raised her eyebrows as she looked around for Lanse. ¡°what. ¡°Where has he gone?¡± ¡¾What problem happened?¡¿ ¡°No, that was definitely until just now¡­.¡± Sechika frowned and closed her eyes. A radar made of mana was deployed, but Lance could not be found. He was apparently not there until he got off the ne and went through immigration. Now that I think about it, he also couldn¡¯t see me, his new friend. ¡°no way¡­..?¡± Only two people disappeared. For a moment, a small spark lit up in Sechika¡¯s mind. Lansei has very strong tastes. And then a beautiful transfer student suddenly appears. When I thought about Naro¡¯s physical strength objectively, he seemed to be very, very slightly superior to me. Before she could even ask, the answer shed through her mind. Rest assured. Because I¡¯m not interested in your boyfriend. With the maxim that strong negativity is positivity. Chika chewed her lower lip as she imagined the worst case scenario. ¡¤Eh, probably not.¡± **** ¡°Is this really the right ce?¡± ¡°Are you sure. ¡°I said it would be impossible from the beginning if it wasn¡¯t here.¡± Lance nodded. Butterfly Rose followed him in silence, even though she had a disapproving expression on her face. If Ronan said something after drinking, it must be true. She could tell just by recalling an anecdote in which she asked herself if she was in such good shape because she ate a lot of tropical fruits. Lan Se, who was looking around her, was amazed. ¡°Anyway, this is amazing¡­this is a sewer. ¡°I think the dragon race is fundamentally different.¡± They were walking through the sewers of Adren. The watery smell was musty. A drainage ditch as wide as a decent canal ran through the center of the passage. Even if I spoke a little too loudly, the echo would echo, so I had to speak almost in a whisper. This was the passage that Ronan and Orsay previously used to infiltrate the Sky Tower. ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s take the invisibility potion in advance. ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be any, but there could be patrollers or homeless people.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It was a reasonable opinion. They took out the invisibility potion they had brought with them and drank it. The new form of the two people that had gradually be meaningful haspletely disappeared. There was no problem recognizing each other. Although it was notparable to Butterfly Rose, Lanse also had excellent senses. Nabirose muttered in bewilderment. ¡°Seeing as I wasn¡¯t nauseous at all, I was very prepared. ¡°It would be great if we put this much effort into ss.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­you have no shame.¡± ¡°The other two guys. ¡°You¡¯re trying hard enough.¡± ¡°Huh? How did you do that¡­?¡± Lance tilted his head. After realizing my mistake toote, I shut his mouth. Hepletely forgot that he had to y a girl from nowhere. Damn, this needs to be sorted out. ¡°¡­My aunt often talks about you. ¡°He¡¯s a student who shows some talent.¡± ¡°What? Really?!¡± ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that I can¡¯t stop¡­ Did you really say that instructor Nabirose praised me?¡± Lance¡¯s voice was very excited. Although I couldn¡¯t see it, it was nice to see its eyes sparkling like a puppy. I didn¡¯t expect him to be this happy, but maybe I taught him too harshly. Nabirose answered awkwardly. ¡°okay. ¡°I praised it.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so happy. Honestly, I thought I wouldn¡¯t hear that until I graduated. Instead, I thought you hated me.¡± ¡­You don¡¯t like it? Nonsense. ¡°Why are you thinking like that?¡± ¡°Well, I am the son of the heroes Ronan and Adeshan¡­ Instructor Nabirose is the teacher who taught them both, and no matter how hard I work, I don¡¯t think he will ever be satisfied with me.¡± Lance¡¯s voice was a little dull. I was proud of my parents more than anyone else in the world, but that wasn¡¯t always a good thing. The stronger the light, the darker the shadow. Nabirose, who was dumbfounded for a moment,ughed. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°Listen carefully, Lance. The reason Nabirose didn¡¯t usually praise you was because she didn¡¯t want you to be arrogant. I intentionally kept it short just now, but I ¡°I think quite highly of you.¡± ¡°¡­..me?¡± ¡°The words came out in vain. Butterfly Rose.¡± Butterfly Rose tapped my lips. Anyway, acting is not my aptitude. ¡°You are amazing in and of yourself, Lance. Even though Ronan and Adeshan are really good guys, don¡¯t be discouraged. If things continue like they are now, these two will definitely reach the same level. ¡°Maybe we can go higher.¡± ¡°Did the instructor even say that?¡± ¡°okay. Don¡¯t doubt and move forward. ¡°I¡­no, because Instructor Nabirose trusts you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.thank you. ¡°To me.¡± Lance nodded. A faint sniffling sound was heard. ¡°I have to work harder. ¡°The instructor trusts me, so I can¡¯t let him down.¡± ¡°joy. It sounds obvious. ¡°If you bezy because of these words, I will tell you everything.¡± Nabiroseughed. At this moment, I felt fortunate to be young. It was a problem he didn¡¯t notice when he was an instructor. He seemed to need to be a little more attentive. ¡°But why do men like big breasts so much? ¡°It¡¯s just an unwieldy lump of fat.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­a profound story, but do I really need to tell it here?¡± ¡°done. There must be something I don¡¯t know about. ¡°If it had been just the size it is now, it wouldn¡¯t have been ufortable¡­¡± The two people walked around while talking about various things. The closer I got to the me pce, the denser the mana became. It was about time that the point Lanse mentioned came up. ¡°for a moment.¡± Suddenly, Butterfly Rose pulled Lanse¡¯s back. Ranse suddenly stopped and covered her mouth, almost screaming. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°There is someone in front. ¡°It¡¯s not just one or two people.¡± ¡°what?¡± Lance was embarrassed. Now that I think about it, I felt like I was vaguely popr. Nabirose¡¯s eyes were fixed on the corner in front. ¡°¡­I really have no luck.¡± Her lips twitched as she concentrated. Unfamiliar voices were talking about Navardose. Perfect. Anyone can see that he is a special envoy of the empire. The only chance is today. Even if you are the Mother of Fire, you are always defenseless when ites to escaping. The bomb is also normal. Let¡¯s go. However, unlike in the airship, the problem was that the topic of conversation was not very pleasant. Chapter 339 Academy¡¯s Genius Swordmaster Chapter 339 #A23 ¡°Po, bomb?¡± ¡°Shh. Lower your voice.¡± Nabirose cautioned. Lance quickly closed his mouth. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to have been caught. The signs of poprity could still be felt around the corner. ¡°Sigh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It was so sudden.¡± ¡°It looks like I got caught up in some troublesome business.¡± Nabirose clicked his tongue. Her animal-like hearing perfectly separated the sound of water from the monsters¡¯ conversation. The estimated number of people is five. The purpose was to nt a bomb in the me Pce by disguising himself as an imperial envoy. ¡®I thought it was somehow strange. ¡®Were you trying to escape?¡¯ Suddenly, I also learned why Navarro had canceled her audience. Dragons, like reptiles, shed their skin at regr intervals, and that time hase. The gangsters would have no chance like now. During the molting process, whichsts from as little as a day to as long as 15 days, the dragon falls into a defenseless state that is virtually the same as sleep. Of course, even taking that into ount, it was a reckless n. As long as dragons aren¡¯t idiots, they should at least take measures to escape, but this was Adren, the dragons¡¯ home base. Moreover, their target was Navardose, the Mother of Fire. So why do we do something that is sure to fail? Lance gritted his teeth. ¡°¡­You bastards. How could a race called dragons open their hearts?¡± ¡°Oh. Did you notice?¡± Nabi Rose smiled lightly. It seemed that this clever student had figured out the thugs¡¯ intentions. ¡°The power of the bomb doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that people from the Empire¡­no, humansmit terrorism in the me Pce. Even if there are no casualties, it will definitely cause a big diplomatic problem.¡± ¡°urate.¡± Nabirose remembered. It was a great insight for his age. In this way, she certainly seemed to resemble her mother, Adeshan. ¡°I learned in history ss. The me Pce where Navardose lives was built on the site where the Sky Tower copsed. It is one of the symbols of peace that announces that the damage caused by the war with Neb zier has been ovee. In such a ce, a bomb If this explodes¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It may not immediately lead to hostile rtions with the dragons, but it will certainly be colder.¡± ¡°I can never¡­ forgive you.¡± Lance was truly angry. Although he was born after the war ended, he knew very well how the current peace came. It was because he grew up listening to Ronan and Adeshan¡¯s stories instead of fairy tales from the time he was toddling around. Lance took out a perception-impairing scroll and continued. ¡°To me. ¡°Put this on and go back the way you came.¡± ¡°her?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve made it transparent, so we won¡¯t be caught. Go as quickly as possible and tell people about this. ¡°I will do my best to stop them.¡± The voice was solemn. Although I couldn¡¯t see it, the expression was probably like that. What did this kid just say to me? Go back the way you came? Nabirose, who was dumbfounded for a moment,ughed. ¡°This is ridiculous. ¡°Please be thankful.¡± ¡°what?¡± It was the moment when Lan Se turned his head. Kwasik!! An invisible fist plunged deep into his abdomen. Ranse¡¯s body copsed forward due to the impact, as if all of his internal organs had been smashed to the floor. ¡°Gagging!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you faint? ¡°As expected, it¡¯s excellent.¡± Nabi Rose was impressed. Perhaps because he was the head of the martial arts department, his tenacity was extraordinary. Lance, who was silently spitting out gastric juice, spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Me, me¡­why are you like this¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you exactly what I said. Go back the way you came and report this situation.¡± Awareness-impairing scrolls were rolling around in front of Ranse¡¯s eyes. I heard Naro¡¯s footsteps walking ahead of me. I wanted to get up and stop him right away, but his body wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡­to¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Because what you think won¡¯t happen. and¡­¡± The kind heart is admirable, but it was still too early. Children had children¡¯s roles, and adults had adult roles. I felt fortunate to be young again. If he had been an adult, he would not have followed Ranse and caught this plot. The gunmen were still in ce, as if they were nning a n. ¡°Holding weight is an adult¡¯s privilege.¡± After saying that one word, Nabi Rose¡¯s new form shot forward. **** ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­I think I just heard something. Did I hear wrong?¡± The bearded man tilted his head. I think I heard faint footsteps, but there was no one where I looked. The woman dressed as an imperial envoy shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It looks like a rat passed by. It¡¯s not even cleaning season, so who would wander around a ce like this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I guess I was too nervous.¡± ¡°Why are you so scared? If you feel nervous, think about the day you worked hard for today. Just do it like practice. Just like practice.¡± She said the woman was flirting. She was incredibly confident, but none of her colleagues, including her man, gave a damn. Because she was a top-ss adventurer and someone who devoted ten years to this day¡¯s mission. Her colleagues who shared her will were also top adventurers. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. How on earth did you find this path?¡± ¡°It¡¯s abination of hard work and luck. I also found out about it after falling into theke surrounding the me Pce. I didn¡¯t know there was a road leading straight to the first floor of the pce somewhere like that.¡± ¡°Great. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect position to run away from after kicking their ass.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And just getting this far is half the sess. When the Navardos escapes, all of the me Pce¡¯s security forces will be deployed outside.¡± As she said, the me Pce was currently empty. Although the detailed reason was unknown, not only the security personnel but also Naransonia and other important officials had moved outside the pce. ¡°Besides, we have a secret weapon. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re prepared, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Damn, considering how much I spent to get this¡­.¡± The bearded man nodded. He patted the inside pocket containing the items and grumbled. He spent more than enough money to buy a mansion, but he had no choice. Although there is no substitute for it, it was a necessary item. The woman who checked her watch said solemnly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to take it lightly. Let¡¯s all go about it with a sense of duty as adventurers. Even if we die, if we seed in our mission, our time wille again.¡± ¡°The age of heroes and adventure.¡± ¡°Yes. Peace only makes the world boring. The breakdown of the rtionship between people and dragons will be the first step to breaking the stalemate. People wille looking for us again.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­that sounds good. Of course, I expect morepensation from the client.¡± The one-eyed old man chuckled. Everyone agreed with that opinion. The person who entrusted this request to them promised a huge reward that was literally ¡®unimaginable¡¯. The client was even capable of paying thepensation. The adventurers exchanged nces and raised their eyebrows. The moment a woman dressed as an envoy extends her hand. ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s at least fight¡­ ok.¡± ¡°uh?¡± The woman¡¯s squinted eyes opened wide. A razor-sharp de tore through her chest and was sticking out. Her dark red blood was dripping down the de that had pierced her heart precisely. ¡°This¡­?¡± I felt her body cooling down quickly. When she lowered her gaze and looked up, a group of dark green lights were wrapped around her sword body. Before she could spit out the blood that had poured down her throat. Wow! The de cut diagonally through her ribcage and decapitated the old man next to her. ¡°Huh oh oh!¡± ¡°Fuck! What¡¯s going on¡­!¡± The monsters were astonished. The sword was floating in the air with no one holding it. The old man¡¯s soaring head fell into the drain. The ownerless de flew in again and bit into the back of another gunman¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­!¡± There was no screaming this time either. Another head disappeared into the wastewater. The empty body on her shoulders slowly copsed. Only then were the assants able to see the sword¡¯s owner. ¡°You, you?!¡± ¡°Ah. Did you get caught?¡± Nabirose shrugged her eyebrows. Her appearance was revealed because of the blood sttered everywhere. Of course, it didn¡¯t really matter. I lowered my posture and charged towards the butterfly that held his sword. ¡°Where did youe from?¡± There were two people left. As soon as they found out that the murderer¡¯s identity was a girl who had not even had hering-of-age ceremony, they rushed in, shouting brave cries. ¡°die!!¡± The bald man, holding a dagger in both hands, shed at Nabirose¡¯s back. Standing on her feet, she lightly twisted her shoulder to avoid her attack and swung her sword at the same time. Suddenly! A green semicircle was drawn in the air, separating her bald body into left and right sides. Her bloodshot eyes turned white. Her blood and intestines exploded like firecrackers. ¡°Hey!¡± It took less than a minute to get here. Her solitary beard gasped. He tried to do something, but it was already toote. When I swung my sword at her again, the butterfly sticking out as I sliced through her entrails, a green line was drawn over her man¡¯s limbs. ¡°ah.¡± The feeling in my limbs disappeared. Four lines split up and down, revealing a clean cut surface. The man, who was left with two of her arms, two of her legs, and her torso, spilled onto the floor with a disgusting sound. The pain that camete overtook him. ¡°Quaaaahhh!!!¡± A blood-curdling scream rang out. The man, who had turned into a beetlerva, rolled around on her surface, tracing traces of where her limbs had been. It wasn¡¯t a voice she particrly wanted to listen to. Nabirose brushed the blood off his sword and stomped on his neck. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Oh ah ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Her man¡¯s struggling stopped. The extreme fear made her forget the pain of having all her limbs cut off. Nabirose¡¯s eyes looking down on him were no different from looking at meat on a cutting board. ¡°Monster, monster¡­.¡± ¡°Who are you? Whose instructions did you do that?¡± Butterfly asked, pointing the sword at the man¡¯s right eye. It was a calm voice that gave me goosebumps. The man, barely able to catch his breath, stuttered and opened her mouth. ¡°Well, that means¡­¡± ¡°It looks like you haven¡¯te to your senses yet.¡± ¡°Khaaaa!¡± But Butterfly Rose did not even tolerate stuttering. The tip of his sword went straight into his eye. A scream that seemed to tear the vocal cords rang out. ¡°Huh, huh!! Eyes, my eyes¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds. ¡°Tell me the name of the ringleader.¡± When the sword was removed from the eye socket, a sticky liquid dripped out. Butterfly Rose asked, aiming straight at the other eye. His beard cried as he reached his limit. ¡°Ugh, let me tell you¡­I¡¯m telling you, fuck! ¡°We have received a request from the Red Death.¡± ¡°Red Death?¡± With butterflies, I tilted my head towards him. It was definitely a tinnitus I had heard of at some point. I think it came out of Ronan¡¯s mouth, but I couldn¡¯t remember the details. I don¡¯t think it was a human tinnitus. She was about to continue her interrogation. ¡°¡­Flood damage.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± Suddenly a familiar voice came from behind. Butterfly Rose turned her head and her eyebrows furrowed. She was muttering words that the woman who had initially sliced her torso could not understand. It seemed like she had taken some medication that dyed death. In her pale, bloodless hand she held a scroll. ¡°Missionplete.¡± Butterfly Rose immediately swung his sword. Five sword energy shot through her sword path passed through her body in different directions. Kwaaaaang! The sword energy that touched her ground exploded and her corpse shattered. She looked back at her again with butterflies and I clicked her tongue. ¡°this.¡± Her bearded man was gone. Only the remnants of her space magic remained, shimmering like a haze around her. Her man¡¯s presence was visible from the ceiling in the distance. So, she was being passed down in a subtle way from the me Pce. ¡°Why do you make work so troublesome?¡± She had transported herpanions with a spatial magic scroll. It was a sense of mission that did not suit her trash. Should she have just killed them all? She was kept alive for testimony. I made her sigh with butterflies. ¡®Anyway, what can a guy with all his limbs cut off do?¡¯ She started running straight towards the me Pce. It was a privilege to hold her weight, but it was an adult¡¯s duty to carry her responsibility. The nickname ¡°Red Death¡± floated through Nabirose¡¯s mind like a mirage. ¡®Who was it really? ¡®I can¡¯t remember at all.¡¯ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!